BATESVILLE, Ind. — An impressive collection of antique and vintage farm equipment drew buyers to the Denis and Pat Schrank Antique Farm Auction on Aug. 22. Conducted by Kraft Auction Service, the live, on-site sale, with limited online bidding, featured hundreds of heritage items, including antique tractors, planting and harvesting equipment, hit-and-miss engines, 19th-century implements, antique heavy machinery and more. 

The 852-lot auction showcased a museum-worthy collection spanning the early years of agricultural machinery. Some pieces were dated as early as 1916; others were even older. The collection included horse-drawn equipment, steam-powered machinery, and early fuel-powered models. 

Among the earliest dated pieces was a 1918 International Harvester Motor Cultivator, which saw the auction’s highest bid of $38,000. Only about 300 examples of this rare, low-production machine were built between 1917 and 1919. This complete, running example had been expertly restored by Denis Schrank and featured a 12-hp LeRoi four-cylinder gasoline engine. 

Equally impressive was the running and driving 1916 International Harvester 8-16 Mogul drawing the auction’s second-highest bid of $33,000. Originally offered as an affordable, kerosene-powered farm tractor, it was powered by a 16-hp, single-cylinder Mogul engine and featured planetary forward and reverse gearing, a correct magneto, muffler and toolbox, along with a clutch pulley and drawbar. 

Bidding reached $21,000 for an Indiana Tractor, powered by a LeRoi 2C four-cylinder engine. Built in Anderson, Indiana, the tractor featured chain drive to the wheels, parade rubber on all four wheels, and custom steps and rear fenders below the seat. Schrank often exhibited the operational rig at farm equipment shows. 

Not far behind at $20,500 was a 1919 60-hp Emerson-Brantingham Steam Engine. Schrank and his family often exhibited it at local shows until its boiler was deemed unsafe to operate and it was retired to static display. It retained its whistle, pop valve, lubricator, full canopy and good gearing, making it an excellent restoration project. 

The historic pieces continued with a 1918 International 1.5-ton truck that was one of Schrank’s prized possessions. Running and drivable, it was often seen at local parades. It was outfitted with a four-cylinder gas engine similar to those in an 8-16 tractor, plus a custom electric start, and a wood bed with seats for carrying passengers. Due to its age, it was sold with a bill of sale rather than a title. 

Also selling for $15,000 was a 1930s-era Massey Harris GP tractor. It was powered by a four-cylinder gasoline engine and two-speed transmission, and featured a full set of steel wheels, belt pulley, drawbar and electric start, and new radiator. Retaining its original patina, the tractor was operational but lacked the rear-extending PTO shaft.

The first winning bid below five figures was $7,500 for a running 1927 Farmall Regular Custom High Crop “Big Foot.” Built for sowing wheat into standing corn, the custom tractor offered a four-cylinder gasoline engine, three-speed transmission, belt pulley and PTO, along with eight-foot-tall rear wheels.

High four-figure bids also landed several historic engines. A 4-hp International Harvester Famous vertical engine, made for export, changed hands at $6,000. Mounted on a cart with a cooling tank, the still-loose engine had been used by the Schrank family for years to make ice cream at shows. Another cart-mounted 4-hp tank-cooled Famous engine went for $5,000. Partially restored and operational, it featured a new cooling tank, belt pulley, rebuilt muffler, and battery-and-coil ignition, along with repairs to the bottom of the head and cylinder. A 6-hp Appleton gas engine on a cart scored $3,000. Schrank exhibited the engine at shows to power an Appleton drag saw or husker-shredder. It included a clutch pulley, battery box and belt, and Farmall belt pulley. The head had been repaired, and the engine retained its Webster magneto.

That bid range also included several pieces of historic heavy machinery, including a bladeless but running/driving Cletrac W crawler that fetched $5,000. Introduced in 1918, the crawler was in very straight, original condition and featured a four-cylinder gasoline engine, good undercarriage and steering-wheel control. It also had a rare right-angle front belt pulley attachment, although the pulley and shaft were missing.

Other machinery included a non-running 1923 Fordson-powered H-P one-man road grader, going for $2,300. It was powered by a four-cylinder Fordson engine with a three-speed transmission and upgraded manifold and carburetor, and featured an eight-foot blade and industrial solid-rubber wheels. Coming close, at $2,100, was an early horse-drawn wooden-wheeled pan scraper of unknown manufacture.

A bit further down in the bidding, but still rich in historical merit, were several notable pieces. A 1927 McCormick-Deering 10-20 bid to $1,500. The complete but non-running tractor was in original condition, with some original stenciling still visible, with a four-cylinder gasoline engine, three-speed transmission, custom contractor cab, belt pulley, and a full set of steel wheels. Later, a 10.5-foot-long Birdsell wooden wagon, in original condition, with 40-inch front and 45-inch rear wheels, got $900, while just $550 won a 1929 McCormick-Deering 10-20 with a partially disassembled four-cylinder gas engine, belt drive, and full set of steel wheels. 

Some of the collection’s historic pieces even sold for under $500. Those included a wooden horse-drawn dump wagon with an 8.5-foot by 42-inch box along with 41-inch front and 45-inch rear wheels that rolled off for $350, a Taylor-Way tractor-pulled subsoiler mounted on steel wheels for $350, and a partially disassembled 1931 McCormick-Deering 10-20 project tractor with a loose engine, belt pulley, and assorted parts that left for $225. Meanwhile, a White and Conner pull-type barn thresher in original condition, with paint and stenciling still visible, hammered for just $200, helping round out a remarkable auction of agricultural history.

For information on upcoming Kraft sales, visit: kraftauctions.com