What to look for when purchasing a Wheel Horse Tractor?

[6bg6ga 271]

This forum is pretty dead set on one tractor the Wheel Horse and the consensus of opinion from what I gather is nothing else will really do. So, what does one look for when purchasing a Wheel Horse? Try to snag an old one? Look for one with hydraulics? Look for one based on the engine? The transmission?

 

Does one simply buy to collect? Is it like buying guns that one is looking for the market price to go up? Is it a better investment than gold or silver? Based on my own quest to purchase one locally I'd have to comment and say their like trying to purchase gold or silver. Don't see any models within 150-200 miles from me. Did they only sell them east of the Mississippi river?

 

If you were to put them in groups say an "A" group with the "A" models being the very best model ever produced which model would be the "A"? The same for the top say 10 models. Most sought and least. 

[Retired Wrencher 4,876]

6bg6ga  Some may say it is the model they are looking for. Some may say it is only want horse power for big jobs. And most go for the price. The vintage market will never go down. It is steadily climbing As they get harder to find. It is up to you where you want to go with it.  As for the collection part it is fun to chase these fine tractors down. As for your area west of the Mississippi river the company never ship them out west of that from what we know of. That is what I was told but could be wrong there?. It is in the chase that makes it fun as you see this great country we live in. I hope this helps.

Edited May 27, 2017 by Retierd Wrencher

[6bg6ga 271]

Thanks for the comments. What would be the best pullers? Best yard tractors? Best for snow removal blade or thrower?

 

Your profile picture  German Shepherd?

Edited May 27, 2017 by 6bg6ga

[Retired Wrencher 4,876]

• Again it is personal They are all  made well to get the job done. Wheel hose make great attachments. I have had most of them at one time but I have now gone small HP I do not need big power any more.

[rjg854 10,730]

I have a round hood 854, because I was born 8/54. I happen to like the styling of the square hoods, so I have a couple of them, both Commando8s.  I wouldn't say that they are all that sought after, but a very capable tractor.  Then I have a 12hp for snow throwing duties. That's about the extent of my collecting.  I use them for different duties that why I have multiple tractors, altho attachments are fairly simple to change.  It's therapeutic to work on these tractors and to use them.  Maybe really just for fun.

[EricF 589]

Since the late 1960s or so, the Wheel Horse design has been fairly standardized, with incremental engineering improvements and increasingly larger engines. Find one in the condition you want, at a price you want, that will do the work you want it to. It is really that simple! The other major GT manufacturers went through some significant engineering and design changes in the 70s, 80s, and 90s. Wheel Horse didn't; they stayed true to a simple, well-thought-out design that lasted in production over 30 years! Here's what I've learned since I started researching to buy a good used garden tractor, in particular Wheel Horse. Some of it I learned from experience and general research, a lot I learned here by reading posts and manuals on Red Square.

 

Most people don't want to mess with ignition points on a everyday working machine, you might want to stick with models that have solid-state ignition.

 

You can't go wrong with the "long frame" models. They're the "C" series, (mind is slipping on the earlier named series...) and the larger numbered series like the 4xx series. The 520H/520-8 are sort of "special" maxxed-out builds of the long frame.

 

You can run a single-stage snowthrower just fine with a 10HP engine. (I remember clearing the snow left by the Great Lakes region's blizzard of '77 with a 10HP John Deere 112!) 16HP engines and above should be able to run the big 2-stage snowthrower. The bigger the engine, the faster you can chew away at snowbanks.

 

Mowing probably puts the heaviest constant load on the engine, which affects the size of the deck you can run. Know that the big 60" deck is hard on frames and engines. Personally, I'd avoid it or a machine that's had to run a 60" deck most of its life. Stick to the 48" deck and smaller ones. Maneuverability with a 48" deck isn't hard, but gate widths and gaps between trees and structures can be an issue in some lawns, so the 42" and smaller mowers are popular. Depends on your needs. Stick with the 42" and smaller decks for lower-horsepower engines, especially if your lawn tends to get thick or go too long between mowings -- it won't bog down your engine badly, while a 48" deck probably will. On the other hand, an 18 or 20 horsepower engine will probably power through anything with a 48" deck.

 

Most other attachments are largely interchangeable because of the standardized design that Wheel Horse kept. Most of the time, differences come down to some specifically-sized attachment links that fit ranges of years, or the issue with the snow/dozer blade frame length and the later 520H forward-swept axle. I learned a lot from the manuals section here on Red Square. Even 8HP engines can run ground-engaging equipment like plows, disks and tillers. It's the strength of the rear axle and frame that matters, something any Wheel Horse has in spades.

 

As engine horsepower and torque goes up, stress on the rear frame-to-transaxle mounting goes up. Look for cracks there on tractors that have done a lot of plow work. It can be repaired with welding, and prevented with an additional backing plate. The 520H is known to have the plate put in from the factory.

