HARRISBURG, Pa. — Antique tractor enthusiasts young and old showed the packed stands of the Equine Arena what they were made of at the Antique Tractor Pull on Wednesday at the 2017 Pennsylvania Farm Show.
The pull followed a morning display of various antique tractors and other farm equipment, as well as a children’s pedal tractor pull hosted by the Waterloo Boys 2-Cylinder Club.
Much the same as “resto-mods” of antique and classic car culture, “pullin’ tractors,” as they are known, often deviate from as-built condition, including engine work, larger tires and brackets for adding weights to the tractors so that they can pull in additional weight classes.
The pull consisted of antique tractors dragging a sled with a moving weight box down a track. As the tractor moved further down the track, a weight box on the back of the sled would move forward, adding pressure to the front skid plate, making it more difficult to pull. The tractor and driver that pulled the furthest won their respective class.
The antique tractor pull consisted of eight different weight classes ranging from 3,000 to 8,000 pounds. Tractors were weighed prior to the start of the contest and afterward for verification. For the Pennsylvania Farm Show pull, only gasoline-powered tractors were allowed to participate.