This is the first time I've ever heard of someone into vintage garden tractors that didn't do all their own work. It would be an uneconomical hobby otherwise, which I guess is the point of the video.
You could go through 5 big box store tractors and either of those 2 tractors will be still going strong. $1500 is not bad. those tractors are now stars you can charge more.
In 1965, Allis-Chalmers acquired Simplicity Manufacturing Company. However, in 1983, Simplicity’s management bought the company back from Allis-Chalmers.
This explains the orange color of my friend's grandfather's Allis-Chalmers late 70's early 80's lawn tractor. All I remember is it lasted until 1994. Thick oil layer on the engine. It was stored inside, but never washed or cleaned.
@@pgmurray76 I had one here I started on it and a good customer raised such hell about me selling it to him when it was in several pieces well I sold it to him. The engine had issues and for the last 8 years or so he has the thing. I just seen it a few days ago and he has so far painted just about every single part & copied my M.O. he replaced most of the hardware & bolts. So the engine must have been redone just not by me which surprised me but maybe he got a friend to reman the motor which is where he needed the help hooking it back into the machine seems the machine shop didn't give him a few pieces back like the coils and muffler stuff like that. I told him he has about one option. Used stuff on Ebay if he can even get it there. We also have a local salvage yard where stuff like shows up now and then... But the place is hike from where we live here.
Nice fix welding those worn holes in the linkage. Next time you do that, get yourself a brass or aluminum rod, put it in the hole The weld won’t stick to it, you won’t have to straighten that hole out as much when you’re done. There’s your dinner!
My simple city landlord I had the hub gear stripped. Simplicity wanted $250 for the assembly, I only needed the gear. I went to a gear store and got one "close" and had it machined down for $25. I couldn't believe how close it was, my first time dealing with machine shops as a young mechanic. Anyways, put the heat in and for 50 bucks I had a working simple city landlord again! 70 bucks an hour? That's a decent deal! I've been debating on opening a small engine shop, small, small time, honestly didn't know what to charge but that's not a bad price. Great video!
I do a lot of pro-bono repairs and maintenance on people's lawn mowers or snowblowers tillers what have you in the neighborhood or fix up road finds and just give them to anyone I know who needs one. It's just a hobby and I feel good saving stuff from the scrapyard. I've kinda tried to figure out just for fun how much I'd have to charge to really make it worth while if it was a business venture and seems like for the most part those repairs would end up costing more than new. And it's hard to convince your average user that most of the vintage stuff is actually better and will last longer. Of course I don't have a stock of parts and donor machines like Taryl or all the right tools so that slows things down plus it's rare I can start on a project and focus on it til I'm done usually work on them a little here, a little there, maybe don't touch something for a whole season and then have to figure out just what the hell I was doing. Good luck to you though small engine shops are a dying thing only one near me doesn't actually want to work on anything unless it's very new and when I've stopped in for parts and they ask what it's for the guy actually laughed at me and criticized my efforts at fixing something old.
You're better off picking up junks and fixing them up to sell. The repair business has a lot of "no pays" and "nuisense lawsuits." You can sell things "as is, where is" to limit liability. 30 years ago, a friend fixed a generator and sold it. The buyer tried to use his oven and burned up the generator. The buyer returned it and demanded his money back. When I analyzed the generator for him, it was obvious that it had been overloaded. Their are idiots out there that will try to make you pay for their stupidity. I've picked up quite a few machines at our town dump and fixed them up for my use. Good Luck, Rick
@VWFarmLLC Taryl's rate IS indeed a deal. He's so fast, so knowledgeable, he's probably cheaper overall than mechanics charging half as much because he gets the job done faster. He's repaired several of my old machines and the labor rate was no problem.
Machine shop or a skilled 3D printer and modeller is your friend with this type of stuff. Also, the documentation is super key. Not cost effective, but works of art when fully restored. Stay gold.
My first lawn and garden tractor was an old John Deere 110. It had a variator that was frozen up. I had the local JD store order a manual for it and I fixed that variator. I was hooked. I ended up collecting old Sears and Roper lawn and garden tractors and attachments. I still have 3 that I tinker with.
When I was a kid, we had a Monkey Ward/Gilson tractor with a variable speed transmission. Had a 16hp Breaks and Scrapem single cylinder engine. The thing was a beast.
I had a regular Gilson and it was a beast same 16hp. I used to pull one of those cheesey metal dump carts loaded with dirt one time it pulled me off our rear yard bank backwards I ended under the tractor. Took me a few days to recover from the blunder... But we turned that old tractor upright and it started right back up...
@@davebur3350 Just don't cut your grass with em.. It gets even more expensive when ya use antique toy mowers to do things other less expensive modern junk can do... Plastic bushing plastic cam shafts plastic transmissions... its all a big ball of unwound shit..Kinda make's ya wanna feed your ex-wife into that vintage wood chipper even more... Good news is that might be legal very soon...
I loved the variator on my JD 210 when tilling. You could set it to just barely creep along so the tiller had time to churn up really hard ground. You didn’t have to ear your leg out trying to slip the clutch, and it was much easier to be consistent. The variator is simply a cruise control for a gear-drive tractor. New mowers have a cruise control for your hydrostatic control that allow you to keep a consistent speed. $70/hr is very reasonable for a shop rate. Around my area (Omaha, NE) the shops are charging from $90 to $110/hr. Sometimes I’ll keep covers for decks or even the metal from a deck so that I can use the metal for projects, or to make guards or brackets. I bought a cheap sheet metal brake from HB that I can use to bend small pieces rather than using the vise and hammer method, and if needed I have a bench top hydraulic press and a floor standing 25T hydraulic press. I have many metal cutting tools including torch, plasma cutter, 14” cold saw, 7” hand-held cold saw, etc… I also have a 120v and a 220v mig welders, and a 250A stick/tig ac/dc welder. I’m pretty well setup for metal work, all I need is the drive to go do the job.
First, my hat is off to people who restore and use this cool vintage equipment. But it's like restoring a vintage car. It can get expensive fast, and the usual case is that you wont get all your investment back when you go to sell. That's why, in my experience, people get into the old car hobby out of nostalgia. I imagine it's the same with tractors and lawn mowers. The more you can do yourself, the more you will learn , and the more you will save. With all that said, I'm still impressed by what I see at vintage equipment shows. There are lots of nicely restored pieces of equipment out there, and it's a joy to see them and meet the people who brought them back.
