Agway/Murray GT 18/42

23413 Views 21 Replies 8 Participants Last post by GearNut, 12 mo ago

casual_farmer

Discussion Starter · Sep 9, 2010

my Dad used to mow his fairly large lawn with a 1987 GT 18 hp with a BS L twin...i believe it's a Murray but was sold through Agway...

i'm thinking from reading other posts that this is a fairly heavy duty tractor - even tho it's a belt drive, the GT designation implies it might be useful in our overly large garden...i've used it to pull a light homemade spike tooth harrow, which it did with no problem...i would love to hook it up to a snow plow and maybe a disc harrow...another post mentioned that a Craftsman sleeve hitch could be modified to fit, and this tractor will pull ground engaging implements...can anyone confirm or deny that this GT will do garden tractor work?

the GT sat in a shed for many years dry and under cover...after some air in the tires, a little gas, starting fluid, and a charge to the battery it started right up...gotta love briggs...i've used it for the past few years to pull a cart and a sweeper, and am hoping to use it to power a backup generator and an irrigation pump...right now i'm waiting on a new starter and hope to put it to work hauling firewood this fall...the posts on this site have been very helpful to me in identifying the starter problem...i probably would not have attempted to remove it without the information i got from the posts on this site...

so thanks to the all of you who know much more about tractors than i do...

ps i've also got a Monty Ward 18hp twin that runs and cuts great - this was given to me along with a completely disassembled MTD snow blower which allegedly fits...my next project before the snow flies is to get enough firewood cut to last the winter, but right after that i want to try to get that snowblower put back together...it's not taken apart down to the last bearing, but pretty close...i have a manual, but i need to clear some garage space for this particular project...

if folks will give you tractors, why buy them?

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BushBoneYard

· #2 · Sep 9, 2010

casual_farmer said:
i'm thinking from reading other posts that this is a fairly heavy duty tractor - even tho it's a belt drive, the GT designation implies it might be useful in our overly large garden...i've used it to pull a light homemade spike tooth harrow, which it did with no problem...

Welcome to MTF. As a Murray fanatic I'm always happy to see another Murray owner, especially one that owns a GT that was built before 1989. Your tractor is more than capable of handling ground engaging equipment and I wouldn't worry about the belt drive. These late 70's nd 80's Murray GT's get little to no respect from most because they don't have a hi/lo transaxle. So what, I say. You will be hard pressed to find an owner of one of these tractors that does not rave about the strength and pulling power of these units. Now that these tractors are turning 20, 25 and even 30 years old and are still in service, the respect is slowly getting there. There are certainly no Case, but they were never mean't to be. Would love to see some pics.

boneyard

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BOSOX

· #3 · Sep 9, 2010

Welcome CF, glad to have you here, and as BBY said we'd love to see pictures of the Murray/Agway. Good solid machine the old GT's. Take care...

rodder

· #4 · Sep 9, 2010

:Welcome::wwp:

themidniteryder

· #5 · Sep 9, 2010

I have an old Murray built Sears GT 16 out back that needs restoring. It has the Sears electric 3 point hitch on it, and I dont think anything was modified to make it fit. Came with the deck, a rear leveling blade and a moldboard plow and I have no doubt it would pull well. I prefer the 3 point over sleeve hitch because they are beefier and you have pitch adjustment options with the top link that come in handy. BTW :Welcome1::wwp::wwp::goodl: with your GT.

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casual_farmer

Discussion Starter · #6 · Sep 9, 2010

thank you all for the responses...i really appreciate the help i've gotten from this site, and hope that someday i might be able to help someone else out...i will take some pics, but will also tell you up front it's pretty rough looking...

BushBoneYard

· #7 · Sep 9, 2010

casual_farmer said:
i will take some pics, but will also tell you up front it's pretty rough looking...

That's alright if shes rough, there aren't any Murray trailer queens lol.....

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casual_farmer

Discussion Starter · #8 · Sep 19, 2010

let's see if i can get a couple pictures up...