 

Manual vs hydrostatic transmissions is a personal thing. Both are very strong in the Wheel Horse lines. It seems to me that Wheel Horse's hydro drives have always been among the most robust on the market for whatever year of manufacture you choose. The Sunstrand and Eaton hydro units are very tough. Just keep the hydro unit's cooling fins clear of mud and grass, and make sure that fan is in good condition. Loose hydro motion control levers or "creep" forward or backward when it should be in neutral are commonly caused by a worn-out or out-of adjustment cam and friction bolt on top of the hydro unit (Very easy to get to from under the seat) or, more rarely, wear or damage in the linkage to the motion lever. (Easy to get to by removing the access cover(s) on the center hump.) In short, if you want a hydro and it pulls just fine but the motion lever action is janky, don't count it out. It probably just needs a little attention to detail that you can do yourself.

 

Good maintenance is critical on any machine, regardless of hours on the engine. If you need to get the tractor to work right away, find one that you're confident has had proper maintenance. Service records, the more complete the better, are golden. Even then, go over it carefully and put fresh grease in all the fittings and change the oil just for peace of mind. If you don't mind spending some time and doing a bit of repair or rebuilding, by all means go for one that's priced lower and needs more work to put right. "Sweat equity" is rewarding, and Wheel Horse's design makes these machines remarkably straightforward, if not downright enjoyable, to work on!

 

Here's how my search worked out -- I started looking for a tractor to handle mowing about an acre or so, run a snowthrower to clear a 50-foot driveway in northern New England snowstorms, and possibly plow or run a tiller for a small garden. Those needs steered me toward 16HP and above machines really, so C-160s and later models were what I was looking for. I was prepared to pay the price of a new lawn tractor -- around $2000 or so -- for a used machine in good condition, with attachments, or less if the tractor only had a mower deck and I had to go hunting down at least a snowthrower. I started out just cruising Craigslist classifieds and auction listings to get an idea of the going prices for various conditions, learning all I could for the day when I would have the cash in hand to make a deal. Time passed, and I had to move to a different house that was more suitable to my wife's medical-related needs (single level, no stairs) which also had a smaller yard and driveway. That should have eased my search to one for a smaller tractor, but I've got numerous landscaping projects that call for a bigger machine, so my search qualifications never really changed. In a stroke of luck, I had the perfect timing to find a Craigslist classified for a 520H and attachments in my price range. It's a big machine for my yard and driveway, but it has no problem getting in and out of tight spots even with a 48" mower deck. The 520H is the "ultimate" development of the classic Wheel Horse design, and I consider myself very lucky to have found one; I'd have been quite happy with anything from a C160 on up.

 

My 520H had spent it's prior life doing lots of honest work around a 1 1/2" acre plot of lawn and land with horses, mowing, hauling and clearing snow on a couple of long driveways. It's not cosmetically perfect -- the paint is faded and decals are tired. I did have to clean up a mess of mud and spilled oil under the fender pan from attempts at filling the hydro unit too quickly, which also involved dealing with rust-frozen bolts holding the fenders down because they'd been packed in mud. Mud and salt have damaged the footboards because muck got under the plastic treads. (No other rust issues, though.) I'm still tracking down a fuel gauge issue and the taillight bulb holders are corroded, but those are all minor things that I'll fix over time; the tractor was maintained well an came to me ready-to-work. If I have any complaints, it's that the shop that did service on it didn't clean out under the fender pan when they had it. That should have been just part of doing a job right, and would have stopped the buildup of mud that rusted the bolts holding the seat and fenders down. But, that particular shop has developed a bad reputation for not paying attention to detail, so I wasn't completely surprised. They also didn't check and adjust the hydro cam friction bolt, something that takes five minutes or less to do. So I've gone through the machine carefully anyway, cleaning and making adjustments that the shop missed. I expect things like that on a used machine, though. And I bought it as a worker, not a show machine. Shiny and cosmetically near-perfect costs more. My main concern was good mechanical condition and no significant rust -- I didn't want to have to start off with a rebuild and/or repaint project.

Edited May 27, 2017 by EricF

[evanloock 216]

2 hours ago, Retierd Wrencher said:

6bg6ga  Some may say it is the model they are looking for. Some may say it is only want horse power for big jobs. And most go for the price. The vintage market will never go down. It is steadily climbing As they get harder to find. It is up to you where you want to go with it.  As for the collection part it is fun to chase these fine tractors down. As for your area west of the Mississippi river the company never ship them out west of that from what we know of. That is what I was told but could be wrong there?. It is in the chase that makes it fun as you see this great country we live in. I hope this helps.

There were dealerships west of the Mississippi.  I personally dealt with a dealership in Lodi, CA that sold Wheel Horse starting in the early 1960's.

