A Personal note from Vernon Bruckerhoff,                     Updated 11-27-07 See bottom.

    I have enjoyed many adventures on my journey through life. The Antique tractor adventure has been awesome and the people I have met are as unique and interesting as the tractors they have shared with me. When we have this sale I will be in my 63rd year of my journey through life. Henry Taylor, Oliver Dealer at St. Mary Missouri gave me a Oliver 88 and some toys when my grandfather bought a new Oliver 88 and two row corn picker. How I wish I could re live that day, Seeing my dad standing tall on the 88 and the first ears of corn going to a 1948 Ford truck is imprinted in the corner of my mind. My job at corn planting time was to take the mules down to the bottoms in the morning and back at noon and then another trip in the afternoon for my grandpa. I really thought I was doing something big and worthwhile until one day I tripped and lost the lines and the mules went on down to the bottom to where grandpa was waiting at the two row John Deere planter. Threshing time I liked to ride on the Oliver 80 and there is no sound like the governors opening up on that old tractor when they shoved the wheat bundles to the thresher. Some day I want to own an Oliver 80, a very special one.. I drove all the way to ND last Summer thinking I would buy the 80 Oliver on the sale but the relatives of the former owner were so happy that they had found their family tractor I did not even stay to bid. I have thought about the stories all these old tractors could tell. Yet they are stone silent as the sit in a shed on a Zero night or a 100 degree day. And I chuckle when I think that I have been so fortunate to share so many rare and unique tractors. And I think, old tractors, you will never end up in a dam in China. June of 2000 I had by pass surgery and had lots of time to think about the things I wanted to do with my new life. I love to raise cattle and was building fence and thinking about some cows and whether I wanted to do cattle or tractors, I decided on the tractors. I gave each of my nephews a tractor, and would you believe they are still setting in time at the place I gave them. I have gifted some to others and they quietly appreciate the tractors. I guess it is time to share some of my tractors. I will share about half of my collection and offering them at this sale. I do not have a lot of fresh paint. The tractors are unique and original. If I found something different and unique and the owner was willing to share the tractor I would bring it home to Southeast Missouri Ozarks. It will be hard to part with some of these as I realize I may never see or find another but I realize that I can have the ambitions and drive and goals of a 23 year old but the reality is that I am in my 63rd year. I can never restore them all. Some of my tractors are not real pretty, but I look for a unique tractor, with a good authentic tag and I would rather buy one with original grease, like the LA than new paint. I have some that I will never part with because of the special person who has shared the tractor with me. I am selling the parts as I want to spend more time traveling and something happed to the honor system where people just came in went to a tractor in the holler, got the part they needed and left a note or a check. Then there are the surprises when some one you meet and they pay for a part they picked up two years ago. OH, life is great! I have been very persnickety about original tractors and tags. When I bring a tractor home and the tag comes up "lifted" or the carb or manifold I just have a bad day. I have collected these all in person and I have only one tractor in my collection that I bought through the Internet. What am I going to do after the sale? I can tell you that these sheds will probably not stay empty. I dread having the sale but I am going to march on and hope you come and have a pleasant time. I want to thank everyone who has shared their tractors and friendship over the years.

    Sincerely, Vernon E. Bruckerhoff

Viewing Tractors. I will have someone available to show the tractors any day if you are in the area and call me to make an appointment. Start, Drive tractors on Thursday and Friday. We will not start any tractors after the sale commences on Saturday.
I will show the remainder of my collection on a personal basis.
Hospitality Dinner.
We will have a Louisiana cook out, specialty Craw Fish, by my partner from Baton Rouge, La Mr. Pete Firmin on Friday evening at my farm under the "Big Open Shed" In Louisiana they have "The Dry Shed", the "Open Shed": roof only and "The Lord's Shed" sky only. You do not want to miss this Louisiana Cook Out. Not only is Mr. Pete Firmin the Best Tractor Partner in the World but he is a fine cook, a great person and a great American. He lives in Baton Rouge, Louisiana and is my partner in Louisiana Vintage Tractors.


Directions and location
We will post a map on our web site with photos and directions no later than September 1.
We are located in Southeast Missouri at the 141 Mile marker on Interstate 55. That is 141 miles from the Arkansas line. Perryville Municipal airport is three miles and can accommodate jet planes, It is a Saber liner Plant and former air base. There is a KOA in Perryville and motels and many B&B in Ste. Genevieve. Also we can see the hills of the Winery area from my Farm.
PARKING
We will do our best to provide a pleasant and convenient parking experience. We will have a plan A for good Weather and plan B for bad weather. Plan B is to make the best of Plan A.

