Traded a JD for a Cresent Wrench

Back in the early 60's I can remember my Dad telling me he lost his 24 in cresent wrench. Not much more was thought about the wrench. Around 35 years later I was talking with my friend and he told me he found a cresent wrench at his Dad's place where my dad did some discing back in the 60's, and he thought it may by my Dad's. I told him that is about the same time my Dad lost his. When my friend's Dad sold his place My Dad got a lot of scrap iron, part of it was a late 30's JD. I talked my dad into not scrapping the tractor. It has just sat for 40 or more years. My fried couldn't believe his Dad's tractor was still around. I made him a deal my Dad's Cresent wrench for his Dad's JD. Both of our Dad's have been gone for quite a few years, and we each ended up with something else to remember them by. Stan

Sounds like a fair trade all around. Neat story.

arent you down close to san diego.I grew up in chino and the second crawler my dad has was an allis chalmers M.it was quite a step up from the t20 mcCormick i learned to drive on.later on we had a 41 td9 that had belonged to the riverside county road dept.

I saw where you said you have an M and it brought back alot of good memories

i now live in new mexico

It just dont get no better than that!!

Thanks for sharing that.

I am in the process of making a shadown box type thing for my oldest son. It consists of a Diamond Caulk Horseshoe company, 12" adjustable wrench, and about a 1950's Monkey wards screwdriver. I am going to blow of an old photo of my dad putting up wheat with a binder.

Then attach the tools so they are over the photo, all in a shadow box.

Those tools are some of a few that survived our shop fire in 1976.

Good memories.

Gene

This would have to be one of the best posts I have ever read. It is good to know that there are still people around that do the right thing and follow their hearts. You are true friends indeed.

Besides the heartwarming aspect of the story, as a longtime fan of red tractors--after all, you should never pick one before it's ripe--I have to say that I hope your conscience doesn't get the better of you and make you give him something else [like maybe a 9N] just to be fair.

twopop. Chino Calif is a little north of me probable 50 mi. My Dad farmed using the Model M. I have around 10 of them now 5 five in running condition. There were a lot of the M's on the west coast, they were very popular. stan

My Grandfather was a farmer until the horses left the farm. Then because of his mechanical skills (motorcycles) he became the township tractor and implement mechanic. He rented out his land. His shop was a small wooden shed. Lined floor to ceiling with tools. Each in it's own position, not to be disturbed. Perhaps 3 of each size crescent from 4 inches to 24 inches. If I "borrowed" one tool and din't get it back he would notice it in less than 2 days.
So, when he came in the house one night, about 1949, I was 9, and said he had lost a tool, a 3 foot crowbar, he would use to adjust the disc. , I was just estatic! But not for long. The next day, He and I and Grandma, and my sister walked around in a 160 acre field where he had been discing for the renter for hours, no crowbar.
2008. I am in that field to deer hunt. I put up my ground blind. I went inside. I carry a small gardener's little rake thingy, to level ground for a pickle pail stool. I am leveling the ground and I hit something. A three foot crowbar. A one in 6,880,000 shot. Now it's hanging in my shop with the 8 others that I have. And if one of the Grandsons moves it, I'll know it. Poor little tykes



Gordo

Gordo, 37chief's story to me is very very uplifting but yours tops it. I am sure your Granddad is smiling knowing he didn't lose his bar, just misplaced it....now you look after it.

Gordo, I'll add another story, kinda along your lines. My dad always trapped coyotes in the late winter and early spring. He bought a dozen Victor 3N traps, through the government trapper. This was in the early 50's. They had kinkless chain and a swivel. He joined 4 traps together, with a 4 point homemade "grappeling hook" We would cover that with a big pile of wheat straw, hog bedding. We would even run some straw through the JD grinder mixer to make it fine enough to cover the traps. You streatched the traps out in a X, with the hook in the middle, then covered the traps with the straw. Carefully setting each one with a hair trigger.

We put this out in the middle of a pasture, preferably after a light snow. When the coyote goes to investigate the Pig smell, he gets caught and drags the traps a ways, generally to the first fence and gets hung up, end of story.

Well in about 1980, we lost a set. He got in the woods and pulled out. My dad looked for those traps for 23 years, till the day he died.

The fall after he died, I was hunting, missed an easy shot. Standing doe at 50 yards. Went down to look for hair or blood, and walked right up to those traps wrapped around a tree!!

Now not to brag, but I dont miss too often. To miss and easy shot, then walk right to those missing traps, well it was a strange feeling.

sorry for the long post, just didn't know how to give you the right setting.

Very good post guys.

Gene

Just after WWII, my dad bought a 1947 JD B - got a serviceman's priority to get the tractor. Farmed with it until 1970. I was born on 1946. He had a hardware store wrench that he used as a lug wrench, when adjusting the wheel clamps. Never remember there being the proper factory lug wrench on the farm. Obviously lost! 'Bout three years ago my son, (my dad's grandson, now an adult,) was plowing in the field east of the barn my dad had built. Something sticking up in the furrow. Yup, the lost lug wrench. We have a '49 JD B from my wife's late uncle. Use Dad's wrench on it when needed. Little rusty but still good! (Still have hardware store wrench, too!)

That's a neat story, Stan!

Thanks,
Howard