Opinions wanted

[chucksterock 15]

Found a couple of Craigslist ads and wanted opinions since I don't have the same knowledge about these tractors that many of you have.

 

First one in Cleveland, OH with the title "Wheel horse tractor with many extras"

 

Second one in Cleveland with the title "Wheel horse hydro with snow blower"

 

Thanks for any guidance.

[varosd 1,185]

What are your needs?

mowing only?  how many acres?

want to plow snow? or blow it?

do want to turn over and cultivate a garden?

these questions and many more will determine what to look for.

also these are "old" machines.  tinkering is part of the fun.

 

[953 nut 51,630]

           The unit with the snow blower looks like it is in good condition and not too bad at $ 1500

Wheel horse Tractor 20 horse Onan hydro trans and hydraulic lift has snow blower mower deck extra tires with chains and counter weight

Wheel Horse tractor with a Kohler 12 HP motor and 8 speed. Comes with 48" mower deck, 42" plow, 36" snow blower, 36" rototiller, wheel weights, chains, owners manual and other extras. Everything works great! Beside being a great multipurpose tool this would also make a great restoration project. Asking $1450 for everything.

The other one is quite a package and may be slightly high on the price in my opinion, If you will be needing a tiller and mower this is a hard deal to match.

Condition would be the determining factor. The 12 HP is a 1973 model, but they are bullet proof and everything in the package looks well maintained. The 520 has a hydro transmission and lift which are a real plus.

You could always buy both!            

[Ed Kennell 35,735]

1 hour ago, varosd said:

What are your needs?

mowing only?  how many acres?

want to plow snow? or blow it?

do want to turn over and cultivate a garden?

these questions and many more will determine what to look for.

also these are "old" machines.  tinkering is part of the fun.

 

 

 

Take Dons advice and determine what your needs are.

Keep in mind, all the implements appear to be in good condition and are easy to resell if not needed.

For mowing  and plowing snow I prefer the 12 HP Kohler.    They are fuel efficient and operate well in summer and winter and repair parts are available and reasonable.

 

For snow blowing snow I prefer the 20HP Onan. I dedicate mine to winter use only.   Repair parts are available, but really expensive.

  They have unlimited power to turn a blower, but IMO, the throw too much heat to use as a mower in the summer and they are gas hogs.

They are also subject to damage from overheating due to poor maintenance, grass clogged screens and cooling fins.

 

If I could only have one tractor, it would prefer the 12HP Kohler.

 

 

[Racinbob 10,276]

Excellent advice on determining your needs. If you'd be looking for the attachments with the 73 12hp you'd be hard pressed to do much better than that deal. Personally I'd always lean towards a Kohler K-series as well. It looks like it was well maintained and if it runs as well as it looks I'd say it's a good deal. The tiller tines are pretty worn but still have plenty of serviceable life in them. Dang....if that was in my neck of the woods I'd say get the 520.....then I'd go after the 73.....

[jellyghost 378]

Both of those packages are kind of high, and you should bargain them down.  I am impressed with the 73, and if you want those attachments, you can almost justify that price.  If you resold everything at top dollar you would get that price, but I think you should get some discount for buying ti as a package!

 

[dells68 7,494]

Personally, I like the 12 horse.  Can't beat a good kohler.  I also prefer the 8 speed over a hydro.  I just feel more in control with the gears.  Same in a farm tractor too.  Onans are a little too mystical to me.   Expensive parts and when they run great, they run great same for the dark side (so I've been told).  Love all of the attachments too.

[Jerry77 1,218]

6 hours ago, 953 nut said:

$1450 for everything

Hmmmm....the price of a vertical shaft lawnmower from Big Box.....hmmmm what to do  what to do....

[chucksterock 15]

OP here, the primary thing I was looking at was the snow blower.  We get lake effect snow where I'm at and I'm not getting any younger wrassling with the walk behind blower.  Makes that two stage blower look really nice.  But I spotted the other listing and was considering being able to run the tiller as with a new house build there is plenty of yard work to do.  We have a little over an acre of yard and have been using a 74 8hp vertical shaft Wheel Horse that I bought as a package back in 1990 or so.  Tractor, 36" deck, dozer blade and tiller.  My wife loves that tractor so it's going to stay.  I guess the real question is how well do the single stage blowers do with a lot of snow?  If I wake up to 18" of snow, will it handle it?  And by that I mean blow it a reasonable distance at a good pace.  If I could I would just get both, but that's not in the cards right now.

