Hart Parr Bootstrap Demo

[Craig A]

A few years ago I attended the BIG show at Rollag, MN, when the feature was Hart Parr and Oliver. Being a Hart Parr Nut, NOT being in attendance was NOT optional. Sooooo.........I knew they were going to re-enact the old Hart Parr Bootstrap stunt whereby the tractor lifts itself via cables wrapped around the rear wheels and, ingeniously, around the fronts to keep everything level. I watched as they tried to make this thing work but the tractor engine kept dying. After they, essentially, gave up I told Jerry Swedberg (standing at left) that I owned a couple Hart Parr tractors and could I try it. I started the engine and immediately saw the governor was not doing its job......at all. Now, being on a tractor I have never been on before, operating the carb butterfly manually, operating a hand clutch and NOT being especially fond of heights made for a very nerve wracking experience but I was going to get that tractor in the air NO MATTER WHAT. And I DID!!!!!!!! Fortunately a fast thinking and quick on the draw friend was there to memorialize the feat!!!!

[Mike in NC]

Good job Craig. That must have been kinda fun. Thanks for the picture.

[Don Selmer]

Craig, That seemed like yesterday. I was sitting in front of Jerry Swedberg's shed watching all the trials & tribulations and wondering if they would ever get that thing off the ground. It was like being at KITTYHAWK with the Wright Brothers. Then some little skinny engineer from someplace over in Wis. started tinkering with HART-PARR. ( It looked like that was his favorite pastime and thing to do.) And in no time what so ever, the HART-PARR pulled up itself on the cables. It was quite a crowd pleaser !!!!!!! Don

[Dan Crist]

Craig,
I was there watching too. Wonder how big of a frame you would need to lift your 30-60 S Rumely that way? Let me know when you try it.
Dan

[Kelly Barnett]

This is a pic I took at the Albert City, IA show in 2003. There were two boot strap rigs set up at this show. One was a static display and then there was this one. He gave several demos thoughout the day. He would start the tractor and lift it off the ground. Go up and down a few times then lift it and set the brake. Let the tractor sit in the air running and get off the platform to talk to some people. Then climb back up and release the brake and enguage the clutch to let the tractor down slowly. Very neat to see in person. As you can see a crowd gathered around to see it. Love Those Hart-Parrs.

[Kelly Barnett]

Ok lets see if the pic works this time.

Originally Posted by Kelly Barnett

This is a pic I took at the Albert City, IA show in 2003. There were two boot strap rigs set up at this show. One was a static display and then there was this one. He gave several demos thoughout the day. He would start the tractor and lift it off the ground. Go up and down a few times then lift it and set the brake. Let the tractor sit in the air running and get off the platform to talk to some people. Then climb back up and release the brake and enguage the clutch to let the tractor down slowly. Very neat to see in person. As you can see a crowd gathered around to see it. Love Those Hart-Parrs.

[Tom Cwach]

The second bootstrap demo shown is being done by Gerold Mettler of Menno SD. He and his sons still operate a Agco White implement dealership in Menno that his father started with Oliver years ago. His father had taken in a 30-60 Old Reliable in on trade once, Gerold scrapped it in 1953 I think is what he told me. Note the shaft and bearing setup on top of the framework, he has it set up to reduce the load on the tractor. If you see his 12-24 the front axle has somewhat of a bow in it. When he first was doing this demonstration the tractor popped out of gear dropping it about three feet,Thud. He ties the shift lever in gear now. If you look at the old pictures of the demonstration when Hart-Parr did it the company man would stand under the tractor with it up about six feet. Took a lot of faith in the equipment to do that.

[Dave Preuhs]

Sorry to say that Gerold Mettler passed away Jan. 17, 2009, he was 75. Gerold had fun doing his Hart Parr boot strap demo at area shows which featured Hart Parr. Info and photo courtesy of HPOCA magazine.

[Camerons]

Gerold was the one that got me hooked on Hart Parr's, I visited with him at quite a few local shows.

[Geoffrey Mark]

curious as to how the mechanism works , looks like a great demo

[rory woolf]

Geoffery, Could you not build one of these rigs for
the Ballymena Show!

[Gilbert Armour]

Looks more like a project for a retired engineer.

[rory woolf]

Gilbert.
As I have just relieved German George of his scrap 28-50 Hart Parr,
I will be too busy working on it when it comes.
I'm sure Craig A. would help you and Geoffery as he had to show them
how to do it.
Rory

[Gilbert Armour]

Geoffery
I think you are on your own here.

[Kelly Barnett]

I figured since the topic of the bootstrap test had come up again I would post a picture that shows an early test done at Charles City with a New Hart Parr. notice the belt pulley replacement and the snow on the ground. Now how many of you would take a New Hart Parr up on one of these now a days? I can understand the notion of proving to the prospective customer about the power the tractor would have. But just think what was going through the mind of the first guy to hoist himself up in the air with a tractor to test this concept. Maybe he didn't have any fear or they bought him a few cold drinks after it was over with. I also wonder how many front axles were bent before they got the process down. I like the 4 wheels on the ground myself. I know that there are a couple on here that have been in the air with a hart parr but on the ground or on a trailer is just fine with me.

Kelly

[rory woolf]

I agree with Kelly. But I was wondering how they managed the brakes,
as I never found the brakes either very good or handy to pull on a Hart-Parr.Maybe Craig A.could how he did it,also how nerveous he was!
Rory

[greysteam24hp]

I can see cables goes around under front wheels toward pulley. How that work on back ? Any drawing diagram?

[Stephen Brett]

PM re 28-50 blocks

[Tom Cwach]

Originally Posted by greysteam24hp

I can see cables goes around under front wheels toward pulley. How that work on back ? Any drawing diagram?

The front cable runs from the top of the framework, goes under the front wheels and then to the top of the rear wheels.

The rear cable goes to the bottom of the rear wheel. The tractor rises up in reverse gear.

[Dave Preuhs]

You can't be faint of heart when running a tractor up and down on the "Boot Strap" demo. You need to know that you have good brakes and a good clutch brake wouldn't hurt any either. The gentleman in the photo I had posted earlier in this thread has passed away but his son has the stand. I know of another fellow who has the original 16-30 HP that was used on one of these stands and has built a Boot Strap stand for it but he said he won't use it, just to risky.