[29 Chev]

Can someone advise what colour the sleeve hitch for a Bolens Tubeframe was originally or did they vary in colour depending on the tractor model and year of production? I picked up one last summer but it is rust coloured so not sure what colour to paint it.

 

[Bruce Dorsi]

I can't speak to ALL of the TF sleeve hitches, but the only ones we ever received from our distributor were painted Brinly white.

I don't know if Bolens actually made the hitches, or if they were supplied by Brinly.

 

[WrenchinOnIt]

Mine were made by Ohio Steel and are red

 

[29 Chev]

I can't speak to ALL of the TF sleeve hitches, but the only ones we ever received from our distributor were painted Brinly white.

I don't know if Bolens actually made the hitches, or if they were supplied by Brinly.

Mine were made by Ohio Steel and are red

Is there a way to tell if the sleeve hitch was made by Bolens, Brinly or Ohio Steel - did not see any stickers left on the one I have?

 

[boyscout862]

This brochure shows it white http://gardentractortalk.com/forums/files/file/1747-brinly-attachments-brochure/

 

[Auburn David]

Not sure I have ever even seen a tubeframe tractor...hummm

 

[29 Chev]

Not sure I have ever even seen a tubeframe tractor...hummm

Sure you have - it was a series of tractors made in the mid 60's to early 70's - http://gardentractortalk.com/articles.html/_/history/bolens-tractors-the-tube-frame-series-1962-1978-r68

 

[Auburn David]

Sure you have - it was a series of tractors made in the mid 60's to early 70's - http://gardentractortalk.com/articles.html/_/history/bolens-tractors-the-tube-frame-series-1962-1978-r68

No..never seen one ever..Not that I know of..course most down here dont collect and restore(I am sure some do)like you all do up north..so we miss a lot of the old art.they are probably in a barn..or in a field somewhere if they haven't been scraped..I didn't know people collected till I came on this site..Its new to me...Cool..but new..Its cars down here for the most part.

 

[farmerall]

Is there a way to tell if the sleeve hitch was made by Bolens, Brinly or Ohio Steel - did not see any stickers left on the one I have?

I have one of each. They both look almost identical if not completely the same. I'll try to get a picture of them next to each other.

 

[EricFromPa]

The one on my 1050 (1966? 192-01) had good original paint on it and it was Red.

I got it off of the original owner and it was garage kept since new.The sleeve hitch was never used.It sat on top of an old locker in his garage for 40+ years.Same color red as the Tiller,Rims and Seat pan? More of a Cherry red than IH red.

I think mine was Bolens made.There were no tags or stickers on it either.

Should of kept that tractor.It was a good solid machine.Engine needed rebuilt and shifter needed the socket repaired but it was a good clean tractor.

He parked it in a corner of the garage and there it sat till he asked me to rebuild the carb and fuel pump on his late 80s Craftsman GT 18.That's the tractor he bought to mow with when he parked the 1050.

 

[OldBuzzard]

Al of the pictures I've seen of the Brinly ones have been white.

The one I have is an Ohio Steel hitch, and it's red:

[sharedmedia=core:attachments:21245][sharedmedia=core:attachments:17767]

 

[boyscout862]

No..never seen one ever..Not that I know of..course most down here dont collect and restore(I am sure some do)like you all do up north..so we miss a lot of the old art.they are probably in a barn..or in a field somewhere if they haven't been scraped..I didn't know people collected till I came on this site..Its new to me...Cool..but new..Its cars down here for the most part.

I do both but the tractors take less time and are cheaper. Up here in CT, the cars all rot bad and fast. You can expect a 2004 and older to be rotted. Many of the pickups will have their frames rotted through. It often is the leaf spring mounts which used to be replaceable.

Try a tube frame Bolens sometime. An early 850 or a 1050 is an amazingly tough machine. They are heavy and over designed. You will be impressed by how much they can pull. A large frame is even more impressive and easier to operate. Good Luck, Rick

 

[EricFromPa]

OB mine was a little heavier built where the lift arm attaches (same thickness as the rest of it) and the rod was a little bigger.And maybe slightly darker shade of red.

Bolens made a red one and Ohio Steel made a red one and Brinly made a white one?

Mine looked like the one 29 Chev has.See how the lift part where the rod attaches is a bit heavier steel than the Ohio Steel one OB posted?Might be the angle of OBs Pic but it looks a bit thinner.

 

[Rock farmer]

I had a Brinly, with the sticker on it.
And, it was white.

 

[Bruce Dorsi]

Further research makes me believe that Bolens never manufactured the # 18907 sleeve hitch, but instead they were made by Brinly.

Bolens assigned # 18907 to the Brinly model # HH-106 Sleeve Hitch

Bolens assigned # 18908 to the Brinly model # PP-508 8" Moldboard Plow

Bolens assigned # 18910 to the Brinly model # PP-510 10" Moldboard Plow

Bolens assigned # 18911 to the Brinly model # PP-512 12" Moldboard Plow

Bolens assigned # 18923 to the Brinly model # CC-500 Cultivator

Bolens assigned # 18955 to the Brinly model # DD-100 (?) 8-Blade Disc Harrow

The Brinly Dump Cart for tube-frames was known as Brinly model # BB-110, and did not carry a Bolens part number (as far as I know)

All of these attachments and the hitch were painted Brinly white with the black/white Brinly decal.

It is probable that the red Ohio Steel sleeve hitches were obtained by dealers or supplied through distributors, but not through Bolens.

 

[29 Chev]

Thanks for all the great information and help. Had a real close look at it today and found a couple of hints that indicate it may have been white at one time so will try and clean it up and paint it white when it warms back up again - 39 degrees F and falling right now.

 

[29 Chev]

Was going to cut the grass today but it started to drizzle so I switched to plan B - clean up and paint the sleeve hitch. Got the cotter keys out with a pair of pliers which surprised me as I thought they would be seized in the holes the way it was rust coloured. Put a wrench on the bolts and they turned a bit with a good pull so I worked them in and out a bit with some penetrating oil applied to the threads and the hitch mounted in the vise and finally got them out and the jam nuts off. Then I noticed the right arm had a bit of a bend at the end so I dragged the anvil out and found the sledge and gave the arm a few love taps - it flattened out to the point I could live with it and pushed the anvil back in its hiding spot and put the sledge away. I remember when I was younger the anvil seemed lighter and easier to pick up and move around - it must have gotten heavier with age like me! Put the wire brush and a maroon scotch brite pad to work and got a lot of the brown rusty look removed and the white paint underneath started to show through. Gave everything a quick clean and wash and a coat of self etching primer.

 

[29 Chev]

Then it got a splash of white paint to make it look respectable again. It was cool in the shop and the spray bomb was spitting a bit so I got a few runs in the paint but it should slow down the rust to a crawl.

 

[sodisr]

Mine is sodi built and A one on piece... Doe's that make it RARE..???? :dancingbanana:

 

[29 Chev]

Looks nice - yours doesn't have the two sets of holes where it attaches to the tractor?