I'm not Tractor Pulling Today!!

Yesterday, I got the trailer loaded and ready to go. I was anticipating leaving about 7:30 am this morning to go to the tractor pull in St Matthews. This morning I cranked the truck up about 8 am and it ran about 5 minutes and cut off. It would not crank back up!!! It has a N14 Cummins engine in it with a computer on it . I flipped the hood up and started looking and the bulb in the water reservoir was not green so I took the cap off and sure enough it was a little low on fluid so I put 2-1/2 gallons of antifreeze in it and then it cranked just like it normally has before. This was the first time this has happened and I wondered "Where did the water go?" I let the truck run and heat up. The longer it ran, the hotter it got and the water was running out of the left hand side of the radiator. At 170 degrees it looked like a spigot. I decided to stay home. I guess it is good I caught it here instead of somewhere on the road with a to hot engine or worse and a towing bill. The radiator has plastic ends on it. I think the plastic part has split open.

Eric Benton, Southeast Tractor Parts, Tractor Pulling will have to wait to another day!

Perfect Tire

Last Tuesday night I had to deliver parts to a customer in Hartsville. As I was driving out I saw this perfectly flat tire on my Farmall Super MTA. I had not unloaded it yet. Today is Saturday and I have still not unloaded it. I hope it will pump up and stay up long enough for me to unload it. Some days are more perfect than others!!

Eric Benton, soon to be a tire repairman,

Southeast Tractor parts

The Perfect Pull!!!

Last Saturday I went to the tractor pull in Saluda SC put on by the Palmetto Tractor Club. They had a good turn out of tractors and pullers. The 6000, 6500 & 7000 Super Stock class had 8 to 12 tractors in them. Normally, there are only 3 to 6 tractors in these classes. I signed up to pull early and I was the first puller in each class. In the 6000 lb class I pulled 266 ft, 2nd place pulled 227 ft. In the 6500 lb class I pulled 293.2 ft 2nd place pulled 272 ft and 3rd place was 255.43 ft. In the 7000 lb class I pulled 292.55 ft, 2nd place was 270.89, 3rd place was 269.93.
I got 3 first place finishes. My tires hooked perfectly, my weights could not have been placed on the tractor any better, I could not have picked a better place on the track. Each pull was perfect. I have been beaten by both of the 2nd and 3rd place winners and Saturday they could not get close to me. It was a real good day!!!!


Eric Benton, Southeast Tractor Parts,Perfect Day, Perfect Pulling, Perfect Parts for You!!

Corban Crook Benefit Tractor Pull

I went to the benefit pull Saturday before I went to the reunion. I figured I would only have time for 1 pull before I would have to leave. I was the first puller in the 7900 pound class. I pulled about 150 ft and stood it up and spun out. They called me back to change the gear in the sled. I backed up and moved 140 pounds to the front end and re pulled. I went 183 ft and some inches. I thought to my self as I backed up and they unhooked me" This pull ain't going to get me to first place maybe third." DRH pulled next and he went 180 ft and some inches. I thought to my self " This is interesting I'm not normally ahead of him" . DY pulled third and he is normally my competition for this class and he made it 167 ft. I was a happy camper I got first place in front of a record crowd. There were probably 500 to 600 people there. It was the biggest crowd I have ever seen in Pageland. People really turned out to make the benefit a success!!! ................................Eric Benton, Southeast Tractor Parts

Metts Video

Kenny, The Richland Creek Fall Festival video was done by Alan Metts of Metts Video and Photography. His phone number is 864-980-2178. His address is 278 Ridge Spring Rd, Saluda,SC,29138 This is one of the best video's I have seen done of a tractor pull. Eric Benton, Southeast Tractor Parts

Getting Ready to Tractor Pull

I have been out changing the tire (only got one done tonight) on Linda's tractor. It will be ready for Saturday. I put in a new battery this morning and it cranked right up and ran nicely. One more tire tomorrow night and a little fuel and it will be ready.


Eric Benton, Southeast Tractor Parts, Sure takes a lotta work to get ready!!!!!

Forts Pond Antique Tractor Pull Mar 26, 2011

I here there are a couple of new pulling tractors that are supposed to show up at the pull in Pelion. Looking forward to see if they hold together!!!!


Eric Benton, Southeast Tractor Parts, New pullers for a new year!!!!

