[Farmall] First THT since November

olmstead at ridgenet.net olmstead at ridgenet.net
Sat Jan 10 20:27:45 PST 2009


I'm tired.  This tractor hauling trip stuff can be exhausting.  Drove 412
miles today, mostly on the California freeway system, to bring home two
O-12s that a friend of mine in Desert Hot Springs was selling.  He got fed
up with the hard starting.

California's budget shortfall is beginning to show.  Highways 215 and 10
were rougher than I have ever seen them.  On the way south, with the
trailer empty, I found several stretches that were choppy at just the
right spacing to resonate with my truck and trailer.  I was bouncing up
and down so hard that the seat belt was jerking on me and I could hear the
5th wheel hitch slamming up and down, which never happens in normal
driving.  Had to drop back to 50 to break up the resonance.

I left a little after sunrise this morning, and would have made it home by
dark if CHP hadn't closed off Highway 395.  That threw a monkey wrench in
my plans and resulted in a 50 mile detour.  Still kicking myself for not
taking the laptop computer and GPS attachment.  That plus some mapping
software really helps when I am forced off the beaten path.  Typical
southern California weather; it was 28 degrees when I got up in Inyokern,
and I had to run the A/C in the truck when I got down to Palm Springs.

But enough griping.  The best O-12 is a '36 or '37, hand clutch, flip up
seat, large front wheels.  New rear tires.  I drove it onto my trailer. 
Runs just fine despite an after market magneto.  Missing the fan belt, and
needs a lot of small stuff, like rebuilding the fuel pump and reassembling
the factory fuel plumbing.  The hand crank bushing is all busted up, which
is par for the course on O-12s.  The worst thing about the tractor is the
fenders; someone has removed the wrinkled fender top skins and welded flat
sheet metal to the inner fenders.  At least I think it is welded. 
Hopefully I'm wrong.  Completely functional, but they don't have the
factory ribs.

The other tractor is a '34, foot clutch, large front wheels, and bucket
seat.  The engine isn't stuck, so I'll probably try and get it running. 
Tires were all up, but mismatched and pretty rough.  No hood or fenders.
Dead F4 magneto with E4A automatic impulse.

Both tractors had water in their cooling systems, so I had to go back out
after supper and drain them.  It's been freezing every night here, and the
tractors are out under the stars, still on my trailer.

I may be slightly overstocked on O-12s.  I think the grand total is now
twelve.  I'm gradually pulling them out of storage and lining them up to
do an inventory.  I'm thinking that four or five would be plenty to keep. 
A couple will probably get parted out.  I don't like having my storage
shed packed full; it leaves me no room for future acquisitions.

Anyway, I'm back safe and sound.  Tomorrow I'll get the new tractors
unloaded and lined up with the rest for pictures and evaluation.

-Karl




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