| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| biggie_rat |
Posted - 10/12/2007 : 20:08:35
I got a call from someone I didn't know, wanting to know if I wanted to buy this tractor. He told me it was a JCP made by Simplicity, the last year they made them for JCP. I got so interested in that Simplicity/JC Penney tractor that I just went right over there. At least, he was just on the other sided of town, about 8 miles through town.
I went around back to look at it and as you see in the pics, it was something that looked familiar but I just couldn't put my finger on it, but I knew it didn't come from Simplicity. He had me all excited before I got there, because I thought maybe JCP might have come out with a Pow'r Max, when he was talking 3 point hitch. I should have known. As I was leaving ................. then he said, oh yeah, it was made for JCP by MTD.
That's when I knew I had seen one before.A cast iron 16hp Briggs, but it was hydro, hydro lift, 3 pt hitch, high/low speed rear end, 15" rear tires, etc. as you can see. Probably worth the price and comes with a complete 54" front blade. I don't know about a deck, that didn't come up. If I were looking for one of these, I might have jumped right on it. It had been repainted red. I don't know what the original color was, maybe red. No decals or tags that I could see. He said it ran last year but he bought a JD and put it inside and this one out ....... under a tarp. Probably weighed over 1000 pounds.
  http://www.michaelstractors.com/forum/upload/biggie_rat/200710121768_MVC-042S.JPG" border="0">
B.R. |
| 15 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| BRAD1975 |
Posted - 07/05/2008 : 01:58:25
I found this tonight[this morning] on ebay ,instantly reminded me of this thread,take a seat before checking it out ..Is it gold paint you think,or gold plate........check out that price
http://cgi.ebay.ca/Garden-Tractor-made-my-M-T-D-with-hydrostatic-drive_W0QQitemZ220251456514QQihZ012QQcategoryZ50377QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem |
| Sphere |
Posted - 04/04/2008 : 09:09:14
First thing I thought when I saw it was "That engine is in backwards."
Since I cleaned pounds of old oil/grease/grass clippings out of my shroud and cooling fins, that mounting makes a lot of sense.
I bet you can actually take the flywheel cover off to access the mag without pulling the motor and driveshaft too.... I was thinking of cutting my cover in half and converting it to a two piece bolt together. |
| skunkhome |
Posted - 02/20/2008 : 00:30:51
Jim, welcome... Show us the pictures...We all love pictures . |
| rustyoldjunk |
Posted - 02/19/2008 : 14:01:22
i just hauled in a fourteen hundred series mtd (990 model) myself that i plan to go thru and restore.this tractor is a hoss.of all the vintage garden tractors i have drug in i never gave a thought to mtd,that is until i hauled in a fourteen hundred series that is in pretty good shape.i wanted the cast iron briggs engine as a spare for my allis/simplicity fdt tractors(this fourteen hundred has the smaller 12 inch back wheels,has the short 44 inch wheelbase and is gear driven with a granny low first gear)but after looking it over it is in very good original condition and built very very heavy duty,i think it might be heavier built then most of my other old garden tractors.well i decided to keep it and of course i had to have the bigger 15 inch back wheel longer wheelbase version with hydro and hydro 3 point.(the regular sized one has a manual 3 point)so i found a 990 version which happened to be a fourteen hundred series also.they have matching paint and decals,i love it.lol.well whats left of the paint on the 990 matches,it will need to come apart and be repainted and went completely thru,its rough.i like underdogs and rare stuff so this is a nice project for me.not to mention i will enjoy showing people what an mtd was back in the day hopefully to their amazement.im sure i will have to use the different forums for help and info to get this one up and going.i also may have to sell off some of my other projects to finance it.(anybody interested in a aprox.'60 porter cable garden tractor or burns/penfield built by gilson in the mid-late 60's how about an early b10 allis to put back together or maybe a squire 12 garden mark gilson project? lol) |
| olcowhand |
Posted - 10/14/2007 : 18:14:04
Phil, yes I made the decals. Only the 2nd set I made. They turned out pretty good if I say so myself.
Biggie....the deck is a 42" cut, so no power shortage mowing. I plan to repaint the deck when/if I get around to it.
The front wheels are original, except I modified them by cutting & narrowing them to use the new rib tires I already had. |
| skunkhome |
Posted - 10/14/2007 : 17:42:57
quote:
Originally posted by olcowhand
Phil, no offense taken at all! That's why we joined up here so we could give our opinions without being harassed for it! 
