Lowell Township Home to One-of-a-Kind Tractor Collection

For the past 15-20 years, Steve VanderZiel has been quietly amassing an impressive collection of antique tractors. The 55-year old Lowell Township resident has bought and restored dozens of tractors from as far away as Germany, some of which are the only ones known in existence.

“I like stuff that’s old and weird,” he explains. “The older it is, the better I like it.”

Which means many of his favorite models predate 1930 when tractor companies were still experimenting with different designs and configurations. Eventually, the tractor world would gravitate to the style of Fordson tractors, which were first manufactured by Henry Ford & Son and have a design reminiscent of an automobile.

The tractors in VanderZiel’s collection date from 1913 to 1960. They were manufactured by companies such as Greyhound, Eagle and Emerson. Some brands still exist, although they may not make tractors, but other names have disappeared from modern machinery.

One example is the Happy Farmer tractor. VanderZiel bought one of these tractors from a woman in New York. Her husband had purchased the tractor 45 years earlier, dissembled it and never got around to putting it back together. VanderZiel purchased the parts, refurbished them and now the tractor looks like new.

“To hear it run that first time was really cool,” he says. VanderZiel estimates the machine is one of probably only a half dozen tractors in the world like it.

A Minneapolis-Moline tractor with a cab is another rarity in the collection. Known as a Comfortractor, the machine look like a cross between a car and a tractor. While putting a cab on a tractor is common nowadays, it was unusual back in 1938 when these tractors were produced. It also wasn’t well-received by farmers at the time.

“It was considered wimpish to have a cab,” VanderZiel explains. Few of the tractors were sold and only about two dozen exist today in working condition.

Like many collectors, VanderZiel also has a sizeable number of John Deere tractors. He notes the brand’s deep roots make them popular. “It’s the only company that’s still going today as it was 100 years ago,” according to VanderZiel.

In addition to a number of the company’s iconic green tractors, the Lowell Township collection includes some less common vehicles. One is a John Deere cotton picker which was, at the time, unique in its ability to pick cotton while traveling forward.

Another notable tractor is a brown John Deere tractor. It is one of 20 made by the company for the North Carolina Highway Department. There are also orange and yellow John Deere tractors, and VanderZiel would like to add those to his collection as well.

Beyond tractors, VanderZiel has plenty of other antiques in his barn, such as an antique time clock and telephone booth. However, he’s been hooked on tractors since he bought his first one at age 16.

VanderZiel keeps an eye on online auctions to find items that catch his eye, and friends often provide him leads on older tractors in need of a new home. Currently, he’s working to restore an Emerson Big 4-20 which is the only one like it in the world. It came in pieces, and he looks forward to bringing it back its former glory.

“It’s a labor of love,” he says.

While he could probably make a living off restoring old tractors, VanderZiel says it might not be as much fun if it turned into a job. For now, he’s happy to keep it as a hobby, spending his free time wrenching on old machinery and bringing pieces of history back to life again.

4 Comments

  1. A lot of nice looking tractors, can I come and see the tractors? and when can I see the tractors, what times and what days?

    • Hi David,

      It sounds like the collection isn’t set up for public viewing right now. Unfortunately, with the COVID-19 pandemic, events where the owner has taken tractors in the past, such as the youth fair, have been cancelled. However, if we get any information about future public viewing times, we’ll let you know!

      Maryalene

      • My father is a 103 year old WWII veteran and his father had a Case 10-20 like the one featured in this article. We went to the Buckley Old Engine show yesterday (August 19, 2022) and he was very disappointed that he did not see one at the show. Do you know if Mr VanderZiel would be open to a public viewing of this tractor – my father would be thrilled to see it!

        • Hi Rebecca,

          I’m not sure, but the best way to get in touch with Steve VanderZiel may be to contact the Lowell Township office. He is a township trustee so they could probably get a message and your contact information to him. I will send them an email to let them know that I suggested you reach out to their office.

          Hope it works out for your father!

          Maryalene

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