GOTCHA! Grain-Mill!

[zophiel]

So, I've wanted a grain mill for about a year and a half. I was really lusting over the Country Living Grain Mill, because it seemed, well, awesome. But $395 +shipping +extra parts = a little out of my reach. So I waited, and every now and then checked Craigslist and Ebay. . . but everyone who was selling one knew what they were selling, and nothing was selling for less than $395.

 

So I waited.

 

Then yesterday, pondering the recent offer I'd put in on a house, had a sudden whim to check craigslist. I found two listings for a grain mill-- one turned out to be a Country Living Grain mill with motor and cart, and the lady was asking $550 for it. Darn! But, there was another listing, for a family yardsale on the other end of the county, and it only listed "Grain mill".

 

I figured it was one of those small mills. I shrugged to myself, thinking that if the economy collapses before I collect 40,000 pennies, a small mill is better than no mill, so I might as well get whatever they were selling, as long as it still worked.

 

Well, I was wrong.

 

It was a huge, cast iron, fire hydrant red mill, with a motor that the lady tossed in. I turned the flyweel with my hand, and it turned easily. When I asked the price, she said "oh, five bucks . . . "

 

Five? Shoot, I've got that. . .

 

Came home, cleaned it up, found the maker -- C.S. Bell Co-- and then looked up on the internet how much it was worth.

 

Ah. $399.00.

 

+freight.

 

Without a motor.

 

My reaction was something like "HOLY CR@P!" which made the roommate come running.

 

She mentioned a few minutes later. . ."You know, this is a guardian angel thing. . ."

 

She's right. *high-fives guardian angel* Someone's been pulling some over time recently . . .

 

So, finally have the grain mill I've been wanting. Have emailed the company for a manual, inquired about spare parts. . .

 

I leave with a question: Should I lubricate the inner parts and if so, what with?

 

[Motherhen]

WOW! What a bargain!! CONGRATULATIONS!! I bet the woman would faint if she knew how much it was worth and what she sold it for!

[Annarchy]

Congratulations!!!!

[snapshotmiki]

Your guardian angel is a great shopper--as are you! I know it's hard to wait! Congratulations

 

 

[Deerslayer]

AWESOME!!!!!

[Foxglove]

Wow you lucked out big time on that! Send that guardian angel over my way please I've been searching on craig's list for ages. Congratulations on such a terrific find and for such a bargain price too.

 

Foxglove

[Ambergris]

Wonderful, Zophiel!

 

But it didn't come to you. You went hunting your luck, and that's how you found it!

[zophiel]

In talking to the lady selling the mill, I learned that her husband had a hobby of brewing beer in the basement, and he has a smaller mill since he only ever mills in smaller batches. This big one I got was apparently a gift from his or her father which, I suspect, was itself a purchase in a yard sale. Since husband got the smaller mill, they'd been trying to get rid of the larger for a year and a half, for cheap at yard sales, or even giving to charity thrift stores-- who wouldn't take it!

 

She was so happy to get it out of her house. I felt a little bad about getting such a big, sturdy mill for so cheap, especially with my concerns for the future and the fact that they had a little girl. But, knowing that he at least had a smaller one, and some skills in brewing salved my scruples, and away I ran. (well, staggered, since the mill was so heavy!)

 

 

I'll have to say that I've been looking myself for about a year-- checking craislist and ebay every couple of months. I seriously never thought I'd find anything that way, but was checking just in case. So those of you who've been looking-- keep looking! You never know what you will trip across!

[vigilant20]

Good for you! That's a great find

[Mt_Rider]

 

 

Ya know we're preppers when we throw a party when one of us scores a hunk of metal in a garage sale!

 

 

MtRider [....still lookin for that #12 camping dutch oven.... There is always hope! ]

[twilap]

I've got the old standard hand cranked grain mill from my Y2K days.LOL but hey it works great!