A Little Lawn and Garden Love

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I admit I am usually partial to old, odd machinery and jeepy- looking tractor types, or old steel wheeled beauties, but the25th Annual Antique Power Days Farm Show at Salem Illinois had enough odd ball lawn and garden type tractors that I must say, I was lovin them! 

The names especially are quite catchy and it has been fun researching the history for a story I am writing for Farm World.

Some of my finds were the Pennsylvania Panzer that was colored in what the owner called “Tantalizing Turquoise”. The little Panzer has a German name even though it was built in the state of Maryland. The name was actually from an employee contest. It makes me wonder what the other selections may have been.

The REO lawn and garden tractors were on display and they are named after Ransom Eli Olds of Olds autos and REO Motors fame. The lawn mowers were built by REO Motors and started after the truck sales languished post WWII.

The names of some of the little tractors and the bravo type decals they had on them were interesting like the Tiger tractor with the big tiger picture on the little machine were downright cute.  The Atomic Babe was a little tractor that had nothing to do with the Atom or a girl and the Mule Team Tractor had nothing to do with mules. Who knew?

The Vintage Garden Tractor Club of America’s (VGTCA) Fall Expo was full of fun and an educational experience to boot.