How did you get hooked on Allis?

OK forum readers, here is a question for you: Everybody on here loves Allis-Chalmers, so, what caused you to become an A-C addict?

Since I asked, I will tell my story.

My grandfather started an A-C dealership here in central Minnesota back in the early 1940's. As a kid growing up I would spend many hours playing around his dealership lot in the 70's & early 80's. I recall sitting on those brand new 185's and 7045's along with all the used Allis equipment wishing I could take it all home with me. My dad and other grandpa both bought brand new WD's from that dealership, along with numerous other pieces of A-C machinery. My uncle also bought a D17 Series III brand new from there. I now own grandpa's 1951 WD which I restored, dad's 1949 WD has not been so lucky-yet, it sits in the shed at his old farmstead in desperate need of repair and restoration, it is owned by my brother but he has shoved it in the corner and forgot about it. Dad is gone now, but I'm sure he would have loved to see it fixed up. My uncle's D17 got out of the family's hands so I found another one identical and restored it instead. I would love to get my hands on dad's WD. Maybe someday. My wife thinks I need an intervention to take care of this addiction. Sorry for the excessive words but that's my story, and I'd love to hear the rest of your stories.   Joe

My grandpa and dad farmed 200 plus acres with 2 WD's back in the early 60's.  They never really had a color of tractor they stuck with, just whatever was in good running shape and was cheap.  (Later they bought a new White 2-155 and 2-85, and most recently dad and i bought a new Agco ST41) when i was 13 i wanted my own tractor for bailing so dad suggested i buy a WD-45 because i would like the hand clutch for bailing.  Like a foolish kid i bought a junk WD-45 because it was cheap, put tons of money into it and still have an old piece of iron.  But with all that said, i still have a love for the old girl.

It was in the genes. My grandfather bought a used 20-35 E in the late 30's. My Dad bought a new WD in 1949. I bought a used D-21 in 1975 when I started to farm. A family friend and distant relative was the A-C dealer. My Dad and his family never had another colour tractor. I do not have any of the originial family tractors but do I have the first B and the last D-15 that our dealer sold and a few neighbours originial tractors. There is a one of a different colour here now along with about 25 orange and A-C yellows.

My granddad had JD B that i got to drive and the hand clutch was great for a little guy but my AC love was formed by my uncles unstyled WC, being able to crank it and get it started . Then I got to run his new CA hauling bundles when threshing. Loved the sound of the AC and guess just grows ona person.

I was never hooked, it was bred into me! I've been on a WD45 since I was 5 years old. That's 52 years if you are counting.

Just listen to the sound of a 301 in a 180 !!! That got me , or the lope that motor has when you turn the fuel to it ; beautiful orange paint , a 200 that,ll pull the front wheels off the ground when you hit high side ,  easy to work on, just great tractors ; I really wish AC could a survived as they were, everything they marketed and built , the innovation in everything was just awesome !

i should have been born in the 60s not the 90s lets just say that

My grandfather had allis's and when i was small I would ride the toolbox of the 45 dreaming of the day when I will be big enough to drive it.Then a 7 I was taught to rake hay on the c while my uncle baled with the roto baler.Then the day came that I got to spread manure with the 45, I was so proud to be driving that (big tractor) that I hoped to own one when I grew up.Then driving other tractors through the yrs I always like the allis tractors and equipment,Now I have 3 45s and severel other allis and verious pieces of equipment,and I always like to paint the allis tractors over any other brand.The allis chalmers company was one of the most inovated companies that ever came along      

My uncle had two of the best looking D-17 ds in the county. I always wanted one. Later we had a 210. When you put a 5-18 plow down in Ky clay sod field and watch the front wheels float and the flames out the stack at night...........nuf said

     My grandpa had a WD45, blade, subsoiler, and loader which I now have.  He also had a D19 gas, disc, 4 bottom plow, gleaner combine, and allis 4 row corn planter.  A D19 is on my future purchase list.  First tractor I drove was the D19, my uncle was helping with the harvest and we were the only ones around, he pulled a wagon with the WD45 nf (no power steering).  He showed me how to start and stop the D19 and I pulled a 250 bushel gravity box home.  Nearly tipped it over in the ditch, I was 5 at the time.

I wish I had a "grew up with" story like the rest of you all. For me, there was a lack of orange paint in the sea of red and green at every tractor show that made them appealing. My grandpa restored a C and I thought it was the greatest tractor ever. Everyone I talked to that owned an Allis had nothing but good to say about them. Obviously there was some bias but their conviction was enough to convince me I wanted one. I got hooked the first time I pulled the start lever on my WD.

Brian

My Granddad bought his 1938 new from a Dealer in SE Kansas (which I still have) but I think it was when I ate the grease off the Tractor when my dad was servicing it in 1968... now I have 3 1938 B's and a 44 C... and I'm still looking!

Getting to "drive" our D17D series IV when I was 6 or 7 with the square baler in my Dad's lap, which meant I got to put a hand on the steering wheel.  I knew something clicked when I instinctively pushed the power director forward without knowing what it was, but knew it would make that slow pace go a little faster.  Unfortunately for the guys on the wagon, I wasn't very smooth shifting it :-/.  I still to this day wonder why instinct told me what the power director did...  That was my first time up there.  Didn't get to do that again for a while lol.  Must have had orange in my blood from birth.

Edited by Hurst - 19 Jan 2010 at 7:55pm

Grandad had me on the C with him before I was old enough to walk, or to remember it. He said when I got fussy, my grandmother would just bring me out, put me on with him ,and i'd go right to sleep. Something about the sound of a straight-piped B or C will still calm me down from a fever pitch. Guess I had it almost from birth.

I borrowed a D12 III with bush hog from my freind (an AC dealer) to take care of the lot behind my barn. I was hooked from then on. That was 30 years ago and I own almost one of all the D series now. Erc NY