Merry Christmas

I hope that something with 4 wheels showed up under your tree this morning. Within the next week I will have very thorough reviews of the Big Bud HN 320 4wd, and Case IH 7088 Authentic. Above is a John Deere 7720 that I added some "custom" details to.

Toys for Tots

Last year I started the Christmas season with a post about Toys For Tots. I will do the same this year because I think its an important organization with an important mission. For all of you tractor collectors out there think how much it would mean to give a child his/her first John Deere 4020. Here is the website if you would like to give directly, and they also list places you can drop off toys.

http://www.toysfortots.org/


Gift ideas for collectors

Being a toy tractor collector when your young is great because birthdays and Christmas become the days your carpet farm gets updated with the latest machinery. When you get old and obsessed with farm toys (except for myself of course) you know the exact date that everything is being released and your friends and family members become apprehensive about giving you a tractor for Christmas because they assume you already have it. Well since you are still a collector there are things out there that you don’t have and couldn’t find, or are so new even the most avid collector hasn’t purchased yet. So I decided to put together a list of 10 things any toy tractor collector would want for Christmas.

If your stil completely confused after my christmas gift giving guide please take some time to wander over to www.outbacktoystore.com and click on "gift certificate." They have somthing for every farm toy collector, and may just be the easiest Christmas present to buy.

10. The Ertl precision series. Although many people that collect this series buy them when they first come out, many collectors are casual buyers of this series because of their large size (1/16 scale) and higher price ($120-180). One of biggest benefits of collecting this series is that for the sake of realism, there are few better. In the precision series the levers move, the gauges are painted, they have chains and all metal parts. The other main benefit is that for the sake of value the precision series is one in which almost every single model goes up in value as it ages. With toy tractors many of them have increased in value, but it’s hard to tell which ones will double, and which ones will end up in the clearance bin. With the precision series almost all of them at the very least will hold their current value, and many go up. For example the first few John Deere 4020s that were produced in the 90’s sold for around $100, I have seen them sell for as much as $500 on ebay.

The good news for someone you know that collects the precision series is that a few new precisions were just released in time for Christmas.

1/16 IH 6588 2 + 2 with rear spacer duals - Precision Key Series #7
1/16 JD 4020 Standard WF Precision Key Series #6
1/16 JD 7020 4WD with cab & duals - Precision Key Series #7 (Due December 28th)

9. 1/16 Big Bud HN-320 – If you know for a fact that a collector in your life likes four wheel drive tractors, then you can be certain that this tractor in on their radar. Being the first tractor in a new Big Bud series this tractor promises to increase in value, and the fact that it was made by universal hobbies means that the detail will be excellent. It is a little more expensive than the rest of the things on this list, but you can be sure it will be whomever receives it their favorite thing under the tree.

8. Storage – What good are all these fabulous tractors if you don’t have a place to put them? Some good ideas for storage containers are:
A. The big Tupperware Christmas ornament boxes. Lucky for us 1/64th scale collectors a toy tractor is similar in size to an ornament, so I am able to squeeze 30-50 tractors in a box.
B. Shelving – Most collectors like to display their treasures so any type of shelves would be great.


7. If they collect big 1/16th scale toys get them a smaller 1/64th scale model (like something in the Ertl Authentic series), and vice-versa if they normally collect the little ones. Usually people have a reason for what they collect, but almost every collector I know strays away from their scale of choice once in a while when their interest is peaked. Also this could become the center piece of their collection or the spawn of a new hobby for them (and God knows that if someone collects toy tractors they need more hobbies).


6. A Pedal Combine – When I was thinking about this one I was going to qualify it by saying, if they are young than they will want a pedal combine, but now that I think of it adult collectors seem to really like these too. These are quite big so it may not be ideal for a collector with space limitations. But if they are under 10 and love farming there is no better gift on this list.



5. Something custom – if you cant think of anything that you favorite collector may not have why not buy them something one of a kind. Farm toy customs have become very popular and sought after. They have a level of detail and quality that are not usually found on shelf models. For the most part customs retain their value, and some of them actually see modest increases depending on the market demand. The trick with customs is finding them. Farm toy shows are the best places to look because you can see what your getting. eBay is a good alternative if there are no shows close to you, you may just have to make a leap of faith. There are websites that sell custom toys so just google it any you might get lucky.


