[AT] Worn out from looking...

[Francis Robinson]

	I have sort of become friends with the fellow that bought and hauled all 
of the scrap that I got rid of so when he got a big scrapping job he called 
me to see if I wanted any of the stuff. I told him that I'm trying to cut 
down...   :-)   but today I went to look again anyway. He has sold several 
tractors including a decent looking F-20 with the engine apart and a fair 
looking Oliver (probably about a 70) on cutoff's. None of these tractors 
run and they are rusty. All probably need 4 tires... Most had been under 
roof but not in a real great environment. He still has a engineless MH 
(model unknown but about like a 30 maybe). There is also a Chicken Roost 
Case probably a DC kind of "eeehh? and a Case VAI with a mid mount sickle 
mower that looks to have possibilities. It is rusty all over except for 
some of the mower. The mower looks better than the tractor but the tractor 
doesn't look that bad. The rust is not that big hole making rust but the 
surface is pitted all over. The sheet metal is basically straight and 
repairable. I could turn the fan but could not tell about the engine. It 
did look complete and I didn't see any broken stuff or block cracks.
	There was another VA Case (tricycle)inside that looked decent but the head 
and radiator were off and the hood was sitting backward to protect the 
engine. I did not see the head but it might have been there. The radiator 
and grill were sitting on the floor behind the tractor. It also looked to 
maybe a reasonably easy restoration but may or may not need 4 tires. The 
light was not too good.
	Remember too that beauty is in the eye of the beholder and what I consider 
fairly easy to restore may not look that way to some one else...   :-)   I 
had an example of that just recently. I sold a used Shopsmith jointer on 
ebay. The transaction went OK and the buyer didn't give me negative 
feedback but did complain that I had not mentioned in the description that 
the blades were nicked... I guess that I figured that when you buy a used 
jointer that you understand that the blades are also used... I had been 
using that jointer and they did look nicked a tiny bit in one spot when I 
bought it but I had touched them lightly with a diamond stone while still 
in the jointer. It had been working perfectly (at least in my eyes) and I 
never gave a second thought that some one would expect perfection of 
appearance in the blades of a used tool. I never gave it a thought at all 
when I bought it like that. What we had was "a difference of perception". 
In my mind a cutting tool that cuts properly is OK. Some woodworkers on the 
other hand work endlessly trying to create the perfect cutting edge even 
though that fine fine edge is gone in about 12" of cutting. Now if I had 
said "new blades" or "sharp blades" that would be different. I just 
described the tool as "working good" and it did. I try to be very 
conservative in my descriptions.
	If anyone thinks they might be interested in any of these tractors email 
me and I will give you a phone number for the seller. I won't post it to 
the list. He probably doesn't need any more magazines...   :-)
	These tractors are in Rushville Indiana about 16 miles east of Shelbyville 
and about 30 miles south east of INDY.
	Some moron failed to toss in a camera when he left home...   :-)
	There is a whole herd of old Bolens lawn tractors and some others too.





--
"farmer"


Francis Robinson
Central Indiana, USA
Robinson at svs.net