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The search is now over! I have finally found a 42” mid mount grader blade for my 1257 after searching for about 8 months.

July 7, 1986, former President Jimmy Carter and First Lady Rosalynn Carter spend a hot summer day in Chicago, celebrating their 40th wedding anniversary while building a home in the West Garfield Park neighborhood for the Georgia-based nonprofit Habitat for Humanity.

Hello Everyone I'm from California. Just signed up. I own a 1973 Wheel Horse C-120 with the 12hp Kohler. I use it mainly for mowing and snow plowing around the property. It’s been a solid machine and I’m slowly working on getting it cleaned up. I'm joining to pick up tech tips, parts info, and to see what other guys are doing with their Horses. I’ve got a lot of respect for the history behind these tractors. Appreciate any advice and glad to be part of the community.

Got to try out my new hitch that I made for the 520H. “Opie” approved also he said it beats walking….

That’ll show those tailgaters!

Calander shot right there. Beautiful dog, barn, and tractor.

Actually that "patina" tractor came from Rodney Burger. He took it to the LeSeuer , Minnesota Swap Meet in April several years ago. The hood was painted purple. My brother David Ralph bought it and it set unused for several years -a waiting some attention. Craig Hearne told me how to paint a tractor with "new patina". I cleaned it and lightly sanded and steel wooled the entire hood. I did not think you could do it but it worked real well. You take Rustoleum red primer, flat black and and red you want (I use Rustoleum Regal red) and lightly spray the three at different intervals until you have a "new patina" finish. And, yes I was skeptical but it worked great. Last photo is the "new patina" RJ as sold to the new buyer.

We spent a total of 40 minutes at the buyer’s house, and we were back on the road home. I dropped my buddy Aaron off to his wife at a reasonable meeting point and kept trucking. Stopped by the bank to deposit the cashier’s check (it cleared @stevebo) and just pulled into the driveway. 31 hours even on the road and about 1950 miles travelled! As a bonus, my road got tarred and feathered (Chip sealed) while we were gone!

Don't let that stop ya. I have two. One from New York and one from North Carolina. USPS.

Good safety suggestion, always try to avoid rear-end collisions.

Europe: if you leave Berlin driving West at the posted speed limit and drive for 2 hours you have crosses two international borders. US: if you leave Dallas and drive West for two hours at thebposted speed limit you are still in Texas. If you did it at rush hour you are still in Dallas.

I believe the caution sticker says "Don't rest your feet on the blade". Is there anybody who doesn't use their feet for downward pressure? It's easy to tell how much downward pressure you have and then let off on low spots. I have the newer wider push style also. It has a wedging action contributing to down pressure. They both have their advantages. I like to loosen up the gravel with a weighted drag section before I grade. It does a better job of uprooting the weeds that have crept into the driveway. After grading I rake up the uprooted weeds with a leaf rake. I need to find a safe weed killer. I'm leery of Round-up.

Gist of a long conversation with a seatmate on a flight from Frankfurt to NY in the late 80’s--mostly in German, some English (back when I was fluent): Handy Don: Vacation or work trip? German Tourist: Vacation HD: What are your plans? GT: I’m renting a car and plan to drive to Niagara Falls, Washington D.C., Boston, and then back to NYC. I’d like to spend a day or two in each place. HD: (initially speechless) You may not realize how far that is. Probably close to 1,500 miles, or about 2,400 km. How long are you staying? GT: I leave next Saturday on the overnight flight. [We are on a flight arriving on Sunday at about 7 PM--so not quite six days] HD: Are you aware the speed limits are less than 100km per hour on most of your planned route? That will mean many hours in the car. He wasn’t. I tried to convince him that 12 hours driving for an hour or two at Niagara falls wasn’t a good use of his time, but that NY, DC, and Boston were each worthy of several days. The Falls was non-negotiable but he agreed to skip Boston!

Sweet, so my idea should work. I'm thinking of using one for a brake light switch for my tractor.

Should be normally open. It closes when the peddle is depressed to complete the circuit between the key switch and the starter relay.

Busy week. Picked up the exchange student we hosted in 1999/2000 schoolyear and his family (5 kids 8 to 17, and his parents) at O'Hara in Chicago last week Sunday. Went to the Art Museum on Monday and the Field Museum on Tuesday - downtown in a Transit 250 15 passenger van. Drove to our lake house in Michigan on Wednesday. Went Shopping inLansing (1 hour drive) on Thursday. Chilled out at the lake Friday and Saturday. More shopping in Grand Rapids (1 hour drive) on Sunday. Drove to Dayton, about 5 hours, today. The rest of this week looks as busy as last week. We will end up in Bowling Green Ky. before returning them to O'Hara for their flight home next Sunday. I absolutely loved watching his kids at the lake. Just made the lake house really come alive. I'll have to mark up our travels on a map of the US to show them how small the area they traveled is compared to the rest of the country.

