Finding the right manual...

One of the most frequent questions I receive is "Where can I get a Parts Manual (or Owner's or Service Manual)?"  I suggest you start with the original source -- Simplicity Manufacturing's Technical Publications Department at (262) 284-8519.  But first, you may want to try this...

    Simplicity now offers many of their Owner's Manuals and Parts Manuals on-line for free downloading, in .PDF format.  Click HERE to visit.

Note that on last report, Simplicity does not stock publications on tractors more than 30 years old.  Simplicity can provide manuals for most Allis Chalmers models, or if not, cross-reference them and provide them for the corresponding Simplicity model.  Make sure you have your Manufacturer Number (and credit card) ready....

Read the following testimonial (edited from a series of E-mails)  that also matches my experience with Simplicity.  ( I get nothing from referring you to Simplicity, other than "good will".....  You'll most likely get almost exactly what you need.)

Hi Kent,

The Simplicity employee (in the Publications department) who helped me was extremely helpful, but this is far from an automated process. Looking up the correct manual from her lists and cross-references took quite a while. I was hoping they had a publication listing that they could fax me, so I could browse over the available documents and order whatever interested me, but the only thing they had was a dealer publication listing that was over 100 pages long!!!

I got my manuals yesterday. Here's the breakdown:

Document Number	Description	Price
TP-1301	Operator/Parts Manual for B-112	6.50
9003453	Repair Manual for B-112	15.00
TP-1303	Operator/Parts manual for 48" Mower	4.50
TP-1292	Operator/Parts manual for 32" Tiller	4.50
TP-1311	Operator/Parts manual for Vacuum Collector	4.50
	Shipping	3.00

The order was placed on Tuesday morning (Simp time), and I received it Thursday of the same week.

I have a lot of experience in publishing, including the re-publishing of old documentation. I would rate these manuals as a 9 out of 10. All the manuals are bound. The operator manuals are staple bound, while the service manual is book bound. All manuals are 3 hole punched. These are not photocopies, they were printed on a printing press. This is evidenced by feeling the printed page. Photocopiers and laser printers fuse plastic to the paper, which is easily felt since the printed matter is slightly raised from the page. I would guess these were reproduced from lithographs. Some of the thinner, lighter lines did not reproduce that well, but there are not too many of them, and none I've found that are critical. This is pretty common with reproductions, especially if any resizing was done to the drawings, in particular making them smaller which makes the lines thinner. I'd have to say the service manual suffered the worst from this type of reproduction, but only because it uses quite a few photographs. The contrast is too high, which makes it difficult to see much detail. This was probably done to maximize the legibility of the text, but I think a better job could be done.

Overall, I'm quite happy with being able to get a brand new copy of an old manual. 

The B-112 operator/parts manual isn't an AC B-112 manual. It is a Simplicity manual for the 3112, so you might want to point out that to the club members. I was made aware of this when I ordered it, so I knew what I was getting. But people who are ordering AC materials should ask if it's an AC manual, or a cross reference. All of the attachment manuals are Simplicity manuals also. The service manual was an actual AC manual, specifically for the B-series tractors.

The tractor operator manual is 40 pages. The first 9 pages are introduction and basic operation. Pages 10-34 are exploded views with part numbers for each of the segments, or "groups" of the tractor. Pages 35-39 are line drawings, exploded views and part lists for the two dozer blades and the grader blade. Page 40 shows location and part number info for all the labels, and also has line drawings depicting the two counter weights, and the rear wheel weights.

The B-112 repair manual is 238 pages, although 10 or 15 are blanks. This has quite a lot of information on the tractor specifications, engine, tractor, hydrostatic drive, power train, wiring diagram, and most if not all attachments. I've seen (and written) better service manuals, but there is definitely information in it that is probably not available any where else, so I would recommend it for anyone with a B-series, even if they don't service it themselves.

The 48" mower manual is 8 pages, and describes attachment, operation and maintenance, with exploded views and part listings throughout the manual.

The vacuum collector manual is 16 pages, and describes the assembly and operation of the blower housing, high capacity trailer frame and cover, low profile trailer frame and cover, and the various mower deck adapters and the roving nozzle. There are exploded views and part listings throughout the manual.

The 32" tiller manual is 8 pages, and describes attachment, operation and maintenance, with exploded views and part listings throughout the manual.

I think you already have this info., but to contact Simplicity, call the Technical Publications department at (262) 284-8519.  As I mentioned before, this was far from automated. People should have all the manufacturing numbers for whatever they want a manual for. The person who helped me was able to work around me not having this info on me at the time, but it took a lot of work on her part, and I wouldn't do it that way again. Posting this information could result in a flood of phone calls to Simplicity, so we should try to make it clear to be as prepared as possible with all the Mfg. numbers.

They accepted my Visa card for payment. I didn't check what other credit cards were accepted.  

I just love this company!

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