I've got a garage full of old Simplicty and Allis Chalmers garden tractors, and honestly they're some of the best bang for your buck when it comes to lawn equipment. When I started, I got a lawn mower, leaf vacuum, rototiller, and snowplow for less than $500. Tractor was pretty well thrashed, but then I found one that had just mowed lawns and had a gummed up carb but was otherwise in good shape for $150. Yeah, maintenance is a pain, but there's simply no other way to get that level of capability for that kind of money. NOS bevel gear box parts are getting scarce and expensive to buy, there's a couple oil seals that are NLA, but most everything else can be found at the hardware store or made at home out of random stuff. I hate flo-jet carbs as much as anybody else (and the Chinese knockoffs are even worse!), and I usually run an external battery-fed coil because mice keep chewing up the magneto wire fixing that is a pain, other than that they're remarkable machines. I muse say it's a real PITA to keep track of what belts go to what tractor, as some sizes changed for different model years. I have more spare belts than my local car parts store and they need periodic adjustment.
Very true, I got a 1973 simplicity 3310v, basically tore it all apart fixing it up. Definitely not worth it if you can't do all the work yourself. It was a fun project, I want to swap in a hydrostatic rear-end though, the gear shift gets old
@itg12345 the bgb last a long time if kept up on and I found all the seals on eBay or from seal manufacturers a few years ago. Simplicity is actually built surprisingly well compared to others of the sake vintage I've looked at. Some of them have such crude attachments and such compared to Simplicitys designs. The flo-jets worst issue is the emulsion tube leaking, I put an o-ring in mine, but they go bad after a year or so.
@@itg12345I write the specs of any parts I change on the sheet metal of whatever I'm working on with a paint marker. If it's something with a hood you can write it on the inside like the build sheet sticker underneath the hood on classic cars. It saves you the aggravation of looking it up, even if you have a log of all your equipment it's easier to write it right on the machine. I'll even include part numbers if I have them, and I'll often mark the size of the fasteners right next to it if it's odd and I have the room. I wouldn't do that on a customer's machine, maybe I would use a label maker, but if you go that route, mask off the area you're going to stick the labels around the perimeter and use some Super 77 spray glue as a primer or they'll peel off. Just let the glue dry before you stick them
The variator is great for tilling and snow blowing. Allows you to match the tractor speed to the conditions of the dirt or snow. Hydrostatic allows the same adjustment.
I really love the older machines, engines etc. I could never make any money cause I get too attached to these old machines. I have an older (early eighties) wheelie horse that I use regularly and a few old simple city walk behind tractors that I play around with. Great video guys!
Years ago when i was a young lad around 1999 i was given a 69 Allis B110. I found out pretty quick i needed to use my brain in different ways to get that tractor up and running. Luckily i found a guy with a vast hoard of these machines fir a few impossible to find or replicate parts. I was quite proud when i was able to use it again and i saved it from the scrap heap
I once worked for a crooked 2 way radio shop that tripple dipped on warranty. first charge the customer for a service contract. then keep track of all serial numbers that are on warranty. then charge the customer for all repairs. charge mfg for all repairs. tripple dip. he is long gone. amazing how much of this went on. that was back in the 70s. I bought a troy built mulching mower(still going strong) about 30 years old. when it was nearly new it would not start. no spark when temp was 45 degrees or less. the crooked dealer charged troy built 85 bucks for warranty repair and NEVER touched the mower(paint on bolt was still new). when I talked with the small engine repair guy where I worked he gave me a cardboard shim and told me to check the flywheel to spark coil gap. sure enough it was to wide. I set it properly and fixed it. so many crooked repair places.
That is definitely right about the price of fixing those classic tractors from back in the day especially if the parts are hard to find or even having those parts made by a machine shop
I had the variator on a JD 112. I was useful primarily in 3rd gear to slow down for turns, or tall grass, etc., then go back to full mowing speed quickly and easily. It was sort of a archaic predecessor of hydrostatic operation.
Good to see the Detective's are still working, thought they might have retired. It's amazing Gordy is still in business. It sounds like the same customer, I thought she would have learned after the diagnosis wheel debacle.
Love the Hamms Beer Hat. In 1955, as a kid living in Central BC in Canada, there were no good R&R radio stations, so at night, I used to listen to KOBY 1550 kh, in San Fransisco. Hamms, was one of their heavy duty sponsors, and their beer commercials would run several times every hour. So, 69 years later, I saw your damn hat, and the Hamms jingle started banging around in my head again. Now, I am going to need either a beer, or professional help. I think I'll try the beer cure first. I enjoyed the video, and it just shows, that with a little thinking, a person can find solutions to seemingly insoluble problems. Keep it up.
That Simplicity is beautiful. I have a '70 HB212 that I grew up on, someday I'll pull it put of the barn, get the replacement motor on it and rebuild the hydro pump. That thing was built like a beast.
My 82 212 compared to those 2 simplicity tractors is pretty simple. I was having issues w my Kohler. I finally got tired of fighting the constant issues so before it threw a rod cuz it was consuming oil I pulled the motor, & put in a Yanmar L70 6hp Dsl. I don’t mow grass with it. Just a fun toy. Got a 210 I put the same engine into that needs a lot of work. It’s been beat on, & the transmission has issues. Love the varriator drive on both. My 212 is less worn out than the 210. The 212 I believe was 100% original when I bought it. Still had all 4 original Goodyear tires on it. 1 of them still held air for the longest time.
A first gen fan... in 1975 I was 15 and Fly by night was a game changer.. Rush was so different and sharp. Very exciting sound. They became the music of my life...
Sometimes when I put say a new deck belt on it may want to keep pulling a little bit dissengauged but after running it for awhile it while mowing then, dissengauge the deck, it will eventually stop trying to keep pulling. The belt will stretch just enough when they are new. I think if you ran the tiller a bit you would have the same out come. Well cool! The 2" pulley did the releasing trick! Waay enjoy your videos. Better than any new movies out there these days and you can learn a lot! Thanks a bunch!
I swear your shop is psychic, I started restoration of a 1971 sears custom 10 and then I saw slippers doing his. I now have a Allis Chalmers big 10 from 1964. (I believe) I've had issues with parts and now your video on the 212 helped a ton. You guys rule! Thanks for all the tips and insights.
That and there are still some people left that aren't reliant on others to fix things, although getting less and less every year as wasteful consumerism takes over more and more. Planned obsolescence is a real thing and it stems from greed.
@@DinDooIt yeh in my part of the world i buy as much locally made as i can , if it means it was made decades ago i dont care i can fix it parts are everywhere, freind bought a ride on mower built in 1956 still goes very well its kinda agricultural looking but so easy to work on unlike modern garbage all looks and poor quality.
I’ve still got a pair of Allis Chalmers WDs. Would hate to know what equivalent horsepower would cost these days. Plus they’re fairly easy to work on, for most things. Love the tractor content!
Greetings from the Oregon coast mate! Happy Sunday to ya'll out there tuning in! This was another instant classic, absolutely loved the skit and the dedication and subject of the vintage tractors! Much love and respect Taryl! Enjoy! Have a Hamm's for me. Jeffscapes out!