4. Little Men – The railroad collectors have taken detailing to the next level and created miniature people that go on their displays. Although farm toys are rapidly increasing in detail, the “mini-farmers” haven’t made their way fully into the mainstream. So for a few dollars you can buy your collector some little farmers to help out on his/her carpets. These can be found on the internet or any railroad hobby shop.


3. Go to Dyersville Iowa. Why? Because it’s the farm toy capital of the world. The National farm toy museum is there, along with a few factories and the Ertl outlet store. If you’re a fan of awesome architecture the Basilica downtown is straight from a European postcard. Also about an hour east is Galena, IL. There you can see the residence of Ulysses S. Grant, and explore a cool downtown scene with shops that you would expect on Madison avenue in New York and many excellent restaurants. While in Dyersville you will see more toy tractors than you thought was humanly possible, but its small enough to see everything in 1 day (Except for the weekend of the national farm toy show, that takes a few days to sort through).


2. Any of the newest releases:
1. 1/64 John Deere “Snowy” 730 – Comes with a Christmas carol on the back and snow painted on the top of the tractor. Inexpensive and great for Christmas.
2. 1/64 Farmall 706 “Snowy” – Same deal as the Deere
3. 1/64 Spirit of 76’ 2 tractor set from toy tractor times. I haven’t reviewed this set on my site yet but I will and the review will show that these tractors are very nice. Money well spent, and a unique collectable.
4. 1/64 9870 Combine with Draper Head. Before this tractor was released the only way to get the draper head was from the combine set that has since been discontinued. The head was selling for $35 alone before this, now you can have the whole thing for $15.


1. The Case IH 7088 Authentic combine. This is the first authentic form Case IH, and the first combine in the series. The other models that Ertl has made are a John Deere 8530, and a 7930 sprayer. Any of these are good presents, but most likely your collector has the 8530 and the 7930 already, but the 7088 has JUST been released and it is awesome. I inspected a few of them up close at the national show and this is the most detailed and most realistic 1/64th scale combine that has ever been produced. I have seen these advertised for as little as $23.95. This detail in a combine at this price is unheard of, and would make any collector happy this year on the 25th.

So now that you have some ideas your thinking to yourself “Thanks for the ideas Zac but where can I find all these tractors and such?” Here is a list of places I look for tractors, and remember nothing works as well as google.

http://www.farmtoysforfun.com/newest.html

www.ebay.com

www.outbacktoystore.com

www.everstoystore.com

www.lttc.com

Questions and Comments

It only took a year, but I finally have enough questions and comments to put up a post containing all of this blog’s comments and questions. If you have a question that you think I could help answer, or your having a tough time finding a specific farm toy, or you dislike my posts, please question or comment on this blog.

I'll start with the most recent and work my way through the past so if you find yourself nodding off at least you’ll have seen the most recent posts.


1. You Tractor – I’m sure if your internet savvy enough to have stumbled upon this site with is devoted to toy tractors you have probably heard of http://www.youtube.com/ . To my surprise some other devoted carpet farmer out there has created http://www.youtractor.com/ . A site devoted to 100% tractor videos. Sounds good to me.


2. From anonymous: “Hey i was wondering, does the 3-point hitch move up and down unlike the 2007 show tractor?”



There is actually a yes and no answer to this question. The 3-pt hitch is much smaller than last years model, and the bottom part is fixed into place. The top part can move about 30 degrees up or down. So no the whole thing doesn’t move, but yes the top part does move. For practical purposes if you actually mounted an implement to the tractor it would not move up or down.

