wheel horse parting opinion

[redsquarebob 27]

there are so many people buying perfectly good wheel horse tractors and parting them out that its getting hard to find them they are ruining the hobby i can see them parting out something that is to far gone but buying perfectly running tractors and parting them out is ruining the hobby of restoring they do not make these anymore every one that is parted is gone forever and besides you can make alot of parts yourself what do you think

[Sparky-(Admin) 19,439]

I need used parts every so often so I have no issue someone else parting out a tractor......helps me keep mine going.

This topic has been discussed before and has the potential to get heated.

Mike..........

[Pollack Pete 2,273]

For every tractor that's parted out,I'm sure several others are kept operational.Some new parts are just not available.I have several Wheel Horses in my little " bone yard ".I'm constantly going out there and removing parts to keep another one running.Not a bit of guilt here.

[scotty 252]

I have a local fabricator near me who can make just any body part or lift or anything for cheaper then the used parts. Hes talking you shouldnt part out good shape and running machines with little to no problems. I havent personally found a wheel horse i couldnt make a part for or have someone make a part for it cheaper then the used parts.

[Pollack Pete 2,273]

How do you make an engine block,cyl head,carb,mower deck,hood,fender pan,rear hub,I could go on and on.Face it,it's impossible to make most parts. 

I have a local fabricator near me who can make just any body part or lift or anything for cheaper then the used parts. Hes talking you shouldnt part out good shape and running machines with little to no problems. I havent personally found a wheel horse i couldnt make a part for or have someone make a part for it cheaper then the used parts.

[scotty 252]

Engine block - Theres plenty of junk motors out there to not part out good tractors.

 

Cyl head - Same thing

 

Carb - Every carb is rebuildable Brand new parts easily availiable right at my local napa 10 dollars a rebuild.

 

Mower deck - Parting a mahcine out for a mower deck?

 

Hood - Where did the hood go? And i know a guy who can make one

 

Fedner Pan - Same thing

 

Rear hubs - Easily avalilable new

 

And he is talking about RUNNING machines that there is nothing wrong with.

[Pollack Pete 2,273]

I give up.I see I'm pissing up the wrong tree here.

[formariz 11,849]

I am of the opinion that one can do as one pleases with one's posessions. However I also agree that it is sad and many times an outright shame such a thing occurs. Being a collector of many other great American products of yesteryears, I have witnessed this happen over and over again. Unfortunately once the math is done , many people realize that there is money to be made in parting out these sometimes irreplaceable relics and so the parting begins for the sake of making money. Although money is always the main reason, other times owners try to sell a restored tractor into which they poured money that can never be recuperated selling whole. I do agree that if tractor is too far gone to be salvageable then parting it out will benefit others.

 

I only have one tractor which  one could say is unique and really irreplaceable, and although I am reasonably sure that it will not leave the family for at least the next two generations, there are specific instructions as to what is to happen to it after me in case they don't want it. Making money out of it is not an option. Respecting it for what it is and placing it where it will be apreciated and secure is. Many will say "issues" I know but its because I have so called issues that I am a member here.

[WH nut 553]

I have a local fabricator near me who can make just any body part or lift or anything for cheaper then the used parts. Hes talking you shouldnt part out good shape and running machines with little to no problems. I havent personally found a wheel horse i couldnt make a part for or have someone make a part for it cheaper then the used parts.

Id like the contact info of your fabricator. If he is cheaper than used Im sure he could stay pretty busy with just the guys fro this site.

[scotty 252]

Tell me what you need im sure he can make it. Im not giving his name due to privacy and what he wants for work. I would have to ask him.

[WH nut 553]

I don't need anything at the moment, but it would be nice to know who to call when I do. How does he spec out the parts? do you give him the old one to match?

[scotty 252]

I give him the part and he makes it.

[WH nut 553]

I give him the part and he makes it.

What do you do when its like McDonalds chicken, parts missing. And what does he make them out of?

I agree with you that its a shame to see a good tractor parted out, but sometimes its a necessary evil.

[scotty 252]

He can out the same gauge steel that they came with.

[WH nut 553]

He can out the same gauge steel that they came with.

So he only makes the sheet metal parts?

[AMC RULES 36,941]

I'd like to see one of his newly fabbed roundhoods Scotty.   