RESERVE A SPOT FOR YOUR TRUCK.
Truck and trailer, 18 wheelers and trucks with trailers. We will reserve 100 spots for trucks and trailers. If the weather is bad we will park the big rigs at Fischer Bros. Rock Quarry. If you want to drop your trailer on a solid rock floor and drive your truck and have a spot at the farm we will accommodate you. If you want a reserved parking space let us know and we will try to accommodate your request.

The one thing I dread about going to a sale is driving a thousand miles and then have to park on a busy highway and walk three miles to the sale. I can not promise there will be no problems but we are going to do our best to have the best accommodations you have ever experienced.
If you want to reserve a parking spot email me, vernonbruckerhoff@yahoo.com and I will reserve you a number and space. I will need your name, phone number, address length of the trailer. If you want to spot your trailer at the Rock Quarry we will have a space there for you. If you want to reserve a space for your car, pickup or SUV email me. If you or anyone in your group has special needs we will try to accommodate you and park you close to the sale.. We have a small office with a restroom we always reserve for a "ladies room."

Email me on your truck parking and we will send you a card with your name and number on it and when you arrive someone will help you to your parking spot. I am not sure this will work and ask for your patience.


Loading of tractors and parts.


We have a loading dock and some loaders available, from a bob cat to a Crawler to a Track hoe. We will keep an acre free of parking in the loading area. We have outside lights so you can load Friday night. We will help carry parts, etc to your trucks. We will have a roll back truck available if we need to carry a tractor to the Quarry lot. We would like to have everything moved within a week of the sale but if you need more time let us know. Be sure to keep your receipt and we will need solid proof if you send some one to pick up a tractor.

My greatest concern is that no one gets hurt in the excitement of loading and that the tractors are not damaged.

If you have any ideas and suggestions Email me.

I hope you plan to come to Southeast Missouri November 2 and 3 have a taste of Louisiana cooking and see this rare set of tractors before they are shared with new owners.

Vernon E. Bruckerhoff, St. Mary Missouri, Pete Firmin, Baton Rouge Louisiana, Dan McCoon , Webmaster, and
Chris Gardner, New York. Bob Fischer, Fischer Quarry,
and Mike Naeger, Coffman, Missouri, Denise Simpson and Lonnie Nixon, Nebraska. Auctioneer. And Eric Bruckerhoff, Perry Bruckerhoff and Richard Gardner of Berger, Missouri, and most of all Eli And Julie Whitener of Fredericktown my special friends and John Deere Mechanic and Of Course, Mr. Bud Vogt my get er going mechanic.

My advisors on tractors: Respected Experts:

Tyler Buchheit on John Deere
Brian Beckort on Farmall High Crops
Ollie Schaffer on Oliver
Paul Dubbert and Richard Graves on Allis Chalmers.
Chris Lashbrook, Marshall, Ill on Case .
Jerry Davis, My Ford Friend.


Trucking to all locations around the US will be available through Jason Austin, Mint Spring Trucking, Roger Naeger, Naeger Transport, and Dennis Welker of Welker Trucking. They will be available to "Put Loads together"


We will post updates as things progress, and we get closer to the Fall

***UPDATE***

What an experience! Getting ready for a sale. What surprises, a tractor setting in a shed for 15 years starts up on first turn and then one setting for one day just refuses to start. I realize how lucky I am to have these nice sheds for storage. And then where did all these parts come from. There will be about two hundred pallets of parts! And that little simple part a tractor needed 10 years ago and I thought, Ah, there are lots of them around I will just get one later, How Wrong, The whole " finding parts" has changed. I am shocked that so many old machines have disappeared with the price of scrap iron going record high. And the work ethic in general has changed. I hired a young fellow on Friday to help with mechanic work. We start at 8AM. Monday he did not show up so I called him and he responded, "Did I not tell you that I do not work on Monday?" He did work his forty hours and is a whiz in getting the old tractors to run, has a head harder than a no 10 bolt so I just line the tractors up , hunt parts and put the tractors back in the shed when they are running.
I want to remind everyone that we do not have a lot of new paint. We are trying to show everything on the web site as it is. Some of the machines will look better as we got some work done on them. And I describe the tractors as I see them and or they were represented to me by the previous owner. I like rare original tractors that have different features.

Lonnie Nixon and Denise Simpson have been wonderful to work with. Dan McCoon has done a great job posting the Web site.

I will go down the list and make some comments on some of the tractors.