3. From anonymous: “i like your blog:) do you make tractors?”:
Although I will answer this question I feel like I should point out this post is most likely a thinly veiled attempt from my wife to make me feel like “somebody is out there.”
So yes I have been known to customize and even custom fabricate tractors. I really enjoy the 1/64th scale, but I have worked on a few 1/16th models. I frequently sell some of the items that I have worked on through eBay on this site. Most of what I customize is for my own personal collection, and what I sell is a duplicate or something that I feel like no longer fits my collection. If you are interested in having me make a tractor for you or customize something let me know. I’m not omni-talented but I’m pretty good at a few things.
This also would be an opportune time to tell the readers that are still awake that I am still going to release a special edition

4. From anonymous: “Where's the 1:87 tractors I'm gonna want? :-)”
Uh, I kinda forgot about this post. Back in April I thought I was going to have an abundance of free time and I would crank out toy tractor posts like crazy, but I got busy and 7 months have passed and whoops I didn’t post this article. Actually the impetus for this article was my trip to Europe and the 1/87th tractors I brought back from there. So I will try to get this article out when I can, but I’m going refrain from more empty promises about writing articles. That being said I plan on writing several articles in December.

2008 National Farm Toy Show Tractor

This years show tractor is the Allis Chalmers 7580 4wd Black Belly. This is the 7th tractor in the 4wd series produced by Ertl for the Toy Farmer. This is a very nice model and features detailed tires and wheels, cab glass, 3pt hitch, and a good overall finish.

Really my only complaint about this tractor is on the 1/64th version of the model the roof of the cab. It is made of white plastic and feels flimsy, not matching the rest of the otherwise high quality model. It would have taken very Little time and effort to simply paint the cab top instead of just using colored plastic.

If you would like to read more about the classic 4wd series of National Farm toy show tractors you may enjoy the article I wrote on all of the previous models from last year. http://zacstractors.blogspot.com/2007/11/starting-in-2003-toy-farmer-and-ertl.html

Look Familiar?

Ertl has decided to release their own black version of a Case IH combine. I guess I can feel good that I made and posted the black combine before the boys at Ertl, but it was nice to have the only one out there. Technically this black version of the new Premiere will be "Gunmetal," but it looks pretty black to me. Don't get too excited though, this combine will be extremely limited production, and if the packaging is handled like the other Authentic series tractors (Clear front so you can see whats inside) The dealers will open every one of them so that they can find the limited editions and sell them for hundreds of dollars.

In fact when I was at the national farm toy show in Dyersville I posed this exact problem to Ertl. I said that it wasn't fair that us collectors have no chance at getting a limited edition muddy or "gunmetal" tractor because the dealers get to them first and jack up the prices. The problem is that the dealers pay the same amount for these limited tractors as they do for the normal ones. So they make a huge profit, and we have to pay much more for them instead of just being lucky enough to stumble upon one in the dealership.

Ertl's response to my statement: "We can only do so much." This is from someone representing Ertl at the National farm toy show in the Ertl showroom. Generally I love Ertl and everything they do for the hobby, but this "scalping" of limited tractors is unfair to collectors, and undermines the purpose of the limited edition tractors.

More on the National Farm toy show in future articles.

10,000 Posts

Sometime last week this site hit 10,000 posts which is excellent timing considering that this weekend was the national show, and I started the blog shortly after last years show, so inless than a year we have had over 10,000 visits.

Thank you very much for taking time to read my blog. I will try to get more articles up, I relaly enjoy writing them, but school comes first.

To celebrate the 10,000th visitor and 1 year anniversary Zac's Tractors will be producing a very limited number of a special edition custom tractor. I will be customizing a few of these mainly because I have always wanted to do a custom tractor and this seems like a good excuse. Stay tuned, and within the next 2 weeks I will release the tractor.

Countdown to the 2008 NFTS

COUNTDOWNCLOCK

This years show is in the farm toy capital of the world Dyersville, IA. I hope to attend the show, and I will post pictures and news regarding new models and the exhibits at the national show. Check back on my blog on November 7th and 8th and I will try to have pictures from the first day of the show on the first day of the show!

I will have some articles over then next few weeks leading up to the show, so check back for new content.

New eBay Auctions up!

I have put up 5 new eBay auctions including a Farm Show 8120, a 7488, a 8120 Black Knight, an 8630 that has been customized, and a custom 4650 with loader.

