I'm interested in obtaining a nicely restored lawn tractor.
Wheel Horse, Massey Ferguson, Deere, Cub Cadet, etc. etc.
I may use it to plow a bit of snow, pull some stuff around the homestead, etc. etc. But I want something fun to own. Sturdy and practical....so something from the 1940-1970's.
But I'm having a hard time finding much for sale. I figured this would be easy to find....and find multiple "dealers" who have several dozen in their inventory.
Restored Lawn Tractors
- Thread starter Phishin
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I was really into antique tractors during high school. I had a few different ones and so did some of my friends. We had Allis-Chalmers (made my Simplicity), Cub Cadet, John Deere, Wheel Horse, and a few other less common brands. We went to shows and did tractor pulling.
I liked all of them for different reasons, but I would say the easiest to find parts for were the John Deeres. You can walk into a Deere dealer and sometimes they still have parts in stock for the 1960's machines. If not in stock they can get it within a few days. Online parts resources are plentiful as well. The other brands can be a bit difficult to find parts for, especially if the particular model was only made a few years. The John Deere attachments are also a lot easier to locate.
I suggest searching craigslist for machines in your area, or going to a local antique engine show. Those are the best places to find tractors for sale.
IH Cub Cadet has a cult following. Simplicitys are highly rated as well.
Good advice from jeepman. An advantage for considering JD is that you can still buy a lot of Oem parts for 50 year old machines. I bought the majority of mine off CL. Colt mfg ( not the firearm mfg) built their first garden tractor in the early sixties and were bought out by Ingersoll ( not the compressor mfg) in the mid sixties. The Ingersoll GT's are hydraulically driven and are in my opinion the toughest and most well built GT ever built. I,ve owned two, a 3014 and a 4016 and they're built like tanks. I think the Ingersolls are still being built in Maine but ICBW. Edit.....Eastman industries now owns the Ingersoll brand.
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I always understood the Ingersoll story differently. Colt was bought out by JI Case (the Ag tractor manufacturer) in 1964, and the tractors were sold under the Case name. Jack Ingersoll acquired the Case line in 1983, and began labeling the tractors as Ingersolls. He sold the company in the '90s and it subsequently went bankrupt. I do agree, they were stout tractors back in the day.
I have a preference for Deere garden tractors, and have been hunting a Deere 430 for a couple years. I'd suggest checking out Weekend Freedom Machines, and MyTractorForum. Both are gathering places for garden tractor collectors and have classifieds - Weekend Freedom Machines being Deere only.
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Originally Posted By: gman2304
Good advice from jeepman. An advantage for considering JD is that you can still buy a lot of Oem parts for 50 year old machines. I bought the majority of mine off CL. Colt mfg ( not the firearm mfg) built their first garden tractor in the early sixties and were bought out by Ingersoll ( not the compressor mfg) in the mid sixties. The Ingersoll GT's are hydraulically driven and are in my opinion the toughest and most well built GT ever built. I,ve owned two, a 3014 and a 4016 and they're built like tanks. I think the Ingersolls are still being built in Maine but ICBW. Edit.....Eastman industries now owns the Ingersoll brand.
I have a 70's something Allis-Chalmers 816, but you can't have it. 
My dad bought it new in 76 I think and willed it to me. 
My dad bought it new in 76 I think and willed it to me. 
Thinking back to the 70s and 80s my childhood neighborhood was full of mostly John Deere. But there was this one tractor. A 1973 gold Wheel Horse. It was fast, easily speeding past the john Deeres. I remember my friend Gil flying down the street in that. He took it in the woods. Climbing hills in the sand pits. Beating that thing to death. Then when his dad got home it was back to cutting the lawn like nothing happened.
IMO, your best bet is to follow MyTractorForum and TractorByNet among others. Lots of great people into old OPE there and loads of good info. They meet up in groups as well. I partially restored a late 70's Case 220 10yrs ago or so. It was fun. I really wanted a Case/Ingersoll at the time. I didn't care for this machine for mowing at all, but it was unique and a great yard horse for the time I owned it. Certain parts for Case/Ingersolls such as mechanical PTO parts are getting scarce if available at all. Like said, your best bet for ancient parts is JD.