FARMALL
On some of the Ads the SMV, LP is listed as a SM. It is an original High Crop LP with a good tag and runs good. It is converted to gas but still has original LP hood and LP lines and Head.

One MV is field ready. We are going to do some work on the other two MV before the sale.

The restored HV is being painted and is not home yet.

The sad HV with the wrong engine was just so bad that I had to work on it. It has an original tag and housing and rear end and drops and knees.. It had the wrong stuck engine and we took two nice H tractors and put the right year engine. So the engine will not have the V and corresponding no. We kept the old engine. The surprise was that the rear end is very nice as it had #140 or some heavy gear grease in it. The tractor now runs and drives nice. I think it has the fast fourth and fast reverse.

The donner H which photos will be with this one will be available at the sale.

The 460 gas has a good tag. I do not think we will have it running but it is original.

The 826 is Just a project tractor with a good tag, what is there is original. It is a Hydro and the previous owner used it as a donner after a driver lost it pulling 50 tons of cane. It has a good tag. Has good rear drops, no knees and no wheels. It is a rare tractor and the only 826 hydro I have Seen.

There will be the better part of a 560 Farmall Diesel on pallets in parts. I have the two pt. hitch separate and I have taped and wired the bolts and parts together in such a way that I can use it myself. The TA is together and I have the lines and leaver with it. The rear end is still attached to the TA. The engine, Diesel is separate and available to go with the 656 High Crop. The front end is narrow. The seat assembly and the gas tank frame and dash are all in one piece. I have some sheet metal. See the photos on VAT.

The 806 Standard Tractor is in parts also. This 806 will be in parts on pallets. Diesel. There is a nice 806 Gas Standard type that runs good on the sale. And there will be two 806 High Crops. They are loose and near complete but I do not have them running as of this date.

The 856 does not have a radiator. Will report if engine is loose. It is a Hydro and has a Complete Cane loader.

Lots of pallets of Farmall parts We will have many Farmall H, M, A. B parts engines.



John Deere

As of this date I have one 4020 Power Shift High Crop running. The 3020 is not done but should be a very nice tractor. Will have photos of these on VAT near sale date. The 4020 Row Crop WF Diesel Synchro should be on soon.

John Deere Crawlers.

One 420 Crawler is running and blade and winch work. Sounds good and can push some dirt and the blade works and controls good., It has an oil leak from the rear main and getting oil in the engine oil. Tag was stolen recently when we were gone. It is in a shed.
The other 420 C is in pieces and has a very nice tag. and blade. The 430 C turned out to be a disappointment as there was very little left when we went to pick up the pieces.

One MT, the parts tractor is in parts on pallets. See it on VAT. The other MT runs and drives. At present it is in a shed and has wheels, no tires and sheet metal.

One M is cleaned and sand blasted runs and is complete. Will keep it shedded.

One M is a project tractor.

The Parts M is in pieces on pallets.

We have John Deere LA, good tag, runs, with Sickle belly mounted mower on the sale. It is a nice original.

A friend from Texas is bringing a 420T LP and photos are on VAT. A very rare tractor.


Oliver

The 1355 High Crop is not coming to the Sale. There is a 1350 Oliver Diesel, nice running tractor that missed the listing. Photo will be on VAT.

The Oliver OC 3 with the blade is running and in the shed. The Oliver OC 6 is loose, will fire but not running. Going to need hydraulic fittings and lines replaced. Nice original with a good tag.

The Oliver 70 parts tractor is on pallets. It is a California Vegetable style. Single front wheel and wide axels. Parts only.
In the Oliver parts there are two sets of three Pt. arms and pieces for a Oliver High Crop.

General information. Thursday November 1, will be show day, look everything over, start tractors, check out parts.

Friday November 2 will be parts sale day. We will have some extra pallets available for buyers to put the parts on they buy during the day. Put your sale number on the pallet and your parking space and the parts can be carried to your truck with a loader.


Friday evening Mr. Pete Firmin, of Baton Rouge, La. will host a Louisiana cook out after 4 P M.

Email or call if you have any questions. Vernon.
 

***UPDATE***

 October Update on tractors and Personal Note.

Here we are at October 22 and our sale is all coming together. My Friend Dan and I will begin to post some final photos on VAT so you can see what it all looks like as it comes together.

I have learned a lot over the last several months and want to thank everyone for the information, advice and corrections.

I am going to go down the sale bill and tell you of any changes or corrections of only the tractors that need a change or correction.

