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I realize this is against all wheel horse policy but - my nephew really wanted a “Tractor Mac” book themed Tractor. So naturally out came the paint and I vandalized the 310.

it's hard to believe I've worked for the same company for 40 years. I've done numerous jobs over the years. Started as a Coal Plant Construction Inspector in 1978. Worked around the steam plants, got into performance testing, project management and then got wet (more than once) working various design, technical support and supervisory roles at the six hydro dams. I've been a "Dam Guy" for about 30 years. For years I've said I needed one of those Maytag repair man posters of the old guy looking for something to do, for my office. Unlike the Maytag guy the phone and now the emails never slow down around here, The dams sit in the flash flood prone Texas Hill Country section of our Texas Colorado river. it crazy that a flood has become the rare time that everyone focuses on one priority vs. the normal daily routine of too many phone calls and emails. Today I push a keyboard, and work on budgets as much as I actually get to do technical work these days. Today I got in the truck and visited the guys at several of the dams, had a nice lunch with some of them and stopped at one more dam before heading home. Almost as good a day as seat time on a tractor! That retirement light at the end of the tunnel is getting bright, I not sure if I'll make 41 years here! I won't make the big show this year, but I'm thinking there will be one less big thing holding me back next year.

Love It! Here is another one.

Well today skittles got some new front hubs. I bought some 5 lug trailer hubs and wheels. I had to install a 3” long spanner to increase the axle size to 1” for the bearings. Also I took a 3/4” wide bushing (1” id x 1-1/4” od) and split it for the seal to ride on. New bearings, taces, hubs & seals. I just got my front wheels back from paint so they are going to sit for a while and harden up before putting tires on it. So I had to put my extra trailer wheels on it for now. Not sure I like the skinnies but I cannot wait to get my other wheels and tires on it. Also got the tensioner figured out today. Still have to make a spring tab for the tension spring.

I drove over 1300 miles round trip to Scott Moreau in Michigan. It took about 27 1/2 hours. A friend and I took turns driving and rustled a couple of other horse to boot, and some other brand tractors for other people. Also brought home a custom tractor which then got delivered to VA.. I didn't drive that trip, rode with another friend to a show eric j

Not a tractor but I went about 1100 miles 18 hour round trip to go to the auction that I bought my 4-wheeled wagon at. That was quite a few years back... they weren`t nearly as plentiful as they are today.. or at least they didn`t seem so! 😉 I`d been actively looking for one for 3 years when I came across this one on an online sale bill.

Getting ready for the season. Needed a dolly for my sprayer so decided to make one. Pictures (yes I know didn't happen if no pictures). Here they are:

Many of the guys here use plain diesel for flushing. Kerosene works as well. Drain all the old oil out first. It helps to safely raise the front of the tractor to get the cup or so of oil out in front of the casing hump. Run the tractor if possible or try and slosh it around. Drain noting the appearance of what comes out. This may have to be repeated several times. Doesn't hurt to overfill abit at this point. Once you get most of the crud out refill to dip stick full with a quality 80/90 wt gear oil. If this is a working tractor change the oil at least once a year. Check the boot on the shift lever as that's where water usually gets in. Good luck with your and don't be afraid to ask with any issues.

Rear end is back together. 👍 Gonna have to order the input shaft and brake shaft seals again as I somehow destroyed them putting the cases together. Got a few more parts in primer too. Kohler shroud will need some work as the bottom has some areas of swiss cheese.

Well once I drove from Elgin, Il. to the Big Show...684 mi one way (1368 mi round trip)...not to buy a horse, but I bought 5 raffle tickets ($5) and won the raffle tractor. That has to count. BUT!!!...I can top that. Again I drove to the Big Show 684 mi (1368 mi round trip)...picked up a round hood for Ryan in Minnesota, and delivered the horse to him at the La Sueur show 743 mi (1486 mi round trip) for a grand total of 2854 miles.

Here are a couple of photos of my ditch mower. The state thinks I need a canyon for a ditch, so after a year of weed eater tourture, I decided that there had to be a better way. I just took an old lawnboy and made a new aluminum deck with open ends, then made a frame and arms from square tubing. A harbor freight winch raises and lowers the arms with the control switch incorporated into the tractors motion lever. On the right side of the tractor, there is a car battery, onboard charger, and 200 pounds of steel which all serves as a counterweight. This was the sixth year I've used it and have had really good luck so far. The only thing I want to change is to make the unit quick tach so the tractor could be used for other things.

