Les, More on Homelite History

[SmilinSam]

Just found a date on the ad at: [url]http://www.simpletractors.com/homelite/introduction.htm[/url] [img]http://www.simpletractors.com/images/homelite/AC_T16_ad_small.jpg[/img] This is from the April 1974 issue of Field & Stream magazine. That puts Allis Built Homelite production into mid 1974.But, if they closed the Lexinton plant when you say they did , where were they being made at? I have a early parts manual for the 700 series AC's thats dated October, 1974. So there is a 5 month window where somewhere therin the AC Homelites ended and the Simplicity ones likely began.

[Waterman]

Sam, Just to add to data set, my owner's manual for my AC720 (form 1651529) has a rev date of 9/74. That moves it up one more month, unless it was pre-dated. john

[PhanDad]

A possibility - They could have built a bunch and had them in inventory for shipment to dealers after the manufacturing plant closed.

[SmilinSam]

quote:

---

Originally posted by PhanDad
A possibility - They could have built a bunch and had them in inventory for shipment to dealers after the manufacturing plant closed.

---

Well, between that deate Les says the plant closed and the 1974 model year there were several frame changes and axle changes that would have required some re-tooling and I can't see where they could justify spending money on re -tooling then immediately closing the plant and stopping production. Also the hitch points on all the implements were changed as well in this time period.

[Les]

It seems that anything with a factory Briggs engine is easily dated by the serial number. Also, it appears that most of the Homelite parts were bought from outside suppliers so they could have been assembled anywhere. Do we even know for sure that AC/Simplicity even built the first blue Homelites? All I know is what I hear and what I can assume. If you remeber the earlier history sections I stated that I ASSUMED that the Homelites were built at Lexington because some of the parts were the same as the AC 300/400 series. This is not proof, especially if those common parts were bought from outside contractors. Writing this kind of history is tough because we really don't know what went on in Lexington, South Carolina 30 years ago. Any police officer will tell you that an eye witness is often the most inaccurate source of information. Also, the April Issue of a magazine was probably printed at least two months prior to April, possibly three months.