Each of these custom tractors has been displayed and never played with, and are in excellent condition. The proceeds from these auctions will be used for my traveling this fall.

http://shop.ebay.com/merchant/zfriess_umich_W0QQ_nkwZQQ_armrsZ1QQ_fromZQQ_mdoZ

Check back over the next 2 weeks because I will be adding more auctions.

Case IH 8120 Black Knight

This is an 8120 Farm Show edition that was disassembled, primered, and painted black. Case used to make "Black Knight" demonstrator models when they released new tractors so I thought it would be interesting to create a Black Knight combine. 8120 Black Knight decals were created and added for extra detail.
You can see the extra Black Knight logo on the feeder-housing of the combine.
Here is the 8120 Farm Show Edition compared to the 8120 Black Knight.


If you have any questions or comments please email me.

Case IH 8120 Farm Show Edition

This years Case IH Farm Show Edition is the 8120 combine. Almost every year Case IH produces a special model for the fall farm show. Usually its a new model that Case IH wants to promote.

This combine features clear cab glass, detailed railings and turn signals, and a realistic unloading auger.

This is the second combine that Case IH has released. In 2003 the Fall farm show edition was an 8010. At that time Case IH didn't have their current marketing deal in place and limited the production to 5,000 units. This years model was not limited in production and therefore will not be as collectible in the future.

Overall for the price this is an excellent model. It is the best way to get detailed handrails for a great price.

New Model Release - CASE 2470

The 2470 was recently released by Ertl, and features the level of detail that we have become used to in the past few years. This tractor features cab glass, window detail, high detail wheels and tires, and an overall nice finish. You may recognize this model, because it is the same casting used as the 2007 NFTS Tractor, just painted white instead of "Desert Tan." Here is the post I wrote after returning from the 2007 show: http://zacstractors.blogspot.com/2007/11/2007-national-farm-toy-show-tractor.html



Above: front view of the tractor shows a detailed grill, but a nasty casting seem on the roof.

Above: Here is a head to head comparison of the 2470s in white and "Desert Tan." As you can see the only real difference is the 3-pt hitch on the Tan 2470.

Above: A rear "Case" decal and 3pt hitch (non-moveable) sets the tan tractor apart from the white one.

Above: Here is a comparison of the older 1470 that was produced by Ertl (In the late 90s?). You can see better overall detail on the newer tractor, with one HUGE exception. The Tan tractor on the Left has independently steerable front and rear wheels! This tractor was produced 10 years earlier, and has more articulating parts? This is disappointing to say the least, because coupled with the level of detail on the 2470 steering would have been a great bonus. I'm sure the declining factor was profit, and if they would have had to add steering it would have cost us more or not been made, so I'm happy we have the tractor, but not happy when we go in reverse in detail. There are lots of tractors I don't buy because they don't meet certain standards (I'm talking to you scale models), so I would hate to see Ertl follow the dollar and lose collectors.

Above: which tractor do you think was made in 1998, and which in 2008. You may not like the answer.

Monday's Machine - John Deere 8420

This Mondays Machine is the John Deere 8420 FWA tractor. I snapped this picture in southern Michigan.

Some details about the real 8420:
-Produced from 2002-2005 In Waterloo, Iowa
-235 HP
-496 Cubic Inches
-Front Tires 16.9 R30
-Rear Tires 18.4 R46
-Weight 23,050

There have been several toy variations of the 8420:

1. 1/64 8420 There were 3 variations in packaging for this model, 1 had the correct 8420 designation, and the other said 8520. These were both in the green and black Ertl packaging that had a watermark of a cornfields on the green part. The third variation is in the more modern packaging that was yellow and green.

***UPDATE - As you can see in the picture below I found another variation of the newer packaging that has a child safety warining on the package rather than the "New Item" Decal.

2. 1/64 8420 European edition (There are at least 2 variations of this also. One package is marked "New" and the other is marked "First Production") (Bottom, middle Picture)

3. 1/64 8420 in 2 piece set from Reynolds farm equipment anniversary. This is packaged with a JD 50 Narrow Front.