Install an electric fuel pump.

There fixed that for ya...

Welcome to Plethora of knowledge here. We would love to see pictures of your horse!

No wasn’t able to make it it this year. I found it locally over the weekend.

Back around 2000 my parents took a month-long road trip to go from Massachusetts to Southern California and back. On the way out they went south. On the way back that came across the north part of the country. Texas was the only state that they did not cross in one day.

Do you have one Howard? I may if you don’t.

Picked this up yesterday. Was only an hour away. Seller said it was sitting for a few years so he had it serviced to get it running. Was asking $800. Got there & cranked w/no start. Ended up getting it for $300! Got it home & after using my small benchtop 20v blower to pressurize fuel tank it started right up! Everything appears to function. This will be new tractor to use with my Bervac. After the heat wave is over I'll go through it addressing maintenance & any possible needed repairs. Paint is faded so hopefully I can get it reconditioned. Have to get manuals printed off & definitely wanna address the "known issues" with this model. Onans are all new to me. 20260702_160202.mp4

So true for many of us. Observation, not a complaint.

I try to tell myself that I won’t let that happen again because it’s not the first time it’s happened. But you @Handy Don can personally attest that once I start talking about Wheel Horses to people that like talking about Wheel Horses the conversation can go on and on, and on and on…………

This was the basic recipe. Instead of jalapeno peppers I used mild longhorn peppers, I also added 1 cut up habanero pepper to each 1/2pt jar. https://www.food.com/recipe/candied-jalapeno-or-cowboy-candy-453141

It is more than a buddy who’s willing to take a 2,000 mile road trip to keep you company and help pilot. So down to a school bus that still needs converting!?

If you made the diaphragm taut across the body of the pump when you “recut” the holes, then you made it impossible for the mechanism to move the diaphragm up and down to pump fuel. Worse, if the mechanism pushes hard enough against the stretched diapharagm, it causes the rubber to split and gas flows into the oil sump. The holes were likely correct. Some aftermarket diaphragm’s stems are not cut precisely and do require minor adjustments. Correct install: FIRST, plate sand the faces of the body halves to be sure they are flat (the pump body flanges are fairly soft and can be warped by excessive tightening of the closure screws). Connect the diaphragm stem. Put the screws through the upper body, gently forcing the diaphragm onto the screws. Operate the actuator to its limit in one direction or the other to fully pull the diaphragm to its maximum travel. While keeping the actuator pulled, align the screws with the holes in the lower body and gradually tighten the screws sequentially across the body. The diaphragm edges will “scrunch” to make a good seal. DO NOT OVERTIGHTEN

Made some sugar and vinegar cucumbers. Added a few radishes and spring onions for bling. Picked enough blackberries for a pie. Then outa the kitchen to the shop to make a connecting link for the 20hp kicker motor on the boat. The motors 150 and 20 hp Johnsons could be started and shifted from the helm, but only the 150 could be steered. The 20 could not be steered so when it was being used, the 150 was used as a rudder which was not a very responsive steering system. With this connecting link both moters will be steered from the helm making it much more effective when pulling crab traps.

Bob, you got some remarkable photos! My take was to capture those that came as quickly as possible so they could get back to their day. Yes, the announcements do get tuned out by many (there are too many and they’re too verbose), but @953 nut did put up posters and post it on the forum--and we were on time both days. As it was, a couple of latecomers posed themselves outside the shot on Friday (next time we can use some sort of physical boundary! And I’m sure some members just chose not to be in a photo. On Friday, I was thinking back to the traditional group shot at my high school graduation. Even in that well-planned and structured situation, someone had to chase down one grad who was leaving to go to a party--she figured the picture wasn’t important to her (her father had a distinctly different opinion, expressed loudly and openly, that her CLASS was more important than a party).

I was at the show Friday but didn’t stay for Saturday but I really wanted the sticker so I ordered one, I just received the sticker in the mail and put it on my tractor. Thank you @nylyon and @Vinylguy.

No actually that "patina" tractor came from Rodney Burger. He took it to the LeSeuer , Minnesota Swap Meet in April several years ago. The hood was painted purple. My brother David Ralph bought it and it set unused for several years -a waiting some attention. Craig Hearne told me how to paint a tractor with "new patina". I did not think you could do it but it worked real well. You take Rustoleum red primer, flat black and and red you want (I use Rustoleum Regal red) and lightly spray the three at different intervals until you have a "new patina" finish. And, yes I was skeptical but it worked great.

