Why do you collect these tractors?

[Craig Arndt 6]

I collect because I saw Micah's 314 posted on MTF, when he got that I was thinking what a gorgeous tractor. Before that I really liked Cubs and still do, but something caught my eye about Wheel Horses. I started seeing them around so I did some research and was amazed at how hard working they were.

Started seeing that this 1989 Wheel Horse could do everything a shaft drive Cub could. But the Wheel Horse is so much more fun to drive. Its got this big long hood, comfy seat and huge steering wheel. Just more like a tractor than my new Cub.

[daemon2525 5]

I was born and raised on a small 40 acre farm. We did not farm it ourselves, but I drove tractors as teen for summer jobs. We also had a Farmall B and then traded for an H.

Then I moved away as an adult and had to live in a trailer park for 15 years. I finally bought my house, but only 2 acres

So, I am going to make a little tiny farm. The Wheelhorse is going to be my "TRACTOR". The neighbors are already giggling about seeing me in overalls on my tractor pulling a moldboard plow.

:WRS:

[bustedglass 1]

I wish I was a COLLECTOR . I am a Wheel Horse "LOVER" . I have never had a garden, but always had a lawn just too big to use a push mower on. So, my first rider was a Craftsman piece of crap. After using it for two years, I had to work on it longer than it took to cut my grass, everytime I needed it .

I was complaining about it at work one day to a fellow worker. He said that I should get a Wheel Horse. Said he has used them since the fifties, and would'nt have anything else. I never heard of Wheel Horse, but I went to the nearest dealer, about 30 miles away, to check them out.

This was in 1970, and what I found was the neatest looking little tractor that remineded me of my Grandpaws Farmall tractor that he had let me steer when I was a kid. Grandpaw had a small 40 acre farm that we used to visit in the summer. Dad had moved us North when we were just kids, so he could find work, but we always went to the farm in the summer so Dad could help out with planting, cultivating, and such.

Anyway, like I was trying to say before I started to ramble, I looked over the 1970 Wheel Horse line, and although I wanted a big tractor, I realized I only needed a lawn mower, and these things were not cheap compared to other brands. So I became the owner of a new 1970 Lawn Ranger, and my infactuation with Wheel Horse began.

At that time, I had about an acre of grass to cut, and I used that little tractor like it was my Grandpaws' Farmall. That little tractor had enough to do just to haul my 250 pounds around, let alone to cut the grass. But cut grass it did, and did good untill 1985, when the 7 h.p. Tecumseh let go.

Not being more than a change oil mechanic, I took it to the Wheel Horse dealer for a look see. I dont remember how much he wanted to fix it, but it was more than I wanted to put into the sad little Lawn Ranger. So, I traded it (bad mistake - should have kept it), for a new 1985 B211-3, with a 37" s/d mower deck. This is the same tractor that shows in my avitar.

Since buying my little "Big" tractor in '85, I have become handicapped, and have had to retire from work. But I am still able to ride the horse . I sold my home up north by Chicago, and moved south to Kentucky to be close to my daughter, son-in-law, and two grandsons, ages 2 & 4 - the pride of my life. I rented a small place just big enough for me , the wife, and my mom who lives with us since my dad passed. I brought the Horse with me, because the place has about 2 acres of grass that I told the landlord I would take care of. He lives next door, and told me he has a good sized John Deere with a 60" deck, and when he cuts his grass, he would cut mine. But I told him "No Thanks", me and the horse would take care of our 2 acres. He said it was awful small, but go ahead.

Well, here I go rambleing again. To cut to the chase, I am still using my 1985 Horse. I have updated the transaxle, and just put a new 12.5 h.p. B/S in it. So, since 1970, I have only had two Wheel Horses', but I wish I was able to be a "Collector". I have to do my collecting thru the great people here at Red Square, and their stories. I have read my copy of Straight From the Horse's Mouth - "The Wheel Horse Story", over and over again, and I just got my copy of the Second Edition today. Can't wait to start reading it.

