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This past weekend we had the 15th (ish) UK meet. Around 35 horses from around the country. A few custom ones - you can’t have too many and 10 round hoods, which is a record for us here… no idea where they come from! My own basket case made it, and then the pull start broke on the first day leaving it bricked! 😭 here are a few pictures

Just finished cleaning off the winter cob webs, changing the oil, sharpening the blades, and replacing the air filters. Ready for the grandchildren. (1967 T1067 and 1982 SK-486)

Went out for a test drive.

Been wanting a small lightweight jack that I can pop off the handle and toss in the backseat of my truck on road trips (think Wheel Horse show in a few weeks) in case my trailer was to have a flat. And of course to jack up tractors HF had this on sale for $79..regular $109.

This is from the experience I went through the last couple days. It pertains to a B 100 that I picked up a few weeks ago. It’s been quite the experience with the wiring on this tractor. I was trying to fix someone else’s mistakes. Yesterday was I guess you called a head banger or scratcher. Be cause everything I did did not work. So today I guess you could call it a premonition early in the morning. I decided to use a jumper wire form the solenoid to the wire on the starter from the Solenoid.. Bingo it worked. So Squonk AKA Mike was interested how this came about. So I told him. He said the wire was bad. I thought how a 6ga wire could be bad with no bare spots and the contacts were clean and shiny. So as I changed the wire witch is a 4ga brand new. Bingo I have contact. I have had a few of this model in the past. So I guess you could say don’t assume everything is good just by looks. I am not good with electrical never took the time to learn it.. if you read this and liked it say something or give me a thumbs up. Enjoy all your projects. This is something apparently I didn’t follow when I was doing it.

I am planning a day trip to the big show on Saturday, coming along with @Rob R I am looking forward to seeing everyone. To help celebrate RedSquare’s 20th anniversary, I will be giving out our special 20th anniversary stickers printed by the one and only @Vinylguy. Be sure to seek me out to get yours while supplies last!

We plan to do a Red Square 20th Anniversary group photo on Friday, June 26 and Saturday, June 27. The location will depend on the weather, if it is a nice day we will gather near the entrance to the show field (AKA Squonk's Corner) and in the event of rain we will move into the display building. Times are yet to be determined but there will be plenty of advance notice and announcements on the public address system. Plan to be a part of the celebration.

June 10, 2002, A man was arrested and charged in the attempted murder of a police officer after driving into a patrol car while attempting to flee from sheriff’s deputies. Soon after, police discovered that he was already a wanted man. He stole a Krispy Kreme doughnuts delivery truck, police who pursued and caught up to the vehicle said he had led police on a 15-mile chase, leaving a trail of doughnuts behind. The incident was the subject of nationwide media attention and, as it involved cops and doughnuts, kept late-night comedians busy for several days.

@953 nut and I both preach " CHECK ALL CONNECTIONS!!!! " I put a starter in my C160 about 4 years ago. It was used. Always fires right up and isn't overly noisy. I mowed this AM and shut it off. Mowed this afternoon and parked it in the driveway so I could blow the grass off of it like I always try to do. Tractor sat for about 4 hrs and when I went to start it the dreaded " Solenoid clicks but it doesn't crank." Everything looked pretty good and testing at the starter terminal revealed 12.9 volts with the key in the start position. Here is a picture of the starter and cable. Really doesn't look bad at all: I put my hand on the terminal with the key in crank and a spark!!! So I yanked off the terminal and inspected it. Looked fairly clean but I got some sand paper out and polished things a tad and she fires up so I don't have to push it! Just goes to show you what a little "fuzz" on a connection can do.

Since it looks like we are gonna make it this one will be there for sale. A choice 867 @Sparky has dibs on. Will get it out, cleaned up and more pics Mikey. Will also have a 856. Stay tuned for pics and lots more other crap. Stuff will be priced to move ... need gas money & gotta get the old lady off the street.