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casual_farmer

Discussion Starter · #9 · Sep 19, 2010

picked up the new starter today...turned it into an all-day project, but had it running this afternoon...started right up even tho it hadn't run in a year...it doesn't have a mower deck, but i plan to use it to move some firewood, and haul stuff out of the garden...would like to get a hitch and disc harrow in time for spring...perhaps by next summer i can cob together some kind of tow behind mower...

right now i'm pretty happy everything went back together again...i did, however, find one extra bolt - in the area under the steering wheel...quarter inch diameter fine thread, about an inch and a half long, and the threads stop two thirds of the way up...i looked and didn't see where it might go...steering seems a little loose but not unusual in a tractor of this age...i'll label and save it just to make sure...

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BushBoneYard

· #10 · Sep 19, 2010

I'm a little confused because those rear rims look like 8" lt rims with 20's for tires. I see the GT sticker but that is looking like an lt for sure [smaller rear tires that are keyed not bolted, lighter duty frame, lighter duty transaxle etc.] I don't believe during that body style [used from 1989 to about 1994] Murray was using keyed GT rears yet. Is there any kind of sticker on the transaxle? A murray GT of that era would look more like this one below.

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BushBoneYard

· #11 · Sep 19, 2010

I do have a picture of one using a keyed axle, probably from 1994, but you can see the tire difference and the overall stance of the machine.

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casual_farmer

Discussion Starter · #12 · Sep 19, 2010

when i pulled this out of storage, it had a flat on the left rear that i couldn't get to hold air...i do recall that having that wheel off to get it tubed involved dealing with a slot in the axle, as well as a corresponding slot in the wheel, which housed a metal piece about two inches long and roughly a quarter inch on one side and maybe an eighth on the other, and i'm calling that a key...i could be wrong about that but this is my recollection...if im wrong shoot me...

honestly i'm not trying to make any representations as to the pedigree of this machine...i'm just trying to get it running and make it useful...i will check the transaxle to see if it has any label upon it...in the meantime i have some pics of the murray model # badge that i will try to get uploaded...perhaps that will answer some questions...if it's really an LT then so be it...you folks know more about this than i do, which is why i have all the questions...

btw im much better at taking things apart than i am at getting them back together...

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casual_farmer

Discussion Starter · #13 · Sep 19, 2010

see if this helps...

nowhere on the machine other than this little model # plate does it say Murray...i would've sworn it said Agway somewhere, but that's the problem with getting old...other than the GT 18/24 decal, and the I/C engine tag, there are no other manufacturer's representations...and i have no manual...

i date this tractor from 1987 based on the B&S number stamped on the engine cowling...i tried to take a pic of it, but the light was bad...entirely possible that the tractor could have a later vintage...dunno...

i have always thought of this tractor as an LT cuz of the belt drive...i would have been pleased if it had greater capacities, but it is what is is...

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casual_farmer

Discussion Starter · #14 · Sep 19, 2010 (Edited)

that came out pretty good did'n'it?

checking transaxle now...and where did i put that VIN #...it did at least imply an engine manufacturing date of 1987...

model type code

can't find any # on the transax...going forward, i am going to assume this is an LT type tractor until someone can convince me otherwise...it did seem too good to be true that it was a GT type...

as we speak my brother is mowing my lawn with his new John Deere...sounds like a Kohler V-twin, 20 hp or so...i do enjoy the sound of wear and tear being inflicted on someone else's machine...

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HuffyCaprice1969

· #15 · Sep 19, 2010

1993 was the first year tha Murray went to the keyed axle on their GT's. My folks bought one brand new in '93, and it had a keyed rear axle. I remember them looking at them for at least a good 2 years before they bought the '93. The GT's had the bolted wheels in '91 and '92. The second tractor that BBY posted is probably a '91 or '92. I would like to have one like this - very sturdy tractor. Our '93 was stout, even with the keyed axle. It was just like the second tractor that BBY posted, only it was grey and black. It was purchased from Home Depot in 2-93 for $1499 plus tax.

