# Aumann Vintage Lawn Tractor Auction 5/26



## Bob Driver (Nov 1, 2017)

Aumann is having a pretty good sized vintage lawn tractor auction on 5/26. Inspection Day is 5/22. If you're not familiar with Aumann, their on-line auctions are centered out of Cape Girardeau, MO. They usually have some pretty good stuff in their auctions. Like any auction, the bidding can get out of hand. I like to watch their auctions because they always give me and idea of what a vintage tractor (both raw & restored) is actually worth in today's market. Thought I'd share the link with any one that is interested. To me, this is the most interesting piece, but it's sitting a $2,600 with 16 days to go....










Aumann Auction 5/26


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## pogobill (Jan 31, 2012)

Now that is a cool tractor!


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## FredM (Nov 18, 2015)

Nice, looks to have had a resto at some time, grousers don't seem to have much wear and the paint looks good.


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## Bob Driver (Nov 1, 2017)

FredM said:


> Nice, looks to have had a resto at some time, grousers don't seem to have much wear and the paint looks good.


Fred - I think this machine is a one-off custom build. A Cub 149 was a hydrostatic drive lawn tractor, powered by a K321 Kohler, and built between 1971-1974. That's definitely that monster round air filter housing on a K-321 in the picture above. The nose, rear fender, and hood lines look just like a CC149 lawn tractor. I'm pretty sure somebody, with some skills, custom built this machine..... Whenever I start to get cocky about what I can do in a shop, coming across something like this either brings back down to earth, or sends me on a fantasy design/shopping trip on-line. 
Cub 149

This started me looking for a set of tracks...... What do you think my Yanmar would look like with tracks?😎


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## Bob Driver (Nov 1, 2017)

Yep.... Found the "rabbit hole" for a tracked Yanmar. I've got an old Exmark that has the complete hydraulic drive system still on it, so I'm thinking pump and drive motors rather than a differential. Does anybody know of an organization that works like AA where you can call a "sponsor" when you start heading down a destructive path like this and they try to talk you out of it?

Mini Dozer Build Plans


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## FredM (Nov 18, 2015)

Bob Driver said:


> Fred - I think this machine is a one-off custom build. A Cub 149 was a hydrostatic drive lawn tractor, powered by a K321 Kohler, and built between 1971-1974. That's definitely that monster round air filter housing on a K-321 in the picture above. The nose, rear fender, and hood lines look just like a CC149 lawn tractor. I'm pretty sure somebody, with some skills, custom built this machine..... Whenever I start to get cocky about what I can do in a shop, coming across something like this either brings back down to earth, or sends me on a fantasy design/shopping trip on-line.
> Cub 149
> 
> This started me looking for a set of tracks...... What do you think my Yanmar would look like with tracks?😎
> ...


Bob!! the bloke who built that one has done a great job, I had to assume that this model was standard for its build date, it really amazes me the amount of small tractors that the States have, we wouldn't see 1/8 of those different models, so I am always interested to see what you blokes have over there.

That Yanmar looks to be a nice unit too, probably would look the part with tracks, a dozer blade on front and hydraulic rippers on the rear and painted Cat yellow and make it a D.5 model.


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## FredM (Nov 18, 2015)

I had a read of the attached plans Bob, quite an interesting read.


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## Bob Driver (Nov 1, 2017)

FredM said:


> I had a read of the attached plans Bob, quite an interesting read.


Started researching the cost of building an undercarriage using the components in those plans and dropping them into a spreadsheet. So far, looks to be roughly $2,500 (8 sprockets @ $150 each, chain @ $2 per foot, etc). As of this morning, bidding is at $2,750.... I figure $3,000 for all the "ingredients" (undercarriage, rusty CC149, resto parts, etc). So the next 13 days of bidding will show what guys are actually willing to pay for the skilled labor to build something like this machine. 

Let's face it... This is *NOT* really a working dozer (note there is no blade). It's a machine you take to vintage tractor shows to draw attention to your booth/collection, or possibly run in a local parade. The parade would have to be a very slow one, you'd have to be behind the band, and quite possibly the horses (not exactly a prime spot). Guessing at roughly 200 hours labor and the machine selling for $6,000, that's $15 an hour for the skilled labor. 

If I run those numbers by my "Sponsor" (wife), I imagine she would say in her eloquent Mississippi vernacular ..... "Bless your heart Darlin', you're crazier than a pet ****"


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## FredM (Nov 18, 2015)

Right Bob, join the thoughty club like I had to!!.


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## Bob Driver (Nov 1, 2017)

Less than 24 hours to go and that "Cub Dozer" is at $5,400..... It could hit $6,500, but with the parts cost (roughly $2,500), and an estimated 200 hours of labor, that's around $16 an hour for a labor rate.


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## Bob Driver (Nov 1, 2017)

OK.... This turns out to be an interesting study about on-line vintage tractor auctions. The "Cub Dozer" supposedly went for $8,910. At that price, the guy probably made money building it. $8,900 - $2,500 for parts = $6,400. $6,400 / 200 hours = $32 an hour labor. I use $30 an hour for a labor rate when I'm costing out the profitability of a "Flip" on any machine I work on over the winter.

The rest of the auction turned into what I figured and goes back to the same question I always seem to have in these situations...... "Holy crap, where are these knucklehead paying that kind of money when I'm trying to unload a rusty piece of junk?"

That brings up my final point.... Notice I said "The Cub Dozer supposedly went for $8,910". There's no way to actually verify somebody was dumb enough to pay that price for a "garage queen" that is absolutely worthless for doing any kind of actual work. I wish they would post pictures of these guys and give out their cell phone #'s. 

Boy do I have some prime POC's I'd love to talk to them about.


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