1960s Bolen 1050 with PosiTraction!

[DennisThornton 4,769]

Got a little snow that's melting that I normally slip and fall on and expect my tractors to slip all over so I took my new to me Bolens with Pozi for a spin without chains and I was pretty darned impressed!  I fully expected to get stuck but I didn't.  
Then I put chains on and WOW!  I knew Pozi would make a difference and it really did!

[peter lena 8,068]

DENNIS,  sounds like fun !  those BOLENS TRACTORS  were nothing to sneeze at , from the WISCONSON ENGINE  to the chassis detailing  they were very stout , enjoy it , pete

[DennisThornton 4,769]

Just now, peter lena said:

DENNIS,  sounds like fun !  those BOLENS TRACTORS  were nothing to sneeze at , from the WISCONSON ENGINE  to the chassis detailing  they were very stout , enjoy it , pete

I hope to pick up a dozer blade for it tomorrow.  Then I have some fun next snow fall!  Bolens had some things going for them!  Front PTO shaft!  Rear PTO shaft drive.  Mid PTO shaft drive deck.  Positraction.  Front axle implement mount like the old Sears.

 

I'm liking it!

[DennisThornton 4,769]

It has the original but in great shape turf tires but they really don't look like they ever had great traction.  Pretty neat to see both tires throwing out chunks of icy snow climbing a hill I didn't expect to be able to climb straight up!

[ebinmaine 63,143]

I can tell you for sure that Trina's 867 which has Limited Slip gets better traction than my Cinnamon Horse with the open differential. 

 

My traction is probably comparable to hers overall but my setup weighs A LOT more. 

[Stepney 2,314]

Had a whole slew of old Tubes, including a 1050 and a 1256. They have their maintenance quirks and some questionable designs factored in, but they'd pull down a house.. just don't drive long term with that knob screwed in, there is a brass cone in there you will destroy, if the bronze final drive gear didn't go first. The books always said the knob was expressly for slick conditions and not to be used long term. 

[DennisThornton 4,769]

49 minutes ago, Stepney said:

Had a whole slew of old Tubes, including a 1050 and a 1256. They have their maintenance quirks and some questionable designs factored in, but they'd pull down a house.. just don't drive long term with that knob screwed in, there is a brass cone in there you will destroy, if the bronze final drive gear didn't go first. The books always said the knob was expressly for slick conditions and not to be used long term. 

For the few minutes that I drove around today I thought "There has to be a downside!  Must be wear!". 

 

I've heard about a bronze final drive.  My 1050 got that?

 

This tractor will most likely only see use where the posi is important with no mowing, so not a lot, but heavy.  

 

Thanks for your insights and please share more!  It's been hard for me to get good info on Bolens.  Not like Wheel Horses where everything anyone wants to know is right here!

[Stepney 2,314]

They recommended in the book to leave the 'nut' threaded fully out of the hub unless it was needed, tighten it up the more you need. But never to go out and mow the lawn with it tight. Plowing I suppose it was meant for..

The bronze gear is the final drive gear and .. I think the worm gear is also soft metal. They can and do break under heavy load, it was a known issue back then, and old age doesn't help. Still takes some serious stress to do but .. prolonged running with the hub locked in would do just that. 

There is also a locknut and bushings on the other side of the axle, and if you jack up the tractor, there should be just a little play in the right hand wheel. I forget the spec.. but that play has something to do with the limited slip, and there were bronze cones that were replaceable in that hub too. I forget how it all works .. but basically all the nut does is mash the two hubs into one, using the bronze as a 'clutch'. AFAIK there is no proper 'differential' on a Tube. Just the slip clutch.

 

https://gardentractortalk.com/forums/files/file/2739-bolens-rear-axle-end-play-adjustment/

Have a read of this, the adjustment is rather important and often overlooked. 

 

Doing the drive belts is a miserable task if it's been a while. You have to remove the front driveshaft bearing and some of the clutch linkage. As you probably know, you can NOT tow or even remotely move a Tube without removing the pin on the right rear hub. Dragging a Tube with an engaged drive pin will .. you guessed it.. shear the final drive gear.

Mind the parking brake knob .. you can easily drive with it on. Ask how I know

The Wisconsin likes good clean oil and has a somewhat small pan .. mind the level religiously. The clutch disc is epoxied to the drive plate.. a sudden clutch drop can cause this epoxy to fail after 50 years.. Brian's Bolens carries just about every part you could ever need. I used him a lot when I owned mine.

