By Fred Hendricks
fwhendricks@gmail.com
Obsession may be described as fascination for, fixation of, passion to own or mania. In the case of Orange Obsession, the Mike Snyder Family is dedicated to preserving Allis-Chalmers… in any form. Their Allis-Chalmers treasure trove speaks volumes. It includes antique tractors, pedal tractors, scale model replicas, literature, memorabilia, signs and more. For thirty years Mike and Tina Snyder have collected anything and everything relating to Allis-Chalmers. And now, their children have joined the craze in locating rare additions and/or gifts for their parents’ cache.
Mike Snyder grew up on the fertile soil of north central Ohio. This productive farmland is on the eastern edge of the great corn-belt. The family farm was typical for the day, modest acreage, about 30 milk cows, a couple dozen sows, feeder pigs and layers along with crops 
to support the livestock. Allis-Chalmers provided the horsepower and equipment to operate the farm. “My three brothers and I along with Mom and Dad farmed with AC equipment. We had two AC model WC tractors along with a model WD. If memory serves me right, I was about seven years old when I drove the ole WC for the first time. It was just another farm job expected of us kids so I didn’t give it a second thought about driving for the first time. I was soon doing all sorts of farm work that required the tractor; raking hay, working ground or whatever,” Mike reflected.
Kids often rode with dad on the tractor before they were old enough to operate it. Mike related a near fatal accident on one of those occasion, “I was four years old when I was riding with Dad as he was pulling two wagon loads of hay home from the field. The wagons came unhooked from the tractor and forced the tractor off the road toward a ditch. Dad grabbed me and jumped over the fender and wheel in the opposition direction where the tractor and wagons were traveling. Fortunately, we landed safely out of the way from a near fatal accident.”
Avocation Evolution and Collecting Craze
Mike’s desire to continue farming was quickly squelched when the Snyder Family farm was sold in 1977. In short order Mike had to considered another avocation. “I always liked tinkering on tractors. During those last years of the family farm prior to it being sold I took up diesel mechanic work and graduated from Lincoln Tech of Indiana in 1977. Shortly after graduating from Lincoln Tech I went to work for Lemke Sales & Service of Marion, Ohio, an AC dealer. I worked there as a diesel mechanic for fifteen years. I spent another ten years in a similar capacity at Schmidt Machine Company located north of Upper Sandusky, Ohio. Schmidts are well known as not only an AGCO dealer, but also for their fabricating work for nearly any kind of equipment. Since 2006 I have been working for myself at Snyder Repair. Through my business I restore older farm machinery for other clients. I also restore antique tractors and pedal tractors for my collection,” he indicated.
Although the family farmed with Allis-Chalmers equipment, Mike’s dad bought John Deere toys for his sons. He had a special Allis-Chalmers 1:16 scale toy tractor among all those green toys though. As he grew older the toys were put away in safekeeping.
Established farm equipment model collectors often influence those desiring to start. That is not the case with Mike. Through his employment at Allis-Chalmers dealers, he became infatuated with the farm tractor and equipment models offered for sale. “The toys on the dealers shelves caught my attention so Tina and I started collecting along about 1981. I sold off the old John Deere toys from my child days and used the money to start collecting AC models.
We added to the collection for another nine years. In 1990 I quit collecting because the bug caught me to restore antique farm tractors. We started collecting again in 2003 while still restoring the old iron,” Mike stated.
The Orange Obsession runs deep in the family. Mike noted, “The whole family is involved with ACs. My wife, Tina, of 30 years is an avid AC memorabilia collector. My son, David, enjoys tractor pulling with me at area farm machinery shows. He has also assisted me in the restoration of some AC farm tractors. David took one of our AC model WC tractors home to restore by himself. When he asked for advice on doing something during the restoration, I told him to suit himself. We were all pleased with the finished job. Tina and I surprised David by giving the tractor to him the following Christmas.”
The Snyders claim their blood is colored orange. In fact, their claim of orange colored veins can be found in the third generation. “During the summer of 2011 my grandson, Alex Hartman, was born. Among his birth presents was an AC model WD-45 pedal tractor. The AC excitement has now gone three generations with the start of Alex’s collection. I’ve sure his blood is orange too,” he boasted.
Treasure Trove Evolves
The entire Snyder Family has purposed to grow the Allis-Chalmers Treasure Trove. “We’re all involved in one way or another as we collect the Orange AC Treasures. A company who dealt in antique tractor parts held a public dispersal. We attended the sale and found countless pieces of manuals, literature signs and memorabilia among the goodies offered that day. Tina bought a lot of those items with the idea that we’d resell everything but the AC related ones. That got her interested in collecting memorabilia. David has numerous pieces sprinkled among the collection, including the restored AC model WC. And our daughter, Christina, along with her family constantly buy AC related gifts for Tina and I,” Mike shared.