At the big show I got a frame from a round hood, tranny, and dash tower from @Pullstart. I also got a short frame square hood, and the dash pieces from @Mike'sHorseBarn. I got a pullstart 8 horse from one of the guys in the barns and a steering wheel from one of the guys set up in the in field. When I got the steering wheel, it still had the roll pin and part of the cut off steerong shaft in it. I soaked it for a few days with kroil and worked on it yesterday. That was the easiet roll pin I've ever had come out once I figured out how to hold the wheel. The chunk of the steering shaft also came right out. I put it in our press and barely had any pressure on it and it moved. Today, having no power and it being hot, all I did was put the dash pieces together and set them on the tower. It's been 100 degrees and humid here since we got back from the show so I haven't really been able to work on very much.

I missed this, and my 701 isn't yet finished- but here is my submission:

I didn’t know 701 day was a thing! I will have to mark the calendar next year. Nice tractors everyone! 701 is my favorite model. This is mine that just bought at the big show. I love the patina on this thing!

Here is one after muffler swap. I had forgot I even changed untill i got to going through pics.

@squonk love the cultivator set. I will play, Here be mine.

These are older photos now. But heres another before and after of a 701

My 701 before i cleaned itt up a little.

My 701 an oldie but goodie! I have told this story about this tractor before! I went to a collector’s place who had six 701 tractors. I told him i wanted a medium priced one! Ha. He had them apart in boxes and two show tractors. This was in mid range and ran! This tractor was traded back and forth at least three times between the same two collectors. It had a chrome dash ( made from 703 dash but not plastic) , stainless steel door hinge on end of hood, Hein Werner lift set up i installed, backrest, halogen headlights that i installed and it really is my favorite ❤️ tractor.

Always worth showing again!

This had to be one of my favorite shows just from the craziest happenings. No Friday detours until an SOS call came thru to the Good Ship Ridgeline. The Wisconsin boys needed ice and the Church ladies we out and weren't getting any more. Co a right turn to town. What's sitting on the store parking lot but the ice truck! Just got done loading up the store freezers so I loaded up 5 bags to the 2 I already had and the "soft drinks" in Jim and Dan's coolers got chilled. Later in the day I was watching @wallfish drain gas into a drinking cup. Oh no not again!!! But I should have stayed for the "light show " which followed. Thank heavens @Pullstart recorded it for everyone to enjoy. Got to drive " My Tractor ( @stevasaurus old 702 Thanks Kevin!!!) Pie with @Jrblanke topped it off. Cruise was a fun one. Nice to be able to say goodbye to the guys who leave that night or get up with the chickens on Sat. Hoodlums and vandals struck Wed. night and "molested" my 953! " Who wants a drink? I'm pouring!" James looking for the fire extinguisher! Julie managing to walk a straight line whilst looking at her phone. Richard waiting for the parade to start. Somehow I see @Pullstart driving this! Sea of flags

Yup. It was a bit tricky gettin on and off with the flag pole on the back but it was nice driving a full size round hood again!

Thanks Mike !! I saw a picture of my old 702 there. It still looks great and I hear it still drives nice.

Nice! Yeah, many aren't threaded when you see those flat mufflers mounted. I like to run the engines and get that port area hot when trying to remove exhaust bolts or even the head bolts near the exhaust. (If possible, but No need to worry in this instance since it's changing to a pipe). Backyard hammer mechanic tip, if you grind thin perpendicular lines into some scrap pipe threads on the pipe, it will clean out the engine threads better than just screwing a pipe in. Screw in, back off, keep repeating as necessary, then use the actual pipe piece you're going to use when you believe it's ready. Of course a real tap is best but sometimes it just needs a little cleaning out of the threads so the pipe trick works for that.

Ok I took the flat muffler off the Kohler K91 motor I am working on for my RJ Patina Special. I broke the top bolt (snapped the nut) which as rusty as it was I figured one or both would snap. But bottom one came off nice. Lo and behold the exhaust port appeared to be threaded! Like Wallfish and WHX indicated I will use an NPT tap and clean the threads better but I used my dremel tool to clean the threads and ran a short 3/4 pipe I had just to see if it was going to work it way in ok. 👍 looks like I am in business for an RJ exhaust pipe set up.

Lane I really have a thing for those tires, someday I’ll even own a set! I almost bought a non-wheel horse tractor at Portage just for the tires, I should have done it and tried to flip it with another set!