 

 

[ebinmaine 63,143]

@Stepney

Well done Sir. 

[rjg854 10,737]

[DennisThornton 4,769]

Really needs a video but here's some after shots and my witness saw the whole thing!

 

I should add that I'd forgotten how much I dislike 4-link chains!  I couldn't find all my chains so I quickly through on what I could find and then a bungie.  I'll find my 2-links or perhaps add links to these soon.  

Edited January 3, 2021 by DennisThornton
Added comment about the chains

[ebinmaine 63,143]

Is that witness good for like court of law type stuff?

[DennisThornton 4,769]

Of course!  Just look at that face!  How could you doubt anything?

[AHS 1,411]

I wonder why Bolens went out? In the 80s and 90s, they were big stuff! You know as well as I do; that a John Deere riding lawn mower on every corner. Every generation has less mechanical skills, only if they want to; they will learn how to tear apart engines. This new gen.. they only know how to check the oil... Or oil? What’s that? Don’t get me started!😀

[ebinmaine 63,143]

47 minutes ago, AHS said:

know how to check the oil... Or oil? What’s that?

And then there's the new "Lifetime oil". Never change it. No drain plug. Oye. 

[DennisThornton 4,769]

I'm surprised that Bolens, Wheel Horse, Roper and Power King went OoB.  I have several WHs and Roper/Sears, a couple PKs and this Bolens 1050.  But the older I get the more I think that marketing is more important than anything else.  Marketing can sell anything!

[Digger 66 3,476]

1 minute ago, DennisThornton said:

  Marketing can sell anything!

 

 

Very true but reliability and reputation keep people ...coming back .

[DennisThornton 4,769]

2 minutes ago, Digger 66 said:

 

Very true but reliability and reputation keep people ...coming back .

Until marketing fails to grow the business. 

Apparently Chia Pet works well!  Marketing can sell crap.  One can't compete with just quality.  Word of mouth is great but just can't compete now days.

Plus "WE" all want to save a buck today and not have to maintain anything!  After all, today we have to maintain our desktop, laptop and phone!  Who has time to change oil?

[AHS 1,411]

@DennisThornton I have a 65 Power King, and I can’t believe how tough it is!! Only 56 years old. I believe it has original Goodyear tires on it, cracked and all!

[DennisThornton 4,769]

Oh!  Something else I meant to add.  The chains I quickly threw on this Bolens SUCK!  I had forgotten

1 hour ago, AHS said:

@DennisThornton I have a 65 Power King, and I can’t believe how tough it is!! Only 56 years old. I believe it has original Goodyear tires on it, cracked and all!

I remember reading the ads in the back of magazines before I was old enough to drive thinking how wonderful it would be to own an Economy Tractor!  Later in my 20-30s I thought how terrific it would be own a Wheel Horse!

Ain't America great!

[DennisThornton 4,769]

I just added to my pictures how much I dislike 4-link chains!  All I could find right then...  Good thing too because I spent a few hours plowing with it yesterday.  Would have been a No-Go without chains but I sure don't like all that bouncing with 4-links!  There are some more 2-links around here somewhere...

[AHS 1,411]

Marketing can sell anything... just let me shine some light on this! Just this Christmas, I got these from my wife... and I was like “what are these?” They are snow scrapers of car windshields, my wife said.  Ok.... 🤔🤔 They look like a good funnel to me!😀

[ebinmaine 63,143]

33 minutes ago, AHS said:

Marketing can sell anything... just let me shine some light on this! Just this Christmas, I got these from my wife... and I was like “what are these?” They are snow scrapers of car windshields, my wife said.  Ok.... 🤔🤔 They look like a good funnel to me!😀

I'd love to see a video of that in scraping mode. 

[adsm08 1,434]

10 hours ago, Digger 66 said:

 

Very true but reliability and reputation keep people ...coming back .

 

Actually, it doesn't. Make it too reliable and they never need another one.

 

That's why I haven't bought a vehicle in over 30 years. The one I have is still going.

[Digger 66 3,476]

On 1/3/2021 at 7:16 PM, adsm08 said:

it doesn't

 

OK , maybe not "coming back" but passing the word will have smart people listening ......