Woody- yes got rolling Monday and hopefully will go again in a few days if it quits raining, our modern spring wheat varieties are fairly cold resistant so the earlier seeding the better, heavy snows arent even a big deal. If we can get more than a few days break from rain/snow then we will start seeding. The rest of the crops we will plant such as spring legumes and canola will be planted later when soil temps warm up.

Mike- thanks for jumping in and posting that, had a 7U from the late 50s to 1980.

Tad- yes in my opinion the hexagonal cabs are better. Our bigger wheel tractor has a square cab similar to what would be on a crawler and I think the visibility is better with the 6 sided cabs on the cats, getting in and out of the cab I think would be easier with our style as well. Might be a little harder to clean with the doors not going all the way down- its a sturdier design but not a big deal for cleaning really.

On two of our cats the doors open with the handle on the back and hinges forward, the D6C opens backwards and even though I feel that is more of an awkward design it wont break the glass out of the door as easily- the D4D has had the glass break before from the door swinging open.

I'm glad you posted your vintage picture of your vintage D4 as it used to be.

I really like your D4 as it is now, but the tail seat is really neat, too. I think maybe you need one for each foot. The new, improved MikeMc Mighty D4 on one side and the as original, tailseat D4 for the other.

It really looks nice hooked to that nice yellow disk, making smoke and dust like it was supposed to.

Pete.

If I can find it, will post picture of one I built for my D6 in the middle fifties. I put glass in the front and rear which helped the dirt. I see I bolted side windows with plastic and wooden frames. Was better than nothing. Darrol

Well unfortunately I have misplaced my digital camera card (hoping its only misplaced and not lost for good) so I have a camera that cant take pictures for now.

Started seeding spring wheat on the lower ground today after 2 trips with the cultivator, didnt put any nitrogen fertilizer down yet, putting phosphate with the seed. Earliest we have ever planted a spring wheat crop, I wouldnt be surprised if it does 65bu/acre or more. Next two days are supposed to be sunny and really warm (highs in the mid 50s) then turns to snow on Monday with a predicted low of 22º. Wont do any farming on any of the ground up top near home anytime soon, still too wet with low soil temps.

About all the farmers in this area think we are crazy for sure but thats okay, used to it by now Most guys stretching west of here towards the palouse have drier ground than us right now but havent even pulled a tractor out of the shed yet, saying its just too early.

Sorry I wont have any pics to add unless I find that camera card

Several years ago I was trolling around on the net and came across this picture,which was posted here on the ACMOC board. Said to myself...'yup, know where that is.......and I know the farmer doing the plowing'



The farmer is Marv Markman. The picture is from a 1956 Cat brochure for the
D4. In the copy Marv states "This Cat D4 tractor sticks to these 65% slopes I
have on my farm without fear of tipping or stalling"

As you will see, Marv wasn't pulling anybody's leg. Stick around Bruce (up in
Asotin) and I think you like the pictures of Marv harvesting with his D4 and
a IH 51 combine.

Most of the following shots ( and the one of the D4 above) were taken on
a hill near the intersection of Company Hollow Road & Mc Coy Road just a few
miles east of The Dalles. Here is what it looks like today. ( remember this
Darrol?? we stopped here on your visit)



As you can see, there is part of this hill that is not being farmed now. But
in years gone by......they farmed it all.

Before tractors became available, the first combines in the area where horse
drawn.



OK...Mule drawn. Horse or Mule.....either way pretty rough duty on the animals.
Looks like in this shot, the mules are eating into the profits while waiting for the
photographer to finish up.



BTW......all of these photographs ( unless noted ) are courtesy of Marv's son
Bill Markman

OK, lets get this on some steel to match the theme of this thread. This shot
is dated 1949. Getting set to go....adding some gas for the combine motor, and that looks like Marv greasing on the header. The D4 must have been drafted ....sporting OD paint.....



All serviced and ready to go. That's Marv on the D4. Gotta be sewing sacks as I don't see a grain tank on the combine.



Coming right at ya. Note the counter weights that Marv has on the front of the D4 to help keep the nose down. Keep the barn in the background in
mind as we move ahead.



A different angle. The 51 is still on steel wheels. The combine is set up to
bunch straw & chaff for livestock feed. This angle also shows the counter
weights used to balance the header. The 16 foot platform is still being
hand operated........two on the combine, the machine operator & the sack
sewer.

It's a year later and quite a few changes. Ol' Marv has gone soft on us and
added a sun shade to the D4. The combine has a grain tank added as well as a cylinder ( either air or hydraulic; both were used here) on the platform lift. The rear of the combine has been changed too......some screens to try to keep that pesky straw in check in a tail wind and they are dumping chaff only instead of chaff & straw. The combine is running......see the wheat being dumped onto the truck.



At work cutting club wheat. Wasco Co. was wall to wall club wheat in those
days.



Easy money here. But look in the background at the summerfallow field
just above the combine.....look at the left side of the field where it drops
off towards Company Hollow Road. This view is looking south......my place
is right on top about the middle of this frame.



One more from the 1950 harvest.......looking towards the NE with the Columbia River in the background. The big hills across the river are in
Klickitat Co over in Washington. This is before The Dalles Dam was built,
so Celilo Falls is still in existence, just out of sight above the combine.
Looks like Marv had a hell of a crop that year......good looking club wheat.

Fast forward to 1963. The D4 sports yellow paint now, and the combine has
changed. Still a 51, but a later model...she's on rubber now. The wheat is
different as well.....a rust outbreak in the early 60's brought on some new
rust resistant soft whites.....being 1963 this one had to be Gaines. Here Marv
is cutting on that field I mentioned above. A IH 51 combine would level to 65%(with the platform up the hill) Not that steep in this shot, but he has used up quite a bit of the leveler rack.



Marv is coming up on a corner, a pretty tough one and then a nasty pull for
a while. The cure is to add on a helper......this year they were using their D2.
Here they are, hooked up and getting on towards the top:

OK, so you are saying to yourself...'big deal. That doesn't look so bad' Well, lets look at the 'corner from hell' from a little different angle. ( the following B&W shots were taken by a professional; would love to credit him, but I don't have his name)

Here Marv is easing along, coming up to the corner. The D2 helper is waiting
for him at the corner. They are far enough along with cutting this field that the
worst is behind them. As you can see, on several rounds the turn was pretty
nasty.



Lashed up now and climbing out.



Easy money.



One last B&W.....this gives a good view of this nasty hill. Taken a day or
so later with the outfit cutting on the south side of Mc Coy Road. The pictures above were taken from near the intersection ( mid frame right)
Betcha that's the photographers car visable down on the road. This is
looking north.......the 1950 shots seen above were taken in the field just
behind the steep slope.