I was reminiscing the other day with a WH friend about some of the trips we have taken to pick up Horses. It made me wonder how far some of us have traveled to buy a Wheel Horse. I am sure I have not went the farthest and would guess I would land in the middle of the road trip pack. I picked up a 520 once in Indiana 5 1/2 hours one way. (that is probably my limit!). Anybody else?

Here are some pictures. One picture is when I first got it. It has different rear tires and the seat is just sitting on the wheel well. A friend of mine bought it around six years ago and was going to restore it but never did. He practically gave it to me. It starts and runs okay but smokes. It seems to have plenty of power, it will pull a wheelie if I start off in third gear I found out by mistake. It was sitting all that time and started fairly easily with a new battery. I had to flatten the cylinder head and put on a new gasket.

the hard part is stopping at just one...

Most of the 12 HP and lower versions were fitted with 42" decks not that the 12 HP won't run the 48" but it really depends on the size of mowing area and the type of grass, at times when it rained quite a bit and I couldn't get at it the tall thick moisture laden grass work the 20 HP Onan with my 48" deck, just a heads up on something to think about, Jeff.

Woo Hoo finally got into Paypal and became a supporter! Sorry nothing to do with the 502 build, but woo hoo!

The best and safest way to free the rims up is to back off all five wheel lug bolts a quarter turn (one wheel at a time) and drive it in a figure eight a few times. Looks good for a 1776 model!

24 hour turn around. Great to have wonderful and very talented friends.

20 years ago this month I bought my first (anniversary 520H)brand new as my dealer was my neighbor seperated by a creek and with the following pic you'll see how far I went to go it , and it's also where I picked up my second 520H as well as a non running 523Dxi (gone now) after moving about 125 miles away, anyways the blue outline was where used to live and use my 520H the red line how far I went to get it and service/parts after the sale, and yellow my dealer, Jeff.

Could be tough for me to be a competitor here.... Approximately 29 miles. That's a 2, and a 9. Now here's the thing. I had to go there. And back. So that's really 58. But I also dropped the machine at the shop for an additional 20 miles or so. And back of course. So I'd say about 98 miles !!! hehehe.....

Soon after I retired I made a little horse rustling trip that totaled 3,610 miles. I can't claim the entire trip was a venture, part family visitation too. I departed Fort Pierce FL with the 1055 in tow on my way to our present home in Franklin, NC (675). From there I headed to Syracuse NY (850) to visit my Mom and visit some friends. Now the rustling started, headed to LeRoy MI (570) to pick up an RJ project, next stop was Niles MI (185) for another RJ, next was Lawrenceburg KY (325) for a Suburban and then back to Franklin NC (330) to unload. After a couple days I headed back to Ft. Pierce (675). So the legitimate rustling mileage would be 1,410

About 400 miles has been my greatest. Picked up Emory's 60 and 61 suburbans - 2 different trips a few months apart. They were our first horses. Probably some of best times we've had are on horse trips!

729.7 which would be 11.5 hours of not for 3-4 cities and rush hours. Turned it into 4 day round trip excursion.

I went to Fla. for a 520-8.

8hours once for a WH that cost only $100 for a running Commando & I visited relivatives on the way back!

An earlier posting indicated using a flushing agent while changing transmission oil for my recently acquired 312-8. Indications are this tractor may have been exposed to the elements somewhere along the way. Dipstick shows cloudy and lots of rust above the fluid level on the dipstick. Comments such as type, brand and even methods are welcomed. This 312-8 will be my 3rd on hand. First one purchased new in 1988. The 2nd one had been used but was in perfect condition with no issues. This one is going to be a challenge to get it up to par.

Congrats! Says a lot about both the company and the employee when they can make it work for 40 or more years!

Welcome to another Michigander. And yes the Wheelhorse is in my opinion the best all around tractor you can buy. You can get all the info here on RedSquare to keep it in tiptop shape.

I've been amazed at how well a mid-mount grade blade can cut and move dirt. I've also used a rear cultivator to break up soil, then move it with a front dozer blade, and I believe a rear box blade would work even better. in many types of soil, the right "soil moisture" can make all the difference .

They way the rock shaft works for the rear clevis hitch with a cable it's all gravity down power up, so changing to a solid rod/link would make no difference, if you want down pressure on the clevis hitch you'll need to either try fabbing on an electric actuator solidly mounted where the under seat pan rock shaft would go or just add old fashioned weight of your choice, just my , here's a couple of my rear attachments for your viewing pleasure ,last 2 is a box blade see the added weight and ripper teeth, Jeff.

