Is it a Wheel Horse or is it a Toro?

[Cocky_Rocky 5]

This question has been nagging me for years. Actually, ever since I became a WH owner. Everytime I call a dealer for parts or whatever, I'll be like "Yeah, I have a Toro Wheel Horse..." and I always thought that was strange since I thought they were different companies. My tractor is a 267H built in 1997 and it has both names on it. I did read the Wikipedia article, as well as a thread on here concerning this, but the question remains  Is it a Wheel Horse or is it a Toro?

 

I couldn't post in FAQ as it said no new posts were allowed.

[Sparky-(Admin) 19,439]

Its a TORO. Anything produced after 1986 (or maybe its 1987)  is a TORO product. TORO used the Wheel Horse name on lots of tractors because of the excellent reputation the WH name had.

Mike...........

[Wade 9]

I have a 267H and every time I head to the dealer they pull the TORO book. Keep a close eye on your steering rack to lower shaft adjustment. And Lots of lube.

[Cocky_Rocky 5]

Wow... after 17 years of ownership I find out I don't have what I thought I had. Bummer. Ah, well, it has served me well for those 17 years up until about a month ago...

 

According to Wikipedia, WH is no longer produced. But I swear I have seen WH tractors at a big box store somewhere. Is someone licensing the name?

[Cocky_Rocky 5]

Keep a close eye on your steering rack to lower shaft adjustment. And Lots of lube.

Word. I replaced the steering sector 2 years ago. Royal pain in the A.

[Trouty56 565]

 

According to Wikipedia, WH is no longer produced. But I swear I have seen WH tractors at a big box store somewhere. Is someone licensing the name?

 

Negative

 

Sotty about that thanks above....missed the hyperlink

Edited August 6, 2014 by Trouty56

[CasualObserver 3,406]

 

According to Wikipedia, WH is no longer produced. But I swear I have seen WH tractors at a big box store somewhere. Is someone licensing the name?

 

You may have an associated memory there... Toro (which you have associated as being synonymous with Wheel Horse did farm out some production of riding mower/lawn tractors to MTD a few years back which were carried at Home Depot and maybe others.  The name Wheel Horse was not recently in any box store chains that I've ever heard of, but red (MTD made) Toro branded lawn tractors were.

 

In the past though, yes, there were the pewter colored  Work Horse by Wheel Horse tractors sold through some box store chains, but not in a long time. I think production of that series was about 82-84 or something... before Toro bought the company.

 

And to answer your question about WH no longer being produced... The Wheel Horse Garden Tractor that we all know and love was last produced in 2007. The Wheel Horse name however lived on with some lawn tractor production after that. As of two years ago, there was only one machine (a riding lawn mower) still being produced with the Wheel Horse name on it, and it was made at the Czech plant and only marketed overseas. I don't know if that's still true today though.

[shallowwatersailor 3,213]

I consider my 1989 520-H a Wheel Horse product. It was in 1990 that they began to be branded as Toro Wheel Horse, like my 1990 520-H. The tractors produced from 1974 - 1982 were built when Wheel Horse was a subsidiary of AMC, and 1982 - 1986 produced as a subsidiary of Munn Investment Group. They were never AMC's or Munn's. Wheel Horse was a subsidiary of Toro, as well at least in 1990.

 

I have both a 1989 Brochure and a 1990 brochure. Both state a subsidiary using the South Bend address - and were printed in South Bend as well. My .

 

1989 Rear Panel:

 

1990 Rear Panel:

[Cocky_Rocky 5]

Well, I guess regardless of which company actually owned the brand at the time I purchased it, the important thing is MADE IN USA!!!

 

For the record, I also have an '81 HD XLH. That scooter was made at a time when AMF owned Harley, and build quality went waaaaaaaay south. But AMF kept Harley afloat when the company might've gone out of biz.

 

Wish I could say all's well that ends well, but in WH's case, maybe not.

[boovuc 1,090]

It's funny because when AMC and Munn owned Wheelhorse, nobody called them AMC/Wheelhorse or Munn/Wheelhorse.

 

Here is how I see it...........If it has the Wheelhorse brand on the tractor, it's a Wheelhorse, period. If it's a continuation of a WH model even if it doesn't say Wheelhorse on it, it's still a Wheelhorse. None of my tractors built during the Toro age are referred as Toro's. They aren't. They are true Wheelhorses or Toro/Wheelhorse if you wish.

. 

To Cocky-Rocky.............If it wasn't for Toro and their marketing and management at the time, we wouldn't have many tractors to use or collect. They could have shut the line down and cranked out cheap imitations of both the garden tractor and lawn tractor lines calling them anything they wanted!  But they didn't!

They manufactured what were in essence, true over-built, over-engineered, heavy Wheelhorse tractors. The garden tractor line accepted the same WH implements as far back as the late 1960's for 16 more years ending in 2001 in one form or another and all this during a shift in society for cheaper, throw away when they wear out equipment. They even created what many consider bigger, better versions of the WH designs with the Xi Garden Tractors until 2005. They even kept the parts for the older tractors and those they continued to manufacture available for a long time.

Just imagine if if MTD had bought them out. I owned a 1975 HD Sportster that I traded even up for my 1980's C-175 with a deck and a plow. As you said, AMF kept HD afloat but destroyed their reputation for quality. Toro kept WH going and did it without much sacrifice on quality at all.

