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Both the 857 and now the 876 K181S engines have been rebuilt. So I did a video with both of them running. The automatic keeps wanting to run away on me. I need to fix it so the forward/reverse lever will stay where I put it. That's next. Also, I should be getting the new stickers for the 876 from Terry next week.

This is the 2nd Kohler 8hp engine that I rebuilt. Thanks for looking. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20. 21. 22. 23. 24. 25. 26. 27. 28. 29. 30. 31. 32. 33. 34. 35. 36. 37. 38. 39. 40. 41. 42. 43. 44. 45. 46. 47. 48. 49. 50. and finally the video "Dueling Short Frame Square Hoods" click on link under here. 51. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BqB3molMjzI

Well I haven't been looking for one but always told the wife I wanted one one day. Well the other morning while doing my daily searching I found one. It was reasonably close to me and only an hour away. She is not a show stopper yet but will be after I clean her all up. And here are some photos.

Well I'm a little embarrassed, but if anyone will understand it's you guys. I drove from west Texas to Albany, NY. And it wasn't even for a tractor... it was for a dump cart, and a pile of one at that. Just over 4,000 miles round trip. I was able to see my grandmother on the way but I'd like that to stay between us. For some bizarre reason my family thinks that I drove all that way to see my grandma and that I found the dump cart along the way. Not sure how that happened! The good news is that I got it for $50. And my restoration turned out pretty good too. I wound up using a bed liner for the inside that I tinted with my red base, powder coated the wheels and got a new knob.. done! Nothin better than shiny red toys!

Stopped at a local junk yard today and didnt find what I was looking for. But I found better stuff and ended by picking up a set of weights, rims, hub covers and snowblower flag for $40 and on the way home seen this 702 on the side of a lawn so I inquired and picked her up for $60. So a great day of unexpected finds! The weights someone modified a solid steel piece to fit in the middle and are bolted on and it looks pretty well done.

Always look for the simple stuff first. I would first check the Woodruff key for the input shaft. Then check them in the rear axle/hubs. A sheared key in either location will bring you to a halt.

My Second farthest tractor trip was from Niles to Marquette Michigan in the Upper Peninsula a 508 mile trip 1 way or round trip of 1016 miles. In search for wheel horse tractors back in May of 2008 I came across a guy who had a 1054 with Deck Wagon and Vac System. He was from South Bend and later moved to Marquette and ended up being a Deputy Sheriff for Marquette he worked up through the ranks and many years later retired from there. He then went back to work as Under-sheriff. When he found out that I worked for Berrien County Sheriffs Dept he gave it to me for free with the stipulation that I would buy him and his wife dinner after he gave us a tour of the town. My wife MaryJane went with me, and we had a good time we left early Friday and arrived that evening. The Next day we met Jack and his wife loaded up the tractor and spent the day with them site seeing then had dinner with them that evening. The next morning we left for home. Thank goodness the tractor and all was free because fuel was over 4.00 a gal I estimate the trip meals, fuel, motels cost me $700.00 so I guess nothing is free.

I finally tracked down a larger snow/dirt blade. Progress pics below. It's in pretty good shape so I took it apart to freshen it up a bit. It's a 54 incher and it has the wear shoes that are still in good shape. To save those I had a buddy fab up some different shoes to save the originals. They're not the same but will work the same. I have the blade and springs in for blasting right now. Here's my question. I'm sure I've seen someone on here replace the solid wire that connects the trigger to the blade pin to change direction of the blade with flexible cable for ease of install/removal. I've searched and can't find the post. Am I dreaming or is that on here somewhere?

This is a fairly tiny project but I'm all jazzed up about it so I wanted to share it with those that'll appreciate it. I've been saving the original shower head muffler for the k90 on my RJ for 2 years now - since I did a full restoration. The front was just rusted to hell and the baffeling was long gone, but the back piece was in good condition. I've been saving it with the idea that one day I may be able to somehow get it back on the RJ. And that day is.... well not today, but tomorrow. Technically today, but chronologically it occured over a 2 day period. Here is the original I pulled off 2 years ago.. Here is the new one for reference.. As I got to looking at both the new and original mufflers it appeared that the diameter of where the face joins to the 'body' was relatively the same on both... a quick measurement confirmed my suspicions! And the holes on the face share a similar pattern.. not exact but not the perfect circle kind... I diced up the new muffler with the grinder and cleared the remaining material from the joint. I pulled the original apart.. Cut the baffle from the new one down to fit the one I'm making.. this is all my parts ready to be assembled This is just after assembling and hammering the lip of the new face back down. I made sure to hammer it down as flat as possible to reduce material loss from filing down and cleaning up the hammer marks... for the sake of integrity. This is after cleaning up the hammer marks.. Came out pretty slick.. I'm happy. Since I don't stock any silver/galvanizing magic muffler paint I went for flame proof matte black - the same as I had on the previous muffler and on the exhaust piping. This the finished product... before temp curing. And after curing and mounting! Don't mind the lack of steering wheel and rod. Now I'm trying to figure out whether or not it looks goofy with the 12 inch pipe instead of the stock 14.5..?? It looks like it needs to move forward a couple inches.. I like it away from the hood so that soot won't accumulate on my paint, but it just looks a little off.. anyway, hope you guys liked this quick little project!

