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"Sewing Machine" Tractors
"There's nothing else like them on the market," says "Choctaw" Jim Thompson of Campbellsburg, Ky., who converts old sewing machines into one-of-a-kind toy tractors.
The tractors, painted to represent different tractor brands, were on display at the recent National Farm Machinery Show in Louisville, Ky. Some of t
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"Sewing Machine" Tractors AG WORLD 32-2-24
"There's nothing else like them on the market," says "Choctaw" Jim Thompson of Campbellsburg, Ky., who converts old sewing machines into one-of-a-kind toy tractors.
The tractors, painted to represent different tractor brands, were on display at the recent National Farm Machinery Show in Louisville, Ky. Some of the brands included Minneapolis Moline, Deere, Farmall, Case, Ford, and Oliver.
Choctaw buys the sewing machines at yard sales, auctions, and flea markets. Then he adds plastic wheels and axles. "I use almost everything that's already on the sewing machine," says Choctaw. "The only parts I remove are the needle and the head."
A soup spoon mounted on back serves as a seat. The rear wheels are usually push lawn mower wheels while the front wheels are generally off old toys. The front wheels are attached with a metal rod that goes up into the sewing machine, while the rear wheels are attached by drilling a hole through the sewing machine and inserting the axle.
Choctaw, who is an antique collector and also restores antique tractors, came up with the idea one day 1 1/2 years ago by accident. "I had an old sewing machine sitting on a bench in my shop, where a friend was helping me restore a tractor. We had to keep moving the sewing machine around to make room for things. Finally my friend got tired of doing that and asked me what I was going to do with an old sewing machine anyway. That's when I came up with the idea of making a toy tractor out of it.
"Some of the sewing machines I use go all the way back to the 1920's. The majority are Singers models, although there are other brands such as Sears, etc."
Choctaw sells the toy tractors at a store that he owns, and also at local antique tractor shows. "They sell for $99 to $175, depending on how much I have to pay for the sewing machine," notes Choctaw.
Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Choctaw Jim Thompson, 10564 Campbellsburg Rd., Campbellsburg, Ky. 40011 (ph 502 532-9975).
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