68 Simplicity Serf; What’s it worth?

[FLtractor 230]

Evening,

Saw on marketplace, wondering what it’s worth? Anyone have one? Wheelhorse ever make a tractor as small yet powerful?

[ebinmaine 80,745]

22 minutes ago, FLtractor said:

Wheelhorse ever make a tractor as small yet powerful?

 

Absolutely. The early 60s Suburban 550 was just a hair bigger and had a 5.5 horsepower engine.  

[FLtractor 230]

13 minutes ago, ebinmaine said:

 

Absolutely. The early 60s Suburban 550 was just a hair bigger and had a 5.5 horsepower engine.  

Ahh ok. One of those for sale too on marketplace I asked about as well 

[WHX?? 58,157]

Those are a dime a dozen around here.  100 bucks maybe 150 on a good day. 

[FLtractor 230]

16 minutes ago, WHX?? said:

Those are a dime a dozen around here.  100 bucks maybe 150 on a good day. 

Oh wow. He’s asking 225. Had it at 300 and been listed for 8 months I’d say 

[WHX?? 58,157]

He'll have for 8 years at that price. 

[FLtractor 230]

16 minutes ago, WHX?? said:

He'll have for 8 years at that price. 

Thanks for info. Glad to know it’s higher than I should pay. 

[Achto 32,753]

11 hours ago, FLtractor said:

Saw on marketplace, wondering what it’s worth? Anyone have one?

 

10 hours ago, WHX?? said:

Those are a dime a dozen around here.  100 bucks maybe 150 on a good day.

 

Here is the scoop on the Serf. They initially made a lot of them but they were sort of a throw away tractor so there are not a lot of them left. A Simple city collector friend of mine looked for quite a while to find one, of course then he ended up with 2 . Which is good because it will take the 2 to make 1.

 

In my mind a horizontal shaft engine usually indicates the the tractor is a garden tractor, not a lawn tractor. Simplicity kinda breaks that rule. You can get all kinds of attachments for that little Serf - snow blade, snow blower, center blade, I believe they even made a tiller for it.  

 

Price might be a bit high, but to the right guy maybe not.

[953 nut 69,374]

@FLtractor,   save your money for a worthwhile project like the 953.            

[FLtractor 230]

1 hour ago, Achto said:

 

 

Here is the scoop on the Serf. They initially made a lot of them but they were sort of a throw away tractor so there are not a lot of them left. A Simple city collector friend of mine looked for quite a while to find one, of course then he ended up with 2 . Which is good because it will take the 2 to make 1.

 

In my mind a horizontal shaft engine usually indicates the the tractor is a garden tractor, not a lawn tractor. Simplicity kinda breaks that rule. You can get all kinds of attachments for that little Serf - snow blade, snow blower, center blade, I believe they even made a tiller for it.  

 

Price might be a bit high, but to the right guy maybe not.

Are many parts on the serf unobtainable these days if they break? Just think owning one so small would be kinda cool. But being  Wheelhorse forum.. perhaps the suburban would be better to look for 

[Achto 32,753]

The Serf was the smallest vertical shaft front engine rider in the line up. The next size up would be a Yeoman, followed by the Broadmoor not sure how many parts interchange.

 

The Landlord and the Sovereign were horizontal shaft engines, don't think that anything would interchange from these models. 

 

Then of course these are only the Simplicity models. Parts from some  Allis-Chalmers, Homelite, and Wards Garden Mark will also fit as some if not most of these were rebranded Simplicity's at the time.

Edited 4 hours ago by Achto

[FLtractor 230]

27 minutes ago, Achto said:

The Serf was the smallest vertical shaft front engine rider in the line up. The next size up would be a Yeoman, followed by the Broadmoor not sure how many parts interchange.

 

The Landlord and the Sovereign were horizontal shaft engines, don't think that anything would interchange from these models. 

 

Then of course these are only the Simplicity models. Parts from some  Allis-Chalmers, Homelite, and Wards Garden Mark will also fit as some if not most of these were rebranded Simplicity's at the time.

Oh ok. Interesting. Being the smallest tractors - Serf and wheelhorse suburban.. does that mean they are both the simplest mechanical tractors of both brands? With less parts.. simplier designs all around?

[Achto 32,753]

1 hour ago, FLtractor said:

With less parts.. simplier designs all around?

 

Don't know about the less parts thing. I know the gears inside a 1960 wheel horse tranny are pretty close to that of a 1975 B-80. With many parts interchanging.

 

Smaller tractor does not always mean less parts.

Your question on comparability between the brands and their size spans almost a decade of time.

 

In '60 the  Suburban is what  had to offer. You could get it in a 4hp or 5hp.

 

In 1968 the Serf was the smallest tractor Simplicity had to offer, their largest being a Landlord or a Sovereign

In 1968 the Lawn Ranger was the smallest tractor  had to offer, their largest being a Raider, Charger, or Electro.