Uncommon Garden Tractor Collection

By Bill Vossler
Published on August 11, 2015
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The 1953 Page ZA12FM tractor bears a strong resemblance to the Allis-Chalmers Model G.
The 1953 Page ZA12FM tractor bears a strong resemblance to the Allis-Chalmers Model G.
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The 1953 Bantam Model 5000 with a 5 hp Briggs & Stratton Model 14 engine is a rare tractor. Ron says he has yet to see another one.
The 1953 Bantam Model 5000 with a 5 hp Briggs & Stratton Model 14 engine is a rare tractor. Ron says he has yet to see another one.
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The frame and hood on this 1971 Wheel Horse Bronco garden tractor have been extended.
The frame and hood on this 1971 Wheel Horse Bronco garden tractor have been extended.
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Set just 6 inches apart, the large front wheels on the 1947 Bolens Huski Ridemaster are the unit’s drive wheels.
Set just 6 inches apart, the large front wheels on the 1947 Bolens Huski Ridemaster are the unit’s drive wheels.
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The 1954 COPAR Panzer Model A tractor uses three different belts to control speed, but the tractor must be turned off in order to change speed.
The 1954 COPAR Panzer Model A tractor uses three different belts to control speed, but the tractor must be turned off in order to change speed.
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Front view of the 1954 COPAR Panzer.
Front view of the 1954 COPAR Panzer.
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Ron’s 1954 COPAR Panzer Model A tractor.
Ron’s 1954 COPAR Panzer Model A tractor.
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The 1955 Craftsman mower sold by Sears, Robuck & Co.
The 1955 Craftsman mower sold by Sears, Robuck & Co.
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Marked by awkward design and an ungainly appearance, the David Bradley Tri-Trac met an unenthusiastic market. Retailer Sears, Roebuck & Co. cut prices for three consecutive years, but it still took seven years to unload the run of 3,000-4,000 tractors (exact number varies by source).
Marked by awkward design and an ungainly appearance, the David Bradley Tri-Trac met an unenthusiastic market. Retailer Sears, Roebuck & Co. cut prices for three consecutive years, but it still took seven years to unload the run of 3,000-4,000 tractors (exact number varies by source).
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With two 8 hp Kohler engines, Ron’s 1971 Wheel Horse Bronco garden tractor has “a very unique sound,” he says.
With two 8 hp Kohler engines, Ron’s 1971 Wheel Horse Bronco garden tractor has “a very unique sound,” he says.
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The 1958 Lawn-Boy Loafer with friction drive has a look all its own. The power is in the back, where the driver sits, and the mower is in front.
The 1958 Lawn-Boy Loafer with friction drive has a look all its own. The power is in the back, where the driver sits, and the mower is in front.
12 / 17
The moldboard plow for the 1955 David Bradley Tri-Trac cost $47.50 (about $418 today), “with $5 down.”
The moldboard plow for the 1955 David Bradley Tri-Trac cost $47.50 (about $418 today), “with $5 down.”
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Collector Ron Gittins, on his 1953 Bantam Model 5000.
Collector Ron Gittins, on his 1953 Bantam Model 5000.
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Ron says this 1954 Shaw Du-All N8 is his “most normal looking” tractor. The N8 has a Briggs & Stratton Model 23 engine and Ford flathead V-8 transmission and rear end; its rear wheels are adjustable for track width.
Ron says this 1954 Shaw Du-All N8 is his “most normal looking” tractor. The N8 has a Briggs & Stratton Model 23 engine and Ford flathead V-8 transmission and rear end; its rear wheels are adjustable for track width.
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A rear view of Ron’s 1942 Speedex Model B. “I’ve never seen another one at a show,” he says.
A rear view of Ron’s 1942 Speedex Model B. “I’ve never seen another one at a show,” he says.
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The 1942 Speedex Model B with a Briggs & Stratton Model Z engine is one of Ron Gittins’ favorites.
The 1942 Speedex Model B with a Briggs & Stratton Model Z engine is one of Ron Gittins’ favorites.
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Engine placement on Ron’s 1960 Wheel Horse Suburban 550 makes for hot work.
Engine placement on Ron’s 1960 Wheel Horse Suburban 550 makes for hot work.

Ron Gittins’ goal in life is to procure unusual old iron. By most accounts, he’s achieved his goal. Between the garden tractors he uses and those he restores, he’s built a collection of 20 rigs – and there’s nothing common in the mix.

Ron, who lives in Buffalo, Minnesota, launched his collection innocently enough. While sifting through an online auction in April 2005, looking for parts for his 1994 Wheel Horse 520-H garden tractor, he saw something unusual. “I found a 1971 Wheel Horse Bronco garden tractor with two 8 hp Kohler engines,” he says. “I decided I had to have it, and that’s the one that started my collection.”

The out-of-the-ordinary Bronco (built by Wheel Horse Products Co., South Bend, Indiana) was a good fit for a man with a preference for what he refers to as “the odd stuff.” And having worked on a farm as a kid, Ron found that relics like the Bronco are a tangible link to days gone by.

The Bronco’s front engine has an electric start that powers a centrifugal clutch. “When that engages,” Ron says, “it starts the front engine, which runs the hydro transmission. You can have one or both engines running at any given time, but to move the tractor, the rear engine must be running.”

David Bradley Tri-Trac

Ron’s introduction to his 1955 David Bradley Tri-Trac also had a certain random quality. His first glimpse of the unit, which was built by David Bradley Equipment Co., Bradley, Illinois, for Sears, Roebuck & Co., was in reprinted manuals he found online. “When I saw those line drawings,” he says, “I had to have one.” After finding one advertised online, he hooked a 16-foot enclosed trailer onto his Dodge 3/4-ton pickup and set out for California, Kentucky.

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