25hp on Ebay--starting price doubled.

Boy, I was surfing on ebay and found this wonderful engine-a 25hp Witte-the heart started pumping, the mind started going, you checkout on a map the distance between here and there, and then you write the seller with the usual questions; is it stuck, is it complete, what size are the fly wheels, etc. You think on it all night. You get a response--it looks like a go! I get on Ebay, click on the item and BANG. The starting price double. Don't you love that, the guy gets alot of responses or someone says "hey, it's worth more double than that" and BANG--they double the price. So, now the question is, do you still bid and trust the guy, or keep looking for someone who sticks with the pricing? If you want that much more, then why don't you put a reserve on it and let bidders bid it up?

I saw a similar item on ebay a couple months ago, a farmall regular/f20 that had a starting price of $9,995.00. It was unrestored, badly in need of TLC, but someone must have thought it was the lottery. It didn't get even one bid. I wonder why.

Collecting steam, gas engines, and tractors used to be a hobby. Unfortunately, as our society has become insane, so has become some of the sellers and buyers.

As to bidding, I guess it's up to you. If it's in driving distance, I'd go look at it and see what it is. I did this on a Bass Fiddle I bought...it was within 50 miles of me and I ended up buying it. Everybody wants every penny for everything they sell, I wouldn't like having the bid go up like that. I guess it depends on how much you want the engine.

Good Luck!

David

I bet he made a mistake when listing it! when he realized it he put it to where he wanted it to be. I would much rather that then what happened to me.

I bid on a Tom Thumb engine and won it at a reasonable price, after it was all over he said he made a mistake and forgott to put a reserve on it, And he was not going to sell it for that price! He also said that I shoul have know that somthing was wrong and there was a mistake! I went back and forth and finalley said keep it with all the agravation it just was not worth it.

Well I'll be... I have that auction saved in "My eBay" and when I read this post I checked on it and sure enough, he doubled the price When I saw it the first time I thought it wasn't a bad deal, but now, I'm not so sure. If I leaved a lot closer and had the money, I would have thought about buying it for the original price eventhough I'm not much on throttle govern engines. But hey, how often does a big Witte like that come along Like David said, how bad do you want it? You always could take the chance that no one will bid on it and when the auction is over, e-mail the owner and try to work out a deal

That really sucks. What gets me is, when you bid on an item it states that your bid is a contract. Buy placing an item on eBay isn't the seller also entering into a binding contract? I think so. I would have reported him to eBay. After all, I'm sure he checked on the status of his auction from time to time, I know I do, and there is no reason he couldn't have seen he's so called "Mistake" and fixed it or ended the auction early.

Sometimes you'll see a auction end will a heavy selling price and two weeks later you'll see the same engine back up for sale again from the original seller. Wondering if the neighbor down the street was the high bidder running the price up for him on the last day.

I have been under the impression that once an item has a bid that's it---however you may revise the DESCRIPTION only. Anyway, the engine would probably have much more spirited bidding had he left it alone.

Well, what I want to find is a 12-20 HP engine that I can use to run my Corn husker shredder and my 6-hole corn sheller. I thought this Witte would look nice on a set of trucks; besides I have a 2hp, 3hp, 6hp, and 8hp witte now. I live 1200 miles away from the 25hp witte, so taking a drive to check it out doesn't work tooo well. At the original price of $1500, or even a little bit more, I would risk it. The bore is 10" and I doubt that I can run to the next show and find parts. So, for now, I will keep looking, maybe find a hercules, stover, fairbanks-morse Z or N, a tank cooled, screen cooled or hopper cooled or maybe something else?

[Pat Barrett]

I, too, looked at the engine. David Lyon, from Hattiesburg, Ms, and myself discussed the engine. Big Engine. It would make a great display for instance, if a club could buy it and install it on there permanent grounds, for display. At $1500.00 it was lucrative, but still needed some thinking about before seriously considering it. Note, there was not a bid at the old price. Be interesting to see how it winds up. Certainly won't consider it at the new one.

I just took a good look at this engine. There is a front view of the head that looks like it has been sitting there with no sparkplug in it!!!!! Could now be the local mouse hotel.

[Pat Barrett]

Good possibility. Mice find odd spots. Point is you would spend the original asking price for suplies/tooling just to get this to a point of starting to restore it, based on the pictures. And if you were retired, you could spend probably 6 months of more, to restore it. If you didn't have any other family duties to uphold. Of couse, this is based on the pics. Might be easier or harder, as you all know.

I did a search on E-bay and could not find the 25 hp witte What is the item number I would like to see what it looks like. Thanks Bob

the witte would be a great engine if someone could afford to get it and restore it i have a friend who has one just like it. i love to listen to that old witte run it has a sound all its own. is that witte the biggest hopper cooled engine ever made ?

There are several engine companies that list engines larger the 25hp, but don't say if they are hopper cooled. 25hp was the largest Witte hopper cooled. They have a 30hp listed, but I believe it was jacketed.

From what I hear, mouse urine is as bad if not worse then water. Know a guy who bought a '37 JD A at an auction. Tractor was kept under cover, but mice got into one of the cylinders due to the valve being open and made a nest. Unfortunately for him, the urine ate away at the cylinder wall so much that boring it didn't do any good. Ended up having to get another block $$$$.

I have seen a 35HP hopper cooled-belonged to a friend-and believe there was a picture of a 35 or possibly 40HP in GEM some time ago. Believe the owner was in the hopper and standing next to it you can see it's big enough to take a bath in. Ed

I believe Ed is refering to Dale Cairns 30hp Witte!! Looks like ya could take a bath in that hopper! BobRR

We had a 12-24 Hart Parr in the shop where mice has nested in the crankcase for YEARS, apparently, and the STEEL crankshaft timing gear and a STEEL rod cap were just GONE!! But the CAST IRON camshaft gear, in mesh with the crankshaft gear, was absolutely unaffected. Cast iron----amazing stuff!!! Craig

I stand corrected. The literature I have only shows a picture of a 25hp. Like they say, you should never assume Does anyone happen to remember which issue that picture was in or could someone post the picture?

Here is the 30 HP. Don,t think that is Dale in the hopper, and I don,t think John is taking a bath.