Thanks. It's in the garage at the moment (my dark garage, not a repair shop) and I didn't save the Craigslist Ad photo, but will take photos in the near future. After numerous problems with a newer Snapper, seeing a repair shop full of brand new Husqvarnas awaiting repairs and watching my neighbor's brand new Craftsman sidelined, I swore I would never buy a garden tractor again. Then I did a little research on Wheel Horse garden tractors and was quite impressed. After using the one I bought, I am a Wheel horse fan for life. My little beast plows snow great and I'm sure it will mow my grass fine too. Yah Wheel Horse!!!

Jim pretty much covered the process. I would just add, if the horse runs, I would run it in 3rd gear for about 15 minutes and also in reverse for another 5 or 10 minutes. I would also run the horse on blocks. Sometimes, those old oil seals will leak a little with the thinner diesel or kerosene...you don't want that in your grass. It will take about 2 qts of fresh oil to re-fill. Welcome to Red Square

Boogered up seals has been done by the best of us so you are in good company. Sometimes I'll wreck one on purpose just to have it over and done with! Lube up seals well when installing and maybe some tape over sometimes sharp keyway edges to keep from cutting seals.

Been there. I usually don't like to put the oil seals on until after I have the transmission back together. Seems like I don't ruin them as fast this way. The horse is looking good, keep it up!!

And the piles get higher.

I might have to change my username to PullStuff!

We had 20" here (added 3" after the picture). 5 miles away, the school I work at had 14". Cleared that last night and this morning. I'm on hour 36 now. It was light at least.

Ok so more backyard brake engineering going in today. Got my slot cut for my rod to move back n forth in, trimmed a little off of it to clear a bolt. Just need to thread it for a clevis rod end and redrill a hole for the connecting bolt that goes through the brake band bracket. Needs to move out about 1/2” to line up. I got all of the motion control group mounted and the parking brake lock installed with the release spring. Just need to tweek the levers for clearance and make a new top plate. Think I might just leave the hand control lever for now to see how I like it. Running out if time and dont know if the foot control thing is going to happen yet. Little things here and there but I think she’s gonna work just fine.

Depended on the weather

My next door neighbor in Mathews picked up and brought me my first horse a few years ago-a 314-8. I got a basket case 416-H from him last year-just had to drag it across the field. I found 2 within 10 miles of home. Only one I got either not near home or Mathews was only 70 miles away.

Did you walk to get parts or drive a truck or a ?

Round trip for each tractor that I currently own. #1 20 miles #2 180 miles #3 1520 miles # 4 330 when I go pick it up I think that works out to about 5 hours per mile for the builds.

And you know what. I only have a big handful left to sort out still. Hopefully I will be done before grass season starts here in about 6-8 weeks. If I can do one a week I'll be on time, but oh my god it has been work work work. Next time will not have as many project tractors for sure. I'm dreaming GT's, re-wirering, painting and fixing all night, doing it for real all day after work, repeat........ Wife and kid says I speak horse when they get to see me. Well I guess we live and learn the hard way, and just as we get old and smart enough not to get these brain farts, nature grants us diapers again...... Just swell that is! According to this undertaking of mine, I clearly haven't gotten to the smart fase yet...........

I went about 250 round trip to buy what turned out to be a parts tractor C-160. The only piece I ended up keeping was the frame that I made a sulky out of but I finally sold that.

You have provided several collectors the opportunity to own some fine .

Think I got you beat on this one Last fall I did a 8700 and some miles trip to bring home some horses. Granted, most of it was in a tin can in the sky.

Thanks for the welcome and all the info. Looking for a 48" deck because I've been absolutely spoiled by using a woods L306 6' deck to mow my front 3 acres and mow and keep a nice path running through my back 10. Alas the WD has some serious mechanical issues I can't afford to fix at the moment and I may be selling her off rather than trying to fix her. Based on how mightily the 312-8 pushed snow for me, I don't think I will I have any issues with a 48" deck. Also, the only lush grass I have is the area directly above my septic drainage field. I love my little beast as I call her. What really sold me on a Wheel Horse, other than coming to the dreaded realization that I was going to have to buy a garden tractor, is that I literally could not find a single negative comment about them. Also, I have been warned that a Wheel Horse owner who owns only one is a rare creature indeed.

Picked the pump up today after a friend run some aluminium weld over the dodgy looking area, next job will be to test it to see if that cured the leak.

20 clams well spent!

Speedy too. That looks nice.