New guy with Oddball Craftsman looking for ideas

Hi there!

Youtube sent me.. lol   I've been lurking around there watching builds and whatnot for a while, trying to get ideas for this Craftsman that fell in to my lap. I've not done a build before, and I was hoping to see somebody else with this exact machine, so maybe I could see what the possibilities are for it. It's fairly large, tall and heavy, though not quite as heavy as my JD 316...  Not too sure about stability for mudding or crawling yet, but it certainly does have the ground clearance. I DO know it's not going to be a racing machine lol. Might try to make a pulling machine out of it. Just seems too tall and narrow for anything else. Time will tell. What would you do?

I'm also trying to figure out what this thing is, like, does it have a model name? I see folks talking about GT 1000's, 5000's etc, and wonder what this one is called. I don't want to always be saying "I've got a Craftsman 917.273blahblah " There's no other labeling on the machine besides it's features. Looking up the model number on Sears gives me the manual, parts lists whatnot but no other name for the machine. It's got a solid steel or iron front end, like my JD. Also has the 3-speed Hi/Low tranny, and a beefy frame.

All I've done so far was stab the plow, chains and rear light on to it. Also loaded the rear tires because my 300lbs apparently wasn't enough this winter.... (haven't locked the rear-end)

Ehh, gt6000 maybe? Not sure, its a newer GT though, awesome base for modding. Big reliable V-twin power and a peerless 633 rear axle, witch is very strong.

What are you planning on doing as far as modifications? Utility builds are getting more popular and more innovative. Plenty of ideas in any of the build threads here.

Looks to be a pretty stout machine you have there! Those who know me, know I'm all about utility machines- and that looks like a good candidate to me. Beefy tires, locked, carry rack, winch, lighting, hitch, etc... etc... etc...

but that's just me.

Baja craftsman???

Well my welding skills are just budding, so as much as I can bolt on will be where I start. I certainly like the utility builds I've been watching (Doc, looking in your direction). I have 32 +/- acres here to play around with/maintain. I need to harvest trees and process firewood, haul my splitter around, and probably haul other materials as well to maintain the driveways. If nobody uses the barn this summer, I've got some field mowing/brush-hogging to contend with. Winter time brings a whole 'nother set of uses. Probably would add more lighting, hitches, a winch or two, an alternator just for jolts, cargo racks, lots of extra weight for traction and would like to make an enclosure (cab) for the winter. So far, with plowing and hauling stuff as much as I have, I haven't really used any gear other than third-high, so I'm thinking a nice pulley swap is in order so I can at least play with a little speed and use low range for work (would make it right around where high currently is). I'm leaning towards the "Moose-Method" for locking the rear-end because I want to be as least-destructive as I can be in case I decide to sell the tranny later ( I guess these are fairly desirable?). I've got a few other ideas for winter utility, but I'll have to get much better at welding and fabricating. I'll get there. I'm a fast learner. SO that's where I'm headed with a utility build. Yeah, I know. About the same thing everybody else does, but it'll be fun to learn for me, since I've never done a build before. Hell, I never even had a riding mower around when I was growing up... Push mowers all the way. No sleds, no ATV's, no fun.

That being said, one of my customers is the owner of the drag sled/weight trailer/whatever it's called that is used locally for (garden) tractor pulls. We got to talking the other day and now I've got this itch in me. It's something I've never done. Kinda feeling like this machine is a good base for that route, being it's quite robust already. Besides, I've also got the John Deere 316 (18hp Onan) with a 49 Snowthrower already for the winter and that tractor was used for all the firewood needs last year. There are certainly ways it could have been better, but it got the job done. I plan to do more this year, but I'm not going to be modifying the JD.. want to keep it stock ('cept for lighting). I have a commercial hydro Toro Proline walkbehind with a sulky that I mow the lawn with, (I bought it to help out my boss, as we were down a machine and he was short of cash at the time, but it proved to be too small being only a 44" deck, so I just brought it home) and could do the fields if I was careful, but that's an expensive machine so I don't really want to beat it up. Plus it would take forever. I don't really want to beat up the JD either. SO that leans me back towards building out the Craftsman.

Decisions, decisions.

Also, from everything I've seen/read about the 3-speed Hi/Lows, everybody calls them a Peerless 633. When I look at the Tecumseh/Peerless manuals, in the section about identifying models, the 600 series looks nothing like it. The 3 speed hi/low LOOKS closer to the 1200 and 2300 series (though in the descriptions, they too are clearly different in gears, shift patterns and whatnot). The 600 series is a much smaller unit and is in a completely different shape as well as everything else. The 3 speed Hi/Low tranny is not described anywhere in any of the several pdf's I've looked at (old and newer). I'm not doubting anybody, I'm just confused as to why/how they can be identified as a 633. Can anybody link some documentation? (other than a link to Sears Parts Website.)

Also, this is the tag on my transmission. I've googled everything and came up with nothing useful.


I guess I'm just wondering if this IS a 633 and how one could identify it as such.

It's a 633 but better. Stronger diff, and splined axleshafts. The 633 is NOT a Tecumseh/Peerless product. Roper was the manufacturer that made Sears Suburban tractors and other Seras GT's at the time. The 633 is a Roper manufactured unit. FearlessFront just called it a peerless 633a for whatever reason and the name stuck I guess.

Ahh, This clears up a LOT. Thank you very much. I was barking up the wrong tree. From the Sears website I now remember seeing some obscure reference to AYP for this tranny and I'm guessing one company bought the other over the years. Before one can learn about something, one must identify it. Google is wonderful, however, if you don't know what terms to search, you'll not get anywhere. Thank you again.

No problem, and I notice you're from Cabot. I don't see anybody else on the forum from Vermont. I'm from Barre by the way, welcome to the forum.

802 Customs wrote:

No problem, and I notice you're from Cabot. I don't see anybody else on the forum from Vermont. I'm from Barre by the way, welcome to the forum.

Necrothread... Sorry. Thanks for the welcome fellow Vermonter. Any good riding areas where you're at? If not, I've got plenty of land up here, lots of field and plenty of it is soggy. We should do a Mini-romp sometime lol