Allis All Crops

[scott#2]

I posted a while back about wanting to get into grains on a small scale, 7 acres+- and got some really nice replies.

This amount of land is just too small for equipment but just to darn big for hand working, its the old rock and a hard spot story, I'm 60. Given what the economy and grain prices are doing latey, I thought it might be a decent idea to look into grains, just for myself and to suppliment small meat animal feeds. I would only need a couple hundred bushels a year plus I could always use some land next door for free.

Anyways, I was driving around today and stumbled across an Allis 60 All Crop sitting in the weeds. The front boards are toast, the conveyor, remarkebly is still intact (probably soon to fly apart from the sun beating on it for the last 4 years) and after crawing all over it for a little bit, I cant find one hole in the metal anywhere, surface rust yes (its a dog) but no holes. Most of the shafts seem loose and the frame is straight. When I looked through the side door, the cylinder looked like it caught a rock, one of the bars was bent and the whole affair looked a bit twisted. I could probably straighten this out but its just more time, $$$ and work. It needs tires, everything else doesnt look to terrible bad. Most of the wood inside is solid, except at the beginning of the run.

These little units seem to be getting pretty popular all of a sudden and after hearing stories of people dragging them out of the woods for free or next to it, I was a little set back when he said $1000. Its been outside for a couple years now.

Seems like allot to me and them some more $$$ to make it right. If I had 1k in it total, running, working, I could almost stomach that but this could add up... Im on the east coast, not exactly in the grain belt where these and all the other makes are laying around everywhere.

Keep looking?

Thanks guys.

 

[Bret4207]

Yup, keep looking. You can find working AC's, JD's, even some Masseys and Cockshutts for a grand. What you describe would be worth scrap price.

 

[jackinok]

excellent little combines,but that seems a little high.canvases are the high priced items though so if they are good it may bring that.check for wear in the bearings,they are not really bearings but greasable bushings.there is a place ,i cant recall the name off hand ,that is reproducing repair parts.but do a search over on the allis site and youll get tons of info.if its not a self powered one youll need somewhere around forty horse to really run it good.ran mine with a wd allis with no problems.i saw a 60 in really good shape sell here a couple of years ago and it brought 250 without the canvases.canvases to fit it new in the box brought 600.so that price may not be too far out of line. main drive belts and things were around 70 as i recall at the dealer last i checked,and bearings were still available at around 30 each.I had a neighbor here that ran one up until the 70'sdoing custom combining of all sorts of crops.he had pickup reels ,corn head and all for his and he made a pretty good income doing little jobs for small farmers around here close.

 

[rrlund]

Yes,keep looking. Something like that,barn kept and ready to go to work,maybe $250. And that's only if the canvases were taken off every year and put up where the rats didn't get to them.
Good Lord,you can buy a field ready small self propelled ready to go to the field for probably just over half of that 1000 dollars. The neighbor had a nice barn kept Oliver 525 self propelled that only brought $575 on his auction two years ago. I only paid $800 for my Oliver 7300 with 3 heads.

 

[scott#2]

Forgot to say that he would deliver it for that price too, still though...

 

[David R Inman]

You say its been a few years since you asked about it. You might go back and offer scrap price, and tell the owner you hope to make it operable and use it, and get it for a more reasonable price.

 

[JMS/.MN]

You said the bars on the cyl look twisted. I believe there are two sets of holes....one set to set the bars parallel to the shaft, the other sets the bars at a slight angle.

 

[Tim(nj)]

You can't find anything field ready for those prices in the east. Good JD 4400 rotary screen diesels will still fetch $5000-$6000 without heads.

 

[M Nut]

If you have any interest in a model 66, located in east central MN, that was working fine until the pickup canvas went bad, send me an email. Price would be about $1000 less than the one you just looked at, no delivery though.

 

[chevytaHOE5674]

1000 is about 900 too much if its in need of that kind of work. Last year I paid 500 for my AC 66 that has been shedded its whole life and is field ready, guy also tossed in 2 extra set of canvases that he had collected over the years. I had to haul it over 100 miles home, but that was no biggy.

 

[Brendon-KS]

Your story is about like mine. I paid $550 for a nice 66 Big Bin six or seven years ago. It was completely field ready and had a rebuilt (with new wood) reel and straw rack, good tires, a number of new bearings, good canvasas, etc, etc. At the time I felt that I was paying plenty but I have no regrets as it is serving me well. I'm sure the market has gone up since then but even so $1000 is way to much for what is described.

 

[JK-NY]

Keep looking. For that money you could buy an older self-propelled gas engine combine in working condition. I would look into the cost and availability of canvasses before I would even consider a machine like that for use. DO you have any neighbors to hire to do your combining? That may be another option.