Two-Wheel Tractors - The Practical Collector

Jeff Lauber of Columbus Junction shows his collection of vintage walkbehind, two wheel tractors and talks about some of their uses.

[@backachershomestead]

Great old machines. They were built before people became stupid.

[@chuckb9867]

This guy must have had a bad experience with a gravely, he never mentions them.

[@dwconfer]

I picked up a Bradley with a Continental engine. Bringing it back to life!! Got spark in it lately. Any chance you sending me photos of the carb ,gov area? Springs and linkage. I appreciate it

[@scottcole8868]

My father had a Simplicity when i was young 1970's I scraped it out in the 90's. Still kicking myselt today! Great vidio.

[@hugogoris3906]

Quebec is somewhat (too) far away to come over and have a close look to your equipment, but I do agree for 100% with your "exposé" on the efficiency of the equipment you use. I envy in particular your small compost of manure spreader. I wish I could copy from Mr James Potter a charm allowing me to "diagon-ally" it 5000 miles east as to have it landed in my garden... Hugo G from Belgium.

[@wayneeden98]

I'm gonna you a shout neighbor ,I might be about 400 miles from you, I live down here in south east Indiana, my dad had a David Bradley exactly like what your showing in this video.

[@ronaldchampion9537]

I have a two wheel with a Clinton engine , the engine is yellow ,cane you get bushing and gasket for it. Has concrete in the wheels. Love to come to your place and see all the tractors. Text me an address .thanks Ronald

[@haroldaugustjr.5120]

I really enjoyed this video. My dad had a David Bradley with a sulky, rototiller, lawn mower, and snow blower. What a joy to operate! You could not wear one out. Foolishly, I scrapped it in the 1980's - would love to have another one.

[@anonymousf454]

If you had a limited budget, but wanted something pretty versatile, which make and model would you choose? Best bang for your buck, most versatile, ect... what's your top let's say 3.

[@kelvinfaulk7116]

I have an original David bradly walk behind tractor with 6 pieces of David bradly equipment including the cycle bar mower disk harrow bottom plow and 3 different cultevators it has the continental engine with good compression but the coil checks bad I'm looking to sell if anyone is interested?

[@reddog6429]

What great memories I have of a two wheel tractor . Not only did I the garden with one when I was a kid , but also hooked a wagon to the back of it and road all over the place ! About 1963 thru 1965 .... good times !!!

[@EpiphoneAP]

So amazing!!

[@willtricks9432]

I bought a two wheel tractor with a rotavator which came with some extra bits, after watching this man i learned what I had. Thanks for this informative look at a great collection.

[@superrf85]

Quite a nice collection of machines you have there Jeff. It's nice to see someone else enjoying them as much as I do. I thought I had a lot of these but you definitely have me beat in regards to quantity. Thank you for sharing the video.

[@jenky1044]

Great show. Great interview.

[@greenams4697]

Very interesting collection of two-wheel tractors!!

[@blairguinea1337]

Beautiful collection Jeff

[@graces41]

my Dad had one and he was so proud of it. I remember the rope dangling near the rear and the directional levers to raise to determine which wheel spin. he dropped it off to get work done on it back in North Carolina and his body failed him so he never went back to retrieve it before he passed. A pleasure watching your video, he would have loved it, thank you sir

[@billnelson3605]

Love this video! I've found pictures online before, but never a video with lots of answers. My dad bought a David Bradley in the late 40's to work the garden next to our cottage in Wisconsin. He had the garden plowed the first time by a local farmer who used mules. The following year, the farmer traded the mules in on a Ford-Ferguson tractor and Dad decided, with the DB, he could do stuff himself. My cousin thought he was crazy, but we spent a couple of months at the cottage and we had a large garden all the time. Our DB had a 1½-HP B&S. The first mod was to make it easier to shut it down. You had to lift the hood to short out the plug. Dad bored a hole in the hood and stole some pieces of our Tinkertoys to make a push stick to short it with the hood closed. He bought the sickle bar (still wish I had it!), a single bottom plow, cultivator, lawn roller, and dozer blade for it. He made a garden cart to tow behind and he could stand in it and drive it. He also made a belt-driven cordwood saw that it powered. He tried towing a couple of old cast iron reel mowers with it, but that never worked out. They jammed too easily and would just slide. Finally, he bought a kit to add reverse to it. It was actuated with a push rod with a ball end. It added at least another belt and pulley at a cost of some already scarce power. It surely was handy to get out of tight places though. It didn't have ag tires. He used the snow tires and chains he kept from his '39 DeSoto.

[@outtatime4512]

Wow, I just traded a running car for a David Bradley and another 2 wheel tractor that will need alot of TLC.. but I cut my teeth on small engine stuff