Leaderboard

Just five days before I have to load the horses onto the trailer for the trip to the big show, I can finally say that I am finished (for now). I got all the decals on and took a test drive to the end of the driveway and back. So, just a recap. Here it is when I brought it home back in September. And here it is today. Just a couple of minor touch-ups and tweeks and she's ready to go.

Finally caught something worthy of a picture. My wife and I have hauled in loads of Perch and Pumpkin Seeds but today I pulled in three Largemouth Bass! Mike...........

Hoping that this can be an international project, here's my local dealership D J Scott of Warnford, Hampshire UK. It's a family run business started in the mid 70s and still going today. Sadly from our point of view the WH sign is no longer there and the showroom contains plastic Toro machines but there are a couple of little gems on display as well...... Unusually for the UK they hold a stock of commonly used OEM parts like wheel bearings etc as they still service some WHs from the 70s for local owners. I believe there are some other horses that have been restored by a guy that works there though I haven't actually seen them to get photographs. Here's another bit of UK memorabilia from the 70s with the 'G S Mowers' of Glasgow dealership stamp. Unlike D J Scott, G S Mowers didn't stand the test of time as a little bit of research revealed. (From the Glasgow Herald newspaper Nov 5, 1984) Andy

I've saved my original post in this thread above. This list evolved into more than I ever thought it could be. I've had many emails and PMs from people thanking me for doing this list. Those messages have come from people who are touched in different ways by seeing a familiar name on this list. Some are related to the past proprietors of some of these, others just celebrate what this list represents as an homage to many small business entrepreneurs that had a dream and made a living. I thank you each and all for those messages. I celebrate with you those small business dreams. And I thank each and every one of you who have contributed to this list! Updated through 7/23/19 #337 Distributors: (name - state or region) Boyd Martin - UT Brawley - PA Elmco - NJ Rasor-West - MO, AR, KS, OK RECO (Radio Equipment Company), IN, IL Thompson and Hamilton - OH Wilson-Dismukes - AL U.S. Dealers: Dealer name, city, state, date open, date close ALABAMA, , , , Wood Marine, Opelika, AL, -, - ARKANSAS, , , , Taylor Radio and Appliance, Mena, AR, -, - CONNECTICUT, , , , Baumert Sales Co Inc, Hartford, CT, -, - Bozrah Home & Hardware Inc, Bozrah, CT, -, open Civali Hardware, Meriden, CT, -, - Colonial Power Equipment, Monroe, CT, -, - Colony Hardware, Meridan, CT, -, closed Dick Tice, Cheshire, CT, -, closed Dubay's Tractor, S Killingly, CT, -, - Dubay's Tractor Center, Danielson, CT, 1976, open E C Allen and Sons, Hazardville, CT, early 50s, 1996 Ideal Mower, Derby, CT, -, open L & R Power Equipment, Monroe, CT, 1959 , open Linett Hardware, Ansonia, CT, -, closed Knights Power Equipment, Orange, CT, 1954, open Schmidts & Serfines, Waterbury, CT, -, open Stewart's Power Equipment, Rocky Hill, CT, -, - The Tractor Barn, Brookfield, CT, -, 70s West End