From Tinkering to Torquing: A Beginner's Guide to Tractors and Tools

by Roger Welsch

Antique tractor collecting and restoration has never been more popular—and all the newcomers need to be warned, according to old tractor guru Roger Welsch. Otherwise, they’ll end up alone with three mortgages and two ex-wives—but they will have a barn with a sparkling restored tractor. Here, in a tone comfortably lodged between wise and wisecracking, the man Charles Kuralt called "America’s premier storyteller" recounts falling in love with bringing old tractors back to life—and, along the way, manages to impart some sound advice, including the basics: What is old? What is a tractor? And what is it with old tractors, anyway? He also covers the finer points of restoration and repair, from the tools of the trade to tractor parts to the restorer’s use of common household objects in a pinch.

224 pages, Hardcover

First published October 1, 2005

About the author

Roger Lee Welsch (November 6, 1936 – September 30, 2022) was an American news reporter who was a senior correspondent on the CBS News Sunday Morning program, and was featured in a segment called "Postcards from Nebraska." An author, humorist and folklorist, Welsch was born in Lincoln, Nebraska, the only son of Christian Welsch, who worked in a Goodyear tire factory and Bertha (Flach) Welsch, a homemaker.[1] He lived outside of Dannebrog, Nebraska.

Welsch earned a bachelor's degree in 1958 and a master's degree in 1960, both in German and both at the University of Nebraska. He also studied folklore at the University of Colorado and Indiana University.[1]

Welsch was the 2005 winner of the Henry Fonda Award from the State of Nebraska Travel and Tourism Division.

Reviews

[Neith · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was exactly the level of introduction I needed to tractor maintenance. It's written in tone that's very welcoming and engaging to beginners. Some pictures or diagrams would have been really helpful, though.