Busted Tractors and Rusty Knuckles: Norwegian Torque Wrench Techniques and Other Fine Points of Tractor Restoration [Paperback]

Roger Welsch (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 18, 1997

Knee-slapping fun for everyone! Well-known humorist and columnist Roger Welsch recalls with wit the missteps, mishaps, and local characters he encountered along the way to fixing up a pile of rusty sheet metal to a beautifully restored Allis Chalmers WC he lovingly refers to as Woodpecker. Listen-in as Roger tells the humorous story of the challenge that led to the Woodpeckers restoration, and the victory party that followed.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Roger Welsch can best be described as a cross between Erma Bombeck and Dr. Ruth, except male and living in Nebraska with his wife and dogs. Before turning his talents to canine psychology, Roger was best known as \u201cthe fat guy in overalls\u201d on CBS\u2019 Sunday Morning, where he offered up essays on rural and small-town life on the plains.

Product Details

• Paperback: 160 pages
• Publisher: MBI (October 18, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0760303010
• ISBN-13: 978-0760303016
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #592,918 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

18 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Considering a tractor project? Better read this book!

, November 4, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Busted Tractors and Rusty Knuckles: Norwegian Torque Wrench Techniques and Other Fine Points of Tractor Restoration (Paperback)

Sometimes the truth hurts so bad that you just have to laugh.

I had a hard time putting this book down once I started reading. I felt Rog's pain every time he related breaking a part or smashing a finger, and shared his satisfaction with small successes.

He tells the story of the Woodpecker's resurrection with a style and wit that is down to earth; none of the "holier than thou" point of view that's found in so many other books on tractor restoration. This book is not a technical manual, and doesn't pretend to be. It's the simple, real life story of one man's victory over a piece of broken down junk.

I found it be very enjoyable reading, and would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys the lighter side of life.

15 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Essence of Tractor Restoration, October 7, 1997

By A Customer

This review is from: Busted Tractors and Rusty Knuckles: Norwegian Torque Wrench Techniques and Other Fine Points of Tractor Restoration (Paperback)

Roger Welsch's long awaited second book on tractor restoration has finally appeared. This one was written during his restoration of "Woodpecker" an old unstyled Allis Chalmers WC. The tractor was given to him by a friend after being salvaged from a remote wood lot where it had been left to die many years earlier. This was a restoration he undertook on a dare, to prove he could do it. He did it for the fun of it. Roger doesn't work at restoring tractors, he plays and learns. He finds neat little lessons all over his shop.

The book is log of his restoration efforts. He hopes to provide a newcomer with a guide of just how to expect things might go with a tractor restoration. It is full of mechanical tips and techniques as well as addressing the spiritual aspects of tractor work. He shows us how time in the shop can be healing, even when it might not appear overtly productive. His focus on the process of restoration, rather than the end results, guides his time in shop and shapes his attitude toward the whole project. Learning is not just a goal unto itself, it is also a great reason to buy even more new tools.

Many books tell us how tractors are restored, but only Roger seems to address the question of "why" tractors are restored. He truly portrays the "restoration as adventure" aspect of the hobby. The nature of the friendships that can form around this hobby is also reported.

What's different about this book? Roger Welsch examines the Zen or "head part" of tractor rebuilding. What else is different is that this book includes a lot about the wrong way to do things. The best lessons are learned from mistakes, and Roger isn't afraid to share with us how much he has learned. Additionally, he doesn't assume the reader knows as much as most of the shop manuals seem to assume. Many excellent mechanical tips can be picked up from this book.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book, and it makes me look forward to my next tractor project.

Jim Pfrommer, M.D.

Waco, TX

[e-mail]

0 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A fun book for those of us in the tractor restoration game, April 15, 2009

By 

John Gustafsopn "Skaning" (Gloucester, VA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Busted Tractors and Rusty Knuckles: Norwegian Torque Wrench Techniques and Other Fine Points of Tractor Restoration (Paperback)

I sat down and went through this book in about a day. I've personally have gotten involved in restoring an old Farmall, and the authors experiences almost mirror my own. Welsch is an outstanding humorist /writer. This little tract just extracts the humor, kicking and screaming, out of the aggravations we stumble on dealing with things folks did to keep these things running.

A fun read for any amateur mechanic, a must read for a tractor wrench.