Farmall ethical dilemma

Zachary Hoyt · Jun 14, 2011

I bought a 1953 Super H with a stuck engine a month or so ago for $900 including delivery to save it from being scrapped. I know it is worth quite a bit more in parts but I hate to part it out since the casting codes all match and it is pretty complete and original. I'd like to break even and sell it to someone who would restore it, but I don't really want to take a loss on it. Is there any value in the drawbar control arm thing or the two way hydraulics, if I took them off and sold them and then sold the tractor for that much less? I know I can sell the weights separately sooner or later. Any advice will be very much appreciated. I am in NY if that makes any difference in values.
Zach

rustyfarmall · Jun 14, 2011

(quoted from post at 06:26:02 06/14/11) I bought a 1953 Super H with a stuck engine a month or so ago for $900 including delivery to save it from being scrapped. I know it is worth quite a bit more in parts but I hate to part it out since the casting codes all match and it is pretty complete and original. I'd like to break even and sell it to someone who would restore it, but I don't really want to take a loss on it. Is there any value in the drawbar control arm thing or the two way hydraulics, if I took them off and sold them and then sold the tractor for that much less? I know I can sell the weights separately sooner or later. Any advice will be very much appreciated. I am in NY if that makes any difference in values.
Zach

Just my opinion, but if you remove the accessories, that tractor, with a STUCK engine, is worth less than $500.

Allan in NE · Jun 14, 2011

I agree with Rusty,

Any tractor with a stuck engine is worth about $600 less than what you just paid for it.

Write this down for future reference: you're not gonna break even. :>)

Allan

sflem849 · Jun 14, 2011

Ditto, your not going to break even unless you keep it and never sell it. If you wanted to save it from being scrapped you should really pay for it by the ton.

The 2 way hydraulics are worth $100 or so around here.

rustyfarmall · Jun 14, 2011

(quoted from post at 07:40:13 06/14/11) Ditto, your not going to break even unless you keep it and never sell it. If you wanted to save it from being scrapped you should really pay for it by the ton.

The 2 way hydraulics are worth $100 or so around here.

And the wheel weights are worth about $70 or less per pair around here.

Mark in Upstate · Jun 14, 2011

Where in NY? Email me Zach

Zachary Hoyt · Jun 14, 2011

Thanks, I'm about 40 miles north of Syracuse NY. I know I can get $100 for the weights, or at least I have before. I wouldn't have paid that much if I could have gotten it for less, but I figured better to have to part it out than for it to get scrapped.
Zach

53 super H · Jun 14, 2011

Keep it as is and either sell it or restore but don't part out a good complete tractor.

dhermesc · Jun 14, 2011

With a stuck engine I'd hardly call it a "good" anything.

sflem849 · Jun 14, 2011

(quoted from post at 08:34:15 06/14/11)

(quoted from post at 07:40:13 06/14/11) Ditto, your not going to break even unless you keep it and never sell it. If you wanted to save it from being scrapped you should really pay for it by the ton.

The 2 way hydraulics are worth $100 or so around here.

Click to expand...

And the wheel weights are worth about $70 or less per pair around here.

They used to be $65 at Jackel's IIRC. My neighbor asked the other day and apparently they have crept up to $85 now. Good thing I just "found" two pairs in my shed. I finally realized I have a problem when I moved all the tractors out of the shed and found LOTS of spare parts I forgot about.

mkirsch · Jun 14, 2011

Zach, I see your ad in the photo section every few days, and it hooks me every time... Super H for $950 in NY? Oh boy! Stuck engine? Awwww, now I'm sad...

If you could free up the engine and stick a distributor on it, that would go a long way in selling it for more. You still might not break even, but a free engine is worth a whole lot more than a lump of rusted-up nothing.

You might luck out, it might not be that badly stuck.

Keep in mind, you can't save them all. If we saved everything of "historical significance" we would be eyeball-deep in JUNK.

Odds are this guy was just a blowhard "terrorist" threatening to throw the tractor into the smelting pot as a sales tactic anyway...

sflem849 · Jun 14, 2011

By the way, don't feel bad at all. I bought a marginal B for $700 and got it home and threw a little money at it. I figure I am $800 into it and I can't get anybody to even call at that price.
It does have a repaired block. When people look at that I think I would have better luck selling radish sprouts in Germany. I would part the thing out to try and recover my cash, but I am not sure that is worth it. The torque tube and trans gears need attention. The fenders aren't good enough to sell. The hood and grill are repairable, but nobody wants to buy tin needing attention. The rear rims and tires are about the only thing I can sell.

Zachary Hoyt · Jun 14, 2011

Yes, I've got a distributor to go on it, and I will get some oil in the
cylinders and try to free it up. From what I've read it seems like ATF
is the stuff of choice.
Zach

Andy in Ripon · Jun 14, 2011

I have freed up many tractors... give it a try.
Heck, one of the tractors I freed up was stuck for 20 years, according to the owner.

Anonymous-0 · Jun 14, 2011

Seems to me that here in Minnesota that complete tractor would sell easily at $800.00 , even stuck. Around here in ads and auctions, what I have seen is even a straight H in fair to poor condition will still fetch 800-$1000. Wheel wieghts go around 125-$150 each here. Ive read you guys comments about values in other places and am always saying to myself - Thats cheap ! Any other Minnesota guys agree with me ? I ve heard many times that Iowa is the place for good deals on old Farmalls, but I don t know that for fact.

Anonymous-0 · Jun 14, 2011

Oops, I meant I thought it would sell easily at the $950.00 he paid for it around here , not $800.00, sorry...

cbice · Jun 14, 2011

Give me a call I live in Ogdensburg NY,
315 344 7368
Thanks

CNKS · Jun 14, 2011

If it is a stage 2 with live hydraulics, it is worth at least $4000 restored. Of course it will cost more than that to restore. The 2 way hydraulics make it more valuable. SO, it depends on your ethics.

Pete76NY · Jun 15, 2011

If it is fairly straight and original, and because it is a Super H and a Stage II with the way tractor prices are here in NY you prolly did OK, how are the tires?
We just unstuck a JD A that had been outside for quite a few years...took about 2 weeks, combo of Marvel Mystery Oil, White Vinegar, and PB Blaster. I would try to get her broke loose and see if she'll go!
We paid 1300 for our Stage I, straight tin, buty needed a front end rebuild, engine overhaul, and of course ended up with a new clutch since it was split, new radiator, rebuilt water pump, starter, generator, distributer, new wiring, a carb rebuild, new silver cloth seat, steering wheel and cut decals and paint. Probably about what anyone would have to do with the stuck one if they wanted to refurb one, so I would think someone would at least let ya break even if ya don't get it running.

mkirsch · Jun 15, 2011

If you guys want to look at it, it's in the photo ads section...

https://photos.yesterdaystractors.c...utton=on&db_id=434949&query=retrieval

IH fan · Jun 15, 2011

Well, there is stuck and there is STUCK!! A lot will depend on how bad it's stuck. I'd sure try to get it freed up before doing anything. Friend of mine recently bought a stuck D-14 AC from a neighbor, but it had run less than a year before he bought it. He has had health problems and hasn't messed with it yet, but has ATF soaking in it now. I think he'll have a good tractor soon.

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