# "G" Man



## aegt5000

A rare opportunity to own a very unique tractor. 
This one has 3 great attachments, 74in Mower Deck, 45in Snowblower
and hard sided cab. 

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/e...&item=2488673765&rd=1&sspagename=STRK:MEWA:IT


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## memmurphy

Heated cab too. I was kind of surprised that it was only 2 wheel drive.

Mark


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## guest2

aegt
So when are they delivering it?


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## aegt5000

sixchows…

You know I always wanted one of these, outfitted exactly the way
this one is. But talk about room, this thing would need it’s own garage !
Not to mention the cost to transport. After seeing it last night, I made a 
few calls this morning just to get an idea. Looks like around $1500 to
get it picked up and delivered here and the guy won’t really commit 
to the price. He knows I'm just looking for an idea of what it would cost.
He said he it would depend on him having a load to take near there on
his way to get it. Otherwise a dedicated pick up would run more like
$2500. I think the tractor will go between $2500 and $3000 so that
could put the total delivered price at between $5000 - $5500. 

BTW you and aguysmiley are killing me, between the both of you there’s
nothing left on ebay to bid on. You could have left me ONE of the signs. :lmao:


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## guest2

aegt
Sorry about the signs but I was trying to leave some attachments for someone else! 
At least I didn't bid on the used 30 yr old hat!:lmao:


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## aegt5000

Oh NO...Say It Ain't So

aguysmiley didn't win the auction for the green sign.

:argh: :argh: :argh: I didn't even bid :argh: :argh: :argh: 

It's my fault :twoonone: I should have PMed him.


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## aguysmiley

I got outbid in the last 20 friggin seconds! Snipers get on my nerves. (sorry sixchows)

I really wasn't going to bid any higher on it, but it's just really frustrating to lose it like that. Some people have to work ya know.


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## aegt5000

I know what you are feeling.
A while ago I got outbid on an HT-20 with a load of attachments
with 12 seconds left. By the time I rebid the auction was ended.

I should have PMed you, I would have gone MUCH higher on the sign


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## aguysmiley

Well, that sign wasn't really what I was looking for. Since all my tractors are before the days of green and white. I deffinately would have bid higher if it were older. Kinda like that one sixchows is bidding on. 

I always bid early, and bid what I'm willing to pay. I very seldom rebid. I introduced the magical land of ebay to my dad a few years ago. He build O scale trains. It didn't take him long to turn into a sniper. I always give him a hard time about it, but I've also let him bid on my account for me a couple times. I thought about having him bid on this sign for me, but he would have no way of knowing if he was bidding against you guys.

My quest for a sign continues though. I just heard about a guy that used to have a small dealership at his house.

Btw aegt, I have a solution to your shipping cost woes. Just find someone that will ship it to Indiana. It's a lot closer this way. I've made this offer before. I really wouldn't have a problem with "storing" it until you could come pick it up.


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## guest2

Guys
How would you feel about a "copy" of this sign? If I can get it that is. I'd be willing to have a sign maker copy it and send one to each of you guys.


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## aegt5000

aguysmiley..
Thanks for offering, I think I’m done for a while but will be trying to
pick up the Flail Mower, maybe a power broom, possibly a snow blower
potentially a back hoe…….

sixchows…
As a purest, I can understand you affection for the original older sign 
(you even infected aguysmiley, he likes it too), but I wasn’t crazy about it. 
I really liked the green one, it just looked good to me.
I emailed the guy and offered him 2X what he got it for, but no deal.

I think you have a great idea with the sign maker. I’ll bet the attachment
(red / white / black) logo could be made into a sign. Now that would look
really good hanging on the back wall of the garage.

Did you see that hat ? The guy could have at least cleaned it before he 
took the pic’s. That was one funky looking (smelling ?) hat. 

BTW..The “G” went right between my $2500 - $3000 guess. Ending bid
was something like $2700. If the buyer was local that’s a lot of tractor
and attachments for the money.


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## aegt5000

The $2700. GK is back, only now it’s $4500. !!!

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=29520&item=4324790725&rd=1


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## jodyand

Is that the same one:question: if so someone trying to make some money off it.


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## guest2

jody
Same one. He even admits it. He does say he fixed the oil leak and changed a hydraulic line and sharpened the blades. Paid about $500 in shipping and the starting bid is/was $3499? makes me wonder though, did he really find out it was too big or did he find it has "bigger' problems?


