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Poopy Fishwater

$$ Why so high ?

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Poopy Fishwater

Hi everyone-

I am new here, so I though tthat I'd introduce myself. I'm Poopy. My old man bought a '68 Electro12 w/ hydrualics a few months before I was born. My brother and I both learned how to drive and learned a lot about a hard day's work thanks to my old man, and that tractor. Now, the old man is, well, old. Consequently, the tractor now has a home in my shed, and I'm looking to get it back up to snuff. It runs well, still works like a mule...that is before the electrical system crapped out.

I recently also got running, a '73 Gravely 8122. As I was buying parts for the Gravely, I was also pricing parts for the pending WH project. Can anyone give me an explaination for why the parts for the WH are so damned expensive? The rectifier for the WH was about $40 more than the one I got for the Gravely!

Is this a standard 12V system?

Thanks everyone.

Beers,

Poopy

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rmaynard

:thumbs: Nice to have you aboard.

Simple answer. Gravely is still in business, Wheel Horse is not. Do your homework though and you will find a big difference between Toro dealers when it comes to prices. Directly purchasing from Toro is the most expensive way to buy. Shopping online with places like Mowpart.com can be as much as 40% cheaper.

Yes to the 12 volts.

Bob

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MikesRJ

My humble opinion:

Wheel Horse, as a brand, has not been sold by (the current and the last owner of Wheel Horse Products, Inc.) Toro since ~2004. This makes the stocking of any parts by Toro doing so for an "obsolete brand" of tractor, even though literally tens of thousands are in use today.

Also, in the past two years, a significant amount of public attention has been drawn to the restoration and maintenance of this now discontinued brand. Therefore the manufacturer (Toro) and resellers (both physical dealers/shops and online merchants) of parts have increased prices linearly with the public's demand for them (pure case of supply and demand in a free economy system).

On the other side of the coin, ask yourself the following question; "How many box-store tractors will be running after 35 years of daily/weekly use?". I would think the answer is "Not many".

If you fix a problem using OEM parts (or those from a reseller), the likelihood of the same part failing again anytime soon is pretty slim )because of how stoutly they are built), unless some other part (i.e. a bad stator system causing a failure to the regulator), the way you use the machine (i.e. abuse) , or another condition (i.e. poor maintenance) caused that parts failure in the first place.

This means the part manufacture will sell far less of them and have to hold them in stock longer. All these factors costs the manufacturer money, so they only have limited quantities made at any given production run. This too drives the cost per unit upwards.

Then you have the unscrupulous resellers who charge gouge-level prices, of course. But a little shopping around online will ferret out the nornal, and cheaper prices. More times than not, eBay is NOT the first place you should go to find good prices. Many times, and is normally (if not always) the preferred location of purchase anyway, is your local Toro Dealer.

You'll get the right part the first time around (or they will exchange it if it's not), and if you calculate online shipping charges into the mix, it is very nearly the same price you'll get online anyway.

I'm sure other opinions will follow mine.

BTW, what parts are you looking for, and

:thumbs:

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VinsRJ

I'm not an Electro guy but wanted to welcome you to RS.

:thumbs:

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Poopy Fishwater

Thanks everyone, for the replies and welcomes.

You all have made good points with regards to sources. Buying locally, has its benefits as well as internet buying. Do you guys have any favorite websites? I see that there is one listed here, "mowparts". Are there other favorites?

I once had a guy tell me that the electrical system reduces to 10V somewhere along the line. Does that sound right to you guys? Or is it a typical 12V system through out?

Hey Bob, New Windsor? Nice neighborhood!

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JUSS10

:D

looking at your signature, i too have a cj-7 :thumbs:

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Poopy Fishwater

Yea, I tend to spread myself a little too thin sometimes!

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rickv1957

Hello and :thumbs: Rick

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rmaynard

Thanks everyone, for the replies and welcomes.

You all have made good points with regards to sources. Buying locally, has its benefits as well as internet buying. Do you guys have any favorite websites? I see that there is one listed here, "mowparts". Are there other favorites?

I once had a guy tell me that the electrical system reduces to 10V somewhere along the line. Does that sound right to you guys? Or is it a typical 12V system through out?

Hey Bob, New Windsor? Nice neighborhood!

Still beautiful country out here. Did not realize you were from MD. Good to have another Marylander here.

The website I use is MOWPART.com not mowparts.

