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 4760cc 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.
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!!!
Scotty, that 4.7-liter Kohler engine would be quite the motor swap! (Perhaps, should that be 476cc? 😉)