05:38:44pm, Sunday, May 12, 2024
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is pulling better now or 10 years ago
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Matt D
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Been watching old pulling video from 10 20 30 years ago. Do you think that it's better now or then. What years was it the best. |
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Re: is pulling better now or 10 years ago
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plum krazy
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A loaded no answer question,many things were better then,-- Many things better now,do we want to go back to 1950 to live in less comforts ????????????,do we want to pull with less power and modern tech ?????? no on both,however many new things are not the answer either. LOL |
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Re: is pulling better now or 10 years ago
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Randy Myers
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2 red pros won both National Championships this year. That was “better” than what’s usually expected in that class That class has gained a ton of hp in the last 10 yrs. |
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Re: is pulling better now or 10 years ago
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Yep
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Yeah, an it cost a ton more now too !!! |
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Re: is pulling better now or 10 years ago
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Registered: 06/16/2017 Posts: 241 |
One thing has still remained the same, there’s still a ton of 400 series and 400 series based IH’s doing a whole lot of winning! But now they are in all types of dress! |
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Re: is pulling better now or 10 years ago
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huh?
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What exactly is that supposed to mean? The red engine is like a chevy......there's nothing that isn't made for it. Did you really think they would drop off the face of the earth? |
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Re: is pulling better now or 10 years ago
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Registered: 06/16/2017 Posts: 241 |
Nope! Just stating a fact that a lot don’t like hearing |
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Re: is pulling better now or 10 years ago
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I enjoyed the better variety of brands in most classes. Appealing to a wider range of folks |
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Re: is pulling better now or 10 years ago
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old school
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I prefer pulling in the late 1990 early 2000. Numbers were big in all classes n it was not a drag race!!!! |
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Re: is pulling better now or 10 years ago
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Well the 400 series motor is and has been a worthy opponent but at least it has some competition in most levels of pulling now. Pulling now is more about speed but you still have to pull it at the end to finish near the top. |
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Re: is pulling better now or 10 years ago
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Like to know
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The 400 series is like the 350 Chevy, if your mechanic cant make it run you need a different mechanic. Love the variety of color today, but it's more of a race today rather than a pull. |
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Re: is pulling better now or 10 years ago
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Christopher C
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“Better” is very subjective and depends on your perspective. If better means more horsepower then yes. If better means faster (high speed) passes then yes. I’ve been around pulling since the mid 70’s. I look back with a fondness because of all the pullers and the variety of equipment I got to see. Alisons, Tanks, Turbine, every type of automotive motor, red, green (duetz, oliver too) orange, blue, and yellow too. Perspective = reality! In my minds eye the “glory days” were better. It would be nice to have a mix of old and new (I like the legends). |
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Re: is pulling better now or 10 years ago
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Paull
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Christopher,you like myself are dating ourselves with our older,back in the days appreciation for the "LENGENDS". and founders of pulling.The Banter Bros were awesome to see,hear and feel. Too many cookie cutter types now. The Silver bullet was fabulous when first out,now just run of the Mill. |
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Re: is pulling better now or 10 years ago
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Registered: 04/04/2008 Posts: 631 |
Paull,
You do realize that the reason that the tractors are now so called cookie cutter is precisely because of people like the Ralph Banter and Tim Engler. These inovators came up with designs that set the standard for winning. This coupled with the fact that they not only built their own stuff that they then went out and won with but would also build one for anyone that wanted one. If you wanted to be at the top (in the mod classes) you pretty much had to use their stuff or at the very least copy it. When you go back and look at the tractors of any era the winning tractors were mostly cookie cutter. Two engines crank to crank, two crank to crank with a third stair stepped behind, three engines stair stepped, four engines side to side with two crank to crank on each side, three engines on an Engler box with one facing the front and two facing the sides, four on an Engler box facing the sides, two up front side by side then adding a third facing backwards. If you look through old photos every era had a setup that seemed to dominate and there were lots of them out on the tracks of the time. No different for todays tractors, the biggest difference is that those that decide to spend the money to build these days aren't going to experiment with off the wall engines just to run in the middle or back of the pack when there are proven combinations. I also enjoyed the different and interesting combinations back in the day but I also understand why people go with proven combinations. |
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Re: is pulling better now or 10 years ago
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Paull