If I have time I will prepare a tentative list of how the tractors are lined up for sale. When Lonnie Nixon gets here next week he may make some changes but there is no way that all these parts and tractors can be displayed in a few days..

Corrections, changes, new information.

Oliver

The 1855 is running and drives well. Ollie Schaeffer is looking for a seat and a fuel tank. The tank begins to leak when over ten gallons of fuel in the tank.

I had it right the first time. Both of the Oliver Crawlers are OC 3. I do not have an OC 6. The one with the blade and bucket is also an O/C 3. It runs but does not have a tag. A friend in Nebraska corrected me on this. Thanks.

John Deere

I have not posted the final photos of some of the High crops as I do not have them home as of today. As soon as they arrive I will post the photos.

3020 will be a very sharp restored tractor. It is a very nice Power Shift High Crop tractor.

4020 Power Shift High Crop. This tractor will look better than the photo I have on VAT. The Third arms are still in Louisiana and I am trying to get them picked up and carried to Mo before the sale.

Additional 4020 High Crop Power Shift High Crop tractor may be here for the sale. It is a burned project tractor with a good tag. It was a special use tractor and was under a Cane loader when burned. As it was a special use tractor it will not have as much wear as a tractor which was used for multi-purposes. I have not seen it since July of last year but it has been in a secure location.

The 4020 synchro High Crop engine will need to be overhauled. It is still a great project tractor.

The 4010 Synchro High Crop is still in a dry shed. It is a great tractor.

The 4020 RC Synchro is a very nice tractor. New Clutch pressure plate, Runs and drives nice, We use it everyday.

The 4020 RC Power Shift is a middle burned tractor. I did have the engine running but did not get anything else done.

The 4230 is a very nice tractor.

The 60 Orchard is a very sweet running tractor. It is very sound, does not have all the sheet metal but the engine and tranny are very sound and smooth.

I do not have the BO out of the shed but it is a very complete original unstlyed All Fuel Tractor. Both of these tractors came from Chirs Visser and they are worthy of his word.

The John Deere BWH will look better than the present photo. It is a very smooth running tractor and purrs along very quietly. These three tractors will be displayed together and I invite everyone to see, hear and drive them on Thursday. They may not be all prettied up but they are the best of the best.

Farmall Tractors.

I will get a photo of the 460 Gas, one of 45 built photo on Vat this week. It is near complete and I can not get the engine freed. It has a good HC tag. It has the correct engine.

The Super MV LP,converted to gas with LP head, tag and appendages runs and drives very nice. It is a very neat looking big guy.

Both of the MV tractors are loose and running. The both have good tags and engine numbers and we have replaced enough sheet metal and parts that A donner tractor will not be needed. They both run, drive and shift but the engines are very weak so we will not be driving them much.

The HV, good tag that was a basket case is now a nice tractor. It had the wrong year bad engine and now has the correct nice running engine. It is not the original engine as I do not have it. Runs great and drives well. Will not need a donner.

The Donner H Farmall will be available.

The nice running original MV is super OK.

The 966 did run but I think it has a broken crank as the front of the engine quit turning. Good tag and sound tractor.

The one 806 does run but has a knock in the engine. Good tag and tractor. The 806 with the canopy does run, however it has a problem in the rear end as one wheel rolls and then hangs. It is has a nice appearance. The 856 with the Cane loader does not have a radiator yet but I think I can get the engine to run if Time allows. Sound tractor.

The Apple of my eye is the Farmall 1026 Hydro High Crop Tractor. I have it running and shifting. I do not know much about the Hydro and must be missing some internal filter as it hesitates in some shifting sequences. Runs and pulls good. It has a Turbo and I have ordered the part that connects the turbo to the exhaust. When we washed the Louisiana Black dirt and black suit off the tractor discovered it is an experimental Yellow Tractor. It is Yellow under all the paint. It has an experimental tag. This may be one of a kind and may be the only one around. I bought it as I had never seen or heard of such a tractor. When you shine a light on it at night some of the gold paint will glow under the red and white. The tag number is:
This may be a very rare find.

The Farmall 450 has a drawbar, three pt. hitch and a TA and Wide front end. The 806 Gas Standard is a very nice sound running tractor.

I have added a SM Gas, WF PS project tractor. Several parts and partial H, M, and B tractors.

Allis Chalmers

All the Allis Chalmers tractors except one of the three D 17 High Crops are nice running and very exceptional tractors. Someone stole the starter off the A in Rock Island, Tenn. By Luck Mr. Fred in PA had one. This is a rare item. The Magneto on the 20-35 or E did not work and there are none for sale anywhere that we could find. A former John Deere retired mechanic in Muskuta, Ill. was gracious to fix it for me. It is a left turn and parts are rare. The A, E and United Allis all run just so nice.

