Recycle

Back in 2016 my 1965 John Deere tractor broke. Through a friend, I was put into contact with a young tractor old-timer friend who also works as a mechanic for a very large modern German tractor manufacturer, Claas. Max was able to source and fit a second-hand motor and get the old girl fit.

The other day he called to ask if I still had the old engine which he had exchanged back then as he had bought himself a similar old John Deere to use for a hydraulic wood-splitting machine but after 5 hours the motor block exploded!

My old motor has sat untouched in the garage since 2016, yet another of those things that I have been meaning to try and sell but not got around to. So more than happy to help Max.

He came around today to collect it and was more than pleased that my John Deere sprang into life at the shortest touch of the start button and I could lift it onto the trailer.

Coincidentally heard yesterday evening that son in law in Ireland will be visiting Mannheim, Germany very soon for a few days at the expense of John Deere to have a works tour at their huge European HQs which they acquired in 1956 from the German tractor manufacturer, Lanz. My tractor was one of the last to be manufactured under the name "John Deere-Lanz" before the 'Lanz" was dropped.

Mannheim which is very close to Heidelberg & Weinheim where I spent much of my very early days is a lovely part of the world and where Barry's wife's great Uncle Jochen has just celebrated his 80th birthday. They met each other in 2018.

Mannheim itself is not exactly a tourist spot, mainly concrete after being flattened in WWII but I understand tours of the area, including Heidelberg have been organised for them but suspect a large group of Irishmen visiting Germany won't have the time or be capable of spending much time in drinking tea or coffee with far-flung relatives.