So, you can see, while not a Wheel Horse collector, I am, and always will be a Wheel Horse "LOVER" . Keep the stories and threads coming so I can keep "collecting".

[Rollerman 290]

Curious to hear some of the stories from the newer members of how they came into the Wheel Horse or garden tractor hobby?

Most of us "old timer" members know each other well enough & how we all came to collect.....thought it would be good to hear from the newer members.

For me my father, god father, & neighbor used them.

I had my share of seat time on all of them too.

When I had my first home about 20 years ago I found an 855.

I used it to plow snow & pull a cart.....the collecting bug was born.

Okay...who's next! :D

[whfan74 2,015]

For me it began when I was little.....my dad and grandfather owned a business in Waterford, MI and were an authorized Wheel Horse dealer. From the time I was big enough to climb up on them in the show room I was in love with that shiny red. The family business closed 14 years ago but now that I am in my mid-30's, I have found it to be a great hobby to share with my dad.

I remember when I was 6 years old and dad drove down to South Bend and brought back his brand new horse with trailer, blade, deck, wheel weights, hub caps.............I will never forget the smile in his face!

[Teddy da Bear 11]

I remember when I was 6 years old and dad drove down to South Bend and brought back his brand new horse with trailer

I am curious... With your dad being an authorized dealer.... Why did he have to drive to South Bend to pick a tractor up for himself? Wouldn't they deliver his along with regular deliveries to your dealership?

[whfan74 2,015]

Dad wanted to go pick up some things for the shop.......this was the only time that he went there, unless he went to the service schools held at Notre Dame. I am assuming that he probably toured the plant. Not quite sure...... I know he was able to get a pretty good deal when he made the trip.

I am guessing it was for the experience but I never have asked him. And yes everything else was always shipped back to the dealership.

[TJ 171]

My Dad owned a landscaping business, and as a sideline he sold wheelhorse tractors out of our garage. this was in the early 60's, and he sold them by the truckful with little advertising, and not that much effort. They sold themselves.

The only competition back then was Simplicity and John Deere. He also sold John Deere's.

He didn't do yard work, or mowing, so from the time I was 12 to around 17, he would recomend me to people who called for yard work. I made a killing.

I bought a TORO push mower for $90.00 (big bucks in 1962) and went to work. Quit often I would use one of tractors that he had for sale. I prefered the Wheel Horses, and still do.

[bell 11]

I remember, when I was a kid, they were EVERYWHERE!!! I loved the look of them.... That's basically how it started. I bought a 656 about 10 years ago and had to sell it. When I saw the RJ's and Suburbans, I knew I had to buy one. I got a good deal on one (ebay) and the madness began.

I'm up to 10 WH tractors (all round hood except 2) and picking up another next weekend.

Basically, I collect WH tractors because they are GREAT machines and I love the look/ styling of them. :hide:

[Horse Fanatic 49]

After I bought my house about 20 years ago, I went shopping for a tractor to mow the grass and plow the snow. I looked at all the brands being sold in my area and was most impressed with how the Wheelhorses were built. So I bought a new 1989 312-8 with a deck and a snow plow. I've had virtually no problems what so ever with this fine machine. When I heard Toro was going to stop making the Wheelhorse tractors I thought I should pick up another and put it away in case anything happened to the 312-8 and I found a real nice 414-8. In the process of looking for the 414, I started learning about the other models and I found WH web sites and discussion groups. I realized not only was it not unusual to have multiple WH tractors, but many of you have entire herds. So then I thought I should have one with a Hydro, then I should have a snowblower and a grader blade, and then there was a good deal on this one and so forth and so on.

I used to restore cars, but that's just too much of a time commitment at this point in my life. A tractor restoration gives me that satisfaction but on a scale that I can deal with. All my tractors are from the Maroon stripe era and I love the way they look. I'm starting to think I'd like to tackle an older one now. I alway did cars from 1969, what models did WH make in 1969 that are worth restoring?

