slf-uk

I really want a GK now! £1850 with all those attachments sounds a good price by UK prices, just need to work out how to get one shipped over.
 
I have a five acre garden which is mainly grass so that would be ideal. Before I got into older equipment it would take the best part of two days to cut everything with a Countax fitted with a 42in deck. Upgrading to a Bolens H16 with a 48in deck wiped half a day off the time. I now use the Bolens HT23 with a 54in deck and can do it all in half a day. It is amazing how fast you can cut grass with a large frame Bolens. A GK would be perfect for the next upgrade.
 
Iain

You mean one like this?
 
http://claz.org/classifieds/view/6eawl041zpj
 
I've lusted after one, but have resisted because I really don't have enough lawn or area to clear snow to make it practical.
 
That's a 72" mower on the front, and I think that the snow caster is 60".
 
They were for commercial use or for LARGE estates.

Andrew, looking forward to seeing some pictures of the LK when you pick it up.
 
OB, i didn't know that you could get a cylinder mower for a EK, that must be a great combination.
 
I would love a LK or a EK but what would be perfect would be a Grounds Keeper (GK) they are awesome, especially configured with a cab and snowblower. Does anyone know if the GK was imported into the UK?
 
I came in a close second behind Andrew chasing the EK that was for sale, unfortunately no prize for either of us.
 
Iain

From the posts I have read, I think we all either run or in the past have run a LR. Must be something to do with our mutual interest in the equipment we talk about on here.
 
Iain

The auto transmissions on WH's are strange compared to the regular autos on a Bolens

Andrew, looking forward to seeing some pictures of the LK when you pick it up.
 
OB, i didn't know that you could get a cylinder mower for a EK, that must be a great combination.
 
I would love a LK or a EK but what would be perfect would be a Grounds Keeper (GK) they are awesome, especially configured with a cab and snowblower. Does anyone know if the GK was imported into the UK?
 
I came in a close second behind Andrew chasing the EK that was for sale, unfortunately no prize for either of us.
 
Iain

As we say here in the States, it will turn on a dime and give you 9 cents change
 
At full lock, the front and rear tires have about 1" clearance between them.
 
The LKs came in 5 and 6 Hp versions, all of which were manual start.  The early ones in 1964-66 (models 910-01 and 910-02) had a 6 Hp Briggs.  In 1966 there was also the model 911-01 with a 6 Hp. Lawson engine.
 
From 1967-1970 they all had 5 and 6 Hp Lawson engines.
 
I have it's 'big brother' a 1964 Estate Keeper 7, and they are a lot of fun to operate.  Takes a little getting used to it, but after than it's loads of fun.
 
The are also great mowers as the deck is out front and cuts the grass before any wheels run over it.
 
While you can't classify them as garden tractors, there was a front blade available for the LKs, and the EKs had a snowcaster available in addition tot he blade.
 
My EK7 with a 32" snowcaster and with a 30" cylinder mower:

I have not yet had a chance to collect my latest Bolens due to my illness over the Christmas Period but hope to get it organised shortly. In the meantime I taken some photographs of my Bolens catalogue showing examples of a Lawn Keeper plus some details. I watched several videos on these models and the articulation on these are incredible.
.

Just found this from a 1966 brochure. Tractor looks good too
 

 
 

Mine
 
For Old Buzzard to see
 

Here's a photo of a Howard Bolens 1886, it's a beast of a garden tractor.

Still had the time for a coffee I noticed

Andrew, I am sure we would all like to see that, if you get the chance to scan or take a picture of it. Iain

Chris, I think you are just laying a smokescreen to cover the fact you have more LF tractors than anyone else on this forum I know someone who has a FEL on a LF and you just would not believe how much he had to pay for the tractor and loader.
 
 
 
By coincidence I have a Bolens UK price list from Jan 1980 and I quickly took a picture of the LF page. This may help to answer the HDT1000 question because the only LF's for sale in the UK at that time were the HT22 and HT23.
 
Using an online historic price calculator an HT23 would cost £13,708 and a HT22 £16,140 before taxes at today's prices. I guess the nearest comparator today is a John Deere 1000 series and you could buy 1 and a half of those for the price of a Bolens. I didn't check for an online historic currency convertor but if one exists it would highlight the difference in costs in the UK compared with the US.
 

 
As you mentioned, they were best of the best in the day. It is a shame that Bolens decided to reduce the quality in order to try to compete on price with manufacturers of less capable equipment.
 
Iain

Hi all as with all my other continuing projects I have I've toying with the use of one if thee screw type log splitters for it to be either run off one of the Horses or run off a 540 pto on the tractor so I've orderd a kit off the bay so will do more updates when it arrives

Chris, I think you are just laying a smokescreen to cover the fact you have more LF tractors than anyone else on this forum I know someone who has a FEL on a LF and you just would not believe how much he had to pay for the tractor and loader.
 
