Bolens HT-23 & attachments

[WillysWoodPile]

--- I am looking to buy an early 80's Bolens HT-23 FMC Garden Tractor with and Onan gas engine, full hydrostatic with hydro raise and lower, and these attachements:
1) 60" Mower deck
2) Two-stage snowblower
3) Rear tiller
4) Front blade
5) Cab

--- It says turnkey ready to go, for $3,550.00 obo

--- My health has not been the best for the last 7 years [I think I have celiac disease--no wheat, rye, or barley--and no dairy]. So aside from attaching equipment and minimal labor I need for the tractor to do all the work. I seek opinions please as I need to convince my uncle to buy this set-up for the farm. We have 2,000 acres scattered over 3 farms but this purchase would be mainly for the main farm of which it takes 5 hours to mow the lawn with an average lawn tractor.
--- I need this tractor [or another brand recommendation] for tilling large gardens. I have a Husqvarna 650 CRT reverse tine tiller. It works fine except it is an engineering disaster. The tines and the tires form a bottleneck for rocks and debris. I can't for the life of me think of any competent engineer making this design and not forseeing this problem. Rocks abruptly stop it and bend a plate inside, often. Straw and garden debris get trapped and stop operation...anyway, I can't physically keep fighting all these problems. I need to be able to till my large gardens without problems.

--- Is Bolens a decent brand? We have mostly John Deere tractors but I don't see the point in spending $10,000 for new John Deere equipment when I can get larger more heavy duty equipment for less.
--- Thank you for your help.

P.S. -- My basic needs at this time are the larger-than-average mower deck and the rear tiller; so if someone can point me to just this set-up I would entertain all recommendations.

 

[BungeeII]

I had seen that listing, too. It's overpriced, but intriguing.

Bolens built GREAT machines, and that's one of the better ones.

But...

All the models are discontinued. Certain repairs can get difficult, just because of parts availability (Electric PTO clutch for one).

I have a GT2000, which ~somewhat~ replaced that model... Can't find a tiller for it. It's basically a mowing machine with a 60" deck and nothing else. I paid $800 for mine, though, and it's in as good a shape as that one. If that was a grand cheaper, it'd be too good to pass up. But, if you're starting fresh, you might want to stick to a tractor model that allows for standardized attachments. (3-point hitch)

 

[WillysWoodPile]

I had seen that listing, too. It's overpriced, but intriguing.

Bolens built GREAT machines, and that's one of the better ones.

But...

All the models are discontinued. Certain repairs can get difficult, just because of parts availability (Electric PTO clutch for one).

I have a GT2000, which ~somewhat~ replaced that model... Can't find a tiller for it. It's basically a mowing machine with a 60" deck and nothing else. I paid $800 for mine, though, and it's in as good a shape as that one. If that was a grand cheaper, it'd be too good to pass up. But, if you're starting fresh, you might want to stick to a tractor model that allows for standardized attachments. (3-point hitch)

---Thanks BungeeII, you probably saved me untold problems. Will definitely consider offering $1,000 less; or just have patience and look for something else. The Husqvarna 650 CRT was an impulse buy for $475 and I paid the price for impatience. I got exactly the opposite of what I was looking for....Which was something to take the stress off of my back fighting a rototiller. We had an old Troybilt that was perfect....25 years ago, but that somehow ended up at a farmhand's place with excuse after excuse why he could not bring it back.
---Now I just need a tractor that can mow a large lawn in a short time, and till my gardens: With minimal strain attaching and detaching, cleaning and sharpening, and greasing.
--- And to be perfectly honest I like a solid, well-built machine. So you can understand why I really don't cotton to the newer "throw-away" models. We have always had John Deere tractors. But we also have a Ford 7700. And an allis chalmers CA that nobody has done much with in the past 20 years.

 

[BungeeII]

I went back to craigslist to see that tractor and found that they removed it already, so it may have been sold.

Case/Ingersoll tractors are well-built and have been virtually the same for a very long time. So, even though the attachments are proprietary, they've at least been in manufacture for several decades.

There's a G174 for sale over on your side of the state... It's a great looking tractor, but again.... a discontinued, limited-production model that might leave you singing the blues when repair time rolls around. Still, if you could land that type of tractor with rear finish mower for a good price, you'd only have to go to Family Farm and Home for a decent little 4' 3-point tiller.

 

[WillysWoodPile]

I went back to craigslist to see that tractor and found that they removed it already, so it may have been sold.

Case/Ingersoll tractors are well-built and have been virtually the same for a very long time. So, even though the attachments are proprietary, they've at least been in manufacture for several decades.

There's a G174 for sale over on your side of the state... It's a great looking tractor, but again.... a discontinued, limited-production model that might leave you singing the blues when repair time rolls around. Still, if you could land that type of tractor with rear finish mower for a good price, you'd only have to go to Family Farm and Home for a decent little 4' 3-point tiller.

Thanks for the help BungeeII,

I discussed it with my uncle today and we decided against purchasing it anyway. I told him to see what they had at our local John Deere Dealership. Spoor and Parlin in Athens, Michigan is now Fillmore Equipment.
I'll take a look at the G174. I don't have much experience with Craig's list and I worry [a little] about dishonest people.
I am more inclined towards buying older equipment and putting money into it to fix it up, than I am buying brand new "throw-away" equipment.

 

[joes_427_vette]

Don't sell Bolens short... especially the older HT-20, 23 series. They are neat old tractors built like a tank. I have a HT-20 and have a line on a 23 that I will purchase when I can come up with more storage room. They bring a good dollar but there are examples out there for a grand to fifteen hundred.
I also have a newer 4x4 John Deere for lawn and lite loader work. Great machines but a ton of money new or used. Quality is evident in both brands but I like the brute size of the Bolens models. They still look current despite their age.

 

[Deerlope]

The large frame Bolen's like the 1250 on thru the 1886's were the best that Bolen's ever designed and built. Regardless of HP that Eaton 12 hydro is one tough bear. You can never give it enogh rough work.If I were to be here 40 years from now(won't be) I would like to see how many of the newer types are still going.