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There's quite a breadth of models with the 200 series and thei offspring. When the letter series (A, B, C...) tractors were replaced with the numbered "hundred" series tractors, the new 200 series with the new hood design were largely carried over from the previous B's and vertical shaft Work Horses (e.g. B-165, LT-1137, etc). The upper end of this range were tiller capable. I think they were all gear drive. A special YT-12A was also offered with a Tecumseh and a hydro. These were the B-chassis tractors. In 1987 a completely new 200-series was introduced. These are the L-chassis tractors like the 212-6 pictured above and are identified by their "aero" headlamps. Initially, all were gear drive but eventually around 1990 (when the Toro decal appeared) hydrostatic transaxles were offered. In 1989 - I think - the hoods on these 200 series were lengthened to allow for a bigger muffler and the eventual Briggs twin powered 216-h. Occasionally you'll see the suffix "SB" on these, as in the 208-SB. This meant it came with a standard 30" single bladed mower deck and dinky tires. These were the Super Baggers (yes, seriously). In 1988, the continuation of the B-chassis was reintroduced as the 250-series. All were hydros with single cylinder a Kawasaki engines. Either 12.5 or 17 hp. Great tractors and were marketed as "yard" tractors instead of "lawn" tractors. Interestingly if you look underneath them, you'll see that while the engine has a vertical shaft, the eaton 7 hydro pump in the rear is a horizontal shaft input. Classic WH shenanigans with twisting V-belts. For whatever reason, the max speed on the 250's is quite slow. Attachments from the L-chassis 200- Series and the 250's do not interchange. In about 1990, the 250's were cancelled and replaced with the 240 series. These looked the same as the smaller 200's but were longer and had a unique, heavy duty chassis weldments instead of a stamping. Onan single 14 hp engines and Briggs vanguard v-twin 16's were offered. Gear or hydro. 244-5, 244-h, and 246-h models. The 240's look like 200's, but nothing interchanges between them. This tractor was short lived and not particularly common. They were updated and restyled and reintroduced as the 260 series with new styling Fully enclosed, stylized hoods that you'll recognize The 260's persisted a long time The top of the line models had a cool electric-hydraulic lift. Originally the kohler command vertical topped out at 19 hp so the top model wasthe 269-h. Later kohler gave it another hp and the subsequent top dog 260 series became the 270-h. Yes, seriously. The 260's eventually were replaced with the 400-xt series. 260's and 400-xt's could take a tiller. The 400xt's could accept cSeries implements believe it or not. 260-series attachments are - I'm pretty sure - backward compatible with 240's. the light duty Toro-WH "xl-series" share nothing with any of these. The Euro 220-series were improved versions of the old B-chassis and looked like 250's I'm obviously a fan of these things. steve

You are in luck. About an hour from you on the 1st Saturday this October we are having a Meet & Greet at Scott's in Leesburg, Indiana. Here is the link... http://www.wheelhorseforum.com/topic/57977-6th-annual-north-central-indiana-meet-greet/ Bring the horse and sell it, or meet the guys and learn why maybe you should keep it. It is a great group of members with about 200 garden tractors showing up. Good food, good company...lots to look at. Welcome to Red Square

The more I read your comments the more I started thinking. I truley have become a better person as a result of doing my project. I had NO patience, and was a results oriented mind all the way. But those little issues, which you seem to be experiencing as well, have made me a new person!! At first, they just pissed me off. But after awhile, I began to accept them, and ... waaalaaa ... a new attitude!! And I like it!! Hope you feel the same!! Nice project by the way!! bob

I have a 252H, a 257H, A 216h, a 211-3 and a few others. Here is the 257H with a plow. The 257H feels like something more than a 200 series but not quite a 300 series. It has the coveted Kawasaki 17 hp engine. I believe it has the largest rear tires of any 200 series and the same steering wheel as my 1989 520 HC. The tractor has a little over 100 hours on the meter. It is in very nice original condition. It is perhaps the king of the 200 series?