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Many interesting pulling units were one off designs,most were not competitve with the Real McCoys at big national venues,however when "ONE " showed up alone at a local fair,annual event,we were all thrilled to see hear and comment on the speed power and noise. Like mentioned above,Tanks,Aircraft engines which barely ran,which still shook the ground were awesome pieces of machinery,noe we "EXPECT ' THE SHINEY SHEETMETAL TO HOUSE THOUSANDS OF HP AND PERFORM WHITHOUT A HITCH,BACK THEN WE WERE HAPPY TO SEE THEM RUN,MOVE AND MAYBE BELCH SMOKE AND FIRE. I know inovation breeds more like it,sucess has it's followers,and that is why we have speeds of 30mph plus now days with more consistant performance at top levels.Some of the old dinosaures weere pretty fun to hear,watch and enjoy,that was the local standard atleast,mant did not follow the Natioanl circuits yrs ago,no easy way to follow without word of mouth,new fangled hy tech devices,record,receive and send instantly to all with access.Life and History is a collection of facts,details memories and thoughts,wishes and desires to do,act on and contemplate.Od and new mixed with recent and get to exist is why we all followour dreams and hobbies of choice. The summer has passed, tress have shown the beauty of growth,maturity and rest,winter is bringing new temps with a cleansing renewal,spring will usher in more ideas planned thur the "off" season. |
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Re: is pulling better now or 10 years ago
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Joey
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At "FARMFEST" Near Lake Crystal,Mn. back in the day when many rural folks only went to town once a week and barely made it to a BIG City, The Banter Bros. Yellow Banana,was so much more, ----twice the speed and three times the power of others in competion and attendance at that time.The grand stand was a natural hillside,the track was down in a lower setting,so the sound resonated though out the valley,all the "old timers " just shook thier heads and thought that it was "CRAZY". a GOOD TIME WAS HAD FOR MOST. |
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Re: is pulling better now or 10 years ago
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Registered: 04/04/2008 Posts: 631 |
Paull,
Interesting points. S'no Farmer |
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Re: is pulling better now or 10 years ago
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Detroit's best
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Pulling was better 20 years ago. Sure the tractors have way more power and they look great. But the numbers are way down in all classes. And now the mods all look the same. Safety is better now and lighting and the sound system is better but the pulling is not the same as 20/30 years ago. |
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Re: is pulling better now or 10 years ago
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Groundpounder
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Todd,
While I agree with your assessment in general, I also think that poor rules have eliminated competition in the mod classes, both regional and GN. NTPA (and I'm a big NTPA fan) has been anti-turbine for e decades (Walsh and Snyder incidents maybe?) and has set HP limits in the classes to where they are at an obvious disadvantage, even to the point of banning them in the Light "Unlimited" class. Same with the Allisons and their limits. |
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Re: is pulling better now or 10 years ago
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Registered: 04/04/2008 Posts: 631 |
Groundpounder,
I honestly think that the powers that be in both the organizations and insurance are not thrilled with turbines from a safty stantpoint but I will point out that at the RN level both turbines and Allisons were given more leeway with the rules. I think if you see the Top Gun tractor run some RN stuff next summer he will be there amungst the top tractors. Don Deane will also likely run stronger with some changes he is likely to make this winter. S'no Farmer |
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Re: is pulling better now or 10 years ago
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newbe
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I think we are fast approaching the point where a stop watch will determine the winner vs a footage measurement.
A skeleton weight sled and tractors weighing less than 6000 ibs. These vehicles could run the drag race and the sled would be used instead a parachute. Time the run to the finish line and drop the pan on the sled only to keep the tractor from leaving the track. At this weight the tractor could still throw a little dirt. Keep the dirt loose and dry after the finish line so more dirt can be slung. 1000 hp tractors would be enough to put on a good show. Bigger hp tractors we could see 40 mph or more. |
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Re: is pulling better now or 10 years ago
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Registered: 12/28/2011 Posts: 48 |
Well this is a tough one,would i like to spend less,sure.Would I like to go back to yesterdays performance,not at all.It is like going back to a cabless tractor for heavy field work.After 40 years of modified pulling , starting with NA, going blown chevy ,now blown hemi , the challange of change has been fun for me.Years ago a lot more tractors per class was the norm,but how many actually ran well 50 per cent? It is kinda like looking at your high school time as" your glory days".Give me today . |
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Re: is pulling better now or 10 years ago
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Georgee
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It would be nice to pick and choose,but Life is mostly not that way,change is good,some old things are very good.Modern conviences have many great joys,but also a VERY HIGH COST. No gain without some negative, |
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Re: is pulling better now or 10 years ago
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plum krazy
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what restrictions are in place for the Allisons ? and why !!!!! |
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Re: is pulling better now or 10 years ago
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Registered: 03/15/2011 Posts: 19 |
It was better 20 years ago. I could afford it then. |
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Re: is pulling better now or 10 years ago
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Can a aircraft piston engine run with EFI on it ? |
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Re: is pulling better now or 10 years ago
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Moderator Registered: 01/11/2009 Posts: 1,579 |
This is an excellent question and thank you to Matt D for posting it.