 

My 310-8, 416-8 and 520-H are Wheelhorses. Your 267H was designed by Toro but influenced by Wheelhorse. Look at that tractor and how heavy it is built verses what you would buy now for a similar lawn tractor. You have every right to call it a Wheelhorse. Because it is. 

[Don1977 604]

The 300, 400, and 500's where designed before Toro took over, they made a few changes but nothing major. There's may have Toro on the side but they are still Wheel Horses.

[sluggo 40]

Your 267H is definitely a Wheel Horse. It can pull a ton with that Tuff Torq 261. I had one, and it cut great.

 

Don't let anyone tell you it isn't a Horse!

[Molon_Labe 731]

Posted 05 August 2014 - 09:56 PM

Wow... after 17 years of ownership I find out I don't have what I thought I had. Bummer. Ah, well, it has served me well for those 17 years up until about a month ago...

 

Dude, that's crushing news for sure. At least it still says Wheel Horse on the decals.

[bowtieguy 334]

New decals from Terry makes my 520H look like its ALL Wheel Horse made in the USA....makes ya kinda want to "salute it" every once in a while!

[tsmall07 49]

It's funny because when AMC and Munn owned Wheelhorse, nobody called them AMC/Wheelhorse or Munn/Wheelhorse.

 

Here is how I see it...........If it has the Wheelhorse brand on the tractor, it's a Wheelhorse, period. If it's a continuation of a WH model even if it doesn't say Wheelhorse on it, it's still a Wheelhorse. None of my tractors built during the Toro age are referred as Toro's. They aren't. They are true Wheelhorses or Toro/Wheelhorse if you wish.

. 

To Cocky-Rocky.............If it wasn't for Toro and their marketing and management at the time, we wouldn't have many tractors to use or collect. They could have shut the line down and cranked out cheap imitations of both the garden tractor and lawn tractor lines calling them anything they wanted!  But they didn't!

They manufactured what were in essence, true over-built, over-engineered, heavy Wheelhorse tractors. The garden tractor line accepted the same WH implements as far back as the late 1960's for 16 more years ending in 2001 in one form or another and all this during a shift in society for cheaper, throw away when they wear out equipment. They even created what many consider bigger, better versions of the WH designs with the Xi Garden Tractors until 2005. They even kept the parts for the older tractors and those they continued to manufacture available for a long time.

Just imagine if if MTD had bought them out. I owned a 1975 HD Sportster that I traded even up for my 1980's C-175 with a deck and a plow. As you said, AMF kept HD afloat but destroyed their reputation for quality. Toro kept WH going and did it without much sacrifice on quality at all.

 

My 310-8, 416-8 and 520-H are Wheelhorses. Your 267H was designed by Toro but influenced by Wheelhorse. Look at that tractor and how heavy it is built verses what you would buy now for a similar lawn tractor. You have every right to call it a Wheelhorse. Because it is. 

 

After my 28 hours of WH ownership, I agree with pretty much everything above. 

[Racinbob 10,256]

The one exception is that the line accepted the implements until the last year which was 2007 not 2001. Living in the South Bend area when Toro took over I wasn't a happy camper at the time. It was big time local news. But in retrospect, Toro did good as far as keeping the 'true' Wheel Horse in production as long as they did.

Edited September 27, 2014 by Racinbob

[123GO 78]

I find it odd that my 1988 414-8 just has Wheel Horse and nowhere does it state Toro & I know it's all original including decals. If one google's the 414-8 and clicks images you see the 414-8 both with & without Toro on the hood, not sure when that changed but my guess is 90's?  Also 310-8 the same way? 

 Ignoring the 14hp Magnum vs 10hp K-series engine specs, mechanically my 1988 414-8 is the same tractor my 1976 Wheel Horse B100-8 (C frame) is. 

 Few dash lights added on my 1988 & sheet metal differences but that's it.   Same 8spd / 8 pinion rear ends and everythings still all iron front to rear.

Toro defanatly left some tractors alone for a while at least.

 Now' some Toro Wheel Horses are cookie cutter lawnmower designs & some are True Garden Tractors with iron frames that run several attatchments. My B100-8 listed 23 implements it runs fwiw. My guess is same for 414-8, but not looked?

 Now I'm not sure Wheel Horse actually manufactured verticle shaft lawnmowers until Toro came along or did they back then? Idk?

 Being a tractor, that's the real difference between a "Pond designed" machine imho? Not appearance but how or what it operates?

 Maybe that's what confuses us on what is what but idk? Guessing of course Im no expert here?

 Lowe's sold red (MTD) "Pony" and the "Horse" cookie cutters that confused people with Wheel Horse brand. Purely intentional Im sure, but people try telling me those are Wheel Horses all the time... Sorry long post it's rainy out , old thread any way.. Still clear as mud?

Thanks 

[CountryRock 198]

On 8/13/2019 at 12:34 AM, 123GO said:

 

 Now I'm not sure Wheel Horse actually manufactured verticle shaft lawnmowers until Toro came along or did they back then? Idk?

 

The A series made in the 1970s comes to mind.

[gwest_ca-(File Mod) 10,478]

Commando and Charger V7's and V8's are 1969-70 models.

The CG-7 and CG-8 are 1971-72 models.

 

Toro entered the picture in 1986.

They fully managed the line in 1990 with the 1991 models.

 

Garry

[123GO 78]

Oh well duhh' lol.. I forgot about those, they did build verts prior to Toro.  Out of sight out of mind here no doubt.