If you’re a Ford collector, and a few (million) of you are out there, you have to have a vintage Ford lawn tractor for your collection. Not to mention, for actually mowing your lawn. This 1970s Ford LGT-125 Garden Tractor can be found listed here on Facebook Marketplace in Clayton, Wisconsin, and the seller is asking $500. Here is the original listing. I couldn’t pass up sending in this tip when I saw it.
We saw a similar garden tractor, a Ford LGT-120, here on Barn Finds a little over a decade ago. Ahhh… to be 10 years younger again. The difference between the LGT-125 and LGT-120 is that the LGT-125 for sale here has a hydrostatic transmission, and the LGT 120 has a regular geared transmission. I’m assuming those are chains for the rear tires shown on the right side foot rest.
The seller has this Ford garden tractor listed as a 1968, but this version of the LGT-125 was made from 1972 through 1976. There was another version after this made from 1977 through 1983, but I prefer the early grille much better, as this one has. As with most Sears products, the company didn’t manufacture the products; they were often rebadged items made by other companies. In this case, this tractor is made by Jacobsen, a famous lawn care and tractor company that started in Wisconsin in 1921 and was bought out by global powerhouse Textron way back in 1975. Jacobsen lawn tractors are still being made today, but in the United Kingdom, not Wisconsin. This one is similar to the Jacobsen GT-12H (H = hydrostatic).
No lighter?! How is anyone supposed to get any real yard work done without smoking?! Just kidding, some folks probably don’t smoke while they do lawn work. Ford touted the LGT tractors as being “for Mustang people with lawns” in this old ad. Pretty cool stuff. I agree, I went off the deep end on Montgomery Ward things after finding my weird 1960s Garden Mark Lawn Trac (Yard Man 250) lawn tractor… thing, a few years ago. Collectors like to stay with a theme, like my growing vintage Tonkas and other toys, mostly vehicle-related, including what a lot of you have or had as kids: Tonka, Nylint, and REMCO items. I like toys still in their original boxes, even though that adds to the price. They’re much cheaper and easier than collecting vehicles; no license tabs, no insurance, no maintenance, and no storage costs! Just like garden tractors, if you don’t go overboard.
Sorry for that trip down memory lane, back to this Ford garden tractor. The LGT-125 is powered by a 476cc Kohler air-cooled single-cylinder with 12 horsepower, and the hydrostatic transmission provides the movement, both forward (low and high) and reverse (low). The seller says it hasn’t been started in six years, and they can’t get a spark, but I’m guessing it’s a fairly easy fix. Are any of you into collecting and using vintage garden tractors, or do you collect old toys? If so, what’cha got?
Good write-up SG. Cool piece of vintage machinery. Next trip to a car show, hook up your small trailer behind your classic Ford pickup and take the mower too. That would be a fun conversation-starter.
You remind me of a mid-60s Ford pickup pulling a boat and trailer that was for sale at a car show years ago.
Boat & pickup both had a matching blue & white paint scheme. Pretty cool!
It’s a neat find Scotty. The no spark thing could just be a matter of a sheared flywheel key. Pulling off the flywheel could give some insight, maybe just a need to clean the points as well. I’m right with what Bob said above, either a small trailer or a nice flat bed bodied classic Ford Pickup with this loaded in the back would definitely start some conversations for sure. Thanks Scotty!!!
Awfully big engine for a lawnmower, don’t ya think?
Scotty, that 4.7-liter Kohler engine would be quite the motor swap! (Perhaps, should that be 476cc? 😉)
Arrrrrgh, sorry about that typo! The zero really added a punch to that mower, dang it. My apologies. 476-cc, you are correct, sir. Thanks, guys.
A 4.7L would really be cool😂‼️ Throw in dual exhaust and a supercharger and knock that yard out fast and be on the golf course before 9:00AM! Ours was the LGT120 with the standard transmission. My dad bought it in 1974 from the Ford tractor dealership which was across the street behind my parents’ Ford automobile dealership. This one brings back good o’le memories of growing up in a small Mississippi town. Although Ford said that the LGT stood for Lawn & Garden Tractor, I am not certain that it would have stood up to any medium to heavy duty tasks. Great seeing one again!
