1957 Simplicity Wonder-Boy

Picked this mower up today mainly because it looks a lot like my Allis G tractor. its a 1957 Simplicity Wonder Boy with a Joy Stick. Best i can tell they were only made for 2 years. This one was restored in 2000 and hasn't been used since. Motor was rebuilt{ 4 hp Clinton}, new tires and new paint and Decals.Does anyone out there know what this thing might be worth or have one like it. Thanks for any info.

Golfcartman, I don't have a Simplicity Wonder-Boy, but I have done a little research on them as a part of my Simplicity history quest. I am doing the series on my blog, and I haven't finished working up to the Wonder-Boy time period. I do have the history in progress, though, on my website www.oldpathsequipment.com

From my notes so far, it seems that the Wonder-Boy was the first rear engine mower of all time.

The name came from William J. Niederkorn, Simplicity's executive and a marketing genius. He dubbed it the Wonder-Boy after a nickname his mother give him as a child.

The model evolved into the Simplicity Coronet series.

Maybe someone more familiar with Simplicity will correct me, but I did not know that they ever used a Clinton on a rider. I know for certain that Briggs was used on all early models for the Landlord/Broadmoor/Sovereign, and I always thought that Simplicity stuck with Briggs from the first, switching to Kohler only later. But I will stand corrected, perhaps (since you have a 1959, the first year of manufacture) you have an exception.

Are you familiar with simpletractors.com? They have a forum just for old Simplicity machines, and they will be able to assist you much better than I ever could. My only condition is that if you find answers, post them here so I can stand corrected!

I have attached an ad for the Wonder-Boy. It's a bit newer than your model, since they replaced the hardpan seat and tiller with a soft seat and a steering wheel. It has to be after 1964 since the Broadmoor was only introduced then.

Ben W. in VA

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Superaben, this one is a 1957 and it came with a 3.6 hp Clinton and it is the first rear engine rider made. The next year they went with the 4 hp Clinton engine and in 1959 it was the 700 Wonder boy which may have the B& S engine

(quoted from post at 04:12:56 12/30/12) Superaben, this one is a 1957 and it came with a 3.6 hp Clinton and it is the first rear engine rider made. The next year they went with the 4 hp Clinton engine and in 1959 it was the 700 Wonder boy which may have the B& S engine

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Golfcartman,
I found this little guy at the Old Theshers reunion in Mt Pleasant, Ia in 2009. This is a Wonderboy 400 with the original B&S 1964 dated engine. These pictures were taken when I got it and it's got it original paint but missing the engine cover. (hood) Last April on my first trip to the LaSeur, Minn. swap meet, I found another one almost as clean with the original hood. I brought it home and put the hood on mine. The engine on the other one is also a B&S with a date code of 1965. They appear to both be 5hp but I suppose back in the day they were 4hp. They hadn't boosted the hp with a sticker yet. :lol: I replaced the bearings in the deck, one new belt, and it mows like a new one.

Irv

The pictures didn't go through.
Another try