Their other Panzer lawn tractor, a 1963 Pennsylvania, was manufactured the year Panzer’s parent company, Virginia Metalcrafters, purchased Pennsylvania Lawnmowers, which became Pennsylvania Lawn Products Inc. Harold, who died shortly after the 2013 reunion, worked alongside his fellow coordinators, and Alan, in the garden tractor area at Old Threshers from its beginning, helping others set up displays, answering questions and everything in between.Įvery September after Old Threshers, Harold and Debbie hosted a “plow day” at their farm for garden tractor enthusiasts. Panzer designed and built its own loader just 200 of that model were built, and Harold’s is one of 50 known to exist. Pleasant - and not just because it’s fun to look at. Their 1962 Panzer lawn tractor with factory loader was the featured lawn and garden tractor at Mt. In 2013, Harold and Debbie Sammons’ hard work didn’t go unnoticed. Each year he looks for someone heavily involved in the hobby who, ideally, displays garden tractors that suit the interests of the greater Old Threshers’ tractor show. “We like to have a lot of different models so that hopefully visitors will see the ones their families had when they were kids.” The search for excellenceĪlan also takes part in the not-so-easy task of choosing each year’s featured lawn and garden tractor, based on exhibitor’s involvement as much as the tractors they own. They’re hoping to have 300 to 400 garden tractors at the 2014 reunion. Their main focus in the garden tractor area is sending information to exhibitors to ensure the best turnout possible. “We’ve got a lot of tractors and cars, but the garden tractors have enabled us to take it in a new direction.”Īlan is one of 12 members of the Old Threshers’ board of directors, meeting monthly to ensure the show is going in the right direction, from logistics to general planning. “It’s been in our blood forever and we enjoy anything related to agricultural equipment,” Alan says. Fred even helped start Western Illinois Threshers in his hometown of Hamilton. His parents, Fred and Ruth Buckert, Hamilton, Ill., and older brothers Kenny and Danny are also involved in the hobby. Alan knew the garden tractor area would allow his son Austin and nephews to get involved collecting tractors they could actually drive.Īlan was brought up in a family that loves collecting.
Many of the tractor collectors at Old Threshers, including Alan, had children who weren’t old enough to drive the bigger tractors. Years ago, Alan and his friends were discussing ways to get young people interested in antique tractors and collecting in general. In the half-decade it’s been part of Old Threshers, it’s grown from three lonely garden tractors to more than 200 at the 2013 reunion. It was Alan who first thought of creating the show’s garden tractor area. There are lots of different brands to collect.” A lot of collectors will pick a brand that’s important to them or their family, like John Deere, Cub Cadet, Allis-Chalmers or Case. “You can buy a garden tractor for a more reasonable price than you can a large tractor, and they don’t take up much room to store. “So many people are already involved with garden tractors,” Alan says. According to the area’s director, Alan Buckert, those things have scarcely factored into the increasing popularity of antique lawn and garden tractors. What does it take to collect antique tractors? Some would say heaps of money, ample storage space and a hefty trailer - but not the pioneers of the garden tractor area at the annual Midwest Old Threshers Reunion in Mt. Organizers expect more than 300 at this summer’s show. When the Old Threshers’ garden tractor exhibit was created in 2007, it drew just three displays.
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