My '92 246H, bought it used around 2002 with 500 some odd hours on it for $850. Now has 810 hours on it. Has the 16 HP Briggs Steve mentioned earlier. Very little problems with it other than minor stuff and the PTO clutch. Went thru the deck once. Just put new rubber & semi sealed bearings on the front and shimmed the spindles/axles. One of my main workers This bugger has been the only real problem. Bearings where shot in it and it was rusted & siezed on the motor shaft. My own fault ........too much wash water from washing deck. Had to wreck it get it off and replace it to the tune of 283 bucks. It started growling again this year so bearings were going out again. This time it sild right off....thanks Permatex anti-seize. Ground out the stakes holding the bearings in and with some heat got them out. Two bearings later from fleabay and nice and quiet.

Just finished a repaint on my brinly toolbar that I picked up a couple weeks ago. Just thought I'd share a pic of it behind my 856.

After a dipper broke off the connecting rod, which caused the engine to throw a rod, it was time for a rebuild. I also decided, since thre engine was out and looking so good, I'd do a refresh of the entire tractor. Below are the before and after pictures of the engine refresh. Tractor pictures to follow.

I couldn't find any pics with the blower attached. but I did find a pic of the blower separate as well as a pic with the good seat I kept and with both sd and rd decks I had.

That model looks good all black, Definitely meaner looking than the green or the traditional red. Maybe someone should start a thread entitled 'Horse of a Different Color"? Besides black there is army green and grey and camouflage as well as darker reds that may look good on certain models. Pullers are often painted in a variety of colors.

That is a CLASSIC response to a moron and the idiot he is married to...I love it!!! Can I use that sometime or is the response "copy righted"???

Looks like a normal F 150 to me!

Muz, It will take some time and digging for pics but what I can tell you that the blower was the common 60's-80's blower that Simplicity/ Allis used. It was for a horizontal shaft engine. I took a heavy plate and made the same holes in it as the 210 snowplow had to mount it. Welded a plate on each side of it with a hole to accept pins to attach the blower and make it pivot up and down. Took a heavy piece of flat stock and made a "Y" with it. Mounted that upside dowm on the blower. One side was a pivot for it and the other side was mounted a flat pulley. The opposite end was drilled a hole to hook a tension spring. The other end of the spring was hooked to the plateon the tractor. Then the belt was just a single twist to go from vertical to horizontal. Worked very well After the storm of 93 I went to the dealer I bought the tractor from and told them I wanted a blower. They were JD guys and told me even though a blower wasmade for it the tractor wouldn't have enough power to run it. My neighbor had a pile of Allis attachments and no tractor and sold me the blower for $100. Best $100 I've ever spent.

we need to go back and check for proper operation of the pressure switch by using the resistance range on the multimeter engine off - no wires connected to pressure switch - multimeter set to 200 ohms range - measure from the metal switch body to each terminal one terminal should show a near 0 ohms reading, the other should show an open (over range) reading start the engine - the two wiring terminals on the pressure switch should REVERSE their resistance readings - 0 ohms should go over range - over range should now read near 0 ohms simply put, the two screw terminals on he switch should never have the same resistance value engine on or engine off let's get these switch conditions verified before going any further.

What model do you want?...pm me and I'll put it on the trailer when I go to Slammers M&G next month!!

Reason I was asking is if you are looking for a good comfortable no-nonsense tractor I was going to recommend a 312-8. Find one of those with low hours and you've got something good.

Several years ago when my bride and I were combining households we had a few yard sales to liquidate our duplicate stuff. After substantial negotiations a used dryer was purchased by a neighbor for $20, about six weeks later she said she was not happy with it so we took it back and refunded the $20. The lint filter weighed about five pounds, no wonder it wasn't working well. What she didn't know was that our son's dryer had stopped working a couple days earlier and we were kicking ourselves for letting it go for so little. Some times God answers when you haven't even asked!

I think I still had something missing, so I contacted the folks at the Badge Factory and they sent me this the other day. I think I can finally say I am done with this one.