The best place I've found for looking up parts and cross-referencing is Small Engine Parts Warehouse

Bob

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SAM58

My humble opinion:

Wheel Horse, as a brand, has not been sold by (the current and the last owner of Wheel Horse Products, Inc.) Toro since ~2004. This makes the stocking of any parts by Toro doing so for an "obsolete brand" of tractor, even though literally tens of thousands are in use today.

Also, in the past two years, a significant amount of public attention has been drawn to the restoration and maintenance of this now discontinued brand. Therefore the manufacturer (Toro) and resellers (both physical dealers/shops and online merchants) of parts have increased prices linearly with the public's demand for them (pure case of supply and demand in a free economy system).

On the other side of the coin, ask yourself the following question; "How many box-store tractors will be running after 35 years of daily/weekly use?". I would think the answer is "Not many".

If you fix a problem using OEM parts (or those from a reseller), the likelihood of the same part failing again anytime soon is pretty slim )because of how stoutly they are built), unless some other part (i.e. a bad stator system causing a failure to the regulator), the way you use the machine (i.e. abuse) , or another condition (i.e. poor maintenance) caused that parts failure in the first place.

This means the part manufacture will sell far less of them and have to hold them in stock longer. All these factors costs the manufacturer money, so they only have limited quantities made at any given production run. This too drives the cost per unit upwards.

Then you have the unscrupulous resellers who charge gouge-level prices, of course. But a little shopping around online will ferret out the nornal, and cheaper prices. More times than not, eBay is NOT the first place you should go to find good prices. Many times, and is normally (if not always) the preferred location of purchase anyway, is your local Toro Dealer.

You'll get the right part the first time around (or they will exchange it if it's not), and if you calculate online shipping charges into the mix, it is very nearly the same price you'll get online anyway.

I'm sure other opinions will follow mine.

BTW, what parts are you looking for, and

:D

DITTO... :thumbs:

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DoctorHfuhruhurr

I usually just buy a parts tractor or two of the same model. I never buy at local dealers and have been monitoring Craigslist long enough to avoid the resellers inflated prices which tend to stay up months. With the correct part number and a little digging you can get belts and the regular maintenance parts much cheaper than ebay as stated above.

P.S.

If you sign up for mowpart.com they email out 10% off coupon codes every so often.

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rickv1957

Does your Electro have the electronic ignition or the points setup,Rick

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Poopy Fishwater

Its a good old points sytem. Why do you ask?

Get a load of this: after a conversation with the old man the other day, he told me that he let the charging system go south and never worried about it becuase he discuvered that he could get his whole yard cut with just a fully charged battery. he suggested that I do the same, but certainly I'd rather have it right. Do any of you think that there is additional damage done as a result of that?

Beers,

Poopy

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wheel horse man

I used to get parts at the local :D dealer but i found out ebay and criagslist is way more cheaper and the plus the parts are made to last!!!!! And :thumbs: From Taylor in OH

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sorekiwi

I'm not going to do my customary rant about buying parts from your local dealer, but I am going to disagree with some of the advice already given, and will just say that I check prices online and if I can get the same part for more or less the same price (once shipping is taken into account) from my local dealer, I buy it there.

1. It keeps at least some of my money in the local economy.

2. I might be able to get the part right now, or worst case within a week.

3. It keeps their doors open, and I like having a WH dealer 3 miles up the road.

4. I like the people that work there.

5. It gives me a chance to scope out what dead ones are lying around the back.

Poopy, :thumbs:

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Roger from southern Iowa

:thumbs: You will like it here!!

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tgranthamfd

I'm not going to do my customary rant about buying parts from your local dealer, but I am going to disagree with some of the advice already given, and will just say that I check prices online and if I can get the same part for more or less the same price (once shipping is taken into account) from my local dealer, I buy it there.

1. It keeps at least some of my money in the local economy.

2. I might be able to get the part right now, or worst case within a week.

3. It keeps their doors open, and I like having a WH dealer 3 miles up the road.

4. I like the people that work there.

5. It gives me a chance to scope out what dead ones are lying around the back.

Poopy, :D

#5, good point. I hear the last dealer around me was about 10 miles away, in the mid 70"s, and that he closed his doors and ran away with all the inventory. Sure would like to run across that guy someday, might find some kind of miracle NOS stash or something. :thumbs:

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Arndts small engine repair

Hi :D:thumbs: :D

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pfrederi

Its a good old points sytem. Why do you ask?

Beers,

Poopy

Some Electros and Chargers came with a early Kohler unique electonic ignition (breakerless) ignition system. Parts for it are somewhat hard to come by and therefor pricey....

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