powerrabbit

Not too sure what a 'code 3' one would make, probably not as much as a proper one but an un-boxed proper one made £123 I believe on eBay a couple of days ago.

The one I have is number 29. Paid £100 for it. Thought at the time that it may be a good investment.

This one sold today on eBay. http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=200237255899&ssPageName=STRK:MEWA:IT&ih=010

Yesterday rained all day down here, 32mm. Today it's quite sunny and very warm but with the odd shower enough to wet everything down again.

Been making jam this morning, too wet to pick fruit yesterday so whilst dry thought I would pick the raspberries and loganberries, only got a few canes that have gone a bit wild in the garden but better than letting the blackbirds strip them off. Made around 6 1/2 lb altold. Last year made 21lb and sold the lot at the local market.

In my area of Dartmoor, most of the farmers I know are under restriction of movement because of TB. In the case of a suspected or confirmed case, no cattle can be moved or sold off the premises until there have been 2 consecutive clear 6 month tests but cattle can be moved or bought in. We milked cows here on the farm from 1961 as did the previous owner from 1948 and we never had a case of TB, suspected or confirmed, in all that time despite being overrun with badgers and a large sett at the edge of one field very close to the house. In the 1980's the then Ministry, ADAS, did an extensive survey of the area and the badgers in it and to cut a very long story short, said that on our farm the badger population were clean and healthy and therefore should be left alone to preserve that status. They also said that other badgers outside the immediate area tested positive for the disease and the worst affected ones were culled, so they did do it, but only as a trial as further action on the findings was dependant on 'Government directives'. I'm afraid that this latest back-step is nothing more than political and aimed at 'vote catching' from the general public after the recent downturn in votes for Labour. What the Goverment don't tell the public, which I think is more important, is that badgers are the biggest carrier of Anthrax, and that is a notifiable disease. Everything is not as 'black and white' as it seems. It would'nt worry me if the whole badger population in this country were wiped out completeley, together with those that wish to preserve the filthy dirty stinking things. Apologies to anyone I may offend with my last comment.

The bidding finished at £1,135 and an odd few pence. And people complain about the price of fuel!

Some feilds do have strange and weird names, usually named by assosiation somewhere back in time and very often you find that groups of houses in villages and towns were named after the original field names that they were built in. Some fields are very imaginatively named, others are just what they are, like 'barn field', 'horse field', 'ten acre' etc. I reckon that it would be a good exercise for you all to research the origins of your field names or if you live in the urban sprawl, the origin of your terrace, street or close etc name.

Top man Sean. What did you think of the 1/2 size 525? in the first shed, hand built by the now retired chief engineer from Exeter College. Most interesting tractor in the display I thought. Very clever chap! Sorry I did'nt see you there.

Went to Mike's open day today. Crowds of people there being rather wet. Some very nice new exhibits. Stalls a little thinner than last year. Auction for charity, Bruder MF 1/16 model, don't know which, £25. UH 35x in dealer box, £35. Siku 1/32 MF, did'nt see which model, £22. MF 50th tie, £8, carrier bags, £1 each. Did'nt take the camera, too wet.

Still on as far as I know, actually looking forward to it. Was planning to give Mike a ring later tonight as I have one of those Ferguson compressor driven Marples hand hedgetrimmers, thinking of taking it to see what it's worth.

Where these elevators melted was where the conveyer belt came into contact with the plastic and in the middle where the little rubber tube joiners went over the spires that joined the two sides together. Once the melt has begun practically impossible to rectify.

Yes BC. The same elevator but in the next series straw window box.

Here is the tractor 40 years on. I don't think the old girl has done too bad considering her age, but I did say it had had little use.

