CARLISLE, Ind. – During the last week of August, Jeff Boston Auction Service hosted an online sale for the Robbins estate, featuring an impressive mix of classic tractors, primitives and early farm gear. The auctioneer described the sale as a step back in time, praising the Robbins family as excellent stewards of farm history who worked hard to preserve the legacy of the American farmer. A total of 412 lots were offered, including classic agricultural equipment, horse-drawn implements, antique wagons and parts, early tools, farm signs, older trucks, and a selection of modern machinery and shop tools.

Though the sale was rooted in time-honored equipment, the top seller was a more modern piece. A 2008 CIH/Farmall 45 with only 387 hours brought $16,500. It was offered a 45-hp four-cylinder diesel, dual entry doors, MFWD, Hydrodrive, a category 1 fast hitch, 540 PTO, one SCV, and 17.5L-24 industrial tread rubber. Close behind, a mid-1980s New Holland T1510 MFWD compact utility tractor showing just 930 hours went for $14,400. It featured a 30-hp diesel, 3-speed transmission, joystick control, category 1 hitch, 540 PTO, rollbar, New Holland 110TL quick-attach loader, 5-foot quick-attach bucket, and 15 x 19.5 industrial tread rubber.

With the modern tractors sold, attention quickly turned back to the vintage lineup. A 1953 Oliver 88 row crop edition, in running condition, commanded $4,550. This wide-front model included a belt pulley, hydraulics, PTO, one pair of rear wheel weights, and well-maintained 14.9-38 tires. Another Oliver – a 1948 Oliver 70 wide-front row crop machine – made it to $2,800. Also running, it carried a belt pulley, PTO and 13.6-38 tires.

Other vintage tractors included an operating 1941 Oliver-built Cockshutt 60 with steel rear wheels that drew $2,300, and a 1946 Farmall H, also running, with a PTO, rear wheel weights, and 11.2-38 tires, which fetched $2,150. A non-running 1940s Minneapolis-Moline RTN with a PTO and good 11.2-36 rubber struck $1,150. Several 1940s Allis-Chalmers models also drew bids in the hundreds, including a working 1942 AC “WC” featuring a belt pulley, wheel weights, new front tires, and 12.4R34 rears that struck $575. A non-operating WD45 landed $470, while a similar-condition 1947 AC WC with rear spoke wheels and 14.9-24 fronts was carted off for $410.

As the event moved on to antique wagons, attention shifted to an antique IHC Weber work wagon. This piece, sporting its original springboard seat and its tongue modified for a tractor hitch, commanded a strong $3,450. A John Deere Triumph flare bed wagon, boasting steel wheels and old paint and stenciling, bid to $1,100. Meanwhile, a steel-wheel work wagon of unknown make found a new owner at $525.

Horse-drawn implements also attracted spirited bidding, though the prices remained more modest. A left-hand Oliver wooden beam plow hammered down at $400, while an Oliver “Superior” 12-hole wooden grain drill, bearing wooden spoke wheels and a seed attachment, went for $340. A 7-foot horse-drawn hay tedder on steel wheels reached $210, and a primitive wooden planter, still wearing its faded red paint and stencil markings, was grabbed for a mere $55.

The auction also carried vintage machine-pulled implements, including a compact 1940s Oliver “Superior” ground-driven manure spreader that reached $775. Two Oliver pull-type plows – a model 7673 equipped with 3-14s; another with 4-14s - each sold for $400. In contrast, an Oliver 9-foot wheel disc changed hands for only $175.

From horse-drawn to mechanized equipment, the sale held a wide selection of parts. A pair of IHC cleated iron wheels measuring 52 ½ inches in diameter rolled away for $280. Meanwhile, bidding on a springboard buggy seat struck $115. An unidentified Farmall front grill went for $80, while the bones of an Oliver 70 were snapped up for just $77.50.

Things rolled on with a lineup of older vehicles, highlighted by a 1985 Chevy Custom Deluxe 10 pickup that pushed to $2,000. Described as a genuine “barn find,” the single-owner truck had been parked for about 15 years. It held a 305 V-8, automatic transmission, 2WD, and a long bed sans a tailgate. Despite its weathered exterior, the odometer showed just 1,850. Later, two single-axle Chevy grain trucks crossed the block at matching $1,700 bids. The first was a 1985 Chevy 70 also stored for years, but nicely equipped with a V8, 14-foot bed, hoist, and good-condition 10R-22.5 tires. The other was a 1967 Chevy 50 featuring a small block V8, 16-foot bed, hoist, and 9.00-20 tires.

Roughly two dozen agricultural signs and related advertising pieces crossed the block, drawing solid interest. Topping the category was a 66-by-28-inch metal Garst sign. Despite being worn, it still managed to bring in $110. An early two-gallon Standard Oil “Wagon Axle Grease” bucket – complete with its lid and even some remaining contents – was claimed for $85. A 24-by-10-inch lighted Baxter’s advertising sign followed at $72.50, while a 24-by-18-inch metal Voris Seed sign found a new home for just $45.

A few other attention-getters helped round out the sale. Among those was a Jack Robbins novelty tractor based on International parts, snagged for $155. Another creative piece by Robbins – a home bar made from an Oliver 70 hood topped by a 4-by-2-foot, half-inch thick glass top – hit $140, and a shop seat fashioned from an IH tractor seat mounted on a steel wheel made it to $110. These unique finds added a memorable finish to a lively auction.