mikeeyre74 289 #1 Posted August 30, 2017 So, this is a little weird.. but bare with me. I need some help to prove it. This 1962 Wheel Horse 552 came home the other day: I got it from a friend of mine who said it sat in his field for the past 7 years since it was parked. He lives in Bethel. He said he got it from his parents who brought up years before that (how many is unknown..) to haul firewood from his large yard up to the house in a home made trailer. He said they got it from the Mary Travers estate sale, and when he got it, it had a hand made custom embroidered seat, which is unique. It's long gone now, unfortunately. Mary Travers was the Mary from "Peter, Paul and Mary" the band.. who I guess was sorta famous well before I was kicking around on this planet. He said he's heard that Mary used to drive it around her yard with a garden cart behind it in her gardens at her house, wherever that was.. a quick google search turns up nothing for me, so I can't verify it. Can anyone help? The machine itself is in really nice shape, all things considered. The gas tank is clean, and the bolt holes for the hood are all intact. It's got a Tecumseh engine, which I'm no big fan of, but it spins free by hand. The transmission is dry as a bone, but it shifts through its gears OK. I was originally taking it home as a parts tractor to complete my 753, but.. with this information, I think I'll hold off on that for a bit. Heck, it's arguably in nicer condition! haha! Curious... Mike 7 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Jerry77 1,218 #2 Posted August 30, 2017 (edited) 1962 Lawn & Garden Tractor 552 4-Speed Tecumseh HT55C-3089 5.5 HP Wheel Horse model # 5025 Got this from a wheel horse product page...don't know how rare it is tho... Edited August 30, 2017 by Jerry77 additional info Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Ed Kennell 35,602 #3 Posted August 31, 2017 Nice 552 and with a cool story. What's the rock crawler in the background? 3 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
857 horse 2,581 #4 Posted August 31, 2017 Good eye Uncle Ed,,!!!!!! You keep the boy talkin,,while we go round back and take a peek.......may take a few minutes.........so,,,keep talkin loloolololol 1 5 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
953 nut 51,506 #5 Posted August 31, 2017 Like the yard art. Wish there was a way to prove the PP&M Mary Travers connection, she was a wonderful singer and old f@rts like me were fans of PP&M. I would keep it as is and make a placard with the history accompanied by an album cover with her picture on it as a show display. You can't provide absolute proof, but no can disprove it so the fable of the 552 will live on. 8 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
AMC RULES 36,941 #6 Posted August 31, 2017 Closest connection I could find. 4 2 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
WHX?? 46,690 #7 Posted August 31, 2017 Just like Ed ....bikini and a beach ball and guess what he wants to look at! Seriously that tractor has got an awesome patina and all techys aside is a real keeper. Probably only God & Mary Travers know the truth about the story and only one is alive yet (Google says she died at the ripe old age of 72 in 2009) but still. I personally would oil that girl down and get her in good mechanical shape as best one could without messing with the patina and use it for continued garden work and of course tractor shows! Interesting weight on the front Mike we may well have to see somemore pics of that beach ba... err.... bikini! 5 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mikeeyre74 289 #8 Posted August 31, 2017 2 hours ago, Ed Kennell said: Nice 552 and with a cool story. What's the rock crawler in the background? Heh! That's no rock crawler. That's just the hood of a 312 that someone gave me after they took the motor out of the poor thing to power up an Allis Chalmers. Eventually it's gonna be part of a mailbox post along with an old broke frame and a cut up fender pan I came across.. tribute to WH! 6 1 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Ken B 3,116 #9 Posted August 31, 2017 Story could very well be true, seems odd some one would make that story up but ya never know. I'd clean it up, get it running and paint the rims and throw a new seat cover on and enjoy it. 6 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
WHX?? 46,690 #10 Posted August 31, 2017 11 hours ago, mikeeyre74 said: mailbox post along with an old broke frame and a cut up fender pan Conjures up some interesting ideas there Mike! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
tunahead72 2,332 #11 Posted August 31, 2017 I'm missing something here, where's this beach ball and bikini you guys are talking about? And move over, I wanna see too! How many of you guys are Googling "Mary Travers Wheel Horse" right now? 2 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
WHX?? 46,690 #12 Posted August 31, 2017 Oh my Tuna ...you just get off the boat? Please tell us your yankin our It's a joke Tractor = bikini hood lawn ornament = beach ball 1 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
tunahead72 2,332 #13 Posted September 1, 2017 I do need to get out more. 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
artfull dodger 329 #14 Posted September 2, 2017 I would not be to supprised if in the familys photo albums there is a picture of Mary on the Horse or with the Horse in the background of a picture. But you would have to know someone in her family to ever know if that photo exhists. Would be way cool if it was so. We have seen the pictures in the WH book of other well known people on or being given a Wheel Horse. So it is entirely possible. Nothing wrong with the Tecumseh, i am not a huge fan either, thier carbs are espically tempermental for me. But for show duty they will do just fine once running again. If the techy did the duty this long, no reason it cannot keep doing it. I would have some fun getting it running again, 4 good tires and fresh fluids. They type up the history as told to you and display her at shows, maybe at the bottom post if anybody knows more to the story that you would like to speak with them. Mike the Aspie 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
