The lawn tractor collection of Landon Graybill, which currently numbers about a half dozen, began innocently enough when Landon was 9 and his grandfather Larry Buckwalter gave him a 1971 Sperry Rand S-14 model tractor made by New Holland Agriculture. The model originally belonged to Landon's great-grandfather Paul Sandoe, who bought it new at ABC Groff. "(Sandoe) had a little farmette, and he wanted a bigger tractor, so my dad (Buckwalter) bought it from him," explained Landon's mother, Jenn Graybill.

Landon is now 14 and a freshman at Garden Spot High School. His interest in collecting lawn tractors has grown, sending Landon and family members on expeditions four hours west of New Holland to bring back tractors he has found online. With the exception of one Ingersoll tractor, Landon's collection consists of Sperry Rand tractors from the early 1970s. He still has the original S-14 from his grandfather, plus two model S-8s, a second S-14, a model S-12, and a model S-16.

Sperry Rand owned New Holland Agriculture from the late 1940s until 1986. The New Holland garden tractors were developed in the 1960s, and the line was sold to Ariens in 1973.

When Landon was about 12, he and a friend found his second tractor acquisition while riding their bikes in New Holland. They saw the tractor in a yard, and they decided to ask the owner about it. The owner said that if the boys returned later with an adult, they could have the tractor.

Landon went to work restoring the second tractor. "After the second one was running, he told me there was a whole line of these tractors - an 8, 12, 14, and 16," recalled Jenn. "He said, 'I'm going to own them all.'" Jenn was surprised at his interest. "For a kid that age (to want to collect all these tractors), I didn't know how he would do that." Landon, who was by then 13 years old, knew what to do, however. He researched the tractors online in forums created for collectors, and he went to work. In addition to mowing lawns, shoveling, and raking leaves, he worked for his grandfather for a summer. In return for the work, his grandfather gave him an Ingersoll tractor.

By the summer of 2024, Landon had saved a significant amount toward expanding his collection. "He started scouring through Facebook Marketplace," said Jenn, who noted that Landon found both tractors and parts he wanted at a location about an hour west of the family cabin in Huntington County. He asked Jenn how to decide what items he could afford. "I asked what (items were) the most important," said Jenn, who told Landon, "Triage your list." Landon and the seller arrived at a deal, but Landon knew the seller had more items of interest. "(Landon) wrote up a business proposal to my dad," explained Jenn, noting that Landon asked his grandfather for a loan for the difference, promising to repay him by Christmas. Jenn recalled that when Landon presented the plan to his grandfather, Buckwalter "smiled so big." In June of 2024, the pair took a trailer and drove to meet the seller. Landon's father, Stan, waited with Jenn at the cabin for the two to return from making their purchase. "We stood out in the driveway to see them arrive," said Jenn. "I saw this trailer, and I said, 'Stan, does that look like one or two tractors?'" Stan responded. "That looks like four tractors." Not only did Landon and Buckwalter bring back four tractors, but they had also acquired two mowing decks. When Jenn learned that her father had suggested to Landon that they purchase more than they had planned, Jenn laughed and told her dad, "You don't ask a 13-year-old who is obsessed with tractors if he wants them all." Although none of the tractors worked when they came back to the cabin, a week later, two of them were running.

Currently, Landon has the S-16 model at his parents' home in New Holland, and the other tractors are at the cabin. He is working on restoring the S-16. "The 16 is running," shared Landon, who added that he has the parts he needs and is planning to fix some wiring in the near future. "I'm hoping in the next two months that one will be done with all the things it needs," he stated.

Eventually, he would like to show his collection in shows and at fairs. "There's a fan base for people who collect and show tractors," said Jenn.

Landon spends time looking for hard-to-find parts. Jenn shared that Landon recently found a plow in the Poconos and came home "thrilled" when he also picked up an S-16 model tractor as well as a number of parts.

Jenn noted that she does not know where her son's love of tractors originates, but if he is not present at breakfast on Saturday, she does know where to look. "If we don't hear Landon when the bacon is on, we know he is already out the door in the garage," she said, adding, "(He will be) dirty and under a tractor."