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Retiree’s mowing business excuse to collect tractors
 
 Wrenching Tales by Cindy Ladage
 
Marvin Stinebaker was set up at the Hart Parr Oliver Collectors Assoc. (HPOCA) Winter Show with a series of his Oliver lawn and garden tractors, Feb. 27-March 1 at the American Farm Heritage Museum in Greenville, Ill. Marvin, who hails from Riverton, said, “I started collecting six years ago, but I have been in the hobby since junior high because I got my dad’s 1972 Bronco Wheel Horse.”
His dad was the second owner of the Bronco that Marvin said was only made for a two-year time period. While the tractor started out as a working vehicle, this all changed when Marvin’s dad restored it: “Dad painted it, then decided he couldn’t mow with it anymore.”
While he loves big tractors, Marvin said living in town left him no room to collect them; but the lawn and garden tractors fit his life just fine. “I have 15 to 20 lawn and garden tractors, but the Bronco is my favorite because it was Dad’s. I also have Oliver, Allis Chalmers, Wheel Horse, Minneapolis-Moline and then a couple of Springfields that were made in Springfield, Ohio, by the Quick Manufacturing Company. They were green and white, and Toro eventually bought them.”
There is a fair amount of confusion when Marvin displays his Springfield tractors, with him being from just north of Springfield, Ill. – viewers automatically come to the conclusion the tractors are from the Land of Lincoln.
These days, while his collection is pretty close to being complete, he is still seeking the Springfield lawn mower with the steering wheel: “I am missing the years 1961 and 1963.”
The Springfield tractors were built from 1961-66. Besides the tractors, Quick built a variety of garden equipment including tillers and two-wheel tractors. According to TractorData.com “Quick Manufacturing lost a patent lawsuit (involving rototillers) with Simplicity in 1965. In 1966, Quick sold their operations to Toro.”
One interesting fact was that some of the Springfield lawn mowers were sold through Montgomery Ward around 1964. They were advertised as “Squire” tractors.
As far as his Oliver collection, Marvin noted, “I am still missing the Oliver model 125 Hydro and gear tractors.” He said Oliver branded tractors were only built for one year, made by Jacobsen during only 1972 because according to TractorData.com White Motors consolidated its tractor lines under the White brand in 1973.
The MM garden tractors are tied in to the Oliver lawn and garden because, like Oliver, they were eventually purchased by White. The Minneapolis-Moline Co. was formed by the merger of Minneapolis Steel and Machinery, the Minneapolis Threshing Machine Co. and the Moline Plow Co. in 1929. The company added lawn and garden tractors starting with its Town & Country lawn tractor series in 1962.
Like Oliver lawn and garden tractors, MM lawn tractors were also built by Jacobsen; then in 1963, MM was purchased by White. The MM line of lawn tractors were sold under its own name until 1970, when the lawn tractors were switched to the White brand name.
One of the lucky ones, Marvin was able to retire at the young age of 55 from the U.S. Postal Service and thought he would have more time, so he decided to start a lawn mowing business part-time. It gives him a legitimate excuse to purchase more lawn and garden tractors.
His family enjoys his hobby but because his daughter is a teacher and his son works full-time at Springfield Electric and has two small boys, they are both pretty busy. He said his wife, Michele, supports his hobby, but is a city girl. “She doesn’t complain when I collect,” Marvin said.
He also collects beer signs and beer lights. Since his family is often busy he enjoys traveling with friends like Mark Kleiss, who was set up with him at the HPOCA winter show. Together the two were able to talk tractors and see what was new and different in the Oliver arena.
The HPOCA summer show will be in Albert City, Iowa, Aug. 7-9. Visit www.hartparroliver.org for more information.

Readers with questions or comments for Cindy Ladage may write to her in care of this publication.
4/9/2015