Pics of my refreshed TO-35

In a recent forum exchange I offered to post some pictures of my TO35 after a 6-month stay in my shop. This tractor came from Mentor, Ohio, where it was originally purchased in 1955. The seller was the second owner, having acquired the tractor some 25 years ago when he bought a part of the Meister estate. The tractor had been purchased as a gift for Gilbert Meister, co-founder of the American Fruit Grower Publishing Company and its magazine (still published) American Fruit Grower. The seller said the tractor was stored in a shed on the property and showed about 440 hours on the tractormeter. He said he had used it occasionally for chores around the property and claimed everything worked. He was right. From the feel of the gears, the clutch, the steering, the 3-pt hitch, and everything else mechanical, the tractor feels new.

Over the winter I cleaned up the body panels (painted gray), replaced the corroded gas tank, and tended to other minor electrical issues with a new harness. Left to do are the wheels which will have to wait till fall. The tractor carries its original tires, in good usable condition. Generator and starter are original to the tractor.

As to performance, the tractor is lithe, powerful,and superbly engineered. It will sustain PTO speed in 2-high going up a slope while driving a 6-ft Bush Hog mower. Lots of little extras that make it a joy to drive. On the empty license plate holder -- I bought a rusty 1954 Ohio farm plate on eBay and sent it off to Darry's Plate restorations SIX MONTHS AGO. He's a nice guy for sure, but six months is a little ridiculous. I hope I get the plate back at all. Fortunately I bought a pair!

Pictures attached.

Bill
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great lookin machine !!

care to share the ser. no. ? I have a 55 too. my email is open for privacy if you wish.
 
Beautiful! I wish mine was the correct color. Mine is also in good working order spending much of its life in storage. It is for sale at the moment and can be found on this forum in the classifieds.
 
Is that a Cadillac under the cover that goes with the camper? Tractor looks good. What
color green did you use. It's the correct color but I use the codes for TO35-F40 but
it's not the same. I've had original green scanned but doesn't come out right. This is
one I've just finished with green code. Problem with picture.
a268378.jpg
 

The chassis green is an interesting issue. When I received my TO35, the chassis green was lighter than any paint code I could find as "correct." I ordered some "correct" automotive Dupont green (1968 Cadillac color) and found that it was very dark, much darker than the paint on the tractor which I took to be original. But when I took off some pieces like the air cleaner and generator, I found that someone a long time ago had painted over the dark green - so the color was not factory. What to do? I didn't especially like the dark green and I didn't like at all using balky automotive spray paints. I located a shade of Rustoleum 2X spray (an excellent, easy to use paint) that was darker than what was on the tractor but not quite as dark as "factory-correct." I used that in repainting the chassis. Obviously I did not do a full resto, strip everything, etc. The gray on the body panels (and eventually the wheels) is a powder coat that is a very close match to the factory paint. It looks good but caused all sorts of electrical grounding and fitting issues. I don't recommend it, except for wheels.
 
The car under the cover is a 1958 Buick Roadmaster 4-door hardtop. It is a partial restoration I'm having a hard time finishing - just don't have a lot of time to devote to it.



 
how do you turn picture around?

I'm at a Mac desktop - I save your picture to 'Photos', then export to 'exported photos' file on the desktop, then upload to here - and it's right side up

dunno - I could rotate the picture in 'Photos', but don't need to, it's right side up after I save it -

I'd guess it's a compatibility issue between Apple and this forum's software - another forum I frequent which uses a different platform has similar issues with posting pictures from iPhones

David
 
And I do want to compliment Lurayfarmer on the tractor and your good fortune in acquiring it - I have a small acquaintance with Dick Meister, who must be Gilbert's son, he is in his 90's now, and still a figurehead at the American Fruit Grower publications, not directly involved anymore, but still keeping tabs on things -

I am happy to hear that this model has good power when coupled to the 6' mower - I purchased a similar combination mower/tractor a week ago, but find the tractor weaker than I expected or you describe - it gives me hope as I sort thru this new-to-me machine that performance will improve - it has governor issues along with a worn out friction washer in the throttle linkage, and it feels like the timing might be off also -

16928.jpg
 
Very nice looking tractor! It may be the governor. When the TO35 is picking up load going uphill, the governor does a great job of maintaining RPMs if you have given it enough throttle. On your tractor, it could be the worn washer, or lack of lubrication, or a weak spring (I replaced mine just due to age). Timing is also possible. I haven't touched mine as I assume the factor setting has not been altered.

(quoted from post at 22:29:16 05/21/18) And I do want to compliment Lurayfarmer on the tractor and your good fortune in acquiring it - I have a small acquaintance with Dick Meister, who must be Gilbert's son, he is in his 90's now, and still a figurehead at the American Fruit Grower publications, not directly involved anymore, but still keeping tabs on things -

I am happy to hear that this model has good power when coupled to the 6' mower - I purchased a similar combination mower/tractor a week ago, but find the tractor weaker than I expected or you describe - it gives me hope as I sort thru this new-to-me machine that performance will improve - it has governor issues along with a worn out friction washer in the throttle linkage, and it feels like the timing might be off also -

16928.jpg
 
my kids photos when taken with their phones and sent via email to me are usually upside down in the email but when I open them on the computer the pics are right side up. beats me !
 
You have the iPhone upside down. It will take pictures both ways, but you need to have the lens in the lower right corner for pictures to be right side up. My iPad is the same way.

(quoted from post at 19:30:08 05/21/18) Pomester how do you turn picture around? When I take picture with IPhone it upside down
when posted.
 
I sent this thread off to Dick Meister via a mutual friend - here is the exchange -

"I thought I'd share Dick's response. Gates Mills to Mentor is about 15 miles, so that's quite a trip.

- Christina

-----Original Message-----
From: Dick Meister
Sent: Thursday, May 24, 2018 2:51 PM
To:
Subject: RE: Gilbert Meister's tractor

Thanks, you and David for the information about my uncle's tractor. I remember it well. It was a Ford Ferguson and I drove it once from Gates Mills all the way to Mentor without any trouble. Amazing to hear about it again. Thanks ---Best,---Dick"
 

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