Farm equip makers snowmobile attempts

blinwmiaol.com · Jan 12, 2010

Was just wondering beside Deere and Massey, was there any other farm equipment full lines that tried the snowmobile market years ago? Deeres are extrememly common around here. The county I grew up in had several small Massey dealers so there are still a few Massey sleds that show up every year.

RayP(MI) · Jan 13, 2010

Can't quite remember any others, but did you know that JD entered the bicycle market for a while too - mid '70s? Father-in-law had a Massey snowmobile. As I remember it wasn't a bad machine. Faster than it ought to have been for the engine it had. Kept right up with some of the premium machines of the time.

blinwmiaol.com · Jan 13, 2010

Deere has been in the bicycle market three times in its history. Once back in the early 1900s, the late 60s- early 70s and today.

Michael Soldan · Jan 13, 2010

..I have six Massey Ski Whiz that I accumulated over the years. I could probably have five of them working with a bit of clean up and a carb kit. Don't know of any tractor company machines other than you mentioned. Harley Davidson built snowmobiles..expensive and not real popular. There were hundreds of companies that built machines and then disappeared..Rupp, Ski Roule, Motoski,OMC,etc etc.....

Michael Soldan · Jan 13, 2010

Massey Harris built bicycles around the turn of the century(1900)..a neighbour who collected Massey Harris had one, it sold at his estate auction for $3250...I was on the wagon holding up stuff for the auctioneer along with another neighbour and we couldn't believe what we were hearing as the bids kept jumping higher and higher...$3250 for an old bicycle that didn't appear to be anything special.

rrlund · Jan 13, 2010

On that,I read one time that if you find a blue John Deere bicycle,grab it. That was the least used color and worth some big bucks.

rrlund · Jan 13, 2010

Might be neat to make your own Cub Cadet snowmobile or something though wouldn't it. Fool your friends and neighbors.
There was a Gilson snowmobile and they made garden tractors,but that would be about as close to a tractor manufacturer that I can remember.

Anonymous-0 · Jan 13, 2010

2 pedals evolved into 2 cylinders. Maybe that's where the, "I think I can, I think I can" sound reference came from for the 2 cylinder engines? LoL Like someone trying to pedal up a hill. Dave

730 virgil · Jan 13, 2010

i think another lawn mower company built a snowmobile name of arhrens( not sure of spelling)
they might have been bought out by simplicity

wijim · Jan 13, 2010

we had two john deere trailfires when i was kid, I have a JD 10 speed bike like new got when I was 14 now Im 47. jim

Don-Wi · Jan 13, 2010

Think you're talking about ariens. Still around and a large manuafacutrer of lawn & garden equipment.

Don't think they ever made a snow mobile, but I could be wrong.

They're only a few miles from my place.

Donovan from Wisconsin

landlord7012 · Jan 14, 2010

Yep, Ariens made sleds in the late 60's and early 70's. Ugly as sin (looked like headlightsw on an orange barn door) like a bunch of other machines from that day but hey EVERYBODY was doin' it! I believe Ariens primary focus now is lawncare equipment. Simplicity did not buy them out but they did buy rights to Gravely a while back.

I did some research on sleds built by/for tractor companies and didn't come up with much more than what you guys have here. I was surprised how invested Deere really was in the sport in the 70's and 80's. You should see the fashion statements they made with winter apparel. All you John Deere guys would blush! lol

Good nestalgia,
Bill

Farm equip makers snowmobile attempts

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