ok so what can a wheel horse do?

[skeptichorse 25]

ok so I am curious as to just what a wheel horse can do.  I do mow a lot of lawn 2-3 acres of hills, flats and soft spots. and was told that a wheel horse wouldn't be phased by working all day to mow it.  Where I am killing lesser mowers.

But what ELSE can they do, You tube shows plowing snow and snow blowing, any crapsman machine will do that.  But I want to know what else it can do that other machines wont...

I do cut and process my own firewood. Normally I use my wheeler to skid logs out.  But have heard a wheel horse can do that job just as well or better.  When I park the C-141 next to my wheeler I shake my head and think no way can this machine out do a 500 CC four wheeler.

With the exceptions of those UK guys ( those guys are beyond me and I doubt those machines are stock with what they do with them lol )  But it is very impressive

But how much can a stock one pull, tow, plow, bull doze etc? 

My machine is a stock C-141 8speed

Something tells me this is the site to have members on that have worked their machines and not just mow with them. 

[JimD 3,345]

With the wide range of implements that were made for Wheel Horse tractors you can cut grass, plow and blow snow, plow and disc or till your garden, drag logs out of the woods, (been there done that) sickle bar mow along ditches, and just about anything your mind can conjure up to do with one. NO they aren't a 500cc four wheeler by any stretch but I wouldn't have the need for one of those here other than recreational use. We mow about two acres here and if we both are on the B60 and B80 it takes an hour to do it. The 8hp Kohlers have plenty of power and sip gas like Grandma does moonshine. We also have a C85 with an OH140 Tecumseh transplant that whips through a foot of snow without much trouble. I'm sure you can find lots of pics of members putting their Horses to work here on the forum.:)

[bmsgaffer 2,043]

What it can do is usually just a matter of how much traction you have. It will probably out haul your 4 wheeler because it was designed to (may not do it as fast, and hafta watch that ground clearance, but could probably do more per trip). If you were hauling logs 7 days a week the WH would outlast the 4 wheeler for simplicity and beefy construction. Wheelers were designed to handle speed and hauling but just less so. Tractors are just pure haulers. But you gotta have the traction and weight on the machine. Rear wheel weights, front wheel weights and suitcase weights on whichever end is getting light. Oh and chains and/or ag tires out back.

Off the top of my head what I have seen a WH doing:
Mowing, plowing ridiculous amounts of snow/dirt/gravel, ploughing (notice spelling change), snow blowing, cultivating, chipping/shredding, towing far more than it safely should, tilling, disc-ing, etc. Heck you can put a front end loader on them and have even seen backhoes on the D series. I'm sure i've missed a ton more.

How much can it tow safely or all out? I have used an 8 speed to haul a 5-6k lb trailer up a short grade and into a back yard. I know others have done far worse (better?). If you have hills you have to watch your traction. Remember these machines are 4-600lbs stock (depending on size/year) and you can weight them up pretty good but just be careful to not outclass it too much.

I was using my C-145 to plow an incredible amount of snow last year. I was limited only by my traction. I had 50lbs weights on each rear + chains, 30 on each front pushing a 48" plow. This year I have an extra 320lbs of suitcase weights to play with (they cant all go on one tractor though)

Edited July 27, 2015 by bmsgaffer

[squonk 38,846]

" Any Crapsman can do that" But for how long? 40 years? I doubt it. 

[KC9KAS 4,741]

What can a Wheel Horse do?
Darn near anything you ask it to do!

[Tankman 3,515]

The Horse'll do what you need to do provided you take care of business.
 
The Stallion'll outlast us all if you groom, clean, sooth it's aches. Hug a Horse today and for years to come. 

[rmaynard 14,865]

There is no limit to what a Wheel Horse can do. Besides mowers, blowers, snow plows and such, take a look at all the ground engaging equipment available to put the horse to work.
http://www.wheelhorseforum.com/files/category/20-ground-engaging/

What else can they do? At the 2014 Wheel Horse show, there were a couple of Wheel Horses with ice cream freezers attached to them. 

[WNYPCRepair 1,875]

No one mentioned run a generator....

[bmsgaffer 2,043]

" Any Crapsman can do that" But for how long? 40 years? I doubt it. 

It amazes me how many people have 40+ year old tractors and still use them regularly!

My 1964 854 (51 yrs old) pulls the sweeper after every mowing and hauled MANY 12cu ft wagons of dirt for me. I have no doubt, if properly equipped, it would take a turn plow to any garden without concern! 

 

[skeptichorse 25]

I guess I am having a hard time understanding/comprehending it hence "skeptic horse"  because I keep hearing what they are capable of but when I look at the machine I think really ....

I was told that if it isn't biting add more weight and my logic is, takes power to move the weight so wouldn't adding weight take away from the power... response was wheel horse dont care...lol  
and also heard to be impressed hook it to your truck and pull it, that it would impress me but not the horse because it knows it can.

So I guess I need to just get on it and try it and see what it can do for myself. LOL

[oldredrider 2,547]

Your last line says it all.

