York Rakes, A Div. of York Modern Corporation

Wishing everyone a Happy Thanksgiving! It'll certainly different, make the best of it.

Thank you to all the Veterans who have taken the oath and worn the uniform to keep our nation free and secure.

We received the following this morning from a customer in Michigan. Thanks for your reply, the parts manual, the year of manufacture info, and especially the serial number plate! The brass vs aluminum plate was a very nice gesture. I thought I was going to have to make my own S/N plate, but it would not have been nearly as nice as the one you sent. This RM rake I gladly purchased from an older friend for $240. He is in my tractor club and we have restored several pieces of eq...uipment together. He made a weld modification near the hitch as he said the frame bent at some point. There wasn't much paint left on the rake and several locations are pitted. I've taken the rake and blade apart and they are now at the sand blast shop, where it will also be primed at a cost of $150. I will do another inspection once I get it back to see if any areas still need attention. So by the time I get it painted and maybe get some new wheel bushings, the cost will be comparable to today's machines, but of course I'm sure this rake will perform better than anything currently on the market. I take some pride in knowing my machine is 50+ years old and still works fine. You probably know there is some value in supporting those people who restore this old equipment. Of course after restoration I will use it, but will also display it with some other equipment I have at local tractor shows. People are always impressed seeing these 50+ year-old rakes still being used, and the people at the shows who do stop and talk to me often talk about their parents or an uncle who also had one - they bring back memories. But also, I think if they see a 50+ year-old piece of equipment still being used, they may seek out that same manufacturer for their current needs.

These pictures are of our General Workman Road Maintainer, courtesy of the Town of Morris, NY. This unit was built in the 1940's and is still in use today. The General Workman was the pinnacle of our tow-able road maintainer line, weighing in at nearly 5 tons. The last two color photographs are of the operator's position, where they would stand and operate the hydraulic levers that moved all the different pieces on the unit. In the forth color photo you can still see the independent hydraulic unit that powers all the different pieces.

Wishing everyone a very happy and safe Labor Day Weekend! See you all on Tuesday.