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## aegt5000

The one and only. He even used the same eBay pictures the 
first seller used.


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## aguysmiley

Sixchows,

Have you got that sign yet? Thanks for the offer to make a copy. I'm still looking for an original. I was just kinda curious how your's looks.


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## guest2

aguysmiley
Yeah I got that one and a wisconson engine repair center sign. Both look good. The wisc sign has a slight bend on one corner but I should be able to bend it back w/o cracking the paint. I'll post some pics maybe tomorrow?


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## Rodster

It is close to me now. I could almost drive it home. But where would I put it ?
Rodster


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## aegt5000

Well the auction on the $4500 GK closed without a single bid offered.
Guess the $2700 GK is still the $2700 GK after all.

On a brighter note, I did get 2 of the signs I was after.
They should look pretty good on the back wall of the garage.

<img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v155/aegt5000/Signs.jpg">


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## aguysmiley

Fifty six bucks....

:tellyou: 


So Aegt, was that a relist of the same sign?


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## aegt5000

aguysmiley...

The re-list was for the same sign. Funny thing is, after the first 
auction, I emailed the guy and offered him much more than $56
for the sign but he never answered. This fella sells a lot of Bolens
stuff on ebay, maybe he felt he would get more from an open auction.


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## guest2

So what happened? Did the winner of the first auction back out of the deal?


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## aegt5000

No, the winner of the first auction re-listed the sign and put it
up for auction. Maybe he didn't like it once he saw it, or maybe
he figured he could sell it for more than he paid.

Either way I don't care, all I wanted was that sign and now I got it.


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## aguysmiley

Well, if he was looking to make money on it, it didn't work. He paid close to $65 to get it away from me. Unless of course he soaks you on shipping.


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## aegt5000

*Back Again*

The $2700 then $4500 now being offered at $3700 “GK” is back.

If at first you don’t succeed……..nodeal 

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=42230&item=4327515578&rd=1


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## guest2

I really can't understand this??? He buys it, pays over $400 to ship it, fixes most of it and then decides for his first time selling it that it is bigger than he thought. Now there is no mention as to why it's for sale. He bought it high so I don't think he thought he was going to make some quick money. Both the seller and himself left positive feedback for each other so it doesn't seem like he got stuck with a POS. 
If I had room and it was closer, I'd grab it just for the uniqueness. Where will we ever see another in this condition with a cab and heat? All those leaks and what not can be fixed.


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## aegt5000

sixchows…

I’ll bet SHE is behind this.
He probably got the thing home and found out there was no way
he was gonna fit it in his shed. After paying that much for it
he couldn’t leave it outside, so the GK put HER car out of
the garage. Now she’s telling him “Either IT goes or ……”

Seriously, I loved them as soon as I saw a picture of one. 
But to be practical, it’s not the thing to own. They were
only made for one year, so parts are probably non existent,
and who really knows how good they were. Even if they
were expensive in their class of tractor, you would think
Bolens would have sold enough to give them a few years
to establish themselves in the market. They must have sold
far less than they expected, to drop it in just one year. 
Either that or the GK’s had big problems and with light sales
Bolens may have decided the numbers couldn’t support a 
redesign. 

I have never seen a thread on a GK (good or bad) Have you 
ever heard anything about how good a tractor they were? 
Seems like with a 72” deck they would have had some 
interest from the commercial or institutional markets.


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## guest2

aegt
Yeah, that all makes sense but it appears to be in good condition after 35years. Granted maybe for 30 years it was stored inside not being used while oil leaked all over 

But I think today it would be more of a novelty item for a collector on a show circuit. Even in nperfect condition, you wouldn't want to wear things out to the point of not being able to locate parts.

I think with a little research, some parts could be found or machined. It appears complete. As for bearings and seals, gaskets that shouldn't be too much of a nightmare. There probably are some other parts that are shared with the large frames. Most manufacturers use as many parts on as many machines across the line as possible.


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## aguysmiley

I figured since we have already talked about signs in this thread, I would go ahead and put this here.

I finally tracked down the guy that used to have a Bolens dealership in a nearby town. He's got a lot of tractors sitting around. Mostly late 70's and early 80's. 

The main thing I was looking for was a sign to put in my garage.
He had one, and it came home with me today. Now I just need to find a garage.


