They shipped them to the U.S.

They shipped them to the U.S. It was one of the early, mass-imported tractors built in the early 70s in what was then Yugoslavia. The same drive train was imported by half a dozen major agriculture manufacturers in the states. They used it as a basis for models of Oliver and Allis Chalmers tractors to name a few.

American corporations bought the chassis cheaply, by the thousands. They shipped them to the U.S. and then finished them up, each adding their own individual company’s sheet metal, tires and other bolted-on pieces. Most of the components from these other brands fit my tractor so I have always been able to get parts easily.

A favorite saying among mechanics back then was that the Yugoslavians used yardsticks instead of micrometers. My tractor still runs smoothly after all these years, so someone measured pretty well with their yardstick.

As I worked on my tractor last week, I sprayed myself in the face with hydraulic oil (nasty stuff), got a ragged steel sliver in my finger and dropped a brand new hydraulic cylinder on my ankle and foot, causing a great deal of pain.

While I was thinking up fresh expletives to describe the cylinder and its forbearers, I swore I would sell the tractor as soon as I got it back together again.

Since my original rebuild, the tractor has required very little maintenance. I’ve performed grease and oil changes annually and installed a new battery every half dozen years. To save money when I rebuilt it, I reused old hoses, fittings and cylinders. It springs a hydraulic leak every decade.