A good tractor is crucial for farmers but can also be very expensive.
A Jackson County farmer wasn’t happy when he woke up Tuesday morning to find his tractor had been stolen right from his farm.
It happened late Monday night at Lincoln Farms in Springport.
He's all smiles now, but it was a much different story when Gaylord Lincoln woke up to find this tractor missing.
“One of my men parked the tractor at approximately 9 p.m. Monday night,” said Lincoln. “Yesterday (Tuesday) morning around 6:30 p.m. we went to go get the tractor and it was gone, they had unhooked the tillage tool on the back.”
The estimated worth of the tractor is close to $500,000.
Lincoln was convinced the tractor was gone for good.
“I thought that maybe a neighbor borrowed it and forgot to call me or something,” said Lincoln.
After calling 911, Michigan State Police went into action almost immediately. A chopper was sent to the skies in an attempt to find the missing tractor.
It didn’t take long before it was found hidden behind woods near Baseline and Arland Roads in Onondaga.
According to Google Maps, it’s a 7.7 mile drive northeast from Lincoln Farms.
The tractor was recovered with minor damage. Part of the hood has been cracked, a piece of plastic covering the headlights has been disconnected, and there are some minor scrapes on the side.
“It was a group of kids that had stolen a camper the night before and gotten it stuck, they thought they could push it out with my tractor,” said Lincoln. “They had backed it up and torched the camper.”
It's now back to business for Lincoln Farms after an unusual start to the week.
The tractor's owner heard back from the insurance company Wednesday afternoon. He's told its going cost around $12,000 to repair the damage.
Michigan State Police aren't commenting on the case because it's still under investigation.
