[Uncle Jaque]

I'm thinking about checking out this little '92 Simp today to take care of our half acre lawn now that my legs are too far gone to push mow it any more:

Simplicity Lawn Tractor

He's the original owner and it seems to have been parked indoors for the most part.

Can you still get parts for these tractors?

On these "splash" lube engines, which side of the engine do you want to have on the down-hill side when mowing along a slope?

 

[Mark / Ohio]

That's a nice looking tractor for it's age!

I punched in the model number on one of the internet parts sites. You can look through the various parts shown there and that will give some idea what parts are still available for it.

Parts and Diagrams for Simplicity 1691444 - 4212/12LT, 12HP Gear and 36" Rotary Mower

In the splash lubes I don't really think it makes much of a difference which side you head down slope. If I recall correctly the oil slinger is on the connecting rod bearing bolts on the crankshaft which places it in virtually the center of the engine. So too much tilt in any direction and it will go dry.

That price might not be too bad. I found another one listed on Machine Finder for $500 but no picture was shown. Obviously you'll want to operationally check it out. Make sure the engine sounds good without a bunch of smoke and the transmission shifts and does not jump out of gear. Also listen to the mower deck running for noisy bearings or excessive vibrations. Stuff like that which could indicate a problem needing fixed in the near term.

Just keep in mind no matter how good it looks, drives, and sounds it is still a 20 year old tractor with 20 years of mechanical wear and tear both due to use and the passage of time underneath.