Update Personal note.
Thanks to everyone who has helped me put this all together and I hope to see you at the sale.

Let us know when you check in on Thursday or Friday if you are going to stay for the Louisiana Cook out after the parts sale on Friday.

I have two points I want to make and that is safety and sincerity.

ON the matter of safety, you probably have seen from the photos of the tractors that I live on a very high hill here in the Ozarks. From my front porch you can see Chester and Prairie Du Rocher Ill, about 40 miles, and from the back Big and Little Stono Mountain which are 50 miles. Taum Sauk, highest point in Missouri can be seen a few days in Spring and Fall when the Sun sets over the top of the Mountain. I want every one to be cautious in loading and driving the tractors. I have lined the tractors up with the contours of the hill for safety. Most of these tractors are over 50 years old and some have unique braking systems. Some are dangerous as a tractor with hydraulic brakes that only work when the engine is running.

I have tried to present the tractors as I see and know them. I want to thank everyone who has helped me, corrected my mistakes, shared tractors and tractor stories with me.

Sincerely,

Vernon E. Bruckerhoff.

***UPDATE***

Sale is over, Personal thank you from Vernon.

What an experience to have a great sale, good weather and good food and lots of wonderful people. From Canada to Oregon, by phone from England I wish to thank everyone who participated and to those who did not make it, you missed a great Louisiana Cookout and an exciting sale. The weather was great and the parking and loading went smoothly. Lots of new homes for some real rare tractors. Lots of fun collecting them and now they are being shared by people from all over the World.

I owe a debt of gratitude to a lot of people who helped make this a grand success. Bob Fischer and his nice white rock, Mike Naeger for sharing his hired help. Dan for the great work on the Web site. Three cheers for Dan the web site man. Chris for coming out from New York to help. My friends Tommy Hines and Jake K coming all the way from Oregon and the folks from Canada, New Hampshire and Florida. A sincere thank you to my Partner from Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Mr. Pete Firmin and Mr. Pete Miller of Denham Springs. Jason from Indiana, Chris from Illinois, Brett from Warrenton. Randy from Jackson, Denise and Lonnie from Nebraska, Shane and Bud. Jason and Tony; Eli, I did not forget you. And Scotty, from Tractor House in Neb. You just had too much fun. Just too many to say thank you to in one letter. More people than there are large Crawfish in the Morganza Spillway. I am amazed at how small the World is today and where all these tractors are going.

This was a grand day on the old Ozark Mountain here in Southeast Missouri. This old Mountain Farm did look great and we welcome you back another day.

The Louisiana Cook Out was the best Cajun meal ever served in these Mountains.

Thank you and may the Lord bless all of you as he has so graciously gave us such a wonderful day and so many wonderful friends. My late Uncle Nick Bruckerhoff, would have enjoyed the day and I can only say as he did so many times during his lifetime when asked, how did you pull it off so well, he would say, I have great and loyal friends and a Direct Line With the Lord.

Some one made the remark that this was perhaps the most unique collection of tractors ever in one place in Southeast Missouri. What story each one could tell.

Well, folks, I have to go. These Barns have lots of room in them now and I have tractors coming in from California next week. I found a real nice HV, an Oliver 60 High Crop, ever see one? A real factory one, and a John Deere BNH. I have the 60 Veggie from California and I now have the whole set of JD two number series in wide front ends when I get the 50 Veggie. That will make an awesome show for this Red Power Collector. {I like all colors}

I am still looking for the John Deere 4000 High Crops that were built and shipped and disappeared and the Oliver 80 with the Budda Diesel engine.

I also have a friend who found a John Deere 2010 LP High Crop. One of seven built and may be one of two in existence.

Keep in touch by email or watch www.vintageamericantractors.com.

If you are looking for a High Crop or Orchard or any thing special let me know. I just may find it for you or have it on the next sale.

Perhaps you may even consider bringing some of your special tractors to the next sale.

When I retire I am going to work on putting together a World Wide High Crop, Orchard and Unique Tractor Club.

Please consider attending Red Power Round Up in Columbia, Missouri next June.

Thank you, one and all and my Best Wishes to you on your adventures on your Journey Through Life. In Southeast, Missouri, We treat you nice in so many ways we hope you like some of them. Good Day. Vernon E. Bruckerhoff.