CRAB ORCHARD, Ky. – On May 7, Bright Star Realty and Auctions held an auction of the Coblentz Sawmill for the retiring owner. The small auction, with just 66 lots, was held online and via phone bidding. Sawmill equipment, heavy machinery, and recreational equipment – including two dozen hunting guns and two boats – was included. All lots were sold absolute and an inspection was offered the week of the auction.

Three pieces of heavy equipment were available. The auction’s high of $7,750 went for one of them, a Case 450B track loader. The good-condition unit featured just 150 hours on a rebuilt Case 3-cylinder diesel engine, 14-inch tracks, plus pin-through 4-inch by 48-inch forks, and 66-inch bucket.

A second track loader, a John Deere 655B with 8,563 hours, hit close at $7,250. The operating-condition loader had a John Deere 6068T diesel engine, 15-inch tracks, and pin-through 6-inch by 6-foot forks and 7-foot tooth bucket.

The third lot was a running-condition 1981 Allis Chalmers forklift with 1,458 hours, which bid to $1,700. It was powered by an Allis Chalmers 6-cylinder diesel engine and was equipped with a 7-foot mast, 5-inch by 48-inch forks, and rated at 7,900-pound capacity.

Attachments and accessories for the heavy machinery included a ready-to-use John Deere winch with ⅝-inch steel cable. It sold for $2,000. Bidding went to $1,750 for a pin and bushing press with hydraulic drive, used to change bushings on heavy equipment. A Case Extendahoe backhoe attachment, with a 24-inch bucket and outriggers, formerly used on the 450B track loader, only reached $200.

For bidders looking for something a bit smaller, there was a 1:50 diecast replica of a CAT 390FL hydraulic excavator. Proceeds of its $50 winning bid, including the buyer’s premium, went to Feed My Starving Children (FMSC), a Christian nonprofit organization fighting worldwide hunger.

From the sawmill came equipment like a good-condition Woodland industrial modular band mill that landed $5,500. The unit was 8 feet by 31 feet and featured a Toyota diesel engine (needed work), 1.5-inch by 24-inch band wheels, two 10-inch blades, two 18-inch push-up log turners, a 4-arm log loader, and a 15-foot log holding carriage.  It was also outfitted with a Lister Petter diesel for running an 8-inch by 18-inch two-blade edger.

Bids eventually hit $3,400 for a Morgan Chop Saw with a Kohler 23.5-hp gas motor, 20-inch blade, 16-inch by 15-foot skate-roll feed, and detachable 18-inch x 10-foot skate rolls. A Meadows two-blade edger made it to $2,000. It featured a Wisconsin 4-cylinder gas motor, two 16-inch blades (1 moveable), 6-inch by 36-inch capacity, 40-inch by 8-foot infeed rolls, and a 42-inch by 64-inch outfeed table.

Support equipment from the mill included a Cat Claw band sharpener with Stop ‘n Load, hydraulic drive, and extra grinding wheels, that pulled $900. A 7-foot by 20-foot two-strand log deck with hydraulic drive, and H78 chain, reached $750. And, a new-in-box SDRTOP Model A333 manual sealless steel strapping tool for 1 ⁄ 2-inch through 3 ⁄ 4-inch banding, went for $300.

A nice collection of recreational items was also offered, starting with two boats. The hammer went down at $2,750 for a good-condition 1978 Polar Kraft 16-foot Jon Boat with a like-new Mercury EFI 4-stroke motor with less than 100 hours, along with a trailer with a 2-inch ball hitch. A bid of just $125 picked up a 14-foot Jon Boat sans motor and trailer.

Recreational gear also included 26 lots of rifles and shotguns. Bidders on those had to pass a background check that included a non-refundable $30 transaction fee. Shotguns included pieces like a collector-grade LC Smith double-barrel 12-gauge shotgun that went for $800. Bids went to $800 for a collector-grade Remington 870 Express 12-gauge pump shotgun chambered for 2 ¾-inch and 3-inch shells. A modest $50 picked up an older Sears and Roebuck Model 75 semi-automatic 20-gauge shotgun.

A dozen rifles included a collector-grade Savage 250-3000 Model 99 won for $650. It was outfitted with a brass rotary magazine and shell counter, Red-Field 9x40 hunting scope, carrying strap, soft case, and 70 rounds of 100-grain ammunition. Two different Marlin .22 LR semi-automatic rifles each sold for $75. One had a Simmons 4x32 scope; the other held a Weaver K4-1 scope.

For information on upcoming Bright Star Auctions, visit brightstarauctions.com.