Need Opinion On WD

In your scenario, you can check to see if it's loose with a handcrank, and if it doesn't have one, a pipewrench.   If it's loose, you have a 50/50 shot of the engine being ok.  Or you could work your butt off trying to get it running only to find out if smokes like crazy and needs to be rebuilt or has a knock and needs to be rebuilt.   Either way, $$ are in your future.  Also look really close around the manifold to see if it's still good, and that the manifold hasn't been leaking for sometime.  If it has been, chances are the head face can be pitted and will need to be machined true again so everything seals up.  Not a big deal, but work which will include pulling the head, milling it, new headgasket etc.  Check the handclutch lever to see if it snaps in and out fairly good.  If not, that might need work also   And needless to say, you can't drive it to check on brakes, tranny, hand clutch issues, so essentially you are buying a parts tractor that you may be able to make a runner again.  Sometimes you luck out, sometimes you don't.   Rear tires new can get close to 600-700.   Rear rims can be found.  I just sold the good one I had for $60, sometimes they go for more.

As far as the wide front, is it a 3 bolt or four bolt?   The three bolt has three bolts on the front that attaches the front pivot to the bolster, four bolts had a wider bracket that was upgraded and I think came on WD45's.   Four bolts were better but are not original to a WD if you're going to restore it, and the correct police come out.   If the wide front is in good shape, it can bring 300-500 by itself. 

If you want it, go for it.   But go for it, with the understanding that you are buying a project.   If it's a tractor you are going to use for sometime, no big deal and the time and money will be worth it in the use you get out of it.  If it's something you're thinking of fixing and making a buck on, forget it.   Good running WD's around here are lucky to be fetching 1000-1500 at the most in this poor market.

 

If it were me, based on what you stated and the wide front was in good shape, 5-600 at most.   At least in that scenerio, if you get into it and find out it is a complete can of worms and you loose interest and heart, you should be able to break even on parts that you can sell once you're done.  

It is interesting sometimes that some people do not want to put the extra effort into getting something running to try and bring more money out of it.   Would definately make me extra leary and would make me look over it a little more.