cockeyedMFer
Gold Member
- Joined
- Jul 25, 2011
- Messages
- 270
- Tractor
- 1959 MF 35 deluxe, gas
After years of wanting/needing a rough terrain forklift, but not really having the budget to justify one, I found this Case 530 on Craigslist - and only 15 minutes from my work!
It was a lucky find. A small family owned construction company had listed a bunch of stuff for sale and it was put in the ad almost as an afterthought. I called right away but seller was slow to let me come over...he wanted to get it running first but was busy. After a week, he called and said it was ready to go, but he had a bunch of other calls. He would hold it for me for a day...needless to say I made room on the trailer and asked the boss if I could tale a long lunch!
Seller's dad bought it new in '66 and they used it to carry block, concrete hoppers, etc around job sites. (The tow bar was used to tow the machine from one job to the next.) It hasn't been used regularly in a number of years but has a few newer maintenance items.
She starts at the turn of the key and runs great. Needs steer tires and a general going over, but I'm really excited to have it. She'll fit in perfectly with my '59 Massey loader, 58 Yale forklift, and '65 F600 dump.
The construction company was almost a time warp in itself. The offices hadn't been updated since the seller's granddad built the place in the early 50s. It had all the period features you'd expect - steel tanker desks, drafting tables, Lyon metal cabinets, asphalt floor tiles, and a long hand built linoleum topped service counter. Even the exterior bricks were a unique mix of color and type - the owner said that his family reused what materials were left over from other jobs to save on construction costs.
Wish I could have taken pictures but I didn't want to intrude on the owner's privacy. He's both glad to be getting rid of stuff and sad to see it go.
Anyway... Does anyone have a source for an owner's manual or service manual for this beast? Crossing my fingers that the seller can find his copy, but after 50 years its probably lost.
Also, it came with a set of 16" tri-rib tires and a pair of wider, smooth balloon tires. Which is best for use on gravel, grass and light to moderate mud?
Any guesstimates on curb weight? 6000lbs?
It was a lucky find. A small family owned construction company had listed a bunch of stuff for sale and it was put in the ad almost as an afterthought. I called right away but seller was slow to let me come over...he wanted to get it running first but was busy. After a week, he called and said it was ready to go, but he had a bunch of other calls. He would hold it for me for a day...needless to say I made room on the trailer and asked the boss if I could tale a long lunch!
Seller's dad bought it new in '66 and they used it to carry block, concrete hoppers, etc around job sites. (The tow bar was used to tow the machine from one job to the next.) It hasn't been used regularly in a number of years but has a few newer maintenance items.
She starts at the turn of the key and runs great. Needs steer tires and a general going over, but I'm really excited to have it. She'll fit in perfectly with my '59 Massey loader, 58 Yale forklift, and '65 F600 dump.
The construction company was almost a time warp in itself. The offices hadn't been updated since the seller's granddad built the place in the early 50s. It had all the period features you'd expect - steel tanker desks, drafting tables, Lyon metal cabinets, asphalt floor tiles, and a long hand built linoleum topped service counter. Even the exterior bricks were a unique mix of color and type - the owner said that his family reused what materials were left over from other jobs to save on construction costs.
Wish I could have taken pictures but I didn't want to intrude on the owner's privacy. He's both glad to be getting rid of stuff and sad to see it go.
Anyway... Does anyone have a source for an owner's manual or service manual for this beast? Crossing my fingers that the seller can find his copy, but after 50 years its probably lost.
Also, it came with a set of 16" tri-rib tires and a pair of wider, smooth balloon tires. Which is best for use on gravel, grass and light to moderate mud?
Any guesstimates on curb weight? 6000lbs?
