Spring cleaning

[Al C. 1,405]

Why use a wheelbarrow?  A horse idling in the yard makes any job a little easier.  After putting her in the garage last evening I went over to Lowes to pick up some shelving.  In the parking lot there were three rows of Troy-Bilt Red Pony's waiting to be sold.  Couldn't help stare at them ... really makes you appreciate the old horse in the garage ... no comparison!

[Tankman 3,515]

Looks very nice Al. Yep, looking at the Troy Built riding mowers hurts, "Who would purchase that junque?" 

 

Only buyers who don't know real Horses.

Edited March 15, 2016 by Tankman

[Retired Wrencher 4,874]

Yes just looking at the big box store  so called tractors and you see how they are made you just shake you head and say what happen to American built. It seems the word quality is not in there vocabulary Gary   B... 

[Al C. 1,405]

I often think the same thing.  But is it a "quality" issue, or an issue of "optimization"?   Today's lawn machines are optimized for a single purpose - mowing a pre-established 1/2 acre lawn for five to ten years while complying with federal EPA regulations.  Engineers of the old Wheel Horses were less constrained and thinking more broadly of many more uses than just mowing when they designed the Classics.  So, maybe it's not just a quality issue ... just a thought.  

[bds1984 1,382]

1 hour ago, Al C. said:

I often think the same thing.  But is it a "quality" issue, or an issue of "optimization"?   Today's lawn machines are optimized for a single purpose - mowing a pre-established 1/2 acre lawn for five to ten years while complying with federal EPA regulations.  Engineers of the old Wheel Horses were less constrained and thinking more broadly of many more uses than just mowing when they designed the Classics.  So, maybe it's not just a quality issue ... just a thought.  

I have to agree with you on that point.  My dad purchased a new Simplicity Broadmoar last year and it is a very nice, well built machine that is easy to use... for mowing lawns.  It should be, it was over 4K for it.  There are a few attachments for it, but if anything "heavy" needs to be done, one of my Wheel Horses comes out of the garage.  

[MalMac 1,328]

This topic pops up here from time to time. I think you have to look at it from different point of views and without blinders on. We all on here are Wheel Horse fans for obvious reasons. Now out of all the members on here how many really need a heavy duty garden tractor? How many just mow with a Wheel Horse? Then I am sure there are some that don't have a yard big enough to justify a garden tractor let alone  a rider, or a drive that a small walk behind snow blower could handle. That does not mean they don't enjoy the restoring or collecting part. So if you take the whole Wheel Horse crowd we are actually very few. People in today's world don't garden like they once did. The overall need for the well build garden tractor is not there.

 

I like many of you shake my head when I look at that junk at the big box stores. Then again I have to open my mind and quit comparing it to a Wheel Horse. They were never design to plow heavy snow or pull a ground engaging piece of equipment. Design to fill the need of the city dweller that needs to mow his 1 acre or less and do it efficiently for 1 to 5 years. They were never designed to last. As said many times before they are disposable. So if you take the blinders off those junk tractors are just like Wheel Horse's, they are doing what they are design to do. It's just the world we live in now. Wheel Horse's are just a connection to what once was. If it weren't for people like here on the site the Wheel Horse would have started to dissapear a lot faster then it is.

[slammer302 2,154]

Theirs no such thing as a yard to small for a WH 

[roadapples 6,981]

Quite a few years ago after buying another house I needed a mower fast. Bought a used MTD sold by Hechinger. I hit a small stump in high grass and bent the front axle, not the spindle, the axle. Had the wheel all twisted out of shape. Used a big pipe wrench to bend it back and didn`t even have to tear it apart. Another woman who hated me wound up with the house so I left her keep the mower. Good riddance to both. Learned a valuable lessen there, at least about lawn mowers...

[can whlvr 991]

they made cheap tractors in the seventies too,remember not all tractors were garden tractors,my uncle had a john deere 110 back in the mid seventies,it was a piece of crap too,the steering mechanism was really cheap,i remember fixing it when I was just young,it boils down to what people need I guess

[TDF5G 2,051]

On 3/11/2016 at 6:05 AM, Al C. said:

Couldn't help stare at them ... really makes you appreciate the old horse in the garage ... no comparison!

I've always thought that  were the best looking garden tractors too!

On 3/11/2016 at 11:50 AM, roadapples said:

Quite a few years ago after buying another house I needed a mower fast. Bought a used MTD sold by Hechinger. I hit a small stump in high grass and bent the front axle, not the spindle, the axle. Had the wheel all twisted out of shape. Used a big pipe wrench to bend it back and didn`t even have to tear it apart. Another woman who hated me wound up with the house so I left her keep the mower. Good riddance to both. Learned a valuable lessen there, at least about lawn mowers...

That's a good way to get even with someone I reckon!

[elcamino/wheelhorse 9,025]

When you go to the big box stores what ever brand is lined up with there 20 plus horse power motors and small 10 inch ( maybe 12inch ) rear wheels and you can not help but laugh or shake your head. Now my brother ( the dummy my mother raised ) did not go the box store for his CC he went to the Dealer. Still got a piece of crap. My uncle Max needed a new mower because his 18 year Crapsman died. Before it was over he bought two Crapsman . The last one does not have key start , some kind of Chip linked to the engine. Wonder what he will buy when the Chip dies?