Knobs and final engine and deck decals installed. All decals by Denny Clarke and http://www.RedoYourHorse.com! Finally done!

I can now say it's completed! Even cut the grass with it today.

Well I started on another project yesterday, really should finish some others first but didn't have anything to do for the day, and this one was on the list of future restorations. I picked up the 400 at the big show from Scott Mehlberg as just a roller, and found most of the parts it needed at the show or already had them. I got it complete and running, and now I'm going to make it nice, the hood and fenders had been repainted, but weren't very nice, they were just rattle can and the hood had fish eyes in the paint. Here's a shot of it as I got it together and complete, not sure if I'm going to use the weight, think I like it better without but that may change down to just a roller and most of the parts are in this pile I won't be using the motor or trans out of this tractor, I already had a motor torn part way apart that will be going in this, don't have any pictures of it yet as its in a couple different locations....and the trans is already done and it was in its own seperate topic in the transmission section Hope to get most everything blasted tomorrow besides wheels, frame and hood, and start on body work, this will probably be a slow project, but should be able to get most of the body work done in the next month or so as its not in too bad of shape.Will add more pictures as I go along. Thanks, Jake

I had a post about buying a drill press during our town wide yard sale...Well, my wife had a 1st time yard sale and a lady that lives down the block bought a food vacuum unit from my wife. The lady calls today saying she can't make the unit work. My wife said she used it 2-3 years ago without any issues but didn't remember exactly how to do it. She told the lady the instructions were included in the box. Everything on our yard sale worked, and we had an electric cord set up so anyone could check any item before they bought it. The lady just couldn't figure out how to load the plastic bags into the machine so she didn't want it. The lady's husband brought the unit back and wanted their money back. My wife said not a problem because training to use the unit were not included in the $15 price. What a Moron................

I've used u-ship a number of times and it's been economical for me. Always was cheaper than a road trip, but you have to be flexible on your timeline and be ready to strike when you get a bid you can live with. As examples, I shipped a c195 with deck about 220 miles for $175. A big aerator the size of a wheelhorse about 500 miles for around $200. And a 16' boat 800 miles for $75. The $75 price was an anomaly as the hauler just happened to be in exactly the part of MN where the boat was with an empty trailer on his was back to St. Louis. You can turn down bids. And there is a feedback system like ebay. It can work, but patience is the key. Steve

I am thinking that you have received no answers because I am stumped also. Understand, I know nothing about automatics, but I do know the guys that do could use a little more information. Have you had this horse and now it is not running...did you just get this horse and you are trying to get it running?? A little back ground sometimes goes a long way in getting someone to offer help. If I read what you are typing literally, it sounds like it should be...don't know. Anyway, Welcome to Red Square and I hope my response will initiate some responses from the people that can help. It should have the Eaton 6 transmission.

Mike, I wanted to throw a job well done compliment. Looks fantastic, just luv looking through the pics again. glenn

Good morning. New to the forum and thanks for all the information you have posted. I live in Northwest Indiana and I was wondering the value of what appears to be an all original 653 in running working condition. The only thing that is not working properly is the starter. It was given to me not running and I cleaned the carb and it fired right up. So I am contemplating selling or keeping it but curious what it is worth. Thanks.

Most quotes I got were around $500 - $600 with UShip. This guy was cheap and had good reviews, but only gave me 4 hours to accept, then would not reply to any messages when I couldn't give an answer in that time frame. http://www.uship.com/profile/NYDave669/

I believe that round thing is called a stator

I'm searching for words! The usual ones don't seem to be adequate! I'll get back to you...

Aldon, reminds me of the classic statement, "the best laid plans of mice and men." What stories we wouldn't have to tell if everything went "just as planned"! I'll be watching your every post on this resto. I have a GT-14 that I purchased last spring, and I'm trying to decide how im going to approach a resto on it. I'm debating first doing a sound mechanical resto (engine, hydro, cat O, and attach-a-magic) including a complete overhaul of the drivers station (dash, tunnel cover, controls, steering wheel, and seat) but leaving the cool patina on the sheet metal for now in keeping with the rat rod craze! Someday, straightening the sheet metal and detail painting it if I so desire. Keep Up the good work!