Biggie Rat, I'll hafta to go measure the deck in a bit. It's in the 40's I'm sure.
Sharp decals on your Unico; did you make them? I have to admit you have managed to make a silk purse out of that one. |
| olcowhand |
Posted - 10/14/2007 : 16:10:26
Phil, no offense taken at all! That's why we joined up here so we could give our opinions without being harassed for it!
Biggie Rat, I'll hafta to go measure the deck in a bit. It's in the 40's I'm sure. |
| skunkhome |
Posted - 10/14/2007 : 11:26:51
quote:
Originally posted by olcowhand
No thin metal stampings on these MTD's. I restored one myself. The decks are super strong built and are shaft driven. I haven't painted my deck yet, but it's good as new & has grease fittings on the spindles. My tractor is also hydro....Eaton hydro, Peerless 2500 series 2-speed rear end. I'm no MTD fan, but when I got this one it was news to me that MTD ever built good tractors. Pretty is however you look at it. One of my friends wants my Unico cause he says it's as ugly as he is!
I think it looks decent. They're not complicated at all. They look kinda busy, but are simple to work on. I know cause I've been through this one, top to bottom.
sorry, I did not intend to offend, I knew you had the Unico (probably looks better that it ever did.) There are features of the tractor that are strong indeed, but...
I always liked the no nonsense simplicity of the Power King but it was a tractor you had to hide behind the shed when you weren't sitting on it.
Speaking of nonsense IMO, I am an Allis Chalmers guy cut from whole cloth but I have always thought the B110 and B112 were/are cheap looking because of that pseudo dash with the racing stripe.(even as a teen when all that stuff was cool) The rest of the tractor is great but the hood ruins the whole thing. I was going to post a picture here but they are so ugly I don't even have a picture of one in my archives.
Everyone has their own preferences. |
| biggie_rat |
Posted - 10/14/2007 : 10:16:07
Just out of curiosity, what is the deck width? I know the front blade is big, about 54" and it is a 'big' tractor, and yet a relativly small engine at 15hp. To go along with the tractor size, I would guess the deck was 54", then again, I think MTD is notorious for a 46" width.
B.R. |
| olcowhand |
Posted - 10/14/2007 : 09:23:15
That's my hydro-speed lever with what looks like a old style dirt bike grip for handle. I sorta gave $250 for mine in dismal shape. Thing is my older brother owed me $250 on a Cub Cadet he "bought" 2 years prior. When he got this Unico given to him I told him I would take it for the debt & it'd be a cheap way out for him. He of course agreed. Now it wasn't worth near that much but I figured it was better than what I was gonna get.......nuttin! Here's how it was then.
 |
| biggie_rat |
Posted - 10/14/2007 : 08:55:56
It looks like the same one except for the lift handle (of course, yours looks much better).
Hmmmm. Maybe I need to give this more concideration (at a lower price, of course).
B.R. |
| olcowhand |
Posted - 10/14/2007 : 08:29:07
No thin metal stampings on these MTD's. I restored one myself. The decks are super strong built and are shaft driven. I haven't painted my deck yet, but it's good as new & has grease fittings on the spindles. My tractor is also hydro....Eaton hydro, Peerless 2500 series 2-speed rear end. I'm no MTD fan, but when I got this one it was news to me that MTD ever built good tractors. Pretty is however you look at it. One of my friends wants my Unico cause he says it's as ugly as he is!
I think it looks decent. They're not complicated at all. They look kinda busy, but are simple to work on. I know cause I've been through this one, top to bottom.
At local show.
 |
| simplelife |
Posted - 10/13/2007 : 23:15:54
Thanks Ron, but I will have to pass, just too many too many's.
It looks like an MTD 990 model manufactured under various brand names. (Dayton,White ,Penny's) just to name a few. The White had nicer tin and styling in my opinion. They were built pretty heavy, as you mentioned, and were offered with a loader option. |
| skunkhome |
Posted - 10/13/2007 : 11:40:38
It is an ugly thing as is all the MTD's IMO ... so many thin metal stampings. If it has a deck I bet it is a nightmare. Looks like something someone dreamed up under the shade tree in the back yard. Even though chaotic looking I bet it is a hoss. |
| B112 |
Posted - 10/13/2007 : 08:27:47
My "Get around to it someday list" would bury most, it's buried in a pile in my office! |
