Farmall Cub

I just posted one for sale on Ebay. I am selling it for afriend of mine who has become ill. I also have some other attachments. Mill saw, disc, etc. Call if interested. I would love to see them go to a good home. 2628943124

http://item.mobileweb.ebay.com/viewitem ... 0859380205

That is not a Prewitt or a Grosshart.

This is a Prewitt-Grosshart Post Hole Digger:


pic courtesy TM Tractor

And it is not a J&S Foundry Post Hole Digger either:



Not sure what it is, but I sure do want a heck of a lot more detailed pictures. This is interesting.

Am I imagining it, or does that look like the differential housing from an old truck.

Your guess is as good as mine, I will get y'all more photos tomorrow. I don't know much about these tractors but my friend was very passionate when he was in good health. I just want to help him and see all the items go to a nice home.
Here is the link for the buzz saw I have listed as well.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Farmall-FCub-Bu ... 6951085%26

I believe Rudi is correct. Unless there's a nameplate specifically stating that it is such, that does not appear to be a Prewitt post hole digger as manufactured by J. R. Prewitt in Pleasant Hill, MO. Now, with that said, it does resemble the old Grosshart post hole digger, but again, without a nametag, it could just be someone's attempt to do what Lloyd Grosshart did. To my knowledge, that design was prototypical, changed early on, and not manufactured/sold looking like that.

John *.?-!.* cub owner wrote:Am I imagining it, or does that look like the differential housing from an old truck.

John, the first prototypes that Lloyd Grosshart made were taken from an old vehicle rear differential, mounted on a frame and attached to the rear end of a Farmall Regular.

Here's a prototype digger swung on the horizontal:







Hope this helps.

Stanton:

Looking at the pics on photo hosting site sure looks a lot like what we see here. I am wondering ifn maybe this may be one of the original Grosshart's

balderman:

We really do need a lot more information - close ups of the gear box, any markings present, anything that could give us a clue as to it's origin. Definitely will affect value one way or the other.


A note. This thread has a lot of interesting and possibly unique information in it and is worth saving, so I have copied it over to the main Farmall Cub forum so that it will be archived and not auto pruned after a while.

All new posts not relating to the actual for sale issue should be posted in this thread so we do not lose the info.

The PHD on the Regular is made from a Model T Ford rear axle.

Do any of y'all live in Wisconsin? I wouldn't mind someone coming to look at it. The forum won't let me post my pictures because they are too big... I can email them to someone or text them if you can reformat them. 2628943124 is my number.

email them to me - rudisaueracker@gmail.com and I will resize and host on my server.

Here's a picture of the Prewitt Digger seen at Bosses Va. event this past weekend.

Rudi I sent you more pictures earlier today... Around noon... Did you get them??

Rudi wrote:Stanton:
I am wondering ifn maybe this may be one of the original Grosshart's

I'm seriously doubting it. The pictures showing Grosshart's prototype are pre-patent era (April 26, 1946). To my knowledge, he did not sell any of those units to individuals (but I can't be 100% of that). The prototype pictures I posted have a different framing configuration as well as a shaft through the differential; the one we're examining only has the auger shaft coming out of one side/end of the differential. I could be wrong (as life continues to show me I have been, am and not doubt will be), but more people than Lloyd Grosshart had the idea of using a rear end differential to make a post hole digger. He just happened to patent his idea.

Also, I've seen the post-era Grosshart post hole digger (which looks completely different from the way J. R. Prewitt made them). It can be found here:

http://www.freepatentsonline.com/2458991.pdf

It was Prewitt that suggested enclosing the gears (Grosshart had them running exposed) and putting them into a sheetmetal box (like the pictures Yogie posted at Boss Hog's Cubfest). I just think we're seeing a similar, but different post hole digger than a Grosshart. It's interesting though...

balderman wrote:Rudi I sent you more pictures earlier today... Around noon... Did you get them??

Not yet ... waiting. Only goes as fast as the slowest node between you and me. With luck it will be here in a bit.

Stanton:

As you said, it is interesting non

Okay Rudi I sent them again. Cross your fingers

Okay, so per several people's request I am going to give the back story to this post hole digger. A friend of mine has recently become very ill. His family does not have very much money, but they do certainly have a lot of stuff. He was an over the road truck driver and picked up all sorts of unique stuff during his travels. His main interest was in items per 1950; tractors, studebakers, farm equipment, tools, etc. His wife asked me to help sell some of these items to help pay the medical bills. Unfortunately part of his illness is dementia so getting information from him has to be timed well and the talking doesn't last long. We currently live in Wisconsin and he apparently acquired the digger 35 years ago. According to him he bought it from the granddaughter of a friend who knew the man who created it, along with the digger he got the buzz saw and disc. He cannot remember what state he got it. I understand to all of y'all the history is very important, but I cannot under good conscience guarantee the validity of the history. All I know is that it was very important to Dan and I would like to see it go to a good home. Money to pay for the assisted living and food is more important than stuff at this point. So, that's what I've got. I wish I could be of more help. It still rotates, there is not slop in it, as for if it works... I don't know, I have no way to test it. In my opinion it is more of a museum piece than a tool that should be used.