Vintage Machinery

One of the earliest tractors that was used around Maheno was “Gertie” a McCormick – Deering 1929. This is owned by the North Otago Vintage Machinery Club. The club also owns a 1919 chaff cutter, which is used for fundraising, which they do by making chaff and selling it. Every year the club holds vintage ploughing matches. Some members go to other clubs’ ploughing matches representing the North Otago Club. Andy’s Tractors Trek is also held yearly. The member’s drive their tractors on a fun day out and sometimes stay away over night and return the next day. The tractors travel at approximately 10-15 miles per hour. They have travelled to Palmerston, Taranaki, Herbert, Glenavy, and many other places.

Introduction

I chose this because I like tractors and implements and this was a very interesting subject.

They have many special tractors, one is a Field Marshall 1947. This starts with a cartridge with gun powder in the wick soaked in “saltpetre”. The firing pin is tapped and it goes BANG! and starts the motor. My favourite is a Lanz Bulldog with a front end loader. They also store many other different types of farm and vintage equipment including an E. G. pony pulled lawn mower, cheese press, seed dresser, butter churns, seed sowers, chain saws, Pumps, old number plates etc. They had an old tractor there which is my grandad’s tractor.

North Otago Vintage Machinery Club. The club had its anniversary in October 2006. They have 50 members and they meet monthly. There are 27 tractors in their shed and members pay $20.00 per year to store them there. Many members own their own properties and there would be more than 100 in the club. The oldest tractor is a Cane Model L 1929 restored. In going order, originally it had steel wheels but rubber tyres have now been fitted.