Farm Collector – March 2019

Sam Moore

Let’s Talk Rusty Iron

Dated 1941, the booklet thorough-ly describes the Handiman Jr. and

the All Purpose Handiman walk-behind machines, as well as the

4-wheeled Handiman R-T rid-

ing tractor. There was a price list from 1941 for Handiman trac-

tors and attachments, and even

a blank order form.

A size for every need

thus: “From the alert little Handi-Sears introduces the machines

Handiman R-T Riding Tractor, there man Jr. to the amazing new 4-wheel

is a power unit built to meet the

requirements of every truck gardener, orchardist and small-acreage farmer.

Besides plowing, preparing seed beds, planting, cultivating, spraying, mow-

ing, etc., a Handiman provides power

for dozens of belt jobs ... operating feed grinders, corn shellers, cream separators,

light plants, pumps, saws, concrete mix-

ers, lathes and other machine shop and belt-driven equipment.”

The Handiman Jr. was advertised as a

Triple-Purpose Unit, meant for garden work, mowing lawns, and cutting hay

and weeds, and was said to be “so easy to handle (that) any boy can do a good

job of cultivating.” It was powered by a

35

4

2

1

S

ome time ago, in an antique shop, I was rooting through a pile

of books, magazines and other “paper ephemera,” as it is called

by collectors. Occasionally, I find a real treasure at these places,

and this was one of those times. Among the old Motor flat rate

manuals and Hot Rod magazines was a 20-page sales brochure put

out by Sears, Roebuck & Co. for their line of Handiman tractors.

REDISCOVERING THE

Sears Handiman Line

8 March 2016 Farm Collector