Power, Danbury, CT, 50s, open FLORIDA, , , , Jackson Bike & Mower, Orlando, FL, -, - Midway Tractor, Ocala, FL, -, - IOWA, , , , Krumm Sales and Service, DesMoines, IA, -, 2012 ILLINOIS, , , , A1 Rental, Collinsville, IL, approx 1970, approx 1997 Bill's Mower Shop, Georgetown, IL, 70s, 90s Bill Steffenhagen Sales and Service, Grayslake, IL, -, - Byram Automotive, Metamora, IL, -, closed Christiansen Sales, Frankfort, IL, -, - Double Y Sales, Cisna Park, IL, -, open Franko Small Engine, Granite City, IL, 1986, - Fred's Radiator, Rantoul, IL, -, approx 2000 Graff Implement, Minier, IL, -, closed Illinois Cycle, Pekin, IL, -, closed Kendall Outdoor Power Equipment, Yorkville, IL, -, 80s Killmer Motors Sales and Service, Dixon, IL, -, - Kipps Lawn Mowers, Naperville, IL, 60s, - Lincoln Radiator, Lincoln, IL, 1959, 2008 Lincoln Rental and Sales, Rockford, IL, -, open Lincoln -Mercury, Alton, IL, 60s, - McKinley Chevrolet, Avon, IL, -, - Nubby Service, Bloomington, IL, -, closed Ross Lawn Mower Shop, Carbondale, IL, -, closed Smitty's Lawn and Garden Supply, Bethalto, IL, -, - Streator Lawn, Streator, IL, -, open Wright Equipment, Farmington, IL, -, - INDIANA, , , , Basset Wheel Horse, Belleville, IN, -, - Bill's Gasoline Engine Repair Service, Marion, IN, 1956, open Bob and Don's Wheel Horse Sales and Service, Crawfordsville, IN, -, closed Boyer Bros. Sales & Service, North Webster, IN, 50s, - Chandlers Sales and Service, South Bend, IN, 40s, 2015 Coopers Wheel Horse Sales and Service, Clear Spring, IN, - close Countrywide Wheel Horse, Elkhart, IN, -, approx 2008 Decker Small Engines, Terre Haute, IN, -, - Dan Young Chevrolet, Indianapolis, IN, -, - Gruel Brothers, Crown Point, IN, -, open Harry's Goodyear Tire Service, Sullivan, IN, -, - Heinhold -Feller, Valparaiso, IN, -, open Highway 19 Wheel Horse, Elkhart, IN, -, - Hoffman Outdoor Power, Etna Green, IN, -, open Humphrey's Small Engine, Green Castle, IN, 1966, open Jack Modlin, North Vernon, IN, -, 1980s Jim's Avenue Lawn and Garden, South Bend, IN, -, - Jones Wheel Horse Sales and Service, Hamlet, IN, -, - Lee's Outdoor Power, New Haven, IN, -, open M and M Sales and Service, Merriam, IN, -, - Machledt Stables, Montezuma, IN, -, - McAleer's Hardware, Morocco, IN, late 50s, late 70s Newby's, Anderson, IN, unk, approx 2002 Penniga's, Demotte, IN, -, open Precision Repair Small Engine Repair and Rentals, Churubusco, IN, 1982, open Scotty's, Haubstadt, IN, - , - South Side Repair Shop, Atwood, IN, 50s, - Staley's Sales and Service, Bluffton, IN, -, - Terpstra's Sales and Service, Griffith, IN, 1943, open Waymouth's Service & Machine Shop, Remington, IN, -, - Woodies Rental, Warsaw, IN, -, - Zook's Burlington Hardware, Burlington, IN, 1965, 1997 KENTUCKY, , , , CV Sturgill's Wheel Horse Sales & Service, Paintsville, KY, - , open Darlington Tutt Wheel Horse, Lexington, KY, -, - Hill's Texaco, Harrodsburg, KY, -, - Joe Hill, Bardstown, KY, -, - Miller Lawn & Garden, Garretsville, KY, -, closed LOUISIANA, , , , Slay Electronics, Many, LA, -, - MASSACHUSETTES, , , , Boyden and Perron, Amherst, MA, -, open Gasoline Alley, Lakeville, MA, -, closed Gauvin Supply Co, South Grafton, MA, -, open J W Wilbur and Sons, Easton, MA, 70s, open