David James - more on the possible new to you 149:
It appears the rear tires were changed to ag style from the stock turf style and non-IH wheel weights are added. The tires also appear to be 8.5" wide, while the stock tires for a 149 would be 10.5" wide. Again, no real big deal - except narrow ag tires with wheel weights provide better traction in snow, but are not ideal for lawn mowing. The wheel weights could be removed to help provide more flotation on grass but the ag treads will likely leave marks or actually dig into wet grass/turf. I notice the front tires are mis-matched and upon measuring you may find actual height and width not to be the same or what is marked on the tires. This makes leveling the mowing deck more difficult. The quick attach sub-frame mule drive appears a little askew at the front. This could mean one of the cross rods is broken or bent or it's just not latched correctly. Repair isn't real costly but adds to the list. One nice thing I notice is the hydraulic lift lever appears vertical. They are somewhat prone to bending a little roll pin inside the dash area resulting in the lever falling slightly forward or back (usually about an inch or so either direction). This doesn't result in operational failure of the lift, but is one of the more difficult and time consuming repairs do to it's location inside the dash. If it's already been repaired it's a plus. The decal on the front grill looks to have some bright red in the IH. If this is the original "metal" decal it's nice to see this and would indicate someone has pride and taken some care of the tractor. The plastic grills are somewhat prone to warping from the muffler heat and glue for the decal emblem fails allowing it to fall off. The seat looks a little odd to me because of it's height, but with replacement costs $100 or more you often see changes made, and it could be quite comfortable no matter the look. Overall appearance of the tractor isn't bad and doesn't show alot of rust - I would guess its been kept inside. It just looks a little tired, but not bad for a 40+ year old tractor. Based on what I can see of the dash decal to the hood decal alignment I think the hood support that's bolted to the dash is allowing the hood to lower to much and maybe cracking away the fiberglass dash. Again, not a big deal to repair but takes time. Can't tell awhole lot more about the unit without the engine running. Hydro tractors of this age are prone to a hydro creep or jump unless a trunion repair has been done. Not costly if done yourself but time conmsuming. I don't see blackening from exhaust around the hood or side of the grill housing where the muffler sticks out. This might mean the engine had been running good and doesn't burn oil - but unless you can run the engine and look for exhaust smoke you can't tell for any certainty. Also, without the engine running you can't tell if the starter/generator charging system is operating correctly, or if the PTO clutch which engages the mowing deck is operating properly. Repair of these items could be more costly. If the owner wants to sell the unit anywhere close to his asking price he needs to get the engine running - it should start right up, and run and drive good, but even then I'd probably still reduce the 1st digit of his price by 1. And the price without the engine running would be a reduction of the first digit by 3, or at most what Kevin suggested 1/2 his price. There are just to many unknowns for a non-running tractor around 40 years old. If the engine were to have a broken rod, a basic overhaul will cost at least $500+ by a local knowledgeable person, and in a shop probably $1000 or more. If you're really handy and can do it yourself you probably know the parts and machining would cost $200-$300+ depending on what's necessary. Even if the engine does run it could well be close to needing an overhaul, or engine exchange from another tractor. Overall it looks to me like a good restoration candidate if you want to go thru it top to bottom. I think you could restore it for $2k or more and use it 20 years, and then sell it as an antique if you don't restore it again. For myself I'd certainly do this before I went and spent $2k on a brand new tractor and then ended up selling it for scrap 10 years from now. For me there is nothing more satisfying than restoring one of these units, learning it inside and out. It becomes a real part of you - you will know this machine, how it works, what you can do with it, how well its designed and built, and have something that lasts nearly a life time (well if you go thru it again)and then some.
Hope this may help you with your decision, and/or working something out with the owner.
Hydro Harry
Old Cubs Never Die
