700 or 725?

[thedaddycat]

What is the difference between the 700 and 725 tractors besides the .25 HP? Is the only way to tell them apart by looking at the engine numbers, assuming that the engine is original? My next project will be to "help" my kids as they tear apart and rebuild "Their" tractor from two I have around here.

[Roy]

Kirk, Don't know if this is correct or not but my 700 has a short steering column. The steering wheel just clears the hood. My 725 steering column is longer with more clearance between the wheel and hood. Hope this helps,

Roy

[ka9bxg]

The steering column is longer on some of the 700 and all of the 725.The wonderboy 700 all were short.Also I think that most of the 725 had the remote choke control.Bob

[thedaddycat]

Here are pics of the tractors I'm talking about. I did a little digging and found month and year of engine manufacture from this site, in the hope that I could more firmly establish what the tractors are. http://www.edgeta.org/mdate3.htm These are the two 725s that the kids are going to make their tractor from. The near one has the Briggs Model 19 D, Type 012402, Ser. 3950 made in August of 1963. The far one has the Briggs Model 19, Type 706054, Ser. 676884 made in December of 1962. Both have the longer steering column and remote choke cables. I'm using two "pickle forks" to try getting the steering wheel off the near one, they keep pressure on it while the PB Blaster does its thing. This is the original paint on the near one, the dealer's sticker is much faded and worn but visible below the headlight mounting hole in the hood. I think this tractor originally came from a dealer in Mass., but what's left of the sticker is hard to read The other looks to have been repainted at one time. Here is the Putt-Putt, my first early 60's vintage Simplicity tractor. Identified as a 700 here, http://www.simpletractors.com/gallery/second_life.htm , it had been (incorrectly?) badged as a 725 by the time I got it. Note the short steering column and lack of a remote choke. This tractor has the Briggs Model 19, Type 706047, Ser. 639185 that was made in September of 1961. It's even older than I thought, as I had mistakenly guessed it to be from 1963 by the serial number. I have the seat off so the kids can reach the brake pedal. They love driving it and I have to say it's the most fun of all my tractors due to the short wheelbase and tight steering radius.

[thedaddycat]

After looking at the tractors some more I have found one other difference between the Putt-Putt and the other two. The Putt-Putt has no pulley guard on the right fender, not even the bolt holes for one so it couldn't have been left off by a previous owner. The other two both have this guard in place. Now my question to all of you is this: Would it be a reasonable conclusion (based on what I've found) to make the determination that the Putt-Putt is a 700 rather than a 725? If so, does anyone have the correct hood badges for it? Thanks for your replies and all the help in determining the differences between the two.