So I get am PM from Craig with a CL ad for a 12' sign broken into 6 pieces. It was in New Hampshire and priced very reasonable IMO. After contacting the seller I paid for it and it took 3 of my co workers to pick it up and get it to me (nice to have good people to help). I had it for about a month and just got around to framing it up and hanging it. Craig has been keeping his eye out for a nice big old sign for me to hang on that wall and I think he nailed this one. Thanks Craig!

this is my 416-8 she is 31 years young and still has it,,,i got this tractor new on april 16th 1986 and the tiller and yard cart,,,changed 1 belt in all that time it is a good one,,keep her parked next to the D180 that i came by a few years back

That was CREEPY

What do you say when a guy at work asks if you would like a couple Toro-Wheel Horse mowers he wants to get out of his back yard.... And he will even deliver them for FREE.... Not sure on the model of the bigger mower, perhaps you guys can help me out. Thank you!! in advance.

You guys flatter me, but the truth is...I did not know nothing when I joined here...I was looking for manuals. The people and the friendships that I have experienced here on this site, have made me who I am. I had a ton of help from here with the 1st transmission that I tackled. I also had a ton of help with the 1st engine that I tackled, the 1st hi mount starter, the HY-2...not to mention attachments. This site has given me so much...and I give thanks that I am able to give something back....and to have fun doing that...priceless. Thank you to all of you that make this site what it is. You guys keep me young...thanks. My Dad is watching down (he had 4 Wheel Horses)...my only hope is that he would have been able to go to the Big Show. He passed in 2002, but I show all the pictures to my Mom from the years...and it is like he sees them. I can't tell you how special that is to me.

I agree with Bob. I know lots of guys like to "fix" things, but for around $50 you can't go wrong. If you ever run across the parts needed for the original, you could fix it later and have a spare.

I think he was looking over my shouder

I see one of 'em is trying to get away... but, both sound really great Dino.

Haven't done it myself (yet) but it has been done.

It certainly will since you posted the final solution. So many threads go to a dead end because the once the issue is solved, the actual solution doesn't get posted for any number of different reasons. Glad to see you got it and thanks for posting your findings.

Hi Redbeard22, Here are some pictures from a project l'm doing at the moment.. This is for a rear wheel steer loading shovel, I lengthened the frame 440mm, but, as you can see from the last pic, it is bolted to a heavy subframe. Just be mindful that unless you strengthen the frame, it could be vulnerable depending on what you use it for.

The Wheel Horse 420LSE Worker Story.... I bought this 420LSE number 77 late January of this year from a guy from Western New York. He was the second owner of the tractor as the first owner only own it for only 1 year. Well this tractor was used and abused by the second owner as he racked up almost 1400 hours on the 420lse never knowing this tractor was collectable and limited edition. So I get that call to come and take look at this suppose to be 420lse tractor on the coldest day of the year 2 degrees of course outside. He opens the garage and there it is 420lse all rough up and mean looking sitting there with a flat tire. I check it over and everything matches up like it's suppose to be and it came with the proper paperwork. The bonus is it came with a 2 stage snowblower. The story is he used it to cut the lawn of course and snow blow every winter. He said he always keeped it outside and never had room in the garage since he restored cars for his hobbie.The last 6 years he just used it to lawn roll his lawn. So the tractor had some dents,scratches and rust but still through all that it looked good to me to buy and take home. The funny part is I never got a chance to run it because it was so cold he couldn't even jump start it but I took a gamble. I even power washed it that night when it was 0 degrees I just wanted to get the salt off. So I decided to keep its patina orginal survivor look and did very little paint touch ups. The hood and rear seat pan I left alone they had little rust spots and scratches and the hood had a few dings. Alot of mice nest in the tractor. The deck was shot but i keeped the chrome deck wheels.The rims had rust damage because he had them loaded and they sat for the longest time. I repaired them and drained all the fluids out as i had to cut the tires off. I changed all the fluids, plugs,filters,etc. I did some wire repair and replace all the fuses. Alot of cleaning and detailing went into this tractor. Today I truly started it up for the first time and it ran awesome with no smoking or any unusual noises! It drove perfect and had tons of power. I was very pleased it turn out this good. The future for this 420LSE Worker survivor tractor number 77/200 is retirement he going to relax and become and Sunday driver. Everyone once awhile he going to pull a cart around to feel cool again. He's not going to win a beauty shows or get all the girls but he's cool looking with all his battle wounds over the years......

