18 years and it's finally happened!

[towntw]

When I was growing up, my grandfather used a JD A and later added a 1020. These and our neighbor's 4020 and 5020 were about the only tractors I was around so I knew little of other tractors. In the early 1990s I first noticed a JD 40S and fell in love with it's "cuteness". As I learned more about 40's, I settled on a 40U as my favorite version. I obtained one in the late 90's. I also started collecting all the 40 info I could find - the service manual, owners manuals, service bulletins, etc.

In 2007 my neighbor of 13 years, Gary, showed up with a crawler on his trailer. From my side of the road, it looked like a 40, so I had to look closer. As we talked, he explained it belonged on his mother's farm but needed new pins and bushings in the tracks. So he'd brought it home to repair, though he wasn't quite sure how to go about doing the repair or obtaining the correct parts. When I mentioned that I had the parts and service manuals for this that he could borrow, his jaw dropped.

He spent a couple of months repairing it, then brought it over and had me run it for a couple of hours. What a sweet little machine! I told him if the family was ever interested in selling it, I'd be interested.

I've thought about it off-and-on through the years, but never knew just what happened. Gary died of cancer in 2014 and a couple years later his wife sold their house and moved to a condo in town. We ran into her recently and during our conversation she mentioned the farm is up for sale. Long story short, she put me in touch with the other members of the family who were amenable to selling the 40C. I made a fair offer, and they accepted. 18 years after I first saw it, I'm now the proud owner!

It needs some work. It hadn't run in a couple of years so it needs some of the usual. The rollers need lube and one idler is frozen up. The dozer cylinders leak down. But it only took about 20 minutes to get it started and it drove right up on the trailer. I'm tickled pink!

[Lavoy]

That's great, glad you were able to get it.
Lavoy

[jimmydiesel]

The 40c has found a new home. Fun times ahead.
Steve.

[Jim B]

Congratulations on getting it after a long wait. Have fun with it.