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Those that have followed me at the plow days know (and smell it in the air)....it's100LL (low lead) octane aviation fuel. Similar to racing fuel and these old engines love it!!! No ethanol.

Elaborate please...

I blame it all some people's peer pressure about needing another plow tractor!

Sawweet Andy .. bout time you come around to vintage and you know damned well how great of a mule these girls are for a workin tractor...

Picked up a 1054 that hadn't run in 25 years. Cleaned and flushed the fuel system, added new fuel, cleaned the points, and started right up! IMG_8754.mp4

Busy day Wheel Horsing around: Picked up this non running 1054 this morning about 1 hour away from my house. PO said it's been sitting in his garage for 25 years. He has a bunch of Cub Cadets and a couple Cub High Boys that belonged to his father and working to slowly sell. Engine was free, shifted into all gears so I decided to give it a go. Cleaned and flushed the fuel system, had no spark so cleaned the points, added my special tractor fuel and it fired right up. Managed to get the engine oil and trans oil changed before calling it a night. Oh, and bonus, it has a K301 swap. So 2 more HP for future plowing. Doesn't have a seat back, front grill, and start/gen belt cover. More to come on this. IMG_8754.mp4 When I got back from picking up the 1054, the weather was nice and it hasn't rained in almost 1 week so time to start prepping the garden. I may have planted a little too much cover crop in the fall, but it sure did plow nice. Although not enough to have an official plow day like the WI @WHX??and MI @Pullstart ones. IMG_9441.mp4

Fair bit of work done today.

I was just minding my own business and I get a message request on Messenger. Older gentleman asks me if I would be interested in this 1964 704, his grandpa had bought it new. We chatted and he found me from my many responses on Facebook groups and figured I would be the one that would be able to save it. He told me make an offer. So because I already have too many and a non original 704 already. I made a offer and He said come and get it.. needs carb/fuel pump cleaned up but has spark. Should have it running before Memorial Day Parade. A little cleaning up and Patina will be in great shape. Always garaged and only ever mowed during its life.

I forgot to mention I also still need to fabricate the adjusting handle. Stay tuned....

Well dang, I'm sorry to have to report that the window for ordering has expired... I'm glad you like the progress so far! I've got to file two of the slots in the sector plate to size, tack weld the shaft to the sector arm and then do a trial fit on the tractor. If all goes well it then next up will be a lot of welding, cleaning, and painting.

Took some setting and resetting and patience... and I got the rear fenders where I wanted em. The pics don't quite show the angles right. They do sag to the outside away from the trailer. That lean is real. And on purpose. Some full scale trailers are built that way. I did catch that the fenders are a slightly different tilt. Decided to leave it. Sometimes life and machinery get tangled up and things get bent. I think the differing tilts adds to the realism of a working trailer.

Getting closer to having it finished. I'm just about finished with the sector plate, just need to file the three slots to width and then weld the round bar to the sector plate. Also I still need to work out the adjusting arm, but I have enough pictures that I don't think it's going to be too difficult. Once I'm sure everything fits properly I'll get it all welded and painted.

After driving it around a while the lever started to stay put like it should. Its probably been sitting a while and needed worked. So far so good.

Wheels & tires are on. Stance is good. Have to leave the front a little higher than I'd like for a day so the back set of wheels will dry straight. The 3D printed back end has been coated with Tamiya filler and wet sanded once. Now covered with filler again. Also been experimenting with fenders. At the back I've decided to use a stock styrene set from another kit. The fronts are longer and need a straight front corner to go up over the truck tires. I'll use a set from @Wheel Horse 3D for that. They have a corrugated wave, unlike the smooth rear set, but that's not the least bit abnormal for a road trailer.

I have been looking for a Brillion ever since I first set eyes on one 5 years ago at a show in Delaware, it was a 1963 last year built. Since then my search has been far and wide when an add popped up on CL in Iowa . BRILLION PARTS 50.00 read the add, I was on that phone at warp speed and speaking with seller in the hopes for a complete tractor in a box, but no... he had everything, but no frame, hood or steering tower, or engine how the hell do you have all the rest of the parts but no frame ? Its not as if your going find them any time this century, my hopes dashed I continued my quest when a month later I spied an add again in Iowa unrelated it seemed, Garden Tractors for sale as I looked over the machines in the picture something caught my eye, in the corner of the barn nearly covered with cardboard boxes sat a 1962 Brillion GT6 Explorer, can you imagine my excitement ! I called the seller and we chatted awhile trying to remain calm, I casually asked about the Brillion hoping no one else picked it out from its hiding spot, 250.00 he said and its yours, I immediately sent him a paypal the tractor was complete but missing its engine. I then called the other seller with the Brillion parts and bought them, also I asked him about the missing engine he said his father put it on a rototiller and they haven't used in a few years, yup I got that too. 100.00 dollars after getting everything from Fastenal I got the engine running and it ran great no smoke . Then I noticed something about the parts tractor its grille was different than the 62's along with its decal, OMG IT IS A 1959 THE FIRST YEAR BUILT since everything else is the same it can be shown as either by simply switching out the nose piece. I may be the only owner of a 59 and a 62, although I personally know of two other 62s in the U.S. one in Mass. one in KY. and two in Canada . As for the 63s one in Ohio and one in PA. and one in Indiana. They are quite rare nonetheless.

Here's a little more information, at some point in 63 the tractors were built by Lantz manufacturing division in Greenville Ohio. here are a few brochures of the tractors, they were painted a light bronze color and white ,the ones made in Ohio were red . I think Brillion bought garden - all and began building tractors if you look at a Garden All Pup they share the same frame, and have other similar attributes such as their use of louvers and the big belt pulley and cable steering. Brillion built farm equipment but was also a producer of other heavy iron products. I will go out on a limb and say I think they Garden All and Brillion were in bed together before Brillion took over, why else would the first brochure exclaim New for 62 Brillion has a garden tractor I think the 59 I have was made by Garden All but badged Brillion iron works.

Here's a little info from another site: http://gardentractortalk.com/forums/topic/59796-brillion-or-garden-all/ and an article via Kate in the magazine: