Rare Case Tractors Anchor a Family’s 60-Year Collection

For more than 60 years, the Buckert family name and Case tractors have been synonymous in much of western Illinois and eastern Iowa. It all started with Alvin Buckert, who started farming near Hamilton, Illinois, with a Case Model CC. Over the years, other Case tractors were added, including a DC and SC. In the meantime, Alvin’s son, Fred, joined the farming operation in 1955 after he returned from the U.S. Army — adding even newer Case models like a 730 and 800.  

However, Fred saw Case tractors as more than just farm machines. By the early 1960s, he was not only farming with Case models, but also restoring unique models to add to a growing collection. Naturally, his first restoration was the CC his dad had used. Until his death in 2016, Fred was also a member of the Midwest Old Threshers in Mount Pleasant, Iowa; a member and past president of the J.I. Case Collectors Club; and a founding member of the Western Illinois Threshers. 

The tractor collecting hobby didn’t stop with Fred’s passing, though. In fact, it had already multiplied through two more generations. Today, Fred’s sons Kenny, Danny, Alan, and Richard are all involved in tractor collecting, along with Kenny’s sons Kyle and Kevin; Danny’s sons Jared and Jeremy; and Alan’s son Austin. Kenny, Danny, and Kyle also followed in their father’s and grandfather’s footsteps as board members for the Western Illinois Threshers.

“Dad had been collecting tractors for about as long as us boys can remember,” said Danny Buckert, whose health has recently limited his involvement in the hobby. “So we just fell into it naturally. If we weren’t old enough to help with a restoration, we were there handing Dad tools or going after something. 

“Dad didn’t just collect the most common models, though,” Danny added. “He figured it didn’t take much more time and money to restore a tractor that was one of a few hundred as it did one that was one of a few thousand. In the end, the rare model would be worth more — even though we’ve never sold one.”

Orchard Tractors Find a Home

Many of the first Case models the family restored were orchard models. Not only were they limited in production, but they are also something many people in Illinois have never seen. Examples include a pair of 1942 Case SO orchard tractors that are just five serial numbers apart. One came from Arizona and the other from Florida, Danny explained, noting that only about 1,800 SO Orchard models were built. Other orchard models include a 1951 DV, a 1953 propane-powered DO, a Case 730 LP, a Minneapolis-Moline Jet Star LP, and a 1936 John Deere BO. 

“Most of the orchard tractors came out of California and Florida, where they were used in citrus orchards,” Danny said. “But some came out of states like Michigan where they were used in apple orchards. The climate in the south was hard on tractors, though. Some of them needed a lot of work, especially those from states like Louisiana.”

The rare Case models aren’t just limited to orchard and vineyard models, though. There’s the Case Model 200, for example, that carries serial number “1” and the Case 700 high crop, which is one of only 16 built.

Unusual Tractors Are Business as Usual

When it comes to rare tractors, the Buckerts have never limited themselves to just one brand. Among the more than 100 full-size tractors and 50-some garden tractors in the family’s collection are models from Huber, Oil Pull, International Harvester, John Deere, Graham Bradley, and others. 

Four of the most unusual are the front-wheel-drive models that include a 1919 Moline Universal, a 1919 Indiana model, a 1919 Allis-Chalmers 6-12, and a 1924 Cultor. All four feature two large front wheels that pull an implement, such as a plow or cultivator, that is either mounted or part of a two-wheel sulky with a seat and a hitch. Perhaps the rarest of the three, the Cultor got most of its drive components from a Model T Ford, including the engine, radiator, transmission, and rear end. The Indiana, meanwhile, was the culmination of a five-year search by Fred Buchert for one of the models built by the Indiana Silo & Tractor Co. in Anderson, Indiana.

“Of the four, the Moline Universal is probably the best designed,” said Alan Buckert, who has worked for Farm Credit in Mount Pleasant, Iowa, for the past 40 years.

“We each have some tractors of our own, some are owned together and some are tractors Dad restored,” he added. “Of course, they’re also spread out all over.” 

Alan explained that some of them are in a shed at his house, others are in a shed at Kenny’s house, and some are on the home farm where Richard lives, even though Kenny and Kyle do the farming while Richard works in construction. Most of the remaining tractors are housed in two buildings known as the Fred Buckert Memorial Museum on the Western Illinois Threshers show site.  

“We usually restore one or two tractors each winter,” Alan continued. “We all get together, as we’re able, at Dad’s old shop on the farm where we do all the mechanical work and painting ourselves.

“Many of the most recent tractors we’ve restored have actually been John Deere models,” he added. “In fact, we already have about 25 John Deere models, including two ‘spoker’ D models with consecutive serial numbers. One came from Missouri and the other came from near Quincy, Illinois.” Both are 1925 models. 

“When we looked at the second one, Danny thought the serial number sounded familiar, so we obviously had to buy it.”

Of course, “spoker” models are collectable on their own. For those unfamiliar with the Model D, the first 5,846 units built used an open spoke flywheel. All later models had a solid disc flywheel.

Other rare John Deere models include a BO orchard tractor and the full color set of “Patio” garden tractors, which were a special series introduced in 1969. Available in four color schemes, they were white with an “April Yellow,” “Sunset Orange,” “Patio Red,” or “Spruce Blue” hood and seat. They didn’t sell well, though, and were soon discontinued, which makes them particularly valuable today. 

Garden Tractors Have Their Place

Alan says they first got started with the garden tractors thinking they would be something for their kids to drive. However, the number of those grew as well, as they sought to complete the Case series before moving on to other brands like Minneapolis-Moline (MoCraft), Allis-Chalmers, and John Deere. 

“The internet has changed how we look for tractors in many ways,” Alan concluded. “But we still get a lot of help from other collectors. If another guy collects Olivers and he knows we collect Case models, we’re always quick to share information. 

“Personally, I enjoy reading about unusual tractors and doing research, and we continue to attend the shows and auctions,” Alan said. “There’s always something new waiting to be found.”