I thought about pulling some wool packing out of an old dirt bike muffler and stuffing it in there because I was worried about how much louder it would be... didn't do it, and it's loud as all get up. I dig it, but I'm sure my neighbors could stand to live without it! Here's some better pictures of it since I know how much you folks love them! The cruddy thing is that no one down here even knows what a wheel horse is so you guys are the only ones I can show it off to! Thanks for the likes!

Is there something going on.......the moon and stars aligned.......eating lucky charms....,.......what's up with all these great finds lately!!! Greart finds there Chris

CT TO FLA TO PICK UP A 520-8 WITH 16 HOURS.

Yes it is 12 Volt negative ground. Tractor 1963 953 OM IPL Wiring #123 (1) (1).pdf 1963 Price list.pdf Oh, by the way, I love 953s.

and wearing socks and shoes!!! "He hates these CANS!!!" errr bucket.. and need to fix the hood stop thingy the neighbors are waiting for the infamous 'drive around the block" ride...

Kohler 52 227 03 is the part number for the entire kit. Includes that part, end cap and new brushes. However it is discontinued. Might still be a few out there though. I would be inclined to purchase a new aftermarket starter for about $50.00 on eBay. Just search M12 starter.

How else does one do their nails?

You are referring to young people I hope. Old guys on Social Security cut them up for shorts ( not to be worn in public) or shop rags .

You have a lucky horseshoe in your pocket also. I got to be living wrong ,everybody is finding deals and steals , I just keep sneezing from the pollen.

I have a 1994 520H which is repowered with a 22HP Predator. I started the swap in the summer of 2016 after buying the 520H with a seized engine in fall of 2015 for $25 on it's way to the scrap yard. The predator has a lower crankshaft location which I corrected by raising the engine approximately 1 7/16 inches. Using a $16 ebay adapter sleeve the original clutch is used. Top of the air cleaner almost touches the hood louvers. The upper bracket bolt holes for the PTO had to be reworked to bolt to the block in the necessary location. The hard starting disappeared when I went to a 420 CA battery. I drilled and tapped the upper oil channel to install the factory oil pressure switch which turns on the warning light and runs the hour meter. It has almost 40 hours now and continues to run great. I intend to connect the factory tach in the next phase when connecting the vacuum guage. Looking for a vacuum source that will not affect engine operation. It handles a 60 inch or 48 inch deck in Bermuda better than my 20 HP Onan. Power appears better than the 20 HP Onan and more fuel efficient than the 1991 which has been my main tractor for 17 years and has 734 hours. It is also easier to mow with as it has the improved later style steering. Also have a 1987 310-8 with 36 inch deck for close mowing. All have clevis hitches and Ag lug tires for plowing, disking, and blade work. Use synthetic 10W-30 motor oil in everything, change filters regularly and expect all these engines to last many years.

Good Job, Good Job , Good Job. You sure know how to make $100 go a long way. Jim

Man its like y'all are all part of some band of masked bandits swooping in and finding all these great hauls....Congratulations! Give me some tequila and a mask, I want in on the action!

Welcome to the forum and thanks for the great pictures. Amazing machines they are. I just noticed I am member No. 74 and I live right off I74 weird how things work out like that

I picked up a small piece of sheet metal and the edge pieces I had made. Cut the tower stand shape out of a piece of wood and started shaping the sheet metal. then I used a piece of pipe to form the radius, clamped it up and set it in place for a length fit. had to take a shot from the drivers view.

I sold this last fall. 1975 C-120 Auto. The buyer called and asked if I wanted it back. I couldn't say no. He put about 4-5 hours on it. The war dept. told him him he had to chose between a motorcycle or the WH.