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## aegt5000

That sign looks like it’s in really good condition.
Was it the sign he had hanging up or was this one
a back up that he was saving ? 
Either way, congrat’s on a great find.

Now start looking for a garage. It will be much easier to find
than that sign was. They are fair sized buildings that look like
little houses and they usually have at least one big door at one end.
:lmao:


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## guest2

Ken
That's a great find! I bet your girl likes it too. That's the model she likes isn't it? Probably worth a few $$ since it features an 800, only made in 1963. So the sign has to be from late '62-'63. It's in great shape for 40 years old!


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## Ingersoll444

> _Originally posted by aegt5000 _
> *Now start looking for a garage. It will be much easier to find
> than that sign was. They are fair sized buildings that look like
> little houses and they usually have at least one big door at one end.
> :lmao: *


ROTFLMAO:furious: 

I for one am looking for the ones that look like BIGGGGGGG houses


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## aguysmiley

Thanks guys. This sign was actually hung at one point. It has had two nails driven through it, one at the top and one I didn't see until I got it home is in the black area just above the "800". It is also bent slightly just to the right of Bolens.

My girlfriend loves it. I think I did alright at $175, even though that's more than I've spent on any of my tractors.

Thursday I'm going to look at a garage. It's 40'x96' with 1900 sq. ft. sectioned off as a shop with an office and bathroom. And I think there is a house involved too.


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## aegt5000

aguysmiley…

I forgot to mention that most of the time these garages do come 
with outbuildings called “houses” Don’t shortchange the usefulness 
of these houses, they can come in real handy. They keep the garage 
from getting all cluttered up with stuff that girlfriends and wives keep
buying. Houses also serve as a place for GF and wives to keep themselves
busy. That keeps them out of the garage, where the real work is being done.

Paul…
Boeing has some buildings up in WA state that should be just about the
right size for your collection. Maybe Greg could inquire about availability
for you.


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## Ingersoll444

> _Originally posted by aegt5000 _
> *Paul…
> Boeing has some buildings up in WA state that should be just about the
> right size for your collection. Maybe Greg could inquire about availability
> for you. *



Already checked Shipping would be tough. Listed as "pickup only, no shipping"


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## aegt5000

*3rd Time's the Charm*

Well, you know what they say.
“the Third Time is the Charm”

Maybe this time the GK will find a good home. I hope so. 

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=42230&item=4331009327&rd=1


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## guest2

aegt5000
You know at $3099 and no reserve, history has shown nobody else wants it. It could be had with one bid.


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## aegt5000

sixchows…
You’re probably right, only problem is, I'm about one bid away 
from coming home and finding all my stuff out on the front lawn. 

Too bad, if it was closer, I would go take a look at it. I think if I had
a chance to see it, I’d either run away from it or bring it home.


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## Archdean

> _Originally posted by aegt5000 _
> *sixchows…
> You’re probably right, only problem is, I'm about one bid away
> from coming home and finding all my stuff out on the front lawn.
> 
> Too bad, if it was closer, I would go take a look at it. I think if I had
> a chance to see it, I’d either run away from it or bring it home. *


Am I to understand that would be on the front lawn??? Is that about right?

Look out for the :worm: 

Dean


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## aegt5000

I’m speaking in the general sense. In actuality, I would expect to find
most of it on the front lawn, but a good amount would also be on the
driveway and scattered along the front beds. Wind strength and direction
would have a considerable effect on the actual landing sites . 

Either way, I’d be dodging projectiles :hide:


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## Archdean

Whoed A Thunk!!

And 













a Like You!!!


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## Archdean

Well You get the idea! 
Dean


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## aegt5000

*One More Time*

Our friend with the GK is back for another try.
This time the But It Now is $3500.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=42230&item=4338883427&rd=1


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## guest2

What's this. the fourth try?


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## aguysmiley

I noticed that was back tonight. Someone I know tried to buy it for what he originally paid for it. He turned him down.


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## jodyand

Maybe he will take his offer when it don't sell this time.


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## guest2

You know the REAL price is $2999.00 as there will be no bids like the last time. So, if anyone wants it, they could have it at the opening bid.


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## Rodster

The thing is only two hours from me. I wish somebody would buy it before I have a weak moment. then what would I do with it or put it?
Rodster
PS It sure is neat


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## guest2

Rodster

If it was 2 hours from me, I'd own it!


