SITTING FOR 80 YEARS!

[@tricycleguy2657]

When the guy that owns the place is rolling around on the ground with grease under his fingernails to get pieces running for the amusement of total strangers, one word comes to mind, RESPECT

[@alexstewart9068]

He dirties his hands for the videos. Washes up and goes back to his office.

[@tricycleguy2657]

@@alexstewart9068 that's probably true except his office is the mechanic shop at the museum

[@alexstewart9068]

@@tricycleguy2657 Hahaha. I just like to tease people who assume things they see on KZbin are real. I watch every video these guys out out...and of course they check the bikes first then start them up for dramatic effect. It's tv. Kinda. They'd be real mad if they grabbed a hundred years old bike, didn't check out and cracked a cylinder.

[@tricycleguy2657]

@@alexstewart9068 I'm sure they have a procedure... but nobody wants to sit through a 40 minute video of them checking the oil checking plug wires,air filter, carburetor connections, and functionality of other parts they do a great job of editing the video to remain informative but not lose people in the minor details and protocols for 100+year old motorcycles

[@alexstewart9068]

I thought they collected and displayed these bikes for profit. Huh. People doing things from the goodness of the heart. Interesting concept.

[@markthegunplumber8376]

When I was a kid I was talking to my Grandpa about Pierce-Arrows being so rare. Grandpa said their engines were great he took one out of an old wrecked car and used it for the engine in his saw mill. The greatest generation could do anything with noting at all.

[@JRD77VET]

I can honestly say between the ear to ear smile and the laughter, you never had so much fun tearing up the yard. Nice job bring it back to life.

[@scottarmstrong1172]

That is so cool! I love the homemade exhibit. Those pieces show the ingenuity of folks from that era. Necessity is truly the mother of invention. Thanks Matt!

[@coolspoonful]

Pretty surprised it broke the ground as well as it did! It looks to be a cultivator or tiller, which would be used after plowing to further loosen soil rather than breaking it like a plow. Awesome stuff as always. Cheers from Alberta.

[@detroitredneckdetroitredne6674]

I remember in the early 70s. My grandfather had a old farmall f 20 tractor it had a rod Bearing Knock he never had the money to get it fixed properly. But he always had old leather belts soaking an oil. And he would take the bottom of the connecting arm off and put in a shim of oil soaked leather. And tighten it up. He changed the leather about 3 times every summer. The motor always ran. And it ran well. Thank you for what you do. Thank you for sharing your knowledge and expertise. And hello from romulus Michigan and GOD-BLESS

[@johnhart5586]

Watching Dale use that tiller is a Merry Christmas to me 1919 powered tiller.Awesome.

[@alexstewart9068]

I love how your stuff always starts. Because you make sure before you pick up a camera to to make sure it works.

[@mattwalksler]

This video was done in about one hour, with the first start capture in the video. All you need is compression, spark and fuel....they all will run!

[@tricycleguy2657]

@@mattwalksler hey Matt don't let him bother you, I've seen rusted worn out junk runstraight out of the weeds/ junk pile.... rust and mouse nest come out the exhaust sometimes an intake pop and small fire, but this was all pre youtube days we weren't looking to tell a story or preserving history we just wanted to make that thing run we accepted the challenge... keep that museum running we love it

[@slowpokebr549]

Speaking as someone who has hunted for traction behind several David Bradleys, I'm jealous!

[@PanheadJeff58]

Cool! Being an old vintage Harley mechanic I love this kind of stuff!

[@Hanks1938ELKnucklehead]

Looks like its time to plant a Victory Garden!

[@genestatler2514]

I'm an old fart, Roy so I remember the victory garden very well.

[@georgehatton909]

Ll

[@wrf2412]

When that thing fired off and threw nuts and bolts everywhere, Matt's laugh sounded like Professor Fate from the Great Race

[@olafhempel1395]

Really cool.

[@Cinziaking]

I thought he sounded just like his Dad…

[@christmaselfcustoms]

Great to see it working. The mad professor laugh is a perfect fit for this machine

[@garystratton4125]

Back in 1966 I was 13 and we just got a cement block utility room addition to the back of our house for an indoor toilet and mom's wringer washer.. Dad came home and carried a motorcycle frame & several boxes of parts and wheels in thru the kitchen to that room. Mom was not happy! Over the next several months as I was on the toilet from time to time I would see the progress with what turned out to be a 45 cu. in. Harley Davidson late 40 or early 50? Don't remember what year it was , if I ever knew...So I would have an emotional breakdown if I won this bike.I am trying to track down my Dad's original Harley and discovered he sold it to Kenny McNinch in Mayville Michigan.I know it was still in his possession as of a few years ago...So.. As time goes by..I am hoping and dreaming...Thank you for your Museum and videos about it... Very important history.. You all connected with the Museum are my Heroes.