Glenn

[jake22si 5]

a friend of mine has a c-195 and I drove it. I wanted a real garden tractor and put an ad on craigslist. I then bought my first wheelhorse, C-100 and loved it. Then I bought a C-125 with a blower and plow for cheap money and have put them to work since then. I think they are strong tractors and love the way they ride. I have some trails to take them on and pull my daughter in a wagon. Cant say enough.

[jerrell 1]

:omg: i bought my first horse in ???1981 1982 don't remember, those years exactly, i remember it was a powerful , and didn't have a deck , but i made a culitlavator, planter, disk and planted 5 acres of corn and 5 acres of maise, ; those was bad years of my life and lost all, but i remember that horse /

now i have some land and a big front yard, 5 acres and a big garden ..1 acre, and wanted a good tractor, had a yanmar, and a belarus, and all kinds of equipment but it was to big or to ackward to use, got on ebay and found this site and then went to ebay and bought the C175 and got hooked, the horse is great , i just used it today to push dirt around , it's a dozer , not a plow,

i wouldn't trade my horse for a brand new one for anything now'''''''''''

i bought a work horse and am restoring it now, but making it a GT=1800 LP out of it , restoring everthing but the it is not orignal , making somehting different i have it about 3/4 done , worked on it today and got the lift, and auto shift together and that was a job in it'self, but i am getting there/ :hide:

[Coadster32 793]

Well I just sort of stumbled into Wheelhorses. A guy in the shop at work was into buying and selling equipment. He fixed and maintained out of his garage. He'd go to all of the local shows, and travel too. I bought a Gilson off of him for $40. It was rear engine and rean great. I sold it for $120 and bought a early 70's craftsman for $100. It had a 10hp motor on it. Ususally they came with 6hp. I knew the craftsman wouldn't last, as I wanted a small size tractor that looked right. Then one day, my buddy and I got a tip of a guy the next town over trying to sell a couple of wheel horses, whatever that was. It was exactly what I wanted, as it had AGs and ran. He liked this old rusty one without a motor, So we bought them both for $200 total. They turned out to be both 551 suburbans. I wanted to learn a little about them before I did anything. I learned alot from this site which I stumbled across. I've quickly grown into the quality appreciation of them. I have flipped a few junkers, and these are built well. I bought a new snowmobile trailer, and gave my friend the old trailer in trade for the other 551. Good deal to me because that was mostly original, and now I know why he wanted it. He ended up buying a B-60 that is really nice. Now I got one I plow with, and the other is in peices, and being restored. Pretty cool. By the way, I sold the craftsman for $225. I shelled out $100 for both 551's, and got rid of an old trailer. :hide:

[jtmoyer 1]

i started when i needed to plow a hill out of my yard. (told the wife i could buy something, use it and sell it rather then rent something.) i found an 84 workhorse gt1800 with a plow. i loved the way it drove. when i needed a tiller i could not find one in my area, so i ended up buying a simplicity with a tiller and a blower. to keep the wife happy i sold the workhorse to a friends dad. i missed the way the workhorse drove so when the opportunity came up to buy a 416 with plow, blower, and tiller i had to take it. sold the simplicity the next week. since then i picked up a 520 that was used at the RAC dome in indy, told the wife i would sell the 416 who needs two tractors any way. i can only drive one at a time (also have a craftsman that i mow with ). a few months later i found a 520 with a loader. i was putting rock around the yard and convinced the wife the loader would be a great help and i would sell the other 520. well i still have all three wheel horses and would still buy more.

Attached Image

[stevebo-(Moderator) 8,040]

I am 36 and when i was growing up my dad always had a junk tractor that was welding or fabricating as is was always breaking. then pone day he went to the local wh dealer (mid 80's) and bought a 310-8 with deck and plow. i remember how much of an investment that was for him as money was tight. i started a lawn business in high school and finally dad let me use the wh and we fab'd a boat trailer into a landscape trailer. i was up to about 35 lawns.

i bought my own wh when i bought my first/current house and it was ....a 310-8. since then and more recently i have owned many tractors all wh's.

i appreciate a quality product. i also like to take something that was once worth big money when new and restore it back to when it was new. i always look at it as a business transaction and make sure after i restore it, can i make money? the answer is YES. you guys see the 312-8 i have listed on ebay right now for $1600 buy it now in danbury,ct??? that is a $50 tactor and i have already had an $800 offer that i declined. .... i like it so much i don't want to sell it. i guess i should listen to my wife... she says it is not a good deal if you don't need it.. in some ways she is right.

i like quality and wheelhorse is quailty!!!

