Tool Talk

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Cole Manufacturing Co. Charlotte, N.C.Model 26 Guano (Bat Manure) Spreader and Lister that I just bought mainly because it has the rare 444S wrench.  This is a side view showing how the wrench was carried on the spreader
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Back view showing the plow feet.
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Name detail on the left handle.
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444 S wrench.  Someone stored the wrench in the fertilizer hopper, so the wrench is in bad shape but because it is a rare wrench it looks good to me.

Good stuff, Stoney! Glad you are back. Nice to see the wrench in its proper place.

Thanks Papaw.  I paid more than I wanted to .  There were 4 or 5 other implement collectors drooling over it, but would not pay what he wanted.  They were not wrench collectors and were not infected with "rare wrench disease" and didn't know the combined worth.  Naturally I DID NOT enlighten them until I had bought it.  Papaw how do I move this post to the Farm Implement section ?

 The spreader is in amazing shape. Great find. Nice wrench.

Holy Bat Stuff, Batman!  Its not everyday you see one of those.  I am pretty sure that I have gone the last 48 years without seeing one.
  Jim

Thanks ya'll

Bat Guano was a popular fertilizer until after the war.  Makes you think how bad a job it must have been collecting bat guano and what the children said when someone asked what does your dad do for a living!

Here's some pics from the parts book that Stoney used to identified the wrench he found with the Cole Guano Spreader:

Catalog of Cole Cotton Planters, Combination Planters,
Plain View Seed Planters,Twin Plain View Planters,
Guano Sowers and Grain Drills
Cole Mfg. Co. - Charlotte, North Carolina

444 - Cast Wrench - $0.20
Nos 22, 23, 26, 26-1/2, 27, 51, 51-1/2, 60, 60-1/2,
61 and 61-1/2 Cole Distributors. (no parts list picture but a soe-S wrench is shown hanging on the No. 51 Cole Shoe-Feed Distributor and No 60 and 61 Cole "Labor Saving" Fertilizer and Bedder.


S-4 - Clevis - $0.20
Cole No. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8 Planters
Cole No. 20, 21, 24, 28, 48 and 52 Distributors
Cole No. 30, 33, 34, 35 and 26 Drills
(pictures clevis with a single open end pin/wrench)

 Is that wrench marked or do you have to find it with spreader to know what you have ? We must not have many bats ariound here. You can leave a bucket outside all night and not catch any guano.

Unfortunely the wrench was in the bat guano hopper, which could also be filled with sodium nitrate .  Both of these is very corrosive and the wrench has surface damage.  I couldn't find markings.  I've not had time to clean the wrench because the Cole spreader will be in a show this weekend.  The wrench is very rare so I'm willing to put up with the rust.  If it takes it I'll treat it with Rust Ender with will turn the wrench black.  We use Rust Ender when restoring rusty tractor sheet metal.  You can't paint until 24 hours after Rust Ender treatment but is you wait more than 48 hours the paint won't stick because the Rust Ender will be too slick.  Good stuff.

I don't think that was the way they collected bat manure.  It had more to do with going into caves with shovels.

>going into caves with shovels

Probably easier than training the bats to go in the bucket....

I can't help wondering how many farmers lost the wrench turning the spreader over to empty the bucket or fix a clog...

But then I always wonder how many farm wrenches are buried out in the middle of various fields where they slid off the step plate of the tractor....

Rusty, maybe with the S shape it would hard to lose it.  I know I've lost my share of tools from leaving them on the tractor foot boards, on the top of my service truck tool boxes etc. etc fill in the blank.

Quote from: jimwrench on September 27, 2011, 12:10:12 PM
We must not have many bats ariound here. You can leave a bucket outside all night and not catch any guano.

Forget the bucket outside.  Check your attic.  There's a long story, but I found that the attic above my old apartment was filled with the stuff.

That's rich.  Did you make use of that treasure?

Heres my Cole ? spreader.  Its a no. 20 stenciled on the handle.  Haven't researched it up yet. Anyone here know about it?
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This may be a first!  Bat Guano spreaders generating Bullguano!

Wrenchguy here is the page from the Cole Catalog describing the # 20.
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