High School Students Restore Tractor

by Nina Coolidge - March 5, 2020

Mike Avery, a Junior at Wellsboro High School along with the Grand Canyon FFA Chapter restored a 1950 Minneapolis Moline RTU Tractor for the 104th Pennsylvania Farm Show. Mike has been involved in the North Central PA Farm Power Association Tractor Pulling Club for five years. He joined the club after watching his family participate in tractor pulls and realizing he wanted to join in on the fun. Mike started participating in tractor pulls with a Minneapolis Moline UTU Tractor but purchased the 1950 Minneapolis Moline RTU Tractor, so he could participate in more classes.

The tractor was purchased with the intention of modifying it to do well in the pulls. The restoration of the 1950 Minneapolis Moline RTU Tractor began in April 2019 when Mike and his father increased the width of the rear tire rims and decreasing the width of the front tire rims. The next step was swapped the engine from a Super Jetstar 3 Tractor to the 1950 Minneapolis Moline RTU Tractor. In October of 2019, Mike and his father built a new hitch for the tractor. Even though the tractor was not finished, Mike used it in a tractor pull at the Early Days Festival and saw tremendous improvements because of his hard work.

Grand Canyon FFA members began to help Mike with the tractor restoration project in November 2019. They helped with the cosmetic restoration of the tractor. Mike and his fellow chapter members scraped off the old paint, primed the tractor, and last but not least painted the tractor. The tractor was painted the original color for Minneapolis Moline, which was Prairie Gold. The final step in this project was delivering the tractor to the Pennsylvania Farm Show. The tractor was on display for the week of the show and the chapter had to give a presentation on the tractor and restoration project at the last Saturday of the show.

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Footage of project provided by Grand Canyon FFA Chapter