8 replies to this topic

[1RUSTYNUT]

This is my 1948 Jaques Mighty Mite I purchased last Nov. that started this  addiction.  It was purchased as a way to help my aging Dad with plowing his garden.  He's has gotten to were he can't  and I am to lazy to plow with a push plow.  The tractor was running when I purchased it,  but just barely enough to pull itself on the trailer. It had a set of belly cultivators on it when I got it, which I thought would be great for plowing the  garden. Due to location of steering gear you cannot set them up so it would plow the same on both sides. It would be too close on left side and to far on right. After several attempts to adjust,  I gave up and converted them to work off the rear. At least i could set them evenly , but I am not happy with the set up. Does anyone have an original set or a good photo of a set they could share.  From some of the original adds found online appears they work from the rear. 

 

Also I would like to think Classic for his postings about the one he was in the process of restoring. It was his postings they lead me here to  GT TALK to start with. By they Classic did you ever finish yours, if so would like to see some photos.

 

If anyone has pictures of the original cultivators please post them. Thanks!

 

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[classic]

Your welcome, glad the info helped you out. Your mighty Mite turned out very well! I have held off on working on my Mighty Mite, since I have been working on other projects. I will be getting back to it when the time is right. I just about finished rebuilding an Economy tractor and I've been using it to haul firewood. It will be my plow tractor for this winter, too. Below is a link to a Mighty Mite that recently sold with cultivators on the rear, and a pic of my Economy.
http://gardentractor...es-mighty-mite/

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[1RUSTYNUT]

Thank you !  Yes I have seen those photos and while they look similar to what was on mine I can't tell whether the pivot point on those in the photo run from  the bull gear housing on each side or if it is further forward. 

The Power King is looking good. That would probably be on my wish list next,  but I am afraid my wife may have me committed if I buy another tractor anytime soon.  You know how one soon leads to another and then another and so forth. 

I am anxiously awaiting to see your Mighty Mite when your finished.  

[DougT]

Cultivators are meant to kep the weeds down between the rows. they aren't really made to plow with like a modern field cultivator/chisel plow. Here is a brochure that shows an actual plow set up on one.  http://gardentractor...ising-brochure/

 

 

                                     

[classic]

You're welcome. It may be possible to get more pics from the buyer. Follow the link jtrojek posted and you may luck out. I have to work on a small building in the spring so that I have a spot to assemble and store the Mighty Mite. I just have to assemble the transmission and the drivetrain components will be done. I've got things in dry storage at the moment. I did recently pick up an NOS air filter for it. The top is incorrect, but I have a good top and filter assembly to replace it with. I mainly wanted the bottom half with the decal on it. I'm working an a '51 Baird Beaver at the moment and it's getting a full restoration. I picked it up from Peter Zander because I need a Wisconsin AKN engine. I can't part this tractor since it's restorable and it's the original engine on it. It's small and doesn't take up much room, so I can work on it on the coffee table while my girlfriend is at work, HA! Yea, another unexpected project, but a simple one. I did get it running and rode it a short distance, but the old shredded drive belt was about to give out. It's torn down now, and I'm rebuilding the jackshaft assembly since the shaft and bushings are worn. I'm completely rebuilding the engine, also. I'll get a thread going on it once I make some more progress on it.

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[1RUSTYNUT]

Thanks DougT for the info on the brochure. That's one I had not seen yet. I have the arm for the mole board plow or turn plow as we call it,  but unfortunately it had a an old middle buster that someone had adapted to it. I removed it and  bolted  old David Bradley plow to it to turn the garden with in the spring. I did a pretty good job. I have a Brinley that I will most likely try to use this spring for turning. I ran across a Brinley Planter this summer that I was able to clean up and repair the fertilizer adjuster that we used to plant peas with for the fall garden.  The planter had only to plates one for corn and  the other for peanuts. 