When I was 14 to 15 years old in the mid-sixties, I mowed about 20 yards with a Massey Ferguson 10 garden tractor/riding mower. The Massey Ferguson 10 used a 5 postion variable sheave belt-drive system between the engine and the 3 speed transaxle. The Massey Ferguson 12, which had two more horsepower (i.e. 12-hp) had a hydrostatic transaxle.
I see by your outfit that you're a repairman I see by your outfit, you're a repairman, too. We see by our outfits that we're repairmen If you had an outfit you could be a repairman, too!
Labor rate here in Evansville Indiana is much more than yours Taryl, Great to see not everyone is out to bushwhack costumers. Keep up the great work! Love all the work you all do, LMD is my favorite.💯
I have 2 John Deere 110 round fenders with the 8 hp Kohler and 38 inch brass tag mower decks, one with headlights and the tail light and the other is a plain jane model
Had my JD 212 at the radio control airfield years ago to cut grass and hooked it up to the 3500 # roller to see what it could do. That 12 hp Kroler pulled that roller and cut the 5 acres at the same time without exploding.😂
Great video! I have a 2020 Simple City Broadmoor I bought new and a few months of using found a bracket lying below the deck during a turn while mowing. I too had problems where my deck would not raise. Owners manual says nothing about it. Dealer had to call B&S to find out how to adjust. However, he never told me so I could do it myself. Can you instruct me? Thanks!
If you ever have a worn out hole you can buy bushings from McMaster with the I.D. you want, then you can run a drill bit big enough to fit the bushing in through your piece and weld it into place. Grind it flush when you're done and finish it off with a 120 grit flap wheel and you'll have a nice repair with a clean hole
I had a JD 240 and a JD 160. Finally had to just give them away and cut my losses. HUGE money pits. Finally saved up and bought "NEW" 48" ZT Elite Bad Boy. Best Money spent and saved my sanity. I can come home from work and get my lawn mowed and not have to spend all evening "trying to fix "junk". The Bad Boy is NOT maintenance free, but a LOT easier to get at things to repair and service. Just a side note. It pained me to see those nice new expensive tires mounted to those rusty/dirty wheels.
Lock up that double dipper !!!! You guys crack me up. My Dad left me a 25LB can of drill bushings. He was a jig shop foreman in a aircraft plant. Any time I wanted to build something as a kid, Dad made me build a jig or fixture.... I recently made a jig to re-drill bed posts to raise the mattress. My step daughter was staying here after a operation and needed the bed raised. Those drill bushings work great for a jig that requires repetitive drilling. Thanks for always making a grumpy guy laugh !!
I collect these AC/Simplicity tractors and love the Vari-Drive models, I keep a few parts tractors around to keep the decent ones running due to lack of availability parts for them. Even had a machine shop make a few of those bushing b4 I need one
I've rebuilt/cleaned/dry-lubed and adjusted mine, works pretty well, but at the slowest speed, belt seems like it slips a little easier than at the high speed. Any of yours do that?
One of the best tractors IMO was Gravely. I bought a new one 1980 8162B w/16 B&S engine . The engineers did their homework. Esay to work on. Engine and transaxle reminds me of dirt pan scrapers back in the day (CAT, IH, EUCLID) had forward clutch and a reverse clutch easy to get to and replace(never replaced in the 21 years i owned it. Plus a pto drive mower deck. Unbelievable reliabilty .
Taryl, after all this time have you considered just staying out of costume? We don’t care that you may be doing this to improve your appearance. We love you no matter what you look like!😂
I have a jig to re-broach the keyways in the rear axle hub. I guess I'm some what of an expert at working on these small tractors. That pulley on the roto-tiller is the correct one.
I recently inherited a couple little john deere tractors. 322 yanmar gas and 430 yanmar diesel. from the late 80's I believe. They both need some love but they're great little units. It would be so neat to find a tiller set up. Thank you for your work!
“Help me Mr. Wizard “ love what you do. Need you to do a video on Troy bilt horse tiller. I have two with 8 hp kroler castirons great piece of equipment but everyone I know has a problem with the belt tension causing you to have to hold the shift lever down to engage it in forward. Love the pachinko machine vid still have one I bought in the 70’s from sears or monkey wards ,need to jazz it up with light’s and sound.
I have had a bunch of these tractors over the years easy to work on and most lawnmower salvage yards have parts for these machines readily available. But they are not cheap parts. Tough tractors though. Just glad i went to the john deere 300/316 and sold them off. Also those briggs motors have electronic ignition upgrades available. Now working on vintage sears forget about parts.
John deere machines are just easier to find parts for admit more expensive they are available. Yeah proper hydraulics are a plus but mine don't have power steering but they don't need it as they are just a much heavier built machine.@@M.TTT.
@@mikecalhoun4623doesn't matter how heavy built a machine is, power steering can be nice on any machine. Depending on the steering engineering, may not really be needed though.
Those particular tractors use a bevel gearbox before the transmission that is notorious for going bad. No parts available for them, and used boxes that are good go for big money
Great video! $1500.00 is real reasonable, I have an old Gilson 18 hp. with the Hydrostatic transmission, it would take a lot more than $1500.00 to take off my hands.
Taryl I’m 68 year old have been retired 5 year I did Maintenance in one high-rises and 27 locations. In three states. When I start doing maintenance on lawn mowers ,four wheelers, I stay busier . I need to go up on my hour 💲💲
Noticed the belt going to the rototiller was jumping. Putting a larger top pulley that you replaced, the white one, would tension the belt and eliminate that.
I thought the same thing. I wonder if the jumping would be eliminated when the belt is under load? I'll let ya know when I get my 110H round fender tiller put back on. That belt is about a mile long.
Here in CT the last shop I worked in was $80hr 8 years ago. These days the average shop around here gets $110.00hr with a $50.00 deposit when you drop off something to repair. Im getting $55.00hr working out of my back yard. $70.00hr is giving it away.
Been looking for something like those “Garden tractors “ for a while, doesn’t need to be all original, but I do need the tiller, deck and snow blower. And I am not partial to any one brand, IH, Cub cadet, simplicity, allis Chalmers, bollens, doesn’t matter , just pre 1974 and heavy duty, I can always rebuild it myself with my son. The needed matching implements are, tiller, mower deck, snow plow, and also a blower , and the buzz saw for firewood.
Taryl you are A Master Mechanic ! I Have been bring Old and Forgotten Garden Tractors back to live Again ! I know your Frustration ! Except I do it for myself and i do not get paid ! Thank You for Your Channel i love it
Man this is too accurate. I work on much simpler stuff and without decks such as wheel horses. Just parts cost alone makes me unmotivated to fix issues let alone restore something. It’s particularly annoying when those parts are known to fail or wear out.
