Okay, I'll throw in my 1974 MF-8 Hydro, with a story.
I'm driving through Sperry Oklahoma, pop. 625, when I see this little MF-8 in the front yard with a cardboard sign with $200 on it. I stop right in the middle of the road, get out, truck running, and go knock on the door. A "lady" about 60 answers the door with a tall Coors silver bullet can in one hand, a cigarette sporting a inch long ash in the other. I tell her I'm interested in the tractor and will she let me look it over.
She starts talking about the tractor and her deceased husband and I can barely understand her, because she isn't wearing her false teeth, pretty funny, but weird. I see it has what looks like a brand new Tecumseh 10 hp engine on it and she says, her husband put that on right before he died. I ask if the old one had worn out and she said, no I shot it. I didn't say anything, didn't have too, she recounted the story about a guy who loved this little tractor, and a woman who felt more than a little jealous when she got drunk. It still sports the two holes in the grille screen where she pumped two 9mm rounds into the little Tecumseh 8.
I've got the money, I'm willing to pay, but I decide to dicker just to hear her haggle with no teeth. It got REALLY funny then, but you couldn't stand too close, with spit flying, foul breath, body odor, and along with the stench of cigarette smoke, the old bat was toxic. We settled on 182.50, or 184.50, I forget. I had no way of getting the little tractor into my van, she had no ramps or boards, and was on disability (BIG SURPRISE).
Meanwhile this whole time my truck is still parked in the road, running, and I'm going door to door trying to find some boards or help, the whole damn neighborhood was either over 80 or on disability, or both, but I found a set of wrought iron porch posts, had to be 50 years old, solid decorative iron about 8 inches wide laying beside a neighbors house. I "borrowed" them and used them as ramps to load the little Massey in the truck, again while it was still in the middle of the street. I returned the ramps and went on my merry way.
I repainted the hood and fender pan, touched up the frame a little and painted the wheels, the tires and everything else was all original. I believe he put a new aftermarket cover on the seat pan, nice job. I left the pull rope he had on the Tecumseh 10, but turned it so you could reach the handle from the seat. I thought it would be a nice touch if you had a low or bad battery. I did a complete restore on the deck. I let my wife mow with it last year, but it's in "storage" from now on.
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