[beast owner 1]

My dad has green and yellow, my brother in law has international, one friend has oliver, and another friend has allis chalmers. I guess they all went down the wrong road :hide:

[oldredrider 2,547]

"I realized not only was it not unusual to have multiple WH tractors, but many of you have entire herds."

Not intending to hijack the thread but, what, in the Wheel Horse world, is the minimum number of horses to make a herd?

[Rollerman 290]

Not intending to hijack the thread but, what, in the Wheel Horse world, is the minimum number of horses to make a herd?

If you have double vision....2 Wheel Horses is the minimum.

Great stories guys....keep them comeing. :D

[CHARGER9AUTO 3]

If you have double vision....2 Wheel Horses is the minimum.

Great stories guys....keep them comeing.

Steve, I picked up my first Wheel Horse 854 with no attachments I can't remember the price . out of a place that repairs tractors and lawn mowers , snow throwers I then found out on the internet a whole network of other people who collect and restore these red Wheel Horses . The second Horse I found in another repair shop for power equipment round nose 702 with K-161 more were added to the herd It's hard to remember them all I aquired over the years .

Ben...... :horseplay:

[Docwheelhorse 2,560]

I was 13 years old and riding in the back of my fathers 1977 Ford LTD when we went thru a neighborhood on the other side of my town. We passed a guys house and out front was "a tractor" I didn't know what it was and my old man wanted nothing to do with it. The next day I walked back and found it and the guy said it had a rebuilt Kohler a snow plow and a mower deck and that he wanted $300 for it... (Alot of $$$ for a 13 year old in 1984....) I walked to the bank with my passbook savings book and withdrew the $300 and walked back to the guy's house. I didn't argue about the price or anything and just asked for a full tank of gas--to be able to drive it home. I parked it in the backyard and when my old man got home he threw a fit and basically I didn't care. A couple of days later he started coming around and looking at the tractor and he "accepted" it into the family. Then it started being used to mow lawns throughout the neighborhood and it did nothing but kick ass and take names!!! :horseplay: Eventually I found an abandoned 603 (maybe its a 633--I would have to go look at it) and fixed it up. Then after I got married I found a C125 at a nearby towns annual flea market day. I still have all three and thats how it got started, I have at least 30 around here and probably would scare myself if I counted up all of the ones missing engines etc....

P.S.---my avatar is a pic of the tractor in the story it is a late 1968 Commando 8. It was at last years show and Mr. Pond signed it---it will not be sold or otherwise removed from the herd EVER !

Tony

[Duff 206]

As a kid growing up in the late 50's/early '60's I mowed a lot of lawns with a push mower. My Dad eventually got us a "tractor" with a mowing deck - a Montgomery Wards something or other as I recall. Wasn't much by today's standards but I remember as a kid it was fun to drive! :horseplay:

As the years passed I grew up and moved away. Dad continued to mow with the Wards, then a Craftsman or two, and finally in his later years he got a Deere, and boy was he proud of it! When I came home to visit I'd give it some work and enjoyed it. My own life had me living in apartments most of the time so I didn't have any use for a tractor for may years. Going home to visit the folks sort of kept the flame alive and I knew if I ever had a house with any kind of grounds around it I would have a tractor, if only to play with!

So fast forward to the turn of the century. I was now married (again) and got a house with an acre or so of land abutting a large field no one really cared about or did anything with - the ideal "tractor playground". Fixing up the house, replacing appliances, the stuff we've all been through, kept me from getting a tractor for quite a while, so I would live vicariously by going over to my best friend's house and "helping" him out with his Deere - he isn't much of a mechanic by his own admission , but he has five acres he keeps mowed, a garden, and so forth.