[Racinbob 10,276]

2 hours ago, 6bg6ga said:

This forum is pretty dead set on one tractor the Wheel Horse and the consensus of opinion from what I gather is nothing else will really do. So, what does one look for when purchasing a Wheel Horse? Try to snag an old one? Look for one with hydraulics? Look for one based on the engine? The transmission?

 

There's a reason folks here are partial to Wheel Horses. After all, this IS www.wheelhorseforum.com. There are forums for green thingys, yellow thingys, and about any other thingy and you'll find that the folks on those forums are as partial to their respective thingys as we are to red.

I think the best thing to do is read up on the threads here and learn more about Wheel Horses. There's a wealth of information here as well as folks willing to share their knowledge. Get an understanding of the history of Wheel Horse  and how the tractors have evolved over the years without a major redesign, just keep tweaking a proven design. Oh, but they quite making them in 2007? Yes, they did but we live in a disposable  world these days. People look at all the bells and whistles and big horsepower thingys at the big box stores and won't justify the cost of what it takes to build a machine like a Wheel Horse. Bells, whistles and a limited life win out over decades of service.

 

Excellent write up @EricF 

[slammer302 2,154]

@6bg6ga what state are you located?

[6bg6ga 271]

Yes, the disposable world we live in. For years I have restored audio gear both tube gear and solid state. I specialized in solid state equipment made in the 70's and older tube gear. So, I respect equipment machinery that is designed well. I bought a Poulan simply because it fit my needs. It was something the wife could use to mow the back yard that is pretty flat. No need for anti scalp rollers because of two facts its not hilly and its setup higher because I like a yard that isn't scalped to death. Did I want it?  Heck no. It was meant to be a disposable purchase that could be sold easily when I am done with it. No need to move it to Az  when I retire.

 

Is there some sort of book the forum members have put together that lists the years and models of those years? If so maybe someone could point me toward it and I would gladly download it or pay for a copy. If there isn't such a thing maybe a member here might thing about putting the Wheel Horse History Book together. Its kind of hard for me anyway to research when I don't have a listing of the models that were available and I'm probably not alone.

 

As I mentioned before I would like to find something that I can modify and install a 4 cylinder or possibly a small 6 in it. I thought about a small block chevy or Ford or even a Buick engine but I'm still on the ledge on that one. Also, I really like what I see in pictures of the 520. The other thought it to find a nice 520 or simply ANYTHING that happens by.

 

I  had asked if there were tractors that were for example the best pullers and some probably didn't want to comment so I will modify my question to ask what are tractors that you consider to be good pullers and I'll make a list.

[Retired Wrencher 4,876]

6bg6ga look in the Gallery area there is a list of years and models with engine and trannys.

[Racinbob 10,276]

Here ya go:

 

 

An excellent book:

 

http://wheelhorsestory.com/home/8-straight-from-the-horse-s-mouth-the-wheel-horse-story.html

[TravelinJavelin 620]

To me why I chose Wheel Horse they are the most simple in design easy to maintain for any shade tree mechanic and the kohler engines which any of the K series you can get after market stuff for almost any model and loads of torque and a simple belt drive system and almost everything is still available for the most part and yes some models are a little harder to get then others but to me if you find it worth the investment plus also there are a lot of models that are interchangeble

[6bg6ga 271]

I'm the opposite I want the most complicated Wheel Horse ever made. I need the constant challenge to function correctly otherwise things just bore me.

[TravelinJavelin 620]

well get the D-250 4 cylinder Renault engine hydro drive and biggest they made

[pfrederi 17,146]

3 minutes ago, TravelinJavelin said:

well get the D-250 4 cylinder Renault engine hydro drive and biggest they made

It was gear drive and made in Germany

 

You can avoid your boredom by trying to find parts.

Edited May 28, 2017 by pfrederi

[TravelinJavelin 620]

woops I stand corrected sorry about that I swear they were hydro but even better with gear!

[6bg6ga 271]

13 minutes ago, pfrederi said:

It was gear drive and made in Germany

 

You can avoid your boredom by trying to find parts.

 

Won't be enough. I'd have to stretch the frame and install a 502 Big Block Chevy engine in it. Seriously, who has one for sale? I'd settle for a straight six or a V6 in it. A 502 would require a tow behind gas wagon for anything above a trip to the end of my driveway. Looks like something worth of my talents.

Edited May 28, 2017 by 6bg6ga

[EricF 589]

Well... This thread is a great read for some ideas on an extreme custom: Project "Why Not" build

 

That tractor is for sale in the Euro section of the classifieds section now, which brought the thread back up. Fun to watch the progress as it was built!

[elcamino/wheelhorse 9,039]

Check the classifieds on the forum , from time to time a D series will appear. Check with A-Z tractor , he is a forum vendor and has a boatload of  in all kind of condition. You may be able to find a D-250 with a blown engine, since you plan on replacing the engine any way.