Restoring Tractors In The Hills Of Italy
by Jim Romeo
About 35 miles North of Turin, close to the French border is the small village Of Luserna San Giovanni. Buried in the picturesque village is a farmer and tractor collector with an interesting story.
Meet Dino Bellion who farms his land, and when he can, restores tractors. Speaking in slightly broken English, Dino is quick to share his zest for life and describe the plentiful environment that surrounds him, rich with fruits, vegetables, and flowers. "I live in a place where I can grow almost everything; my garden is close to Heaven; full of fruit trees and flowers, from the Mediterranean climate to the Alps. I am now collecting strawberries, soon after raspberries, then red, black and white currants blackberry and other small fruits, apricots in several steps, peaches from July till September, several variety of plums, figs, thirty variety of apples, medlar trees and kiwis. Farmers have limited very much the variety of crops as compared to the past. Wheat, corn and grass are the major production crops, but depending on the latitude, one may find grapes, olives and several other crops."
Like any American farmer, Dino toils furiously. Up at about five o'clock in the morning to start milking his cows, his day truly doesn't end until about 11 PM when he gives his prized cattle one last glance before retiring. What does Dino do for recreation and fun? He works. Works on a tractor that is.
In his community there are many tractor collectors, though few with the same passion of restoration as Dino has. "Very few are willing to restore them to the level I did with mine as it takes time and requires lot of knowledge and homework."
Dino began collecting years ago when local collectors began to show their collection. "I immediately started to search for one. No doubt that it should have been of the same type and brand of those I use to admire in my childhood during the threshing days. I soon realized that the prices for those machines had risen much, soI tried to identify the type of machine I could have afforded to buy and keep."
His choice of tractor to restore was not one that collectors find so easily in the U.S. : a 30 HP Landini. "My Landini was built in 1955. It was probably one of the latest series and has a double fuel tank: a small area for gasoline, and a larger for diesel oil. It also has a 12 volt starting engine, but it can be started directly using the fly wheel."
He stumbled across the Landini when he met a man who specialized in them and actually was a sales rep for the company in the Northwest section of Italy. He joined Bellion on his visit to investigate the purchase of old Landini for sale. When they first saw the tractor it was rusty, but in good shape with most original components. Only the pulley was missing, but it did have some spares. The price: $2800 (in US equivalent).
Bellion describes their visit to pickup their find as that of a country doctor tending to one of their valued patients. "We saw the machine at work with a water pump, he did his job as an old doctor visiting one of his old patients, knowing very well where to look, touch and listen. In the end, the machine was found in good shape, healthy and the price acceptable. We then defined the conditions to transport it from there to the 'doctor's house'- my barn, and were ready yet to give hospitality to the new guest." Yes a new guest had joined Bellion's homestead. But he'd have to take on the tough job - the restoration.
"I prepared the nest for the beast and finally got it at home! The following nights were full of thinking; where to start from and how to do the job of restoring; I took it exactly as I use to do with old furniture's; I did first wash it, to take away the old mud; at least the minimum required; this was during the Christmas holidays. I then started to dismount, clean, repair, add material, welding the worn parts, turning, painting and mounting again. I use to do this job each night after dinner, and after we put the kid in bed; sometimes I was going on until midnight; it was a tiring, but satisfactory session which went on until next Christmas."
Finding parts was not difficult. Accepting the cost of replacement parts was. "Some people wants to profit too much" states Bellion in choppy English - one of the four languages he speaks. "The only part which was really missing was the pulley; mainly used for threshing; it took me one year to find it at a good price in very good condition."
Dino Bellion grapples with any reference to himself as a tractor collector. It's more of a passion for working the land. A closeness to the soil. "Although I do not consider myself a tractor collector, for the reasons that I have no money and room enough for being one of them and also because I like to have a wider attention to the agricultural evolution; that means not only tractors, but all equipment related to this world. To feel proud of what you've got and what you've done. I am enthusiast of being alive. I am enthusiast of my family. I am enthusiast of my house and I am enthusiast of my story."
Tractor collecting is all part of his enthusiasm for life. In fact, he credits his collecting as a means to create keepsakes for generations to come. "I have a son of six and I am trying to create in him, my own interests. I am having great success and I hope it can last for ever. He also wants to preserve changes in the agricultural world. "Books are rare and often partial and unable to communicate feelings" says Bellion, "Old iron speaks louder."
But Bellion dislikes those who partake in tractor collecting and restoration simply for monetary gain. He takes a more heartfelt approach to tractor collecting. One that speaks volumes to the true spirit of the farm collector. "I know tractor collectors in this hobby think this is a way to invest money. Their tendency is to buy for nothing and sell at very high prices. In this way they made old iron much more expensive than its real value."
Mr. Bellion can be reached at:
Dino Bellion
Str. VECCHIA 73
10062 LUSERNA
S.G.
TORINO
ITALY
e-mail: Dino.Bellion@skf.com
More info on Landini brand can be found at: http://www.landini.it/
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