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Moline_guy
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Does anyone remember the company back in the 70's and 80's that advertised 3 wheelers in farm magazines. It seems to me they were Harold brand but i can't seem to find any information if they are still in business. I may be spelling the name wrong, but they were a red tube frame with bench seat and about 5' feet wide in the back. They used a 10hp briggs engine, belt drive, differential axle and chrome fenders. The neighbors had one when i was a kid and it would go close to 40mph down the road and would do a donut right on a gravel road. Neat simple machines, just trying to find out if they are still in business. I think they also made two wheelers with float tires on them. Thanks for any replies. | | [Log in to Reply][No Email] |
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02-26-2010 20:10:53
| | Re: Harold 3 wheelers? in reply to Moline_guy, 02-26-2010 15:23:54 |
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MPK
| | Re: Harold 3 wheelers? in reply to Moline_guy, 02-26-2010 15:23:54 |
I had a 2 wheeler that came in a kit. Would have been pretty nice except for the Tecumsey engine, which was very hard to start and keep running. Finally got tired of it and got rid of it.
It was called the Bronc from the Heald Co in Benton Harbor, Mi. |
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02-26-2010 19:38:11
| | Re: Harold 3 wheelers? in reply to Moline_guy, 02-26-2010 15:23:54 |
I had the Super Bronco in the 1970's. Dang thing had a rope start & it was a real pain yanking on it. I literally wore mine out on the farm and about 15 miles of road between home & a friends house. Dad & I put it together in the milk room, he noted I spent more time in the milk room that month than the rest of my youth combined. |
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02-26-2010 20:13:52
| | Re: Harold 3 wheelers? in reply to Stephen in SoKY, 02-26-2010 19:38:11 |
The neighbors that had one also were dairy farmers and used it to bring the cows in from pasture to milk. It worked well unless you crossed deep water, then the belt would get wet and slip, otherwise it was a good machine. My parents were thinking of getting the bronco for my sister and me to help chase cattle but ended up buying a 80cc yamaha dirt bike for about the same money from the local bike dealer. I think the bronco would have rode over the pasture holes and ruits easier than that little 80, but it was a good little bike too. | | [Log in to Reply][No Email] |
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02-26-2010 17:48:36
| | Re: Harold 3 wheelers? in reply to Moline_guy, 02-26-2010 15:23:54 |
Thanks fellas, didn't expect to get this much information on it, too bad they arent still producing, they seemed like a good solid machine if driven responsibly. |
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02-26-2010 16:54:07
| | Re: Harold 3 wheelers? in reply to larry@stinescorner, 02-26-2010 15:23:54 |
Hi Moline guy, I also have the bench seat and when the kids were home it was on the machine, but I like the single seat so that's whats on it now.
No the company is now gone, back in the early 90's when the 3 wheeler companies were being sued they (Heald) stopped building the 3 wheelers but continued with the 4 wheel heavy hauler until about 2000 when they sold the tooling/drawings to MTD (this is what I've learned. I would dearly love to an original 4 wheel heavy hauler they looked like a scaled down WWII jeep.
Many parts are available from Kimball Industries in Benton Harbor, MI.
GB in MN
PS I forgot the original company filed for bankruptcy about the time of the 3 wheeler suits.
This post was edited by MNGB at 16:56:37 02/26/10 2 times. | | [Log in to Reply][No Email] |
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02-26-2010 17:46:29
| | Re: Harold 3 wheelers? in reply to MNGB, 02-26-2010 16:54:07 |
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landlord7012
| | Re: Harold 3 wheelers? in reply to Moline_guy, 02-26-2010 15:23:54 |
This guy on a different site said he had assembly drawings, etc. if interested: claytoncastings@sidneyil.net Good luck,
Bill Vennilave vennilave tamil song. |
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02-26-2010 17:47:13
| | Re: Harold 3 wheelers? in reply to landlord7012, 02-26-2010 16:50:04 |
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MNGB
| | Re: Harold 3 wheelers? in reply to Fordfarmer, 02-26-2010 15:23:54 |
You maybe thinking of the Heald Kits they made 2 wheelers, 3 wheelers and 4 wheelers as posted they were kits and had many options. I purchased a 3 wheeler kit back in 1982 and still use it regularly replaced the Tecumseh engine many years about with a 11 hp Honda and completely restored it a couple of years ago. One thing that I really like about them is they have a differential so steering and turns are nice.
