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vmen84

where have all the horses gone

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vmen84

Although I join this site a week ago I've been looking for a wheel horse for quite a while I had the go ahead from my wife for a while and I saved up all my pennies. Ive seen some pretty nice tractors if I do say so myself but am I being too frugal? I ask  because I'm a thinker Plus I have OCD so in my mind if I get an older mower it's going to be completely repainted and redone as if it came right out of the factory so I think to myself I have to get it for the right price for the amount of money I'll put into it. I'm not sure what a decent going price for wheel horses  is or vintage tractors is I've come to  a few conclusions one I'm not being very patient Second I'm not looking in the right places and I must live in the wrong state lol. I feel like Ralph off the movie a Christmas story when he gets his decoder pen and he says sob it's a crummy commercial. I've been telling my wife for years that I'm going to find this tractor of awesomeness and I finally saved up the money for it . I told her ever since I was a  little kid I had an infatuation or dream to have an all steel tractor and be able to plow the sidewalks and driveways and when I'm out mowing my yard I want people to say dang that's a nice tractor I want one ha. I also had foot surgery in May so I haven't been able to mow the yard and I'm chomping at the bit ready to get out there and do it. I guess I'll just keep looking on the back roads of Missouri and Cl I'm not sure if you can mention it here if so I'll take it out.

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953 nut
11 minutes ago, vmen84 said:

not looking in the right places

Have you been attending Tractor and Engine shows? That would be a great place to see what is available and meet people.

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vmen84

I haven't yet there's a few coming up in Illinois.

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T-Mo

As I mentioned in our pms, just be patient.  The right one will come along.  They're here in Missouri, but they're not that plentiful, and it seems, or at least to me, Wheel Horses bring more money than other brands here.

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RedHorse54

For the prices and what they are worth, it depends what model. What model wheel horse are you looking for?

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WHX??

Yes what model are you looking for and do you want a worker, trailer queen or a combo? Search the galleries and see what trips your hammer if you don't know what model you want.. Do broad Ebay & CL searches and see what comes up but keep in mind what T-Mo posted, you may have to branch out. Keep an  eye (follow) on the classifieds here... more often then not nice stuff comes up right here and pretty much all of the guys that post here are straight shooters. Guys sometimes put incredible deals in the classifieds here but you gotta be quick to the trigger and most always there is shipping involved. I got a free Suburban here once!   If you see something that catches your fancy but there is a distance issue use the member map and see if there is a member nearby that can scope it out for you and help out. 99.9 % of the time a fellow horseman would help you get it ...thats just the way we are here! There are a few collectors that come to mind in your state so PM them and see if they can help out... again use the member map...that's what it's there for.

 

Patience is a key thing here tho,  more often than not (right) horses find you not you finding it. Also keep in mind that if you get a fixer upper that this is strictly a labor of love and by the time you have paint, mechanicals & labor in it might not be worth any more than what you paid for it.  

Edited by WHX7
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DougC
6 minutes ago, WHX7 said:

keep in mind that if you get a fixer upper that this is strictly a labor of love and by the time you have paint, mechanicals & labor in it might not be worth any more than what you paid for it.  

 

I have an 88 520H I bought last October that fits that statement perfectly. I do get that great feeling of accomplishment now that it is a usable machine and am finally getting some seat time on it. I bought it so I could give my 95 520H a rest and try to keep it's hours from climbing so quickly, and because it came with a snow thrower, rear tiller and 48" mower deck. Perhaps some day it will get new paint, but it won't be any time soon!   :lol:

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elcamino/wheelhorse

Sometimes the :wh: just appears down the road. Quick story.  My Commando 800 died, the deck was shot and was using something to cut grass. Looking in the Saturday paper, " Whelhorse tractor for sale selling to settle father in laws estate call  - - - - - - $450.00 " Called ,what model ? Don't know. What comes with it " uh deck , chains, snow blade not sure of HP " Give me your address ' Uh can you come before lunch ? , I'll be there in 30 minutes. Got to the guy's place figuring I'll talk down the price. He opens the shed ,jumps on the horse , starts it backs it out . A 1987 310-8 ,with 36"rd deck snow plow and wheel horse chains. Gave him $450.00 and it has been working here ever since. Once and a while it needs some attention other than regular maintenance. Look at the gallery , check C L , fleabay ,classifieds here ,check out estate sales yard sales and drive by places that work on mowers. You just never know. 

