Roger Welsch at his best! Youve seen him on CBSs Sunday Morning and youve read his essays in Successful Farming and other popular magazines. Now you can enjoy Welschs fun-filled essays in this witty collection of stories that poke fun at his favorite past-time. Filled with light-hearted tips for saving your marriage from ruin while cleaning your tractor parts in the dishwasher, and other clever restoration techniques. Down-home humor every tractor enthusiast can relate to!
Browse our Bookshelf Favorites store for big savings on popular fiction, nonfiction, children's books, and more. |
Book Description
Product Details
Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images? |
More About the Author
Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
42 of 43 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Old Tractors
I find myself on a back road, late at night, with a flat tire. It's not snowing heavy--well, not yet--but there are flurries dancing in the beam of my headlights. Okay, headlight--I still haven't fixed the passenger side headlight after I hit that deer. I take the flat off. I hate having to do anything with my car. I am male and so I am obliged to pretend I know something about cars. I mean, if there is steam coming out from under my hood, I will open the hood and stare at the engine just like I am diagnosing the problem. All the time, I am hoping someone will stop by and help, or at least offer me a shotgun so I may put the car out of my misery, but hey, I can handle a flat...
I believe that's why I find the tractor books by Roger Welsch so appealing. The first rule of writing is to write what you know. If you write all you know, and you don't learn anything new, then what is there to write about? Welsch is a retired college professor from Nebraska who was about as mechanical as myself. He had never even changed the oil in his car. He still doesn't, and so what could be more natural than writing a book about how to get rusted piece of iron running again?
Old Tractors and the Men Who Love Them is about rebuilding a 1937 Allis Chalmers WC tractor. Welsch is a folklorist and humorist who has appeared on the CBS News Sunday Morning program with a segment called "Postcards from Nebraska". There's lot old Rog doesn't know, and he's the first to admit it. "Okay, so I don't know many of the answers," explains Roger. "Thing is, most books like this are written by experts who have forgotten the kinds of problems beginners like me run into." He may not have all the answers, but he knows all the questions.
So, why restore an old tractor? Well, for one reason everything is right there. You don't even have to lean over to reach the oil filter. It's at waist level, right where any sensible person would expect it to be. An Allis WC has exactly four wires, one to each spark plug, which sits right out in plain sight. You don't need a lot of tools to work on them. It was understood by the manufacturer that these tractors were going to be worked on by a farmer without a lot of time and who owned a couple of wrenches, a screwdriver with a broken tip, and a hammer.
Sometimes, it is just as important to know what not to do, and Roger gives many examples of his mistakes. For example, you should never eat peanuts in the shop. Anyone who has ever had red squirrels in their attic can identify with the why. These little pests will stash peanuts in transmissions, valve covers, rag boxes, and everywhere else they can squirm.
There's some good solid advice for a mechanical novice. Welsch covers the basics like the shop, tools, safety equipment, and resources. He does all this with a quirky sense of humor, observations on life, and how to manage to stay married while dragging home yet another pile of orange rust. He makes tractor-restoring sound therapeutic and fun and heck, I feel like even I could do it. If you enjoy this book, be sure to check out his follow-up, Busted Tractors and Rusty Knuckles. Thing is, learning is a process. Hmm, maybe instead writing what I know, I'll write about what I want to know...
Author of "Hobo Finds A Home" and editor "Of A Predatory Heart"
I find myself on a back road, late at night, with a flat tire. It's not snowing heavy--well, not yet--but there are flurries dancing in the beam of my headlights. Okay, headlight--I still haven't fixed the passenger side headlight after I hit that deer. I take the flat off. I hate having to do anything with my car. I am male and so I am obliged to pretend I know something about cars. I mean, if there is steam coming out from under my hood, I will open the hood and stare at the engine just like I am diagnosing the problem. All the time, I am hoping someone will stop by and help, or at least offer me a shotgun so I may put the car out of my misery, but hey, I can handle a flat...
I believe that's why I find the tractor books by Roger Welsch so appealing. The first rule of writing is to write what you know. If you write all you know, and you don't learn anything new, then what is there to write about? Welsch is a retired college professor from Nebraska who was about as mechanical as myself. He had never even changed the oil in his car. He still doesn't, and so what could be more natural than writing a book about how to get rusted piece of iron running again?
Old Tractors and the Men Who Love Them is about rebuilding a 1937 Allis Chalmers WC tractor. Welsch is a folklorist and humorist who has appeared on the CBS News Sunday Morning program with a segment called "Postcards from Nebraska". There's lot old Rog doesn't know, and he's the first to admit it. "Okay, so I don't know many of the answers," explains Roger. "Thing is, most books like this are written by experts who have forgotten the kinds of problems beginners like me run into." He may not have all the answers, but he knows all the questions.
So, why restore an old tractor? Well, for one reason everything is right there. You don't even have to lean over to reach the oil filter. It's at waist level, right where any sensible person would expect it to be. An Allis WC has exactly four wires, one to each spark plug, which sits right out in plain sight. You don't need a lot of tools to work on them. It was understood by the manufacturer that these tractors were going to be worked on by a farmer without a lot of time and who owned a couple of wrenches, a screwdriver with a broken tip, and a hammer.
