Here’s a good litmus test to see if you’re a true motor head or not. This wacky looking thing is a 1967 Yard-Man 250 riding lawn mower! I know, it’s cute, isn’t it? That’s another litmus test, if you can call something like this cute then.. well, maybe it’s time to seek professional help. This super cool little machine can be found on Craigslist in Chicopee, Massachusetts with an asking price of $260. Thanks to Peter R. for tracking down this ultra-cool little machine! I absolutely love it.
If this weren’t a $500+ shipping journey from me I would jump on it, literally and figuratively. I absolutely love this oddball stuff, especially when it’s wearing a gas-powered motor of some sort. There is more information about who was behind the grassy knoll than there is on these mowers but maybe one of you will know something about them. It sure is cool and no you aren’t seeing things, those rear wheels are the turning wheels. It’s a front-wheel-drive, rear-wheel-steering mower. Sadly, the mower portion is missing from the front and I can almost guarantee that it would be easier for politicians to actually “work across the aisle” instead of just saying that they will every election cycle than it would be to find a Yard-Man 250 reel mower attachment for the front of this l’il thing. You just will not find one. Period. (how’s that for a challenge?) They apparently also came with a snowblower attachment, according to one forum entry on a vintage lawn tractor site. And I found a photo of an auction site from 2013 that had two perfect looking examples with regular blade mower attachments – what I wouldn’t give to get at least one of those.
Oddly enough, even though there is basically no information on the entire internet about these little rear-steer Yard-Man riding mowers, at least that I could find – other than a couple of forums and less than a handful of photos – there are several YouTube videos showing people talking about them and riding them. They do look fun if not maybe a bit unwieldy and possibly dangerous. That’s where more of your car-guy/car-gal prowess comes into play. This side of Johnny Knoxville, none of us wants to actually get hurt riding anything with an engine, or even without an engine, but a bit of tippiness and danger makes for a more memorable experience. Now, if it had a set of reel mower blades spinning and a person flipped it over that would not be good – like this young man almost did on this YouTube video. Luckily his didn’t have the mower attachment either. But, this guy does, and it works, sort of.
The one for sale here is wearing a non-factory seat from what I can tell from the other rare examples that I did run across. Being somewhat of a fanatic about original-spec, I’d at least want to try to match the original style and pattern of what seat should be on there. But then again, who really cares if you can’t find a mower attachment, which will be harder than catching a photo of a Kardashian without makeup on. Here’s what this rig should look like with the reel mower attachment on the front. And, a front view. Speaking of front, this riding-mower-sans-mower is front-wheel drive and it’s from the same era as the front-wheel drive Olds Toronado. Coincidence? (I’m just seeing if you’re still awake)
The original 5-hp Briggs & Stratton motor seems to have been replaced but the seller says this “is a “starts on the first pull” Briggs & Stratton 5 horsepower, 206 cc engine. The oil has been changed and air cleaner and spark plug changed.” (waiting for the first “Drop a Hayabusa in it” comment).. I contend that any true car guy or gal at least likes and appreciates anything and everything with an engine on or in it. Yes, even vintage riding mowers. Am I right or am I right? I thought so, there’s always a first. Can you appreciate this wacky little rear-steer, real cool Yard-Man riding mower as much as I can? More importantly, can you find a correct reel mower attachment for it? Finder’s fee! I have a feeling that at 6′-5″ tall I would look like a clown riding this thing but I don’t care, I love it.
I had one of these when I was a kid, dad would raid the dumpster & bring home engines, mowers and anything else that yardman was tossing to educate my brother & I. I remember getting this mower running, removing the governor, attaching homemade wheelie bars. Had a blast! You are correct about the seat, this would of come with a v100 Michigan Seat. Yardman was one of the reasons my father & his brothers expanded their business into off road seating, at one time providing seats for 98% of the tractor industry. Great memories, thanks.
Bmac
Have to ask (for my own enlightenment) were the wheelie bars on the front and you were pulling wheel stands in reverse? Or were they just for looks? Closest I had was a Craftsman with a wind up crank start. This was a used machine and would have been about 1969 or 1970. Crank the handle to wind it till the spring was tight, then flip the handle over and it would crank the engine. Awesome idea! Only one of those I’ve ever seen. Used it when I was too small to push it around the yard safely. When I pushed it was more upward due to the angle and would lift the back of the mower off the ground but I felt like a grown up and it got me hooked on anything with a gas engine. Good times!
Yes, I mounted them where the reel mowers would have been located. I wanted to mount the seat above the engine, but with the limited abilities of a 10 or 11 yr old it never happened.
We sold these and as a 10 year old you could pop good wheelies in reverse.
Bmac, that’s a wealth of information, thanks! What a cool dad and cool story! Not to mention the seat info – thanks much.
Scotty,
Because of all the memories this has brought back, I’m now looking for a old lawn tractor for my young grandson & I to work on. Maybe he’ll get the bug like I did. (Simple & he can drive it when it’s done!)
Thanks
I’m from Jackson. Only a very few of our neighbors had this model. They all had a rotary deck. This reel attachment is a surprise. I imagine greens-keepers used the reel version. This rear steer design may be an ancestor of today’s zero turn designs.
