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Deutz Dealer Also Collects, Restores
I like to collect what people don’t see every day,” says Dale Landwehr. So instead of the better known “green” tractor, you’ll find green Deutz and Deutz-Fahr tractors, a blue and yellow Lamborghini tractor, and other European tractors on his Stratford, Wis., property.
Landwehr traces his obsession for Deutz back to his teen years when his father, LaVern, fixed his neighbor’s Deutz tractor and decided to start a Deutz dealership in 1976. Dale Landwehr and his sister, Carolyn Stroetz, currently own the Deutz-Fahr dealership. Besides selling new tractors and equipment, Landwehr’s real passion is restoring and preserving the old. He has a salvage yard with a couple of hundred tractors (mostly Deutz) for parts to sell to customers or use for his restorations.
He and his friends, Steve and Sue Breseman, have more than a dozen tractors that they’ve worked on together to restore. Though some are from other manufacturers such as Oliver, Landwehr prefers Deutz.
“We are German,” he notes. “And Germans are noted for precise machining and quality workmanship. Deutz tractors have always been diesel and are very fuel efficient and put out lots of power on a lot less fuel.”
The first tractors had water-cooled engines, but Deutz switched to air-cooled engines in 1950. The company kept the air-cooled engines until 1990, which set them apart from other models.
Landwehr’s oldest tractors are from 1948 and 1949, with water-cooled engines, that he had shipped from Germany. He notes that some models featured double seats as Germans often used them for farming and general transportation.
A 1977 3006 was a popular tractor model that LaVern purchased for his use, and Landwehr bought it from him for his collection. Landwehr’s wife, Sonia, likes to drive a 1952 single-cylinder, air-cooled diesel in parades and shows. Another eye-catching tractor is “The Beast,” a 1957 3-cyl. Deutz that’s heavy for a 45-hp. tractor.
Though most of the tractors in the collection have been completely torn down, restored and painted, Landwehr likes to keep well-preserved tractors in their original condition. For example, he has a 1964 Deutz 55-05 55-hp. tractor he purchased from Canada with low hours and the original tires.
“The 1964 Lamborghini attracts attention,” Landwehr adds, noting it is also part of the Deutz-Fahr family. Through the years, Deutz made acquisitions, including with Allis for a short time. The merger with Fahr added farm equipment to the line.
Another innovation by Deutz was adding a 3-pt. hitch, PTO and hydraulics on the front as well as the back. Landwehr has a 1979 Intrac 2004 that was popular with small farm operators because it could run two pieces of equipment at the same time.
Besides full-size tractors, Landwehr has a large collection of toys and memorabilia in a building near his business, Landwehr Repair. He gives tours by appointment only. Part of his collection can be seen on YouTube: Landwehr Repair – Deutz-Fahr Collection Testimonial.
Farmers and collectors looking for Deutz parts can also contact him through his business.
Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Dale Landwehr, Landwehr Repair, 110445 Equity St., Stratford, Wis. 54484 (ph 715-687-2317; deutzman11@yahoo.com).


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2023 - Volume #47, Issue #1