I like pulling now, and it has changed in the last 10 years for sure. In recollection pulling 10 years ago was great also, but I can't say that it's my favorite time period. A few things that have to be considered to really answer the question: 1) Believe it or not, pulling has far more public exposure now than it ever has. The advent of the internet and social media has put the sport at the tips of our fingers, or thumbs, whichever you use to type on your phone. That accessibility is a plus. Millions more people have access to pulling, far more than it did even in the "golden age" of the sport in the Eighties and early Nineties when ESPN carried pulling. The only way I saw pulling beyond being AT a pull was through that 6 foot satellite dish sitting in the side yard. Something to consider about how good the "now" is. 2) The question of then and now, be it 10, 20, 30, 40 years ago is really about the place and time where the sport captured your heart and imagination. That's the cornerstone of your participation or fandom. I look at a period between 1987 and 1995 as a favorite to me, and, thanks to the internet and YouTube (see #1) I can relive those good times. Was that time frame better? Depends on who you ask, but I have an image of Gene Donaldson and Mean Gene in the early Nineties making a wheels-up pass at a local county fair that is burned into my memory that I can't think about without grinning. 3) I don't know about the rest of you, but I am jealous of those who saw the sport at the beginnings and expansion, from about 1965 through the early Eighties. The pullers were still experimenting, still trying to find a good combination to run. A lot of interesting machines came to life in that time frame and some foreshadowed what we see today. I love to look at old photos from then and when I find video of pulling from the seventies, you can be assured however many minutes I need to watch the video and then watch it again is completely shot. The takeaway of my rambling: Enjoy the memories of whatever time-frame you enjoyed most, because you own those memories and the right to defend them 100% But don't forget to enjoy the now, and look to the future, for the next time to breathe in those fresh diesel fumes and feel the concussion of sound off a multi-engine modified. Bryan Lively - 
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Re: is pulling better now or 10 years ago
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fan and puller
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no better time than anyother,would be like saying your life was not as good at 15 - versus 21 or 50,or yet to come. Like Brian said,memories are best,good bad or ugly,that is what makes our lives complete,without some bad,less than ideal,or in between,how could we appreciate the best,or do we even know the best.Each day is the best,because we all have an unknown ending,this moment,this day,event and history all are important.I have had several tractors that all performed well beyond my talents,won a lot,some are broken,some gone,some sitting,I think about the full pulls,poor choices ans at the end of the day smile and go forward to new adventures with some laughs,good cries,joys and frustrations,but keep on keeping on. |
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Re: is pulling better now or 10 years ago
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longtimer
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Bryan's response is excellent. (Glad to know you are rebounding from your health issue.)
I definitely fit his #3 category. That is when I liked pulling the best. Actually was pulling a (or trying to with the deadweight 20' full pull) load. Improvements were abounding in the early weight transfer sleds, that were not yet a 'race' sled. Ingenuity and usually not many $ propelled lots of home engineering to see what might work, in a pulling vehicle and the sleds. I find it interesting when Bryan's favorite pulling era is. Immediately following the NTPA bankruptcy when it is being challenged to not only stay afloat financially but to find what classes and particularly what weight to use per class to provide a good show that is still relatively affordable for the promoters. Truck classes eventually had only one weight. SS & Mod had various weights and even a dual wieght combo SS class championship, before 'they' finally figured out what should work best for promoter, puller and spectators. It was also a revolution in immense pulling vehicle power gains. Coupled with fine tuning the first 'race' type sleds, which certainly changed the dynamics of the pull show staged. Once the calendar flipped over to this century, pulling became a whole different sport in many ways. |
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Re: is pulling better now or 10 years ago
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Registered: 04/03/2016 Posts: 772 |
My feeling is that it is better on a state level now and it's not as good on the national level now. Now that's just my opinion and I am not saying anyone has to agree with it. |
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