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## aguysmiley

It would be on heck of an addition to a collection. I'm kinda surprised it hasn't sold by now.


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## guest2

Ken
The guy tried selling it as soon as he bought it. I think most people think he must have found some serious problems with it and is looking to dump it quick.


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## aguysmiley

You're probably right on that. In fact I discussed this with the guy that tried to buy it. He saw it on ebay and asked me what I thought about it, so I brought him in here and showed him every time it's been listed. 

Unless there's something catastrophic like a hole in the block, I just can't see what would turn a collector away. A collector would more than likely go through the whole thing anyway. 

How many of these can there be? If I could afford it right now, I'd be going to look at it.


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## guest2

Ken

That's what I'm thinking. Even with some minor problems, I'd take it. It's not like anyone is going to work it hard. At this stage of it's life, it's a great novelty piece.


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## aegt5000

With all the fun we’ve had with this poor guy and this GK I had
to get this when I saw it on eBay. The 2 pictures below are meant 
as a preview. If anyone wants larger images, just open the attached
files in the later posts.

<img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v155/aegt5000/Covers.jpg">

<img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v155/aegt5000/insidefull.jpg">


GK Brochure Front Cover


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## aegt5000

GK Brochure Full Inside Foldout


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## aegt5000

GK Brochure Back Cover


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## aegt5000

GK Brochure Accessories


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## guest2

aegt

You know that's only goin' to make ya want it more!!!:lmao:


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## DrBailey

Aegt , I sold a HT-20 , w/ Cab ,one bottom plow , tiller , snow blower , blade , 3 point hitch , wheel weights , tire chains,large mower deck.. From Arkansas , was that the one you were bidding on ?? 
Don


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## bigl22

great machine-- crappy , suspect deal - same deal over and over-- is this guy a drunk? or just a huckster?


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## guest2

bigl22

I think he didn't really know what he was buying and now needs to get out from under it. Either he thought it was so rare that he could fix the few things it needed and make some quick money, found out it was way too big for his use, or that parts are non-existant.


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## aegt5000

Dr.B…

No that wasn’t me, I have never bid on an HT-20.

sixchows…

If I saw one within driving distance, I might be tempted. 
But I just can’t get comfortable with buying one of these sight
unseen. They are just too rare and I would really want to get
a hands on feel for what kind of shape it was in before I took
the plunge. My understanding was the GK was only made for
one year but what year was that ???. The brochure has no dates
at all on it, not ever a copyright date. I did notice in the accessories
section of the brochure that there were 2 generations produced.
The cab heater in item #4 is listed for the 960-01 and the heater in
item #15 is listed for the 960-02.

I have a decent amount of old Bolens service manuals now but 
none of my books shows anything on the GK. Does anyone know
what year(s) it was made? I wonder if Bolens actually made it or
if it was supplied to them by another mfg. Seems odd that it was
not offered in a hydro considering the large frame hydro’s were 
offered as far back as 1967


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## guest2

aegt

I think they were made in 1969. Two production runs doesn't necessarily mean more than one year. 

The 1253 for example was only made in 1970 and there is an 01 and 02. Biggest difference is the steering wheel. The 01 has the older black wheel with clear center cap and the 02 has the newer black wheel with the flat 3 sided cap. The 1556 had 3 runs in one year, changes such as metal to plastic gas tank, and a spindle change.

In most cases it doesn't make one better than the other except maybe in the 1886 with the tranny change at the end of production but then most want the earlier ones like your's.


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## guest2

Tom
The first listing is this guy buying it, the rest are him trying to sell it. From what I remember, by the time he bought and fixed a few leaks and things to the last offering he was only asking about $200 more than he paid + shipping.


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## guest2

Tom

Could you get some pics next time you see them? Do you mean the town owns them rather than a private citizen?


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## Gillie

Wondering what years FMC owned Bolens? As many may know FMC built, or may still build a lot of specialty type equipment. Seems like that may be where it was spawned. They are a fairly progressive macinery company. I have been on jobs where we used their cranes and cherry pickers. Nifty thing regardless of when or whom made it.


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## guest2

Bob
FMC owned bolens from about the end of WWII to it was sold to Gardenway in 1988. As far as I know they are still in the chemical and crane business.

Check out www.jacqueslacasse.com and click on bolens history. Jacques has some real good info and a nice site.


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