[AT] Just too gorgeous to pass up

Dean Vinson dean at vinsonfarm.net
Thu May 13 15:12:46 PDT 2010


I wasn't in the market for another tractor this year, or so I thought.  I've
actually been in the process of getting ready to sell one, the Case VAH
that's up at my dad's farm, since I don't have room for it here or much
opportunity to work on it up there, and it's increasingly in my dad's way.
I went up a couple weeks ago and made sure it still starts and runs and took
some new photos, like this one:

http://www.vinsonfarm.net/photos/VAH_20100501.jpg.

I'll put it on the market pretty soon, which will take me back down to just
one tractor, the 1950 Farmall M that's in my garage here in Dayton.  Good
solid old tractor and I've had a lot of fun cleaning it up and tinkering
with it.  I flirted with selling it last year since I don't have a practical
need for it, but couldn't quite bring myself to let it go.

So that was the status quo for a while, until one day I ran across an ad for
a very late 1953 Super M, very much like the one I'd had a dozen years ago,
except even nicer.  Some of you will remember photos of the other one, such
as this:

http://www.vinsonfarm.net/photos/sm_hilltop.jpg.

I've always regretted letting that tractor go and have kept my eye out at
tractor shows and such for a similar one, but very rarely see any:  it had a
grille that was sort of a transition between the regular M/SM grille and the
SMTA grille, and which apparently only exists on some of the very late
production SMs.  Anyway, some weeks ago I was browsing eBay... and there was
an absolutely gorgeous very late 53 Super M, immaculately restored, live
hydraulics, two-way valve, belt pulley, etc--and it had the transitional
grille.  I knew I was done for the moment I saw it, but I at least had the
willpower to wait until shortly before the auction closed to bid on it.  I
paid more than I could ever hope to get back out of it, but (I tell myself)
less than it would cost to find another late SM and put it in this
condition, and in any case it was just too darn gorgeous to pass up.  So
here it is, safely in my yard and garage:

http://www.vinsonfarm.net/photos/SM_20100513.jpg.
http://www.vinsonfarm.net/photos/SM_20100509.jpg.

The M is up for sale on eBay right now... I'll miss it, but I can't keep
both--and have I mentioned that this SM was too gorgeous to pass up?  :-)

Dean Vinson
Dayton, Ohio
www.vinsonfarm.net





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