Richard Borgaro said it\u2019s all about the differential for the Cletrac crawler tractors.<\/p>\n
Yes, it\u2019s all about the farming machine\u2019s rear end.<\/p>\n
Featuring a controlled differential steering system, the Cletrac crawler has a definite advantage over wheel tractors, said Borgaro, an Oregon vintage tractor, and antique machinery collector.<\/p>\n
\u201cBoth tracks pull all the time,\u201d he said. \u201cIt has more power; it\u2019s easier steering. It has more control and it\u2019s safer on the hillsides.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Cleveland Tractor, which was shortened to Cletrac, was the featured machine at this year\u2019s California Antique Farm Equipment Show held over the weekend in Tulare. This year marks 100 years since the equipment was first built.<\/p>\n
The Cletrac became a trusted work machine for farmers in the 1910s, Borgaro said. The Cletrac could pull an attachment such as a plow or a grader. With an attachment on the front, the Cletrac became a bulldozer.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey all did something,\u201d Borgaro said.<\/p>\n
At the booth Borgaro kept his machine, there were plenty of other Cletrac machines. A lot more Cletracs would still be around if the early grease and lubricants had been better, Borgaro said. The machines needed much maintenance as they were the early models.<\/p>\n
Borgaro said he got his Cletrac from a friend, finishing the restoration project. He said there are plenty of challenges to an antique tractor restoration project. Parts need to be found and, other times, built because they are not readily available.<\/p>\n
Additionally, repairs must be done by expert hands, including machinists and welders. Borgaro said he was involved throughout the restoring project.<\/p>\n
Borgaro said he has had his restored Cletrac for nearly a decade. He drove it during the show\u2019s antique tractor parade. But it\u2019s mostly a show vehicle now.<\/p>\n
At the same booth Borgaro kept his machine, Manteca\u2019s Don Freitas walked around and checked the Cletrac 100, a colossal machine that towered over other models.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis tractor: the size,\u201d Freitas said. \u201cI have never seen another.\u201d<\/p>\n
Freitas, who said he has never missed an antique farm show, said he restores Massey Fergusson wheel tractors. He said most collectors he knows decided forJohn Deere tractors.<\/p>\n
\u201cI wanted something different,\u201d he said. \u201cWe have to preserve everything. We can\u2019t all collect the same.\u201d<\/p>\n
While Borgaro is all about Cletrac, Scott Herrero is a Caterpillar guy.<\/p>\n
And he wasn\u2019t shy about it.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf you had a yellow Cat in the farm, you felt different,\u201d he said. \u201cYou felt kind of special.\u201d<\/p>\n
Frank Portera, who lives in Morgan Hill, is the president of a Silicon Valley chapter of Caterpillar collectors club. He said he is constantly reminded about the juxtaposition between his hobby and the reputation of the area where he lives.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt used to be a heart\u2019s delight,\u201d he said. \u201cIt\u2019s the Silicon Valley now. It\u2019s all gone. It\u2019s all electronics now. We had the most fertile land.\u201d<\/p>\n
Geography notwithstanding, the passion for collecting and restoring antique farm equipment is the same, Portera said.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere are a lot of people who have that nostalgia,\u201d he said. \u201cA lot of people have a connection to farming or construction.\u201d<\/p>\n
Portera said he got into collecting antique farm equipment because of that nostalgia.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou start with one and then you want to have another one,\u201d he said. \u201cIt grabs you and it doesn\u2019t let go.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cPretty soon, you have a collection,\u201d Herrero said, jokingly.<\/p>\n
And that\u2019s just fine with Freitas.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s good we are remembering our heritage,\u201d he said. \u201cWhere farming has evolved from.\u201d<\/p>\n
The antique show also included food, live entertainment and an auction.<\/p>\n
Simultaneously, the Tulare County 4-H Fair was also held at grounds of the International Agri-Center.<\/p>\n
Online<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n www.internationalagricenter.com<\/i><\/p>\n