John
We sold them back then. At the time homeowners were still requesting reel mowers. Most liked the quality of the cut. By the mid-1970’s home reel mowers mostly disappeared from showrooms.
Thanks Scotty, for helping me take my mind off that overpriced car business. It’s why I thoroughly enjoy your submissions. Without a doubt, one of the more unusual lawn cutting devices I’ve seen. I didn’t even know where the lawn cutting attachment would go. It’s as if they sat down, and said, “let’s make something totally unconventional”, I mean, think of the engineering that must have went into this, and what design WASN’T accepted. Pretty cool. Forrest Gump should have been riding this in that grass cutting scene.( I believe it was a rear engine Snapper) I wonder how this would do at lawn mower races?( oh
yes they do, it’s a pretty big sport in N. Wis.)
Ha, thanks, Howard. This is one wacky mower, there’s no question about it. I sure wish that it had the mower attachment on it, it would be tough to pass up.
Shipping ??? Drive it home.
Honestly, if I came across this type of contraption locally, i would not be able to resist purchasing. Something my wife would love too !
Here is a link to Yard-Man brochure (seems brand was owned by Montgomery Ward in the 1960s) > http://gardentractortalk.com/forums/topic/8831-montgomery-ward-lawn-trac-with-reel-mower/
Grey ghost
Yardman were sold thru Montgomery Wards, but were a privately held company until they sold out to MTD. Much to the dismay of many employees here in Jackson, MI.
Anyone remember the sno cub?
No, I don’t, and I came from the land of snowmobiles ( 2nd only to Minnesota) Seems like it would have been a hit. What happened?Pretty straight forward controls (on-off)
http://www.davidsleds.mysite.com/PAGE_20873.html
Thanks, linen grey ghost! Now that Wards one has the same seat, hmm.. And that Yard-Man brochure on the bottom of that post! That is literally gold.
I was sold when I saw the whitewalls. Cool rig.
I wonder if you can still find the mowing attachment, I agree that if it was local it would be sitting in my garage tomorrow.
Still for sale. Apparently, the folks living close to the Seller, don’t have good taste.
It’s in my area but without a mower it’s a hard sell
Bus driver training rig.
It’s cool looking but, at 6 feet tall and 270 lbs., I’d look like an elephant on a tricycle. LOL
Maybe a bunch of clowns riding these in a parade,,,doo, doo, doo, doo, doo,,,
jw454, check out the videos that I put in the article if you haven’t already. A “big” guy is riding one and it seems to work for him!
That is one awkward seating position. No wonder my Dad made me cut an acre of grass with a push reel mower every weekend in the summer. He was probably aftaid I’d fall off and hurt myself!
WOW, what a blast from the past. We had one of those when I was a kid and tasked with lawn mowing. Way better than chasing along behind the self propelled Toro we also had.
Sears used Yardman for gang mowers and push reel mowers
I worked for an outfit in the 70’s that had one these. Never thought I’d see another one but there ye go.
Just as a added note yardman produced the corvette go carts also (1962 body style, ?? Not a corvette expert). The molds for the body are still floating around the Jackson area I hear.
Howard,
The sno cub were underpowered and had many problems, lawn equipment was built in the winter & they needed something to fill the assembly lines in the summer, so I was told.
You were told correctly. Many lawn equipment manufactures unsuccessfully jumped into the snowmobile market. Ariens, AMF, Wheel Horse, Bolens, Artic Cat produced Lawn Equipment. Kohler made snowmobile engines.
We sold 7 brands of snowmobiles including 2 of the survivors Ski Do and Polaris.
Sort of all those car companies becoming the big 3 by 1970
Drop a Hayabusa in it
Sorry… couldn’t leave you hanging any longer. You’ve waited long enough.
I love the white sidewalls!!!
Thank you Scotty for an inspiring as well as informative and witty write-up!
Did anyone try to get in touch with the seller? I haven’t heard back even after leaving my phone number as they require in their listing. That always makes me nervous in this scam-heavy era that we live in.
Scotty, I’ve left messages with my phone number many times with Craigslist sellers and never get a reply. People end up selling the stuff and never take the post down then just ignore the messages. It can be irritating as when I sell on Craigslist I answer every message with a reply by email or phone and if it sells I take the post down immediately. I’m selling some beer signs a neighbor who moved gave me and I have a guy email me three times with a offer and I accepted one then he never responded again so it happens on both ends on Craigslist.
Thanks for the reply, Jimmy. I was just in the area of this mower thingy and I wanted to see it but I never heard a peep from the seller. I hope that your sales go well.
Just to close the loop on this, I purchased this mower today about 5 hours after sending him my phone number. What a cool, cool mower. I buddy has already been riding it and he’s 6’3”! It was awesome!!!
Mike! I missed this message over three years ago, not good. Thanks for the follow-up info on buying it! I found a Wards version last fall and grabbed it.
I have two of these. They are a cool little machine. It has just forward, reverse and neutral. I am very suprised that the have a differential lock (the lever on the right). Both of mine have the same seat as the one pictured above. I do have a tri blade mowing deck but do not have the engagement portion. I am 6’6″ @240# and it will pull me anywhere with a cart behind it. I would recommend putting pneumatic tires on the steer wheels as the solid ones are a rough ride.
I have one can’t find parts for it saved it from the junk yard 1967 I believe