Customs

Vintage Sears Garden Tractors

The Custom style tractor first appeared in the 1964 catalog as the Custom 600. It remained in the Sears line-up for many years to
come. The Custom can be identified by its flat axle and lack of a channel type frame mount for attachments. The tractor's hood is
lower to the ground compared to the Suburban tractors as a result of this design. The hood height of a '71 Suburban 12 was 39.5
inches, the Custom 10 XL of the same year was 35 inches high. While the Custom gave up 67 lbs. to the Suburban, the wheel base
was less than half an inch longer on the Suburban of the same year.

The Customs had a mower deck that was driven in the center by a belt coming down from the engine. The power was transmitted to
the blades by shaft, with two gearboxes being used to provide the 90-degree turn needed for the blade shafts. Some of these decks
were made of cast aluminum.

These tractors had a rear "drawbar" for mounting a 3-point hitch just like the Suburbans. The tractors could not be fitted with the same
front mounted attachments as the Suburbans however because of the different frame/axle. Nor could they be fitted with a front loader,
or sickle bar mower. There was a snow blade, rotary snowplow (snow blower) and special 8 inch turning plow made for the tractors.

Most of the later Customs had the 8-speed "hi-lo" transmission like the Suburban. The older Customs and entry level "Compact"
tractors had the three or four speed boxes. The Custom got the designation of "ST", just like the rest of the Sears line, in 1973. Along
with the new title came the yellow and white paint scheme and new grill.

After being absent for a couple of years, the ST 10 returned in 1976, only to be replaced the next year by a line of tractors in 1977 that
more closely resembled the more modern, Murray inspired machines. Even though the post 1976 machines are not Customs in the true
sense, they were intended to replace that series and some were made by Roper, so I will include them here as time allows.

1964 Custom 600    View 2     View 3

1965 Custom 6   View 2

1965 Craftsman Semi-Commercial

1966 Custom 6     View 2

1967 Custom 6    View 2   View 3   View 4

1968 Custom 7 Manual    View 2

1968 Custom 7 Electric     View 2    View 3

1968 Custom 10 XL    View 2

1969 Custom 7 Manual

1969 Custom 7

1969 Custom 10 XL

1970 Compact 7

1970 Custom 7 Manual

1970 Custom 7 Electric

1970 Custom 10 XL     View 2

1971 Compact 7

1971 Custom 8 Manual

1971 Custom 8 Electric

1971 Custom 10 XL

1972 Compact 7     View 2

1972 Compact 8 Manual

1972 Compact 8 Electric

1972 Custom 10 XL    View 2    View 3

1973 ST 10   View 2    View 3

1976 ST 10

1977 10-6

1977 12/6

1977 14/6

1978/1979 11 Varidrive

1978/1979 14 Varidrive

1979 16 Varidrive

917.99550 Recoil        917.99510 Electric

917.99520 Recoil        917.99530 Electric

917.8360 Recoil          917.8370 Electric

917.99800 Recoil        917.99820 Electric

917.25010 Recoil        917.25020 Electric

917.25220

917.25230

917.25260

917.25430

917.25440

917.25420

917.25480

917.25450

917.25460

917.25470

917.25290

917.25570

917.25580

917.25590

917.25290

917.25030

917.25040

917.25060

917.25720

917.25920

917.25140

917.25150

917.25160

917.257020

917.257030

917.257090

Note that the original Sears images hosted on this
site are intended to be used for educational or
reference purposes only. Owners of Sears
tractors often are interested in what
year their tractor was manufactured. Also of
interest to owners are the color
schemes and decals originally applied to the
tractors. It is the hope of the owner of
this site that the images may be of use to those
interested in restoring their tractors
to their original condition or who are merely
curious as to when they were made.
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