Roman Lauer farmed 120 acres in Menomonee Falls, Wis. He purchased a new 1949 Allis-Chalmers C from a Ford dealership in the area and teamed it with a Farmall 20.

The C became the all-purpose machine, handling tillage chores such as culti-packing and dragging, cultivating corn, and raking hay.

“I started working with that tractor at 10 years of age,” says Roman’s son Richard. “When the dairy cows were sold, I planted sugar beets, vegetables and did other tasks before going to school. In 1984, I went on my own and built the operation to 1,000 acres of rented ground. However, larger and more efficient equipment pushed the C to the sidelines, and it sat idle and in the shed for several years.”

In 2000, Richard bought the C for $500 at the family’s estate sale. The day came when his three sons — Mike, Dan and Landon — wanted to restore the tractor. The body was still in good shape, so they started with general maintenance by adding new pistons, seals, a clutch, brakes, a seat, a radiator and overhauling the motor. When everything was done, including a new paint job over a six-month period, the cost was $2,000.

The C was a small row crop tractor manufactured by Allis-Chalmers in West Allis, Wis., from 1940 to 1949. Over 80,000 units came off the assembly line at a cost of $1,200 in 1949. The C replaced the model B, which was too small to work two crops at once.

The newer version was adapted with wide wheel spacing options, a larger engine and additional fuel options. Besides a PTO and hydraulics, there is a three-speed transmission. It weighed 2,500 pounds, had a rating of 21 hp and used the RC’s 125-cubic-inch (2,050 cc) Allis-Chalmers four-cylinder engine with gasoline or distillate fuel options.

Today the tractor, along with an Allis-Chalmers two-row and four-row cultivator that always sits inside, goes to area parades and shows. There’s also plenty of rides with the grandchildren: Kaden, Addison and Emmerson. Richard’s wife, Twyla, also putters around the yard with the C.

“This is my favorite tractor because I grew up with it and spend countless hours in the seat. It runs smooth on the road at 12 mph,” says Richard, who has driven a semitrailer for 40 years. “Dad would be proud of the C and thrilled that it handles chores in the pumpkin patch. I can still see him cultivating sweet corn and potatoes seven to eight hours a day.”

To have your favorite tractor featured, email or send in a photo of yourself with your tractor, along with a 300-word write-up about the tractor, to: [email protected] or Wisconsin Agriculturist, P.O. Box 236, Brandon, WI 53919.