[@lignow9762]

Ya, A sub forum with true HD first stories. Had a 74-74 Got married full time job. Kids. Traded the decker for a buss. Now. Kids are out working, The wife is gone. Now I have a soft tail and a buss. Life is GOOD.

[@ricksalisbury7628]

Love it! Matt, when it fired up and you laughed, you sounded just like your Dad! Keep up the great work!

[@johnpancap844]

A nice idea wld be to put a small plate on backside of ur plows for ur operator to stand on so u can get sum good down pressure & really turn that ground over

[@demadre]

Amazing American ingenuity! Thanks for sharing this piece of history.

[@patricknesbit2334]

Mad maxing things before it became a thing. So cool our inventive ancestors. Love these homemade , useful inventions.

[@nathansealey6270]

Thats awesome & to think that very machine once provided for the family that built it

[@7MPhonemicEnglish]

It's hard to wrap your head around how old that thing is. Most people had no electricity. They lit their houses with lanterns. No television, few radios, few record players, few automobiles, dirt roads, no traffic lights, no telephones, newspaper or nothing. I don't think anybody had cameras except professional photographers.

[@mfbfreak]

Cameras were available for the masses in the usa starting in the early 1900s. The Kodak Brownie was an affordable one, made out of cardboard. Taking pictures wasn't a daily or weekly thing for most people, but many could afford to shoot a few rolls per year.

[@genestatler2514]

That is fantastic, Matt. I share your enthusiasm! Love it!

[@richardwernig8938]

She was just starting to get into working again when you shut her down. Sprinkle that patch with radish, turnip, and wildflower seeds. Then when you stop to see the pretty flowers you can pull up a snack.

[@aaronfarr4753]

Y’all have way too much fun. Everyone should have such joy in life, it would make the world so much better.

[@carlwidell8983]

That is so cool!! Would love to see more like that.

[@Woody_Florida]

I love the pre 1930s bikes and I enjoy seeing your videos on the bikes, but I honestly had more interest and reaction to this video than maybe any other W.T.T. has put out. It is really cool to see something different on occasion from here. That was so cool to see and then see that American home made machine fixed and working dirt!

[@wheelsthroughtime]

Glad you're enjoying! If you like that, we have something new coming up that you'll love!

[@clpackard3]

What an awesome piece of history!!! Thanks Matt for bringing us these snippets of history through your videos!

[@garyalford9394]

Geeze I have that much trouble turning my troybuilt horse tiller !!

[@Want2gofast]

I can’t believe how easy that started. Great video! 👍🏽

[@WildBillFlysRC]

The snow blower was from my friends father... Mr. Payson, I would love to hear it run and I am sure my buddy Gregg would like that too! I fact, I put you in touch with the Payson's to get the History on the Machine. Great Videos Guys! thanks for what you do.

[@rogerlawrencewhite1475]

It’s fantastic that this classically powered tiller is still running, it’s a testament to the skill of its creator who built it out of necessity. And if you ever find a frame and forks and wheels, which you just might have around that’ll fit… I can see you putting a “new” bike on display there. BTW, what size is the engine, as you seemed to not want to say it was a 45 earlier in video, is it a 61” ? TY for another great video

[@Guns_N_Gears]

Matt, now you can start a little vegi market for the customers. I certainly appreciate things like this. I own a couple of homebuilt tractors, and the mechanical engineering just floors me, I just love this stuff. The more moving hoobidoos it has, the more I like it!! 👍👍

[@chrishunter5041]

Great to see you work on some awesome machinery.

[@Stoshua.81]

Not only get it running but to actually use it was very cool to see

[@lpd1snipe]

You're right about the scrap drives during World War II. My father told me stories of all the stuff that went away that in later years are like gold now. We don't understand how hard it was for people then, and everything was about helping the war effort . They were smart to repurpose/recycle things when they could, or we wouldn't have these Treasures to look at now.