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Another interesting site for researching old lawn tractors is Tractordata
Don't forget Bolens (My Bolens 1250 is a small TRACTOR, and nothing at all like a "garden tractor")
Allis-Chalmers / Simplicity are VERY well made, as is Case/Ingersoll.
Don't rule out Kubota / Yanmar.
You would have fallen in love with my Kubota B7100D
Originally Posted By: TWG1572
I always understood the Ingersoll story differently. Colt was bought out by JI Case (the Ag tractor manufacturer) in 1964, and the tractors were sold under the Case name. Jack Ingersoll acquired the Case line in 1983, and began labeling the tractors as Ingersolls. He sold the company in the '90s and it subsequently went bankrupt. I do agree, they were stout tractors back in the day.
I have a preference for Deere garden tractors, and have been hunting a Deere 430 for a couple years. I'd suggest checking out Weekend Freedom Machines, and MyTractorForum. Both are gathering places for garden tractor collectors and have classifieds - Weekend Freedom Machines being Deere only.
TWG, I did forget to add the Case branch on the Colt/Ingersoll family tree. I also agree the JD 300/400 series are some of the best GT's ever built. I had a 332 JD with the Yanmar 3 cylinder diesel with ag tires, 3 point hitch, front mounted dethatcher, bagging system, cultivator etc. I sold it all for $4,000 several years ago. It was a real stump puller.
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Originally Posted By: gman2304
Originally Posted By: TWG1572
I always understood the Ingersoll story differently. Colt was bought out by JI Case (the Ag tractor manufacturer) in 1964, and the tractors were sold under the Case name. Jack Ingersoll acquired the Case line in 1983, and began labeling the tractors as Ingersolls. He sold the company in the '90s and it subsequently went bankrupt. I do agree, they were stout tractors back in the day.
I have a preference for Deere garden tractors, and have been hunting a Deere 430 for a couple years. I'd suggest checking out Weekend Freedom Machines, and MyTractorForum. Both are gathering places for garden tractor collectors and have classifieds - Weekend Freedom Machines being Deere only.
👌TWG, I did forget to add the Case branch on the Colt/Ingersoll family tree. I also agree the JD 300/400 series are some of the best GT's ever built. I had a 332 JD with the Yanmar 3 cylinder diesel with ag tires, 3 point hitch, front mounted dethatcher, bagging system, cultivator etc. I sold it all for $4,000 several years ago. It was a real stump puller.
Sorry, double post.
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Man, just a few years ago, I saw a lot of older Wheel Horses on CL for cheap. Not so much now.
I have one from 1968 that belonged to my great grandfather. It would have been scraped if I didn't take it, but it's still sitting in piles. Someday.. I just want to get it running though. I'm fine with rust for a while, but eventually she'll get a fresh professional paint job.
I check CL from time to time. Prices are mostly out to lunch, but sometimes you find decent listings. Here's a WH that looks good: https://buffalo.craigslist.org/grd/d/wheel-horse/6326161756.html
https://greensboro.craigslist.org/grd/d/case-tractors/6275610638.html
Two old Case GT's for $800 OBO. Both with decks and one with a push blade and both look to be in excellent restorable condition. I knew better than to open this thread... 
Originally Posted By: JTK
I check CL from time to time. Prices are mostly out to lunch, but sometimes you find decent listings. Here's a WH that looks good: https://buffalo.craigslist.org/grd/d/wheel-horse/6326161756.html
Originally Posted By: gman2304
https://greensboro.craigslist.org/grd/d/case-tractors/6275610638.html
Two old Case GT's for $800 OBO. Both with decks and one with a push blade and both look to be in excellent restorable condition. I knew better than to open this thread...
You just can't beat a John Deere 110. Whatever you decide on, I would encourage you to stay away from electric PTO's and electric lift's. I like John Deere's the best but old Wheel Horse' and the Cubby's are good machine's too.
Originally Posted By: HM12460
You just can't beat a John Deere 110. Whatever you decide on, I would encourage you to stay away from electric PTO's and electric lift's.
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