Portage WI "Garden Tractor Daze" July 11-13, 2014

[CasualObserver 3,408]

Portage Wisconsin 3rd Annual Garden Tractor Daze - July 11-13, 2014.

 

The guy who puts on this show promotes it on other forums, but must not be a member here.  

 

MTF show promotion link

 

This is their third year. I've seen it advertised in LAGC magazine and have wanted to go the past two years but wasn't able to make it.  I'll be there this year on Friday (and probably Saturday)

 

Anyone else going?  Portage WI is about 30 miles or so north of Madison around where I-39 splits from I-90/94. Just south east of the Wisconsin Dells.

[Terry M-(Moderator) 2,175]

Decided to check out this show with Jason and I have to say that ..It was a really nice show!  A great variety of several brands of garden tractors with good food available and very friendly people . Might plan on attending this show again next year.     Here are a few random pics I took.   

[CasualObserver 3,408]

Thanks for coming Terry! I was glad you were able to make it. This is a pretty small show that is really in it's early stages, but is growing fast.  They said the Friday turnout was at least double the prior year and Saturday was even bigger. I had a great time.
 
Here's a few of my pictures...
 
Panorama of show

 
Strunk Chipmunk
 
Hiller Yardhand
[
 
A view down one of the many rows
 
Colt, Case and Ingersoll had a very large showing...

 



 
A few Gravely's... love that wood handled Model D!
 
A few of you have seen this collection before.... another collector from Minnesota.

 
Nice little Bantam with Honda repower. There were several Bantams at this show.. I think I saw four or five... a good showing for a fairly rare tractor!
 
There were quite a few of all the Jacobsen-made brands there.  Minneapolis-Moline...

 
White Town & Country
 
and Oliver

 
There were also quite a showing of Allis Chalmers tractors.  Including theses customs.....  a 36V electric 

 
And this beefy looking machine.  This guy also reproduces the Ganon Earthcavator on the rear of the machine.  He had several of them on display.

And of course... what multi-branded show wouldn't be complete without a big collection of JD? I didn't mind him being there.... see that little gray bin on the ground by the tent?  it was a good portion of a Suburban 5010 trans that found its way home with me! Several paperweights, but enough good spare parts to be worthwhile.


 
All in all a good time at the show... already looking forward to making this a regular addition to my summer calendar. Having not been there I didn't promote it much beforehand... but now, having been there, and seeing/hearing how much it's growing... hopefully we can get the word out more next year and get a larger Wheel Horse showing! 

[wh500special 2,168]

That was quite a turnout.  Thanks for sharing!

 

Being so close to Deere's mothership, you expect to see a lot of weekend freedom machines.  But the Case representation is really impressive.  I guess being another Wisconsin operation might have something to do with it.  Allis and Simplicity too.  Huh, I guess WI is quite the garden tractor mecca.

 

Steve

[Bret 1]

Thanks for starting this thread about our show in Portage...it was great some of you were able to attend.  Thank you I'm glad you enjoyed the show!  This show has grown so fast its crazy.  We have a Garden Tractor competition that is counted on Saturdays at 3:00pm.  Whatever brand shows the most tractors becomes that years winner.  Year number one John Deere won by showing two more tractors than Colt Case Ingersoll....Year Number two AC/Simplicity showed two more tractors again...so Colt Case and Ingersoll came in second Place again.   That is probably why this year Colt Case and Ingersoll collectors came from everywhere, including Manitoba, Ontario, Kanas City, Kanas and all over the Midwest.  I have been trying to draw in more Wheel Horse collectors but I did not know about this forum....Now that I have found you guys I will post the dates for next years show....I am excited to know that there will be more wheel horses at next years show.... will enough wheel horses be there to win the show in 2015?  If any of you ever want any info my number is: 608-297-7400  Thanks, Bret    

[CasualObserver 3,408]

But the Case representation is really impressive.  I guess being another Wisconsin operation might have something to do with it.  Allis and Simplicity too.  Huh, I guess WI is quite the garden tractor mecca.

 

Steve

 

 

I know you're a GT history buff Steve... but you are so dead on with this comment.  If you think about it... Colt started in Milwaukee, WI then became Case.. .Deere in Horicon, WI, Simplicity in Port Washington, WI, also built for Allis-Chalmers, Duetz-Allis, Snapper, Massey Ferguson, Homelite, JC Penneys and Montgomery Wards that I know of. There was also Gilson... from Plymouth, WI. Ariens in Brillion, WI, who now also produces Gravely. Jacobsen in Racine, WI, also produced Ford, Oliver, Minneapolis Moline and White. Toro has a manufacturing plant in Tomah, WI. (not sure what they make there... the Wheel Horses were made in Windom, MN)  There are others and tons of older ones, but that's just what comes to mind.  

 

And that's just tractors... if you think about it, most of the engines came from there too.... Obviously Wisconsin engines made in Waukesha, Kohler engines from Kohler, WI, Briggs and Stratton from Milwaukee, even Tecumseh had a manufacturing facility there in New Holstein even though their headquarters was in Michigan.  This was all a pretty symbiotic relationtionship... engines built near the people who were going to use the most of them, while lawn and garden manufacturers located near their engine suppliers.  

 

All of this of course is just Lawn and Garden.... there's ton's of farm equipment activity in WI too... but that's beside the point.