Edited by elcamino/wheelhorse
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Wheel-N-It

And above all, be patient.

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Uncle Buck

Patience is key. It also helps if you are open to a wide variety of models. I lean towards anything old, the older the better. The newest one I have is a 1977. The most I have paid for a WH is $250. Every one of the five I have needed something when purchased, some were minor, others I drug home as a rusted hulk that would not even roll! For example, the last one I bought about a month ago showed up on CL locally as a word ad with no pictures. The ad said B-100, runs good, needs battery, has snow plow and mower deck, mower needs work, $250. The machine runs great, I just need to rebuild the mower deck as it has deck bearings that are out of it. However, even if the thing had no mower deck the price was great. There are horses out there, just look daily, several times a day and check here. Eventually that patience will pay off.

 

HAPPY HUNTING!:handgestures-thumbupright:

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vmen84

I'm looking at a b 80 with the  snow blade chains  rear and front lights 36 inch deck in good shape8 hp elec start its a 74 good paint

Edited by vmen84

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KC9KAS

@vmen84 A B-80 is a very capable tractor!

The 8 hp Kohler is almost bullet proof!

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mels
8 hours ago, vmen84 said:

.like Ralph off the movie a Christmas story when he gets his decoder pen and he says sob it's a crummy commercial. I've been telling my wife for years that I'm going to find this tractor of awesomeness and I finally saved up the money for it . I told her ever since I was a  little kid I had an infatuation or dream to have an all steel tractor and be able to plow the sidewalks and driveways and when I'm out mowing my yard I want people to say dang that's a nice tractor I want one ha...

 

Ooof.  I guess I'll go ahead and be the party pooper lol...  Man, you'll never find a tractor (or anything else for that matter) that'll live up to the hype you've created since you were a little kid.  Forget it.  Throw in the towel now while you still have half a chance.  Pay the freckled kid down the road to mow and shovel, and take the money you just saved yourself and get yourself a new recliner - for the garage!

 

PS, one of them college fridges work nice as a table next to your new recliner.  Paste a bunch of Cub Cadet, John Deere, of and why not, NASCAR crap all over it and man you'll be the envy of every neighbor out there.  

 

:D

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slammer302

I'm also located in MO. If you're patient the good deals come around. Ive bought alot of nice horses over the last few years in 300-500$ range

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vmen84
9 minutes ago, mels said:

 

Ooof.  I guess I'll go ahead and be the party pooper lol...  Man, you'll never find a tractor (or anything else for that matter) that'll live up to the hype you've created since you were a little kid.  Forget it.  Throw in the towel now while you still have half a chance.  Pay the freckled kid down the road to mow and shovel, and take the money you just saved yourself and get yourself a new recliner - for the garage!

 

PS, one of them college fridges work nice as a table next to your new recliner.  Paste a bunch of Cub Cadet, John Deere, of and why not, NASCAR crap all over it and man you'll be the envy of every neighbor out there.  

 

:D

thats pretty funny ill be 32 this Wednesday so may ill get my tractor wish  ha

Edited by vmen84

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Thisguyisnew

What ever one you end up with (Ralphie), you'll find that it was worth the wait and the most practical hobby you'll ever know

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Al C.
7 hours ago, mels said:

 

Ooof.  I guess I'll go ahead and be the party pooper lol...  Man, you'll never find a tractor (or anything else for that matter) that'll live up to the hype you've created since you were a little kid.  Forget it.  Throw in the towel now while you still have half a chance.  Pay the freckled kid down the road to mow and shovel, and take the money you just saved yourself and get yourself a new recliner - for the garage!