Maestranzi Bros Inc, Beverly, MA, -, open Sleeper Equipment Co, Carlisle, MA, - , 70s Sleeper Equipment Co, Westford, MA, -, 70s MARYLAND, , , , Arnett's Garage, Hagerstown, MD, -, 2000s Gartner's Machine, Gaithersburg, MD, -, 1980s Lawson's Outdoor Power Equipment, New Market, MD, -, open Watson's Garden Center, Lutherville-Timonium, MD, -, closed MAINE, , , , Bradstreet Lawn and Garden, Brewer, ME, -, open Guptills Lawn and Garden, East Machias, ME, -, - Teague Distributors, Fairfield, ME, -, open MICHIGAN, , , , Bickfords Firestone, Milford, MI, -, closed Brady's Power Equipment, Holt, MI, -, open Bush Hardware, Sheridan, MI, -, open Casey's, Ashley, MI, -, - Cedar Springs Tractor, Cedar Springs, MI, 50s, closed Country Corner, Almont, MI, -, closed Dankin's, Jackson, MI, -, open Fullers, Lansing, MI, -, open Giants, Ionia, MI, -, 1995 Granville Tractor and Implement Co, Granville, MI, -, - Hagen Ford Tractors & Equipment, Paw Paw, MI, -, 1989 Hoffmans Power Equipment Inc, Saginaw, MI, 2005, Open King Brothers Inc, Pontiac, MI, -, closed Manus Power Mowers, Royal Oak, MI, -, Open Marks Small Engines, Northville, MI, -, open Meister's Yard and Gardon, Muskegon Heights, MI, -, - Meyer Sales and Service, Kalamazoo, MI, -, 2000 Midstate Sales, St Johns, MI, -, open Monicatti Motors, Utica, MI, -, closed Neeland's Hardware, Clio, MI, -, closed Overbeck's Kalamazoo Implement Co, Kalamazoo, MI, -, - Ott's Sales and Service, Corunna, MI, -, closed Road & Turf, Battle Creek, MI, -, 1996 S&K Farm and Garden, Owosso, MI, -, open Sewell Ford Tractor Sales, Utica, MI, -, - Shiawassee Sports Center, New Lothrop, MI, -, - Spartan Distributing, Sparta, MI, -, open Stanley's Lawn and Garden, Marshall, MI, -, open Townline Lawn & Garden, Flint, MI, -, open Trav -L Home Inc, Flint, MI, -, closed True Value Hardware, Hastings, MI, -, closed True Value Hardware, Kingsland, MI, -, - Waco Sales, Wayland, MI, -, open Warren Barber Inc, Gull Lake, MI, -, - Warren Barber Boats and Motors, Plainwell, MI, -, - Waterford Fuel and Supply, Waterford, MI, 1967, 1994 Weingartz Supply, Utica, MI, -, open William Sell and Son Inc, Taylor, MI, -, - Wohlfeils, Saginaw, MI, -, - MINNESOTA, , , , Chanhassen Lawn & Sports, Chanhassen, MN, -, - Doyle Wilson Sales and Service, Racine, MN, 1964, 2007 Hugo Mill Sales and Service, Hugo, MN, -, open Lindstrom Greenhouse, Lindstrom, MN, - , - Lyle's Sales and Service, Rochester, MN, 80s, open Manke's Outdoor, Owatonna, MN, 1960, open Minnesota Maintenance, Faribault, MN, -, - MISSOURI, , , , Anderson Car Market, Carthage, MO, -, open Andersons Car and Tractor, Joplin, MO, -, - Art's Mower Shop, St Louis, MO, -, appox 1975 Auto Supply and Parts Inc, Independence, MO, -, - Cecil's Engine Service, Marshfield, MO, -, closed El -Mel, St Louis, MO, 1961, open Hillerman Nursery, Washingont, MO, -, - Kincaid Small Engine Service, Excelsior Springs, MO, -, closed Lumax, Belton, MO, -, open Midland Hardware, Joplin, MO, -, closed Midway Hardware Lumber Co, Joplin, MO, -, - Mueller Motors, DeSoto, MO, -, open Newman's Tractor and Garden, Eureka, MO, - , - Norm's Wheel Horse, St Charles, MO, 1968, 1996 Parrot Farms, Raymore, MO, -, - Rafferty Plumbing, Drexel, MO, -, closed NEW