[greenhunt31]

Hi All.

Here's a little history first. My mother owns a 1981 Sears Craftsman FF/18 garden tractor with rototiller, which my grandfather originally bought new in 1981. When my grandfather passed away in 1997, my grandmother eventually gave the tractor and rototiller to my father to use for his gardens. Dad used the tractor through the summer of 2016, when he passed away unexpectedly. Mom didn't use the tractor in 2017. Last year, a family friend got the tractor running (siphoned out old fuel, took carburetor apart) but the rear hitch wouldn't quite lift the rototiller as high as it should, so we still didn't use it. This year I haven't yet gotten the tractor to stay running longer than for about 5-8 seconds before it dies, but the tractor does run smooth while it's running. Sounds like it still has plenty of life in it. I think sitting for a year didn't help it any.

In 2014 Dad put all new tines on the rototiller for just under $200. In 2016 he replaced the tractor's battery, spark plugs, fuel line, and fuel filter. The tractor has 736 hours on it. Rear PTO ran the rototiller great last year but like I said the hitch wouldn't lift the tiller like it should have. Mom doesn't have a mower deck for the tractor.

Now Mom would like to sell the tractor and rototiller instead of having them both just sit. I don't speak tractor as well as Dad did, so I think the FF/18 would do much better in the hands of someone who does. So I'm wondering what would be a fair asking price (both for Mom and a buyer) for the tractor and rototiller? Any interest out there for something like this?

I'm attaching some pics for you guys to check out. If you have any questions or need more info, I'll do my best to answer or find the answer. Thanks!!

 

[MikMan48]

Welcome greenhunt! Sorry to hear of the passings in your family.

That FF is a nice machine! The rear pto, hitch and tiller are very desirable options. I however dabble in the smaller tractors so don't know of it's value. Someone more knowledgeable than I should be around shortly!

Sent from my SM-A520W using Tapatalk

 

[No Quarter]

To the right person who knows what it is, I'd say $1000.

 

[greenhunt31]

Thanks for the responses!

And that's what I was wondering - getting it to the right person would make the difference. We had the tractor and rototiller for sale on Craigslist for a couple of months last summer for $800 but had no interest whatsoever. I thought maybe my price was too high. Then I got busy with other projects and never listed it for sale again. Thought I should get some opinions from the experts before I put it up for sale this year!

It is a heavy machine. I think it's mostly just been used for gardening all its life. Dad took care of it and so did my grandpa.

 

[Everlandfarm]

Now's the time to get it listed on CL or wherever. It's spring, folks are thinking of gardens and tilling, summer, not at all.

Get it running though, the engine behavior you described would cut your asking price in half at least.

 

[Tractor-Holic]

The FF Sears tractors were their largest offerings I think--and I'm not sure if Roper built those or not..they were comparable to some sub compact tractors like the John Deere 318.

The two things a bit discouraging about these tractors is they are loners as far as certain attachments go,they only fit the FF series,and not that many were sold,so finding a deck,plow, or other attachment is more difficult and expensive than say a Suburban or more plentiful models..also since few were sold,parts and pieces you may need to keep one going are harder to get and more expensive..but one that has been cared for probably wont need much repairing..

They are worth more than any of the "lower" models still though..
I think the reason many dont sell fast or for what they should bring is the fact they look very much like some of the smaller Sears "lawn tractors" that were out at the same time-people pass by them thinking its just a 12 HP riding mower,not the true beefy garden tractor it really is..

 

[BMR528]

GreenHunt31

Where are you located? There is a great interest in those machines, ( among Craftsman enthusiasts). Yes they are vintage, but they are after all mowers..

I would love to have one of those, I may even have a deck to fit one..

dollars to doughnuts, you are somewhere on east side of states

djl

 

[greenhunt31]

BMR528 - Yup, your guess is close! I'm in central Ohio. I see you're out in California. Want me to package the tractor up and mail it to you priority mail??

Well, we got the FF/18 running. After much trial and error, we realized the screen in the fuel tank was clogged with grime. The tractor seems to be runnin great now. And we discovered that Dad had already rebuilt the fuel pump. I'm wondering if last year the tractor wouldn't raise the tiller all the way because the tractor was losing power from lack of fuel? The hydraulics seem just fine now.

