Every Tractor Has a Story

[edgro 676]

When I this quote is from OILUJ52 "every tractor has a story", I thought that is a very profound statement.

It seems to me, that when you put a lot of labor and love into fixing, repairing and restoring and modifying these tractors,

they kind of become like a part of the family. Sort of like kids with their own personality.

Most of the time you love them, but some times a good swift kick is needed also.

That being said, here are my tractor stories (short version)

 

1983 C175 (Big Red)   I bought this for $1500 when we moved into our current home in 1994. It came with mower, snow cab, blade, and snowblower.

I have used this to plow snow since then. I did some cleaning and painting before this winter. Still my favorite tractor. Never have used the snow cab.

 

1974 B80 (Little Red)   I bought this in 2005 for $700. It came with mower, blade, and snowblower. It has a gray engine, which I assume is a replacement.

This was my backup plow tractor until recently.

 

1974 B80 (Little Red #2)   I bought this in 2011 for my grandson, paid $100. It was a “restoration” in progress, and the kid selling it cut his price in half,

I think just to make it go away. Last year I finished the “restoration” and sent it home to my grandson with a snow blade and tire chains

 

1972 Raider 14   I bought this in 2013 for $125, non running. Need an air cleaner, and a little TLC. I have a rototiller on it, and it gets very little use.

I really like this tractor, especially the skinny rimmed steering wheel.

 

1988 414-8   I bought this in 2014 for $50, with a locked up motor. Other than that it is in real good shape. I was able to get the engine freed up, and started,

and it smokes really bad. I replaced the motor with a 16hp B&S from a parted out GT1600. It now has a mower deck on it, and has been used regularly.

 

1978 C141   I bought this in 2014 for $250, with the intention of putting the motor in the 414-8. Decided it was too good of a tractor to part out.

It currently has a snowblower on it, also I have a grader blade for it. Gets little use, but always starts and runs good.

 

1986 417A   I bought this in 2016 for $100, non-running and a broken frame. Have fixed the frame, and got it running. It now has a blade and chains,

and is the backup snow plow  /trailer hauler

 

1977 C120 (Rusty)   I bought this in 2017 for $150. The engine ran, but the frame was broken in the middle, front end all worn out, just a beat up and rusty tractor.

I replaced the frame and seat pan and front end with parts from a parted out B60, which was equally rusty.

 

 

Thanks for listening, you guys here on this forum are awesome

[neil 2,398]

most of the tractors that I currently own have now become part of my family , a few of which I couldn’t part with as they have soo much sentiment to me , not nessesary the tractor itself is so important but it’s the history behind it that is more important to me , I currently have a little suburban (rare to Uk) but it was once owned by an ole RAF pilot from World War Two , he  purchased new in 1961 & used it in his estate to do numerous tasks , the little tractor came with snow plough ,mower deck & rear furrow plough ,it was one of me best finds and I only paid £350  for it , I really wouldn’t part with it as it has too much history To Me . 

[Retired Wrencher 4,877]

edgro   I two at one time was thinking doing this but did not it to come off sounding corny. I think some of the ones I have owned and seen over the years you can knida  tell the life it has had. Good or bad. But I never stop looking for them or at them. Enjoy the ride.

[Tankman 3,515]

Friend visited my new home, in the early 70's.

Laughed when he saw my Craftsman (1st) tractor ().

Left and returned later with my 1st Horse. A project!

Made the front bumper, a 316 SS deck, picked up a snow plow and a bottom plow.

Then needed a Parker sweeper and a trailer.

I quickly sold the Craftsman (tractor (?)).

 

Couldn't keep my sons off the Stallion! The son sitting on "his" Horse is now in his early 50's.

My last Horse purchase, $200, my '90 520-8. Great Horse! Then, not looking, picked up an Allis B-10, a Pennsylvania Panzer and a Cub Cadet.

Grandsons needed the wo.....wo......work!

 

Edited January 27, 2018 by Tankman

[ebinmaine 63,143]

@edgro, Great post Idea !!

 

I'm really lookin forward to all the stories here....

 

Mine:

 as a brand and this forum... A couple years ago I had a 25 or 30 year old Murray 1238 with no deck (We push mow) that my honey and I were using to pull stuff around the acreage here. It ran really well and had a ton of power but didn't weight enough (275 lbs) to grab traction pulling the 1000lbs + that we often did. 

I asked my equipment repair guy what to get that would be Heavier and WH was his best recommendation having been a toro dealer worker for 20 + years.

 

My tractors:

74 B80:

I found this on CL as a pile of parts, literally. A young fella here in southern Maine had a few of these Horses and was narrowing down his collection some. This one, he had disassembled to paint and it had sat that way for a year or two and he hadn't gotten to it yet so he sold it to me.

He was the 2nd or 3rd owner and it had been stored outside for most or all of it's life so the paint and body is very rough... It will be repainted at some point soon. Mechanically it's in excellent condition with NO wear showing in the cylinder bore and has plenty of power etc...

Parts pile was $180 and I had the above mentioned shop put it back to running condition for me... then started doing my own work and mods (see my signature) and needed info... and found 

 

74 C160:

Well many people have a "most desirable" of tractors and since I've had the B80 and worked it and liked it... I've wanted an 8 speed (mine's a 4) and then there's the whole "more power".... I've wanted a C160 for at least a year and just got one here.

I haven't even started to work on it yet... that's today!!

It was originally purchased new by Granby Telephone Company which was one of only three towns in Massachusetts with it's own telephone service. Mower and plow for them for a few years then bought by the dad of the guy I got it from.