HAMPSHIRE, , , , A to Z Power Equipment, Manchester, NH, 1974, 1977 Granz Power Equipment, Salem, NH, -, open Kinville Sales & Service, Kinville, NH, -, - Mountan View Nursery, Goffstown, NH, -, - West Side Lawn Mower, Manchester, NH, -, 1974 NEW JERSEY, , , , Ackley's, Deerfield, NJ, - , 1997 Applegate Lawn & Garden, Bordentown, NJ, - , - Barg's Lawn & Garden, Freehold, NJ, - , - Bookmans, Warren County, NJ, -, - Bruce's Mower Service, Phillipsburg, NJ, 1980, open Parisi Mostor Chrysler, Hammonton, NJ, -, - R&K Mower Service, Inc, Lincoln, Park, NJ, -, - Rymon's, Washington, NJ, -, open Steven Wiland Co, Fairfield, NJ, -, - The Sharp Shop, Midland Park, NJ, 60s, open Weinmann's Garden Center, Wayne, NJ, - , 2000 NEW YORK, , , , B & B Equipment Co, Gloversville, NY, -, open Berical's Equipment Co, Schenectady, NY, -, - C J Perry and Son, Gasport, NY, late 60s, 1989 Christiano Hardware, Leicester, NY, 50s, 2013 Dave Carrick Equipment, Avon, NY, -, closed Dombrowski's, Florida, NY, -, open Don's Sales and Service, Hannibal, NY, -, open Elmer G Schultz, Middleport, NY, -, - Emerich Sales and Service, Charlton, NY, -, - Fran Kehl Sales and Service, Strykersville, NY, -, closed G and G Lawn and Power, Stone Ridge, NY, -, open Gordon R Morris & Sons, Barton, NY, -, open Good Enterpizes, Grand Island, NY, -, - Hutchinson's Equipment, Hopewell Jct, NY, -, - Ken's Sales & Service, Elma, NY, -, open Knapp and Trau, Fairport, NY, -, closed Lindsay's Garage, Greenwich, NY, unk, closed Majestic Hardware, Gardiner, NY, -, open Newburgh Power Equipment, Newburgh, NY, -, open Niagara Implement, Newfane, NY, 1989, open Rolle Bros, Riverhead Long Island, NY, -, 1995 Shafers Mower Service, Souquit, NY, 1960s, 2012 Snyders Fix It Shop, Endicott, NY, -, - The Lawn Shop, Kingston, NY, -, - Van's Lawnmower Sales and Service, Pleasant Valley, NY, -, - Wehner Mower Inc, Rochester, NY, -, open NORTH CAROLINA, , , , Aldridge -Durham Saw & Mower, Durham, NC, -, open Barfield's Equipment Inc, Charlotte, NC, 1970, 2000s Breyard Chain Saw & Lawn, Breyard, NC, -, - Brown Supply, Granite Quarry, NC, -, closed -sold to Faith Farm Equip) Chain Saw & Lawnmower, Asheville, NC, -, - Faith Farm Equipment, Salibury, NC, -, open Firestone Store, Albemarle, NC, -, - Haywood Richmond Hardware, Concord, NC, -, closed John McDaniel and Sons, Mocksville, NC, - , closed Killians Hardware and Outdoor Equipment, Hickory, NC, 1953, open Leadford's Lawn and Garden, Franklin, NC, 1960, 80s Philips Electric, Kannapolis, NC, -, closed NORTH DAKOTA, , , , Leonard Implement Co, Leonard, ND, -, 1995? OHIO, , , , A&E Tractor Doctor, Norton, OH, 1985, 1990 Apex Hardware, Marietta, OH, -, open Bair Tractor Sales Inc, North Canton, OH, -, - Barnhart Sales and Service, Groveport, OH, 1968, 1975 Blubaugh's, Crestline, OH, -, closed Buck and Sons, Columbus, OH, -, - Buckeye Power Sales, Blacklick, OH, -, open Capell Lawnmower Sales and Service, Elyria, OH, 1968, closed Carter's Wheel Horse Lawn and Garden, Marysville, Ohio, - closed Central Sales, Miamisburg, OH -, closed Cohagen Hardware, Columbus, OH, -, - Columbus Lawn and Garden, Gahanna, OH, -, - Dick's Mower City, Marion, OH, -, - Ditmars Power Equipment, Lancaster, OH, - , open Doc's Lawn