Bolens ht23 giant garden tractor with model 10 johnson loader. I believe it is a 1981 or 1982 model year.
This is a working tractor right now, but could use a bit of tlc to tighten it up and make it more “user friendly”. 23hp kohler 2 cylinder engine starts and runs well (light smoke at start-up but clears and does not smoke under normal operation). Unknown hours (hour gauge works, but has been repaired at some point in its life). Hydrostatic transmission works as it should. Has dual-speed rear end which works as it should. I do not believe that there are any leaks in the hydro-drive system. Tractor has power steering, which works well, but all of the linkages and ball-joints are a bit “sloppy” and could use new ends and bushings. As you can see in the pics it has mis-matched front tires. Rear tires appear to be the original and are weather checked, but hold air and have decent tread.
Rear wheels also have bolens factory wheel weights installed. Lighting (head and tail lights) work as do all of the gauges (oil pressure, ammeter, etc).
Oil pressure gauge shows between 30 and 40 psi when running (idle to full throttle). Johnson hydraulic loader works well (boom and curl) and has a lift height of just under 6′.
The chrome shafts do have rust pits (lift cylinders being the worst, curl cylinders are not terrible), so will either need to be rechromed or replaced. Because of these pits, the shaft seals leak. And new seals are not going to solve the problem unless the chrome is addressed first. As stated, the loader works well (i used it today to clean out the washed out gravel in the ditch in front of our house due to the heavy rain we have been receiving), but if you intend to use the tractor often, i would highly recommend fixing this.
Also of note is that the hydraulic lift (which raises and lowers mower deck, etc, which is not included) also leaks. This is currently a non-issue as this tractor has been used primarily as a loader and does not come with any other implements, but still needed to be mentioned. As seen tractor also has weight box in back full of 1 thick steel plates. Tractor is in pretty good shape.
The whole thing has a light “haze” of green overspray, which will come off with some elbow grease. I took a buffer with 3m compound and it comes off to show a presentable factory white finish. With a bit of time, one could make this tractor really shine. The loader and bucket are in very nice condition cosmetically. The loader has been repainted and is very structurally sound.
Very little wear on the cutting edge whatsoever. It appears that the frame of the tractor has been gusseted with some steel plate where the loader is installed. To the best of my knowledge, this is one of the largest “garden tractors” ever made, and for reference have parked it beside my john deere 755 compact utility tractor. It’s about 80% of the size of the john deere cut. The list of attachments this tractor accepts is very large.
Everything from mowers to tillers to dozer blades to back hoe’s. It is a very stout little tractor. So to recap, this is a fully functional tractor and loader, but it will need some tlc…. If i were to keep it i would replace a few hoses (a few of the loader hoses are weather checked), replace or rechrome the lift/curl cylinders, tighten up the steering and put it to work!!!!! I always try my best to describe things how i would like them described to me if i were shopping long-distance or online.
With no guarantees or warranties. Item must be picked up in stillwater, mn.
The item “BOLENS HT23 COMPACT UTILITY GARDEN TRACTOR JOHNSON MODEL 10 LOADER” is in sale since Sunday, June 08, 2014. This item is in the category “Business & Industrial\Heavy Equipment\Tractors”. The seller is “scrambler73″ and is located in Stillwater, Minnesota. This item can’t be shipped, the buyer must pick up the item.
- Make: Bolens
- Model: HT23
- Fuel: Gas
- Engine Cylinders: 2
- Engine HP: 23
- Transmission: Hydrostatic
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