‘It felt like old times’

Farmer restored tractor bought at auction, invited original owners to take it for a ride  

By Faith Anderson

Orville Koosmann had a big smile on his face as he drove the newly restored John Deere 3010 out of the shed at Dave Thompsons. Photo by Faith Anderson

Orville Koosmann, 90, of Morris has spent most of his life tending to his land in Swift County and driving green tractors. As a child, Orville attended country school and then, at the age of 15, began attending the West Central School of Agricultural. The school was a three-year alternative to a traditional high school and was in operation in Morris from 1910 to 1963. Orville graduated in 1951 and rented 80 acres. In 1954, he married Darlene Radtke, who worked as a bookkeeper at the John Deere dealer in Appleton. “I figured she must be a good one if she worked for John Deere,” Orville said with a smile.

As his farm grew, it became necessary to keep building his line of machinery. In 1962, he went to Heinecke Implement in Appleton and came home with a brand-new John Deere 3010 diesel tractor, for which he paid $5,500. John Deere’s 3010 was one of four new models introduced in the early 60s as part of the company’s top-to-bottom redo of their tractor line. According to John Deere, the 3010 was a popular row crop tractor and was one of the models that became a staple for the company for many years.

“It was a good tractor for us,” Orville said. “Mostly, we had no trouble with it.”  The tractor turned out to be the right solution to the need for more power.

Orville’s son, Tim, was only five when his dad brought the new, shiny green tractor home. “It was one of the first tractor’s I drove as a boy,” said Tim. “And it’s been a good tractor for our farm.”

Now that Orville Koosmann has retired from farming, he has more time for his wood-working hobby. Above he holds a large pictorial mosaic made of various types and shades of wood pieces that he cuts, sands and glues into place. This artistry is called Intarsia.

In the early days of the Koosmann operation, they grew corn, soybeans, wheat, oats and alfalfa and raised hogs, chickens and feeder cattle. Like the Koosmanns, the 3010 tractor was hard-working and reliable for doing chores and field work from planting to harvest. Over the years, upgrades were made to the trusty green tractor which made it even better. Orville added a front-end loader and built a cab to increase the comfort of the operator in any weather.

Tim Koosmann attended vocational technical school in Willmar and graduated in 1978. At that time, he returned to the farm and began working full time with his dad. At the height of their operation, the two farmed 4,000 acres in both Hegburt and Fairfield townships of Swift County. Orville farmed for over 40 years, stepping back after the 1995 harvest. Tim continued the operation and the old 3010 was still used around the yard, but as more of a utility tractor.

In 2021, the Koosmanns held an online farm auction which was advertised digitally, through the media, and printed on posters that hung throughout the area. As with most online auctions, a preview day was scheduled so that interested buyers could come and ‘kick the tires’ to decide if the equipment, tools and other miscellaneous items measured up.

Orville Koosmann, left, and Dave Thompson, right, stand beside the John Deere tractor Orville bought back in 1962. Dave purchased it in 2023 during an online auction and restored it. Photo by Faith Anderson

Enter, Dave Thompson, a farmer from Starbuck. He came to the open house to look at a 90-foot cable that interested him. Dave, himself a lover of John Deere green, looked over the Koosmann line-up of equipment in addition to the cable he had his eye on. At home, Dave logged into the online auction and ended up getting the winning bids for the cable and the 3010 diesel tractor. “It had good tin on it and looked like a good tractor for me to restore,” said Dave.

After the auction, Dave hooked up his trailer and traveled to the farm site in Fairfield Township to pick up his items. As he was leaving, he noticed a woman in the yard. “She came out of the house waving her arms,” said Dave. It was Tim’s wife, Natalie. She was holding a camera and wanted to take a picture of the old tractor which had been a dependable part of their farming operation. “If I hadn’t seen her, the story would have ended there,” said Dave. “I didn’t  realize the tractor was a family heirloom.”

The restoration project took about six to eight months, start-to-finish. “I started with the fenders, tires and rims,” said Dave. Original parts are sometimes hard to find for older tractors so those who restore farm equipment normally search salvage yards or choose after-market parts to restore the vintage tractors. Once Dave’s project was complete, he invited the Koosmanns to his farm to take a look…just for old time’s sake. 

The day came and Orville, Tim and Tim’s son, Mitch, were on hand to see and drive the newly restored tractor that had been such an important part of their farm. “It felt like old times,” said Orville as he recalled his first ride on the restored 3010. “It was like new again!”

This metal plate was added to the restored tractor by Dave Thompson as a way to mark the tractor’s history and honor Orville Koosmann’s years of farming. 

“Dad and I both drove it,” said Tim. “It was fun to be there and remember that day over 60 years ago when it was our new tractor.”

“I told the Koosmanns they have lifetime visiting rights,” said Dave. “They can come over anytime.”

Although Dave has several restored tractors, he doesn’t see himself as a collector. “I’m just a guy who likes old green tractors,” he said.