Nice try,,,Ford, but not much can beat a yellow and green garden tractor. It was a market they couldn’t refuse, and to rebadge a more well known brand was the industry standard. Most all these tractors did basically the same thing, and came down to what brand you preferred, they were all about the same price. I hate to pick a sore scab, but once again, it was imports that decimated our L&G tractor business, Wisconsin alone had a dozen go under, and just the way it went. Can’t go wrong here.
Quick 3am ramble story about smoking and tractor operation. Many moons ago, when I was single, I’d go up to the farm in N.Wis. to ride my dirt bike with my then friend Tim. He said, um, before we go riding, I have to bring in some hay, you can help if you want, get out on the trail sooner. Okay, I foolishly said, cripes, buy the time we were done, it was almost dark and too tired anyway. So while we’re on the hay wagon waiting for the next bale, Tim says, watch my dad running the tractor light his cigarette. He will only use ONE match. Sure enough, pulls out a cig, had this maneuver, cupped his hands, one match, AND NEVER MISSED A ROW!!
Comment didn’t take, again, so you know what? The HELL with it,,,that’s right. Too bad, had such a nice farm story,,
Let’s see, it could be on my end, you’d think after almost 19,000 posts, I’d be used to that by now. To recap, if this one goes, Ford was one of a long line of companies that jumped on the small tractor bandwagon, “LGT”, light garden tractor, and was nothing special. It came down to a few companies that actually made them, and merely put different names. There was plenty of room for all, even though the green and yellow were still the king. Once again, parts shouldn’t be an issue as long as you have a “junk pile”. These all used the same guts. Good find.
Okay, the farm( smoking) story, uhg, many years ago, I used to go a friends farm in N.Wis. to ride dirt bikes.(70s) One time, I get there, he says first I have to help pickup some hay, you can help, go faster,,big mistake, by the time we were done, it was almost dark and too tired anyway. So, we’re on the trailer waiting for the next bale, my friend says, watch my dad operating the tractor. He’ll light his cigarette with one match. Sure enough, he pulls out a cig, takes a match, cups his hands, lit the cig, and never missed a row! Submit?
Not to put too fine a point on it, but the terms lawn tractor and garden tractor are being used interchangeably in the write up, while they are actually separate classes of equipment. Garden tractors, while often having belly mowers, are built strong and heavy enough to operate ground engaging attachments such as plows, blades, or tillers, while lawn tractors are designed for mowing and pulling light trailers.
I don’t have any grass.just crushed stone but i could take the mower part off and drive around the retirement community along with all the other crap the old folks have.
Good writeup for this. Garden tractors really came into their own by the late 60s. For us out on the ranch, it was a godsend. We had an IH Cub Cadet 122 and it sure cut down on the time we spent looking after the yard. Even used it on the grain loader; the drive adapter for the roto-tillar was the perfect ratio and even if the belt didn’t quite fit, it got the job done.
I have to say this, even if it jeopardizes my existance on BF. The model number on this makes me think of a current special interest group. No doubt, back in the day, no one even considered that. Just had to say that…
Geomechs!! I didn’t even catch that!!!! I can’t stop laughing now.
The old Kohlers tended to be large displacement for their horsepower, but they were lugging beasts. My grandmother had a John Deere 110, with a 305 cc 8 hp Kohler and it was unstoppable.
Scotty, as soon as you mentioned Tonka Toys, I had to mention again the International Scout I had complete with a removable top & angle snowplow. All metal, too.
I just about got run over once in the alley behind my parent’s house trying to open the road for my model cars! LOL! Good writeup, Scotty!
Yes, I have garden tractors. Mostly Wheel Horse, RJ58, Suburbans, and an Indy 500 Special. One Ford tractor and one Mustang lawn tractor. I helped a friend build a custom Wheel Horse rollback tractor. It can load and haul a full sized ATV.
As for toys that would be a large list. I have diecast vehicles, Hot Wheels, Matchbox, Johnny Lightning, M2, Greenlight, etc. I have pressed steel like Tonka, Nylint, Buddy L, etc. A few pedal tractors. And lots of other stuff.