Whelp. Tonight I had an adventure.
Saw an ad for a mid-70's Simplicity 3410 on craigslist, in rough shape and not running for $60. Thats basically scrap price. It was an hour and a bit away, but I figured it was worth a look. Got a call back at around 5 in the afternoon, guy said he'd be around that evening if I wanted to come get it. Decided to go for it, thinking it'd still be light enough out to load without too much issue.
Got within .3 miles of his house and my Garmin GPS decided that a service road, which hadn't been used in what looked like 20 odd years, was a legitimate shortcut. The gravel road turned to a dirt path, but I saw I was close so I went for it ... and found a tree blocking the road. Went to back out and my wheels sank into the soft, leafy soil. Stuck. Not havin' many options I called the guy with the Simplicity. Really nice guy, drove over and pulled my trailer out, came back for my car and -he- got stuck. Called a towtruck and he winched the truck and my car out.
By then it was 8:30 and I was a little poorer. Followed the guy over to his house (the "shortcut" my GPS was so keen on was actually a longer route, go figure), looked over the Simplicity, loaded it up in the dark and took it home. Guy said he'd probably have toted it off for scap if someone hadn't come for it.
Got home at 10 and found I'd left the pin for my tilt trailer - fortunately the tractor was tied to the front, its weight kept it down. That would have been fun, have my tilt trailer tilt back on the highway.
So yeah. More fun than I intended on having.
The Simplicity 3410 is in overall rough shape, but the engine is free and everything is there, including the mowing deck. I'll make a go at getting it moving again, worst comes to worst I'll part it out.
Just makes me sad when things like this are abandoned outside and scrap'd, once upon a time it was a fairly expensive, nice garden tractor.
Saw an ad for a mid-70's Simplicity 3410 on craigslist, in rough shape and not running for $60. Thats basically scrap price. It was an hour and a bit away, but I figured it was worth a look. Got a call back at around 5 in the afternoon, guy said he'd be around that evening if I wanted to come get it. Decided to go for it, thinking it'd still be light enough out to load without too much issue.
Got within .3 miles of his house and my Garmin GPS decided that a service road, which hadn't been used in what looked like 20 odd years, was a legitimate shortcut. The gravel road turned to a dirt path, but I saw I was close so I went for it ... and found a tree blocking the road. Went to back out and my wheels sank into the soft, leafy soil. Stuck. Not havin' many options I called the guy with the Simplicity. Really nice guy, drove over and pulled my trailer out, came back for my car and -he- got stuck. Called a towtruck and he winched the truck and my car out.
By then it was 8:30 and I was a little poorer. Followed the guy over to his house (the "shortcut" my GPS was so keen on was actually a longer route, go figure), looked over the Simplicity, loaded it up in the dark and took it home. Guy said he'd probably have toted it off for scap if someone hadn't come for it.
Got home at 10 and found I'd left the pin for my tilt trailer - fortunately the tractor was tied to the front, its weight kept it down. That would have been fun, have my tilt trailer tilt back on the highway.
So yeah. More fun than I intended on having.
The Simplicity 3410 is in overall rough shape, but the engine is free and everything is there, including the mowing deck. I'll make a go at getting it moving again, worst comes to worst I'll part it out.
Just makes me sad when things like this are abandoned outside and scrap'd, once upon a time it was a fairly expensive, nice garden tractor.