[Farmall] Farmall Luck at Greater MN Twin Cylinder Field Days

[Daniel W. Oehmke]

My oldest son and I went up North to go to the Greater MN Twin Cylinder
Club's Field Days near Little Falls, MN this past weekend.  We go each
year, and especially enjoy the auction.

Naturally, you'd expect mostly John Deere stuff at this auction, but
there's always a nice mix other stuff. Now both my Father-in-law and son
are true John Deere loyalists, although my father-in-law did break down
and get an F-14 shortly after I got my first F-12.  I myself started out
green too, but you know --- my dad grew up on an F-12 and later a Ferg
TO-20.  Now, after this weekend, I have more Farmall F-series tractors
than John Deere.

You see, there were these two rusty old F-20s on shot rubber with
somewhat rotted rims.  One was very complete and original and very
stuck, while the other looked complete and clean with the entire engine
tore down and stacked on three pallets.  And a third loose F-20 still
had a complete coat of faded red paint with excellent rubber.  I figured
the loose tractor would go for more than I was willing to pay, since I
was picking up another stuck F-12 on the way home Sunday and need to
figure out how to get a 10-20 here from near Madison, WI.  

So, just on the off chance the stuck/pile-of-parts F-20s might go cheap,
I kept an eye on both auctioneers.  Finally, one of them gets to the two
tractors, but starts with the cultivator.  I'm thinking well it'd be
nice to have the cultivator that goes with this tractor, but I'm not
planning on getting the tractor.  Cultivator sells for like $25.  Then,
nobody will bid on the pile-of-parts F-20.  They're coming down with the
opening bid $30, $25, $20, $15.  Hell, I think, I'll give $15, raise my
hand and say I'll give $15.  You know how fast these guys mumble, so I'm
still not sure but I think he said, "OK I have $50, who'll give $60?"
Pretty soon, it's all over.  I get the pile-of-parts tractor for $110
and am feeling pretty good.

Then, as I start thinking, "this damn thing is too wide for my trailer,"
it seems like every Farmall guy needing parts hits me up for something.
One guy is really interested in the air cleaner and suggesting, "you're
not going to try putting this together are you?"  Meanwhile, the bidding
is stalling at like $80 for the stuck but very complete/original F-20.
So I excuse myself and turn to join the bidding.  It ends at $140, with
me now wondering how in blazes am I going to get two of these monsters
home.  As you might guess, in my stress and confusion, I turn to the
fellow wanting the air cleaner and say, "Guess, I won't be needing two
of 'em to get one tractor running."  So based on what I paid for
tractors, he get a generous bargain price on the air cleaner.

About this time, I turn to see the auctioneer at the end of the next row
selling the loose F-20 w/loader.  As my brain catches up that he can't
get $300 it goes for $275.  Well, "OK," I think, "I like the bigger
challenge."  I wander over to my father-in-law by the other auctioneer
and mention what the tractors went for and if he might know a way to get
them to his nearby farm.  So we go to look them over and there's another
guy wanting to buy a bucket of parts with the connecting rod bearings.
Since they look sort of tired, I figure he can have 'em cheap and I'll
put new ones in --- since I'm assuming they're available like F-12
bearings.  Of course now I'm already planning on getting both tractors
up and running and kicking myself for letting the air cleaner go. But
why reuse tired bearings?

Fortunately, by the end-of-the-day, I declined to sell what I'm told is
a fairly hard to find original/early style seat and told another fellow
I needed to inventory parts and consider my options before letting go of
a spark control rod and brake pedals.  I also had the chance to talk to
a handful of Farmall people and learn a lot.  I also met the seller, who
explained that these were his grandfather's tractors and he had tore the
one down to restore with his grandfather.  They had hoped to get it done
before he died, but that didn't work out.  Then this fellow got married,
etc., etc., and they were just sitting around.  He explained that all
the parts were there and everything is sound, no cracks in the block,
etc.  

So after talking to the PO, I'm definitely going to restore both
tractors.  Early the next morning at the farm I'm really kicking myself
about the air cleaner as we go through the parts.  We also conclude the
castle nuts for the connecting rods were probably in the bucket the
fellow bought with the bearings.  Then in church, where I'm not supposed
to be thinking about tractors, it hits me:  "we didn't see any caps for
the connecting rods....oh, nooooo...were those in that bucket too?"  I
had looked through the bucket and pulled out a few important parts and
only remembered leaving in the bearings and a couple of small
miscellaneous nuts/bolts.  

So to wrap up a long story, I got a great buy on two exciting projects
and expanded my F-series fleet.  And I also learned not to be too hasty
in selling off parts from a disassembled tractor!  Do a little inventory
first and if it's all there and in good shape, somebody just saved you
the work of taking it apart!!