That was a very good video, I enjoyed that! like I always say think outside of the box, there’s always more than one solution too a problem thank taryal 👍
I have a 1965 AC Big Ten I bought at a yard sale for $100. Engine was worn out. I replaced it with a 10 HP chinese diesel. Then the real work started. Rebuilt gearbox and transmission, new seals and bushings. Cleaned and adjusted limited slip differential. New pulleys and belts. New front and rear ag tires. Made belt tensioner for center PTO. New deck bearings and blades. New bolts and rods at pivot points. Patched and lined gas tank. Stripped and rebuilt tiller. Probably a dozen other bits and pieces I'm forgetting also. I'm probably $2,000 in just parts, counting my labor as free. Hunting in the back room of dealers for parts that have been setting for 40 years that no one has asked for. I just hope the axle tube doesn't snap, because I'll never find one. Fixing old machines is a very expensive hobby. I have also been collecting vintage chainsaws for 20 years. I'm just lucky I have dozens of blown up parts saws laying around. Just make sure you don't rely on these old machines. You never know when some part will break that doesn't exist anymore.
The best place to get parts is from a parts tractor. Buying new parts for old machines is very expensive and often unnecessary (with a few obvious exceptions). Even stuff that's well worn is often still serviceable (like the front wheel bearings). Most cost-effective thing to do is pre-emptively buy up parts tractors when good deals appear. The axle tube is actually pretty strong - one of mine has an L12 on the front with 200 pounds of rear ballast, and front + rear wheel weights and I use it for firewood, gravel, and moving dirt. That rear axle tube lives a very rough life, but not so much as a crack. I usually get about 10 years out of a BGB on that machine, and have a number of spares built and ready to go on the shelf. None of my other machines have worn a BGB to the point of failure. The cost of buying the capabilities offered by these machines today is crazy; it's well worth keeping them running.
@@itg12345 I have weighted each rear wheel to 65 pounds with a combination of antifreeze and brake rotors. It really helped to pull a brinley plow. My main worry is that I'll forget to idle down taking off in 3rd. The 10hp diesel has enough torque to lift the front a foot off the ground when you let the clutch out wide open. I'm worried one day it will turn that tube into a spiral. Old machinery is so simple. If you really look at these old tractors, there's not too much you can't repair at home with flat stock, round bar, black iron pipe, bolts welded on to replace worn out pivot points, and a few feet of chain. The problem is when you find that one piece you can't make, and the person that has it knows what it's worth. A stripped down parts mower will run you a few hundred dollars. Even then, the middle PTO and bgb is probably gone, and I haven't found a hydraulic lift model, in any condition, for a reasonable price yet. I love how it cruises through the yard when I mow with the floating deck. I just put it in 1st, and enjoy the ride.
Taryl is the MAN, please make a modern Loafer no deck mower with push mower bolted to front of a no deck mower. Most mower decks are a pain to work on, worn out belts, lengths are hard to get, parts are worn out. even if you raise the mower still hard to work on , loafer is better. Also the best front mower motor would be a old riding mower electric start engine with coupling to bolt on mower blades. so you can electric start front push mower engine. SINGLE CYL FRONT PUSH MOWER ENGINE ELECTRIC START W BLADE NO PULLYS OR BELTS BOLT TO REAR OLD NO DECK SINGLE CYL RIDING MOWER
I forgot to mention that model of tractor had a hydrostatic model and standard transmission model. The hydrostatic transmission or HB 212 just costed more then the variable speed tractor and the variable speed was a poor man hydro. Then later on in 1973 the allis chalmers 312 had an option for shuttle which replaced the variable speed and made the 3 speed a 4 speed and the shuttle drive lever when pulled back acts like a break and spins a set of planetary gears that spin the tractor transmission backwards. With the shuttle drive you have 4 forward gears and 4 reverse gears
This is the first time I've ever heard of someone into vintage garden tractors that didn't do all their own work. It would be an uneconomical hobby otherwise, which I guess is the point of the video.
You could go through 5 big box store tractors and either of those 2 tractors will be still going strong. $1500 is not bad. those tractors are now stars you can charge more.
Taryl when i watch your channel i am a sponge with big ears soaking up all your knowledge i appreciate you very much,thank you for doing what you do.
Is that you Bob???????? I miss your show!🧽
In 1965, Allis-Chalmers acquired Simplicity Manufacturing Company.
However, in 1983, Simplicity’s management bought the company back from Allis-Chalmers.
This explains the orange color of my friend's grandfather's Allis-Chalmers late 70's early 80's lawn tractor. All I remember is it lasted until 1994. Thick oil layer on the engine. It was stored inside, but never washed or cleaned.
@@pgmurray76 I had one here I started on it and a good customer raised such hell about me selling it to him when it was in several pieces well I sold it to him. The engine had issues and for the last 8 years or so he has the thing. I just seen it a few days ago and he has so far painted just about every single part & copied my M.O. he replaced most of the hardware & bolts. So the engine must have been redone just not by me which surprised me but maybe he got a friend to reman the motor which is where he needed the help hooking it back into the machine seems the machine shop didn't give him a few pieces back like the coils and muffler stuff like that. I told him he has about one option. Used stuff on Ebay if he can even get it there. We also have a local salvage yard where stuff like shows up now and then... But the place is hike from where we live here.
That's Simple City! Get it right, bro 4:53
Nice fix welding those worn holes in the linkage. Next time you do that, get yourself a brass or aluminum rod, put it in the hole The weld won’t stick to it, you won’t have to straighten that hole out as much when you’re done. There’s your dinner!
My simple city landlord I had the hub gear stripped. Simplicity wanted $250 for the assembly, I only needed the gear. I went to a gear store and got one "close" and had it machined down for $25. I couldn't believe how close it was, my first time dealing with machine shops as a young mechanic. Anyways, put the heat in and for 50 bucks I had a working simple city landlord again!
70 bucks an hour? That's a decent deal! I've been debating on opening a small engine shop, small, small time, honestly didn't know what to charge but that's not a bad price. Great video!
I do a lot of pro-bono repairs and maintenance on people's lawn mowers or snowblowers tillers what have you in the neighborhood or fix up road finds and just give them to anyone I know who needs one. It's just a hobby and I feel good saving stuff from the scrapyard. I've kinda tried to figure out just for fun how much I'd have to charge to really make it worth while if it was a business venture and seems like for the most part those repairs would end up costing more than new. And it's hard to convince your average user that most of the vintage stuff is actually better and will last longer. Of course I don't have a stock of parts and donor machines like Taryl or all the right tools so that slows things down plus it's rare I can start on a project and focus on it til I'm done usually work on them a little here, a little there, maybe don't touch something for a whole season and then have to figure out just what the hell I was doing. Good luck to you though small engine shops are a dying thing only one near me doesn't actually want to work on anything unless it's very new and when I've stopped in for parts and they ask what it's for the guy actually laughed at me and criticized my efforts at fixing something old.