I wil take one 2xl please. Looking forward to attending the show.

Is it ok if I bring these two

My tractors are hardly show quality but they are workers. Without the fleet of Wheel horse D's or cabin in michigan would still be brush covered forest. I will try to load them up though.

I forgot to tell you "Woo Hoo!!!" for scoring another 420SLE Scott I can only hope for one of those in my lifetime

Well I should have learned by now that setting goals and dates invites the universe to hit you dead center with all it is to take the wind from you. So....a minor tool failure...somehow no hose clamps which I find exasperating seeing as I buy them in bulk just to avoid the 30 minute drive into civilization in the middle of projects. So waste a half day productivity and hit the next blockade. I thing Hubs may have been placed on earth to try men's souls! So I was making decent headway considering blasting, priming (ran out of primer btw) and testing the remaining Hydro pump and motor off but got hung up one more time trying to pull the hub off the unit I plan on using. I want to blast the hubs and polish the axles. So I have rigged up the hub puller using one of the hubs that did come off and need longer center bolt. Likely have to order it or maybe Fastenal has one. Anyway I have made some progress and got started on the attach-a-matic parts and the 3 point hardware. A couple pics to go along with the update. I had the self etching primer for the framer and ran out of the clean metal primer so used some of it. I really like the self etching stuff.

Some guys think that everything with an engine and a steering wheel is the General Lee! YeeeeeHaw! Amazing to stumble over something so rare. Nice score.

So there were a couple horses at a local online/public auction yesterday, one especially was a lawn ranger with big wide rear turfs and no engine and no attachments, it went for $81. That's gonna make a nice toy for someone! The other was a clean 701 with a front blade and it went for $900. Thing is, it was listed on CL for less not to long ago I believe. It's amazing how some things get inflated at auction and some others never find the air.

What a surprise! I received an honor due to this restore. The Tractor Data website decided to use my images of this restore as the example tractor. Pretty cool, indeed. http://www.tractordata.com/lawn-tractors/000/4/7/478-wheel-horse-10hp-photos.html

Ironically, I have bought and sold off Craigslist many times...from vehicles to boats, tires, and hammocks. Never once have I experienced anything "weird" as a buyer, rather it is usually someone who clearly doesn't have the same level of OCD that I have. For the most part, everything has been as promised and spot on. As a seller, however, I have seen it all. Quick example is when I tried to list a 1988 Ford Ranger XLT super cab 4x4 for $600. The truck was a two owner, had some typical rust over the rear wheel wells, but ran and drove extremely well...$600. Long story short, I got trade offers that I could hardly believe. One local guy...get this...offered me three chickens and a porta potti for this vehicle. I politely declined and told him that I really enjoy the chicken that Kroger and Costco sell, and that I live in KY and we received indoor plumbing and shoes like two months ago. Sigh...this world is something else.

Though there was nothing major wrong with the machine before the engine failure, there were several "personality" issues it possessed. Things like safety switches not always activating, stray rattles and loose components, etc. It's nice to jump on the machine and with the turn of the key, off you go. Very refreshing indeed. Funny thing is that the last few weekends, while working in the yard, I've had several people pass by the house, turn around at the next street, and head back to pull into my driveway, just to take a closer look. Surprising how many people still long for the days, and recognize the quality, of these machines.