Sometimes, it is just as important to know what not to do, and Roger gives many examples of his mistakes. For example, you should never eat peanuts in the shop. Anyone who has ever had red squirrels in their attic can identify with the why. These little pests will stash peanuts in transmissions, valve covers, rag boxes, and everywhere else they can squirm.
There's some good solid advice for a mechanical novice. Welsch covers the basics like the shop, tools, safety equipment, and resources. He does all this with a quirky sense of humor, observations on life, and how to manage to stay married while dragging home yet another pile of orange rust. He makes tractor-restoring sound therapeutic and fun and heck, I feel like even I could do it. If you enjoy this book, be sure to check out his follow-up, Busted Tractors and Rusty Knuckles. Thing is, learning is a process. Hmm, maybe instead writing what I know, I'll write about what I want to know...
Author of "Hobo Finds A Home" and editor "Of A Predatory Heart"
8 of 10 people found the following review helpful
By A Customer
Format:Paperback
This has been one of the most entertaining books I have read in a long time. Makes Tractor restoring sound like anyone could do it (he says he had never changed the oil in his car). If you are not sure whether you want to restore antique farm tractors, this books for you. You'll be tractor hunting when you finish it.
5 of 6 people found the following review helpful
By A Customer
Format:Paperback
This book is one the antique tractor restorer - and anyone with an interest in tractors or machinery - *must* read. Welsch's humor and tales add a great deal to the subject matter - I laughed out loud a number of times while reading the book. There are many not-so-obvious and simple-but-great ideas about working on old equipment, all of which are presented from the viewpoint of a person that considered himself a very beginning amateur (he had never even changed his own engine oil). This book is understandable and enjoyable regardless of your skill level or mechanical ability - I suspect many will read it just for the humor.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
A good read
Many laughfs,I have had many of the same experiences myself.Especially the ping thing when the ball riccochets off the wall and the ball hits the cieling. Read more
Published 3 months ago by gerald sundberg
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great gift.
We read this book several years ago and read most of it aloud with our sons, and then have purchased 2 more as gifts for their uncle and a friend. Read more
Published 4 months ago by Busy Mom
4.0 out of 5 stars
Christmas Gift
I don't know if Ed enjoyed the book. He seemed to like the title. I appreciated that it came in time to give as a gift.
Published 4 months ago by Sallee F. Peterson
5.0 out of 5 stars
great book
Very entertaining book. Any man with a tractor and a wife will like this book or any other book by Roger.
Published on July 18, 2008 by Keith OH/MI
5.0 out of 5 stars
Restoration For The Everyman
The great thing about tractors is you don't have to be rich (usually) to buy them or parts for them and you don't have to have years of mechanical expertise to be able to work on... Read more
Published on November 9, 2007 by James Courtney
5.0 out of 5 stars
Old Tractors and guys like Roger!
Mr Welsch's mechanical ability is only surpassed by his entertaining writing and observations on life. Read more
Published on June 13, 2007 by Anthony W. Coulter
5.0 out of 5 stars
Because Tractors are People Too
Well, not really. But this guy seems to think so. I wouldn't say he's a nut (because my father acts like him) but he's certainly got some quirks. Read more
Published on June 1, 2003 by Matt
5.0 out of 5 stars
Roger and Tractors - Old Iron meets it's match
Roger has a great story to tell about Men and Tractors. Using a homey kind of "front porch" story telling, Roger tells us about his steadfast affection (obsession) with... Read more
Published on July 5, 2002 by Sean P. McInerney
5.0 out of 5 stars
this Central Nebraska humorist is great
For anyone from rural anywhere, you can recognize people from your own town in Mr Welsch's writing. He is not the typical Nebraska farmer though. Read more
Published on December 27, 2001
5.0 out of 5 stars
Side-Splitter with Style
Great book!! Roger keeps you laughing as you restore your old iron. Also has great advice on restoration and where to find books, magazines, parts, and much, much more. Read more
Published on April 22, 2001 by Larry R. Craig
Citations (learn more)
This book cites 4
books:
3
books
cite this book:
- How to Restore Your Farm Tractor (Motorbooks Workshop) by Robert N. Pripps on page 120, and Back Matter
- United Kingdom (Major Companies of Europe: Vol. 6: Bulgaria, Czech Lrepublic, Estonia, Hungary, Lativa,) by C. A. Oddy in Back Matter
- American Farm Tractor (Motorbooks Classic) by Randy Leffingwell on page 120
- How to Restore Tractor Magnetos by Neil Yerigan on page 120
- Busted Tractors and Rusty Knuckles: Norwegian Torque Wrench Techniques and Other Fine Points of Tractor Restoration by Roger Welsch in Front Matter, and Back Cover
- Everything I Know about Women I Learned from My Tractor by Roger Welsch in Back Flap
- Love, Sex and Tractors by Roger Welsch in Back Cover
Books on Related Topics
(learn more)
|
|
What Other Items Do Customers Buy After Viewing This Item?
Sell a Digital Version of This Book in the Kindle Store
If you are a publisher or author and hold the digital rights to a book, you can sell a digital version of it in our Kindle Store.
Learn more
