In 2016, Charles Jennings of Foley, Alabama, was pouring concrete at a residential work site when he saw something interesting in the garage: an old Speedex S-19 garden tractor in an open wooden crate, mostly disassembled and missing parts.
Before moving south, the property owner had used the Speedex in tractor pulls in Ohio, the same state where the tractor was built (in Ravenna). The owner showed Charles photos of the Speedex in action at tractor pulls and trophies he’d won with it. “I had to have it,” Charles says.
The two agreed on what Charles thought was a fair price. “I paid $550 for the tractor and the utility trailer to haul it home,” he says. His best guess is that the Speedex was built around 1966.
Modified for use on the pulling circuit
It took Charles three years to put the tractor together. He replaced the missing rear wheels with two Ford-bolt-pattern 15-inch rims and new tires. The front tires show their age, and Charles thinks they may be the originals. The hood would not fit over the large 10hp Briggs & Stratton engine left over from the tractor’s pulling days. He determined it was a military version used on stationary applications, like powering pumps in Korea and Vietnam.
When the previous owner declined to part with the tractor’s original 8hp engine, Charles found a shorter 10hp Briggs & Stratton engine for $10 that had been used to power a generator. It was about the same age as the tractor and was a good fit for the unit. “Everything about it is so simple,” he says. “It’s easy to work on, and it performs well.”
The Speedex has no clutch. The drive belt to the 5-speed transaxle is tightened by using the engine-slide method, pushing a foot-pedal. This engine sits about an inch taller than the original 8hp model, so Charles removed a small section of the belt guard for clearance. A block of steel estimated to weigh 80 to 90 pounds is located low in the frame. This was added to help in the pulling competitions the Speedex competed in.
Deceptively powerful
When high winds in the Gulf Shores area create sand drifts in driveways, homeowners know who to call. With the tractor’s front plow blade, Charles easily moves the sand away. He also uses the Speedex to smooth gravel driveways, drag downed tree limbs and haul small trailer loads of sand. He made a single-bottom plow attachment to cut small ditches across hard-packed gravel driveways to accommodate water lines. “I get a lot of use out of this,” he says.
Charles had an exciting moment on the tractor when a tire on his small trailer wedged against a log. The trailer stopped, but the tractor didn’t. “When it grabs, it won’t let go,” he says. “It can flip over.”
It was a lesson from the school of hard knocks. Charles was only scraped and bruised, but the tractor’s hood sustained a bit of damage. That taught him to use the tractor more carefully. With the engine and gearing, the Speedex has a lot of pulling power, especially for its size.
Charles is not concerned with the tractor’s appearance, as the Speedex is a working piece. The serial number (located on the inside of the frame) is hidden by front blade supports, so its exact vintage has not been verified. “Many people say I should paint it,” he says. “I won’t though. I kind of like the rat rod look.”
“The first 4-wheel garden tractor in America”
The history of Speedex tractors began in 1935, when Harold Pond launched Pond Tractor Co. (or Pond Garden Tractor Co., according to some sources) in Alliance, Ohio, and later, Ravenna, Ohio. He soon renamed the line with the more catchy Speedex moniker.
His 1938 Model B was proclaimed to be “The First 4-Wheel Garden Tractor in America.” For a few years, the Model FG (Farm and Garden) used a Ford Model A engine and transmission and a Model T rear end. Some models had a chrome-plated (or painted) Model A radiator grille shell.
In the mid-1950s, Pond sold the company. A series of new owners followed and Speedex tractors remained in production until 2000. Vintage models have become popular with collectors. Parts, decals, information and photos of the vintage machines can be found at SpeedexTractorInformation.
Even unrestored examples, like the one Charles owns, attract attention. While we took photos along Route 180, facing Mobile Bay, a Baldwin County Sheriff’s Department unit pulled up – but not because there was a problem. Officer Jim just wanted a better look at the tractor. FC
For more information: Charles Jennings, P.O. Box 5542, Gulf Shores, AL 36457; (251) 504-8717.
Freelance writer Jerry Mattson writes articles on topics ranging from hot rods to hay balers, with many tractor tales in the mix. Email him at themattsons@hotmail.com
