Is this worth anything ?

[soupkid]

I've been told both ends of the spectrum, worthless and worth lots.

 

[ET]

I've been to Smith Falls Ontario. I certainly wouldn't scrap it.

 

[paul]

Like any old well used antique someone would love to restore that, maybe use it with horse demonstration, but the cost is in the time and parts to make it shine again.

It looks like it’s mostly there so it would be valuable to such a person, but it’s not going to fund your retirement or anything.

Be a shame to see it scrapped.

Paul

 

[RobCons]

Yard art around here. Few hundred would be tops.

 

[casecollectorsc]

Bought a JI Case a few years ago in the same condition for $125. Made a new pole and pitman stick and got it working.

 

[DanielW]

I could have this wrong, but I'm pretty sure the F&W mowers used the same knife and guard pattern as their grain binders. And the F&W grain binders were quite popular for many years - all the old timers said the F&W binders pulled easier than most others, meaning you wouldn't be working your team to death. Massey binders, for instance, were quite popular for being robust and having great knotters, but we're known to be very hard pulling on a team. And the F&W knotters were the closest to the modern Deering-pattern knotters you see on balers today. Even the knotters on McCormick-Deering binders were a little archaic compared to the F&W.

The F&W binders were so popular and respected that Cockshutt bought them out and rebadged them as their own. And I believe (though could be wrong) Oliver grains binders were also rebadged Cockshutt/F&W (this was before the main Oliver/Cockshutt merger).

The Cole's Notes of all that: F&W made some good equipment, and guard and knife sections can probably be found if you want to restore it. Around here, the Amish/Mennonite are big fans of any horse/drawn mowers with enclosed gear cases like that (versus, say, the MH and some JD ones with open gears). Mccormick mowers are their preference because they were also enclosed and the bar/knife was identical to all IH Sickle mowers up to the 70's, but they'd probably not turn their nose up at a good F&W either.