 

PS, one of them college fridges work nice as a table next to your new recliner.  Paste a bunch of Cub Cadet, John Deere, of and why not, NASCAR crap all over it and man you'll be the envy of every neighbor out there.  

 

:D

You'll never find the horse you dreamed of on any of these sales boards or down the street for that matter.  But, that's not to say you won't find the machine that can become the Wheel Horse you've dreamed of.   The beauty of these machines, particularly the older models, is that they are all steel and cast iron.  Most of the components are pretty standard and can be found at a good hardware store or engine shop.  Specialty parts you can't find locally can be located through the guys on this forum or manufactured by a good machine shop.  Bottom line, find an old model that looks close to your dream and make it whatever you like.  Be assure, with the support of the guys here, the risk of falling short of your expectations is pretty small.  

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T-Mo
13 hours ago, vmen84 said:

I'm looking at a b 80 with the  snow blade chains  rear and front lights 36 inch deck in good shape8 hp elec start its a 74 good paint

I hope this one is the one for you.  As I said, the 36 inch deck on an existing tractor may be the hardest to find.  So if this B-80 is in good condition and the price isn't too unreasonable, it may be the one.  Keep in mind, decks can be found even if the tractor has a bigger deck.  Here in Missouri, finding a 36 inch deck may be a tall order, but again, patience is the key.  That and due diligence, searching CL, ebay, this site, local newspaper ads, etc.  Let people know you're looking and sometimes deals come your way.

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Wildside

I live in Cadet, Mo. and I have 9 Wheel Horses at the Moment. I was looking to get rid of a few to finance a RJ project. If you would like to drop by see whats here or we may be able to put what you want together. I've sent some really nice ones to their forever homes. There is a lot of nice Tractors out there, they are alittle hard to find at times. Good luck.

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Uncle Buck
5 hours ago, T-Mo said:

I hope this one is the one for you.  As I said, the 36 inch deck on an existing tractor may be the hardest to find.  So if this B-80 is in good condition and the price isn't too unreasonable, it may be the one.  Keep in mind, decks can be found even if the tractor has a bigger deck.  Here in Missouri, finding a 36 inch deck may be a tall order, but again, patience is the key.  That and due diligence, searching CL, ebay, this site, local newspaper ads, etc.  Let people know you're looking and sometimes deals come your way.

 

Surprised by your comment on 36" decks. I have five WH tractors and from the oldest to the newest every single one had a 36" RD deck when I got them!

Edited by Uncle Buck

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T-Mo

I guess it depends on location.  Here I haven't seen a 36 deck yet for sale locally.  But, that doesn't mean there not out there - could be owners aren't willing to let them go.

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clueless

Ralphie, hang in there it will happen. OCD and thinking to much will be a far worse problem once you find one than it is looking for one. Over the past 25 year I have found and bought 11 of this things and seen at least that many more far sale with in a 300 mile radius of me, and they are rare down here. '74 B80 was my first back in 1987 and still my favorite one, 4sp not so good with ground engagement implements but if you have an 1/2 acre or less to cut the B80 with 36rd deck is hard to beat. Pick up a '77 B80 three weeks ago, drove to far and paid to much, but its a lot more fun than 40.00 a week to play a round of golf. Like I said :angry-chillpill: it will happen. Happy birthday :occasion-cake:, Chris.

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muz123

Up here in New England there all over craigslist but some are pricey. I don't think wheel horses are common in Missouri but not sure. :think: As they always say  "Patience is key"   Good luck horse hunting!! 

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slammer302

WH's are very common in MO. Theirs always a handful on CL most are over priced is the problem. I scored a 417-A and 3000w WH gen and a parts mower and few decks, tiller,kt17 yesterday 

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bowtieguy

Got my first WH in 1974....for some reason they now come to me!!...my local Toro dealer has my card on the wall...I have a standing offer, 100 bucks for any Wheel Horse....heck, sometimes they say keep the big bill,,,,you can have it FREE....like my original 704....patience, man, patience!

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