History Channel focuses on John Deere Tractors

Farmers used to till the soil with a horse and plow, but not now! Join host Ron Hazelton at the John Deere factory in Waterloo, Iowa--a 48-acre plant where workers assemble 17,000 parts to make the modern tractor. On the assembly line, Ron helps put together the chassis, drop on the cab, test the engine, and bolt on the wheels. Then, he test drives the tractor and learns to use its GPS system. It's all part of a segment on "how to build a tractor" for the cable network's "Hands on History" series.

Series host Ron Hazelton followed the assembly of a John Deere 8520 tractor, getting hands-on experience in the assembly of the chassis, the paint process, and installation of engine, cab, seat, and wheels. He capped off the day by driving the tractor off the line.

The segment will air on Saturday, Sept. 13, 4:00 – 4:30 p.m. CT .

The popular series spotlights American industry, taking viewers behind the scenes and inside a location that was or is pivotal to both the industry and America. This year's program will also include visits to Weber Grill and Mack Truck manufacturing facilities. Host Ron Hazelton is home improvement editor of ABC's "Good Morning America" show and hosts his "HouseCalls" television series.