You're better off picking up junks and fixing them up to sell. The repair business has a lot of "no pays" and "nuisense lawsuits." You can sell things "as is, where is" to limit liability. 30 years ago, a friend fixed a generator and sold it. The buyer tried to use his oven and burned up the generator. The buyer returned it and demanded his money back. When I analyzed the generator for him, it was obvious that it had been overloaded. Their are idiots out there that will try to make you pay for their stupidity. I've picked up quite a few machines at our town dump and fixed them up for my use. Good Luck, Rick
Seventy $ is a cheap very reasonable rate.
@@bombardier3qtrlbpsiIt is cheap but whether its reasonable depends on the situation. The mechanic could be scr3wing himself. Good Luck, Rick
@VWFarmLLC Taryl's rate IS indeed a deal. He's so fast, so knowledgeable, he's probably cheaper overall than mechanics charging half as much because he gets the job done faster. He's repaired several of my old machines and the labor rate was no problem.
Lmfao that duct tape of the chest hairs must've felt great coming off 😂
Machine shop or a skilled 3D printer and modeller is your friend with this type of stuff. Also, the documentation is super key.
Not cost effective, but works of art when fully restored.
Stay gold.
My first lawn and garden tractor was an old John Deere 110. It had a variator that was frozen up. I had the local JD store order a manual for it and I fixed that variator. I was hooked. I ended up collecting old Sears and Roper lawn and garden tractors and attachments. I still have 3 that I tinker with.
When I was a kid, we had a Monkey Ward/Gilson tractor with a variable speed transmission. Had a 16hp Breaks and Scrapem single cylinder engine. The thing was a beast.
I had a regular Gilson and it was a beast same 16hp. I used to pull one of those cheesey metal dump carts loaded with dirt one time it pulled me off our rear yard bank backwards I ended under the tractor. Took me a few days to recover from the blunder... But we turned that old tractor upright and it started right back up...
I have Monkey-Ward/Gilson with B&S 16 Horse Twin...Opposing-Cylinders🚜
@@davebur3350 Just don't cut your grass with em.. It gets even more expensive when ya use antique toy mowers to do things other less expensive modern junk can do... Plastic bushing plastic cam shafts plastic transmissions... its all a big ball of unwound shit..Kinda make's ya wanna feed your ex-wife into that vintage wood chipper even more... Good news is that might be legal very soon...
I loved the variator on my JD 210 when tilling. You could set it to just barely creep along so the tiller had time to churn up really hard ground. You didn’t have to ear your leg out trying to slip the clutch, and it was much easier to be consistent. The variator is simply a cruise control for a gear-drive tractor. New mowers have a cruise control for your hydrostatic control that allow you to keep a consistent speed.
$70/hr is very reasonable for a shop rate. Around my area (Omaha, NE) the shops are charging from $90 to $110/hr.
Sometimes I’ll keep covers for decks or even the metal from a deck so that I can use the metal for projects, or to make guards or brackets. I bought a cheap sheet metal brake from HB that I can use to bend small pieces rather than using the vise and hammer method, and if needed I have a bench top hydraulic press and a floor standing 25T hydraulic press. I have many metal cutting tools including torch, plasma cutter, 14” cold saw, 7” hand-held cold saw, etc… I also have a 120v and a 220v mig welders, and a 250A stick/tig ac/dc welder. I’m pretty well setup for metal work, all I need is the drive to go do the job.
Shops rarely work the expected number of hours and generally bill much less than actual time so their rates reflect some cushion.
First, my hat is off to people who restore and use this cool vintage equipment. But it's like restoring a vintage car. It can get expensive fast, and the usual case is that you wont get all your investment back when you go to sell. That's why, in my experience, people get into the old car hobby out of nostalgia. I imagine it's the same with tractors and lawn mowers. The more you can do yourself, the more you will learn , and the more you will save. With all that said, I'm still impressed by what I see at vintage equipment shows. There are lots of nicely restored pieces of equipment out there, and it's a joy to see them and meet the people who brought them back.
I've got a garage full of old Simplicty and Allis Chalmers garden tractors, and honestly they're some of the best bang for your buck when it comes to lawn equipment. When I started, I got a lawn mower, leaf vacuum, rototiller, and snowplow for less than $500. Tractor was pretty well thrashed, but then I found one that had just mowed lawns and had a gummed up carb but was otherwise in good shape for $150. Yeah, maintenance is a pain, but there's simply no other way to get that level of capability for that kind of money.
NOS bevel gear box parts are getting scarce and expensive to buy, there's a couple oil seals that are NLA, but most everything else can be found at the hardware store or made at home out of random stuff. I hate flo-jet carbs as much as anybody else (and the Chinese knockoffs are even worse!), and I usually run an external battery-fed coil because mice keep chewing up the magneto wire fixing that is a pain, other than that they're remarkable machines. I muse say it's a real PITA to keep track of what belts go to what tractor, as some sizes changed for different model years. I have more spare belts than my local car parts store and they need periodic adjustment.
Very true, I got a 1973 simplicity 3310v, basically tore it all apart fixing it up. Definitely not worth it if you can't do all the work yourself. It was a fun project, I want to swap in a hydrostatic rear-end though, the gear shift gets old
@itg12345 the bgb last a long time if kept up on and I found all the seals on eBay or from seal manufacturers a few years ago. Simplicity is actually built surprisingly well compared to others of the sake vintage I've looked at. Some of them have such crude attachments and such compared to Simplicitys designs. The flo-jets worst issue is the emulsion tube leaking, I put an o-ring in mine, but they go bad after a year or so.
@@itg12345I write the specs of any parts I change on the sheet metal of whatever I'm working on with a paint marker. If it's something with a hood you can write it on the inside like the build sheet sticker underneath the hood on classic cars. It saves you the aggravation of looking it up, even if you have a log of all your equipment it's easier to write it right on the machine. I'll even include part numbers if I have them, and I'll often mark the size of the fasteners right next to it if it's odd and I have the room. I wouldn't do that on a customer's machine, maybe I would use a label maker, but if you go that route, mask off the area you're going to stick the labels around the perimeter and use some Super 77 spray glue as a primer or they'll peel off. Just let the glue dry before you stick them
The variator is great for tilling and snow blowing. Allows you to match the tractor speed to the conditions of the dirt or snow. Hydrostatic allows the same adjustment.
People that know..love thier simplicity.
I really love the older machines, engines etc.
I could never make any money cause I get too attached to these old machines.
I have an older (early eighties) wheelie horse that I use regularly and a few old simple city walk behind tractors that I play around with.
Great video guys!
I have three 1970 Homelite T-16 H Garden Tractors as well as a 7013 Simplicity 72 vintage that i work on. Thanks for the video and information.
T16's came out in 73. 7013's came out in 75.
