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Unofficial Home of Old Simplicity & Allis-Chalmers Garden Tractors

AC Loaders


MikeH

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Asked my Simplicity dealer about availability of parts for a frontend loader. He said the AC loaders were not Simplicity and that AC had them made by some other company. He also told me that AC only owned Simplicity for two years. Can anyone confirm or dispute this information. Tim
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Tim,
I don't know about the loaders, but the following is quoted from the corporate history on Simplicity Manufacturing, Inc.'s home page (a highly revered link from this site).

"Simplicity operated as an independent company until 1965 when it was purchased by the Allis-Chalmers Corporation.
Allis-Chalmers sold Simplicity in March 1983 to members of Simplicity management and the Wesray Corporation, an
investment group."
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My Father-in-law had a Mini Moline Garden tractor with a loader made by I believe it was DICO. Don't quote me on that but I think that was right.
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The loaders for the AC 616, 620 and 720 were made by a company called ARK. They are now out of business.

Kraig
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Tim, I believe loader was made for AC by Johnson Co. I'll check with my "mentor" locally here who knows all that info. Simplicity's ownership group [private Co.-no stock offered] is based in Mt. Kisco,NY about 30 mi. form me. So you keep after the manufact. end Mr. O and I'll tell the owners what the're doing wrong! dlc
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The loaders and the forklift attachment for AC garden tractors were made by the Henry Mfg. Co. of Topeka, KS. Henry also made the backhoes for AC Industrial tractors. AC bought Henry in the late 1960's. In the early 1980's AC sold the Topeka plant to a firm in Minneapolis, MN of which I know nothing about.
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I have a 1974 siplicity 4041 with a danco front end loader made by danuser machine works, they now make post hole diggers. bill
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There is a very good chance your loader is a Johnson, as they were listed as allied equipment.
As to Simplicity ownership, I believe AC bought them in about 65, this ended the Montgomery Ward connection. Then the Federal Gov't. filed a restraint of trade lawsuit against them because they feared a monopoly, this dragged on until AC set up a new plant down south for the 300 and 400 series to deal with this. In ablou 74 the gov't dropped the lawsuit. and AC dropped the 300 400 project and whent back to Port Washington. In the mid 80s AC had financial problems due to the farm crises an sold Simplicity to a holding company in New York headed by William Simon, who was Sec of Treassury under Nixon. This is when the: "An Allis Chalmers Company", disappeared off of the decals and literature. This co also owned Aircap, Hence the Aircap walk mowers in the line for a couple of years. Then an ESOP was formed and the employees owned all of Simplicity. A portion was sold of about the time they bought Baker Shredders and Middlesworth Co. I don't know all of the exact dates, but this is a general chronalogy of the events. I have been a dealer for about 20 years, and we were discussing this lawsuit thing at our table with some of the factory execs. at the 75 th anniversary celebration. That is what I was told when I asked why AC went off on the 300/400 kick.
Hope somebody else can fill in some more info.
Thanks, Al
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