Craigs List Finds

We have found the joys of Craigslist...but its not only addictive it can be costly if you have as many interests as we do. We like anything motorized and there is lots of stuff on Craigslist to feed that addiction..they have antiques, cars, farm equipment...you name it. So far Holly has had to stop me from buying a dump truck (actually she almost relented because she liked it too), a Gleaner combine that was running and fully functional for $1500.00 (we do have 12 acres and that combine might have come in handy ....), and tonnes (yes thats the British spelling I use so get used to it) of free or almost free farm animals.

So far this week we have gotten one thing we didnt need but it was cheap and kind of cool so we got it any way and one thing we have been looking for and need that we got at an extremely reasonable price.

So this little cream puff just begged to come home with us and we met the guy selling it in an Amish community close by and since we were supposed to meet him at the McDonalds we ate lunch. Why am I relating this? Because while we were eating an Amish man and his wife (they dont like their pictures taken and we respect that so no pictures) came up to the McDonalds in their typical garb (the woman was in a long heavy dress and bonnet and the man with his britches and suspenders, blue shirt and straw hat...it was 92 degrees) and the McDonalds there has a hitching post for horses and they tied up and came in for ice cream. How cool is that?

We negotiated and a couple Jacksons later we brought it home. The old guy said it was his grandpas and that it didnt run but it might be useful for parts....nothing cant be gotten running with enough time and energy (and money). But all I did was put some gas in it, hook it up to the quick start battery starter and away we went. It even cuts good and literally everything on it works fine, headlights, ammeter, mower deck...the works.

Its a 1983 Murray 11hp, 36 inch cutting deck lawn tractor

I'm not interested in restoration of it per se' since its not really a hot item like Holly's 67 Sear Suburban, and since this kind of looks like a miniature International Harvester I am thinking that a repaint in red and white IH livery is in order.

Its dirty, needs new fuel lines, all the filters, oil change, retorque the head etc but it starts on the first twist of the key and runs pretty decent.

Of course the tires are weather checked but I will be replacing them with AGs on the rear anyway. All and all another project that will compete for my time. But I like it.

And after about 6 months of looking and borrowing others...we finally found a nice stock trailer in excellent shape that was about 1/3 of the cost of new. We had to travel a bit to get it but its not a project, it needs nothing, and if you look at the paint the top lighter color is the same color code as our truck....now that was not only unexpected it was just ...right.

The rear door can be used as a slider which I like for loading cattle.

It has 5 almost new tires it you include the spare.

Or the rear door can swing out for horses or loading antique store finds as Holly reminds me.

It does have a side entry door (note the heavy duty latch) but no tack storage which we didnt want or need for cattle and I feel just wastes space.

We had saved up for this while still in Alaska and the money has been lanquishing because we couldnt find what we were looking for...patience is indeed a virtue. Now we are in debate over that 3 ton grain bin on todays Craigslist...would look good by the barn eh?