[Racinbob 10,276]

I think you'll be satisfied. I used a single stage to clear 900+ feet of drive in this lake effect area. It won't do what the 20 horse with a two stage will do but I was happy with mine. Now that we are back up here I didn't hesitate to get another single stage.

[Ed Kennell 35,735]

1 hour ago, chucksterock said:

OP here, the primary thing I was looking at was the snow blower.  We get lake effect snow where I'm at and I'm not getting any younger wrassling with the walk behind blower.  Makes that two stage blower look really nice.  But I spotted the other listing and was considering being able to run the tiller as with a new house build there is plenty of yard work to do.  We have a little over an acre of yard and have been using a 74 8hp vertical shaft Wheel Horse that I bought as a package back in 1990 or so.  Tractor, 36" deck, dozer blade and tiller.  My wife loves that tractor so it's going to stay.  I guess the real question is how well do the single stage blowers do with a lot of snow?  If I wake up to 18" of snow, will it handle it?  And by that I mean blow it a reasonable distance at a good pace.  If I could I would just get both, but that's not in the cards right now.

 

 

Now we have more info.  You all ready have a WH mower,tiller,plow tractor that you are happy with.

  In that case, I would buy the 520H, find a cab, and dedicate it to snow blowing.  I believe all snow blower tractors should be Hydros for several reasons.

The hydraulic  lift and transmission  is a must for continually raising and lowering a blower when working forward and back through the 3-6' drifts.

I also add foot control to all my blower and plow tractors so one hand is free to steer and the other is free to operate the hydraulic lift.

This would not be a problem with a 2 stage, but with the single stage blowers, they are most efficient and have less clogs if the ground speed is varied to keep the auger full at all times.  It is much easier to vary the speed with a hydro.

 

[WVHillbilly520H 10,369]

My tall chute single stage handled 18" of snow just fine for me but the one pictured is the Berco 2stage some say it's better than the Toro, but I have the Toro deuce now and where it really shines is the DOT plow banks vs the single, on a side note I've owned my Onan powered 520H since new in '98 mow,plow/blow snow, and other yard garden work and heat hasn't killed it yet, just my personal experiences, Jeff.

[slim67 2,730]

19 hours ago, chucksterock said:

OP here, the primary thing I was looking at was the snow blower.  We get lake effect snow where I'm at and I'm not getting any younger wrassling with the walk behind blower.  Makes that two stage blower look really nice.  But I spotted the other listing and was considering being able to run the tiller as with a new house build there is plenty of yard work to do.  We have a little over an acre of yard and have been using a 74 8hp vertical shaft Wheel Horse that I bought as a package back in 1990 or so.  Tractor, 36" deck, dozer blade and tiller.  My wife loves that tractor so it's going to stay.  I guess the real question is how well do the single stage blowers do with a lot of snow?  If I wake up to 18" of snow, will it handle it?  And by that I mean blow it a reasonable distance at a good pace.  If I could I would just get both, but that's not in the cards right now.

He is not lying guys. His profile says hes from Chardon. They get more snow then the north pole.

[varosd 1,185]

get the 520 with the 2 stage thrower.

snow is the enemy

 

[JERSEYHAWG / Glenn 4,487]

Chuck,             .    Best of luck in your decision. 

 

Plenty of great advice was given. 

 

 

 

Glenn

[Ed Kennell 35,735]

44 minutes ago, varosd said:

get the 520 with the 2 stage thrower.

snow is the enemy

 

 

               Sounds like you need the best snow chucker you can get.  

[WVHillbilly520H 10,369]

Also the Berco is easier to install and remove the TORO version they say sounds like a no brainer for snow removal,Jeff

[c-series don 7,785]

Seems clear to me that you should just get both and then you won't have to decide which one! You know most of us have an extra $3000 kicking around, especially right before Christmas!!! 

[chucksterock 15]

Thanks for the information.  Going for the big dog snow machine is the right answer now.  I thought it sounded like a reasonable price, but wanted to confirm that.  But first need to get through Christmas and then moving into the new house the day after.  We demolished the old one and built a new one where the old one used to be.  Hopefully next year we can do the same to the garage/shop and make it a lot bigger.  It should be larger than the house in my opinion, better for toys.

 

So on a 520H, what should I be checking and looking for?

[WVHillbilly520H 10,369]

Biggest issues would be the wiring harness 9 pin connector and the voltage regulator, mechanically check the compression especially the rear cylinder next to the battery , but if the P.O.(s) took good care of it shouldn't be to much worry over, I've had my Anniversary 520H since new and nothing major has popped up as yet, Jeff.