Farmall A receipt

[grandpa Love]

We bought this A from Kipp a couple years ago. He found the original receipt and dropped it off yesterday. Cool piece of the tractor's history. The A is still 6 volt , magneto, has original wiring and all 4 original tires. It did get a motor rebuild at some point, it has Fire Crater pistons. Unfortunately someone,at some point tried to paint the sheet metal, it's got a few runs and drips. When we bought it the motor was stuck,we replaced the rings,honed the cylinders and lapped the valves. Put it in 4th gear and pop the clutch,it slings gravel.

 

[DaveBN]

Very interesting receipt. I thought swinging drawbar was standard equipment not extra charge. Same for the muffler. Notice the spelling of the word lights. What is the word before 9-24 tires?
Wonder how the tractor got from Ohio to southern Alabama? If only that tractor could talk! Date on receipt is December 18, maybe a Christmas present of sorts.
Thank you for posting that pic.
Dave

 

[Rich'sToys]

Could it perhaps be Synthetic tires? During the war there was a rubber shortage, and they made tires out of something else--not sure what, but they lasted forever. Dad had a wagon made during that time, and it still had the original tires 40 years later. Not sure if it still does or not. My brother has the wagon. I'll have to ask him sometime.

 

[grandpa Love]

The story we were told by Kipp is that his Dad moved to Alabama and brought the tractor with him. I can't make out a few things on that receipt

 

[sms]

My grandpa had an A. Only tractor on the farm. Had plow, sickle bar, snowplow,, buzzsaw that mounted on the back and a platform for the back he used with milk cans to collect sap for maple syrup. (Had the exhaust lift also) After he passed I lived on the farm and used it to plow the garden and mow around the outbuildings. Went to auction when my mom and uncle sold what was left of the farm.

 

[grandpa Love]

Could it perhaps be Synthetic tires? During the war there was a rubber shortage, and they made tires out of something else--not sure what, but they lasted forever. Dad had a wagon made during that time, and it still had the original tires 40 years later. Not sure if it still does or not. My brother has the wagon. I'll have to ask him sometime.

Could be. It's got the steel shifter knob. Again because rubber was in short supply.

 

[DaveBN]

My best guess at reading that receipt is:

1 Farmall A tractor. $589.50
1 synthetic 9-24 tires. $28.20
1 Liftall. $27.00
1 Swinging drawbar. $3.75
1 Starter & lites (lights). $38.50
1 muffler. $1.50
1 Belt pulley & PTO. $39.20
1 Rear wheel weights. $14.00

Freight. $8.33
Excise tax. $8.52
Haul from Lima(Ohio). $2.00
Paid by ck(check)

Raymond Hoelocher 12/18/45

 

[Keith True]

That guy wrote like I dnly the numbers are legible to me.That word does look like synthetic to me,but,back then I think it was used to refer to products made from plants.I have seen old tires marked composite,and they crumbled in my hands trying to roll them out of a barn.Those tires could very well have been made from plant by-products,everything was being tried back then.Dec.of 45 was right on the edge of the glut of surplus oil that had been pumped,stored,and suddenly not being sent off to the war effort.That was a big boon to the fairly young asphalt shingle industry,with thousands of barns getting sided with a suddenly affordable product.The Farmall dealer a mile from me said he doesn't think he sold a tractor with rubber tires or electric start during the war years.His grandson is on here,he was very well schooled on how things were during the war period.

 

[Gary Mitchell]

We bought this A from Kipp a couple years ago. He found the original receipt and dropped it off yesterday. Cool piece of the tractor's history. The A is still 6 volt , magneto, has original wiring and all 4 original tires. It did get a motor rebuild at some point, it has Fire Crater pistons. Unfortunately someone,at some point tried to paint the sheet metal, it's got a few runs and drips. When we bought it the motor was stuck,we replaced the rings,honed the cylinders and lapped the valves. Put it in 4th gear and pop the clutch,it slings gravel.

I highly recommend not clutch popping. But then, i don't have a nickel in it. ;-) gm

 

[used red MN]

Could it perhaps be Synthetic tires? During the war there was a rubber shortage, and they made tires out of something else--not sure what, but they lasted forever. Dad had a wagon made during that time, and it still had the original tires 40 years later. Not sure if it still does or not. My brother has the wagon. I'll have to ask him sometime.

This is also what AI agrees with, the word synthetic refers to making the tires out of something other than natural rubber which was in high demand for the war effort. The use of the word “synthetic” assured the customer they were not taking away from the needed product that would help in winning the war.

 

[grandpa Love]

I highly recommend not clutch popping. But then, i don't have a nickel in it. ;-) gm

It's a rare occasion,but it is nice to know it's got the power to do it

 

[grandpa Love]

That guy wrote like I dnly the numbers are legible to me.That word does look like synthetic to me,but,back then I think it was used to refer to products made from plants.I have seen old tires marked composite,and they crumbled in my hands trying to roll them out of a barn.Those tires could very well have been made from plant by-products,everything was being tried back then.Dec.of 45 was right on the edge of the glut of surplus oil that had been pumped,stored,and suddenly not being sent off to the war effort.That was a big boon to the fairly young asphalt shingle industry,with thousands of barns getting sided with a suddenly affordable product.The Farmall dealer a mile from me said he doesn't think he sold a tractor with rubber tires or electric start during the war years.His grandson is on here,he was very well schooled on how things were during the war period.

World war 2 ended in September of '45... So technically it's a "war tractor", but sold after the war.

 

[SweetFeet]

We bought this A from Kipp a couple years ago. He found the original receipt and dropped it off yesterday. Cool piece of the tractor's history. The A is still 6 volt , magneto, has original wiring and all 4 original tires. It did get a motor rebuild at some point, it has Fire Crater pistons. Unfortunately someone,at some point tried to paint the sheet metal, it's got a few runs and drips. When we bought it the motor was stuck,we replaced the rings,honed the cylinders and lapped the valves. Put it in 4th gear and pop the clutch,it slings gravel.

That reciept is really neat to have!

 

[560Dennis]

Trivia about Wapakoneta ,Ohio . When I saw that receipt it was curious about it.
Neil Armstrong’s boyhood home refers to the house where Neil A. Armstrong, the first person to walk on the Moon, lived as a teenager and young adult in Wapakoneta, Ohio.

Wonder if there’s a photo of Neil Armstrong and that tractor ? Boy, it would that be something for conversation .

 

[Mrfred54]

Travel through wapakoneta a lot. Beings I’m in Michigan and have a daughter and son who live near Lebanon ohio

 

[Vito]

I had a 1940 A at one point. Hand start. Was a pretty neat little tractor.

Vito