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Picked this 312-8 up this morning! Might be the nicest original one I ever bought! Has a bagger and a plow thats just as nice. Got it running after a carb clean and new fuel lines. I was just gonna flip it, but I don't know about that now. It works pretty great! 20260801_170738.mp4

August 2, 1943, a Japanese destroyer rams an American PT (patrol torpedo) boat, No. 109, slicing it in two. The destruction is so massive other American PT boats in the area assume the crew is dead. Two crewmen were, in fact, killed, but 11 survived, including Lt. John F. Kennedy.

Tire/wheel swaps on the 520 today…B-80 used to haul it all away.

That plan will come back to haunt you when you apply for Social Security.

I figured it out. My points had somehow fallen out of spec. Cleaned them, readjusted, she just fired up strong. And as I closed the hood, just when I thought I'd mow again here comes the thunderstorm 😂😭 Thanks again all, this forum is such a gem of knowledge

Transaxle case numbers are different between your unit and the later hydro gears. And hydro gear case number for left side are different than later piston to piston units.. It might be easier to p[ck up a transaxle from any sunstrand hydro gear. (Chargers Electros etc).. Your hydro pump will bolt on to it.

If you can find one, their still out there, some members here sell them stay with an original Wheel Horse (Toro belts) their aren't cheap but there is a good chance the belts on your 35+ year old 312 are the original ones. Your drive belt (to the transmission) original belt number is 78-7100 it was later replaced by Toro 7473, it is 5/8" x81.9 anything you buy now are 5/8"x 82" does that 0.1" make a difference obviously it did the engineers who designed this things. The TSC huskee belt would be my aftermarket choice, they are about half the price of an original, so you can change it once and still come out ahead. Sorry, didn't mean to ramble on but I took my meds early today and I'm on my 3rd cup of coffee .

That spot is white paint over the red, I'd live to know what happened there lol

So you bought the seat and got the rest for free. BUT< YOU MAY HAVE OVERPAID.

I think that may be a Walbro carb. Had one on the 1988, 312-8 I sold last year. Any pictures of the carb? Tried to replace it with a Kohler carb before I sold it, but the air cleaner plate was different.

Bought a rebuilt starter from DB Electrical Thanks for the recommendation @Achto a year ago and it finally decided to quit, of course no where near the shop..So it was time to release the belt and SLOWLY PUSH THE ROUGHLY 800 LB Tractor with SDdeck towards the shop. Can't complain it's been noisy since I bought it around 6 or 7 years ago. The starter is an easy replacement but fortunately I had removed all the bolts and put never seize on them that hold the tins on. Putting the tins back on is a slight pain in the rear. Super quiet now.

Already working hard! I did a second story water heater install yesterday, and we are heading to a car show today!

Well, before you posted that I was thinking of replying to @953 nut‘s post with some words from The Maestro himself, Alan Greasepan, in testimony to Congress about meeting those obligations, but will refrain from doing so in light of this celebratory occasion that you should be enjoying . Instead, I’ll just say: “Congratulations!!!” Posting a video of that old coot here would be like dropping a deuce in the Wheelhorse whiskey punch bowl.

Spent 41 years planning for a living... did pretty well... including for my and my wife's financial well being in retirement... we're good. I would like to just enjoy sipping my Wheel Horse bourbon whilst wearing my new Wheel Horse shirt on a nice Sunday afternoon... the first one as a retiree... Talk of the SS trust fund makes me feel like I spilled my drink... Of course i didn't, so no worries...

That "we can get by on less" plan could bite you in the butt when social security time rolls around. Your 35 highest income years will be used to calculate your SS income when you retire. If you are only planning to work part time for the last 8 years you will be missing out on those highest pay years and greatly reduce the amount of income you will get. Also, remember that Medicare is deducted from your SS, doesn't matter how little you are making, they will deduct it up front. My wife and I both were able to retire at 60 but we were debt free, had employer paid health insurance to age 65 and had stashed away enough money to cover more than five years expenses factoring in an average of 3% inflation. There is a big difference between what we want to do and what we can afford to do. Get with a financial planner and start investing all you can in the stock market. Don't just go with the minimum 401K contribution and think it will be enough, buy in personnel brokerage accounts too, you will need it.

The surest way is to look up the model number of the potential donor and check the parts listing. And that assumes it was not transplanted at some point To add to the confusion if you want to put an 8 pinion into a 10 pinion tranny you have to make sure you have the 2 piece mushroom gear

And the message relayed was carved into a coconut... that momento sat on his desk while President.

My GT-14 had a transplant going from aluminum to cast iron end plates a few years ago when I replaced an axle I snapped of while it still had the aluminum plates, that is when I discovered the Torrington B-348 bearing deal that took place in '70. I have a 418-C which has an Eaton 1100 and 8 pinion differential that I plow snow with and the GT-14 with the ten pinion limited slip with a new spring that has a loader. The amount of wheel spin on the two is about the same, nearly nonexistent. The GT-14 has over 100 pounds of weights per tire, liquid filled tires and chains. The 418 has 80 pounds of weight per tire, liquid filled tires and chains. I have never had a problem with the 10 pinion but I understand that the people who do pulling tractors prefer the eight pinion for their durability.

