Who buys a snowblower in July?

[logger536]

So I got myself in a bit of a pickle last month. After running out of room to push snow the last two years, thought it was time to look at a 3 point snowblower. So I've had my eye out for a few months, knowing if I waited I'd come across one priced reasonably. So last month I see an ad on CL for a 6' McKee blower and a post hole digger and an 800 ford for 2k. Great I think, I can buy the package, sell the tractor, and have my snowblower for free and a post hole digger for free (or gas money. So I contact the owner, its 3 hours north of me in Houghton Mi, and make the trip to see it. I bring cash and a trailer, didn't ask much about the tractor, when I talked to the owner, other than it needed to be jumped and needed a tune up. It looked pretty good in the pictures, but pictures are deceiving. Figured it was wore out and beat. When I got there, I about fell over. Here was a 1961 861, with 872 hours on a working tach, with the original tach and cable. Started to look it over closer, original paint, not a dent in either fender, hood panels straight as an arrow, the grill has a crease in it, but that's it. Origional lights and just 2 owners with paperwork and owners manuals from 1961. After loading it up and paying for it(no haggling) as fast as I could, brought it home and really looked it over. Most straight, solid and unmolested 800 series I have ever seen. Battery tray still has some paint under the battery, super solid. Now my dilemma, I have to keep it. I was happy with 2 fords, the 960 and the 841S elenco. Obviously it has to stay original and paint is out of the question. BTW the snowblower is for a 990 JD....reverse is too fast on the fords for it to work. Whats the value on a low hour 861?

 

[Kansas4010]

Well I tried to buy my uncle's really nice 861 at his estate sale. Two other family members with more money in their pockets than me ran it up to $15,000. I'd say you did really good. If you have any use for it at all at that price I'd keep it.

 

[Kansas4010]

This was his.

 

[oldtanker]

I'll give you 500 for it :shock: ! I'll even toss in another 150 if you deliver! :lol:

Nice find.

Rick

 

[tractorguy2]

Last April I bought two self propelled mowers, a Snapper and a Toro, a cheap weed eater, and Toro snow blower for $60. The first week of May a guy offered me $90 for the snow blower. I quickly sold it. Three weeks later he died in a car accident. I guess you shouldn't buy snow blowers in May.

 

[dcarp]

Nice looking tractor!

 

[doug in missouri]

You did well. We have an 861 Powermaster back in Nebraska, but it has been on fire so not pretty. All the wiring burnt, has an alternator conversion so only the charging system works. Would you sell the one you just bought? DOUG

 

[Russ from MN]

If you bought a snowblower in Houghton it's probably seen a lot of use! We went there on a motorcycle trip a couple of years ago, nice area.

 

[Bob]

(quoted from post at 21:41:25 08/13/19)

"Whats the value on a low hour 861?"

It doesn't matter at this point, as a man can never have too many tractors.

It's value will be determined (likely at a fire sale price) after your death when your survivors can't wait for it to go away and put a little cash in their pockets.

SAD, but that's typically how it works.

 

[SVcummins]

You?ll never buy that much modern tractor for 15,000$

 

[johnlobb]

Looks like to me you did really good! A little Simple Green, and it's all good. Even the tires look great. We're going up there next month. We have a lot of friends in the Houghton-Hancock area...

 

[Butch(OH)]

July is a perfect time to buy a snow blower. I wheel and deal in Troy Bilt Horse tillers, guess when I buy them? LOL.

 

[Traditional Farmer]

I had 3 three pt hitch rear blades I'd been trying to sell,two days before a big snow storm was predicted I put them on CL for $50 more each than I had been trying to sell them for,sold all in half a day.

 

[jacksun65]

You sure it's an 861 looks like a four speed shifter which would make it an 841?

 

[KCTractors]

I'll give you $2000 for the tractor, then you will have the snow-blower and post-hole at no cost.

 

[Bob N.Y.]

Looks like a 5 speed shifter to me.

 

[730virgil]

I think any time between snow seasons is perfect time to buy snow blower.
people tend to forgot why they need one.

 

[Billy NY]

This is definitely a 5 speed lever.

 

[SVcummins]

The same guy who buys a baler in January. You know you need it so when the right deal comes up you buy it no matter what time of year

 

[logger536]

Russ,
Actually the snowblower looks like new. I believe they bought it and when it didn't work well on the ford it sat. The paint is hardly wore off the chute, and all the decals and paint is on the unit.

 

[logger536]

Actually the best part was when my better half got home, she knew a tractor came with the blower, and lets just say she's not as keen on old tractors as we are. She came back to the shop to see the blower, and as she was standing next to the tractor, asked" where is the tractor that came with it?" At that moment I realized she has become as the commercial says" nose blind" except she has become tractor blind....a good thing for all of us. Works good for me, but she realizes I will always notice another horse around here.

 

[GordoSD]

Let the auction begin I am a buyer at $3300.

 

[Russ from MN]

When we were in Houghton I took a picture of a snowblower, but I can't find it. It was 9-10 feet wide, mounted on the front of what looked like an Oshkosh truck, with a big engine in the back to run it, a beast!

 

[tlock0331]

(quoted from post at 21:59:03 08/13/19) This was his.
<img src="https://www.yesterdaystractors.com/cvphotos/cvphoto33352.jpg">

15,000??????? wtf???? if them tractors are worth that much, ill find two more for you and the other family member that lost out! wow!