He sold it to a neighbor who used it for a few years then sold it back to the son.

His uncle had a turn in there somewhere to.

 

Now it's MINE  Hahahahaha !!

I'll be starting a work thread on this rig today...

 

I'd like to say thank you to all the folks here on the 'Square as well.

Great advice, great people !!!

 

[Sarge 3,462]

I got my first WH by necessity - the old fella that had taken care of this place as part of his rent had passed away. The following spring I started taking care of the lawn and property here - right at 1 acre total with some hills and such, or ditches anyway. Had an old White? lawn tractor that I had to modify to get it enough power to mow this place and keep up - evidently the mods to the B&S were too much, at 8k plus it finally scattered itself in a pretty spectacular fashion...

Bought an older late 80's Husky (TSC) from a friend locally that came with a 2-stage blower and 4' deck - 18hp B&S Twin II engine, ran the dog snot out of it for a few years but it always wanted to bend the stamped steel frame into a reverse sway-back look, almost to the point it would eat the trans belt off. Finally got it fixed straight and just sold it for what I had in it . Buddy of mine had this old 1277 laying on his property that he got from his aunt and her estate - they had bought it new and due to an ignition problem had stopped running - paid $125 for it in faded but pretty good overall condition. It's done so much work around here and for others elsewhere it's crazy - she deserves a rebuild/repaint from the ground up as the frame's rear plate is again shattered like so many others. Never failed to run and do it's job - no matter what I've asked of it , lol.

 

I've had several other models around here including a few small round hoods - just got another one for $40 in amazing shape, a nice little 854 that needs some love. The 1277 will never leave and I've had 3 of them, love that model and it's simplicity - especially compared to the more infernal D series when it comes to repairs. I think in total I've had a dozen or so, maybe more WH's over the years since the first one - none have suited me like the 1277 although the C-160 and 16Auto are close - but ugly in my opinion in comparison. Every one I've had except the old 1277 has an unknown history - bought them from folks that knew nothing of where they originally came from , nor any idea of how many owners , some I suspect had quite a few which is a shame. Around this immediate area the folks all prefer to collect the JD and Cub brands - I'm the odd guy out here but they respect what mine can do and sometimes are embarrassed by the WH brands capability - they are pretty well unknown for some reason in corn country despite some dealers that were in the area. I'm sure the stories they could tell would be pretty interesting - wish I had gotten into the brand at a lot younger age when they were more prevalent around here and had more dealer support, I'd probably have 30 or more of them , lol...

 

Sarge

[ClassicTractorProfessor 5,262]

My story actually started long before I got my first Wheel Horse. I've always done landscaping and yard work for people around town, whether it be as a side job or as a full time job. I got the idea a few years ago that a true garden tractor and some implements might be a worthy investment. Was talking to a good friend of mine (this friend will come into play later) one morning at the local coffee shop, and told him I was going to look at a John Deere garden tractor later that day. He told me that I would be happier with a Wheel Horse, that he had one with a tiller on it years ago that was unstoppable. I had never even heard of the Wheel Horse brand until that morning. I did go look at the Deere that afternoon but wasn't happy with what I saw, so I passed on the deal. Looked around for a year or so for a Wheel Horse, but never could find one nearby or within my price range. Fast forward about 3-4 yrs, I was still doing landscape work but had pretty well given up on finding a true garden tractor. Was out at the city dump one night and picked up an old Montgomery Wards riding mower that somebody dumped off, figured I could make it run and use as a backup or sell it. Had it on the back of my flatbed truck when a friend of mine seen it and wondered if I wanted another mower, said he had an old Wheel Horse in his backyard. And that night began my story, and the ensuing addiction. Now for the story behind some of my tractors.

 

1277-This was the tractor that started it all. This machine was given to me by a good friend, and has spent its entire life right here in town. It was purchased brand new by a doctor here at our local hospital, who used it up until his passing in the late 90s. My friend bought it at the estate sale, and used it every year to maintain not only his yard, but the 2 acre lots that are adjacent to both sides of his house, up until around 3 years ago when he purchased a new Hustler zero-turn. 

 

701-Not sure of any history behind this little tractor, was in our local parts store one afternoon ordering a starter/generator belt for the 1277, and had an old farmer in there ask me if I wanted another Wheel Horse, said he knew nothing about it, it was in the barn when he bought the place, and if I wanted it to come get it, otherwise it was going to the scrapyard the next time he took a load. 

 

C125-Don't know any of the previous history on this tractor either, my grandfather was listening to a buy/sell/trade radio program we have here one day and heard it advertise for sale. He wrote down the number and sent it to me. I called the guy and set up a meeting with him to look at it, come to find out the seller was an ex-girlfriend of mines uncle. Bought this machine for $400, originally just for the freshly rebuild K301 on it. However, once I got it home and played around with it a little, I fell in love with the 8 speed transmission and just the overall strength of this tractor, have since ended up doing some work to it, and with the loaded AGs on it, it has became my go to tractor for any heavy duties

 

C141-This tractor will always have a special place in my heart. My good friend Ray (whom first introduced me to the Wheel Horse name years ago) purchased this tractor brand new with a mower deck and tiller. Used it for several years around his place, then upon moving to town traded it to a longtime friend of his. After seeing my collection growing, Ray called his friend to see if he still had the little C141, and talked him into selling it to me. The deck is long gone, but the tiller came with the tractor. I'm working on a complete restoration to make this a show tractor, it will most likely never see any more hard work in its life, and the tiller is going to go on the C125 this summer.