A neighbor traded in a really nice original H--- although he wasn"t the original owner--- about 3 years ago to the local Ford/New Holland dealer on a fancy zero-turn riding mower. When I heard about it, I went to try to buy it, but couldn"t get the Ford dealer to come anywhere near what I thought it was worth. Anyway, I ran into the Ford dealer about 2 weeks later, and he told me that the H had been sold to the fellow who bought it new in 1948 from the IH dealer in the next town.

At the local tractor show a month later, sure enough, the H was there, and it had a Xerox copy of the original bill of sale taped to the side of it. I asked permission, and took a couple of pictures of it. Someone a while back was asking what an H actually sold for new, complete and out the door, so I thought I would post these pictures.

I"m assuming that this "Robert Kerr" isn"t our own Bob Kerr from this forum, although I know Bob has at least one H.

By the way--- I"d give $20 for the "Hydraulic Seat" and $3.75 for a new muffler any day of the week. But, I know $20 then was a lot more money figurately speaking than it is now. Farmboy856

Was curious of what dealer it was originaly sold in? Wasn't there a dealer in St.Leon also?

$15.75 for a set of rear fenders? I will buy a bunch for that. gee how times have changed.

Nope not me! (I wasn't hatched yet) It is pretty wild seeing my name on a bill of sale for an H. My Great Grandpa had the same name, but he never had an H, Grandpa did have a 300. As far as I know we don't have any relatives near Harrison, They would have to be very distant cousins. Our bunch came to Indiana in the 1840s from PA. We Did have some relatives near Washington Courthouse, OH on Grandmas side.

Did most notice the phone number"54" in upper left? Our phone in 48 was a wooden box about 10 inch wide by 20 inch high and mounted on a wall. It had a seperate hand crank on right side to ring operator or ring any of several other homes on that same wire.(Our phone didn't use numbers) Compare that to a picture taking cell which can do many things while driving or flying etc. Big change in phones but a Farmall H is still a good design 60 years later. That $1800 in 1948 could have bought a new familly car. My uncle built a new smaller 3 bedroom home for $8,000 so a new Farmall was not a small purchase in 48. Just thought I toss is a few other items from 1948 for the younger people to compare the changes in 60 years. There were huge changes from just after ww2 till late 1950's. WW2 was the big industrial change in mechanical items from lingering effects of the 1930's depression. In a way I'am glad to have seen much of it. ag

Bob--- I am actually an umpteenth cousin of this Robert Kerr who bought the H, and another of our female cousins lives 3 farms north. I know her daughter has been researching the Kerrs in this area, so if you shoot me an email, I"ll pass yours along to her. I"m sure she"d like to correspond with you.

TWL--- Harrison Farm Equipment in 1948 was owned and operated by Arthur Weisbrod or Weisbrodt--- notice the name "Art" under the salesman"s name on the bill. In my lifetime, this dealership had other owners but was always out on Harrison Ave. where the NAPA parts store is currently. You were right, too, in that Schuman"s had an IH dealership in St. Leon, IN.

Thanks for the responses, folks!

Adjusting for inflation the $1842 Farmall H would cost $16,235.97 in 2008. The $20 seat option would be $176 and the $3.75 muffler would be $33. Fenders, $139 for the pair today... I used an inflation converter to get these figures.

Charles

I know this is an old post, but I just wanted to add that Art Weisbrodt who owned this dealer was my uncle. I have a Cub that he had sold sometime in the early 50's.

Don't know if you realized it or not, but folks using Classic aren't going to see any of the original post you tagged on to, just your single post as a reply to an old post. You need to add a link to the post if you want folks to see the past info.

Modern brings the entire old post to the top when you add a reply, so folks see the whole story. Classic just shows the reply you made, just like it was a new post with no related history, the old post stays buried in the past.

(quoted from post at 08:38:31 02/14/22)
Don't know if you realized it or not, but folks using Classic aren't going to see any of the original post you tagged on to, just your single post as a reply to an old post. You need to add a link to the post if you want folks to see the past info.

Modern brings the entire old post to the top when you add a reply, so folks see the whole story. Classic just shows the reply you made, just like it was a new post with no related history, the old post stays buried in the past.

Click to expand...

Thanks

Cultivator shifter lever $3.50, what is this? It was also ordered with shutters, does that mean its a distillate tractor or could you get shutters with any engine?

You could get shutters with a gasoline. No suffix after serial number. So don't know if just left off or didn't have one to determine fuel type it was built for. Cultivator shift lever bolted to vertical steering shaft and stuck out removable window in grill.