MartinArcher, The Cylinder Head: I have a customer with two sand blasters. One is glass bead and the other is walnut shells. The top side only is blasted with glass bead, then "polished" with walnut shells. I duct taped the entire bottom of the head (several layers), and leave an old plug tightly screwed into the head. My engine blocks are always painted with high temp automotive engine paint, and the shrouds are done in whatever paint I use on the tractor. The Tank: VHT Vinyl Dye - Chevy Red. Same goes for the Fuel Cap, but in VHT Vinyl Dye - Gloss Jet Black. Just remove the breather parts before you spray the cap, and ream the cap breather hole to 1/16" after it dries. Then reinstall the breather parts. If you have a black tank, which was common, use the VHT Gloss Jet Black on it. The Muffler: Had one in good shape, lightly sand blasted to remove surface rust, then sprayed with 1200 degree Rust-Oleum High Heat spray paint in silver. You could use black as well, but silver is what I had sitting on the shelf (this is a refresh, right?). Be careful blasting old mufflers. The metal could be thin in spots and you can blast right through if you're not careful.

Viola! - Finished 1973 10HP 8-Speed "Refresh" So what started out as a spun rod, turned into an engine rebuild, which turned into a full blown engine restore, which turned into a tractor "refresh", which ultimately turned into this shiny red picture of beauty! LOL All in less than 30 calendar days, too. Sheesh! Time for a rest. Glad the BIG Show is only a few days away.

Got a lot more done today! Pretty damn happy with the results too. It's not perfect, there are certainly a few sags and bugs in the paint, but then again this was a refresh on a "working machine", not a restore. - Wet sanded hood and fender pan down to 2K grit, compounded, and polished out. - All the remaining tractor decals installed. - Rebuilt Engine started and carburetor tuned in. Runs like a champ, thank God! - Installed "new" muffler. - Installed hood ornament. - Seat and Brackets installed. - Head and Tail Lights installed, but not wired yet. - Polished most of the rest of the tractor. - All that's left is rims and wheels, color the steering wheel and lift handle, wire the lights, and a myriad of other small details.

Got a bit more done today. Belt Covers and Foot Rests installed, Foot Rest Mats fabricated, a few more decals attached, and .. oh yea, the Fender Pan and Hood are in clear-coat. Tomorrow starts the harness fabrication and buff out that clear-coat.

That's the funny thing Bob, I sanded and spot primed, then finish sanded to 400. I wonder if the 400 wasn't "mechanical" enough? You'll see at the show perhaps, it "pruned" in several places on the frame. Since this is a refresh vs. a restore, I'm really not sweating it that far. UPDATE: Just enough daylight left to get one more part ...

Thoroughly disgusted with this Rustoleum Regal Red paint, to the point that the hood and fender pan will be stripped to bare metal and re-primed. I think I'm going to go with Bob's suggestion and use the Case/IH paint. Other than that I got some decals on, the dash competed, engine installed, manual PTO assembled, fuel tank re-colored and installed, and fed up with Rustoleum.

A bit more progress today before the rain threatened to open up the skies. Got almost everything blasted and in paint, all the painting that's left are the running boards and belt guards. Dash tower and steering back in, as is the seat forward cross-member and amp meter. Let these parts dry for five days and I'll wet-sand the hood and fender pan and apply clear-coat. The rest of the painted parts will be re-installed as-is. Also got the dash cleaned and re-colored, and have the first coat of white added to the lettering. The dash should only need one more coat I think. Everything moving along nicely. Might even have this ready for the BIG Show. We'll see.

The man who owned it previous to me had taken great care of this machine and was the original owner. I have the original loan document as well as the original manuals and bill of sale. I bought to in 2007 after he'd passed away in 2002, and it sat untouched for over four years in his shed. The day I went to see his wife and look at the tractor, a neighbor had installed a new battery, we fueled it up, and it fired immediately. To say the least I was quite pleased and have been ever since. It's simply an honor for me to return this machine to its original glory.

Final update on this project of which I am dedicating to my father he and my mother brought me into this world in 1964 and he left us on 9-29-14. I have always like the hood stand on the 64's and since I did not have a serial number for this one I made my own 92914 this tractor will always be close to my heart, this one is to date the best one I have restored. Dad if you are looking I hope you like this one. Will be taking this one to Pioneer Power this year and every year, as my father had come down to see us for the years I have been going, he loved to people watch and spend some time with the Wheel Horse faithful. Thanks Guys Enjoy and thanks for looking

I love the look of fresh sprayed red paint