4. 1/64 8420 Premier Series #11 - This was part of Ertl's premiere line. The tractor featured a GPS beacon and some additional painted on details. (Bottom, Right Picture)

5. 1/16 8420 With front singles and rear duals - This also had 2 variations, with one being a First production, and one a standard production.

6. If anyone can think of any other variations just comment below or email me and ill update the post.


Here is a "Premiere" 8420 that I added front and rear dual painted wheels to, and a painted cab top with GPS beacon.

For the sake of adding a video, here is a video I found of stock class tractor pull using an 8420.

New Model Release - Continued - John Deere 1895 Air Seder

Here are the pictures of the actual air seeder unit that I wrote about in last weeks blog. As you can see it is wider, offering an additional row of planting units compared to the previous models (pictured below). This unit also features row openers, and a rear hitch.


(above) You can see the extra row of planting units and the rear hitch compared to the 1890 air seeder, that was released a few years ago.
(above) Here are the 3 air seeders that Ertl has produced in the past few years. From left to right is the 1895, 1990, and 1890 seeders.
(above & below) Here are the commodity carts that have come in the airseeder sets. You can see that the newer cart has an extra tank, larger wheels, and sits up higher off of the ground. Also the addition of the pivoting front wheels really make this a nice piece.

New Email For This Blog

I have created an email account for this blog. zacstractors@gmail.com will be the primary email address if you wish to contact me about anything. Please send me your questions about my posts, or in regard to anything that has to do with toy or real farming. Also if you would like to see a picture of a farm toy or real tractor I will gladly post it if I have one.

Also if you ever have any comments on my postings, please do so under each post. I hope to hear from you soon.

Happy Birthday America

New Model Release - 1895 Air Seeder Set

Recently released was the John Deere 1895 Air seeder set. This set includes a 9530 4WD tractor, 1895 air seeder, 1910 commodity cart, and a anhydrous ammonia tank. This is a very nice set with excellent detail. The sir seeder has gotten longer than the previous release from a few years ago, and the commodity cart has gotten substantially larger (see tomorrow's post). I have included the following pictures to show you some of the details on this set, and I will compare it to older versions on Friday. This set retails for about $27, and although is expensive for 1/64 you get 4 good pieces. Here is the 1895 air seeder, 1910 Commodity Cart, and 1980's flashback Anhydrous Ammonia Tank.
The commodity cart has 3 large tanks, large single rear wheels, and pivoting front dual wheels. The auger moves so that you can position it to fill the commodity cart from the side.
Here is the hitch and front axles of the commodity cart. Notice the pivot pin on the front.
The wheels turn a full 360 degrees. A very nice feature adding stability and realism for this model. Here is the auger fully extended in loading position and the wheels swiveled the opposite direction.

New Model Release - John Deere 9630T

The John Deere 9630T is a farm toy you should buy. I have never said that on this page before (probably because I just thought of it), but honestly it has so many upgrades that it will improve anyone’s collection.

The 9630T is the first of the 9000T series released, and it also has several firsts to go with it. It is the first 9000T tractor with cab glass (that I’m aware of), it is the first 9000T Tractor with cab lights, and, and, wait for it, it is the first tracked 1/64th scale model Ertl has released with painted plastic wheels. Let me be the first to say “Thank you Ertl.” I have been clamoring for painted wheels for years and in fact I spend allot of my customizing time painting the wheels on my own models. It adds realism to the tractor because it makes them look metal, and is a more correct color. I’m sure it costs more to paint them, than to just leave them light yellow plastic, but you really end up with a better product.

Another nice detail on the tractor is the clear “John Deere” sticker on the rear window. Although you may miss it if you don’t look close enough, it adds a nice touch. This model also features turn signals, which have been absent on every other regular release 1/64th scale John Deere in the 9000 series (T and 4wd).