I was on you tube a few weeks ago, and I found this page that had a case dealership in Connecticut I believe.. He had this new tool that I’ve never heard about how to safely clean the top end of the engine and the head. It’s nylon attached to steel that you can put in your drill or whatever. You spray it down with like fantastic or some kind of household cleaner, but let it sit for about 10 minutes. These nylon attachments made the whole head and top of the engine clean within a 10 minutes. I was truly impressed on that. The other bonus it doesn’t leave any scratches or gouging of the material which according to this video it’s the first place where carbon will build up. So here’s a couple pics before and after this was about 10 minutes worth of work. The orange is course this kit came with two others gray, which is a medium grit and I believe the blue is a fine grit. I’m sold on this so far much easier. I used to use steel but at left a lot of scratches.

@ Mikes Horse Barn, great pick up on that ! regular for me on any pick up . is to , quickly / easily get a paint save going on ? like a penetrating oil spray down , let it soak in a few days , then wipe it down with a , soft clean cloth , next stage , rubit down with clean miner oiled cloth , that paint condition , should pop right thru , any grunge . preserving / enhancing what you have is , is vital , after that , a clean mineral oiled cloth rub down , will keep it looking fresh . those plows , really really come to life , with QUADRANT SWING ACTION , DETAILING , SQUESE LEVER START, DETAILING , very easy , luck you ! pete

Just can not find the like Richard. I am Computer illiterate. I just get buy.

There's actually two. The second one is hidden in the pic.That disc has to move. The added arm is relieved to clear the brass nut, the holes tapped to, I think 4-40, JB Welded to together, bolts have Loctite, then ground flush on the backside for clearance.

I didn't have a disc with the arm so I made one.

I know, I know....... one of these days.... During Covid, my job was threatened and I was getting things together TO retire. Well, long story short, I survived, got a BIG raise, and am still doing what I've been doing. I like doing what I'm doing and have a pretty unique niche compared to others in my position, so I'll stick around maybe a couple of more years. Keeping an eye on some investments, if they reach a certain level I have in mind, I might convert them to income-producing investments, retire, and start taking my pension. If some other things change, we might move things up.

So glad to see it getting the treatment it deserves. Keep up the great work.

Nice score on that 312-8. Mine is my go to mowing machine, so I definitely agree with you,

Absolutely.We bought three grab bars and will install at least two. The wall I was dealing with is an outside wall so i left it intact as possible and used hardwood for maximum hold. Drilling an undersize hole so the threads grab without splitting. The other walls will get solid blocking and a block for a third grab bar in case there is need for a caretaker within the shower. this house was bought in case we would have to take care of a parent, but its only two miles from here and the need for an easier property for us is a possibility. It is a step in shower that fits a five foot opening. Its nice and rigid and solid Vickerel where the cplor goes all the way through

Inside work is all done except putting the shelves and books/knickknacks back in place.

I retired at 62.5 and used COBRA for 1.5 years. Still had to buy health insurance for 1 year before I was eligible for Medicare. Mrs.K is a few months younger than me. I asked my insurance guy what to do when I took Medicare and Mrs.K was not eligible? His answer...wrap her in bubble wrap. BTW, that one year that I had to buy health insurance cost 4X what I paid for my first house.

I wouldn't knock yourself out looking for VR1 oil over Rotella. These are lawn mowers. Not Indy cars or space ships!

Got the carb cleaned up and gone through and was able to start it. After that, I had to mess around with the drive pulley to get it to go on all of the way. The surging in the video is because I forgot I had my gas turned off at the tank. I was able to drive it around a little bit tonight. I put about a quart of an unopened thing of ATF that I found in the back of my grandma's garage that I think is older than me but I figured it's good enough for temporary to help flush the tranny. Tomorrow I need to swap the wide front axle onto our 1257 and take the narrow axle I put on the 1257 onto my 845. I also need to mess with the governor some.

Thats a scare tactic telling people about uncertainty of the future of social security. That way if theres low cola raises or a reduction or any other B.S. excuse people are still accepting because they been scared its gonna be gone- something is better than nothing is what most will accept. Social security intake funds itself daily significantly (I forget the percentage now) more then it pays out. Still.....invest & save though.

Just a SS reminder. Surviving spouses and ex spouses receive the higher amount of the two.

My existing financial plans, and retirement contributions assume that SS will not be around. I have that category set to 0 in my existing plan, I am tracking at 96% of my goal, figuring current expenses, which at time of retirement should be less the +$2000 a month we lay out for the mortgage.

I have found the same so I leave the chains on in spring when the lawn is often wet and soft. I do have to be careful that the chains are very snug to the tire else they clatter against the 36” RD gear deck. Short frame tractors don’t have any spare wheelbase!

I just bought a 312-8 today! Already love it although I haven’t mowed yet. What is the best spark plug I can use (Champion RH-10C?) and the best transmission belt? I don’t mind spending a bit to get the best quality. Thanks in advance!

