By
GMan
Guys,
I've known of the location of this tractor for three or four years now. Kept telling myself "one of these days I'll stop and ask about that old tractor". One day not too long ago I actually did stop but could not get anyone to answer the door. The tractor was nearly impossible to see from the street unless it was winter time as the plant growth kept it pretty well hidden. I have no idea how long it has sat outside in the postion I found it. A long time I'm sure. Anyway, I was down at the Mentone show/swapmeet (just south of Elkhart about thirty-five miles) on Friday and got to thinking about the old tractor and decided to stop again to check on it and to find out if it was for sale. An elderly lady answered the door this time and I introduced myself to her and explained why I had stopped. I asked her if she or her husband would consider selling the tractor to me and she said "my husband died about a year and a half ago so lets walk back there and you can show me what you're talking about. So we walked through her house, out through her enclosed patio, across her garden patio, and then were able to see the tractor. I said "that's the tractor I was talking about". She said "that ol thing? You can have that! I've been wanting it out of here for a long time. My daughter's been complaining about it cause she's always having to mow around it. Just come get it and get it out of here!" ............I was stunned!
The next morning at the restaraunt I go to every Saturday for breakfast I was telling all the boys at the BS table that I had been given a tractor out in the south part of Elkhart that I had spotted several years ago. One of the fellows who has a few early Wheel Horses himself said "there was a guy out south a ways that had an old Wheel Horse that everybody and their brother has tried to buy but he would not sell it for love nor money. He passed away a while back. His name was Becker." I looked at the name of the lady who owned the tractor that I had written down along with her phone number. Sure enough her name was Becker. I told my buddy "That's the one!" Then the conversation lit up. He said "You got to be kidding!" I said "Hey, right place right time!" ............................Guy's this kind of thing doesn't happen to me, always the other guy!
Anyway it looks to be quite complete. Has all original tires, original seat, and still had the key hanging in the ignition switch. But above all the engine is not stuck! Will be quite a challenge but a lot of fun too!
Gary
By rjg854
By GMan