 

Classic that will be one sweet little Beaver when your through. Careful on the coffee table and do not scratch it or your girlfriend will no where you have been working on your Beaver.!  Like I said one usually lead to more. Since  this one I have accumulated 2 Cubs 102, and 149. The 102 was running and came with a tiller. Starter needs repaired and has been on the back burner. The 149 was a basket case literally, it was in baskets when i bought it. Then came a Craftsman 6000  with cultivators , harrow, turn plow and middle busted I was able to trade out some bush hogging for. It had not ran for over a year. It now runs fine, just have to modify an adapter for the 3 point hitch so the plows will work with it. the latest one was a David Bradley I bought originally for the Brinley cultivators but since have repaired and have ready for service.  Funny thing is I was not looking for them, folks would see me working on the Mighty Mite and stop and ask if I were interested in them.

 

Yep I had to go through the trans and the rear end. Those needle bearings can be tricky. I had only worked on one other transmission and that was on my Mitsubishi D1500  when It locked up and busted some of the gears. The videos on line sure helped a lot with the T96   in the Mighty Mite. Tranny was full of sludge and bearings shot. Rear end just needed a good cleaning. 

 

Now that the gardening over for now its time to touch up a few areas and make some minor adjustments and improvements here and there for next season. 

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[classic]

You learn a few tricks when you get into repairing these machines. Transmissions aren't as hard to work on as I thought they would be. It just takes a little patients to figure things out. The Beaver tractor is something I just want to restore to save it. I'll be bringing it to shows when I go, so I want to do a real good job on it. There's not much to it, so it makes for an easy project. It will be the first Wisconsin engine that I rebuild, and there's really not a whole lot to them. Scrounging for rebuild parts for a good price is a bit harder for these engines than with the old cast iron Briggs engines that I've rebuilt. So far so good though, and I almost have everything for the rebuild now. I'm almost done fabricating a new jack shaft for the transaxle, so the transaxle assembly can be cleaned and assembled with a new drive chain now. Can't go to the mower shop and buy parts for the Beaver tractor, but most things can be easily made, and bushings and bearings are pretty common. I found an NOS Simplicity 32" snow thrower shaft to make the jack shaft out of. The snow thrower shaft has a woodruff key slot in one end, so all I had to do was cut it to length. I just have to weld a 10 tooth #40 sprocket to the other end, and I'm all set. The bronze bushings for the jackshaft are common sizes, so they were easy to find. One is 3/4" i.d x 1" o.d. x 1-7/8" long, and the other is the same, but only 1-1/2" long. Making a repair like this is what I like doing when it comes to restoring these old machines.
The old Cub Cadets are great machines, and I mow with a 147. I'm rebuilding another mower deck for mine, since the metal is getting a bit thin on the one I'm using now. There always seems to be some sort of tractor project going on, but it's what I like to do. I'm going to be hauling out firewood with the economy tractor today. My neighbor dropped some oak trees last year and told me to come cut them up and take them away.

[rewalter]

1RUSTYNUT - That Mighty Mite came out amazing! And you did a great job getting the proper yellow pinstripe on it.  (so many either leave the stripe off, or the incorrectly put a white stripe on)   It also looks like you are lucky enough to have the tag on the hood of your Mighty Mite. would you mind sharing the serial number?   I am in Massachusetts- and my father in law's Mighty Mite is serial number 2194- his also has the factory air cleaner cuts in the side of the hood.

[1RUSTYNUT]

Thanks REWALTER for the kind words. Fortunately  from the one sided photos hard to tell that I have one side lower than the other. I plan to repaint the hood in the spring and make the correction. The serial # is 1926.  Yes I was glad the Data plates were there. The serial plate was just cleared over. The clutch adjustment plate I had to paint and sand to read.  As far as the hood cut out for the air breather I am not sure that was factory or not. Perhaps someone that has more knowledge could fill us in. 

Would your Father-In-Law's  happen to have any original equipment with it ? if so please add photos.  Only  the arm for the turn plow was all mine had. The moldboard was missing, but I had a Sears 3 pt moldboard that bolted to the original arm. I use this tractor to plow my Dad's garden with so I am continuously tinkering with it.  

 

I been working on a set of hillers for it this week .  I tried them  out last night seem to work pretty good. Added the potato plow as an after thought I hadn't tried it yet.

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