Are any of you guys going to be able to go see this as it comes through the East for the 1st time?? I've seen it a couple times when it came through Geneva and West Chicago, Ill a couple years ago. It is worth it if you get the chance !! This is worth seeing ...there is only 1. Go on You Tube and check out it going through the Feather River in the Rockies. Out standing for sure!! A schedule...

Originally it was red, someone has slapped that blue on it for unkown reasons. Easily made red again though.

With some drooling to boot ... Took a little drive to the driftless area today to see Kurt @608KEB. It's a large area in south western Wisconsin that was left unscated by the ice age and sure is beautiful country. He sure is lucky to live there. Valleys and hills galore much like eastern PA. I used to ride there a lot, very nice roads and scenery that won't quit. There's a tavern there that has the best Sunday chicken dinner ... maybe we do a chicken run sometime Kurt you get out the Fat Boy!. Anyway I digress ... picked up a nice set of implements for a price I care not to mention... Sorry @Dan 312-8 ... Bonus I got to look see over the rest of his fine fine harem and he let me take pics... ... Enjoy. Now it's no big secret I am not a huge LSE fan @c-series don or any tractor I can't run a furrow with or stick in the dirt in any fashion but I may have to make an offer he can refuse on this one. He's had it posted here before but fer sure worth a second look. All his horses are in very very well kept shape.

I’ve been tinkering with my 702 over this past week, going over it, putting together a mental list of what it needs with hopes to find at the big show, but the list keeps growing. I’ve kept the 702 stored indoors for over a decade now after the steering sector snapped. I have my trusty 401 that has been keeping my yard mowed for almost 30 years, so the 702 project has been at the bottom of lifes list of projects. But now the deck on the 401 is sounding louder than ever. Bearings are worn, shafts are worn, keyways are rough, but the deck is still solid. More oil is on the wheels than is inside the trans. Hubs are loose on the axles. I lost a wheel a couple weeks ago. Hub set screw threads are gone, so there’s a blob of weld holding the wheel on the axle. It’s in serious need of some TLC. It did get a fresh predator motor this spring. The last one was on there maybe 12 years. Still ran but was getting low on power and temperamental starting. Thought i’d get 702 going because I know the deck is good, or so i thought. It’s weird how time makes you forget stuff. Luckily it was just a woodruff key for the left side had sheared. So that’s all good now. Since someone had got all happy with nickel rod and welded just about everything together on the rest of the tractor, i just mig welded what was left of the sector to the shaft, mainly to make it easier to move around until i find replacements at the big show. i bought the 702 15-20 years ago as a “ran when parked”. Well sure enough, after a battery and carb n tank clean, it was running, but it seemed tired. At the time i had planned on occasionally plowing snow with it so no big deal. Shortly after replacing all of the tires, the sector broke. So once again, it was a “ran when parked”. Since then we had moved. The new tires got swapped on to the 401 because the original tires were coming apart and the front wheels were rusted through. The new place has a fairly steep bank sloping to the rear of the property. After fixing the deck on the 702, welding the sector, and charging up the 12 year old battery it fired up. I took it for a lap around the yard. At first i thought the deck belt was slipping, but no. That’s how quiet it’s supposed to sound. Lol. Poor little 401. But boy was that 7 horse struggling. So LOUD. I made the mistake of going down back. Had to disengage the deck and pulled the throttle out all the way, i barely made it back up the hill. So last night i was thinking about how loud it seemed and just so little power. So this morning i went out and sprayed soapy water around the head and cranked the starter. Sure enough, bubbles coming out near the exhaust side of the head. AH HA. So i pulled the head, gasket wasn’t complete toast, maybe the bolts were loose, but i zipped them off with an impact gun, so no idea. Soaped the valves and aired the exhaust and carb. Had some light bubbling, so i pulled the carb and breather and checked the valves. .006” intake .023” exhaust. Good enough for me. I got on the phone and located a new gasket locally but I figured i couldn’t make a 25 minute drive in 9 minutes before they closed today, so i cleaned everything up and put it back together. Finished mowing the level area of the yard with it. Struggled getting it out of all 4 gears every time i had to back up. It started to get a little better, but i’m hoping a new shifter pin will fix it because the shifter has a lot of rotational slop. A new pin fixed the 401 when i had the same problem. I did drain the trans and filled it with ATF to flush it out. Hoping it comes around. I checked the bore, 4 times. I kept getting the same thing. 2.882”. I don’t know what that is in dog years, but that’s what it is. I could push the piston around, as there is a serious gap to the cylinder wall and the piston is stamped STD. Obviously no visible crosshatch, but no scoring either. I couldn’t pick up on any rod noise, but it’s hard to hear anything over the steering shaft buzzing in the aluminum tank. After mowing with the 401 for over a quarter of a century, the 702 just felt odd. Maybe it’s just the whole low power, but it definitely seemed geared lower too. I like a 32” cut as i have obstacles and tight areas. I can wheel the 401 around quick and easy. I just don’t see that happening on the 701. Always loved the easy steering on the 401. All 4 tires are foam filled, and i have a pair of Taurus rotors that i filled the vents with lead, 25# each, so the 401 sticks to the ground. I’ll probably be looking for a complete correct deck for the 401 and another motor for the 702, some front wheels (the 702 is currently rolling on my old 867 tires and wheels that i foolishly parted out back in the 90’s) So yeah, that was my day. The 702 cut beautifully, but it’s had a rough life long before i got it. It might be best as yard art.

