Spreader One-point Spreader 1968 IH Farmall 140

[DJ54]

Tabs are just items I fabricated. A buddy of mine has a steel yard, and first place I head is the drops section. Short pieces of bar stock, tubing, and plate. Better than buying whole sticks, or cut from full ones. Plus, I get the good buddy discount. Beside his place is a metal recycling place. I actually stop there first, and see what they have. A person can buy anything there for scrap price.

My Dad worked part time for a hauling and rigging company. Learned a lot from him, plus the crew I worked on did a lot of bridge work. You pick up a lot of tricks of the trade over the years. In my other shop, Dad rigged up a similar set up, so I knew it would work. Just had a lot less headroom to work with here. Helps to have the tools to do it with too. Never seem to have enough of those either...

Yeah, a lot of planning involved. You need to think it thoroughly through. I really prefer to work by myself. No distractions, and focus on what's at hand. An no one standing in the way daydreaming, if something goes wrong.

Tractors are different brands, but about the same horse power. Both '67 models. One is a gas Farmall 656, and the other is a Massey 180 Diesel. I really prefer gassers for the ginning I do around here. Although if I ran one every day for a living, it would be diesel. Got the 180 for cheap backup horse power, in case the 656 would for some reason go down when baling hay. I've got 13 tractors in all, and I really should list them all in my profile. All but 3 are under 25 hp., and 10 of the 13 run. 3 are works in progress. And that's down from 22 tractors about 10 years ago. I do prefer IH tractors, and from the 60's era back. They were designed to be serviced in the field. Love the simplicity of them, and the thought out engineering.

Had a beautiful day here. Sun was shining most of the day. Got a dusting of snow just about dark. I checked the radar half dozen times today, and noticed the snow was coming up, just along the river. Later today, noticed it had come up as far as Jackson. Someone mentioned on one of the Facebook horse groups I belong to said Pomeroy had about 3" of snow on the ground. We've been looking at the same 6"-8" of snow on the ground for weeks now. I checked the extended forecast, and they are saying sunny and 60º next Thursday. I'm ready..!!

 

[diamondjfarmwv]

I do a lot of second-hand shopping myself; recently picked up 68 bags (50#) of fertilizer (for golf courses, but will do just fine on my little ridge-top patch) for $1 each. Checked out the same product online, and sold for about $14 a bag! And I'm the same way on being smart and frugal on using everything I have--even scrap things my wife fondly refers to as "Your junk." I have 34 years of stuff stored away, everything from a bundle of 24 3/16" x 12" all-threads (which I got for 50 cents at a yard sale a woman had who didn't know what she had!) to a 2000 Volvo S80, w/perfect body and interior, that needs some ignition/electrical work, for $650! The windshield, new, is worth that! (BTW, I have 2 more of those cars, one running, for my wife, and one a true parts car.)

I, also, prefer to go it alone 99% of the time; can start, quit, take breaks when I choose. I'm also enjoying my old 1968, 20hp Farmall 140, my first and only tractor, as it came with 8 IH implements and an 18' tandem trailer w/buckboards. I've changed plugs, points, condensor, 2-volt coil, and carb linkage, but it still doesn't run as well as it seemed when I test drove it in October 2012. Seems like it'll go, loose a little power under stress, then pick back up when I ease up. Maybe a governor prob? Still does what I need to do, though a little sluggish. Are any of your tractors restorations, like you see on Mecum Auctions on RFD?

I'll amen that bein ready for warm weather next week!

 

[DJ54]

Would love to have a 140, with FH & plow, but a '58, to match my '58 240. Someday...

I'm not much for using "mechanic in a can", but you may want to try running some Seafoam though it. Any auto parts store should have it. This gas with ethanol in it is crap... Had trouble with the Super C's, my little A, and even the garden tractors. Not sure if it's a varnish building up internally or what. Gave them all a good dousing, and cleared them right up. My A was so bad, time before last I plowed snow I had the choke out full to even run. Gave it a good drink of the Seafoam, and being there was only about 5 gallons of gas in it, went through the system pretty quick. Within 20 minutes of plowing more snow, I had to ease the choke back in, and ended with it running as it should. If it had just been this one instance, I'd have been doubtful if that's what cured it. But the Su C's, and 3 garden tractors all cleared up, with similar symptoms. Suspecting the high concentration of Naphtha cuts the gunk out of the carb. I'll continue giving them a dash when fueling up, to keep things clean.

Nothing like on RFD. My prize possession is my '46 McCormick-Deering OS-6. Should be a picture of it down in the vintage tractor thread. I went as far as replacing leaking seals, and any other leaks. Stripped of old paint, primed and painted. Used to collect & show, but stopped doing that in '88 when I changed jobs. Still have it, and brought the ole' girl home last fall. It needs a good cleaning up, and touch-ups. Gas tank needs cleaned inside. At the last show it was shown at, I let one of the guy's grandson's take it around the Fairgrounds. They were trying to get the OH fuel tank emptied, that the club supplied gas for the members. Little did I know, I got the bottom of the tank with the crap, crud & water left in the tank. He thought he was doing me a favor... Brought her home, and backed in, and covered in the shed where it sat for at least 5 years. When I tried to move it to the other place, found the fuel system all fouled, and scaly rust in the once pristine gas tank. Talk about sick... So..., another job to do one of these days.

32º here now, and wearing a long sleeved shirt almost feels comfortable.., LOL.

 

[diamondjfarmwv]

I'll try the Seafoam. I, too, must run my 140 w/choke 90%. Can't remember if it ran like this b4 I bought it. Man about 10 years my senior had it on a subdivision acre lot he'd moved to from a 27-acre farm in an adjoining county. His father had bought it new in '68. Pretty sure he'd taken good care of it, and he'd taken several calls from me the first month or two I'd owned it. I drove it for about a mile, w/him standing on the carryall, as he said he didn't want to sale to me until he knew I could shift, throttle, brake, and engage sickle bar safely. Seems like it did run better last fall than this past summer/fall. Could the point gap be off some, or does this sound purely like a fuel problem? Will definitely try the Seafoam. Two more inches of fresh snow, more wet, as of 6:45am. Havin coffee and gettin ready to feed Sugar, Dandy, and Sweetpea the 4H Special Lamb Project lamb (now about 175lbs!) he inherited from last summer's county fair. Jonathan (13 today w/autism, but a great little fella) calls him "the buttin mutton." Looking at high 40's to 60 here next week. Can't wait to see grass and dirt again. Gettin ready to stop by the local garage, on my way to a local estate auction, for one of them government permission slips to paste on my windshield so's I can run my truck on government-taxed gas with a government license tag on gov't roads. Reckon Uncle Sam saw all this comin? Don't begrudge payin my fair share, just hate to see elected and appointed people inefficiently using our money ($400 hammers and $27 washers and such).