712H Questions

I just picked up a 712H (old, with pod lights) with a 42" mower, tiller, and harrow attachments. It also has the electric lift option. This wasn't working when I bought the tractor ("I think it's a short in the wiring..." - Seller), and although I have gotten the electric lift motor to make some noise on a bench, I'm not having much luck with it on the tractor. The switch is working fine. Anyone have any experience with this setup? It must've worked well, because the manual lift lever is gone. Another thing it's missing is a seat. Any (cheap) options? I'm thinking I should be able to find any used seat and make it fit. Thoughts?

The wiring on the electric lifts get pretty beat-up and shoddy being under the machine, so you may have to rewire to the motor. Low voltage won't cut it to that motor. It needs 12V's to fly. Also check the connections at the junction block under the hood near the Ignition switch. That's out in the open where the elements can play havoc with it. When I restored my 716H, I glassbeaded that whole junction block and all the terminals cleaned up nicely on it. The 700 machines are great machines! They are tough workhorses. I'm putting together another 716H for my nephew in MD. to plow snow with. He saw mine and had to have the other one I had, so I'm hotrodding the other one for him. I'm not gonna put tailights and four way flashers on his like I did mine. When we lived on Rt 519, it was a pretty busy road, so I installed the tailights and flashers so when I was plowing out near the county road I would be seen better. Coarse, the bright Orange tractor helped also.....  LOL!

My lift was disconnected when I bought it, as the previous owner was troubleshooting it. When I removed the dash and looked at the lift switch, a green wire (assuming ground) was floating free, and I still don't know where that was connected. The other two wires connect to the two lift motor leads.