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Ok guys I finally got my first rj! I almost walked away from it based on how rough it looked but for $125 I think he made me buy it. It's missing so much like the belt shield, original seat, gas tank and push rod on the lift lever. Also the hood has been very hacked up. Question is to you experts is this, is it worth restoring? I'm leaning more toward restoring it because I've always wanted an RJ. Any advice or parts leads would be greatly appreciated. I'll try to get some better pics over the weekend. Sorry about the sideways photos. I have no idea why my phone does that.

Just put this engine stand together. Had my son draw it up on sketch-up and we welded it up. The bench top motor stand works great when your rebuilding a kohler engine. You can turn it in any position that you need to make the rebuilding easier. Every shop should have one. I may make several of these and list them in the classified adds.

Were you wearing a mask when you stole that little guy?

I AM PLANNING TO GET TO THE BIG SHOW THIS YEAR ALSO. I HAVE NOT MISSED THE LAST 11 YEARS. RUSS

Thanks Richard...that made my day. and back at you Mate. I'm sitting here watching golf. The warm up starts tomorrow, and maybe I can get out in the garage and do something. I just feel like I am wasting the day. Suppose to get a rain/snow mix tonight.

A great project. The old ones are getting pretty rare in some parts. Much better to restore it than go to the dump, that's for sure. At least the old stuff is restoreable. I can't imagine somebody trying to restore a new car in another 50 years.

Coming from from me,,,this may sound kinna funny.........I think i would get it running...make sure the rear axle fluid is clean again..and i would ride her... and be very proud,,,,,this looks like mine when i found it...clean alll the sheet metal...Wow....if you change your mind...I will give you your investment back...and a real cool crisp $5 ta boot !!!! =).... You done good..

I cut the shafts about mid way where there is room to cut with 1/32" thick cut off wheel. Then with both pieces off the tractor I use a 7/4"ID X1"OD sleeve to connect the two halves. The sleeve and shaft halves are drilled and pinned with a roll pin. The roll pins easily take the torque from the steering wheel as the one in the wheel does. I also tap the sleeve for set screws to help to hold the assembly in place while drilling and to lock the three parts together during final assembly in the tractor. The sleeve can be made as long as necessary if you want to extend the shaft to raise the wheel. There is no risk of damage to the wheel.

around my area its very hard to sell a tractor for anykind of money without a deck,as most people want to mow their grass with the tractor,as this is the most common task for a garden tractor,many people don't do anything other than mow and pull a cart

Thanks! I can't figure out why my phone posts pics upside down! Lol Thanks for all the encouragement guys! This the first RJ I know of in my area. The only other one I ever saw that was close to this was a 401 and I bought that one too! Definitely going to put this in line for a restoration. Let the parts hunting begin!!

New Old Stock Lawn Ranger and Spindles (never on a tractor) Sold and sent to Pete ! I asked him to post pictures on Red Square when he gets them on his redo Lawn Ranger project!

I would say that's a pretty much original RJ . Great find , it looks almost identical to mine . Here's a blurry pic from the add I bought it from . That hood can be saved . Had an old timer bodyman work on my hood . In fifteen minutes he had the front smoothed out . I asked him how much I owed him , he said nothing , it was a pleasure to work with real metal . Still have some patching and welding to do but it's one more saved .

Nice horse and you have the sticker on it. I managed to turn your pictures for you.

Lol! He asked me if $125 was too much and I didn't even argue I just gave him money!

In 73, I bought a 'Display' model 1972 Bronco 14 with 48" deck and dozer blade. That is too long ago to remember what I paid for it but $1500 comes to mind. I use it regularly for mowing 2 acres and for years used it for snow plowing. Several years ago I grabbed a C-160 auto and now use it for snow removal. Anyway....$450 sounds like a good price, but it is your money...not mine. You'll really like the hydro lift and the auto trans. CAUTION: .. take EXTREMELY CARE to keep ANY DIRT or other DEBRIS out of the hydro trans. Wipe off the dipstick and filler spout when checking fluid level and DO NOT overfill it.

Now, I want to see this movie . . . . someone will find it, there are those that have a photo memory for these things. Not me, this is what I have, it's the C-Nile Virus:

Is very cool... you should.

your retired that's what you are supposed to do, you have 7 days of free time.

it still amazes me how many parts are available for the tractors,i wonder if other brands are so good that way

Sensible people up your way.