[bmsgaffer 2,043]

So I guess I need to just get on it and try it and see what it can do for myself. LOL

Stop thinking about it so much, chain it up and see what she can do.

As far as your power concern, yes it does take away from the acceleration (which, at .5 mph, no big loss) but you will gain more inertia so it nearly cancels out.

Put a couple hundred pounds of weights on it, put it in low range first gear... chain your truck up to it and you will be grinning from ear to ear. The engine doesnt even dip when in low low.

[Aldon 4,826]

Wheel Horse is > or = Honey Badger

[Coadster32 793]

Don't forget...they can make ice cream, split logs, pluck the feathers off a chicken, tow around airplanes, and surprise a lot of people in a pulling contest. Let's not forget the video link to the four horses pulling a semi back onto the roadway...imaging what else they can do. With the right traction, anything is possible.



Last but not least....they can pull the ears off a John Deere!! 

[elcamino/wheelhorse 9,027]

I have used a 1972 Commando 800 (8 hp.3 speed trans ) to pull used railroad ties up a sixteen foot hill two ties at a time. Plowed and disk a garden cut 1 acre of grass, push snow dirt gravel . Had 35 pound home made weights on the rear and chains from an auto that was cut down to size. (my father was Cheap). Check the oil and put the horse to work, it does not like to do nothing.

[82Caddy 851]

I have used a 1972 Commando 800 (8 hp.3 speed trans ) to pull used railroad ties up a sixteen foot hill two ties at a time. Plowed and disk a garden cut 1 acre of grass, push snow dirt gravel . Had 35 pound home made weights on the rear and chains from an auto that was cut down to size. (my father was Cheap). Check the oil and put the horse to work, it does not like to do nothing.

I currently use a commando 800 (two 50# wheel weights and fluid in the rear and 20# with fluid in the front) to do most of the things you mentioned.  You'd be amazed what 8hp can push and pull    My grandpa bought it new and I still use it today.

[clueless 2,898]

ok so I am curious as to just what a wheel horse can do.  I do mow a lot of lawn 2-3 acres of hills, flats and soft spots. and was told that a wheel horse wouldn't be phased by working all day to mow it.  Where I am killing lesser mowers.

But what ELSE can they do, You tube shows plowing snow and snow blowing, any crapsman machine will do that.  But I want to know what else it can do that other machines wont...

I do cut and process my own firewood. Normally I use my wheeler to skid logs out.  But have heard a wheel horse can do that job just as well or better.  When I park the C-141 next to my wheeler I shake my head and think no way can this machine out do a 500 CC four wheeler.

With the exceptions of those UK guys ( those guys are beyond me and I doubt those machines are stock with what they do with them lol )  But it is very impressive

But how much can a stock one pull, tow, plow, bull doze etc? 

My machine is a stock C-141 8speed

Something tells me this is the site to have members on that have worked their machines and not just mow with them. 

ok so I am curious as to just what a wheel horse can do.  I do mow a lot of lawn 2-3 acres of hills, flats and soft spots. and was told that a wheel horse wouldn't be phased by working all day to mow it.  Where I am killing lesser mowers.

But what ELSE can they do, You tube shows plowing snow and snow blowing, any crapsman machine will do that.  But I want to know what else it can do that other machines wont...

I do cut and process my own firewood. Normally I use my wheeler to skid logs out.  But have heard a wheel horse can do that job just as well or better.  When I park the C-141 next to my wheeler I shake my head and think no way can this machine out do a 500 CC four wheeler.

With the exceptions of those UK guys ( those guys are beyond me and I doubt those machines are stock with what they do with them lol )  But it is very impressive

But how much can a stock one pull, tow, plow, bull doze etc? 

My machine is a stock C-141 8speed

Something tells me this is the site to have members on that have worked their machines and not just mow with them. 

Just do it!

[JimD 3,345]

Off the top of my head what I have seen a WH doing:
Mowing, plowing ridiculous amounts of snow/dirt/gravel, ploughing (notice spelling change), snow blowing, cultivating, chipping/shredding, towing far more than it safely should, tilling, disc-ing, etc. Heck you can put a front end loader on them and have even seen backhoes on the D series. I'm sure i've missed a ton more.


 

For further clarification:  http://grammarist.com/spelling/plough-plow/

[bmsgaffer 2,043]

Off the top of my head what I have seen a WH doing:
Mowing, plowing ridiculous amounts of snow/dirt/gravel, ploughing (notice spelling change), snow blowing, cultivating, chipping/shredding, towing far more than it safely should, tilling, disc-ing, etc. Heck you can put a front end loader on them and have even seen backhoes on the D series. I'm sure i've missed a ton more.


 

For further clarification:  http://grammarist.com/spelling/plough-plow/

I knew SOMEONE would call me out on that. Yes, they are different dialects of the same word with the same meaning... but you got the point, right?   I guess i could have used "grade" and "plow".

