TRACTOR TRIVIA and other interesting stuff 6/25/2024

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Simplicity

 

William J. Niederkorn didn’t have a master plan to become a manufacturer of garden tractors, it just sort of happened that way.. He began work in 1907 as a bookkeeper for a foundry business named Turner Manufacturing and by 1911 he had worked himself up to Sales Manager. Turner began building gasoline engines around the turn of the century with the brand name of Simplicity and gained a reputation for engines with quality and long life.

Based on their success with portable engines Turner Manufacturing introduced their own tractor in in 1915. The Simplicity tractor became quite popular but the post World War One agricultural depression forced the liquidation of Turner in 1920.

Mr. Niederkorn bought the liquidated assets of Turner Mfg. Company along with the Simplicity name. He had a vision for a new product line, a portable cylinder boring and grinding machine. Simplicity Manufacturing was born and filled a previously unmet need. With his device worn truck and automobile engines could now be restored rather than replaced. With the onset of the great depression the popularity of Simplicity cylinder reconditioning equipment increased as did profits.

In 1936 the market for Simplicity’s product disappeared when major automakers began rebuilding engines, selling directly to car and truck owners. A new product line was needed and Montgomery Ward and Company wanted to offer its customers a garden tractor, opportunity knocked and Simplicity opened the door. The popularity of this product laid the foundation for Simplicity's long-term success. Not only did the company make money selling the garden tractors, their wide range of attachments produced by Simplicity, including a cultivator, plow, and sickle bar mower were very lucrative. In 1939 a "sulky attachment" (essentially two wheels and a simple seat) was introduced, converting the walker into a basic riding garden tractor. They developed a network of dealers all over the country to sell the “New Simplicity” line of yard and garden equipment.

Between 1941 and 1945 Simplicity Manufacturing temporarily halted production of lawn and garden products, and manufactured electric fence controllers and external surface grinders to support the World War Two defense effort.

The post-war baby boom and suburban lifestyle movement expanded the market for all garden tractor and lawn equipment companies.

Simplicity’s first riding lawn mower, the "Wonderboy" rear engine model joined the line in 1957 followed by their first four-wheel garden tractor, the 7 horsepower Wonderboy 700 in 1959. 

To avoid confusion with the rear engine models, this tractor became simply the 700 for 1960.  In 1961 a slightly more powerful engine was installed and it became the 7.25 horsepower 725. The 725, with yellow paint and minor sheet metal changes, became the Allis-Chalmers B-1.

In 1965 Simplicity sold to Allis-Chalmers Corporation for over $18 million. Simplicity's management bought the company back in 1983 and celebrated its 75th anniversary in 1997 with a special 75th anniversary tractor model. The tractor featured a special blue paint scheme with chrome Harley-Davidson lights and muffler.

Over the years, Simplicity has also built lawn and garden tractors for J.C. Penney, Montgomery Ward, Viking (part of Stihl), Homelite Corporation and Rapid. Hinomoto/Toyosha built some of the larger compact tractors sold as Simplicity, Deutz-Allis and Allis-Chalmers

After AGCO Corporation purchased Deutz-Allis from Deutz-Fahr and KHD, Simplicity took over building and selling the Deutz-Allis lawn equipment. The name was later changed to Agco-Allis, and then to AGCO to reflect the changes within the AGCO Corporation.

After AGCO purchased Massey Ferguson, Simplicity began building and selling the Massey Ferguson lawn equipment. Simplicity bought the Snapper company in 2002. Snapper had built Massey Ferguson lawn tractors many years before.

In 2004 Simplicity was purchased by Briggs and Stratton but remains in operation as Simplicity.

Now lets take al look back at what Simplicity didn’t produce that they should have.

In 1957 Simplicity toyed with our imagination by introducing an “Experimental lawnmower of the future — the Wonder Boy X-100. It could mow, weed, feed, seed, spray, vacuum the lawn, and plow snow, all the while keeping its operator in air-conditioned comfort. It had running lights and an onboard radio-telephone”