[@lawrenceveinotte]

That would be a spring tooth harrow, normally you would plow first, then break up the big clumps with the harrow to smooth it out, that machine would separate the men from the boys as my dad would say.

[@slowpokebr549]

It really works well, you can see that with some practice you could get good at running it. I garden big and I have some David Bradley's and a Gravely sitting around. That thing made my heart go pitty pat. It makes you wonder what the old boy that invented it did for a plow and a disc? Did he make a doodlebug out of a Harley? A model T?

[@swhod2190]

Absolutely. Use one on my '41 9N after plowing.

[@donsurlylyte]

and maybe separate the toes from the man

[@markhollis5850]

That is set up as a cultivator, designed to weed a truck (Victory) garden. My question is whether or not one could put a two-bottom plow on that. Certainly the HD motor would be able to do the plowing. So, the wheels: They are designed to go through loamy soil. And, in the springtime, depending on the amount of rain, you could be in a pretty sticky morass. So they’re metal wheels with paddles that will pull you through that. And, now you know what hard work farming could be. Farmers tinkered. My grandfather had a one-cylinder hit-and-miss engine that he used to pump water. That HD motor would have been overkill, as it had too many horsepower. I saw the hit-and-miss motor running in the mid to late 1960s-he still occasionally used it to fill a tank with water for cattle to drink. Three cheers to you for getting this one back up and running. I thought I would fill you in a bit on the kind of farm operation that might have been used for.

[@michaelshingleton1628]

You know that the model D gravely was based on an Indian engine. The 1937 gravely engine that was used until 1977 had a crankshaft made from two flywheels pressed together with a crank pin. Gravely is still in business has its roots in the motorcycle industry.

[@slowpokebr549]

I worked at a Lumberyard in Kansas as a boy. It had been a Gravely dealership for many years. I used to sit around and read old catalogs and ads. We still had a large parts inventory and did some service. We mostly dealt with L models. It's amazing the sheer number of attachments you could get for Gravely's. They made everything from sickle mowers to planters for D's and L's both. It was all good quality stuff.

[@richardspeciale2850]

Just watched this one. Matt, you are your dads son. What a trip. That was awesome.

[@jerrylong381]

Now that's a Lawn Job! This reminds me of some of the stuff my Grandfather built. Necessity is indeed the mother of invention, and he had a lot of necessity, having 12 kids. He subsistence farmed, worked as a welder, machinist and mechanic, and hired the kids out to work chopping and picking cotton. He built a metal lathe from scraps, that had 2 automotive transmissions to control speed and feed. A portable welder that had a ford 4cyl flathead and all maner of other things. Sometimes when I smell old oil and grease it takes me back to his workshop.

[@johnolson1984]

I've been a machinery mechanic for 50+ years and do appreciate old equipment thanks brings me back to when I used to have to make parts for ancient machines

[@curtisharrison4837]

A wheel lock, and a seat. 1919 still looking for the bike,it's probably around there somewhere. Damn nice tractor.

[@DailyDrivenBikes_1]

That stuff is so cool because that stuff shows ingenuity when people needed something to do a job and made life easier or more fun.

[@fitzstermoto]

WOW!!! This was absolutely INCREDIBLE!!! Thank you sooo much for sharing - that is an AWESOME piece of history right there and it's really impressive that someone built that by hand a hundred years ago! I love seeing this king of stuff and I really appreciate all that you do and contribute to the motorcycle culture and industry! Your Dad would be so proud of you and I'm sure he already is looking down from Heaven! God Bless Dale and the Wheels Through Time Family!

[@RXRSawdustStation]

The Museum That Runs - Through The Garden! Excellent video, guys! Thank you for it! Great work!

[@61espo]

Thanks Matt! Very interesting machinery!

[@duanepeiffer5071]

You can hear the family heritage in your laugh when that motor fired.

[@Popsaircraftdetail]

Awesome brother

[@jimmyadams2726]

Enjoy your videos.love the museum.never get tired of stopping by when im in your area.i used to stop and talk to Dale when he was in Mt veron Illinois.Great person.Thats so much for caring on.

[@markschuman3615]

Matt your excitement is awesome it makes me think of how the creator of this machine would've felt the first time that it came to life always Great entertainment Thanks for sharing and keeping them running

[@lignow9762]

Ya. 1919 . I wonder if he rented it out. Horses are still good eating.