Cut Tires & Tractor Pulling

I did a 2nd cut on my tires, I cut the front of the tread to give it a better bite. This past Saturday I tried them out at Pageland. The track was slick on the first pull and proceeded to dry out as the day passed. The second class was 6200 and 200.16 ft and still spun out. however, taking in the condition of the track it was a good pull. The third class I pulled in was 8400 lb and I fell in a hole at 207 ft. I could see the hole coming and could not turn it enough to miss the hole and it stopped me. The last pull of the day was 8900 lb. I pulled it in 3rd gear low range and my speed topped out at 6 mph and dropped to 5.1 going down the track. I won this class with a 211 ft pull. My competition pulled 206 ft. And again I spun out. I have been pulling on different tracks across SC and they are generally 300 ft tracks and more of a sand clay track than pure clay. The track at Pageland is a clay track and it can change rapidly depending on the sun and wind. It is also only 225 ft long and you are loaded from the start. To pull at Pageland I will have to learn all over how to weigh my tractor and which gear to pull in to be effective in a 6 mph class. The other clubs I pull with are 7 mph or no speed limit. This will make for an interesting year!!!

Eric Benton, Southeast Tractor Pulling,

New Tires for Larry

Larry, I found you a new set of pulling tires for that WD45. I think this will solve your traction problems!!! The specifications are on the poster in the picture. They cost $11238.36 each, but I made a deal with him and got 4, 2 for you, 2 for me for $7000.00 each. I paid him so just send your check for 2 of them. It will put you in the winners circle every time this year!!!!! John if you think you need a set I can get them added to the order!!

PS If you want another inch of tread. I can get it added to the tire for another$2000.00 per tire.

Eric Benton, Southeast Tractor Pulling, Gotta stop them tractors from spinning!!!!!

Tire cutting

This is how you look after cutting a set of tires for pulling!!

Eric Benton, Southeast Tractor Parts, I will not cut tires for a living!!!!!!

2 Years

I am at Raleigh for the Southern Farm Show this week. Yesterday was a pretty good day but Today was probably 10 times as many people. I was busy from about 9:30 to almost 4 in the afternoon talking to people about the parts they need.
Tomorrow is the last day of the show and I hope it is a good day!!!
Today makes it 2 years that I have been blogging. Sometimes it is hard to find the time or inspiration to write.
I talked to the guy that puts on the tractor pull in Pelion SC and his first pull this year is the last Saturday in March. I might be ready by then, I still have a set of tires to cut. Also have a little work to do on my tractor.


Eric Benton, Southeast Tractor parts, 2 years and counting!!

Tractor Pulling in the off season!!

Here is a video of tractor pulling in the off season.




Eric Benton, Southeast Tractor Parts,

Tractor Pulling at Moncks Corner SC

Saturday, I went to Moncks Corner and was expecting a so-so track cause it is sandy there. However, It was possibly the best track I have pulled on there. And as the day went on it got better and better. I got 1 first place and 2 second place finishes. One second place finish was in a pulloff with JFB. On the first pull I went 319.6 and he went 318.2 ft. The full pull line was 300 feet and we had to repull. The sled operator raised the chain 2 holes and I pulled 230 and spun out ( still need more traction) and JFB pulled 243 and choked. I kinda happy with how I pulled cause how many people have been in a pulloff with JFB. It was a great day! Pa pulled 3 classes and got 3 first place finishes so he had a good time also.

Eric Benton, Southeast Tractor Parts,

Wondering!!

Kenny, I saw the pulling pictures on the Internet! How did you do????
Larry call me about Round Man.

Saturdays

My buddy has gone to White Pine TN to a tractor pull today. I almost wish I had followed him up there, but, I have to much to do today. I need to work on my tractor to be ready for the pull at Moncks Corner if I can find someone to keep the dogs.
Well I hope Kenny has good luck today!!!!

