Winter Project

[Kevin Cunningham]

I picked up my winter project yesterday. An old John Deere manure spreader. The lady I bought it from did not know the model number and the serial tag is all worn off. Anybody have an idea? The story is that the Yreka (yes, a town in CA) fair grounds bought it new in 1947 and used in once a year after the fair to spread stable manure, until the neighbors started complaining about the flies. Now they probably have to truck it out, rather than use the manure on site. Anyhow, it was stored inside and well cared for. The wood is still in usable shape, but I might want to replace it so that I can get another fifty years out of it. I will need to at least replace a couple of boards up front but is it worth doing the whole shebang now or waiting till they finally give out? With a little patching it is field ready now, but I don’t want to just use this and throw it away I’d like to take care of it well. Is this worth a complete restore? I’m a sucker for old equipment with history.

[carl ny]

Looks good to me except the tires are on backward…On a ground drive the tires are just the opposite of on a tractor. really looks nice otherwise.

carl ny

[Big Horses]

I’d get it good and warm and throw as much boiled linseed oil as I could at it, then turn the tires around (like Carl says) and patch it up and use it. A total rebuild would be nice right now, but if you’re like me, that could run into more time than you want to spend on it right now… use it and see how it works…get all the “bugs” worked out, then when you have the time, rebuild it.
Just my 2 cents, and worth all you paid for it!
John

[Kevin Cunningham]

That is great to know about the tires. Not something I have ever been taught about, but when I think about it, makes sense. You need the grip to run the gearing, not to move the machine. I washed it down yesterday and I agree the wood is still so solid that is dosen’t need to be completely redone yet. There is even some paint still on the inside of the box, wether it is original paint I am not sure. Would you recomend striping the paint and using oil or would paint over paint be a better option?

[Stone Horse Farm]

I would put a coat of boiled linseed and turpentine 3:1 on the wood. It will really make the wood and old paint come alive. The fact that it still has some paint on it is a great indicator of its condition. Also check the drive chains. Many times they are worn or stretched and they will jump the sprockets causing wear. There are “detachable chain” specs on the internet, usually given as number of links per 10 feet. Sometimes the size of the link is stamped on each one, otherwise you’ve got to figure it out. Nice addition to your collection…Stu

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