I'll have to talk to those people at History.com, they didn't have that listed.

there could be but it would need all models and all their parts,im not computer savy to know how this would work,i just look at both models and go from there,if I need a spindle from a c120 to see if it will fit a 312 I look at parts tree or toro,but some part numbers change but the part still works,and the other way around

ive had to use my dremel and cut the old key,carefully to not touch the axle at all,sacrifice the 2.00 dollar key to save everything else

The attachments for the 5xi series are specific to this model. The 5xi is a longer, larger tractor with: a front-mount PTO as opposed to the Classic Wheel Horse side-mount; wider frame so the Attach-A-Matics' mounting points are further apart; a different hanger arrangement for the mower decks; and a longer wheelbase with a swept forward axle for sectoring a blade . Because of this they usually command a higher price. The 5xi attachments only show up once in a while compared to Wheel Horse attachments like you found, but not to say that they are not out there and it may take some time to find them. The good thing is that it appears that the majority of these tractors were sold east of the Mississippi. A dozer/snow blade could be reworked from another model but some fabricating would be needed. A better choice to start with would be a 48" blade intended for a late 520-H.

Aldon's method is what you need to follow. Just smack it hard; it will let go. Wear eye protection "just in case".

I know you have likely done this but with mine, it took a pretty harsh rap with a punch at a fairly sharp angle to break mine free. As you look at the hand drawn pic, the angle I had success at was at the arrow point. When it broke free it shot out and ricochet off tranny and I had to hunt around for it:-)

You should be able to the big thing is that you will need the correct rockshaft piece for the rear seat pan on the C-120. My 1979 C-121 has a rockshaft that is just like my 1993 314 on it. The pre-1978 tractors have to have a different part (rear rockshaft). I believe there is a Service Bulletin on thsi matter . I will se if I can find it and send to you!

Hey guys, I picking up the all totally original lawn ranger for $300. Is that a good buy?

Whx6 the tool I couldn't live without would have to be my 1/4 drive impact. It is amazing how fast you can tear down or repair a tractor with one of these.

sure its worth it,paitience to find the parts and lots of elbow grease she could be a nice lookin tractor again

Now that`s funny right there, I don`t care who you are that`s funny....

Everybody likes the round hoods, but if your going to work it I`d go with the 14...my

Lookin good! I bet the seat is gonna be real nice.

So it has been a while since I did an update on this one. After the big show last year Brennan wanted his tractor to be "shinny" so ... 10 mins after we unloaded the trailer he began to clean it up and then take it apart. Shortly after that he started to paint the frame and other parts. I started to do the body work to the sheet metal but then it got pushed to the side. Finally got back at it the last few weeks. Got the motor all cleaned up and painted. See pics.

Hey thanks! I'm the founder of HomemadeTools.net. We give away our "50 Must Read Homemade Tools" ebook for free to people who say nice things about us in forums. Here it is, you don't need to give an email address or anything like that, it's just free. Enjoy! http://download.homemadetools.net/50MustReadTools.pdf

I keep my deck on.

Hi All, Just a thanks to all of you who've posted and shared this winter. I finally got to spend some time in my garage now that the weather is changing. I cleaned, putzed and even tinkered a bit. Made a new work surface out of pallet parts i've been bringing home from work. Started laying out parts and planning again. Garage has a nice layer of condensation on the floor. Some bare parts will have some new rust I'm sure. Not to happy about my yearly table saw cleaning pending though. However, I am thankful for having a garage and a table saw and my projects. I know its silly but you guys (and gals) have helped me get thru another winter without much play time with my wheel horse. As I age (45) i'm coming to realize the need for more stuff to do that isn't work or house related. This site has been a real relief from what would normally be a very long winter for me. While we (all of us) may not post or have much to share during the colder months, I'm sure some of you can appreciate my sentiments here. To all of you, My best Randy

After 1 1/2 days of raking the stones out of the grass and back on the road, I was ready for a fun project. So this afternoon I made a blade centering device for the 312H. I also wanted to stop the hydro lift from pulling the plow frame up against the front axle, so I incorporated a stop into the centering device. Two 5/8" bolts salvaged from a utility pole, a piece of a scrap electrical panel door, a piece of old fuel line, and a piece of a worn out blade scraper bar. It was even warm enough to throw on a layer of Regal Red.

Several years ago I had a bumper crop garden and each year it grew less and less. Took me several years to realize the trees were growing taller and shading the garden. Afternoon shade. I dropped a bunch of trees and now I can grow tomatoes again.

Thing is too nice to restore... I'd at least have to visit a pressure washer first.

Well............I've banged, clanged, hammered, heated, sprayed Kroil, & cursed most of the afternoon. Even went and bought a variety of new hardened punches to attack this extremely obstinate woodruff key. Eventually, I mixed a stiff Bacardi & 7 Up, and digressed to a more contemplative mindset. I'm convinced the enormous size of the key and surface area it exposes on the axle slot, is the problem.......well..... rather the surface area that was exposed to moisture infiltration.......and then rust corrosion. At this point, I'm really, really frustrated. This sucker is REALLY, REALLY STUCK. I'm referring to an almost WELDED type of "stuck". I absolutely have to get this key off this axle .... However, the one thing I DO NOT WANT TO DO is damage the axle or the key slot. I might be willing to sacrifice the key a la can whlr's suggestion by having at it with a Dremel cutting disc. I would prefer not to take that approach, but may have to in the absence of other advice or suggested procedural mechanical solutions. I'm hoping the learned, experienced mechanical gurus and sages will offer their counsel and weigh in on this topic.........sooner, rather than later, por favor. Steve

There's not a thing wrong with being a bookworm occasionally!