and Garden, Massilon, OH, -, open Eckert Bros, Sugarcreek, OH, -, open Fred Fetherolf Tractors, Kingston, OH, - , - Frank Cline Sales and Service, Shiloh, OH, 60s, 70s Galati Sales and Service, Brookfield, OH, - , open Gene's Wheel Horse, Marengo, OH, -, - H&H Hardware, Middlefield, OH, - , - Johnson Service & Repair, Litchfield, OH, -, closed Jones Service, Piqua, OH, -, - Jones Wheel Horse, Grand Rapids, OH, -, - Jones Wheel Horse, Maumee, OH, -, - Jones Wheel Horse, Waterville, OH, -, - Jones Wheel Horse, Wauseon, OH, -, closed Kells Hardware, Lexington, OH, -, open Krichbaum Lock and Mower, Youngstown, OH, 50s, - KL Welch and Sons, Newcomerstown, Ohio, -, open Kuhn Sales and Service, Bascom, OH, -, open Labuda Farm Service, Herminie, PA, -, open Loar's Wheel Horse Sales, McConnelsville, OH, -, - Michael's Mowers, Houston, OH, -, open Miller Lawn and Garden, Garrettsville, OH, 60s, open Motter's Sales and Service, Mansfield, OH, -, open Mt. Orab Tractor Sales, Mt. Orab, OH, - , - Old Mill Power Equipment, Ashville, OH, - Open Phillipsburg Hardware, Phillipsburg, OH, -, closed Roth's Outdoor Equipment, Bellefontatine, OH, - , closed Share Lawn and Garden, Patalaskla, OH, -, - Smith Custom Service, Goshen, OH, 60s, open Stakers Outdoor Power Equipment, Portsmouth, OH, - , - Steve Meyers Service, Cridersville, OH, -, open Streacker Tractor Sales, Tiffin, OH, -, - Sugarloaf Power Equipment, Chillicothe, OH, - , open T and T, Hilliard, OH, -, open Taylor and Sons, Canal Winchester, OH, -, unk Tenger Implement Sales, Willoughby, OH, -, open The Garden Store, Columbus, OH, 50s, - TNT Reynoldsburg, Reynoldsburg, OH, -, - Vollmar Implement Co, Edgerton, OH, -, - Westerville Lawn and Garden, Westerville, OH, -, - Williams Wheel Horse, Medina, OH, - , - OKLAHOMA, , , , Kearney Mills Motor Supply, Miami, OK, -, - PENNSYLVANIA, , , , Adams County Lawn Mower and Truck Repair, McKnightstown, PA, -, - Becker's Lawn and Garden Equipment, Hanover, PA, -, closed Bob Peffer's Garden Shop, Harmony, PA, -, open Bob's Weld Shop, Pinchot Park-Lewisberry, PA, -, open Cain's Wheel Horse Sales and Service, Apollo, PA, -, open Canfield's Lawn and Garden, Shinglehouse, PA, -, open Chester County Timber, Unionville, PA, -, - Dale's Mower Service, Kempton, PA, 1990, open Donald W Leiser Lawn & Garden Equipment, Bethlehem, PA, -, - Eagle Machinery Co, Chester Co, PA, 60s, became Frames Eckert Power Equipment, Dallas, PA, early 60s, 1990 Eldon Wolfe, Berwick, PA, -, closed Fisher and Father, Venango, PA, -, open Frames Power Equipment(formerly Eagle Machinery), Chester Springs, PA, 2000s, open G and R Garage, Hughesville, PA, -, closed Hazle Penn Oil and Brake, Hazleton, PA, -, approx 1988 Horst's Mill, Lebanon, PA, -, open Innerst Auto, Jacobus, PA, -, open Jack's Wheel Horse, Sarver, PA, -, open Kane's Lawn Mower Shop, Arendtsville, PA, -, - Kemps Wheel Horse, Shinglehouse, PA, -, became Candfields Ken Bergren Inc, Williamsport, PA, -, open Ken's Mower Service, Northumberland, PA, 1975, 2019 Leisers Rentals, Eason, PA, -, open Lutz's Honda, Still Creek, PA, -, - Mast Mower Co, Oley, PA, -, - McCoys, Roaring Spring, PA, -, open -not dealing Metzler Mowers, Strasburg, PA, -, open Miller Brothers Garden