things i saw while drving around Saturday

an old 8900 resting before resuming harvest. in the 29 years we've lived in Indiana i haven't seen very many White Combines around. IH axial flows are the most common then probably JD post xx00 series and then pre merger New Hollands and then Gleaners. I think the header was a JD as opposed to an Oliver green header but not positive as i didn't look at it too long.

The Super MTA picture didn't come out well. it was a nicely restored unit with a chrome muffler. I'm guessing it was sold at an estate collection auction and Amish bought it and put the rubber covered steel wheels on it (definitely not factory steel) also had LED lights and blinkers. the kid driving it was probably amish but not dresses (rumspringer??) he was hauling corn into the feed mill. lots of trash in it. being amish i'm guessing they were running a picker with sheller on it. if they combine its usually with an ALL Crop but rarely see them even using them around here.

Whats with Amish and steel wheels. ? I have no idea why they do that.

you need to understand their religon

What Gene Bender said. The ordnung governs what they can and can't do and what equipment they can and can't use.

even if you understand there religion you won't understand. It has nothing to do with religion. the head cheese says we do not want to conform to the world so we must not do as the world. basically trying to slow progress as much as possible. with air filled rubber drive tires on one piece means you can have it on another. then you would have cars, then young and old alike could go to town easier and do the forbidden things. It is a weird mentality that some of them understand but some(usually the higher ups) you can't talk sense into them. I have tried with a lot of them and the regular joes are all for it but the boss says no. some have left the colony and live a good simple life even with a few of the no,nos in the colony. one thing they won't give up is no electricity. they feel that then the government owns you and that you rely on them. We are to rely on God only. I can see some of there reasons and some they don't think it's wrong they just don't want to be part of it. I have no problem with most of them and enjoy the time I do spend with them

the point of the nice restored Mta going back to farm work kinda points to the decline in antique tractors. have seen some other amish using some pretty nice looking restored antiques that were probably a similar situation. they wouldn't spend much $ on a tractor so it was probably pretty cheap at auction.

on the amish.. yeah all depends on their bishop.

some can have tractors with air filled tires some can't. some cannot use tractors at all, those that can it usually has be be older like 60ish years. technology averse and needs to be plain and simple but they are building fancier houses.

some have cell phones, some don't. not much consistency and the different groups kinda fight amongst themselves. We know some good ones and know some that are the biggest crooks you'd ever run across. my biggest frustration is they've inflated the local real estate values and the horses really tear up the roads and the manure tends to help eat the cars out besides making a mess. hate to be a tire repair guy around here as you will have your hands in horse crap.

We visited Harrisburg-Gettysburg PA a few years ago. We took an Amish tour given by a non-Amish lady,
Great tour.
You're right, they don't hook up to the power grid, but some have Gen-Sets powering many things, milk coolers,
hog barns, and Mama's electric sewing machine. Some were even advertising to do portable electric welding.
We drove by one house that was connected to the grid. Seems the fellow living there suffered a catastrophic
accident and needed constant, uninterrupted power for a ventilator or some such thing. The people
went to the head guy, and he said, for that it was OK.

Considering the price of a set of rear tractor tires lately, I might need to go back to steel!

rustred said:

Whats with Amish and steel wheels. ? I have no idea why they do that.

Click to expand...

I have a set used in thorns.

cjunrau said:

even if you understand there religion you won't understand. It has nothing to do with religion. the head cheese says we do not want to conform to the world so we must not do as the world. basically trying to slow progress as much as possible. with air filled rubber drive tires on one piece means you can have it on another. then you would have cars, then young and old alike could go to town easier and do the forbidden things. It is a weird mentality that some of them understand but some(usually the higher ups) you can't talk sense into them. I have tried with a lot of them and the regular joes are all for it but the boss says no. some have left the colony and live a good simple life even with a few of the no,nos in the colony. one thing they won't give up is no electricity. they feel that then the government owns you and that you rely on them. We are to rely on God only. I can see some of there reasons and some they don't think it's wrong they just don't want to be part of it. I have no problem with most of them and enjoy the time I do spend with them

Click to expand...

With a little Bible knowledge you might understand a little bit.

I'm near Amish country and see a lot of solar panels. Keep their phones and batteries charged. There's even a solar equipment dealer with an Amish name.

With the Amish, it's all about being uncomfortable and/or inconvenient. They don't follow the Bible any better than evangelicals.

INCase said:

an old 8900 resting before resuming harvest. in the 29 years we've lived in Indiana i haven't seen very many White Combines around. IH axial flows are the most common then probably JD post xx00 series and then pre merger New Hollands and then Gleaners. I think the header was a JD as opposed to an Oliver green header but not positive as i didn't look at it too long.

The Super MTA picture didn't come out well. it was a nicely restored unit with a chrome muffler. I'm guessing it was sold at an estate collection auction and Amish bought it and put the rubber covered steel wheels on it (definitely not factory steel) also had LED lights and blinkers. the kid driving it was probably amish but not dresses (rumspringer??) he was hauling corn into the feed mill. lots of trash in it. being amish i'm guessing they were running a picker with sheller on it. if they combine its usually with an ALL Crop but rarely see them even using them around here.

Click to expand...

As some have said, depends on the bishop. I have a friend in Amish country and he says most have a hard time making it farming when their tractors (horses) eat a third of their yearly crop production. Many have quit farming and rent the land out to "Englishers" except for 20 acres for feed for their ponies to drive to church. Most go to work in construction.