OK gentlemen, after a long delay caused by various diversions, obligations, distractions, some procrastination, enjoying life after my first monthly Social Security check three months after my 67th birthday, and picking any other topic you care to choose, I'm back on this project. After finally getting those reluctant and remonstrative wheel hubs pulled, my immediate focus now is to attempt to getting the axles cleaned up (polished clean is my objective) before draining the tranny oil and digging those oil seals out. My theory and concern about ultra clean, rust free, and polished axles serves two purposes. 1. Polished and mirror like axles will insure minimizing damage to the new seal when they are slid over the axles and tapped into place in the axle housings. 2. Mirror like axle finishes along with the hub bores being honed clean (see pics below text) and the judicious use of anti-seize compound upon reassembly, will ensure trouble free installation and possible removal in the future (if ever required). Here's my current problem. The left hub (that moved inward last fall during yard work), proved the easiest to remove from its axle. My theory is the movement inward broke the rust bond between the axle and the hub bore. The woodruff key aligning and locking that hub radially was exceptionally easy to remove. A couple of taps with a awl in the axle slot end, and it popped right out. Not so with the right side woodruff key. I have intermittently, since my previous post, applied alternating rounds of heat to the axle, liberal amounts of Kroil penetrant to the area of the key, and on occasion, lightly tapped and punched the key (not wanting to intentionally damage it or the axle), and applied ice to the woodruff key after applying prolonged heat to the axle. Nada. Nothing. No go. No detectable movement or even a slight willingness to move. I'm really befuddled about how to get this one woodruff key removed from the axle without #1 damaging the axle, and #2 damaging the key itself. Do I need to be more aggressive "having at it" with a different technique, different procedure, a specific specialized tool? Anything? Anyone? I'm determined to get the woodruff key removed because it prevents me using the technique I intend to employ to get those axles where the hubs were located for years looking brand new, before reassembling the hubs to the axles. These woodruff keys are unlike anything I have ever seen on a consumer type residential product (see pic below text). They are remarkably massive in size being 2 inches in length and approximately 9/16" in height (from the upper flat portion of the key to the widest part of the radiused bottom of the key. This affords lots of surface contact area in mating with the axle slot. This is what gives them their remarkable strength and very securely insures preventing rotational movement around the axle by the hub. I'm not sure what type of steel they are fabricated from, be they are extremely hard. All my banging and clanging the one in question has made little impact on marring its surface. It's the fact because the key is so massive with considerable surface contact area with the axle which creates enormous strength, but also provides lots of surface area for rust/corrosion bonding with the axle. So to all the learned experts residing here a RS, I'm in need of some serious expertise and direction to get this recalcitrant woodruff key removed so I can go about my intended goal of polishing the axles and changing the seals without risking damage to the seals themselves. What say you, gentlemen?? Have any secret technique, prayer, tool, or voodoo magic which proves effective against reluctant woodruff keys? Regards, Steve GT 14 woodruff axle key: Cordless drill with Dremel 503, 3/8" x 1 1/8" 120 grit flapper wheel used for hub honing. Dremel tool itself not powerful enough to rotate flapper via Aldon's suggestion. 1 1/8" flapper diameter is a perfect fit in hub bores for honing

Go for the restoration! One of the great Horses. Definitely $$$ well spent!

I think his prices seem pretty fair. I would probably go with the lawn ranger but i kinda have a thing for the little horses. No herd is complete without a ranger.

the SB 421, special ?? , briggs, 42" deck 11 hp motor. they also made a SK486, kohler, 48" deck, 16 hp kohler, i guess i'm having a senior moment i thought that their was another one but can't remember. wheel horse was using up left over parts, if you search on here i know that there has been other topics on these tractors. eric j

as far as the rims being old,are they rusted real bad:?ive had rims real rusted and cleaned them up with an angle grinder(before I bought a sand blaster)and with some patience you can make them look brand new,you don't even half to take the tires off,but you say you are anyway,but they can be simply just taped,some guys break the beads so they can pait the ridge of the rim,i like to paint the inside first,dont do the outer rim or anything on the outside,mount the tires,dont seat them at all,tape off the tires real good,then piant the outer and the rim part that gets wrecked when mounting the tire,let paint dry and blow them up no scuffs,or chips from mounting