Farmall B on side of the road...

dstates · Nov 3, 2010

Hello... first post here. I'm looking for a small first project to get ready for fixing up my grandfather's H. This '46 B is local and looks to be in pretty good shape. Sheetmetal needs some straightening and the paint looks recent, but not the best job. The tires are also cracked (left rear is worst). Any thoughts on what this might be worth? How much are new rear tires? I don't know what he is asking for it yet because no one was home.

Thanks for your help.

Brian Schmidt · Nov 3, 2010

Good looking B. Tires are definately useable. Could be much worse and still last a lifetime. Prices are all over the board. I would think nothing less than $1000 and more likely $1600.

old · Nov 3, 2010

Tires like those could well last a decade or more I know I have worse on one of mine and they have been there for more then 15 years and back then I was told I needed to replace them and I said yep I will when they fall off or go flat and I'm still waiting.
Now as for the seat I can not put my finger on it but something looks out of place.
I'd say if I had to guess the guy is going to be asking $2000 if not more but a B in that shape is about a $1500 machine maybe a tad less

Tom Fleming · Nov 4, 2010

Well, the seat is not correct, but not a crisis. It is the ventilated type found on the F series tractors. No crisis though.

Rear tires are fine, especially if it is going to be a trialer queen.

Anything between $1000 and $1500 is a good price. If they want more than $1500, give him you name and number. Tell him to call you if it doesn't sell.

as always, IMHO.

gene bender · Nov 4, 2010

Pretty nice B three lites a seat and battery box and there you go. 1500 would be in the ballpark. What would be your plans for the tractor restoration or general use. Those tires will probably out last a lor of things you have you can scrub them clean with soap and water then get some tire paint and you will have a great surprise.

dstates · Nov 4, 2010

Yeah it looks to be in pretty good shape. I just questioned the tires because the left rear had what looked to me as pretty big cracks at the bottom corners of the treads. It wouldn't become a work tractor as I only have one acre, but I'd probably try to find a blade for it to push some MN snow around. The rest of the time it would be a "hay ride" tractor of sorts.

Gene, I've seen your second seat setup and I'd probably put that on for my kids to ride around w/ me.

Thanks for all the info. I'll let you know what he is asking when I find out.

mkirsch · Nov 4, 2010

Whatever he's asking is more than it's worth. Otherwise, it wouldn't be sitting by the road with a For Sale sign on it...

If you pulled that "cracked" tire off the tractor you'd find that the inside of the casing is in pristine condition, most likely. Those cracks are only in the surface layer of the tire.

rustyfarmall · Nov 4, 2010

I'm guessing that new tires in a size to fit that B will run in the $300 to $400 range each. Tires with big cracks in them definitely ARE a concern, and if those cracks are bad enough, the price of the tractor does need to be discounted. I've got an H that had rear tires that looked even better than what's on that B, except for the cracks in the tread and sidewalls, but I wasn't too worried about it. Went to the shed one day early this spring and found the H sitting all lop-sided because one of the cracks in the sidewall had decided to open up and let the tube come through. I took that tire off the rim, and found that crack had split apart to the point that I could push my fist and arm right through. 2 new Titans and 2 new tubes set me back almost $1,000.00.

Anonymous-0 · Nov 4, 2010

Hey Brian how did your plow day go?

Dave H (MI) · Nov 4, 2010

Looks pretty good to me. I would sell that seat and scare up an original. Needs a battery box and a battery that fits in it. Sheet metal, fenders, nose seem pretty good. Has pulley, drawbar, looks like it could be original electrically but won't swear by it. At least I don't see an alternator and spaghetti wires running all over it. I would run it around a fair amount in all gears and mebbe try seeing if it will pull something on wheels that is fairly heavy. If it seems mechanically sound I would buy it for anything in the low $1000 range. My initial budget would be $3-500 for parts, gaskets, seals, kits etc. I hate dripping tractors. If you are going to paint, double that estimate and add a little more. Tires you can shop but $300 each for new rears is not out of the question. I would consider that a promising prospect. You should see some of the stuff I drag home.

TheDurk · Nov 4, 2010

I have been considering these tires for my 1966 140, almost due for third set of shoes. $540 shipped anywhere east of the Rockies for all four (don't think the fronts would fit a B, but I guess they can do other deals.) They were discussed in Tractor Talk and a few folks were happy with them.

http://cgi.ebay.com/2-9-5x24-8-P-2-...pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3f04790a20

ScottyHOMeY · Nov 4, 2010

I'm pretty much on board with the others. I suspect you've got a lot life left in those rear tires for the kind of work you're thinkin' of. If those are sound and it runs, it's really only a matter of how "correct" you want it to be. Only thing I see in that regard are the seat and the seat mounts. Seat pan is, as Gene says, from another tractor. For whatever reason, someone has hashed up the left-hand seat mount -- it should have two complete circles in it, just like the one on the right. It probably started as original -- you can see the serial number plate on it. It's hard to tell from the pictures, but if the right-hand seat mount is bolted up to the final drive, then there's been some other modification, as that was the arrangement for the A and BN. On the B, being wider, there was a bracket that mounted on the floor pand for the seat support, inboard of the final drive. There's a heavy rain between me and my parts book right now, but it strikes me there may have been a different right seat support for that right side that bolted to that bracket on the B, not sure off the top of my head. And that square tubing on top of the supports is an add-on, probably to add some height. All the same, if it functions and fits you okay, not a big problem.