Finally started doing some work on it. I pulled the steering shaft so I could extract the broken bolts. I got lucky and they came out easy. I'll get some new bolts tomorrow, grease it up, and put it back in. And that's probably about all I'll have time for right now. I needed to get the steering fixed so I can get it out of the driveway and work on the other mowers that I need to get fixed and sold. One question, is the electrical system a negative ground 12 volt system? I know I probably won't be able to get into trying to start it for awhile but I'd like to know for when I do.

I have a slightly different opinion. First, I am a bit of a perfectionist. Every deck I have refurbished has cost me $100-200. Of course when I am done, you will be hard pressed to tell a refurb from a new one. If a deck has been abused this much there is likely more problems lurking. I would first disassemble the whole thing and find out what else it needs. Pay special attention to the center spindle. The pull from the PTO belt tends to tip these spindles in the direction of the pull. Now you have to straighten the shell or else it will cut funny. It may be a problem on your manicured front lawn but not on the back 40. Add up all the costs. If you can do the welding yourself, great, I cannot so this is an expense item for me. After you have scoped out the costs, if you still think it is a good value, then I would go for it. If not, you have your answer.

Really a nice job on the rebuilt. You did great work. I thought I was the only Ole F- - T that has a hand powered grinder .

Steve I thought you were a transmission guy. Looks like you got a creeper. Down here in the south we lay on creepers under cars and trucks. I don't think your creeper will fit. Maybe you should talk to Mrs. Dino about your jeans , you been walking on your knees?

Guys, you'll see Russ replied yesterday...post #19 here.

I know this now! But at the time I was really new to the wheel horse thing and just didn't know about... well anything. I won't miss out the next time I go visit grandma, though😂!! Guaranteed!

A word about the predator and the warranty they have. The engine comes with a three month warranty. you can buy a two year warranty to supplement that. What i do is buy the engine and operate it for a couple of months and if all is well, then purchase the two year warranty. The warranty is good for one use only during the two year period which some people do not like, but there is more good than bad in the warranty. Let's say that the engine lasts two years and two months out of the original 90 day plus two year warranty and then develops oil leak. That leak alone is enough to return the engine and there is no requirement to send the engine somewhere and get it repaired, so you get a brand new one right off the floor. Here is the good part.. Harbor Freight allows you to buy another warranty for another two years, so in essence you could replace the engine every two years for the cost of another warranty. I bought a 14HP Predator that way and even though the starter wiring failed early on, I just used the manual starter until one week before the warranty expired. They gave me a new one no questions asked and offered me another two year warranty for fifty bucks. That pretty much takes away any worries about quality issues on these engines. One thing to check on the predator is the air filter. I have seen excellent air filters on some of the small predators, but take the time to see if there is just a cheesey hunk of foam without a proper paper filter on your engine of choice.. That is where they could do better on some of their engines IMHO.

Found you jpwh, I like that, old meets older, going to get a few scratching their heads when they see it. Nice.

That is a heck of a tour Richard! What better way to see the good ole US of A than a ride like that!

This is the first time I truly had the chance to mow the entire yard with the eMax what used to be a 4-5 hour job with the 48" deck on the 520s and using 4-5 gallons of non-E 93, is now just about 2 hours with a 60" deck and 2 gallons of diesel so I will say it's a worthy investment so far, only issue was on the big hill above the house (that only gets mowed once a month normally) the chaffe ect really sucked up against the radiator screen and caused the "high temp saftey" to kick on and shut me down to idle ("limp mode") which is a good thing vs a boiled engine here's a few shots from the seat overlooking the "ranch" , doesn't look quite as steep from deck, Jeff.

Well Allrighty then ya got me beat on this one Nice stories, but you guy's are just Tickling me........ Where's the pictures? I'm sorry ya got a ticket but I mean I'd like a picture of you arm wrestling that MOUNTY EH?

Thanks Gary B. I am discovering tho, that the mind still says YES YOU CAN, but the body says NOT SO FAST or no you can't! I think the trick is to stay movin.

Worked on another piece of my puzzle. Making the parts for the differential was more of a challenge than I expected. I didn't have any of the original parts and I forgot to ask for pics from my friend in Indiana so I set forward with a concept but no pattern. The tension arm was fairly easy but the arm for releasing tension on the belt took a couple tries to get right. Getting enough motion to release belt tension was not as big of an issue as having enough motion in the opposite direction was. The L shaped bracket will be attached to the steering with linkage that I have to make yet. The finger on the L bracket hits the tension arm to release belt tension when turning. With the Left side done hopefully the right side will go easier. Also got some new shoes for the old girl.