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Read Alan Borre's story of this rare combination -- a B-1 with
L-10 loader that he bought through the classified ads here. Click the
picture for an even closer view.
Hi Kent,
I would like to send a big "Thank You" for the fine work you have done on the
website. I know that many of these old tractors would not be getting the
attention they deserve if Simple Tractors was not on the web. It must take a
huge part of your time and dedication to maintain this site but please know that
it is appreciated.
Last summer I noticed an ad on the site for a B1 tractor and loader. As it
turned out the tractor was located only about 30 miles from my home. I called
the gentleman that owned the tractor and made plans to get together with him one
evening after work. The tractor was very rusty and had been sitting outside
under a tarp for quite some time. To my astonishment it did actually run and the
loader worked. We agreed on a price and I purchased the tractor.
My darling wife, having become accustomed to my strange behavior when it comes
to mechanical things, just smiled as the rusted hulk was unloaded in front of
the garage. Having three Allis garden tractors in the garage already I'm sure
she wondered what I needed a fourth one for. We own a small auto repair shop and
were having a new building built. I felt the tractor would be very helpful in
doing the landscaping. I explained this to her but I know she had her doubts as
to the utility of the pile of rust. The tractor was sitting there running
as I made my sales pitch to my bride, telling her it didn't look like much but
it run good and would do the job. It didn't do much for my position when the tractor quit and would not restart
until it cooled down. Obviously a coil problem. Being a good sport she held back
most of the laughter until she was nearly in the house.
I carted the remains off to the shop the next weekend and removed the engine to
replace the coil. After removing the engine it was obvious that a little
cleaning and perhaps some paint was in order. It turned out to be a very long
weekend. I started on Friday night and finished on Sunday night It's not a show
quality restoration but was at least presentable when the weekend was
over, besides, it was a tractor and was expected to work to earn it's keep. It
not only helped with the landscape but has many other uses like lifting oil
barrels and pulling cars into the shop. The finishing touches were added a few
weeks later in the form of a new seat and decals.
The seat was done locally by a woman who does boat interiors. I showed her the
seat on my Big Ten and she made an exact copy of it for the B1. She has a
pattern and is willing to make more if anyone in the club is in need. The decals
came from Wells and they were very helpful making sure I got exactly what I
needed including the AC logo for the loader. The old decals were still on the
tractor and loader when I got it so I was able to place them as they were from
the factory. I'm sending you a picture to add to your collection. You will
notice the front wheels have not been repainted as the tires will be replaced
soon and rather than mask off the old tires I decided to repaint the wheels when
the new tires were being installed. The rims are representative of what
the rest of the tractor looked like when I got it. This tractor would probably
not have been repaired if it hadn't been for Simple Tractors. Again I thank and
salute you for the fine website.
