However, others use the machines for sports like tractor pulls, which can be popular events at fairs. Recently, Iowa's Waterloo Cedar Falls Courier featured Don Storjohann, who raced his 2,500 horsepower at the Bremer County Fair.
At the event in Waverly, Iowa, Storjohann placed fifth in his racing class, but in the past he has come in as high as first. The tractor he built runs on alcohol and packs quite a pulling punch.
"You meet a lot of good folks and I love the technical challenge," Storjohann told the Courier.
Storjohann is a former engineer at John Deere, where he worked for 32 years in its applied mechanics office. There he helped diagnose equipment problems and developed fixes for them, a skill that has ported well into his current hobby.
While some people may take part in tractor pulls to get their racing fix, others pit their lawn mowers against each other in contests across the country. Tractor racing is a sport that has grown in popularity in recent years.
