[Farmall] Back in the M business

[Dean Vinson]

I got it in my head a week or two ago that it was time to have a tractor
here in the suburbs.  (I just recently reacquired my dad's old Case VAH from
the neighbor he sold it to years ago, but it's up on the farm and I only get
to visit every so often).  There'd been a particularly nice 1940 M on eBay
that caught my attention and got me thinking, and I came close to buying it.
But it was an inconvenient number of states away and wasn't going cheap, so
I managed to quit bidding before doing anything outrageous.

As a consolation prize I decided to browse the ytmag.com photo ads, and
start looking for something closer to home.  Big as life, there's a solid,
good-running 1950 M about 25 miles away.

I'd been thinking about going to see it this weekend, but I went over to the
Portland show today.  Visited with some folks, looked (unsuccessfully) for
some Case parts, watched some plowing and threshing and sawmilling, wandered
past a bunch of Ms on display.  On the way home it struck me that I might
make it back in time to go see this one for sale. and sure enough.  Liked
it, wrote the check.  The seller will even deliver it for me, so all I need
to do is clear out room in the garage to keep it.  (And get a wrench ready
to take off the muffler, so the tractor will clear the door. )

It needs a general cleanup, new wiring for the lights, new gauges, lots of
cosmetic work, and enough other odds and ends to keep me busy for a good
while.  This is the tractor on which the PTO doesn't work, but now that I
look at it I think it might just be a control rod problem.  Down by the base
of the seat is an an owner-added extra lever which connects to and actuates
the PTO rod, but the linkage is binding up.  I'll take that all off and see
what happens.

My practical need for this machine is pretty much zero.  But it sure felt
good to climb up on there and fire the old beast up.  Hot damn.

Dean Vinson
Dayton, Ohio
www.vinsonfarm.net