Here the story takes a bit of a sad twist. My buddy's sister passed away unexpectedly, and as they were settling her estate he realized she had a Wheel Horse 312-8 in her basement that had sat there unused and neglected for about six years. He asked me if I'd be interested....is the Pope Catholic? So we road tripped to Connecticut and I brought it home. The rest you've all read about (or endured!) through my posts in this forum.

I didn't know much about Wheel Horses as a brand, but I've quickly come to appreciate just how well built they are. I'm blessed with a little (?) mechanical ability, so I have some sense of quality when it comes to machinery - these tractors are impressive!

As to "collecting", like most of you have found, it sort of grows on you with your first Horse. I've had #1 for just over a year, and already I've acquired and am rebuilding #2, using parts from #3. But #3 may itself be rebuilt at some point. And so the addiction grows!

And as to the help and advice I've gotten here, I can only offer a very humble !

Duff :hide:

[Michael Bullington 5]

Dad gave me this 654....(which is the same one in my avatiar) and helped me restore it....Its been along process, and lots of $$, (that picture looks 10 times better than it was) but it was great to get this ole tractor back to its original state. Living here in TN where parts are few and far between and finding original equipment is not easy!! Another great thing is getting out, and meeting lots great people who enjoy the same type of hobby. Its lots of Fun

Attached Image

[KyBlue 652]

Well.... Mine isnt as cool or long as some of the others, but...its similar in ways.

When I was a wee Youngin, my best friend in school always lived on a few acres (his dad at one point farmed a large # of acres, used to help a bit) anyway they had a WH and a farmall cub ... pretty much learned to drive on the WH...

Fast Forward a few years... Ive moved to Ky...

We put in a garden in '07 and I used a rented tiller..well It BROKE before I got all the tillin done. The rental place, tried to charge for the broken piece..

So when it came time to putting in a garden this year, I Looked at buying a tiller. Couldnt see spending 1000 bucks on a tiller... rembering all the great usefulness of the WH growin up.. Started searchin around for a WH of my very own.. and the tiller. Got the garden in a bit late...but I got it in, and thus starts the addiction...

[T-Mo-(Moderator) 4,345]

Some nice stories, guys. Doc, loved your story - $300 is a lot for a 13 year old. I'm glad your dad came around. Duff, sad to hear about your buddy's sister,......

Mine isn't anything important, nor anything special. I got into JDs a few years back, had 8 one time. I always like the looks of the Wheel Horses, so I traded a JD 112L for a C-141 back in July '07. August '07 I bought a 314-8 from a JD dealer in Iowa - I now have 4 Wheel Horses, and one JD. But, I still like the green and yellow (if anyone kept up with Jon Bell's '68 JD 110 then you know it's making its way to a new home - mine) So, I'll have two JDs and 3 Horses then. But who knows if I can convince a certain someone, I might have a Commando 8. :hide:

[JimD 3,345]

i bought my first horse in 1982. it was a 1977 b-60. my son blew the engine plowing snow a few years later, the next year i got a short block for it. after he blew the 2nd engine it sat for several years. then i found a complete engine with electric start for $200.00. we have used it now for another 10 or so years. about 3 years ago my neighbor gave me a 1974 b-80 for parts. after getting the steering parts i needed off it, i eventually restored it. then a co-worker said he had an old one he wanted $150.00 for. it' the 1963 753 in my avatar, that i also restored. then another friend had a 198? c-85 with deck and snowblower that i bought for $100.00. it needs rebuilt and restored and is on the list for restoration along with the original b-60. also have a 1998 yard machine that was given to me by a friend, that now runs and cuts some grass. i currently have my eye on a bunch of horses, cubs, fords and other misc. tractors sitting in a field. haven't been able to make contact with the owner yet, but i will if i had the money i'd buy them all. but i absolutely, categorrically, deny that i have any addiction. :omg: