Interesting Iron-approved gifts for tractor nerds…

Let’s take a break from the typical Interesting Iron column and do something a bit lighter this week.

Today, I want to present the Interesting Iron-approved list of gifts for the tractor nerd in your life. Toys, tools, and other cool stuff that everybody who works on “stuff” needs in their life! For the most part, these are all things that I either use everyday, or enjoy using/collecting/reading. A couple of ’em are still on my personal list, and one of ’em is being delivered tomorrow!

So, if you’re stumped as far as what to buy for somebody who’s bonkers about tractors in your life, maybe this will give you a few ideas!

Before we dig in, I don’t get any commissions if you buy something on this list. This isn’t TikTok shop!

Let’s get to it.

Olight Baton 3 flashlight

I won’t leave the house without a flashlight in my pocket. I rotate through a couple of ’em, but this one has been one of my favorites for the past year or two. At 2.5 inches tall and less than 2 ounces, it’s a terrific little light. I use this thing constantly instead of using the flashlight on the back of my phone.

It’s a super-bright flashlight, and it’s built like an absolute tank. It’ll take its fair share of abuse. The thing I like most about it is that depending on which version you buy (there’s a handful of ’em), it comes with that little black charging case which will charge it 3 times before it goes dead. It’s awfully handy when I’m traveling because I just throw it in my bag and I don’t have to worry about bringing another cable with me to juice it up at night.

I think the retail is around $70 on their site for the one with the charging case. They do sell out fairly quickly on the Olight website, but there’s a bunch of retailers that stock these (including Amazon). Check around for the best price!

Olight Baton 3

Leatherman Sidekick

I’m sure you’ve probably seen multi tools before. I’m a firm believer in these things. I think I’ve got three of ’em, and they’re super-handy for simple fixes where you don’t want to go find the “right” tools for the job. One comes to work with me every day, I keep one in the basement, and I’ve got a little keychain version somewhere too. Heck, a few offices ago, I used the one from my bag to put together a rolling TV stand and mount a TV to it! Like I said, they’re pretty darn handy!

There are a zillion different manufacturers of these things, but I’m fairly sure Leatherman is the only one made in the USA. Almost all of their products come with a 25-year warranty, too.

There are quite a few different sizes of Leatherman multi tools. The Sidekick that I’ve got retails for about 70 bucks from Leatherman’s website, but there again, you can buy these at a bunch of different retailers.

Leatherman Sidekick

Toy Tractors

I haven’t run across a farmer or a tractor nerd yet who doesn’t have a place in their hearts (or on a shelf) for a die cast tractor. They’re not really good for anything practical, but they still bring us joy! I mean, there’s a reason that Dyersville, IA triples in size the weekend of the National Farm Toy Show every year! I didn’t get the opportunity to go this year, but last year was a blast!

Now, everybody’s tastes are a little different, but the die cast market is still just as hot as ever. I’m a big fan of 1/64th because they don’t take up as much space, but I can just about guarantee that whoever you’re shopping for has a scale that they like. Ask around and buy them something cool!

The nice part is that they don’t have to be spendy, either. Depending on what you’re looking for, tractors can be had for as little as a few dollars. There’s something for every price range.

This set retails for $225-250, based on what I’ve seen. If you’re after this particular set, I wouldn’t waste too much time because the folks at Ertl say it’s a one-time production run.

John Deere 8400 30th Anniversary set

Milwaukee M18 Tire Inflator

I’ve never met a tractor collector who didn’t have something in the shed that didn’t have a tire that was soft. Heck, I know I’ve got a tire that’s soft in my garage right now and I don’t actually have a tractor collection! Don’t get me wrong, I’ve got an electric pump. However, it’s at least fifteen years old, and every time I plug it in to air something up I’m amazed that it still works. Seriously, you can almost hear the tiny compressor wheezing.

I’ve had a little experience with Milwaukee tools, and I’ve seen the abuse that they can take. My wife’s dad was a Milwaukee guy for quite a bit of his life and he used and abused them harder than most – and they kept coming back for more. Furthermore, I’ve been seeing a ton of reviews on this thing on social media, and everybody sings its praises.

It retails for $180 right now without a battery. However, I’m just about certain that whenever you’re shopping, you’ll find one retailer or another who’s running a great special with a battery or two and a charger. It pays to shop around for this stuff! When I end up getting one of these, I’ll update this section.

Milwaukee M18 Cordless Inflator

Snoopy and the Spy

I just finished reading this book and had to put it on the list. This was a really good read, and it covers some really pivotal times in American ag history from a unique perspective – from the people who actually lived them. Through his career, Lee has had the opportunity to meet and interview some of the most important people in modern tractor history. This book focuses on just that, specifically, the late 70s and early 80s when International Harvester was trying to navigate some very tough times. Axial Flow development, the rise and fall of the 2+2s, the stuff that happened in management meetings…it’s all there!

It also includes some fascinating stories about the corporate spy games that were being played at the time. I won’t give ’em all away but I’ll guarantee that some of what you read in Snoopy and the Spy will shock you. The lengths these companies would go to in order to find out what was up the other’s sleeve is utterly bonkers!

If you’re a fan of Ageless Iron, you’ll really enjoy this one. The chapters are short, too, so it’s great for those of us with short attention spans!

Snoopy and the Spy

The Coolest Carpet Farming rug ever…

So I’m walking out of one of the exhibits at the high school in Dyersville last year at the National Farm Toy Show, and I stumble (quite literally) on Boundri. It was the only booth I saw all weekend where almost everybody there was on their knees carpet farming on area rugs like the one you see above.

I remember thinking, “Cool. Play mats are probably more fun for kids to carpet farm on, plus you can roll ’em up for storage later and Mom doesn’t get mad or step on a 4020. That’d be almost as bad as stepping on Lego!”

Then I looked closer and realized that these weren’t just ordinary play mats. These were real-deal carpets printed with satellite imagery of somebody’s actual farm! That’s when Nathan, the president of the company, walked up and stuck out his hand. We had a nice chat, and I told him how impressed I was with the concept.

Boundri has apparently expanded their product offerings now, so they’re doing a lot more than just those play mats. They’ve got a huge line of products now, and it’s all centered on satellite imagery of your farm! It’s pretty easy to configure, too – I tried putting something together on their site not too long ago and it was pretty easy!

I was just about ready to hit the buy button and get a big canvas of our farm back home in Michigan for the wall when I noticed that you could upload your own photos. Well, I’ve got a drone with a pretty decent camera, so now I need to plan a trip back to get some photos of the orchards in bloom. Then…I’ll get that big canvas.

If you’re looking for something pretty unique for the kiddos (or grand-kiddos), a play mat of their own land is definitely worth a closer look!

Boundri

Knipex Cobra XS Mini Water Pump Pliers

I know there’s a ton of farmers out there who carry a pair of 6 inch pliers on their hip every day. They use ’em for everything. For some of us, though, they get caught on seatbelts, gearshifts, and all manner of dumb stuff that gets in the way. I’m happy for you guys who can make them work, but I’ve given up on them.

So about two weeks ago, my buddy Corey Hillebo sends me a Snapchat of him cranking on this bolt with this teeny tiny pair of Knipex pliers. Then when he’s done, he throws them in his pocket and says something to the effect of, “I think I just found my new everyday pliers!” Now Corey and I have discussed the stuff we carry with us on multiple occasions and we’ve both agreed that they don’t work for us, so this was a surprise.

I know Knipex is a high-quality German brand, so I’m excited to see if they work for me. At 4 inches tall, they’re small, but the jaws open up to be pretty big. According to the Knipex website, they’ll get around a 24mm bolt, so they should punch way above their weight class! I got mine on Amazon for $33, but I know you can buy them a bunch of places.

Knipex Cobra XS Mini Water Pump Pliers

Wrapping up….

So there you have it. My first stab at a list of the “stuff” that makes my life better, either because it’s handy or because it’s cool.  Hopefully that’ll give you a few gift ideas for the tractor nerd in your life!

Keep checking back, too, because I’ll probably add more things to this list as I run across them!

Make it a great week!

(And for those of you who still want to browse tractors at auction, start your search here!)