It all started with one tractor, now it’s a noted collection
by Kristina Gabalski
Collector Bob May with his 1964 Allis Chalmers D-12. Bob says this one might be his last restoration.It all started out simply enough: Back in 1998, Bob May wanted a tractor to do some drainage and leveling work in his Clarkson yard.
He purchased an old tractor and the rest is history. Over the years his antique tractor collection has grown to nine, including a 1965 John Deere 1010, a 1947/48 Ford 8N, 1954 Ford NAA, 1949 Allis Chalmers B, and a 1957 Oliver OC46 Crawler/Loader. May also owns a 2007 John Deere 2520 CUT and a 1981 International Cub Cadet lawn tractor, the last of the Cub Cadets painted red.
“I have bad back problems,” he explains, “I like little tractors, they are easier to store and I can sit on a stool and work on them.”
Bob says his love affair with tractors goes back to his teenage years. His father owned a nursery, but died when Bob was only 12. “I hung out with a farmer across the street,” he says, “that got me hooked on tractors.”
Bob May’s collection includes: 1981 International Cub Cadet, 1956 Farmall Cub, 1956 International Cub LoBoy, 1970 International Cub, 1964 Allis Chalmers D-12, 1954 Ford NAA, 1947/48 Ford 8N, 2007 JD 2520 CUT. Not pictured 1957 Oliver OC46 Crawler/Loader, 1949 Allis Chalmers B, 1965 John Deere 1010.
Two of the Ford tractors in the collection, a 1947/48 8N (far right), 1954 NAA (center).Bob’s collection was featured in the Summer/July 2012 issue of “Ford Tractors N-News,” a magazine for collectors. Bob says he sent in some photos and that peaked the publisher’s interest.
Bob worked for Eastman Kodak before retiring in 1992. During his lifetime he has acquired welding and metal working skills which have enabled him to restore many of the tractors he has purchased.
“I had to work on all the models,” he says. Some, like the 1964 Allis Chalmers D12 needed extensive metal work and welding. “It was a basket case,” Bob says, “… fenders rotted out, a tree had fallen on the gas tank, the front rims were rotted, the grill needed to be re-welded.”
Other tractors were not such a huge project. The newer Ford and the John Deere just needed some touch-ups and new paint.
Bob has found his tractors in various ways – printed advertisements, dealerships, Craig’s List, even out on drives. Some retain the original dealer’s sticker.
Unlike many collectors, Bob says he is not devoted to one particular manufacturer. “I like variety,” he says, “I’d like another Oliver.”
