The total cost of the conversion was less than six thousand dollars.
The dealership tractor would have cost $42,000.
Ethan had his answer.
But he wasn't finished.
The Challenge
The story spread through the local farming community.
Farmers at the grain elevator started talking about the homemade tractor.
Then one morning, Ethan heard a familiar voice at the Corner Cup Café.
“You should bring that machine to the county fair.”
It was Calvin Ross.
Ethan laughed.
“I built it to farm.”
“Farm tractors pull things.”
“Not competition sleds.”
Calvin smiled.
“Then you'll lose.”
Ethan looked at him.
“Unless you think it might win.”
The idea stayed in his mind.
The Buffalo County Fair tractor pull was held every July.
Ethan had no intention of becoming a professional competitor.
But he wanted to test the machine.
Not for pride.
For knowledge.
He needed to know what the homemade mounts, clutch, transmission, and engine could handle under extreme load.
Ryan loved the idea.
“We should enter.”
“It could break.”
“So could planting.”
“Planting was necessary.”
“This is educational.”
Ethan laughed.
Their mother ended the argument.
“Your father entered the fair pull in 1992.”
Ethan looked at her.
“With the 986?”
“Yes.”
“How did he do?”
“Third from last.”
Ryan burst out laughing.
Elaine smiled.
“He said the tractor was perfect. The driver was the problem.”
Ethan looked toward Old Harold.
“When do entries close?”
The Dealership Returns
The Buffalo County Fair was crowded.
Livestock trailers filled the parking areas.
Children ran between carnival rides.
Music played from speakers.
Diesel smoke drifted above the fairgrounds.
And among the polished competition tractors sat Old Harold.
It looked rough.
Very rough.
Mismatched paint.
Visible welds.
Modified hood.
Tall exhaust.
But the engine sounded powerful.
During inspection, an official named Bill Carter opened the hood.
He stared at the combine engine.
“That isn't original.”
“No.”
“You built this?”
“My brother and I.”
Bill inspected the mounts.
The welding.
The safety equipment.
Finally, he nodded.
“It's ugly.”
Ethan smiled.
“But it's safe.”
Bill signed the inspection card.
“Let's see if it pulls.”
Then Ethan saw someone approaching.
Douglas Pierce.
The dealership manager.
The same man who had laughed when Ethan asked about the John Deere.
Beside him stood the same salesman.
Douglas looked at Old Harold.
“So this is what you found?”
“I built it.”
The salesman laughed.
“You're entering that?”
“Yes.”
Douglas folded his arms.
“You know, building something in a farm shop and pulling a competition sled are two different things.”
“I know.”
“You could damage the transmission.”
“I know.”
Then Douglas smiled.
“We've got an 8100 in the class after yours.”
Ethan looked at him.
The same tractor.
The same $42,000 machine.
Douglas nodded toward it.
“You'll see what a real machine can do.”
Ethan didn't answer.
He simply climbed into Old Harold.