[@edwardmckenzie3402]

You are having more fun than any man is supposed to have. And we are there with you!

[@Wasagoodyear-qf8wj]

Great stuff. Your Dad would be smiling at that one👍. A cool tool!

[@ReiMonCoH]

This is what happens when Dale isn’t around to tell him DONT GO TEARING UP THE FRIGGIN FRONT YARD..🤘🏻😆🤘🏻

[@chuckstith838]

Dale would have done it happily 🤣

[@lignow9762]

Ha Ha. Looks and sounds like Matt is one of the few Bosses that people like to work with. His old man would be very proud.

[@ReiMonCoH]

@@lignow9762 I have no doubt Dale was hard… But ya…, I would think he’d be proud as hell

[@peanutbutter4829]

Your dad is smiling from above!! Good Job Matt

[@zbigniewkozlowski2749]

Horse is easier to operate From Canada with love Zbigniew thanks good show

[@JamesCouch777]

There is nothing like getting an old antique piece of machinery running. Good job 👍

[@johnbrisker5584]

There isn’t a thing made in today’s age and time that will start after 70 plus years. Stuff was built to last back then.And also wanted to say Your dad (Dale) Is looking down and a big thumbs up and an approval has been given!👍🏻Must make it down to the museum before winter or next year for sure.Thanks for keeping old motorcycles and great AMERICAN history alive👍🏻🍻

[@johnjackson8561]

I gave thumbs up for the spark tester. Awesome video thanks Matt.

[@matthiasgruber7309]

The engine is now 103 years old and runs like it did on the first day, that's Quality! Greetings from south-east Bavaria (Germany)

[@brianb7960]

What a beast! Old Saw mills in Alpena Michigan use all kinds of power plants. Nothing motorcycle powered that I'm aware of.

[@fredbadgett7962]

Straight 8 Buick engines were popular sawmill power units here in NW N.C..

[@TejanoClass]

Frikin Awesome!!

[@vettemaniac2237]

That amazing piece of machinery was born of the mind and hands of a true genius ... A pleasure to see.

[@TaylorHomeCare]

I wish I lived close I would love to work at your place. I love everything your dad has created and thank you for being into everything just as much. I love every video

[@jamesfolsom7260]

I have seen many walk behind tractors but this one takes the cake! Very cool to have this on display!

[@macbierowiec5537]

What a fantastic thing to watch to get me Inspired on the Monday morning. Imagine matt saying to you 'grab my 16 cut down dude' a pleasure as always WTT ❤❤

[@peterduxbury927]

Great to see that old Plough come back to life, and you gotta admire the guy that made it happen through necessity. Now plant some potatoes!! Greetings from Australia.

[@cub1009]

That is amazing that 100 year old Harley engine started up. Nice work. That cultivator works. Didn't even struggle ripping up that sod. Cultivators are used after soil has been plowed. This can be for several reasons. One to break up clumps of dirt or sod after tilling. Or for weed control in fields that have been plowed but left sitting and weeds have started to grow. Or for removing weeds between rows of planted crops. That is why the wheels are so wide on this. It's so it doesn't get stuck in the already loosed up ground. Just amazing to see this in action. The man that built it probably had no idea 80 years later it would still work. It's a testament to American ingenuity during times of economic turmoil.

[@danielseymour6726]

Hmm ! International Harvester powered by Harley Davidson. Thanks Matt.

[@karnesrussell]

Ha, ha, ha! Those Mag's will fire you up for sure.

[@wolfgangweimer737]

The man that had to run that back in 1930 probably slept good after a day of plowing.

[@dannyelrod5755]

Had to be full-grown to work that Beast

[@jerriwebb8031]

awesome guys great to see the ingenuity behind these machines

[@brianrichards517]

What a sweet piece of history our ancestors were so inventive today's people just don't have the will power to do those things

[@static_bolt]

Really it's not will its more like lack of need, someone made this because they NEEDED a tiller on their farm and they were likely far too expensive to buy or just not common enough. You can easily and cheaply get these kinda things used online so homemade ones are uncommon. people still make homemade gensets and welders, I myself have made a few custom utility vehicles using parts I had laying around

[@Glyder1959]

Wow Matt, I can tell you that was thee funnest video I have seen since forever! Thanks for making and sharing that one. I was lucky enough to meet and talk to your Dad on my visit there some years ago. I look forward to my next visit to the museum hopefully this coming summer.