I own one of those T-16 garden tractor with the upside down simplicity grill and big ol bug eyes for headlights.
Old tractors are worth it man built to last
Years ago when i was a young lad around 1999 i was given a 69 Allis B110. I found out pretty quick i needed to use my brain in different ways to get that tractor up and running. Luckily i found a guy with a vast hoard of these machines fir a few impossible to find or replicate parts. I was quite proud when i was able to use it again and i saved it from the scrap heap
4 years ago I restored a 1970 cub cadet 106 I still mow with it at times
I once worked for a crooked 2 way radio shop that tripple dipped on warranty. first charge the customer for a service contract. then keep track of all serial numbers that are on warranty. then charge the customer for all repairs. charge mfg for all repairs. tripple dip. he is long gone. amazing how much of this went on. that was back in the 70s. I bought a troy built mulching mower(still going strong) about 30 years old. when it was nearly new it would not start. no spark when temp was 45 degrees or less. the crooked dealer charged troy built 85 bucks for warranty repair and NEVER touched the mower(paint on bolt was still new). when I talked with the small engine repair guy where I worked he gave me a cardboard shim and told me to check the flywheel to spark coil gap. sure enough it was to wide. I set it properly and fixed it. so many crooked repair places.
This is a classic example of "thinking outside the box" when problems arise. Good job, dude!
That is definitely right about the price of fixing those classic tractors from back in the day especially if the parts are hard to find or even having those parts made by a machine shop
I had the variator on a JD 112. I was useful primarily in 3rd gear to slow down for turns, or tall grass, etc., then go back to full mowing speed quickly and easily. It was sort of a archaic predecessor of hydrostatic operation.
The idler pulley you took off for tiller was correct one. Yes it should have a short spacer on mounting bolt, frame side of pulley.
Get ahold of Bullpen Antiques. Has tons of parts for the old ones. Great work as always sir
Good to see the Detective's are still working, thought they might have retired. It's amazing Gordy is still in business. It sounds like the same customer, I thought she would have learned after the diagnosis wheel debacle.
A sunday with a new skit, is a good sunday 😊
I had an Allis B212 I bought used in 1986 for $200. Mower deck, blower and snow thrower attachments included. Never had a problem with it.
I used to think the skits were cheesy, I’m currently bed bound with a broken leg, and the skits at the beginning give me a laugh I could use!
"Because I'm a mechanic and I know what I'm doing" is something I've said to the wife numerous times!
Love the Hamms Beer Hat. In 1955, as a kid living in Central BC in Canada, there were no good R&R radio stations, so at night, I used to listen to KOBY 1550 kh, in San Fransisco. Hamms, was one of their heavy duty sponsors, and their beer commercials would run several times every hour. So, 69 years later, I saw your damn hat, and the Hamms jingle started banging around in my head again. Now, I am going to need either a beer, or professional help. I think I'll try the beer cure first. I enjoyed the video, and it just shows, that with a little thinking, a person can find solutions to seemingly insoluble problems. Keep it up.
That Simplicity is beautiful.
I have a '70 HB212 that I grew up on, someday I'll pull it put of the barn, get the replacement motor on it and rebuild the hydro pump. That thing was built like a beast.
My 82 212 compared to those 2 simplicity tractors is pretty simple. I was having issues w my Kohler. I finally got tired of fighting the constant issues so before it threw a rod cuz it was consuming oil I pulled the motor, & put in a Yanmar L70 6hp Dsl. I don’t mow grass with it. Just a fun toy. Got a 210 I put the same engine into that needs a lot of work. It’s been beat on, & the transmission has issues.
Love the varriator drive on both. My 212 is less worn out than the 210. The 212 I believe was 100% original when I bought it. Still had all 4 original Goodyear tires on it. 1 of them still held air for the longest time.
I own a 1983 Bolens eliminator 1700 and have had to fabricate many parts over the years, it’s my plow tractor. It’s truly a beast
A first gen fan... in 1975 I was 15 and Fly by night was a game changer.. Rush was so different and sharp. Very exciting sound. They became the music of my life...
Sometimes when I put say a new deck belt on it may want to keep pulling a little bit dissengauged but after running it for awhile it while mowing then, dissengauge the deck, it will eventually stop trying to keep pulling. The belt will stretch just enough when they are new. I think if you ran the tiller a bit you would have the same out come. Well cool! The 2" pulley did the releasing trick! Waay enjoy your videos. Better than any new movies out there these days and you can learn a lot! Thanks a bunch!
Hey, I got the 1968 HB212 she's rough as a cob and leaks a little hydro fluid but she runs and drives only attachment I got is the tiller. nice video
I have a tiller like it. That top tight idler pully helps hold belt on when tiller is bouncing in harder soil.
I swear your shop is psychic, I started restoration of a 1971 sears custom 10 and then I saw slippers doing his. I now have a Allis Chalmers big 10 from 1964. (I believe) I've had issues with parts and now your video on the 212 helped a ton. You guys rule! Thanks for all the tips and insights.
I first learned to mow with a B212 circa 1971. Loved that mower.The variator works great for tilling. Especially when breaking new ground.
Great Video Mr T. I run an older Tractor and manage to keep it going \ok.
a major reason why there are so many backyard mechanics , labour costs can blow out somtimes .
That and there are still some people left that aren't reliant on others to fix things, although getting less and less every year as wasteful consumerism takes over more and more.
Planned obsolescence is a real thing and it stems from greed.
@@DinDooIt yeh in my part of the world i buy as much locally made as i can , if it means it was made decades ago i dont care i can fix it parts are everywhere, freind bought a ride on mower built in 1956 still goes very well its kinda agricultural looking but so easy to work on unlike modern garbage all looks and poor quality.
Your price is very fair for the work you've done. Nice work!
Aww man, Taryl took one for the team with that Duct Tape 😂
I’ve still got a pair of Allis Chalmers WDs. Would hate to know what equivalent horsepower would cost these days. Plus they’re fairly easy to work on, for most things. Love the tractor content!
Greetings from the Oregon coast mate! Happy Sunday to ya'll out there tuning in! This was another instant classic, absolutely loved the skit and the dedication and subject of the vintage tractors! Much love and respect Taryl! Enjoy! Have a Hamm's for me. Jeffscapes out!
When I was 14 to 15 years old in the mid-sixties, I mowed about 20 yards with a Massey Ferguson 10 garden tractor/riding mower. The Massey Ferguson 10 used a 5 postion variable sheave belt-drive system between the engine and the 3 speed transaxle. The Massey Ferguson 12, which had two more horsepower (i.e. 12-hp) had a hydrostatic transaxle.
I see by your outfit that you're a repairman
I see by your outfit, you're a repairman, too.
We see by our outfits that we're repairmen
If you had an outfit you could be a repairman, too!
