Time for Spring
Memorial Day Weekend is often the traditional start of first cut for hay in many of the dairy producing. The Toy Tractor Times May issue is focused on the toy replicas involved in hay making and dairy operations.
We have some great Toy Tractor Times TV spots on hay operations and a dairy display from St. Louis. There are also articles on forage harvesting, hay toys and dairy displays.
Last year we ran a contest for readers to enter pictures of their 1/32 toys making hay for the May 2005 cover. This year the contest was run again for a focus on 1/16 toys. There 
were lots of great pictures to chose from. I have posted a few here in the index this month. This years cover winner was Scott Stewart of RC Guy Farms. Scott has built a Radio Controlled 1/16 hay operation that is featured on Toy Tractor Times TV this month. Look for other pictures in the Wall Paper section.
We also have toy news and features this month. The most exciting new product is the 1/64 Authentic Series from Ertl. This new 164 line is a high detail tractor series featuring details previously reserved for the 1/16 Precision line. Toy Tractor Times first previewed the Authentic Series #1 John 
Deere 8520 in the March 2006 issue. In the May Keeping Current with 1/64 we take a close up look at this new model with a cab door that opens, steerable front axle and moveable 3pt hitch. Ertl is changing the 1/64 scale in a major way with this new series.
The 1/32 scale continues to expand its offering in hay in forage. Ertl/Britaians has three new Case-New Holland Big Balers out and Universal Hobbies has the new Class Cougar self-propelled mower and Krone’s Big X self-propelled forage harvester. The Krone Big X is a highly detailed 1/32 model of the worlds biggest self-propelled forage harvester with a 12 row kemper head. Look for the Krone Big X featured in the Linking the Chain of Farm Toy Collectors article.
This month there is some sad news to report from the hay equipment industry. Gehl announced on April 03, 2006 it would discontinue its agricultural equipment line to focus on its industrial equipment division producing skid-steer loaders and tele-handlers. The company has been involved in the agricultural market for 147 years. Gehl produces hay mowers, forage harvesters, forage wagons, windrowers, manure spreaders, TMR mixers and Round balers. Farm toy collectors for many years have wanted Gehl toys. In September 2002 Die-Cast promotions offered a 1/64 2580 Gehl Silage Special round baler. With the announcement of the discontinuation of Gehl hay equipment this 1/64 baler will become a historic collectible.
In June The Toy Tractor Times will present its annual issue on pulling tractors. We will also be traveling to the grand opening of Binkley & Hursts Out Back Toy Store in Lititz, PA. We will be at the big event June 22-24. For more information on the show visit www.outbacktoystore.com
Until Next Times......
Jason and Stefanie Hasert
Farming Flashbacks - New Holland
View these vintage New Holland commercials on mowers and bale movers.
Radio Control Model Farming
Putting Up Hay
This month’s rc farming covers the haying operation of Rcguy Farms.
Soon the countryside will smell of freshly mowed alfalfa in this part of the Midwest.
The Authentic Series: John Deere 8530
Ertl has just released the next Seven Premier Series John Deere toys.
Collectors use many strategies to keep track of what they have in their farm toy collection.
John Deere’s Mechanical Pasturing
In the 1950’s John Deere published a brochure on Mechanical Pasturing.
As far as dairy equipment goes it does not get any bigger than the Krone Big X.
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Dairy Farming
Download this selection of Toy Tractor Times Dairy wallpaper!
Well I must confess, when I saw the theme of this months issue I thought to myself, what the heck can I talk about when it comes to hay?
Working on the Dairy at Night
Brian Ramel’s work has become an annual feature in the Hay and Dairy issue of the Toy Tractor Times.
The following tips have come from lessons learned from several years of building models.
The tool that gets the most use in the hobby, and justifiably so, is the Dremel tool.
The first forage harvesters produced by Ertl were John Deere’s. There were two original variations.
This month I am reviewing Ertl’s latest release of the popular Farmall 806, Ertl stock #14501.
Sperry-New Holland
From 1968-1971 Ertl produced four pieces of Sperry-New Holland equipment...
Next 'Times
The June issue of The Toy Tractor Times will feature pulling tractors. Our annual issue with a county fair theme focuses on the big pulling tractors. Look for a special feature on Gottman Toys line of 1/16 pullers.
The 2006 Toy Tractor Times Anniversary Series Tractor will be a 1976 International Harvester 1066 by Ertl. This model will be all new tooling from Ertl with a high level of detail just like the Case 1570 from 2005. The IH 1066 will be the 4th model in the Toy Tractor Times Big 70's Power Series and our 20th tractor since 1986. Look for ordering information in a future issue of The Toy Tractor Times. You can see all 20 Toy Tractor Times Tractors on-line at http://www.toytractortimes.com/anniversary
