What was the maintenance like on early tractors compared to taking care of horses?
You didnt have to feed or clean up after tractors so it was easier. Q: What did you think of the change from horses to tractors? A: We thought that it was a tremendous step forward. Tractors were easier to take care of. Q: How did your work hours change when you started to work with tractors? A: It seemed to get busier the more we modernized. Farms started to get bigger and the number of family farmers started to shrink. When we worked with horses, supper usually signaled the end of the workday. Q: Did you ever work with or around steam power? A: No. Q: What was your small tractor and what was your big tractor? A: A small case tractor of about 30 hp and a John Deere of about 185 hp. Q: Did the amount of workers increase or decrease when you started to use tractors? A: It decreased. My dad used to own a thresher and men would show up looking for work. They would work for $1 a day plus room and board. I remember the first combine that they brought out to be demonstrated, all the old time
