Ride-A-Matic! Ya got to love a name like that. What does it mean? I don’t have any idea but it sounds like progress. Of course the fact that it’s a Super makes it even better. If it makes you think of tail fins and drive in movies that’s because the Ride-A-Matic models were in production from 1955 until 1962.
The Ride-A-Matic version was manufactured from 1955 through 1956. This one is a Type 21HD 01 with a serial number of 32251 which I understand, makes it a Super model equipped with a power upgrade to a Kohler K160 engine.
The Super Ride-A-Matic was introduced in 1957 and manufactured until it was superseded by the Bolens Husky 600 in 1962. The Kohler engine was an air cooled, single cylinder with a bore of 2.875” and a stroke of 2.5” that produced 6.6 horsepower.
All those horses were herded through a belt driven CVT variable drive pulley controlled by a six position lever for six forward speeds plus reverse. Forward speeds ranged from ½ mph to six and one half miles per hour. Reverse was ½ to two mph.
Other vital statistics include: wheelbase 41 ½ “, height 37”, width 30 ½” , length 61 ½”, crop clearance 9”, rear tread 24 ½”, front 25 ½”, weight 460 pounds, turning radius 4 ½ feet, fuel tank capacity 1 gallon.
Bolens supplied a generous selection of optional accessories. For the gardener: an 8 inch plow, a six tool cultivator, an 8 blade disc harrow. They also offered a general purpose tow cart.
If you were a lawn ranger, you had even more toys to choose from. Bolens offered a 30” lawn aerator, and a 32” lawn roller. There were 3 gang reel mowers, a 30” front mount mower deck, a 44” sickle bar mower, a 30” reel mower and a 36” center mount mow deck. You could buy a 28” seeder / fertilizer, a 32” lawn sweeper, a 42” rotary brush and a 42” grader blade. If you had the money, you could order your own 25” sno-caster.
The Ride-A-Matic shown here was at the 2020 Foothills Antique Power Association of NC. Show in Newton, NC. I believe I know who the owners are, but since there was no information displayed, I’ll just leave it as unknown.
Sources:
www.wheelhorseforum.com
https://gardentractortalk.com
www.tractordata.com
www.simplicityva.com/bolens/rideamatic1.html
https://tractors.fandom.com/wiki/fmc_corporation