Center, Erie, PA, -, open Modern Way Supply, Kane, PA, 1957, late 90s Montgomery Hardware Inc, Jackson Center, PA, -, - Northeast Equipment, Clifford, PA, -, 2003 Owen Wirt's Sales and Service, Sunbury, PA, -, early 80s Penn Woods, Pleasant Gap, PA, -, open -not dealing Pristow's Sales and Service, Johnstown, PA, -, open Ragan Sales and Service, Burgettstown, PA, -, open Ray's Mower Shop, Boyertown, PA, -, open RE Davidson & Son, Millerstown, PA, 1965, open Rhodes Lawn and Garden, Imperial, PA, 1972, open Rich Sales and Service, Loganton, PA, -, closed Ringtown Farm Equipment, Ringtown, PA, -, open Shealer's Motor Clinic, Gettysburg, PA, -, - Smith's Suburban Supply, Washington, PA, -, open Staub's Lawn Mower Service, Arendtsville, PA, -, - Steve's North End Mower Shop, Pottstown, PA, -, open Thomas L Dunlap, Jersey Shore, PA, -, open Waldes Motor Repair, Gettysburg, PA, -, open Zanoline's Garage, Sybertsville, PA, -, open RHODE ISLAND, , , , Timberlake, Tiverton, RI, -, - SOUTH CAROLINA, , , , Blakely's Sales & Service, Greenville, SC, -, - HL Hedgepath Garage, Newberry, SC, -, - Martin Hardware Co, Spartanburg, SC, -, - P & T Hardware Company, Laurens, SC, -, - Palmetto Flower & Seed, Greer, SC, -, - Robinette Hardware Co, Pacolet, SC, -, - Roebuck Lumber co, Roebuck, SC, -, - Simmons Sales & Service, Easley, SC, -, - Walden Appliance & Furn Co, Landrum, SC, -, - Western Auto, Fountain Inn, SC, -, - Wiggington Saw & Equipment, Seneca, SC, -, - Woodruff Auto Supply, Woodruff, SC, -, - TENNESSEE, , , , Brentwood Lawn and Garden, Brentwood, TN, -, open TEXAS, , , , Daniel Implement, Frisco, TX, -, - Lowe's, Bryan, TX, -, - UTAH, , , , Boyd Martin, Salt Lake City, UT, -, - VIRGINIA, , , , Chimney Corner Lawn Mower Service, Mathews, VA, -, - J.L. Bradburn Lawn & Garden, Penn Laird, VA, -, - Millerbuilt,Inc, Lynchburg, VA, -, - Pohlig's Inc, Mechanicsville, VA, -, - Rockingham New Holland, Harrisonburg VA, -, - Shanaberger & Sons, Farmville, VA, -, closed WEST VIRGINIA, , , , Kimbles Lawn and Garden Equipment, Upper Tract, WV, -, - WISCONSIN, , , , Al's Service, Wisconsin Rapids, WI, -, - D&D Welding, Ripon, WI, -, open South Leeds Garage, Arlington, WI, -, open Total Power, Oshkosh, WI, - , open Non-U.S. Distributors: Agri-Tech Incorporated, Quebec, Canada Columbia Equipment Company, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada F. Manley & Sons Ltd, Don Mills, Ontario, Canada G D Mountfield, Maidenhead, Berkshire, England H. C. Paul, Ltd., Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada Non-U.S. Dealers: (name, town, county, country) CANADA, , , , Cam Enterprises, Hyde Park, Ontario, -, - Henry's Lawn and Garden, Orangeville, Ontario, -, open Orilla Small Motors, Orilla, Ontario, -, open Rowan's Auto Electric, Nobleton, Ontario, 50s, 70s Woodward’s Service Centre, Forest, Ontario, 1963, open NETHERLANDS, , , , van de Riet, Ambt Delden, Overijsel, The Netherlands, unk, open UNITED KINGDOM, , , , B H White and Son, Cannington, Somerset, England, unk, open D J Scott, Warnford, Hampshire, England, 70s, open G S Mowers Limited, Glasglow, Scotland, unk, 1984 Multipower Equipment, Effingham, Surrey, England, unk, open Narin Brown (Glasgow) Ltd, Busby, Glasgow, unk, unk

