can anybody tell me anything about my MTD

Welcome to the forum. And thinks for adding another name to the list of MTD 990s. I don't think I knew lawnflite sold them.

They are a great tractor. Yours should be a 1983.

Here's a manual.
http://manuals.mtdproducts.com/mtd/...um=143-990&serial_num=1&filename=770-2463.pdf

Welcome to the forum. I thought I wasn't the only 990 owner in NC. Based on the model number it could be a 1974 or 1984 MTD 990. The 990 was MTD's top of the line garden tractor.
Does your tractor look like mine?

tvfan08 said:

yes it does look like the one in the picture, i think that mine was made in 1983. do you have any tips about restoring this tractor. also i have seem a lot of companies make the same tractor but i never saw one that was made by lawnflite like mine. do you know anything about that

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Well what do you want or need to know? I have had mine torn down to the frame multiple times. I think yours might be the first lawnflite branded 990 we have come across on the forum. BTW what part of NC are you in? You can PM me if you feel more comfortable doing so.

i live in eastern nc. the tractor was given to me my a friend that did not have time or the part to fix it. so it has been sitting around a long time before i got it. i thought that it looked cool so i decided to restore it so that is where i am at now.

i would like to know more about how good of a tractor it is, have they been making the tractor a long time, are they hard or easy to find. are they worth anything when they are fixed, is it hard to find the parts and things like that

They were made from 71 to 84 (though I think the 84 model was leftover 83s).

MTD was the manufacturer. They made them for department stores, hardware stores, and co-ops mostly.

They are a very sturdy but inexpensively made tractor. Sort of spartan compared to the JDs and Cubs of the day.

To restore one is a labor of love, because the resale value will never be a lot. $500 for one with a mower in good running condition is a big price.

But, you will enjoy working on it, I'm sure.

thank you, i think that it will be a lot of fun restoring. i just have a thing that i just cant stand to see stuff just sitting around falling apart. i had to do something about it.
i liked the way that it is still in good shape even with its age things now adays just fall apart in a few years

do you know where i can get replacement parts for it and also what parts are the most common failing part?

The biggest weak link on these tractors is the front spindles. With a loader the stock spindles are just not large enough to handle the extra load. Also the 3pt hitch tabs on the rear axle have been known to crack and break. Depending on the year of your tractor there is a hole in the frame. This hole is the weak spot on the frames. The hole is on the left hand side in front of the rear tire. If your tractor was built after 1975 the frame should be solid.

D-Dogg said:

I've had real good luck cross referencing parts at www.m-and-d.com

Matt, I bet there are plenty of 990s down your way, they are just sitting in peoples barns and sheds. You country guys hoard stuff and shoot anyone who comes on your property asking about it. :ROF :ROF

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Drake I can't help it that I am a little trigger happy.:sterb003:
www.mcmaster.com Mcmaster Carr is a good place to get o-rings and seals for these tractors. I get most of my Briggs and Stratton parts from the local Simplicity dealer.

Lawnflite is just one of many MTD brands. I am not sure which retail outlet they were sold through but I think Matt was working on a list.

Review this wikipedia article to see some of the names you should look for when looking for a parts tractor.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MTD_Products

BTW, gburnett lives up in Ruckersville, VA and has quite a few of these old MTDs he'd probably sell.

D-Dogg said:

If it were me, I'd try to start the engine and evaluate it and the hydro before I spent a nickel on the steering sector.

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:ditto: I would check the points gap (0.20) and the coil air gap (should be set to as thick as a business card) to make sure it gets good spark when you try to start it. Also the pump on the hydro turns CCW. Another thing to note is that the positive battery cable is the one with the fuse.