Here is a picture of the Sharna 780 from when it was quite new being used by its original owner. There is a very moving story behind this little boy and his tractor, for those of you with an emotional disposition, run for the tissues now. Got them? Right, I'll begin. This little boy is called David and when he was three he became very ill and was diagnosed with leukemia and consequently spent an awful long time in hospital being treated as best then as they knew how. Fortunately he survived and got well again and is now in his 40's and enjoying very good health. His Mother and Father bought him the tractor new in 1969 not long after he was pronounced cured of his illness to take his mind off his ordeal but his parents, understandably, only let him play with it occasionally when they thought he was up to it (they mollycoddled him a bit) so that is why the tractor survived in virtually as new condition. I bought it from his parents who answered an ad I put in a local paper looking for David Brown tractors and when I went to see it I was expecting a real one so you can guess at my surprise when this came to light in their garage when they opened the door. I felt rather guilty at tearing this away from them as it held so many memories for them but they said it was time to move on and knew that it would be looked after. I paid them £200 for it and said that I would like them if they would to give a proportion of the money to Cancer Research at which they readily agreed. I spent several hours with them when I bought it, they were a lovely couple.

IH885XLMAN. The D.B. pedal tractors were a complete plastic moulding in the chocolate brown and the white of the bonnet and dash was spray-painted. The front wheels were silver and the rear ones were black, sprayed white. The rear mudguards were moulded white harder plastic that got very brittle with age. The pedal 'power' arrangement was very simple with a crank for the pedals with a sprocket and the chain going to the sprocket on the rear axle. The front of the bonnet had 'headlights' in the nose that were just shiny silver paper discs just stuck on and the 'grille' was just sprayed red, as was the seat. on the back of the tractor there was a hook as part of the moulding for a trailer and other drawn implements, but I've never seen anything that was made to go behind them, or at least, can't remember any. The pedals were red plastic as well. I do also have an all diecast (very heavy) Case 790 pedal tractor as well that I picked up at a boot sale a few years ago and restored it. The only thing that was missing was one of the pedals and I have never been able to find a replacement to finish it as yet.

That is the only other one of 2 that we know that's still in existence at present. As you know, I spend a bit of time on the D.B.T.C Forum, being in charge of the Devon branch of the Club. I myself have the other one, mine has a loader and bucket on it and has a 'numberplate' on it DB 69, 69 being 1969. The one I have was the one modelled in the Border Fine Arts study 'Like Father Like Son', the loader was not represented because they thought it was too fiddely to do. I remember these D.B pedal tractors at that time in the showroom of my local D.B dealers and also remember that they were priced at £64 (without loader), a lot of money back then. I will dig it out of the shed and clean it up and post up some pics of it. Perhaps pedal tractors would make an interesting seperate topic as they have been made for years, I particularly remember the MF65 one that was made by Triang. Pollytoys are the main producers of pedal tractors now I believe.

From Grange-over-Sands and grossly-over-priced. I have an earlier version without the 'hopper' in a straw box. What would that be worth I wonder?

Picked up my copy today. Another cracking fully loaded issue which is getting better and better. I have found that all the articles are equaly interesting and will sit and read in depth over the weekend. Top marks again Rory, top of the class!

That's very wishful thinking or very greedy. And I particularly like the mis-description saying it comes with a 'spare loader'.

Have a look on the Sparex website, they do most things for a T20.

Probably a long shot but there may be just the parts at Mike Thorne's open day. Usually several stalls and spares there. \

You beat me to it, have just been looking up this. The laws concerning older tractors in some cases have changed from what they used to be.

Doe'snt work quite that way. Clevice should be on the trailer/implement drawbar and the 9 hole drawbar in it with the pin down through. You can however fit a bolt-on ball-hitch on the drawbar for car type trailers.

The wheel melt problem is very common, something to do with the tyres reacting with the plastic wheels. As said, up to you as to wheather you decide to replace them or no. Another source for new Britain's wheels and other parts is Brian Norman in Pembroke, 01646 661645.Give him a ring and ask for his catalogue, very comprehensive, parts reasonably priced and if it's not listed he may possibly be able to get it.