[skeptichorse 25]

OK not gonna lie that was kind of fun

I took it into the woods and looked for the logs that my wheeler hated....
Two were 9 ft long and 1 FT in diameter. 1 cherry and 1 maple... so not light pine logs... the 4th log I dragged was 31 FEET long and 8 inches in diameter... not as heavy but impressive because of the length.

Funniest moment was when I got almost all the way out and it wouldnt go anymore, I backed up and took off again and nothing... after the third time I noticed that the drag cable had taken down a sappling and got stuck on the base... and it was pulling the sappling out by the roots while still dragging the log.  I have no doubt that it would of if it could have gotten more traction. 

I would like to say that it was a nice level straight run but who am I kidding it was more fun with uneven terrain and turns to make while dragging...some where almost 180 degrees. 

The main differences that I noticed between dragging with the horse vs the wheeler:
I never once felt like I would tip over backwards... where on the wheeler I did more than once.
It did scare me a few times when it felt like it was going to go over sideways due to uneven ground.  But some quick booty shaking and it got some bite and took off again.
Once it was moving I had to look back to know the logs where there...
I was comfortable on the machine.. where on the wheeler you rode with with your face over the handle bars and your chest on the tank... Vs just sitting and riding like on the wheel horse.
There was less calculating my route... I just turned when I had to and it went... on the wheeler you went in one direction until it stopped then went in another to change the angle of the log then start again ...

It may sound crazy but I think the machine was more determined to get the job done than I was... and the more I worked it the more it seemed to wake up...

I do have to remember to take the parking brake off.... after the second log, I unhooked it and took off and it felt like it was bogging.... thats when I noticed the parking brake was still on... ooops.

Wonder what it would have done with good tires...  I am still using the old ones that came on it that are hard as rocks even with no air in them. 

So to say it did what my cub never would have dreamed of doing is a true statement... was it safer and more comfortable and efficient than the wheeler hell yes..

Now what else can I do with it lol

[bmsgaffer 2,043]

Awesome! Glad to hear it won you over! These horses ain't your grandmas lawn mower .

You are getting bit by the bug! It starts with this incurable grin on your face and the red tractors and attachments just end up multiplying!

My neighbor who just finished replacing 4 gears in his old deere transmission (all it does it cut grass) is always impressed with the piles of snow I have in front of the 48" plow each winter. I remember he was out last year after a good 8" or so of wet heavy snow with a freeze on top. I offered to plow his drive, he told me it was too heavy my "lawn mower" would never make it. (Of course that just lights the fire) I fired her up, got a running start, and that 14 horse kohler ran hard into the governer all 100 feet of that driveway and I left a nice pile of snow right in front of his little walk behind snow blower. I had a big grin! (I of course cleared the rest of his drive, which he in turned paid me with a bag of salt. Love good neighbors!)

[skeptichorse 25]

I think I may be...lol

I just figured it would put too much strain on the rear end... guess there is a difference between a rider and a tractor. 

Some of these logs were settled right in after being down for two + yrs... and when at first they didnt budge... I backed up and hit it again...soon enough the log bent to the wheel horses will...

I thought that backing up and hitting it hard again would tear out the rear end... and I was surprised to hear that it could take it...and went at it with the approach of go or blow and it went ....

No matter how hard the load was the tires never stopped spinning... so that was my first indication that it could handle it...   If the machine wasnt able to handle it the rear end would have bogged down and stalled out instead the tires kept spinning trying to get a bite.  and hold on when they did...

At one point I had to stop and clear the path... the log was catching all the limbs that were down and were being dragged along with the log I didnt notice I was collecting friends along the way...

This is with the 50# rear wheel weights off...


 

[bmsgaffer 2,043]

Yep these unidrive transmissions were built tough. Now that you know they are incredibly tough, here are a few of the weak points (weak is a relative term, the weakest link in a wheel horse's chain is really not all that weak)

Just be cautious on 'dropping the clutch' as it were and yanking things (same as ramming things with the plow). They can handle some of it, but with continued abuse you might see some breakage.

• Keep an eye on the four bolt holes in the chassis where the transmission mounts. The mounting plate has been known to crack there and can start to tear out. Many people ave seen this issue (usually after 30-50 years of hard abuse) and many have fixed it with reinforcing the plate.
• Keep your set screws tight on the hubs, otherwise you may wallow out a keyway in the axle or hub and sheer a key.
• Watch for leaking transmission fluid witch may indicate bearings or seals wearing out

But you will continue to be impressed with what they can handle!

[skeptichorse 25]

OK I just torqued the hubs last month when I adjusted them... one was so loose it was falling off..and the other was was in so deep that it was touching the trans...

left rear oil seal is leaking... so i have been babying it and watching the fluid...  I did watch a video where a guy plucked one out in like 3 sec with a pick ... think that is a little video editing there.

I will check the mounting plate for any sign of stress cracks...
 

[WNYPCRepair 1,875]

I don't know about wheel horses, but yanking with a farm tractor can result in it rotating around the rear wheels and doing a back flip. Lots of farmers have been injured or killed trying to pull stumps with a farm tractor. Be careful