[AT] Local tractor restoration business.

[Dean VP]

Farmer:

Interesting article. As you may recall I asked you to contact K & K for me
because I had ordered something from them and wasn't getting shipment. I had
met Kent at the Gathering of the Green in Moline, IL in 2000 and paid for an
ordered some parts. Eventually, I did get the shipment. To be fair it was a
reproduction part that they were casting and I was one of their first
customers for the part. The communication was not acceptable however. After
several months and with your help I did get the parts. It was a reproduction
spark arrestor muffler for a 1936 JD AO. This assembly shows quite
prominently on the right side of the tractor. The assembly looks a bit like
a bee hive hanging off the side of the head. 

Upon receipt inspection I was quite dismayed to find several casting voids
that were quite deep and prominent.  I immediately became concerned that the
casting was so thin in places that it would burn through at some of the
voids. And it really didn't look good at all. So I called Kent to tell him I
wasn't happy with the part and either wanted to send it back or get a good
replacement. There was no additional discussion and he told me he would send
me a replacement. 

Ok, so a few more months went by. I called again and this time I got Kent's
wife, I don't remember her name, on the phone and asked when my muffler
casting was going to ship. Well, she became quite indignant and told me that
it had shipped several months ago.  But, but... I told her I had received
that shipment and that it was defective and that I had been informed by Kent
a replacement was being shipped. The phone went quiet for several minutes,
she apparently talked to Kent, and eventually informed me that the
replacement would be shipped soon. In a not a very pleasant tone of voice, I
might add. I eventually received the replacement casting. Unfortunately not
only was the replacement casting not much better, it was an obviously used
one. I decided to not spend any more time trying to get the issue resolved
and have lived with the replacement part. After I did some some additional
repair and cleanup on the part. 

So my first and only interaction with K & K wasn't a very good one. K & K is
quite well known in the JD Collecting arena and must have a fairly decent
reputation to continue growing their business. They are well known for their
quality and, more importantly, correctness of their decals for JD tractors.
In fact one of the major authors in the JD collecting field only recommends
K & K and Jorde for acceptable vendors for JD decals. Kent is also one of
the most knowledgeable people in the JD collecting community when it comes
to what pan seats were used, when, on JD early unstyled and styled tractors.
JD went from 24 hole to 9 hole to 7 hole to 5 hole to 3 hole pan style seats
at various times, not necessarily in order over time. K & K makes the
reproduction 24 hole seat version and many others as well as K & K make a 9
hole reproduction seat. 

So I have a mixed view of K & K. 

Dean A. Van Peursem
Snohomish, WA 98290

I'm a walking storeroom of facts..... I've just lost the key to the
storeroom door 


www.deerelegacy.com

http://members.cox.net/classicweb/email.htm



-----Original Message-----
From: at-bounces at lists.antique-tractor.com
[mailto:at-bounces at lists.antique-tractor.com] On Behalf Of Francis Robinson
Sent: Wednesday, December 01, 2004 7:42 AM
To: A.T.I.S.
Subject: [AT] Local tractor restoration business.

	Here is a picture and article from the front page of our local
paper. Click on the headline to read the 
article...

http://www.shelbynews.com/


	I don't have any problem with him but I find that he is generally
not all that popular locally. He comes off 
as pretty arrogant to many people in person. I chat with him at shows but
consider him an acquaintance 
rather than a friend. One of his employees and I are friends and his former
partner and my sister dated steady 
through high school in the late 1950's.
	I believe it was his grandfather (I lose track of who is related and
how), Paul Kaster, that had a 
Ferguson dealership from about 1948 up through the mid 1950's when he sold
out and started a small factory 
making farm equipment. I believe his first product was a small 3 point
utility box with woodsides and floor on a 
steel frame. He also produced a hopper wagon bed that folded down to make a
flat bed. It was only 
moderately successful. Later he formed Kasco Mfg. (still in business) and
one of the big sellers was a three 
bar mounted plow harrow. He sold a zillion of those all over. He was very
good friends with my father and in 
the early 1950's they shared a tent and show space at the county fair. He
displayed Frerguson tractors and 
my father was selling metal bins and corn cribs. Paul Kaster and I got
re-acquainted years later when I bought 
one of Kasco's larger sawmills. I could saw a straight log 30" in diameter
and 24 feet long without having to 
split it.

	Probably more stuff than you wanted to know.   :-)



"farmer"


Francis Robinson
Central Indiana USA
robinson at svs.net



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