Labor rate here in Evansville Indiana is much more than yours Taryl, Great to see not everyone is out to bushwhack costumers. Keep up the great work! Love all the work you all do, LMD is my favorite.💯
I have 2 John Deere 110 round fenders with the 8 hp Kohler and 38 inch brass tag mower decks, one with headlights and the tail light and the other is a plain jane model
Had my JD 212 at the radio control airfield years ago to cut grass and hooked it up to the 3500 # roller to see what it could do. That 12 hp Kroler pulled that roller and cut the 5 acres at the same time without exploding.😂
Great video! I have a 2020 Simple City Broadmoor I bought new and a few months of using found a bracket lying below the deck during a turn while mowing. I too had problems where my deck would not raise. Owners manual says nothing about it. Dealer had to call B&S to find out how to adjust. However, he never told me so I could do it myself. Can you instruct me? Thanks!
you Guy's are hilarious with a Get-Er-Done approach...
19:22 that would have been a good candidate for one of those link belts
i weld washers around the holes cause my welding sucks filling holes
If you ever have a worn out hole you can buy bushings from McMaster with the I.D. you want, then you can run a drill bit big enough to fit the bushing in through your piece and weld it into place. Grind it flush when you're done and finish it off with a 120 grit flap wheel and you'll have a nice repair with a clean hole
@@chrisrageNJ THANKS Buddy.
I have a bee 10. B10. Have a blade on it. Original counterweight on the back. Did the work myself. Mine 4 sale probably also.
I had a JD 240 and a JD 160. Finally had to just give them away and cut my losses. HUGE money pits. Finally saved up and bought "NEW" 48" ZT Elite Bad Boy. Best Money spent and saved my sanity. I can come home from work and get my lawn mowed and not have to spend all evening "trying to fix "junk". The Bad Boy is NOT maintenance free, but a LOT easier to get at things to repair and service. Just a side note. It pained me to see those nice new expensive tires mounted to those rusty/dirty wheels.
My BB has a bunch of Chinesium Parts. It goes through deck bearings and idler pulleys. As you say though, easy to get and easy to change.
Lock up that double dipper !!!!
You guys crack me up.
My Dad left me a 25LB can of drill bushings.
He was a jig shop foreman in a aircraft plant.
Any time I wanted to build something as a kid, Dad made me build a jig or fixture....
I recently made a jig to re-drill bed posts to raise the mattress.
My step daughter was staying here after a operation and needed the bed raised.
Those drill bushings work great for a jig that requires repetitive drilling.
Thanks for always making a grumpy guy laugh !!
I collect these AC/Simplicity tractors and love the Vari-Drive models, I keep a few parts tractors around to keep the decent ones running due to lack of availability parts for them. Even had a machine shop make a few of those bushing b4 I need one
How many you at? I'm at 29 including parts tractors can't help not to save them I use um for everything
I've rebuilt/cleaned/dry-lubed and adjusted mine, works pretty well, but at the slowest speed, belt seems like it slips a little easier than at the high speed. Any of yours do that?
On my 15 HP Briggs, just like these, I adapted Koehler points to it. Solved alot of ign. malfunctions!
One of the best tractors IMO was Gravely. I bought a new one 1980 8162B w/16 B&S engine . The engineers did their homework. Esay to work on. Engine and transaxle reminds me of dirt pan scrapers back in the day (CAT, IH, EUCLID) had forward clutch and a reverse clutch easy to get to and replace(never replaced in the 21 years i owned it. Plus a pto drive mower deck. Unbelievable reliabilty .
funny, Terrell does not have a nickname for Bolens garden tractors.
Long live the Bolens Tube frame.
Great to see that beast given a new lease of life. Keep em runnin. 👌
Taryl, after all this time have you considered just staying out of costume? We don’t care that you may be doing this to improve your appearance. We love you no matter what you look like!😂
I recall a video, although which one I can't remember, where for just a moment he didn't have his Taryl teeth in.
It's incredible to think that I have just gotten used to them because the people I see on a daily basis have less teeth than Taryls fakes 😂
You are right it takes a lot of time to round up parts for these old machines.
I have a jig to re-broach the keyways in the rear axle hub. I guess I'm some what of an expert at working on these small tractors. That pulley on the roto-tiller is the correct one.
thank you for showing the real cost of doing rebuild's
'Loved it! I love rider mowers and this was a terrific, not relevent to my equipment, but it was a great time to spend in this otherwise crazy world.
I recently inherited a couple little john deere tractors. 322 yanmar gas and 430 yanmar diesel. from the late 80's I believe. They both need some love but they're great little units. It would be so neat to find a tiller set up. Thank you for your work!
“Help me Mr. Wizard “ love what you do. Need you to do a video on Troy bilt horse tiller. I have two with 8 hp kroler castirons great piece of equipment but everyone I know has a problem with the belt tension causing you to have to hold the shift lever down to engage it in forward. Love the pachinko machine vid still have one I bought in the 70’s from sears or monkey wards ,need to jazz it up with light’s and sound.
If you look at the engine side of a snow blower drive,you see what he made at about the 42 min. Mark. Genius!
I have had a bunch of these tractors over the years easy to work on and most lawnmower salvage yards have parts for these machines readily available. But they are not cheap parts. Tough tractors though. Just glad i went to the john deere 300/316 and sold them off. Also those briggs motors have electronic ignition upgrades available. Now working on vintage sears forget about parts.
What do you prefer about the John deere? I'd assume proper hydraulics? Power steering, etc
John deere machines are just easier to find parts for admit more expensive they are available. Yeah proper hydraulics are a plus but mine don't have power steering but they don't need it as they are just a much heavier built machine.@@M.TTT.
@@mikecalhoun4623doesn't matter how heavy built a machine is, power steering can be nice on any machine. Depending on the steering engineering, may not really be needed though.
Those particular tractors use a bevel gearbox before the transmission that is notorious for going bad. No parts available for them, and used boxes that are good go for big money
cross shaft was around 70 to 100 bucks back in the 80s
I have several bevel boxes spare I’m just too intimidated to put it in the 7016 I have that needs one
@@EveanGreen Take your time. You can do it!!!!
@@jdh395 2
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When I re-built mine about a year ago, I made the input shaft out of a piece of 7/8" drill rod from Mcmaster- Carr.
The big Bolens mowere tractors were beast to. My grandpa loved his but then he could not get parts for it anymore. That was years ago.
Great video! $1500.00 is real reasonable, I have an old Gilson 18 hp. with the Hydrostatic transmission, it would take a lot more than $1500.00 to take off my hands.
Taryl I’m 68 year old have been retired 5 year I did Maintenance in one high-rises and 27 locations. In three states.
When I start doing maintenance on lawn mowers ,four wheelers, I stay busier . I need to go up on my hour 💲💲
I have a fleet of Cub Cadet and Yazoo. I still have the original MM 110 that started rider mowing on the farm. I sometimes send out tires for repairs.
