Vintage Bolens Garden Tractors

The Heart and Soul of a Bolens Ride-A-Matic

It was the fall of 2005 when I acquired my 1961 Bolens Ride-A-Matic from my father. It was not a pretty
sight. I was a new collector of lawn and garden tractors, but I knew enough to know that a restoration
for this tractor was way over due. It was going to take a lot of time and effort to get this little gem back
to its once-pristine condition. With a little help and encouragement from my friends and my wife Stacia,
I decided to take the bull by the horns and undergo my first restoration.

I started the restoration by removing the engine, tearing it down and completely rebuilding it. It was
very worn and needed to be re-bored. The valve guides all had to be replaced, the crankshaft needed
polishing, and the valves also had to be ground back to specs. With the engine now running, the
remaining tear-down began.

I completely disassembled the tractor, sandblasting and priming each piece. The sheet metal was in pretty
good shape and only required a little straightening and minor bodywork. Once the bodywork was
completed, all parts were painted with a mixed-to- match the original paint Spiece Hecker base coat and
then a clear coat. Now that the painting was done, the reassembly began.

Freshly painted rims were fitted with new tires. The steering wheel was rebuilt using PC7 epoxy paste.
New wiring and battery cables were all custom-made. A new ignition switch, drive belts, chain and a
front axle pivot-pin and bushing were installed. With the assembly complete, the only thing left to do
was to paint the white on the grill and add decals. I purchased the decals from the Old Bolens Man, Hank
Watkins.

I enjoyed restoring the Bolens, which took me three years to complete. The biggest obstacle I
encountered was when I partially disassembled the engine for painting. I incorrectly installed the
governor and had to take the freshly painted engine back apart to fix the problem. I had a little difficulty
finding the new magneto and decals and am still missing a couple belt covers.

I have been collecting garden tractors since fall of 2005. My collection includes a Cub Cadet, Case, Sears,
Gravely and three other Bolens tractors. My favorite is the Ride-A-Matic because of the verse-a-matic
drive system. It features the veritable speed, which offers a speed for every job. I hope to eventually
restore all of my garden tractors. I also have a small collection of large antique farm tractors. My grandpa
Earl Smith sparked my interest in collecting. My dream is to restore one of those in loving memory of
him.

Editor's note: I met Zach and Stacia while at the Portland Indiana Tri-State Gas Engine and Tractor Show
in August 2008. It is a rare treat to see such a young couple radiate their kind of enthusiasm for the
garden tractor hobby. Stacia mentioned that she had been attending the Portland show since she was a
little girl. Her grandfather took her as a child. She continues the tradition by attending the show with
the men in her life…grandpa, dad and her husband Zach.