 
 
By coincidence I have a Bolens UK price list from Jan 1980 and I quickly took a picture of the LF page. This may help to answer the HDT1000 question because the only LF's for sale in the UK at that time were the HT22 and HT23.
 
Using an online historic price calculator an HT23 would cost £13,708 and a HT22 £16,140 before taxes at today's prices. I guess the nearest comparator today is a John Deere 1000 series and you could buy 1 and a half of those for the price of a Bolens. I didn't check for an online historic currency convertor but if one exists it would highlight the difference in costs in the UK compared with the US.
 

 
As you mentioned, they were best of the best in the day. It is a shame that Bolens decided to reduce the quality in order to try to compete on price with manufacturers of less capable equipment.
 
Iain

I would kill for some of your collection
 
I would love a front loader for a LF tractor. I was told of one years ago, but lost track of it
 
Attachments for bolens are rare in the uk, most are in Iain or Andrews sheds

Yep, I am missing some of the really exotic attachments.  I would like to find one of the post hole diggers, the trencher attachment, and the front mounted 540 rpm PTO for the tube frames.
 
The G12 seems to be a but uncommon here as well.  The G9 is another one that is seldom seen, along with the 1257 which was basically a 1256 with a Tecumseh engine instead of the Wisconsin that Bolens preferred to use in most of their tractors.
 
As for the G12, I think you may have something of a 'Frankenstein' tractor, as all information I've seen on it shows it as having the 6-spd transmission. 
 
One of my G11's (the one with the snowblower on it) is setup the same way as your G12.  The original owner had transmission problems with it, and after finding out from the dealer the cost of repairing it, decided to transplant and entire 1050 rear end.
 
That gives it the controlled differential, which it originally lacked, as well as 12 speeds.  In 1st gear Lo/Lo and it just creeps along.  I haven't tried to see how fast 3rd Hi/Hi is yet.
 
Here's a short video of it in 1st Lo/Hi and then in Lo/Lo  :D
 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a6xbaP1DH6E&list=UU1Uz61LmXc5LyoDSnOOsWBw

Love the pictures and the list of your collection :D . I don't think many of the attachments you listed ever made it to the UK and the ones that did are harder to find than the tractors.
 
You appear to have most of the attachments made although I didn't see the post hole attachment on the list . I scanned your list to see how many I had and it left me feeling hard done by. I would die for a snowcaster and a cab (hard or soft), either for TF or LF.
 
I noticed from the pictures that one of your G11's a has a front mounted PTO pulley attachment, I was thinking of making one of those as I think it would be a very useful attachment to have.
 
I have no idea why, but in the UK the G12 appears to be one of the hardest tubeframe's to find. I have one in my collection and they are a fun machine, with the manual high/low belt change of the G10 and the 6-speed rear end of the G14, giving it 12 forward and 4 reverse gears, Are they rare in the US or just the UK?
 
Bolens information this side of the pond is as hard to find as the tractors and attachments, so please tell us more
 
Iain

Love the pictures and the list of your collection :D . I don't think many of the attachments you listed ever made it to the UK and the ones that did are harder to find than the tractors.
 
You appear to have most of the attachments made although I didn't see the post hole attachment on the list . I scanned your list to see how many I had and it left me feeling hard done by. I would die for a snowcaster and a cab (hard or soft), either for TF or LF.
 
I noticed from the pictures that one of your G11's a has a front mounted PTO pulley attachment, I was thinking of making one of those as I think it would be a very useful attachment to have.
 
I have no idea why, but in the UK the G12 appears to be one of the hardest tubeframe's to find. I have one in my collection and they are a fun machine, with the manual high/low belt change of the G10 and the 6-speed rear end of the G14, giving it 12 forward and 4 reverse gears, Are they rare in the US or just the UK?
 
Bolens information this side of the pond is as hard to find as the tractors and attachments, so please tell us more
 
Iain

Yes, the G11 is sometimes called the "Rainbow Bolens", but I prefer to call it the "Sunset Bolens".
 
Reason being the colors, and the fact that the G11 was the last 'new' model of the tube frame series, and was produced in the last year (1978) that the tube frames were produced.
 
It's also interesting that the G11 was the only tube frame to have fender decals, and the HDT1000 was the only large frame to have fender decals.
 
The G11 seems to be semi-rare, and not a lot have surfaced.  I have yet to see one with a 4 digit serial number.
 
I happen to be fortunate enough to have managed to find 3 of them.
 
 
 

I know someone in the UK who has a G11, so I know they were imported. If I remember correctly the G11 was often called the rainbow Bolens due to the decals.

To follow up my plough conversion, here's the lift assembly needed. Firstly the beefy bar to run from the deck lift arm.

Then two bushes for the rocker shaft

Then a piece of 18mm bar for the shaft with the ends threaded to retain it. It all fits nicely with the fuel tank in place.

And the view from above with the link bar in place.

And with the plough fitted.