Took a call from a friend last week, he was helping to clear up a farm that was being sold. Cutting up scrap he had just been taken to a shed and asked to cut up everything, he rang me as he was concerned as to what he was being asked to cut up. I got there just in time I think. The owner said I could have anything in the shed for £200/tonne (scrap value) if I took it away immediately.
I really need more old stuff like a hole in the head at present but I just couldnt face seing this stuff cut up. I recognised what it all was, the big lump is a converted steam cultivator.
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Where the drawbar is there would have been a third wheel and a turntable arrnagement to allow it be pulled back and forth on wires between two ploughing engines. It is a Fowler (John Fowler of Leeds), known as a 9/11. No, not a disaster, 9 tines within the frame and 11 in total. Not unique but getting much rarer. A lot of these were converted post WWII (and before) to allow them to be towed behind crawlers. I have seen some with hydraulic rams fitted, this one is rigged for lifting out of work with a CCU. When you look at it the hitch has seen a lot of action, the conversion is probably over 60 years old and the original could be 100 years old. A lot of acres.
The three wheeler ransomes scuffles are younger, with 13 tines but not running as deep as the Fowler it would still have taken a fair bit of pulling.
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The last item is a Blackstone hay rake. as set up it is towed to the field for work, overcentre jacks raise the body, the wheels come off and are re-fitted to the ends, giving a 12' working width. I have used one of thes many times, never for hay, but for diverse jobs like raking up wet bean haulm or even bits of plastic in a field after strawberries.
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So all very exciting but at £200/tonne these things are not really that great a bargain. if the 9/11 still had the turntable it would be seriosuly valuable, even as it is I think it is worth a lot more than scrap. I could use the 9/11 behind my D7 but could be open to interesting offers!!
The hay rake weighs 500kg so stands me at £100, I'll keep that. The Ransomes was just over a tonne in weight. Maybe I'll move on my smaller, narrower Martins scuffle that any tractor can pull and keep this bigger one.
So beware, we all hate to see things being cut up but sometimes in order to stop it happening you have to put your money where your mouth is!!
Nick
