history

BUSH HOG CORPORATION BOUGHT OUT SHAW MANUFACTURING IN GALESBURG, KS AROUND THE END OF 1962 FOR THE PURPOSE OF BUILDING A HEAVY DUTY RIDING/GARDEN TRACTOR.  SHAW MANUFACTURING WAS OWNED BY MR SHAW WHO WAS AROUND 80 YEARS OLD AT THAT TIME. HE HAD BEEN MAKING TRACTORS, CARS, MOTORIZED BIKES, SINCE 1895. THE SHAW DU-ALL WAS MADE IN THIS FACTORY. FROM WHAT I CAN GATHER, HE WAS ONE UNBELIEVABLY TALENTED MAN WHO LOVED HIS COMMUNITY. ONE OF ASPECTS OF THE SALE HE NEGOTIATED WAS THAT THE PRODUCTION HAD TO STAY IN THE TOWN OF GALESBURG, KS. THAT I AM AWARE OF, NO GARDEN TRACTORS WERE EVER BUILT IN SELMA, AL. ALL WOULD HAVE BEEN BUILT IN GALESBURG, KS. 

NOTE OF INTEREST- I AM NOT SURE WHICH MR POND IT WAS, BUT A MR POND WAS HIRED TO SET UP THE SHAW MANUFACTURING PLANT TO MAKE THE BUSH HOG GARDEN TRACTORS. I AM GUESSING IT COULD HAVE BEEN ONE OF THE PONDS THAT STARTED WHEEL HORSE OR SPEEDEX. IF ANYONE CAN CONFIRM THIS PLEASE LET ME KNOW.

THE FIRST BUSH HOG MODEL TO BE PRODUCED IN GALESBURG WAS THE T-63. PRODUCTION WOULD PROBABLY HAVE STARTED LATE 1962 TO FIRST OF 1963. THESE GT'S WERE GEAR DRIVEN. UNIQUE IN ITS DAY SINCE MOST GT'S BEING BUILT AT THAT TIME WERE BELT DRIVEN. (KEEP IN MIND THE MATERIAL THE BELTS WERE MADE OF IN THE 1960'S WERE PRETTY MUCH RUBBER AND WERE PRONE TO BREAKING) THIS RIDING TRACTOR FEATURED A WISCONSIN S7D MOTOR, WITH A AUTOMOTIVE STYLE CLUTCH, WITH A DRIVE SHAFT THAT ATTACHED TO A RING AND PINION REAR END. THESE WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN CHEAP GT'S. THE SUGGESTED RETAIL OF THIS TRACTOR WAS AROUND $675 FOR AN ELECTRIC START MODEL. SUGGESTED RETAIL FOR A 32' MOWER DECK WAS $90 AND HEADLIGHTS WERE AN OPTION AT $20. SUGGESTED RETAIL WAS ALMOST $800 IN 1963!! THE NEXT MODELS AVAILABLE WERE VARIABLE DRIVE MODELS (BELT DRIVEN) V4-7 AND V4-6.  THESE RIDING TRACTORS HAD PEERLESS TRANSMISSIONS AND HAD EITHER A TECUMSEH OR WISCONSIN MOTOR. I SUSPECT THE REASON FOR BUILDING THESE MODELS WAS IN ANSWER TO THE MARKET WANTING A LOWER PRICED VERSION. THESE V-SERIES TRACTORS HAD SUGGESTED RETAILS RANGING FROM $500 TO $590 PLUS MOWER DECK, ETC.

(MORE TO COME ON THE HISTORY)

BUSH HOG CONTINUED TO PRODUCE THESE GARDEN TRACTORS TILL AROUND 1972 WHEN THEY STOPPED PRODUCTION. THERE IS A CHANCE YOUR TRACTOR MAY HAVE BEEN BOUGHT FROM A DEALER LATER THAN 1972, BUT MOST LIKELY IT WAS A MODEL THAT HAD BEEN SITTING ON THE FLOOR FOR A LONG TIME.   

PLEASE NOTE- BUSH HOG MODELS ARE REALLY NOT DESIGNATED BY YEAR. I DO NOT SEE WHERE THERE WERE ANY MAJOR CHANGES OR WAYS TO CONFIRM EXACT MODELS BY YEAR EXCEPT BY THE MOTOR BUILD DATE. KEEP IN MIND, THE NUMBERS FOR SOME OF THESE MODELS WERE VERY SMALL, SO THERE PROBABLY WAS NO REASON TO DESIGNATE THEM BY YEAR, JUST BY MODEL NUMBER WOULD HAVE BEEN SUFFICIENT.

AT THIS POINT I AM GOING TO LIST THE MODELS MADE AND WHEN THEY WERE LISTED ON THEIR DEALER PRICE LISTS- THIS WILL GIVE YOU A PRETTY GOOD IDEA OF THE YEARS EACH MODEL WERE PRODUCED. I AM STILL GATHERING INFORMATION, SO THIS PAGE WILL 

CONTINUE TO CHANGE AND IMPROVE:

PRICE LIST LINE UP NOVEMBER 15, 1962

TR-63, TE-63  (ROPE OR ELECTRIC START) 

PRICE LIST LINE UP JANUARY 1, 1965

TR-63, TE-63, VR4-7, VE4-7, VR4-6, VE4-6, VR3-6, VE3-6

PRICE LIST LINE UP OCTOBER 1, 1966

HD-10, D4-10, D4-7, VR4-7, VE4-7, VR4-6, VE4-6, VR3-6, VE3-6

PRICE LIST SUPPLEMENT JULY 7, 1967

HD-12

PRICE LIST LINE UP DECEMBER 1, 1967

HD-12, HW-12, D4-10, D4-7, VE4-7, VE4-6

PRICE LIST LINE UP NOVEMBER 15, 1968

JAVALINA 14, JAVALINA 12, D4-10, VE4-8

PRICE LIST LINE UP JANUARY 1, 1969

JV-14, JV-12, D4-10, VE4-8

PRICE LIST LINE UP MARCH 21ST

JV-14, JV-12, D4-10, VE4-8

PRICE LIST LINE UP JANUARY 15, 1971

JB-1, JB-2, D4-12, D4-10, V4-10, V4-8

DISCLAIMER- ALL OF THIS INFORMATION IS PROVIDED AS A SERVICE. I CAN NOT VERIFY ITS AUTHENTICITY TO BE 100% CORRECT, I PRESENT THIS INFORMATION FOR YOU TO USE AS A GUIDELINE. I AM NOT AFFILIATED WITH THE BUSH HOG CORPORATION- JUST AN INDIVIDUAL WHO ENJOYS COLLECTING THESE FINE GARDEN TRACTORS.