[JackC 616]

Don't worry about pissing anyone off on this forum.  We all don't agree on everything.  A heated debate adds interest to the forum.   I did believe what you do and I hated to see good tractors parted out until I needed parts that were no longer available and I did not want to by parts off a piece of junk.  I was glad there are people providing good parts and not selling the metal for scrap.    The way I look at it now is the parts from one good machine keep many others going.  As long as the parts are recycled and not scrapped I am good with that.

[JackC 616]

What we need is someone who can program one of those new 3D printers to print wheel horse parts for us and print them in the correct color.

[steve k 82]

Parting out used to bother me but I learned with the hit and miss engines that every one parted out makes 3-4 tractors survive.   When it comes down to it I doubt anyone is parting out a 420lse or pristine tractors, maybe complete with one flaw or such.     Maybe I am naive but I think by and large each collector uses their head and after all they are entitled to do as they please.   The market will regulate itself.   supply/demand          I am glad for the used parts!!   

[Forest Road 594]

It is a pretty hot topic. As stated earlier one parts tractor can keep many more tractors running. Front axles are know to bend or break, steering components, clutch bearing and disks, sheet metal are probably the types of parts that I'd never pay retail for and have needed in the past. Those donor tractor have saved me considerable cash. I've repurposed mower deck hangers to mount a MacKissic chipper, pulled good spindles from rotted decks, I made a few bucks and somebody saved a bundle.

Unfortunately some people get really fired up over nothing. Personally it makes giggle. Live long and now on!!!

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[nylyon-(Admin) 7,114]

I'd like to see one of his newly fabbed roundhoods Scotty.   

 

I would too, I love old world craftsmanship!

[19richie66 16,879]

Well I am way down here in Florida where there are not a lot of wheel horses or parts. I have about 9 tractors that I got from my father when he passed. I plan on parting out three of them just to make the other six nice. It costs way to much to have larger parts shipped and pay the asking price. Most of the ones I have look nice but when you start digging in them you find wacked wiring, rusted parts, missing parts, this motor doesnt run and this trans needs axle........ I have no problem parting some of mine. Others may live because of it. And they all are pretty much complete and in decent shape. Problem is there are not too many people that are gonna drive from up north to florida for an average tractor. So I have my own parts store. I also like to customize and love street rod style hot rods. Wait till you see what I have planned for the D-160 leftovers.......

Edited March 14, 2015 by 19richie66

[tractorhogg 611]

I think the original poster was talking about the fellow(s)who are parting out HUNDREDS of tractors a year. That is occurring and has been for some time, the guys post it on YouTube. I saw what looked like 100 NICE John Deere's lined up reading for slaughter, with a row of Cub Cadets as well. Along with them were CASE, Bolens, Massey, Wheel Horse, and other lesser production tractors, many of which were only made one year and could have been saved with parts from other models not so rare. I believe this is the REAL concern the OP has and it is a very good one because while they literally made a million John Deere and Cub Cadet garden tractors by 1980, that is not the case with Wheel Horse, CASE, Bolens, Massey, and some of the other smaller production units. This hobby and many forums will drastically change in a few years, just as the big tractor hobby has, because AS SOON as the people that REALLY care about these machine pass on (die) the tractors will fall into the hands of scrapers, flippers, and people who do not posses the maturity to own a used MTD let alone a piece of history. This forum should be applauded for its members and its dedication to the hobby, many other forums are just a committee (actual name of the flock) of vultures looking for carrion.

[N3PUY 1,031]

If every Wheel Horse that needed repaired got parted out, there wouldn't be any need for used parts!

[Kelly 1,028]

Well this comes up every few years, and if you notice under my name, I've been here a long time, I'm member 85 out of what 11,000 members, so I'm going to say I part tractors out, and make money doing it, if I didn't make money I sure as heck would not put up with the BS I get selling parts, for every 10 parts request I get I might sell 5 parts, I stock over 100 tractors and literally thousands of parts, and have sold to MANY MANY members here.

   To the original poster, you have to part out nice machines to get good parts, take that old worn out junker, and part it out, what will you get old worn out parts, kinda hard to sell a junk part, do I part out clean ready to use tractors, NO, but I also don't give them away, why would I sell a running machine for less than $300-400 that I can part out for $600+

   Do I part out rare or hard to find models ? NO, I try not to part out any round hoods, but it happens, try to restore a tractor that needs parts with out a used parts supplier, many parts are NLA from Toro,  and if they are available they are not cheap, buying good used parts KEEPS this hobby alive, with used parts the hobby would be hard to do looking at you broken tractor that you can't get parts for.