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02-26-2010 16:16:55
| | Re: Harold 3 wheelers? in reply to MNGB, 02-26-2010 16:09:12 |
Yep, thats the one, except theres had the bench seat. So i take it they aren't in business anymore, cant seem to find any dealers anyway?
Great looking machine, i sure would like to find one, might just have to build one. Thanks for the picture. |
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02-26-2010 18:16:01
| | Re: Harold 3 wheelers? in reply to Moline_guy, 02-26-2010 16:16:55 |
There is one on ebay now for $600 BIN price . Just search Heald. |
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02-26-2010 20:10:19
| | Re: Harold 3 wheelers? in reply to BillinCentralMo, 02-26-2010 18:16:01 |
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landlord7012
| | Re: Harold 3 wheelers? in reply to MNGB, 02-26-2010 16:09:12 |
SWEET - barstool is a nice touch too - lol |
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02-26-2010 16:01:31
| | Re: Harold 3 wheelers? in reply to Moline_guy, 02-26-2010 15:23:54 |
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rlVrx869aWY Super Bronco. Check this out, these dudes look like they could be YTMAGers LOL Good fun,
Bill |
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02-26-2010 15:58:57
| | Re: Harold 3 wheelers? in reply to Moline_guy, 02-26-2010 15:23:54 |
Got a buddy that told me a while back he got one of the 2 wheelers with the big tires . If I see him I ll find out the brand , may be the same company . I think he called it a Bronco but I could be way off . |
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02-26-2010 15:53:32
| | Carl Heald in reply to Moline_guy, 02-26-2010 15:23:54 |
Carl Heald (sp?). They were kits you ordered and assembled yourself. They had mini bikes and three wheelers and used turf size tires. That is so cool someone rememberd that! I think I even have literature I sent for as a kid. I wanted one SSSSOOOO bad! There were many options like you said - chrome fenders, bench seats, lighting, different engine sizes, etc. Good nastalgia,
Bill Flexisign 8 download. |
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02-26-2010 15:35:20
| | Re: Harold 3 wheelers? in reply to Moline_guy, 02-26-2010 15:23:54 |
no the name wasnt harold. bought one in 1980,cant remember the name right now.one thing i know is they flipped rather easy. |
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02-26-2010 15:39:41
| | Re: Harold 3 wheelers? in reply to twopop, 02-26-2010 15:35:20 |
The ones i am thinking of had a wide rear axle compared to ATV's today, atleast 5', they might have made narrower ones, or i was just a kid and they seemed wide at the time. Right or wrong 3 of us would ride beside each other on the seat. Lots of fun. |
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02-26-2010 15:55:03
| | Re: Harold 3 wheelers? in reply to Moline_guy, 02-26-2010 15:39:41 |
the back axle was as wide as the bench seat.my 7 and 10 year olds were hauling down the driveway with the 8 year old neighbor.wife was watching at the house.all of a sudden they were upside down..nobody got hurt bad. |
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02-26-2010 15:34:15
| | Re: Harold 3 wheelers? in reply to Moline_guy, 02-26-2010 15:23:54 |
I remember seeing the ads,but I don't rememeber who made them. Did Sears and Roebuck have something similar? Just something gnawing at the back of my mind saying they did. |
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02-26-2010 16:19:54
| | Re: Harold 3 wheelers? in reply to rrlund, 02-26-2010 15:34:15 |
A similar one was the Mud Bug, and I believe there's at least one other type that my foggy memory won't allow me to name at the moment. Got a Mud Bug setting out back of the house--horse traded an old air compressor for it years ago, but never got it running well enough to be worth using. They're considerably smaller than the Heald units, and my, um, shall we say, 'ample' frame doesn't fit it very well. | | [Log in to Reply][No Email] |
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02-26-2010 16:15:26
| | Re: Harold 3 wheelers? in reply to rrlund, 02-26-2010 15:34:15 |
I got one of these Heald Haulers from a guy at work a couple years ago and it's the handiest thing I ever drug out of shed and got running. Has a 16hp Briggs horizontal and a belt clutch system similar to snowmobiles of the 70's, 500 pound cargo capacity, dump box, lights, and this one came with a lift kit for the rear axle to raise it up and go down the rows and spray soybeans with. My wife and I use it for gardening, hauling wood, rocks, etc and also for just giving the grandaughter a ride. Heald also made minibikes, 3-wheel speedsters with no cargo bed, and later on 4 wheel versions. With the tricylce setup you have to be careful turning. | | [Log in to Reply][No Email] |
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