[@wingnut7352]

When you are tilling, if you make your rows in overlapping figure eights, you don't have to lift at the end of the row. Make the crossing point at the center of the area, then just work across. You can use other figures too. Think of those puzzles where you don't lift the point of a pencil, or when you were learning to print cursive. When you finish, you can go back and square the ends so that you are only lifting and hogging that thing around a couple of times. Good video.

[@chashouse8511]

Wow!! Thanks Matt for getting that monster going and showing it to us all!!

[@mbraun777]

One day I'm gonna come see that museum.

[@lignow9762]

I as well

[@RightSoFarr]

This video made me smile. Thanks Matt🤘

[@steveshoemaker6347]

Awesome it works great.....A time machine of things to come....Thanks guy's excellent video....!

[@robleary3353]

Love it! In Australia this kind of kit is called 'bush mechanics'! Brilliant.

[@byDanimal]

That was great! Thanks for all the explanations. I love it when someone that's really knowledgeable explains what they're doing in such a clear way. And it's a fascinating bit of history to see come to life.

[@joejoe-qn4hu]

Awesome to see you continuing on fulfilling your father's dreams no doubt he is very proud of you. Keep up all the great work and finds. Merry Christmas to you all.

[@ctyankeejr]

Matt, That"s an awesome piece of history. Amazing how resourseful someone was many years ago. Mark's Mags is the best!!

[@sporty196071]

That is the greatest, like they say they don't make them like that anymore! People made things work!! I still do,every one just orders from the computer

[@dojifly]

Holy time machine. They just don't build them like that these days. Great work brightened my morning.

[@billypeek7186]

love this kind of stuff, watchin you guys get the old stuff runin...AWESOME

[@firebearva]

Great video. That is a spring-tooth harrow used to loosen plowed and disked soil before planting.

[@kenwalz7231]

This was fun to watch. I would like to see more of this inventive machinery run! Its folk art for machinery lovers!

[@timwalton57]

Way cool ! Thanks for the video!!!

[@kevinhall3443]

What a piece of innovation and history!

[@charliefromnh7631]

Dale is PISSED but laughing... "You tore up my yard!! Damn Kids"...... but with a piece of History!! Thank You for a GREAT video..!! More like this Please!!

[@thra5herxb12s]

Here in the UK we had a couple of nice Rotovator garden tractors made by Howard called the Gem. There was a 600cc single and 750cc JAP V Twin flathead and many of these found their way into motorbike frames, mine included. Both types of engines and machines still appear on ebay from time to time.

[@bobb.4807]

A awesome machine . I love the way it's cleverly designed ! Thanks for sharing !

[@bowedebrand2088]

Coolest thing!THANKS for the SHOW!

[@kevinlaird6991]

its called a spring rake. used mostly when field is overgrown to break up and gather the grass or weeds off the dirt to then plow. had a bunch of old stuff like that around to pull behind tractor or mules. would be easier to use on a larger plot, less changing direction. very cool.

[@dougscott8161]

Matt, when that "tractor" fired up and you started "driving" it, you looked like a 10 year old kid on Christmas Morning with his first electric train. Great to see that old "make do" stuff, thanks for showing it to us.

[@chrismclain8587]

Dale comes back and says What The Crap happened here lol. Awesome video job well done guys.

[@brianwinters4991]

That was cool as hell ! You have to be Hercules to operate that machine ! Do you put that ratty fan belt back on when it goes back on display ?

[@michaelguinn5736]

Love the looks of this vintage stuff, took many many years to look that way, I'm sure when they built your "tiller" it wasn't all shiny...be safe...God Bless!!

[@simonworman7898]

What a fantastic bit of kit,For a start it really looks like it could do a job.

[@douglaspiercy3996]

Hey Matt great job but that is a spring tooth harrow not a tiller

[@izom]

just wanted to ask what this is- thanx ! ;-)

[@stevebrueggen800]

Great job guys! I’m guessing the “ spring tooth” digger being pulled by the 1919 J was probably part of a multi section spring tooth digger originally pulled by horses. Could have been 3 or 4 sections hooked together with a tool bar. Awesome !! Great ingenuity and fabrication for the day. 😀. Thanks for showing it.

[@tsoliot5913]

Imagine the capable mind that designed and built this machine, piece by piece, in a barn, to feed his family knowing that close to a century later someone would make it run and film it for thousands of people to marvel at.