[Kioors]

Hi y'all,

Last weekend I picked up my first garden tractor. I recently bought a patch of woodland, and I was looking for something to pull logs out, and so I came up to this.. contraption. 😃 It has definitly seen hard times, and is far from original, but I like more than I would have thought. Furthermore, here in Belgium there are very few old small tractors available, so any less worn one, would have cost me at least tenfold.

On to the tractor itself: From what I can find on the internet it started out as an AMF 1261 mower, but it has gotten bigger wheels, a 2006 14hp B&S engine, a new cowl, a horrible paint job, and somebody replaced the steering box with a crooked pulley assembly which doesn't work. Hence the name "Frank", short for Frankenstein.

So, as to work needing to be done in order to be able to enjoy it in more than a fixed arc on flat ground, I need to find a new steering box (anyone a spare? AMF or dynamark or any similar? ), build a sturdier final drive (the "massive" 14hp has worn out the tiny chain drive quiet badly) and I would like to mount an electric winch.

What do you guys think? Am I wasting time working on this junk, or is it worth it? 😬

 

[ACgt]

Welcome to the forum.

'Frank' looks like a very good and fun project for a rebuild. To paraphrase from another 'put together' man story, 'You have the technology to rebuild it, make it better, stronger faster...'

Looking forwrd to seeing the progression of the rebuild.

 

[Christoph from Germany]

Welcome to the Forum!

Well, you could see it this way: Paint jobs fits the name as well as the tractor ;-)
Built - not bought
Turn it into your work horse!

 

[Mark 149 J.]

Interesting monster! Looks like the wheel fenders came off of a trailer. The older tractors like this usually have good bones to work with. Have some fun, make it your own, and enjoy it when it done.

 

[FrankIII]

I LIKE IT! They did a pretty decent job on that hood. I think it would be worth fixing up.

 

[boyscout862]

Welcome to GTT. Go to the Manuals Section and download the manuals that you want(they're free). Many of the parts used in older GTs were common standard parts. Keep looking for other GTs. I suspect that your tractor may not be a GT but a Lawn Tractor(LT). Dragging trees would probably tear an LT to pieces. Good Luck, Rick

 

[FrankIII]

Welcome to GTT. Go to the Manuals Section and download the manuals that you want(they're free). Many of the parts used in older GTs were common standard parts. Keep looking for other GTs. I suspect that your tractor may not be a GT but a Lawn Tractor(LT). Dragging trees would probably tear an LT to pieces. Good Luck, Rick

Just depends on the lawn tractor. I have a 1979 Murray 11 LT and it pulls our 10ft long trailer in top gear, with ease. Transmission is a 3spd Peerless 600 though, much tougher than a chain drive rig.

 

[Kioors]

Welcome to GTT. Go to the Manuals Section and download the manuals that you want(they're free). Many of the parts used in older GTs were common standard parts. Keep looking for other GTs. I suspect that your tractor may not be a GT but a Lawn Tractor(LT). Dragging trees would probably tear an LT to pieces. Good Luck, Rick

Thanks! Yeah, I was thinking the same thing. So the plan is to put a bigger chain and sprocket (I have used motorcycle chains lying around..), and to double up the V-belt primary drive, as I suspect it will be slipping onder bigger loads. For now I think the rest will be fine, but I guess I will reïnforce whatever breaks next.. Just hope it is not the gearbox, because that might be harder to replace or upgrade...

 

[FrankIII]

Thanks! Yeah, I was thinking the same thing. So the plan is to put a bigger chain and sprocket (I have used motorcycle chains lying around..), and to double up the V-belt primary drive, as I suspect it will be slipping onder bigger loads. For now I think the rest will be fine, but I guess I will reïnforce whatever breaks next.. Just hope it is not the gearbox, because that might be harder to replace or upgrade...

I don't think the V-belt is likely to slip.