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casual_farmer

Discussion Starter · #16 · Sep 19, 2010

at this point i'm back to thinking that Dad's tractor is an LT, based on the above...dunno why it would have a GT 18/42 sticker on it, unless that was somebody's idea of how to sell a lawn mower...would have been nice to have another garden tractor but it's also good to have something to pull the cart around...

in any event, it runs, it's useful, and i wouldn't have been able to swap out the starter, or even identify the starter as the problem, without the information on this website...got a couple of tips on here that saved me a great deal of time and frustration...i've never tried something like this before, and it gives me the idea that i'm not only good at taking things apart...once in a while i manage to get them back together again without duct tape or physical injury to myself and others...so thanks to all of you...

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BushBoneYard

· #17 · Sep 19, 2010 (Edited)

99% sure it's an LT despite the side labels. Not a big deal but just wanted to let you know that it will not be capable of ground engaging attachements for the garden. 1987 is the correct year according to the Murray tag. But like you say, still a handy machine for odd chores for sure.

casual_farmer

Discussion Starter · #18 · Sep 20, 2010

Re: Agway/Murray LT 18/42

so i'm no worse off - actually better off cuz now it runs!

and that L twin engine has a really unique sound to it...

i figure any use i get out of it is that much less wear and tear on the others...just keep it dry and change the oil and it should last til i'm too old to use it...

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GearNut

· #19 · 12 mo ago

casual_farmer said:
my Dad used to mow his fairly large lawn with a 1987 GT 18 hp with a BS L twin...i believe it's a Murray but was sold through Agway...

i'm thinking from reading other posts that this is a fairly heavy duty tractor - even tho it's a belt drive, the GT designation implies it might be useful in our overly large garden...i've used it to pull a light homemade spike tooth harrow, which it did with no problem...i would love to hook it up to a snow plow and maybe a disc harrow...another post mentioned that a Craftsman sleeve hitch could be modified to fit, and this tractor will pull ground engaging implements...can anyone confirm or deny that this GT will do garden tractor work?

the GT sat in a shed for many years dry and under cover...after some air in the tires, a little gas, starting fluid, and a charge to the battery it started right up...gotta love briggs...i've used it for the past few years to pull a cart and a sweeper, and am hoping to use it to power a backup generator and an irrigation pump...right now i'm waiting on a new starter and hope to put it to work hauling firewood this fall...the posts on this site have been very helpful to me in identifying the starter problem...i probably would not have attempted to remove it without the information i got from the posts on this site...

so thanks to the all of you who know much more about tractors than i do...

ps i've also got a Monty Ward 18hp twin that runs and cuts great - this was given to me along with a completely disassembled MTD snow blower which allegedly fits...my next project before the snow flies is to get enough firewood cut to last the winter, but right after that i want to try to get that snowblower put back together...it's not taken apart down to the last bearing, but pretty close...i have a manual, but i need to clear some garage space for this particular project...

if folks will give you tractors, why buy them?

Hello I was wondering if there was any chance that you could take a photo of the underside of this tractor of the drive system I have one of these and have forgotten how to put it back together any help would be greatly appreciated

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GearNut

· #20 · 12 mo ago

casual_farmer said:
at this point i'm back to thinking that Dad's tractor is an LT, based on the above...dunno why it would have a GT 18/42 sticker on it, unless that was somebody's idea of how to sell a lawn mower...would have been nice to have another garden tractor but it's also good to have something to pull the cart around...

in any event, it runs, it's useful, and i wouldn't have been able to swap out the starter, or even identify the starter as the problem, without the information on this website...got a couple of tips on here that saved me a great deal of time and frustration...i've never tried something like this before, and it gives me the idea that i'm not only good at taking things apart...once in a while i manage to get them back together again without duct tape or physical injury to myself and others...so thanks to all of you...

Been trying to put the linkages back together but just have not had any luck

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