foster wheels

[8_10 Brass Cleaner]

Originally Posted by chris wedgwood

So I tried to buy the spares Foster drum on the wooden wheels from Ebay, I though I could take the steel ones off our machine and swap over, then "give" the other drum to some deserving person having got the wooden wheels that I want, but no, would you believe the reserve price was 2K!!!!!!!!!!!!!!The bidding went up to £155 not sold

The Marshall drum I mentioned with the Foster rear wheels is hanging, makes Andrew Goddards look like a good one. However the owner wants somewhere near a grand for it. The harder I look at it, the more knackered I think it is. Its a full time job for a good joiner with some serious lumps of wood needed.

I've weighed it up and my assessment was thus:

I would tow it in the field, take the drawbar and Foster wheels off and burn it.

I would probably get a ton or so of iron out of it, minus the plates and useful ironmongery. So say £200, possibly less given I'd have to cart it to the scrapman.

I could move on the plates, wheels and drawbar, possibly the stub axles also, say another £3-400 in total.

So i valued it at £400 given I'd be doing the work. I also know I've allready parted money to buy the two wooden wheel hubs that came off it some time ago.

If anyone matched his valuation they are either an idiot or they seriously want that box. And there is not so many idiots about as there used to be.

If what Piers says is true, and I have no doubt that it is, if you can buy a half decent one for £500, why would anyone pay any more than beer money for a tired one?

But it does go to show you the economics, and gives you an idea why they get burnt.

[chris wedgwood]

You have a need for some clayton wheels? if so that's great lets see what I can arrange

[windmiller78]

makes my ransomes heavy look v cheap... theres a lot of work rebuilding a shagged drum.
i'm in the right business having a wood workshop and saw mill and seasoned timber on site but even then theres no money in doing one, if I had to do a wreck commercially it would cost possibly 8-10k thered be 3-4k in timber before you cut it up....
there was a man rebuilt a tullos drum from scratch (he used to work for them) and made a beautiful job.
as for the foster theres some strongly priced drums on there from lincs, not selling but I expect its like the mlb syndrome, some one sees it advertised for X so thinks its worth X, i'd not buy a drum without having a good crawl as its the bits you can't see that cost the money and take some fixing, when I haul it back i'll put some pics of my horsefall/ Humphries drum up, that's a reall challenge but i'll do it as theres not many of them about, probably similar to the wantage that NW has, though I was pretty much given it.

[windmiller78]

chris give martin shepard a call he's got some, they'd be worth about 100-150£ they're in good order, but check first that your hubs will fit as the cast iron hubs use a tapered spigot/ axle and some of the iron ones aren't or are smaller/ larger. I can't remember but it'd be worth getting a vernier round it first other wise you may be into sleeving axles/ boring wheels.

[8_10 Brass Cleaner]

Chris

I'll give you are more accurate valuation on a set of iron wheels. I'd buy all the sets I could get at £150-200.

The shepherd hut builders love them, they go mad if you either have axles or the stubs.

Oddly i find a matching set of wheels is worth more like Piers valuation of a decent box.

[Ransomes AM54]

^ ^ ^ That would be about my limit, price wise; but then I am not a shepherd's hut builder..!

Hedd's quite right though, I sold a set of iron wheels from a rotten straw elevator to a hut-builder for more than enough to fund the purchase of a very tidy straw elevator with plenty of cash to spare.

[General C.R Dewet]

Originally Posted by 8_10 Brass Cleaner

The Marshall drum I mentioned with the Foster rear wheels is hanging, makes Andrew Goddards look like a good one. However the owner wants somewhere near a grand for it. The harder I look at it, the more knackered I think it is. Its a full time job for a good joiner with some serious lumps of wood needed.

I've weighed it up and my assessment was thus:

I would tow it in the field, take the drawbar and Foster wheels off and burn it.

I would probably get a ton or so of iron out of it, minus the plates and useful ironmongery. So say £200, possibly less given I'd have to cart it to the scrapman.

I could move on the plates, wheels and drawbar, possibly the stub axles also, say another £3-400 in total.

So i valued it at £400 given I'd be doing the work. I also know I've allready parted money to buy the two wooden wheel hubs that came off it some time ago.