[Phatboy 565]

4 minutes ago, elcamino/wheelhorse said:

When you go to the big box stores what ever brand is lined up with there 20 plus horse power motors and small 10 inch ( maybe 12inch ) rear wheels and you can not help but laugh or shake your head. Now my brother ( the dummy my mother raised ) did not go the box store for his CC he went to the Dealer. Still got a piece of crap. My uncle Max needed a new mower because his 18 year Crapsman died. Before it was over he bought two Crapsman . The last one does not have key start , some kind of Chip linked to the engine. Wonder what he will buy when the Chip dies?

5 minutes ago, elcamino/wheelhorse said:

Yup ,, my brother ( the dummy my mother raised lol) went and bought a Huskavarna,  wouldnt listen to me either.. It has splined axels NO hubs with bolts to hold wheels on and when he gets to top of his driveway and tires spinning he moves back and forth and gets the wheels bouncing lol i keep telling him buddy dont do that !! One of these days your tranny gonna be laying in pieces on your driveway !!!

[Phatboy 565]

On March 11, 2016 at 0:50 PM, roadapples said:

Quite a few years ago after buying another house I needed a mower fast. Bought a used MTD sold by Hechinger. I hit a small stump in high grass and bent the front axle, not the spindle, the axle. Had the wheel all twisted out of shape. Used a big pipe wrench to bend it back and didn`t even have to tear it apart. Another woman who hated me wound up with the house so I left her keep the mower. Good riddance to both. Learned a valuable lessen there, at least about lawn mowers...

Funny you should mention MTD tractors ,,17 years ago when my wife and i were getting ready to build the house we are in now , and i bought a MTD "Garden tractor" to  clear our land and what not ,, so while spending our last winter at the old house we got about 6-8 inches of snow so i figured id try new tractor and plow drive way,, so first pass up the driveway i got about half way up and the tractor just stopped !!! No the wheels didnt start spinning they stopped all together !! It just quit !! I backed up drove forward hit the snow again same thing !! So put it in garage and very next day bought my 310-8 and it blew threw that snow like there wasnt any snow at all,, from that moment on i was sold on Wheel horse and never looked back !! Sold that MTD to a buddy that just needed somthing to cut grass,,,my 310-8 cleared my land that spring , and back filled my foundation and landscaped the hole thing never a complaint  it pushed dirt gravel big rocks like nothing !!! Ill never own anything other than a WH !!!

[Al C. 1,405]

The other thing about the big box machines, I'd never consider having two of them.  With the Wheel Horses, it only seems natural that any family needs more than one (don't want one getting lonely in the garage!).   Just finished adding some fresh oil and brushing the winter dust off my "senior" machine.  This weekend I'll be putting the decks on both and we're ready for summer!

Edited March 15, 2016 by Al C.

[Retired Sparky 526]

It's like buying a Harley made by AMC. Might look nice but not the same as the original  .

[Tankman 3,515]

My first mower, rider, Craftsman. A friend stopped by to see my "tractor".

He couldn't stop laughing. Left and awhile later returned with a Horse, a Wheel Horse.

i sold the Craftsman.

 

With grandsons, we're overcrowded. Horses, Allis-Chalmers, Simlicites, Cub Cadet and a Pennsylvania Panzer.

Now, I have to figure out a way to keep the boys from getting grease on their noses?

 

One of my 1st Horses. The son was how old (?) but now in his mid 40's. A Wheel Horse nut ever since.

Edited March 18, 2016 by Tankman

[Al C. 1,405]

You could have worse problems than grandsons who grow up with grease on their noses.  

[Cole J. 71]

So how much did an old horse cost bran new back in the day.

[AMC RULES 36,941]

Depends on the  model Cole...

here the original reciept for my 653. 

 

[RedRanger 1,468]

22 minutes ago, AMC RULES said:

Depends on the  model Cole...

here the original reciept for my 653. 

 

That there is some good math!

 

No charge for the deck I'm guessing and then a "Close enough thank you for your purchase!"

 

By the way....

$620.00 in 1963 had the same buying power as $4,823.87 in 2016.

per http://www.dollartimes.com/calculators/inflation.htm

Edited March 18, 2016 by RedRanger

[ACman 7,505]

On March 15, 2016 at 5:15 PM, Retired Sparky said:

It's like buying a Harley made by AMC. Might look nice but not the same as the original  .

 I'm no Harley guy but wasn't it AMF like in blowing equipment .

[AMC RULES 36,941]

[lynnmor 6,762]

48 minutes ago, ACman said:

 I'm no Harley guy but wasn't it AMF like in blowing equipment .

Yes, that stands for American Machine and Foundry.  Bowling equipment was one product line.  They got into motorcycles because they want to spread oil all over.

[Retired Sparky 526]

The old brain is holding up pretty good.   Thank you, 'lynnmor'.  I think AMF was the parent company of Brunswick.  

     The bowling people.

 My point was, it might have been a Harley but if the parent company was AMC it probable wasn't as good as the Harleys of today.

Edited March 18, 2016 by Retired Sparky

[Pierrepont 5]

AMF and Brunswick were fierce competitors -- no love lost there.