You would probably need to go through the IPLs for various models and compare part numbers for axle bearings and case halves and I'm not sure that this would give conclusive results. I have never attempted to swap out the differentials from the Eaton with those from manual or Sundstrand transaxles. It appeared that the Eaton's differential was not replaceable by other earlier units. I have placed the geared transmission's eight pinion in a Sundstrand just for proof of concept. I have also used the bevel gear in a six speed with good results. Mowing very steep grades is never a pleasure, I mowed for my neighbor while he was recouping from surgery and could mow UP the steepest part with my 310-8 4 Pinion open differential without a problem if the grass was DRY but would loose traction going down, one wheel would skid while the other freewheeled. I put on tire chains and had no wheel spin in the steepest places and if you don't spin the wheels the chains don't harm the lawn. My 1055 is also a four pinion open differential with chains, loaded tires and about 40 pounds of weight. It will plow up my driveway with a bit of wheel spin whereas the 418-C will do it without wheel spin but the 418-C had 10.5 " tires and the 1055 only has 8.00" tires.

The TORO / Wheel Horse number for your 312-8 drive belt is 7473 which is a 82" X 5/8" V Belt. Many of us have used the Tractor Supply Kevlar belts with good results. Bew very cautious about buying belts on that are listed with TORO numbers, many of them are not the correct width and will not work. https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/product/huskee-v-belt-5-8-in-x-82-in-oc-4461826?

My 05-32YS01 deck has a different rear wheel adjuster arrangement. BTW, it is for sale for $100. NOS...never been on a tractor.

One thing I don't like about the carburetor on this though is that it has a fixed main jet. Didn't know they had those 40 years ago. My 314 is adjustable.

Healthcare is a major factor as part of an overall plan. If you don’t already have a trusted fiduciary financial advisor, now is a great time to start shopping around. I wasn’t as prepared as I could have been. My spouse worked for three years after I retired (hers was more vocation than job) and we survived!

I retired three years ago. Started working right after high school so after 52 years decided that was enough. Most of my career was self-employed carpenter/handyman. It was harder off loading the tools from my work truck than I expected. I suppose a fellow's chosen career seems to, in part, define who he is. I still do a fair amount of handyman work--mostly for folks who need help or organizations who are trying to do good for humanity. What has changed is, that when folks ask how much they owe me, I tell them to donate to their church, or charity of their choosing whatever the job was worth to them. We spend a good amount of our time helping with the three grandchildren. The youngest, special needs, takes a lot of papa's time going to therapies and hanging out because going with his family outings causes him stress. Kept him about 4 1/2 hours today while family spent time with some friends.

Same here. I retired with 42 years of service, only because I needed more time off for myself and my family. The day after I retired I continued working as a consultant for another 7 years.....on my own schedule Retirement is great, but I would love to have 25 years to go.

Put down some stripes this afternoon with my ‘02 - 315-8. Wish all my mowing machines had cup holders

To answer you source question, Little Red Barn bought out I Save and is a reliable source. https://www.ebay.com/str/lilredbarnpowerequipmentsupply Safety switches will not cause your problem, please do not molest them! Have you been using gasoline that has alcohol in it, if so STOP that stuff deteriorates fuel systems. you can find a gas station that sells alcohol free gas at this website. https://www.pure-gas.org/. Place the shift lever in neutral and block the rear wheels to be sure the tractor will not move while you are working on it. Starting at your gas tank, clean and/or replace the fuel shut off valve and its screen, replace your fuel lines and filter and be sure fuel flows freely from the tank to the end of the hose where it connects to the fuel pump. After the fuel line has been connected to the pump turn the engine over to see if the fuel is being pumped out, if not then inspect the pump. If a kit is needed contact Then and Now https://www.thenandnowautomotive.com/antique-auto-parts-store/AC-4S-K-Kohler-Fuel-Pump-Kit-p816753504 or consider using a low pressure electric pump. Once the fuel pump is working then the carburetor is the next place to go. The cheap aftermarket units are generally unsatisfactory, rebuilding the one you have is not difficult. Hope this has been helpful.

I’ve never heard someone complain for having too many tie downs. This will allow most all my tractors to have a tie down over either or all tires, or front to back or crossed. I like it

I've had my share of jobs... work is so overrated!

I found a spare at the local Tractor Supply, and cleaned out the hauler. Job complete, until I decide on a winch and any counter or storage compartments up front!

I also put the key that I got from @JCM on it.

The last couple of days I've done the little nitpicky jobs like welding some hood mounts on, wiring up the kill switch, installing the throttle and choke cable, putting oil in the engine, and running the fuel line. I'm close to being able to run and drive it I just need to get the carb straightened out because at the moment it only runs on a shot of brake clean and isn't getting fuel. I did pop the line if the carb to make sure I had fuel going to it but I think the main problem is that its all gummed up from old fuel because when I took the bowl off it smelled like varnish and it was very dark and cruddy.