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odd tractors?

22K views 41 replies 30 participants last post by  bontai Joe 
#1 ·
never seen anything likes these before?
 

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#6 ·
seen these in a scrap yard rusting away. the wife says i have enugh "basket cases" lol
 
#12 ·
Never seen those before.
 
#14 ·
I think Bonanza was made by MTD or someone like that, for Ace Hardware, Western Auto, OTASCO, or some other chain hardware company. I've see a couple around here in Oklahoma.
 
#16 ·
I'm stumped, never seen those before. Mrchic, PA has a lot of tractor bone yards from what I've seen on-line! There's one that's an hour north of me right outside of Baltimore and one down in Cullpepper VA south of me. Although, the people I e-mailed from Culpepper(no offense) didn't seem to know what they were talking about. They kept asking me what color hood I had on my tractor after I provided them with model and part numbers :hide:
 
#17 ·
My Dad's first lawn tractor was a Bonanza. I think he got it from Alden's(out of business also). It was something. The transmission was a big aluminum flywheel hooked to the engine by a belt. The shifter was a rubber edged wheel that ran on a shaft across that flywheel connected to the rear axle by a chain. When you pushed in the clutch, it lifted the little wheel and you slid the wheel on the square shaft via a shift handle , one side forward and the other side of the flywheel for reverse. Quite simple, but if it got wet or you lubed the shifting shaft to much (like I, a kid would do), it wouldn't go, until it burned off the fluid. The little drive wheel didn't last long and the chain would fall off often. The truck bed was cool though.
 
#18 · (Edited)
Hi guys, I'm a newbie on here and I have to chuckle cause this is my first post. I know something about that "Bonanza" tractor - the first tractor I ever drove was exactly the same model, except it was badged differently. The one I had was originally colored green, had the same exact decals on it except instead of "BONANZA" across the front it said "ELECTRA" and on the side it said "RAM ELECTRA GT-8" with a picture of a ram's head on it. It was indeed manufactured by General Appliance Manufacturing Company, and my Dad bought it new in the late '60s out of the Spiegel Catalog (yes, the one that your wife has now for new clothing specials!!)...

Like the pics on the other thread show, mine had a cigarette lighter, ammeter and fake wood grain on the dash (LOL). It actually had sealed-beam headlights! And that little pickup bed, although thats where the battery was on my tractor. I remember being able to kinda sit there, though, when I was a little kid and hang on to Dad as he drove around.

That little tractor was more like a go-kart - its 3rd gear was more like 4th or 5th on a comparable MTD. When we got a Simplicity 6008 to "replace" it, we kept the old one too and used to try and have races, but if you put the old "Ram" in 3rd gear the Simplicity could never keep up!!! The drive was a chain setup as opposed to a belt.

Unfortunately, the old "Ram" tractor was also about as durable as a go-Kart, which meant it **** near killed my dad and little bro when he had him on his lap and went down the hill in our backyard. That chain snapped and the brake couldn't hold it and the tractor went hurdling down the hill and they both fell off. Thank God that Daddy knew how to fall and no one was hurt!

I did keep that old "Ram" tractor for years, though, even later when I bought a 1986 MTD to do my yard work, I kept the old one hooked up with this big, clunky snowthrower attachment (that actually came with it, the other accessory being a 32" mower deck, no grass catcher or anything). Pieces of the **** thing used to fall off every time I used it in the snow, it was so fragile, and so rusty. But it did the job, and it was a staple in my garage for years. I finally disposed of it about 6 or 7 years ago when I bought a 2nd MTD used to match my other one, so that they could trade accessories, and I kept the one MTD as a "summer" machine, the other as a "winter" one.

So alas, my old "Ram Electra GT-8" is no more. I'll have to dig up a picture and post it for you guys when I get the chance. It does bring back memories because I was first addicted to tractors on the thing. My MTDs of today do a helluva lot more work, though, and seeing some of the beauties on this forum make me want to move up to a nice garden tractor to do my yard work. Seems like overkill on only half an acre, but it sure looks like fun!!!

Pete (PB)
 
#19 ·
This internet thing is a wonderful idea. We went from not knowing anything about these to getting a decent history on them. Thank you to all that shared on this, I now know about a machine I had never heard of before today, and I consider myself fairly aware of what is out there as I go to auctions and tractor shows pretty regularlly.
 
#21 ·
The Bonanza w/the pickup box was sold here in MN by Gambles. My dad
bought one, his first lawn tractor - about 1970. They wore out pretty fast,
having a 10-12 yr. old me running it probably sped the process up quite a bit.
It had a 3 speed chain drive transmission and 110v. electric start 8 H.P. vertical
Briggs in it. Still got quite a few years service out of it. In 1977 it got replaced by I believe was a 108 Cub with a 3 speed in it. That one didn't wear out nearly as fast.
 
#22 ·
The other machine is a W.T.G. sold through the old W.T. Grant dept. stores, and yes those were built by Rugg I believe. Many years ago I pulled one out of the old town dump for the engine which was a 4 hp briggs that I got running. The tractor itself was too far gone, so that ended up back in the dump. Geez, now that I think of it I sure miss that old dump, there used to be a lot of good finds in there :fing32:
 
#23 ·
Yeah,I hear ya..I miss the old dumps too,before the trash nazi's took over and made it a crime to even LOOK at anything in the metal pile..now it's rare I ever see anything IN the metal pile,or bring anything home..the dump employees scoff all the desireable stuff and scrap for themselves,or take pleasure in crushing it right before your eyes with the loader..

I can remember them putting things they thought others might want aside,like mowers and snowblowers,etc..now its "quick,crush it--here comes someone who might want that!"..

I dragged several "Rugg" type riding mowers home and had them running in an hour,gave them to relatives and friends without riders..I cant believe the condition of some things I see getting junked,it is a sin..people must have more money than brains I guess..
 
#24 ·
I've got a buddy down here in Copan Oklahoma that has three bonanzas, two in pretty good shape.
 
#25 ·
yea nowadays i think thats the problem too much money lot of people buy these new junkers use em for 5 yrs n go get a new one my 66 sears looks pretty rough but it shure runs like ****
 
#26 ·
was up at the scrap yard last sat got 2 tecumseh ssi modules and an almost complete 36" older sears snowblower attachment for $40 also seen a motomow snowblower,old walk behind toro snowblower,and a small old bolens walk behind tiller (i need more room, and money) lol
heres a pic of the moto mow blower
 

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#27 ·
Where abouts is this scrap yard you speak of? Hopefully not too incredibly far from MD, where I'm located. Parts are hard to come by down this way...

Thanks!
Geoff
 
#28 ·
#29 ·
The WTG stands for WT Grant . A department store in New England. They where made for them in the 60's buy the Rugg Co. It is called a carpet cut mower. I have one in my shed. Mine is a 64' If you can read the # on the motor you can guess the year ,1st 2 numbers on the ss are the year. Then you can go to E T Rugg Mowers (sorry don't have the link here). This sight has almost all the parts and service manuals and pics you will need.Good luck my friend
 
#30 ·
My friend has a bonanza. He put a 16 hp briggs on it with a centrifugal clutch and a right angle gear box and built a race mower out of it. Arctic cat also sold mowers with pickup beds. heres a link. They were built by general leisure products.

http://www.bosscatlegacy.com/acproto/tractor/acprotonstrac.htm

I would love to find a Arctic cat mower to go with my cat snowmobile.
 
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