Hi Joe,

Good to see you back in action on here again!  Where did you find such a nice tidy Challenger.  We are used to over-size tyres and all that sort of thing but over long spark plug leads is quite something new and original!  Nice to see it with wheel weights too.

Keep up the good work

John

John,

I've known of this tractor for about a year and a half and it was only about 12 miles from home.  I finally made the connection with the owner and made a deal. He and his brother bought it on a local auction sale back in the early 80s and have had it since. It was not stuck but hadn't run for I'm guessing about 10-15 years. It runs pretty good now but has a little miss every now and then when not under a load so I will be replacing the stylish long wires and probably will be switching the mag as well.

I got this tractor as a package deal. Tractor, #6 mower, parts of a cultivator, a two row self propelled picker and a Super 27 combine. Don't know where I am going to put all this stuff as winter will be here before we know it....

As you can see I cheated a bit by belting it up to the M-H 25 I got last month on Roger Schnell's Auction, sure beats trying to revive a dead horse.. She starts in two or three pulls of the crank now.

Finally got the other thread to take my picture of the M-H sign, I think you will enjoy it!

Joe

Joe,

The simple answer to your storage problem is glaringly obvious!  A nice new shed which could not only serve for M-H storage but also as a lovely new reception centre for the forthcoming MCA event that you are holding

John

Good to see you found time to post a few of your summer time activities on here Joe, we was getting very worried about your lack of posts in recent months, so very pleased to see you have managed to continue adding some nice finds to your collection.

You mentioned the styled 25 from the late Roger Schnell's auction, I have very good memories of meeting Roger over several years at the various Massey events, and really enjoyed seeing their original family I-H Mogul tractor at one show.
I did see their auction listing earlier in the summer, with being so busy here during August I totally forgot about it and now you've reminded me I am curious to know where that lovely little M-H 12-20 went to????
I am surprised no one has posted any photo's on here of his auction as there was quite a selection of interesting M-H items there in his collection. Was the 25 the only item on your trailer heading back to MN??

I look forward to seeing the plans and photo's of John's suggestion of a brand new M-H Reception Building in readiness for Massey Days, what a great idea, buildings are always good value for money and last a long time, you will never regret it.

Keep us posted of progression.

Malcolm.

Malcolm,

The only thing I got at Roger's auction was the MH 25 and a #27 2 bottom plow and some small trinkets like 9 Lugs for a Wallis OKO and a governor for a Twin Power Challenger.

I bid the 12-20 up to $4,000.00 and thought I was bidding against Fred but it turns out it was someone bidding behind him but didn't get to see who it was so will have to wait til it shows up at a future show somewhere to see who the new owner is.

Got a little time this afternoon so  I cleaned up the front rims and got the new tires on, now just clean it up a bit and oil it down once I get the Mag and wires in order.

Joe

I've been doing some front axle refurbishment recently.  When I say"I" that means my superb local engineer has been doing them!  First he did the front axle off my green Pacemaker then last night we got the front axle back on my 12-20.  All new king pins, track rod ends, thrust washers and on the 12-20 a new central pivot pin.  How much nicer the tracors stand when they have had the front wheel grogginess fixed!

John

I got home a little early this afternoon so tinkered a bit on the M-H 25 I got from Wayne Svoboda's auction. Can't believe it how this tractor runs! The gas tank needs a good cleaning out yet but have a temporary tank strapped to the side for now. I have not touched the carburetor as far as cleaning or anything, just hooked the hose up to it and that's it..

I don't think I've ever had a tractor that can Idle like this one, not kidding it will sit and Idle at about 150-200 RPM and has the sound of a Prairie Tractor.

Malcolm, you will like the music she plays! Crank up the volume and enjoy.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ozmBfugUmlA

Joe

Joe,
I am sure Malcolm will like the music this tractor makes-----SWEET!

Of all things Joe, I  just realized one of my major interests in ole iron. The rythm and sound and motion of old units running. From your video to being at Wendell Kelch's and hearing the big prairie tractors humming, the big 600 hp Snow engine at Coolsprings, seeing and hearing the Kory Anderson's 150 hp Case steamer on video..

Like the old 45's records, music of my youth

Rythm, how about standing on a hay wagon attached to a Wisconsin powered  New Holland baler while stopped and feel the wagon move back and forth like the beat of a song.

Malcom will see the vid in half dozen hours from now and his eyes/ears will light up!!

Keep the music coming Joe----nice vid.

Jo.
    By Gum!! you've got a good 'un there, Jo! any slower and the impulse would trip in! I wish my old twenty five forty ran like that shut down, Malcolm's styled twenty five sounds pretty good too!.

                                                   Jack.

Well done Joe,

Wayne would be very pleased and proud to know you have the old 25 running in two weeks after the auction.

As everyone has said already it does run so well and sweet, but more to the point it has given me a "big kick from discussions with my dad", before he died in 1993 he always said to me "none of the U frames in my collection at that time would run and idle as well and low as his original 12-20 when it was new". I didn't take much notice at the time as I often wondered if it was a "wind up and the young boy didn't know as much as dad", so seeing your 25 brought all these memories back Joe.

He always said to me you could count the blades on the fan when it was idling !!! and like Jack I used to think well surely the impulse would be clicking. So watching your video I could almost see the individual fan blade.

Well done Joe your 25 would of made a good stable mate for dad's 12-20
Hope you get the styled one to run as well.

Keep up the good work.


Malcolm