At last count the growing collection numbered; 15 antique tractors, 22 pedal tractors and a dozen lawn and garden tractors. Several display cases are chucked full of scale replicas numbering in excess of 200 pieces. And there are signs and memorabilia to numerous to count. “The way the collection has grown we may have to add onto the house or find a bigger one, but so far we seem to find room for yet another piece,” he chuckled.
When asked to expand on that favorite or sentimental piece among the vast assembly, Mike commented “Everything in our collection seems to have a special meaning. You seem to remember where it came from or that special occasion when you received it as a gift. That being said, the ole antique 1940 AC model A is very rare as there were a limited number built. I restored this old relic totally on my own. It’s in excellent condition so it means a lot to me. Jack Beursken who lives in a community just north of us built a high detailed all wood replica of my model A. That piece is one-of-a kind so it also holds great sentiment. The 2010 Orange Spectacular featured a 1:16 scale die-cast replica of the AC model WF that was built by SpecCast. That piece is very high detail. The original of that tractor may be one of my better restored ones among the collection so that pair stirs a little emotion as well.”
Another fascinating component among Mike’s showcases is the set of Allis-Chalmers models that were Louisville Farm Machinery Show features. “I believe this show featured a 1:16 scale die-cast AC model from 1984 through 2007. Of the 23 pieces offered over that span of time, I have every one except the 2002 tractor. I sure would like to get my hands on that one to finish out the set,” he explained.
Collection Growth, Shows & More
Collectors have experienced all the common ways to find those rare pieces. It may be farm toy shows, flea markets, junkyards, Internet, publications like Toy Farmer, or friends. Mike and Tina came up with a novel approach. “We thought the odds of finding rare and unusual memorabilia would be in West Allis, Wisconsin community where Allis-Chalmers equipment was manufactured. We placed a classified ad in the Milwaukee Journal, the newspaper that covers greater West Allis. In that ad we offered to buy AC memorabilia. Those interested brought their collectables to a motel on a specified day listed in the ad. We got tremendous response and we bought virtually everything that was offered. One person had an Allis-Chalmers golf cart, but couldn’t bring it by the motel. We completed a successful day by going to their home to complete that transaction. That was surely a great experience and we met a lot of wonderful people,” Mike recounted.
Mike and Tina are totally immersed in all aspects of the Allis-Chalmers hobby. In addition to 
collecting, Mike restores not only the original tractors, but also pedal tractors and scale model versions. “Restoration of the original tractors consumes most of my time. I’ve restored quite a few pedal tractors for myself and other clients. And, I get a kick out of tinkering on the scale model versions on occasion,” he said.
The Snyders attend numerous antique farm machinery shows and farm toy shows each year. “All told, we set up at four to six farm toy shows and ten to twelve antique farm machinery shows. We enjoy selling, bartering and trading anything AC. The highlight for us would be the Orange Spectacular held each year in Hutchinson, Minnesota. You’ll not find a bigger or better gathering of AC enthusiasts anywhere in the country than this show. We’d love to show at the National Farm Toy Show in Dyersville, Iowa, but we’re down the way on the waiting list,” Mike remarked.
Mike was very objective when he pondered these thoughts regarding the farm toy hobby, “We were really surprised with the strong interest in 1:64 scale models. Certainly they’re more affordable and most anyone can add custom features to them. The most discouraging aspect of the farm models over the past twenty or so years is the poor casting quality that come from China. They’re just not as durable as those made years ago.”
Mike is ecstatic about the farm collector hobby involving his Allis-Chalmers orange equipment. “Being an AC collector will be a life-long endeavor for our family. Young collectors will often ask what to collect. I tell them to collect what they like and buy what they can afford. As a result, they’ll enjoy the hobby like we have. Just recently I had a twenty year old ask for help in locating an antique tractor to restore. It was really encouraging to see that kind of interest from the next generation. Above all else, we have made countless friends associated with the hobby from all over the country. These relations are priceless. Our passion for the orange AC collection has brought great enjoyment to our family,” he expressed.
About the author: Fred Hendricks owns SunShower Acres, Ltd. of Bucyrus, Ohio, a dairy cattle consulting business. Mr. Hendricks is an avid farm toy collector and a freelance writer. He may be contacted at email: fwhendricks@gmail.com.