I'm going to till the garden with the tractor as soon as it dries out. I'm a newbie with this machine so hopefully it goes smooth! Then after that we'll be selling it. I'll have to double check my grandma's barn to make sure the mower deck wouldn't happen to be hiding there somewhere too.

 

[I'mnofarmer]

Looks like it has brackets for a front snow plow also?

Is the engine an 18hp Briggs horizontal twin or is it a twin cylinder Onan?

I am down in KY and might be interested in this is you do find the mower deck and snowplow for it. I think I remember seeing this mower for sale on Craigslist...
I have one GTV-18 with 44" 3 blade mower deck and one GT-18 with snow plow that I could sell to fund buying yours!

 

[greenhunt31]

I'mnofarmer - The engine is an 18hp Briggs. And yes it does have brackets on the front. I'm not sure what attachment they're for. It looks like it has a front PTO kit and I also have a manual for the front PTO, though I've never used the front PTO. I have all the original purchase receipts for the tractor from 1981 when my grandpa purchased it. A 44" mower deck, a cart, and a cultivator are listed on the receipts along with the tractor, rototiller, category O hitch, and PTO. I have no manual or receipt for a snowplow. I'll have to ask my uncle if he remembers my grandpa using any attachment on the front of the tractor.

Well, as an update, we got the FF/18 out of the barn and used it to till the garden. The rototiller did great. The tractor though still must have some dirt in the fuel tank that seems to be clogging the screen. The tractor ran smoothly but three times it acted like it was out of fuel and just died on me. We didn't clean the fuel tank out completely when we were working on it last week and I just bet that's what the problem is. Also, the only other problem I ran into was that the rear hydraulics still don't seem to lift the rototiller as high as they should. If I drove over uneven or inclined ground, the tines would tend to drag briefly behind me. The lift control lever does seem very floppy to me - at least compared to our John Deere's. Perhaps the floppiness of the lever and the lack of lift in the rear are related?

I'll be going to my grandma's next week hopefully to look around her barn/garage to make sure there aren't any attachments for this tractor hiding out somewhere. I'm pretty certain she has the cart for the tractor. But I don't know about the mower deck or cultivator. I have a manual for the cultivator but not for the mower deck. So I'll have to do some detective work before selling the tractor, but my hope would be to have it up for sale by the end of this month at the latest.

Stay tuned for more updates!

 

[I'mnofarmer]

When i was doing the GT-18 to GTV-18 conversion I had to pull the fuel tank from the GTV-18 due to fuel issues. What I found was the steel elbow that went into the bottom of the tank was packed so full of rust that fuel could not move through it fast enough to keep it running! I actually had to drill it out... You could also have something in wrong in the pulse pump, or debris in the carb.

I will keep watching this thread to see what other toys you find for this!

 

[Garret's 111]

Wow an FF, those are hens teeth and really cool. I personally would keep it due to it's rarity and emotional attachment. Don't let people low ball you especially due it's condition and attachments.

Amazing machine

 

[greenhunt31]

Well, just got the tractor listed for sale on here!

I went to my grandma's last Thursday and ended up finding the cultivator and the cart that goes with the FF/18. The mower deck is gone. My grandpa must have sold it at some point because my uncle didn't even remember there ever being a mower deck with the tractor.

We've decided to keep the cart because we've been needing something like that for our John Deere compact tractor. The cart needs tires and some paint but is solid still. Seems heavy duty.

So we're selling the FF/18 with the rototiller and cultivator for $1,300. I'll be listing it on another tractor site too so we'll see how it goes with our price. Whenever I list things, I feel like I'm going fishing - sometimes you get a bite and other times nothing. Guess we'll find out!

 

[greenhunt31]

Thought about our price a little and I think we're a little high since we're not selling the cart. The price of the FF/18, cultivator, and rototiller is $1,150. Thanks!

 

[greenhunt31]

Price is $1,100 now!

 

[greenhunt31]

Sold today to a good home! It's in good hands.