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Vote Now Featured Tractor February 2014!

5K views 26 replies 16 participants last post by  NUTNDUN 
#1 ·
Vote Now Featured Tractor February 2014
Bolens 1256 - OldBuzzard3222.38%
Homelite T-16 - hamman2416.78%
Jacobsen Chief 1000 - Tommy Williamson139.09%
Allis Chalmers B10 - David Brown3625.17%
Wheel Horse Electro 12 - farmerall1510.49%
Hiller Yard Hand 100 - cglisson012316.08%
 
#2 · (Edited by Moderator)
Voting for GTtalk Featured Tractor of the Month for the month of February has now officially started. This month's theme is "Best Original / Survivor".

The winner will be featured on the GTtalk Home Page for the entire month of February and in our Featured Tractor Section for infinity.

We have 6 nominations this month. Let the Voting Begin!

  • Bolens 1256 - OldBuzzard
  • Homelite T-16 - hamman
  • Jacobsen Chief 1000 - Tommy Williamson
  • Allis Chalmers B10 - David Brown
  • Wheel Horse Electro 12 - farmerall
  • Hiller Yard Hand 100 - cglisson01

Before voting please be sure to check out all the entries in the posts below.
 
#3 · (Edited by Moderator)
I guess I'll start off with my 1971 Bolens 1256-02, AKA Cloud Burst III.

Not long after the "Bolens Bug" bit me, I decided that I would like to have a hydro driven one. At that time I had an 800 and a G10, which were both gear driven.

I had rented a trailer for taking the 800 and G10 to the show and rented it for a week as that was the most cost effective.

Now after the show, I was cruising around CraigsList and found a 1256 listed not too far from me. It was listed at a pretty decent price, the pics looked good, and I decided that since I still had the trailer that it was worth looking at.

I called the seller, and made arrangements to take a look at it. While talking to him, he said that he had 'some other stuff' for it that he would sell for $150.00 if I was interested.

When I arrived, we got it running, poorly, but still running, and with out any smoke. I figured that it just needed come carb work and a deal was made.

Then I asked about the 'other stuff'. He took me around the corner, and there sat an EZ-Vac. Not only the EZ-Vac, but in the trailer was an Ohio Steel made sleeve hitch for the tube frames. I immediately said "I'll take it.", and after money changed hands we got everything loaded onto the trailer.

Once I got it home and started playing with it, I found that the gas tank was horribly rusted, and that it was rust getting to the carb that was causing all the problems.

After getting all the rust out, and a bit of carb cleaning, it starts and runs just fine. It does have one 'wart' which is the 'turn to lock' throttle cable. It doesn't lock well, and I will eventually replace it.

EVERYTHING on it is original. As is everything with the EZ-Vac system.

Here are pics of it after I got it home, and also pics of it with the EZ-Vac system.

[sharedmedia=core:attachments:17750][sharedmedia=core:attachments:17749][sharedmedia=core:attachments:17748][sharedmedia=core:attachments:17746][sharedmedia=core:attachments:17747][sharedmedia=core:attachments:17884][sharedmedia=core:attachments:17762][sharedmedia=core:attachments:17761][sharedmedia=core:attachments:17760]

Here is a vid of it in action

 
#4 ·
Here is my 1971 Homelite T-16 H. It is an Allis Chalmers built tractor. Back in the 70s mt dad had a Heating and Air Conditioning business in downstate Michigan. Business was slow so being the mechanic and business person he was he decided to try to build some more business by taking on the Homelite brand of Lawn and Garden equipment. The only thing we couldn't get was the chain saws. This only lasted about 3 years. the economy was bad and once he sold out of the inital inventory he decided not to get any more in. We had always had something with a motor on or in it around the house and he made sure we could work on it and make it run.

This is the very first Garden Tractor we got in the shop. The crate came with the Homelite logo, and tractor picture on it. Once we opened the crate on the reverse side was the same tractor except it said Simplicity. I assembled this tractor and my brother and I adjusted it and put the fluids and fuel in it to get it running. My dad had just sold a couple of mowers and a snowblower so we had to assemble and get those running. After we did that dad came in ad said that we needed to deliver the tractor. He ad just sold it. My brother and I finished adjusting the mower and got it ready to put on the trailer for delivery. Dad came out and handed us the invoice with the address and told us to show the owner how to run it. when we looked at the address we laughed and said what was mom going to say. He said she is waiting for it to be delivered.

We used that tractor at all of our houses and even helped mow some neighbors yard with it. Dad had ordered the front dozer blade and had ordered a rear lift kit for it. The rear lift was never installed and I still have the original box for it. He had chains delivered and used the front balde for leveling gravel and pushung snow in the winter. It never missed abeat as we used and abused it.

Dad kept the tractor until his passing in 1995. After his passing my Step Mother let me know she was moving and that she wanted to sell the tractor. None of my brothers or sisters wanted it so I bought it with mower deck and the front blade, chains and garden cart that my brother had built for it for $1000.00. Our son was about 3 yrs old and rode with me on the tractor during the summer while mowing and hauling things in the yard. It fell into non running order about 2000 and sat in our shed for about 4 years until I decided it needed to be running again. I had forgotten a lot about small engines and had it worked on several times with the same results, still not running or not running right. Again it sat in the shed until 2012 . My Brother In Law is a mechanic and decided he had heard enough and came by one day and in about 30 min. he had it running great.

