Tons of tractors

Photos by Laurie Edwards | Laker Weekly

A John Deere 420 Crawler is one of several tractors in Slim and Jane Crawford's collection.

The Crawfords have restored many John Deere tractors including (from left) the 820, 20, R and D.

The Crawfords have secured 40 pedal tractors to a trailer that they bring along to tractor shows.

Slim and Jane Crawford, with Diesel, their Australian blue heeler and the Crawfords' collection of pedal tractors.

Some of the most popular collectibles can easily be held with one hand, none weighing much more than a pound: coins, stamps, sports trading cards, comic books and dolls.

Each item in Slim and Jane Crawford's collection, however, tips the scales in the tons. The Moneta couple's heavyweight collection comes in various sizes and styles, but the more than a dozen items all have one thing in common: they're green and yellow.

"We're John Deere through and through," said Jane of their tractor collection.

"I was raised on John Deere," said Slim. "We have John Deere farm equipment we use on a daily basis."

But it wasn't until they attended the Tri-State Gas Engine and Tractor Association show in Portland, Ind., in 1995 that the Crawfords became interested in collecting John Deere tractors.

After the show, they bought an AR model tractor they found in Craig County. And the ball started rolling.

"We got one and then we tried to get the whole collection," she said. "We've got all the letter series and now we have a complete set of the 20 series."

Their most recent acquisition filled in the final gap in their 20 series: the 320.

"They only made 3,000," said Slim. "Nobody's got 'em to turn 'em loose."

When someone is looking to sell, the limited production comes with a hefty price tag and the Crawfords passed them by when they found them for sale at shows.

"You can't find one for under $10,000," said Jane.

But earlier this year, a friend found a 320 in Orange and Jane headed up to look it over. It was covered in mud and grease and some parts of the restoration were sloppy. But the price was right.

"We were able to get it for way under $10,000," said Jane.

The shoddy restoration can be repaired with a little time and elbow grease. Not like an unrestored classic John Deere, which can take months.

Spare time is a commodity for the Crawfords, with Slim serving as chief of Scruggs Volunteer Fire, Rescue and Dive Team and Jane serving as captain of the fire division.

"A lot of this [restoration work] is done during the winter when things are slow," said Slim. "We'll work on one or two tractors in the winter. Sometimes it takes us two years to do 'em."

All the Crawfords' tractors run. And sometimes, the couple runs them at shows for tractor pull competitions.

"We call it old folks racing," said Jane. "You pull a sled up a track."

"We got some young people in it, too," said Slim.

They've won dozens of trophies in tractor pull competitions.

But the Crawfords also have a smaller collection. Well, smaller in size, but not in quantity. They own about 45 kids' pedal tractors and not all of them are John Deere.

"Years ago, the dealers, when you went in to buy a tractor, they'd give the kids a little tractor to ride," said Jane.

The miniature tractors put modern-day kids' Big Wheels or electric ride-on cars to shame.

"They're real durable," said Slim. "Today's the kids' toys are all plastic and these are all metal."

Well, not all metal. Jane said tractor manufacturers began using plastic seats, wheel covers and steering wheels on the pedal tractors in the 1980s. But everything else is cast iron or cast aluminum. And the tires are real rubber, not plastic.

What makes the pedal tractor collection unusual isn't just the quality, said Slim. Nor is it the craftsmanship. It's the absence of many of the tractor manufacturers today.

"A lot of these manufacturers are out of business," said Slim. "Case, Massey-Harris, Oliver, Allis-Chalmers -- none of these are in business anymore."

Jane said they find the pedal tractors online or at tractor shows. The knee-high tractors take about eight hours to restore, a far cry from the restoration time of the life-size tractors they replicate.

The Crawfords have secured 40 of the pedal tractors to a trailer they bring to tractor shows. But Jane said it's not the kids who stop to gawk.

"It's the 40 age group and up that looks at these most," she said. "The kids just walk by them ... kids today don't understand what they are."

While the kids aren't impressed with the non-battery-powered vehicles, the pedal tractors take their parents and grandparents on a cruise down memory lane.

"We'll see people -- 40-, 50-, 60-year-old people -- they'll say, 'I had one like that. I wonder what happened to it?'" said Jane.

Most likely, the little tractors, which can sell for thousands, were tossed in the trash when they broke, said Jane. And they're slowly rusting, buried under dirt and garbage. Just like many a full-size tractor. Which is just one part of why the Crawfords collect them.

"We feel like we can spend the money to fix 'em up and let people look at 'em and see the history," said Slim.

See seven of Slim and Jane Crawford's antique tractors and their kids' pedal tractor collection at the 6th Annual Southwest Virginia Antique Farm Days.

What: Includes antique tractor pulls, lawn mower pulls, crosscut and chain saw competitions, antique equipment parades, flea market and auction, and demonstrations of antique farm equipment; will feature bluegrass music by Circle Creek Revival today and a morning church service Sunday

When: Today, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. and June 20-21, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Where: Franklin County Recreation Park, 2150 Sontag Road, Rocky Mount

Admission: $5 per day; children 12 and under, free

Info: www.svapf.org