I am a noob to site, 520H, 520C, 520-8 edumatate me on the diff's

[snarfbatt 1]

Newby, have a 520h; wife would like to just break down a buy a new rider from Lowes, Home Depot etc, that doesn't need repair, she forgets that for the last 12 years my 520H needed nothing more then oil changes and one belt. Now I have worn out pulleys on a '93, and had to replace the main fuse block. this spring. Now the idler pulleys off the mule

I know these are better tractors then the modern crop of "lawn mowers", Give some ammo so I can get a second "horse' to quiet her.

[Geno 1,928]

Hello and Welcome!  

 

It's cheaper to fix what we have and spend the difference on a weekend getaway.   

Edited September 29, 2014 by Geno

[leeave96 487]

Get a cheap rider! I bought a box store model (from a dealer) Cub Cadet and it's great! Certainly takes the heat off the fleet of broken tractors I've had to deal with this year - but.....

Keep the Wheelhorse! Plug into this group and keep the tractor going as both a worker and a hobby tractor.

Good luck!

Bill

[boovuc 1,090]

Here is some ammo.................you yourself won't spend anywhere near 1200 bucks getting your 520 repaired but she wants you to spend 1200 bucks for a junk tractor that will last 3 to 5 years before it looses an engine or transmission. (6 to 8 years with good maintenance). I'll also guarantee that as soon as the warranty is up on that cheap tractor, (One Year), you'll be repairing more than pulleys.

Show her the weight difference of each tractor and the weight difference of the mower deck. Show her how thin and cheaply made the MTD's are. Show her all the plastic that will fade, break or crack in a short amount of time.

Show her what attachments fit your 520 verses the little pieces of tin that go with the MTD models.

Show her an MTD owners forum online and let her read all the nightmares those owners post.

Tell her the MTD's are for very light yard work and are nothing more than lawn mowers.

Tell her how they keep changing the model years and designs where as your wheel horse from the 1990's takes attachments by Wheelhorse that were made in the 1970's clear through the middle 2000's.

Or you could tell her that it is just plain cool to own a WH tractor because "IT IS OLD" and it was "MADE IN THE USA" back when quality really meant something.

 

(And another thing I would do is not tell her when things break on your 520). 

[Forest Road 594]

Yeah!!! What they said x2!!!

I'll also ad that even if the motor goes in your faithful horse, which they do. It's far

more cost effective to spend the money in a replacement Honda or Kohler v-twin.

In short to purchase something comparable to your horse will run $7k +.

[Molon_Labe 731]

Tell her that you can't pull a plow with a lawn mower but you can do that and still mow with your 520. Real tractors have lug nuts.

[1maidenfan 201]

Tell her that you can't pull a plow with a lawn mower but you can do that and still mow with your 520. Real tractors have lug nuts.

 Real tractors have lug nuts.    

[RMCIII 838]

Snarf - there are several threads that talk about Lowes, HD crap vs. what each of the members have in a WH... Bottom line, you have a DIAMOND, she is asking you to trade/sell it for a CUBIC ZIRCONIA!

 

1 more note, I am guessing you have snow that flys in the winter.... Find a blade or blower  and snow her the versatility of the horse!

 

Rob

[Tankman 3,515]

Let the lady purchase the mower she wants!

 

While you're groomin' the Horse, she can mow!  

[546cowboy 301]

There really isn't any argument you can win with a woman/wife/girlfriend when it comes right down to it, as we all should know.

 

There is one thing you could do though. Tell her 'she' could go and buy what 'she' wants ( since 'she' is paying for it ) and then 'she' can work on it or pay someone to work on it herself. That last part may cause problems though.

 

You might also tell her that buying one at a big box store means she would have to find a place that would do the warranty work because they won't. Even if it says JD or CC or Sears on it, those dealers may not work on it. So that warranty will mean virtually nothing unless she buys it from an actual dealer for their price.

 

Of course logic does not work with 'she' so you could end up with no wife, an apartment where you won't need a tractor and child support and house payments where you no longer live.

 

In other words, buy her what she wants and live with a mower you don't want. But you keep your WH's and all the rest of your stuff!

Edited October 2, 2014 by 546cowboy

[zieg72 209]

Well since no one answered the differences part in your original title I will attempt to.

 

520 H  1988-1997, great tractor.  1988-89 hydro lever was between the legs, standard front axle 1990 received the forward swept axle and 1991-92 on thru 97 has the easy steering (gear reduction)

 

520 HC 1988-89, low frills commercial grade, less bells and whistles with a forward swept axle to accept a 60 inch deck.  Faster ground speed.

 

520-8 8 speed version, limited production.

 

Onan P220 is the power plant with known issues.  Electrical, (fuse box and 9 pin connector) are two issues that come to mind.

 

If I was faced with your problem I would give the advice of stand your ground.  Find another cherry 520 H and have a back up or she can buy, mow and fix any junk "she" decides to go with, its on her.

Edited September 30, 2014 by zieg72

[Jrblanke 840]

I think as long as you show her evidence/proof of how much the wheel horse maintenence items cost (pulleys, belts, TIME to replace, etc), she will be with you on spending the fraction of the cost on the old mower vs the new mower. She probably doesn't care what you cut the yard with. She just doesn't want to have unexpected expenses associated with an old machine. 

Again, showing her that the expected "unexpected" expenses are less than the big box store tractor's initial cost is important.

 

[Pocketraisins 11]

"If I buy a new "tractor/mower" honey, I will have to buy all new tools too. You know the new machines are all metric and the Wheelhorse is SAE standard. I sure would hate (snicker, snicker) to spend all that money on tools you know, just to fix one "tractor" but if that's what you want me to do......"

 

Seriously though. Total the cost of a new "tractor" to mow the grass with. Then compare the cost of a new tractor vs. the cost of repairing/maintenance on the one you have. If she is anything like MY girlfriend, she will see keeping the older maintained one will keep you in the black longer than a newer one breaking and putting you in the red.

 

My GF may grouse about me having too many tractors a few times a year but when I have to pull a bush, mow a patch, plow the driveway, till a flower bed etc... she doesn't have too much to say.