June 6, 1944

701

The legend on the right (and some nobody on the left) for those that don’t know what Karl looks like

Here ya go Joe. Now ya can find Me. Oh, were looking for Karl.

I fileted over 100 fish this morning. The club held our annual kids fishing derby today. We had 68 kids signed up and they landed some lunkers. The winner was a 26.25 long 10.2 lb. rainbow. Those smiles are the best prize.

Just found this thread and realized I had this picture. This was pulling in the driveway after we made the trip to pick up the C160-8. My youngest son had to ride on the tractor down the driveway.

Shall we get a " Poll" started? Chicken or Egg? Bed or Colossus?

Well this hood has been primer coated about 5 times, each after finding another ding to tap out and fix. Actually got another coat today. But it looks pretty good right now. I'll go over it tomorrow with 800 grit and scope it over once more. And I've made up my mind on the fuel pump. Now I have to figure out where to put the thing. Not alot of room on a 701 to hide an electric pump...

I predict that the most sought-after item will be the one you looked at and left home because you convinced yourself no one would want it.

Can have this genny there. $600 Cecil Pond signature included.

So many young men paid the ultimate price to end the tyranny of the Nazi regime. Few of the survivors remain with us today but we must not forget their sacrifice.

There fixed that.

Looks like we are gonna make it after all. Gonna take @Achto big red gasser truck. Still only get 12-14 mpg but better than diesel. Gas came down a bit around here ... less than 4 a gal. I topped off yesterday at $3.85.

C-85 I bought awhile back has always had two leaky fronts. Been stored in the shed up on blocks so the rubber wouldn’t get ruined sitting flat..well today I decided to tube em both. I hate tubing the small tires ! This old HF tire changer comes in handy still. But now it’s done and the big test will be to see if they stay “up”.

In 1982 the SK-486 cost roughly $1800. Today that would translate to about $7000. That puts it in the range of the John Deere X500 series. The problem, at that price point, John Deere’s margins are MUCH higher than Wheel Horse’s would have been because of Deere’s use of molded plastics and consumables vs steel and cast iron. We’re all lucky to own what’s left of the dinosaurs 🦖.

Here he was twenty years ago when it all started, Karl is on the right.