If anyone matched his valuation they are either an idiot or they seriously want that box. And there is not so many idiots about as there used to be.

If what Piers says is true, and I have no doubt that it is, if you can buy a half decent one for £500, why would anyone pay any more than beer money for a tired one?

But it does go to show you the economics, and gives you an idea why they get burnt.

I don't disagree with your valuation at all, and many times I have thought I would be better putting a match to it ! That said, I got it and a Corbett's corn mill, which is what I was after for £150. Since then it has cost me a fortune, but surely this is what this hobby of "restoration" is all about. It costs me a small fortune to run the engine every year, why should this box be different? Back in the day they were as important and as valuable as each other to the owner.

My box has local history to where I live, and being only 42" is getting pretty rare. As my friend in the village said to me when I got it, "they ain't making any more, and everyone gone makes the others more valuable". I know it's going to cost me far more than its worth, but next year when I thrash with it for the first time, I know that all the cost will be worthwhile, as I know I will have saved a bit of agricultural history for the next generation to enjoy !

And if I make any bread from the wheat, I can always claim that this is the most expensive loaf ever made, and possibly get a contract supplying Harrods !

[windmiller78]

Originally Posted by General C.R Dewet

I don't disagree with your valuation at all, and many times I have thought I would be better putting a match to it ! That said, I got it and a Corbett's corn mill, which is what I was after for £150. Since then it has cost me a fortune, but surely this is what this hobby of "restoration" is all about. It costs me a small fortune to run the engine every year, why should this box be different? Back in the day they were as important and as valuable as each other to the owner.

My box has local history to where I live, and being only 42" is getting pretty rare. As my friend in the village said to me when I got it, "they ain't making any more, and everyone gone makes the others more valuable". I know it's going to cost me far more than its worth, but next year when I thrash with it for the first time, I know that all the cost will be worthwhile, as I know I will have saved a bit of agricultural history for the next generation to enjoy !

And if I make any bread from the wheat, I can always claim that this is the most expensive loaf ever made, and possibly get a contract supplying Harrods !

you may quip about harrods but our pigs have found their way there, and by default harrods are supporting using a drum and steamer by doing so, the pigs get fed meal from the marris widgeon we thrashed out here....

[8_10 Brass Cleaner]

Originally Posted by General C.R Dewet

I don't disagree with your valuation at all, and many times I have thought I would be better putting a match to it ! That said, I got it and a Corbett's corn mill, which is what I was after for £150. Since then it has cost me a fortune, but surely this is what this hobby of "restoration" is all about. It costs me a small fortune to run the engine every year, why should this box be different? Back in the day they were as important and as valuable as each other to the owner.

My box has local history to where I live, and being only 42" is getting pretty rare. As my friend in the village said to me when I got it, "they ain't making any more, and everyone gone makes the others more valuable". I know it's going to cost me far more than its worth, but next year when I thrash with it for the first time, I know that all the cost will be worthwhile, as I know I will have saved a bit of agricultural history for the next generation to enjoy !

And if I make any bread from the wheat, I can always claim that this is the most expensive loaf ever made, and possibly get a contract supplying Harrods !

Andrew there was a time that a box was worth more than the engine. Often boxes were sold with rounds which were a ready made living

[windmiller78]

Originally Posted by 8_10 Brass Cleaner

Chris

I'll give you are more accurate valuation on a set of iron wheels. I'd buy all the sets I could get at £150-200.

The shepherd hut builders love them, they go mad if you either have axles or the stubs.

Oddly i find a matching set of wheels is worth more like Piers valuation of a decent box.

in which case hedd why did you sell a set on ebay for 130£? I was under bidder to put them on the bailer?
it's staying on landrover rubbers for now....

most I paid for a drum was 1500, though that had family history so to me was priceless, least paid I was given them. I currently have 3 a foster a ransomes and a humphries, 2 working and one project. I agree having scrapped one before for parts, and that's not so so easy as it sounds if your going to salve all the shafts and the bearings metal parts etc, etc.... weigh in around 200£ plus wheels, the fronts may make shepard huts but the rears are too big and in honesty both are too heavy, better off with straw elevator or similar, they do fit on portables though...and could make a tender cart...