If it runs, I'd say it's a good clean tractor. Thousandish in the right market.

dstates · Nov 4, 2010

Okay, I stopped by his place again today and he was to busy w/ a broken well pump to let me start it up and check it out some more (plus it was getting dark), but I got his number and he is asking $1600 for it. So after some negotiating it would probably be right in the range you guys have all mentioned. Thanks for all the help.

Here's a curve ball. I've found another B an hour's drive away for $1100. I am liking this new one better because of the price and it already has a snow plow, chains and the controls for one. He is using the belt pulley drive on a hydraulic motor. It also looks like it is a modified seat in order to make room for the resevoir. The tires look pretty good on this one too. If I remember right the engine has recently been rebuilt. Any comments on this one?

rustyfarmall · Nov 5, 2010

I'd go for the second B with the snowplow already mounted for $1,100. That first B is not worth $1,600.

mkirsch · Nov 5, 2010

I agree with Rusty.

You're not going to be able to negotiate the price more than $50-100, which is still too high for that tractor.

The second B has an aftermarket suspension seat. I think it's a Knoedler or something like that. Original seats are hard mounted, and not much fun on rough ground.

Tom Fleming · Nov 5, 2010

and Baby makes 3!!!!

definately the last one. Ready to rock as is. Any money you spend on it after you own it, will make it better. On the first one, you would need to invest in a snow plow, hydraulics, chains, etc., then you can spend money to make it better.

IMHO

dstates · Nov 11, 2010

Okay, so I'm going to try an go see the second B w/ the plow this weekend if the weather holds. I spoke to the owner on the phone and he said it needs new back tires (I don't know if it does, but I do know that the two rear tires on it don't have matching tread). It looks like new tires would be about $300-350 for a pair. He said the front tires are pretty new. It has the engine rebuilt a few years ago. It sounds like the hydraulic cylinder needs repair an the oil pan has a small leak.

What price should I offer him? He has already come down to $1000, but if I"m gonna need new tires on it that is going to cost me.

rustyfarmall · Nov 12, 2010

(quoted from post at 21:08:57 11/11/10) Okay, so I'm going to try an go see the second B w/ the plow this weekend if the weather holds. I spoke to the owner on the phone and he said it needs new back tires (I don't know if it does, but I do know that the two rear tires on it don't have matching tread). It looks like new tires would be about $300-350 for a pair. He said the front tires are pretty new. It has the engine rebuilt a few years ago. It sounds like the hydraulic cylinder needs repair an the oil pan has a small leak.

What price should I offer him? He has already come down to $1000, but if I"m gonna need new tires on it that is going to cost me.

If that tractor is as good as the owner claims it to be, the asking price is reasonable. You might make an offer of $800, but I don't expect he would consider it. Even with $350 for new rear tires, you will still have a very useable tractor for under $1,500, and $1,500 just won't buy very much of anything anymore.

dstates · Nov 12, 2010

I'm trying to get a trailer to go potentially pick up the B. Does anyone know how wide it is? external_link says 101 inches (almost 8.5 feet). Does that sound right?

rustyfarmall · Nov 12, 2010

(quoted from post at 07:32:27 11/12/10) I'm trying to get a trailer to go potentially pick up the B. Does anyone know how wide it is? external_link says 101 inches (almost 8.5 feet). Does that sound right?

Yes, that sounds about right. That tractor will not fit between the fenders of a normal car trailer.

dstates · Nov 12, 2010

(quoted from post at 10:03:00 11/12/10)

(quoted from post at 07:32:27 11/12/10) I'm trying to get a trailer to go potentially pick up the B. Does anyone know how wide it is? external_link says 101 inches (almost 8.5 feet). Does that sound right?

Click to expand...

Yes, that sounds about right. That tractor will not fit between the fenders of a normal car trailer.

As this would be my first tractor and I don't have a trailer, maybe a B isn't a good choice. I don't really plan on hauling it around a lot, but if I did want to take it somewhere I don't want to have to buy a 5th wheel and gooseneck trailer. Any suggestions?

dstates · Nov 12, 2010

Well, I just got an email that the owner measured the width of the tractor and it is 82 inches wide. That would be much easier to transport. Does 82 inches (almost 7 ft) sound right for a B? If it is, then I'll have to send in an update to external_link

Farmall B on side of the road...

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