The cables in the pics looked new but suspect to my eyes. We had an electrical clinic at the Napa when I was working there. Had a nice set up from the Rayloc rep. A battery with nothing in it but 6 D cell flashlight batteries, A 4 ga. cable with only 1 strand connected inside of it. Key switch ,solenoid and starter all on a big board. Pretty cool. We invited all the shops to attend. We had a 12 volt test light , multimeter and jumper wires. One by one we had guys trying to diagnose various bugs we put in a circuit. And still I had to go to garages and find problems that stumped these guys including 2 the very next day! Moral of the story: A 12 volt test light only tells you that electricity is present. Most of them have a 6 or 9 V bulb in it so it will glow with 3 volts. Get a multimeter and learn how to use it. Electrical circuits on a WH are like a road map. Start at the battery and follow the positive side until there is a stopping point like a solenoid. Watch the video's I posted about grounds and solenoids. A multimeter would have found this problem in a minute.

Personally I would opt for a manufactured aluminum or steel flatbed. Just bolt it on and go after it gets back from having the rear axle done. This way you can start using it, as opposed to having it still outa commission for weeks/months/years etc. This is just an example, plenty of less expensive steel ones for sale.

A rubdown with Penetrol. It was thirsty and will get another...

Got some logs pulled outta the forest today.

As a teenager I was working as a carpenters apprentice on a job site and was looking for a bucket. I opened a 5 gallon spackle bucket in the dumpster. Lets just say that I’ll never do that again!

On Sale!!! $400.00 $300.00 Working Man's 856. Fine fine steed that is ready to work. A real chick magnet. Pulled a plow nicely at plow day. Patina to die for. New to check list, some updated wiring, fluids changed, new shifter boot, new petcock, new carb & throttle cable. Good battery. Lots of TLC done. Left rear tire leaks air but very slowly. Service K181 runs great. Right rear hub a bit to wonder at but holds tight. If you wanna get fussy I'll throw in a good hub for a extra Jackson. No extra charge for broken in saddle.

We lost my Uncle Floyd over there just after D Day. I have his Purple Heart and 2 telegrams that were sent about him, one stating that he had been injured, the other announcing that he passed away, He was brought home by an Honor Guard and my grandmother (his mother) wanted the guards to open the casket so she could see her son one last time, but they wouldn't allow it, so no one really knows how much of him was brough home to rest. Even though I never got to know him, he is a hero (all veterans) to me! War and service has touched so many of us here, I have a large family and my father and most of my uncles were over in Europe, and I'll always be grateful for all they and the others did for all of us! C-85

Some WWII trucks on this D Day

My late father, an Army Combat Medic, 30th Infantry Division,105th Combat Medics, 2nd Battalion " D " Company, 120th Infantry Motors 81 MM, Omaha Beach June 9, 1944. He is and always will be my hero, along with all those of that and later generations that heard the call of their nation too defend her!

I am! I’m also from that era being a 1966 model myself

Thanks to the "greatest" generation.

Yupper dupper. On July 16 it's stopping in Knox. The crossing is 6 miles away. I plan on checking it out.

June 6, 1933, eager motorists park their automobiles on the grounds of Camden Drive-In, the first-ever drive-in movie theater, located on Admiral Wilson Boulevard in Pennsauken, New Jersey. Park-In Theaters–the term “drive-in” came to be widely used only later–was the brainchild of Richard Hollingshead, a movie fan and a sales manager at his father’s company, Whiz Auto Products, in Camden. Reportedly inspired by his mother’s struggle to sit comfortably in traditional movie theater seats, Hollingshead came up with the idea of an open-air theater where patrons watched movies in the comfort of their own automobiles.

The scope of the invasion, the reality of the commitment, never fully registered for me--it was just numbers and statistics, right?--until I was fortunate enough to walk those miles of beaches and bluffs and meadows led by an exceptional guide.

My old girlfriend had a 2 tone 57 Chevy Wagon - the perfect party barge when parked backwards with the tailgate down & glass hatch up to watch the movie... Honestly, in hindsight, the car was more fun than her...

I worked with Kate Bossen ten years ago to create 1/12 scale Wheelhorse decals. Artwork was $150 - I paid half. Using the Ford LGT available on ebay, you can use the body as is, or there is enough meat to grind the front hood flat. Kate has retired and sold her decal business to "Midwest Decals". the decal models numbers are C-165 and D-200. they turn out really nice.