2 complaints:
1. “You spent the time painting the wheels, why not paint the cab top?” Seriously here folks, the cab top has lights and a gps beacon. It is far beyond the past generation of 9000T tractors in detail (See picture below), yet it lacks that luster of painted plastic like its 4WD brethren. It would definitely be worth the extra 3 cents to paint the cab top.
2. The tracks roll very poorly. This has been an ongoing war with Ertl. It seems that only about 1/3 tractors have decent rubber on them. Either they get that chalky residue on them or are hard as a rock. Then about every 3rd tractor you end up with a very pliable tire that has a deep black finish. These particular tracks have more of a glossy black finish, like the tractor might look on the dealership floor (with tons of silicone), but they do not roll easily at all. If I had to pick I would go to the previous generation tracks that roll easy (for the kids of course) but are a more dull shade of black.

Overall impression: Excellent tractor with great detail. The upgrades really make this an excellent model, one I will probably put in my top 10 models of 2008. For $7.99 you get allot of quality for your money.

Where can you get one?

Here: http://www.outbacktoystore.com/product.asp?List=77&SubCategoryID=269

Or Here: http://www.vankleyfarmtoys.com/newest.html

The John Deere sticker in the rear window looks like etched glass

Painted Wheels (Be still my heart)

9630T (left) - 9520T (Right)

Monday's Machine - The Case IH MX 305

I haven't put up a post in a while (shame fills my heart), but this is a new feature that will be at least weekly. I will show some of the pictures of real tractors and other equipment I have collected over the past few years, and if I'm able to I will post whatever information about farm toys that I deem relevant.

For the first installment I have selected the Case IH MX305. I took this picture recently in Michigan at a dealership. I have included a picture of the toy version that Ertl released this year and a video of an MX 305 I found on YouTube.

If you would like to read about the Magnum line of tractors, the Case IH corporate website has a nice page with all the details. http://www.caseih.com/products/series.aspx?seriesid=2763&navid=105&RL=ENNA

New Model Release - J-M 680/760 Gravity Wagon, JD 8130

Yet another new release from Ertl is the J&M 680/760 gravity wagons. These wagons feature nice detail with a sliding door, front and rear hitch, and high detail. The wagons come packaged together (2), with a John Deere 8130. The 8130 is another variation in the John Deere 8x30 line. It has basic features and is a nice model, but has a major flaw. The wheels are a very dull shade of yellow, that look very little like the typical john deere yellow that you see on real tractors, and some of the better toys. These dull yellow wheels make the tractor look pretty crappy, and are a disappointment. I plan on painting mine as soon as I can.

The set packaged with 2 wagons and the 8130 retail for $20-22, which I think is too pricey for what you get. This is an attempt by Ertl to get people who want to buy the gravity wagon that would cost $6-8 alone, to spend $22 on a set containing a poorly detailed tractor that they most likely already have a better variation of anyway. If you really want the wagons it is worth the price, but I'm willing to bet there will be another smaller set released or individual wagons (100% chance of this with Ertl's usual directive of maximizing models released from 1 casting.)

New Model Releases - John Deere 7930, 568 Baler

Recently released from Ertl is the John Deere 7330 "Premium" tractor and 568 "MegaWide plus" round baler. These items come packaged individually, but look very nice together.

7330 - The 1/64th 7330 is a very nice replica. It features clear cab glass, a sunroof with glass, and rubber tires. The tires on this model seem to be a softer compound than on previous Ertl offerings. The grill and headlights are cast into the front of the tractor, instead of a sticker so this is an extra nice touch of detail. Overall this is a very nice model, and I would recommend it to any collection. The price is currently $6-7 at most dealerships.

568 Baler - The 1/64 John Deere round baler has been released many many times. I once heard a man at a toy show brag that he had over 20 "variations" of the original round baler that was produced by Ertl. I don't know if that was accurate, but considering all of the tractor sets and how many years it was produced, there are bound to be many different variations of the old baler out there. The new 568 baler is a very nice upgrade. It features an opening bale door, and very large rubber tires. These tires are also made of an upgraded compound that is softer to the touch. The baler also has very small bogey wheels up front, and a rotating gathering reel underneath. This is an excellent model that would be an upgrade if you are still using the old balers. It sells for around $6-7 at dealerships. Here is the website from Deere for the real baler: http://www.deere.com/servlet/com.deere.u90785.productcatalog.view.servlets.ProdCatProduct?tM=FR&pNbr=0568%20E