[AT] Can you name the first three tractors you drove?

[John Hall]

The fisrt 2 tractors I was allowed to drive solo were the 2 Super A's (they 
are bothe still here). I was about 7.  I never will forget dad told me to 
mash the clutch pedal to stop. We were hauling off tree trimmings and I was 
headed downhill. It seemed to me I was going too fast, so I hit the clutch. 
Needless to say I learned real quick what a clutch did and did not do! Once 
I got it stopped, dad settled my nerves and gave me much more detail about 
how to slow down and stop.

The third tractor was probably a 454 IH (still here). After that would have 
been a toss up between the two 4020's, the Farmall M, and the McCormick 
10-20. I had all of them mastered by 13 and learned to run our 4430 right 
after I turned 14.

 Dad told me when he was a kid, about 10-11, he cranked up his dads' 10-20 
and drove it from the sawmill to the house, about a 1/2 mile away. He told 
his dad someone was trying to steal it. He didn't get a whipping, I guess it 
was just that impressive for that small of a kid to crank and drive that 
contraption. I'm still impressed considering he would have had to crank it 
on gas as they ran it on kerosene. Evidently he had been watching closely. 
Don't know if he knew enough to retard the spark or if the good Lord was 
just looking out for him.

John Hall