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Heritage Iron Magazine

HOME OF THE MUSCLE TRACTOR: we focus on tractors and farm equipment from 1960-1990! 

The year 1960 marked a turning point in farm mechanization where horsepower was taking over.  That is just what Heritage Iron is all about – unstoppable, brute power! We’re going to talk about tractors, equipment, manufacturers, and history from the greatest era in agriculture when tractors and equipment were controlled by the operator, not a computer. Whether your favorite brand is red, green, blue, or yellow, Heritage Iron covers them all with comprehensive articles and full-color photography.

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Get 6 issues of Heritage Iron each year, packed with muscle tractors, full-color photography, and stories from the golden era of farm power—delivered right to your mailbox. 


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The LATEST issue: nov/dec 2026

The Nov/Dec issue #108 is out now! It is available to order on our webstore and is  on store shelves. If you do not find Heritage Iron in a Tractor Supply store near you, browse our back issues or call 618-664-1550.

Subscribe to Heritage Iron Magazine and get access to premium content, exclusive interviews, and much more! Take a look at the lineup for issue #108, November/December 2026. 

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  • FEATURING: Oliver’s One and Only V8 – The Beastly 2255: As the horsepower race heated up in the 1970s, Oliver entered the V8 battle with the mighty 2255. Take a closer look at Oliver’s big-muscle tractor, powered by the Caterpillar 3150 V8, along with its Over/Under Hydraul-Shift, row crop and four-wheel-drive configurations, available options, and a USAC field comparison that put the 2255 up against the John Deere 4630, International Harvester 1468, and Massey-Ferguson 1150.
    Feature Tractor Owner: Paul Lano, Norwood, MN.
     
  • CrustBuster-Speed King, American Products, and the Hornung Family – Built on the Plains: Tyler Hook traces the western Kansas roots of CrustBuster-Speed King, beginning with Michael Hornung and American Products in Spearville, Kansas. Learn how the original Crust Buster implement led to hydraulic-folding grain drills and tillage equipment, and how the company expanded through Speed King grain-handling equipment, the Boll Buggy line, cotton equipment, seed tenders, and more while remaining a multi-generation Hornung family business.  HI 108 BOOK proof 3
     
  • The Grinder/Mixer – When Old Equipment Is Back In Style: Ryan Kelly looks back at the days of hammer mills, local feed mills, ear corn, and on-farm feed grinding, and how the portable grinder/mixer changed livestock feeding. From Gehl Mix-Alls and Bearcat to Massey-Ferguson and other familiar farm equipment brands, the story explores why grinder/mixers faded from many farms — and why changes in local feed availability are making these old machines useful again.
     
  • Kieffer Steiger Tractor – Scraping Up Its History: Jesse Henderson tells the unusual story of a 1966 Steiger 1700 connected to North Dakota farmer, mechanic, and self-taught engineer Peter Kieffer. Originally paired with Kieffer’s hydraulically powered Steiger 4E-14 elevating dirt scraper, the early Steiger later received a Mack diesel engine, an Eaton Fuller transmission, a Steiger cab, and other modifications that became an important part of the tractor’s working history.  
     
  • The SOS of the Ford 6000 – Select-O-Speed or Send Help!: Take a closer look at one of Ford’s most talked-about tractors and its revolutionary Select-O-Speed powershift transmission. The story follows the Ford 6000 from its rushed 1961 introduction and troublesome red-frame tractors through Ford’s recall and rebuilding program, the improved blue-and-gray models, and the later 6000 Commander — separating some of the facts from the reputation that followed the tractor for decades.
     
  • Plus Blowing Smoke reader letters, History Vault, Mini Muscle, classifieds, and ad listings.
     

LOOKING FOR A PREVIOUS ISSUE?

We can't backdate new subscriptions, but we do sell back issues to get you enjoying Heritage Iron sooner!

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what readers are saying

"Wonderful magazine! I am so happy that someone like you can help me relive the wonderful memories of yesterday's muscle tractors."

- Jim S. - Dave, WI

"I am 85 years old. It's magazines like this that keep me going."

-W.R. H - Freeville, NY

"When I take it to work, it sparks many conversations about everyone's past experiences back when we were young. Thank you to all of you for the effort and work you do to make all this happen. We appreciate it!"

- Darrel G. - St. Cloud, MN


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Our Story

Our Story

Founded in 2008, Heritage Iron is a full-color, bi-monthly magazine featuring all brands, makes, and models of Muscle Tractors and equipment from 1960-1990. Read sample articles online for free by clicking here.

Research

Our Story

We use an extensive vault of sales guides, company literature, historical books and documentation to gather research materials for articles. We believe in old school methods of primary research to get the facts. "Don't believe everything you see on the internet." - Abraham Lincoln

Meet the Team

Our editor, office staff, and team of writers are passionate about the tractor and machinery industry. We take pride in each issue and  strive to give our readers the best experience possible when they receive a publication with our name on it.

Contact Us

If you have any questions or comments about Heritage Iron, we would love to hear from you. Use the contact form on our website to get in touch with us.

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Heritage Iron Magazine: Home of the Muscle Tractor

PO Box 519, Greenville, IL 62246

618-664-1550

Copyright 2009 - 2026 © Heritage Iron Magazine | 3-Point Ink, LLC 

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