Very enjoyable video.
You are a very talented man. So interesing to learn about the older equipment.
As always There's your dinner.
Thank You
Noticed the belt going to the rototiller was jumping. Putting a larger top pulley that you replaced, the white one, would tension the belt and eliminate that.
I thought the same thing. I wonder if the jumping would be eliminated when the belt is under load? I'll let ya know when I get my 110H round fender tiller put back on. That belt is about a mile long.
Someone commented that the larger pully was the correct stock pulley. At any rate, that belt was too loose.
@@asimplehorseman4648 Under load the jumping would get worse, and the belt would slip. The belt is just to loose.
Daryl...U R a true man of GENIUS!
The lawnmower shops out here are $135.00 an hour!
I now have the line I use when I walk into Taryl's shop.
Where can I find all the different machines that you sell,If you sell them at all.Thanks for the info
loved this video and the Hamms Hat. I grew up with Hamms adverts and the beer. The Land of Sky Blue Waters.
Here in CT the last shop I worked in was $80hr 8 years ago. These days the average shop around here gets $110.00hr with a $50.00 deposit when you drop off something to repair. Im getting $55.00hr working out of my back yard. $70.00hr is giving it away.
Been looking for something like those “Garden tractors “ for a while, doesn’t need to be all original, but I do need the tiller, deck and snow blower. And I am not partial to any one brand, IH, Cub cadet, simplicity, allis Chalmers, bollens, doesn’t matter , just pre 1974 and heavy duty, I can always rebuild it myself with my son. The needed matching implements are, tiller, mower deck, snow plow, and also a blower , and the buzz saw for firewood.
Taryl you are A Master Mechanic ! I Have been bring Old and Forgotten Garden Tractors back to live Again ! I know your Frustration ! Except I do it for myself and i do not get paid ! Thank You for Your Channel i love it
When I started watching your videos, I COULD NOT STAND your wig and bubba teeth! Now, I look forward to your videos! Thanks for keeping it fresh!
The shtick needs to go away. Every once in a while is one thing... But to keep pushing it is beyond old.
Chris B. Critters, Please send a hat and bow tie to Elkskins! He would look hilarious and it might increase his viewership!🤣🐒
Man this is too accurate. I work on much simpler stuff and without decks such as wheel horses. Just parts cost alone makes me unmotivated to fix issues let alone restore something. It’s particularly annoying when those parts are known to fail or wear out.
Love the Hamms Beer hat! My dad drank Hamms back in the '60s
That was a very good video, I enjoyed that! like I always say think outside of the box, there’s always more than one solution too a problem thank taryal 👍
Indeed like the idea of clearing and tilling at the same time
I love this channel. You guys are awesome. Keep up the good work
I have a 1965 AC Big Ten I bought at a yard sale for $100. Engine was worn out. I replaced it with a 10 HP chinese diesel. Then the real work started.
Rebuilt gearbox and transmission, new seals and bushings. Cleaned and adjusted limited slip differential. New pulleys and belts. New front and rear ag tires. Made belt tensioner for center PTO. New deck bearings and blades. New bolts and rods at pivot points. Patched and lined gas tank. Stripped and rebuilt tiller. Probably a dozen other bits and pieces I'm forgetting also.
I'm probably $2,000 in just parts, counting my labor as free. Hunting in the back room of dealers for parts that have been setting for 40 years that no one has asked for. I just hope the axle tube doesn't snap, because I'll never find one.
Fixing old machines is a very expensive hobby. I have also been collecting vintage chainsaws for 20 years. I'm just lucky I have dozens of blown up parts saws laying around.
Just make sure you don't rely on these old machines. You never know when some part will break that doesn't exist anymore.
The best place to get parts is from a parts tractor. Buying new parts for old machines is very expensive and often unnecessary (with a few obvious exceptions). Even stuff that's well worn is often still serviceable (like the front wheel bearings). Most cost-effective thing to do is pre-emptively buy up parts tractors when good deals appear.
The axle tube is actually pretty strong - one of mine has an L12 on the front with 200 pounds of rear ballast, and front + rear wheel weights and I use it for firewood, gravel, and moving dirt. That rear axle tube lives a very rough life, but not so much as a crack. I usually get about 10 years out of a BGB on that machine, and have a number of spares built and ready to go on the shelf. None of my other machines have worn a BGB to the point of failure.
The cost of buying the capabilities offered by these machines today is crazy; it's well worth keeping them running.
@@itg12345 I have weighted each rear wheel to 65 pounds with a combination of antifreeze and brake rotors. It really helped to pull a brinley plow. My main worry is that I'll forget to idle down taking off in 3rd. The 10hp diesel has enough torque to lift the front a foot off the ground when you let the clutch out wide open. I'm worried one day it will turn that tube into a spiral.
Old machinery is so simple. If you really look at these old tractors, there's not too much you can't repair at home with flat stock, round bar, black iron pipe, bolts welded on to replace worn out pivot points, and a few feet of chain. The problem is when you find that one piece you can't make, and the person that has it knows what it's worth. A stripped down parts mower will run you a few hundred dollars. Even then, the middle PTO and bgb is probably gone, and I haven't found a hydraulic lift model, in any condition, for a reasonable price yet.
I love how it cruises through the yard when I mow with the floating deck. I just put it in 1st, and enjoy the ride.
You are amazing love how you tell it straight no crap
Good stuff Taryl as always!!
Taryl is the MAN, please make a modern Loafer no deck mower with push mower bolted to front of a no deck mower. Most mower decks are a pain to work on, worn out belts, lengths are hard to get, parts are worn out. even if you raise the mower still hard to work on , loafer is better. Also the best front mower motor would be a old riding mower electric start engine with coupling to bolt on mower blades. so you can electric start front push mower engine. SINGLE CYL FRONT PUSH MOWER ENGINE ELECTRIC START W BLADE NO PULLYS OR BELTS BOLT TO REAR OLD NO DECK SINGLE CYL RIDING MOWER
Mtd has 2 very similar looking drive wheel assemblies for 90s snowblowers. Both show in stock. One is 70$, the other 205$.
I forgot to mention that model of tractor had a hydrostatic model and standard transmission model. The hydrostatic transmission or HB 212 just costed more then the variable speed tractor and the variable speed was a poor man hydro. Then later on in 1973 the allis chalmers 312 had an option for shuttle which replaced the variable speed and made the 3 speed a 4 speed and the shuttle drive lever when pulled back acts like a break and spins a set of planetary gears that spin the tractor transmission backwards. With the shuttle drive you have 4 forward gears and 4 reverse gears
Shuttle drive seems pretty awesome, I'd like to try one, but don't see em alot. Hydrostatic seems like a safer bet