Simplicity "floating" decks

KentT · May 17, 2007

Baucom said:
Kent--that is one great looking machine. What model is it, and how long have you had it?

I have a new MF 2823, and the deck leaves my lawn looking really good. Plus, the full width rollers have me practicing striping the yard in a pattern. The only drawback is that the rollers will sometimes catch a high spot (like bare spots that I patched with sod) when I'm turning and rip out a chunk of sod. Of course, it doesn't do that if I remember to lift the deck a little and take the weight off the rollers.

It's a 1969 model Sovereign 3112V with original 12HP B&S cast-iron single cylinder that's never been rebuilt. I bought it as essentially a 1-owner a couple of years ago. The guy who found it is a friend of mine, and when he had the chance to buy it, he did, then immediately turned around and sold it to me. I drove from Massachusetts to Wisconsin during summer vacation to go get it. Made a tractor-hauling swing through the Midwest to recoup the costs for gas. Took my 14-year old along -- we had a blast!

It has a matching 46" snow/dozer blade and 46" tiller -- all of them in matching condition.

Here's more pictures of it, if you're interested:

Simplicity 3112V - a photoset on Flickr

Pictures of it blowing snow:

Simplicity 3112V Snowblowing - a photoset on Flickr

Here's its twin of a different color. My matching 1969 Allis-Chalmers B-210 made by Simplicity. I've upgraded this one to a fresh 16HP Briggs and a hydrostatic transmission:

Allis-Chalmers B-210 - a photoset on Flickr

And another, older Simplicity-made Allis -- a 1966 Allis-Chalmers Big Ten that I restored:

Allis-Chalmers Big Ten - a photoset on Flickr

As you can see, I'm kinda partial to these...

Big Al · May 18, 2007

Wow. Those are some beautiful little tractors.

Baucom · May 18, 2007

That's great about being basically the second owner on that Simplicity. There's nothing like being able to know the full history on a machine like that and knowing that only one other person has used that mower. Those 2 AC's are good looking mowers too. I particularly liked the shots of the Simplicity w/ snowblower. I really enjoy seeing people use these classic machines as the mfg intended as opposed to simply sticking them in a shed and letting them sit until the next show.

I don't blame you for being partial to them, Simplicity made some great mowers, and they still do. In fact, there were a lot of real classics built then by Simplicity, Deere, and CC, and if someone has a nice original or rebuilt model, they're still capable of doing a lot of work to earn their keep. BTW, the cab looks really good on that Simplicity--is it original too?

KentT · May 18, 2007

Big Al said:
Wow. Those are some beautiful little tractors.

Thanks. Since I graduated HS in 1969, they've been working as long as I have. My goal is to make them outlast me...

KentT · May 18, 2007

Baucom said:
That's great about being basically the second owner on that Simplicity. There's nothing like being able to know the full history on a machine like that and knowing that only one other person has used that mower. Those 2 AC's are good looking mowers too. I particularly liked the shots of the Simplicity w/ snowblower. I really enjoy seeing people use these classic machines as the mfg intended as opposed to simply sticking them in a shed and letting them sit until the next show.

I don't blame you for being partial to them, Simplicity made some great mowers, and they still do. In fact, there were a lot of real classics built then by Simplicity, Deere, and CC, and if someone has a nice original or rebuilt model, they're still capable of doing a lot of work to earn their keep. BTW, the cab looks really good on that Simplicity--is it original too?

Yes, the cab is original too. I found it on eBay as new, old stock, and assembled it out of the original box. It was missing one small brace.

I have several other attachments that interchange between them including a vacuum cart, plow, revitalizer (vertical cutter), aerator, etc.

They really will surprise you how much work they'll do. Once the land clearing and construction is over, they're perfectly capable of maintaining my 5-acre retirement spot...