WILL IT RUN??? Sears HANDIMAN RT Garden Tractor Model ZZ Briggs and Stratton engine

Here we make a sad attempt at reviving the Sears Handiman garden tractor 
I’m Ross aka “The Oliver Man”. I farm with Oliver and White tractors here in beautiful Southern IN. I have over 30 Oliver and White Tractors in my collection (plus a few other colors). Please Like and Subscribe for more Oliver and White Videos!
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Thanks for Watching!!!
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[@paulprillwitz9901]

All I can say this is something a little different 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻

[@rosstheoliverman]

Thanks Paul!

[@jasonandholliehuffman8291]

👍👍 Fingernail file is handy for filing points.

[@rosstheoliverman]

You know, I bought a whole pack of those and I can’t find them back. I thought of that the other day while I was doing this.

[@tractorjunkco9431]

I have a 1939 sears handyman myself. Made 1939 to mid 1940 they were a sears walker with a front-end fabricated to the front and were sears first 4 wheel tractor. Looks like your missing a hood from what i can tell, but thats common with the RT since they were notorious for overheating the motor since the hood didn't let air flow well. The engine is a Briggs&Stratton model zz 6hp-8hp and the tractor is a 2 speed with a reverse. Ours is also a flatbelt drive so someone changed yours. They also only made around 4 attachments for the handyman. Cultivators, single bottom plow, gang mowers, rear wheel weights. Send me a pm if you need any photos to complete yours.

[@rosstheoliverman]

Thanks for the info!!

[@DonWelter]

Always up to the challenge of turning non-runners into runners!!!

[@rosstheoliverman]

Air cooled engines seem to be more of a headache for some reason.

[@Nick-tz2vl]

Hey Ross, It might be a trip for you but a worthy one, you should come to the NY pageant of steam in August in Canandaigua NY. It's featured Oliver and hartparr this year.

[@rosstheoliverman]

I know, I wish I could make it but that’s pretty far.

[@justinblain928]

You need an electric drill with a socket that fits the nut on the pull start end. Screw that rope wrap till you get it right

[@rosstheoliverman]

I tried that off camera and about broke my arm. This engine is just too big for that trick

[@justinblain928]

@@rosstheoliverman i figured with the lower compression ratio of the smaller engine of that era it would have been fine. I do that on model 19 Briggs engines when I’m testing. That’s crazy

[@Offthehooktowing]

I always wanted one of those. I have no real use for it, just thought they were cool!

[@thomasr.miller5553]

These old motors tend to have weak coils. If your a mind to you can get a belt type starter generator off an old mower and use a standard coil with a battery and switch . POS + to points . Neg -- to coil ... just like on a tractor. Thanks

[@rosstheoliverman]

That is my next plan. On my handiman walk behind that’s the same avenue I had to arrive at. Those coils are just too weak.

[@waggtech4883]

Even the mockingbird showed up early in this one! Sounds like it was vocal about your new tractor…

[@rosstheoliverman]

That’s one thing I notice when I’m editing the footage, you can hear the birds singing in the background. Kind of nice.

[@jonathancrissinger2301]

That is a nice looking old tractor. Looks like something I would enjoy working on. I have several old garden tractors I've been tinkering with. It's amazing how inexpensive some of the carbs are.

[@rosstheoliverman]

There’s a lot of stuff you can get off at the jungle store pretty reasonably

[@michaelsheeder148]

Ross hopefully that new chinesium carburetor will do the trick 😉 thanks Michael

[@rosstheoliverman]

Thanks Michael!

[@philipalanparish65]

My cure all,soak it in cider 😂😂

[@rosstheoliverman]

🤣🤣🤣 that reminds me of a joke, but I can’t tell it here 🤣🤣🤣

[@darweb3417]

Dad built a small, garden style, tractor to work the garden and pull kid filled wagons around the yard. It was this size, and I remember well. But don't remember the engine manufacturer.

[@rosstheoliverman]

Cool! There was a lot of home built tractors like that in the day. It’s neat to see how everybody built their own.

[@johnstanley1689]

You can fix anything!!

[@rosstheoliverman]

🤣 thanks John!!