Since then I have acquirred two more T-16H. One for donor parts and I have added a rear lift form the donor tractor as well as a Simplicity rear tiller for it. I have the original seat pan for it and I plan on having the seat redone to original when I can find someone local to do it.

Back in the 80s dad wanted a radio on the tractor and I made a box for the AM radio in his sheetmetal shop and put it on the back fender. It has since been taken off but I plan on reinstalling it after I find a spesker for it.

I had originally planned on restoring the tractor now named " BOB" after my dad, but we have decided that he will stay in his working clothes. I think dad would like it left that way. Lots more to this story but i dont want to bore anyone so here are some pictures.

Thanks for considering " Bob " for this honor. Roger.

Wheel Tire Motor vehicle Automotive tire Tread
Wheel Tire Vehicle Automotive tire Hood
Tire Wheel Vehicle Tractor Automotive tire
Wheel Tire Plant Vehicle Motor vehicle
Wheel Tire Land vehicle Vehicle Car
Tire Wheel Plant Vehicle Tractor
 

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#5 ·
I would like to nominate my 1968 Jacobsen Chief 1000. I got this tractor from the second owner in October. This tractor is all original & nothing has been painted or anything like that. It had been sitting at an Allis-Chalmers dealer in southcentral PA since 1990 so over half of its life! The dealer got it as a trade-in where it had been sitting untouched since 1990. I went to look at it a couple of times before I bought it but we couldn't get it removed due to a Allis-Chalmers D-21 blocking its path.

This past October when I went over to look at it again it was sitting outside & I couldn't believe my eyes. This was the first time the tractor was outside in 23 years! We got it loaded & brought it home. That evening we washed off the 42" deck & the tractor. That was when these pictures were taken. With a simple carb rebuild the tractor started up just fine. The engine runs like a top and there was no carbon buildup in the engine. Talk about good maintence! The gear shift knob was also stripped out so we tapped it out & put in a thread insert. The only thing that it's missing is the steering wheel cap which I should be getting in a week or so. When I got the tractor I only paid $200 for it and put $15 in for the rebuild kit so I'm doing pretty good. My next project is to put a Century Fox hydraulc lift unit on it.

Wheel Tire Tractor Vehicle Automotive tire


Wheel Tire Automotive tire Locking hubs Vehicle


Wheel Tire Vehicle Automotive tire Locking hubs


Tire Wheel Automotive tire Vehicle Agricultural machinery
 

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#6 · (Edited by Moderator)

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#7 ·
I would like to nominate my 1969 Wheel Horse Electro 12. A little over 3 years ago I found a small OPE shop close by and started to go there to order any parts that I would need. As I would talk to the owner he mentioned that he had two old tractors at his house. He said one was a Wheel Horse and the other was a Bolens. At the time I just want the Bolens but after about a year of bugging him he brought the Wheel Horse to the shop and gave me the first chance at buying it. After seeing that it was an older model than I was expecting to see and how nice it was I decided to buy it.

After I got it home first thing to do was go through all of the paperwork that came with tractor. I got the original owners manuals and even the engine tag and warranty card for the tractor. Next I popped the hubcaps of so I could clean them up since they where really dirty from being on the tractor for so long. After a few ours of hand polishing I had them shining like new or as close to it as they will ever be. Another amazing thing about the tractor was that the original seat is still perfect with no tears or creases. Now days we use the tractor to mow the yard in the summer and occasionally to pull the lawn trailer around. Most of the time it rest is the shed waiting for the next task we will give it.
 

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#8 · (Edited by Moderator)
I would like to nominate my 1954 hiller yard hand model 100. Made in Redwood City, California. I have been searching on and off for one of these for about 6 years. I found this tractor for sale last October on the internet. I called the guy up to ask a few questions about it. He said that it was mostly complete and was in good shape for its age. I told him that I was very interested in purchasing it from him and explained that it would be a few days before I could make it up to get it. Fortunately he said he would hold it for me. So now the next thing to do was make the 4.5 hour drive one way to get there.

After the trip was over and I made it back home, I first noticed that this tractor has the original paint which has been untouched since it was built. It is all complete with the exception of the small hiller script that went on the side of the hood. I aired the tires up and started working with the motor to try and see if it would run. I took the carburetor off, cleaned it, cleaned the electrical parts, put some gas in the tank and it fired right up. It has a power products model ah-36 engine which I think is unusual because most I seen has the power products ah-47. It has locking hubs on the rear wheels to enable it to make sharp turns with more ease, and has a draw bar on the back to pull a mower or small yard cart. This tractor is a very cherished piece in the collection and, I still sometimes have a hard time believing I finally have one.
 

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#15 ·
Tough choices this month. Me being an Allis fan, and there being a B10 up against a Homelite. But then, Old Buzzard does have a beard and a vacuum (too bad it is tractor of the month, not attachment of the month) .... Think I need to sleep on this one ...
If it helps you decide, I too have a beard. :D Seriously, this is a month I look forward to. I love to see these old original machines in their work clothes. Frankly, I'm surprised that it doesn't draw more attention than it does. This, to me, is what it's all about. Finding, preserving and using these great old machines. A testament to two things. How well they were built and how some folks really know how to care for them and use them for their intended purpose. They are all great entries. I mean, I entered and I even had a hard time deciding who to vote for!
 
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