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wyzmark

63.3 Hour 520H! Aw, rats

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wyzmark

Found a tractor listed on CL with snow cab and two stage blower, less than 100 hours on unit.  Older gent moving from WI to AZ, he had purchased new for $5500 in '96 per dealer receipt, owner's manual, and service records.  It had never spent a day outside of his garage.  Thought I had uncovered The Great Find, and started dreaming about owning a near mint show tractor driving over to his house, caller #1 baby!  As we were opening his garage, he first mentioned that it had gotten "a little rusty" from the salt on his driveway.  Soon discovered that would be like saying Dolly Parton is a "little busty."  There wasn't a piece of tin on it that wasn't covered with rust and bulged up paint scabs over top of rust; it had even undermined the decals.  It started okay, but moved really slow even at full throttle.  That is the second 520H I've passed over that went really slow even pushing the hydro lever forward, and I thought they were supposed to go even faster than my 8 speeds?  He said; "I didn't bother to wash it because I didn't know anybody collected Wheel Horse."  So, for lack of a hosing off each Spring, that ultra low hour garage queen was ruined by rust...  I was distressed, and I figured that after the rust pits the metal that bad, and the chrome air cleaner is solid rust and even the hood louvers are all rusty, it wasn't worth even $1K to me.  I suppose some would have parted it out and made money, but I was too disappointed and figured maybe someone better equipped could restore it...  Sorry if this is posted in the wrong section.  "wyzmark"

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JERSEYHAWG /  Glenn

I have been totally suprised like that before myself. Amazing on how 2 people see the same thing differently.

Glenn

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KyBlue

Some just don't appreciate things... If I pay 5500 for something... It's getting Waxed and a friggin blanket at night!

Good luck in your search... Keep trying you'll find one...

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Tankman

Been purchasing Horses for forty plus years, the few I have left are washed, waxed, air dried 'n hugged by my grandchildren. The boys even give the tires rub downs.

 

How dare those who mistreat "our" Stallions!   :angry-nono:  :angry-nono:  :angry-nono:

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RMCIII

Same reason why tractors and combines get washed, waxed and detailed every season......... Investing in something that cost over $500k is no laughin matter. They need to be kept nice!

 

Rob

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AMC RULES

One man's :wh: trash...

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Wade

Small World

I was pretty bummed out when I called about the same tractor ,I think on Sept. 12th about 8:30 am. They said it had sold. I guess things happen for a reason. I would have not been real happy to find the tractor in that condition after driving 2 hrs. plus. I have to wonder who ended up with it? I will keep looking for a Good 500 series.

Have a Good Evening

Wade

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Geno

:eusa-whistle:

 

 

:laughing-rolling:

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wyzmark

Wade, it would have been good for someone who already had a 520.  The motor was noisy (very heavy rust on the muffler) but ran well, the cab was white/black and mostly orange colored and did not cover the engine enough to be "heated", but the glass window and wiper blade were nice.  The seat was untorn, and the wheel weights were perfect.  The back of the blower had been rattle canned with runs and paint over the decals, and the big decal on the impeller body had the Toro half flapping loose.  The auger and main body were very rusty, but I like the mid mount design and it would have worked to throw snow I think.  The steering had a big "dead spot" on center, is that common with the gear reduction set up or was it wear?  He never had a deck on it, so the hours were low, but given the choice, I've learned to go for the mowing tractor with more hours but no salt damage.  Probably Martin the indefatiguable could restore it, but the original factory magic was forever gone.  So rest easy, you didn't miss out.  Thanks for your replies, all. 

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Wade

Good Morning

Thank You for the info about the purchase that was not to happen. It is a shame that the tractor was lost to the salt monster. Sound's like all the cars and trucks we all have lost over the years due to the chemicals on the winter roads.

Have a pleasant day.

Wade

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Ken B

Some times its just better to close your eyes and walk away... If the tractor was that bad I can only imagine what the underside of his car's look like! I have a late 80's Chevy custom van in nice condition. At the very first hint that they will be bombing the roads with that liquid calcium my van gets parked till spring time.  I sacrifice my Jeep Grand Cherokee.

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ericj

as bad as that 520 sounded i find it hard to believe that it was garage kept all of its life. was the paint faded at all ? or any other signs that it might have set out and most important did the hour meter work and the big dead spot in the steering don't sound like a low hour machine. and how much was the asking price any thing over about $ 500.00 would have been pushing it, depends on how the bearings in the blower sounded. what did he do park it behind a salt truck and turn the spreader on?

 

 

 

 

eric j 

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cheesegrader

OK.  Who got it?

There aren't that many of us in this part of the woods.

I can't imagint hours that low with steering wear or hydro failure.

I have had the opposite extreme this year.

I looked at a BEAUTIFUL 520, TIns and tires polished to a mirror finish.

Unfortunately, no air cleaner, tach and volt meter broken, throtle and choke wired to full open.

Terrible hydro squeal, barely moved, and the engine was running on one cylinder.

But it sure was pretty.  I passed.

Maybe the two could be turned into one nice tractor.

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Geno

Doesn't have to be someone from that part of the woods...   :popcorn:

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wyzmark

EricJ, you may have a point- the tenth's wheel on the hour meter was moving as I creeped along, but there was a really loud hydro squeal when I drove up a slight grade.  The vinyl snow cab had turned orange, possible sun fade?  The paint was dull and rust blistered pretty much everywhere, except for that pretty stainless steel (?) horse emblem on the hood, I thought it was salt and dirt but...  It was a model 73501 purchased new in '96, without any deck- (he actually had a Snapper riding mower, also for sale.)  I thought possibly the sum of the parts was greater than the whole- he wanted, and got, $1k for it, but here's my guess on parts: seat, $200; snow cab, a hard top with glass windshield and wiper, $300 (new it cost him $584); gear reduction/swept axle/greaseable tie rods/HD spindles and wheels, $400; Onan Power Plus 220 that started up, revved up, no smoke, no surging, no choking needed, $500 to what?; and a very rusty two stage blower, with some pretty significant runout in the impeller shaft, $300.  The bearings did squeal when I engaged it.  The dash was undamaged, and all the gauges and warning lights worked perfectly, maybe $200?  I think Cheesegrader is spot on- he could have frankensteined a pretty decent rig.  Maybe the dude was right, he didn't know people collect Wheel Horse and maybe he sold it to some hick who doesn't know either, and by itself it wasn't collectable anymore, IMHO.  If only...

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608KEB

I did not buy the 520H. I saw the ad on CL. By that time it was already deleted. I have 2 520H's. I drove a long ways for both of them. One has about 355 hours and looks like new. The other I'm semi-restoring. I'm going to use as a worker.

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