Eric Benton, Southeast Tractor Parts,

Tractor Pulling at Forts Pond in Pelion SC 5-22-10

I went to the tractor pull last Saturday and was a little apprehensive over pulling by National rules. Mainly due to having to slow my tractor down to pull Division 3. Over the past few years pulling here in SC and GA I have come to think there might be something to National rules. I have been in Super classes where the only thing that determined where you finished was how much money you spent on your motor. I have competed against $24000.00 engines with my little motor and won some of the pulls. However, mostly had my butt spanked. I had too much tractor to pull stock or at least I did not want to move down to stock and beat up on them. It is not any fun when the pull is not competitive. It is not fair to take a 150 Hp engine and pull against 80 to 120 Hp engines and they really don't have a chance of catching you. When money is the determining factor the time you get a motor built someone else will have a bigger motor in a couple of months and the circle never ends, round and round we go!! I do not want to be on the merry go round........
Forts Pond has a Division 1 class that is stock out of the field, a Division 2 class that is what we have been calling "stock", A Division 3 class that is stock RPM + 20 percent and a 7 mph limit. Division 4 is an open class 3000 RPM limit ,any gear no speed limit. So there is something for everyone and I do like Division 3.
I got 1 first place finish and 2 second place finishes. I was competitive in each class. I have been pulling 6000,6500,7000 lb classes because I could not compete any higher that this with the tractors that pull 7500 lb and above. Some of those tractors were 250 to 400 Hp with 6 cylinder engines and my 4 cylinder 150 HP engine just was not enough! I think now I can rethink the classes I am going to pull next time and maybe pull 7000, 7500,8500lb Div 3. My tractor pulled a lot better at 7000 on Saturday 286.19 feet vs 251.51 ft in 6500lb.
There are a lot of Antique Tractor Pulling clubs here in SC . Some of these clubs formed because they did not like the rules where they were pulling so they started there own club. Nothing wrong with that! However, some of these clubs had a lot of pullers and those pullers have left and now they are down to 5 to 15 tractors per pull where they used to have 30 to 50 per pull. It is mostly because someone has built tractors to win at any cost and there are super tractors pulling in stock classes and running the stock people off. There are a lot of pullers that don not want to spend any money to build Hp. They just want to go have fun and be competitive. But, The guy who has to win has spent the money to win and is probably pulling a div 3 tractor in a div 2 class or a div 4 tractor in a div 3 class. The competition has decided to stay home since there is no chance of them winning.
I hope Forts Pond can build a pull where there will be 80 to 100 tractors there to pull. I think it has the potential to accomplish this goal.
Larry there is a place for orange tractors and John bring that IH of yours I think you will be suprised

Eric Benton, A new place to pull, Come on and bring your tractor!!!

Tractor Pulling in Saluda SC on May 1,10

Saturday was a week ago , Pa and I went to Saluda SC for a tractor pull. It was put on by the Palmetto Tractor Club. The track was the best I have ever seen there. It was a power track!! The rules said that super tractors had to pull in 2nd gear and 2nd gear was a good choice for the track.
All in all it was a good day. Pa slept most of the way home!


Eric Benton, Southeast Tractor Parts, I would rather be tractor pulling!!!

Tractor Pulling April 10 & 11

I went tractor pulling this past weekend. I pulled at the Sunny Plains Antique Tractor Association at St Matthews SC . There were about 60 tractors there on Saturday and 30 on Sunday. The weather was beautiful and the track was loose and had most of us scratching our heads to figure out how to get our tractors to hook and pull. Normally I run 600 lbs on the front weight bracket to hold the front end down. It only took 100 lbs to hold the front end down Saturday and Sunday. So it was definitely a looser track than we had seen at previous pulls. I had made some changes in the carb of Pa's tractor and it increased his HP just a little and we finally figured out he needed to pull heavier classes where his tires could hook up and pull instead of spinning.
Kenny, the track was better on Sunday!!
All in all it was a good weekend!

Eric Benton, Southeast Tractor Parts, Some time off for some R&R

Larry, I found you a set of new tires!!!!

Larry, I think these would do real good on your tractor. More traction, more speed, more first place trophies!!!!!

I got a picture of my new tires but I have got to find it!!

Eric Benton, Southeast Tractor Parts, This will scare all of Larrys competition!!!

New Puller!!

Last Friday evening my newest pulling tractor was delivered! Larry I think I will paint it Orange!! This is a JD 4010 diesel. It currently has a combine engine in it. I think it will be changed to something else, maybe a 466 with a P pump . Well I can always dream!!!!!! Maybe I will paint it green with an orange P-pump. That should make it stand out and get attention.

Eric Benton, Southeast Tractor Parts, Dreams of Tomorrow!