[@bigun447]

When you get it running and drive it, just remember it is set up with a dingusremovest drive system. Nice antique. Would be great if you could find a plow, cultivator, and single-row planter that were available for it. I kept saying to use a 1/2" drill to wind that beast up.

[@rosstheoliverman]

Thanks Gary! I tried the drill trick and about broke my arm off camera. I was so aggravated I deleted that footage. I think this engine is too big for that trick.

[@johnziegler3695]

It's just got to run I wanna see you riding it. Lol

[@rosstheoliverman]

I might be over the weight capacity of this thing 🤣🤣🤣

[@larryfrey1283]

Sometimes filling the points is just enough to improve the spark and get it going again

[@rosstheoliverman]

I think the coil is just too weak on this thing. You’ll see in the next installment it just doesn’t quite have enough to run.

[@markflick1641]

Put a Dewalt on the flywheel to turn it over , good luck and God Bless

[@steveschumacher5470]

if you get that flywheel too tight on a tapered shaft it will split, ask me how I know

[@rosstheoliverman]

Thanks Mark!

[@brianhayes7618]

Spin it with your impact the heck with the rope pulling

[@rosstheoliverman]

I tried that, I was afraid I was gonna break the end of the crank off

[@davekelley8520]

Use the drill belt to another motor so as to not pull

[@rosstheoliverman]

I thought about using an electric motor. I may have to do that

[@brianhartley4534]

Put ya a socked on a good drill there's ya a starter

[@rosstheoliverman]

I tried that off camera and about broke my arm. Apparently this motor is too big for that trick 🤣

[@mjbirdClavdivs]

Well others told of the drill as electric starter trick. But I think you really should solder the spark plug wire on. First, wrap the coil body with painter's tape. Wrap a piece of electrical solder around the wire on that staple, and melt it with your gas torch.

[@rosstheoliverman]

I think my next step is going to be trying to run it off a battery and coil. I have another one of these ZZ Briggs and the coils are just not strong enough anymore. Part two is basically installing the carburetor and not getting any farther than that so I guess part three will be hopefully the running part 🤣

[@jackmanatee3162]

Did the old feller have all his fingers?

[@rosstheoliverman]

I never met him, so I can’t tell you that 🤣

[@davidgasser1096]

They like autolite 386 spark plugs

[@markhicks9545]

Good old breaks and scrap em

[@rosstheoliverman]

I hate to see it go to the scrap if I can help it, but my patience for it is quickly fading 🤣

[@stephenheyes4324]

Something different

[@rosstheoliverman]

Yes it is. Thanks Stephen!

[@travisstrader7722]

Just don’t try to start it using an impact! Ask me how I know lol

[@rosstheoliverman]

I tried that off camera. That’s a dangerous game waiting to happen 🤣

[@steveschumacher5470]

I say pull the rope till your blue, you might look better as a smurf

[@rosstheoliverman]

🤣🤣🤣

[@tomharrington1393]

👍👍👨‍🔧

[@rosstheoliverman]

Thanks Tom!

[@Eli-lb7em]

That’s neat machine. I hate those little Briggs and scrap irons.

[@rosstheoliverman]

The older Briggs just aren’t as reliable as the later stuff

[@MikeJensen-wo7oh]

Should have waited 6 months, could have done a 'cold start' video!

[@rosstheoliverman]

🤣🤣🤣

[@keithtyson6457]

Harbor freight $99 special engine will get it running

[@rosstheoliverman]

Yeah, but then it wouldn’t be original

[@bigun447]

@@rosstheoliverman I think the suggestion was to use another small engine as a pony engine.

[@user-rn3rd9gc8x]

but we cannot let this we've never allowed any crisis from a civil war straight through to a pandemic

[@rosstheoliverman]

We have nothing to fear but fear itself. And also JB

[@user-rn3rd9gc8x]

@@rosstheoliverman they where men at the time, all good men

[@tomlallman8772]

Put a drill on it

[@rosstheoliverman]

I tried that…bad things happened. This motor is a little too big for that trick

[@dannyanderson3359]

Just a suggestion. But if you dislike working on small engines so much, then don't make a complaining video about one. Waste of time

[@rosstheoliverman]

Absolutely. I wasted my time and you wasted yours writing this! I guess we all do stuff like that.