I was at my local WH/Toro/Kubota dealer last Thursday when I asked the parts counter fella if it was still possible to get a new 48" deck. I had been looking a used one for a while and couldn't find one. He checked a Toro catalog and saw that one was still offered. He called the Latham, NY distribution center and found out they had one left! He told me the price. After I picked myself up off of the floor and cleaned up the mess in my drawers, I gave him the OK to order it! I got the call on Tuesday that it was at the dealer. I went to pick it up, brought it home and wanted to share the pic that I took. So here it is, Model 78361, 48" Mower.

A signed copy of Mike Martino's latest masterpiece... before it hits #1 on the New York Times best seller list.

Ah HA! John to the rescue right off the bat! I'm on the lookout for Steve's rubes! One stop shopping you say? Can I pay you with all Canadian??

Ya, but then you can buy it from me...think of it like "One Stop Shopping".

I don't want to give it away. Steve will have all his rubes out buying it all up!

Thanks guys : I should have posted early in the day and I know many don't notice a post like this on a tractor site but only 8 out of 8,000, what percentage is that ? What does that tell us ? One of very few Pats. left. Jim Rodgers In Texas

Teague Distributors in Fairfield, Maine Bradstreet Lawn & Garden in Brewer, Maine Both original Wheel Horse dealers still in operation with great collections of old Wheel Horse's too!

Our pulling club, IGTPA, has a pull there Sunday afternoon at 5:00. I plan to get there early so I can get a good parking spot in the pits and have some time to look around at the show. It's always a good one and it gets bigger every year.

First, it was cleaned in Berryman's carburetor cleaner. Then I put it in my ultrasonic cleaner to get anything that the Berryman's missed. After it was thoroughly dried, it worked the surface with a 6" "fine" wire wheel on my bench grinder. That's it.

mine is out all the time

I had a 416H...Onan in excellent condition. It died a typical Onan death, valve seat failure at 450 hours. Now I have a 314 modified with 16 Kohler single among other mods. I call it a 516C. I cut the same 1 1/2 acres as I did with the Onan using a 48" deck. The Kohler uses more fuel, is noisier and not nearly as smooth. It does not sound nearly as good as the Onan to my ears but....it's still running and I have more confidence in it. I believe it's a stronger more reliable engine and would not trade it for another Onan. To me there is nothing like the sound of an Onan idling after a cold start and or standing back about 100feet and listening to an Onan at work.

looks like the tranny was due for a service,i see some rollers lying around

the price of the new decks is why many people get rid of the horse and buy a new tractor,which is good for us buying them

I was pleased to see the flag heading on our forum page when I came on today; we need to keep that all year IMHO. My flag is out every day, on the front porch and in the windshield of my truck. Also, most of my postings include the stars ans stripes.

Being parked next to Brian's Delorian editions, I won't know if it's mine or his that is getting all the attention... Actually I do know. Brian's horses are always show stoppers, and I am proud to even be parked near them.

Thursday is setup day...no one is in there on Wednesday...a lot of people milling around on Thursday...some sales are made then...gates open at 9:00AM...fair game after that. The best deals are Saturday, unless the guys want to haul their stuff home...on the other hand...if you are looking for that one thing, and you really want it...Thursday. Nothing wrong with Friday though. The food and the company is good all three days. The neat thing to do...get there Thursday morning...know what amcrules and squonk are looking for...buy it cheap and then sell it to them Friday and pay for your trip.

Haven't tracted them down yet so I'll continue. To complete the testing you need a digital multimeter. With the meter set to measure DC volts you should get 12 volts or there abouts between the B+ terminal of the RR and a decent ground when the ignition switch is on. It should disappear when the ignition switch is turned off. If that is the case then the tractor wiring is ready to go. Remove the two wires from the RR that go to the alternator and connect the meter to these. With the meter set to read AC volts and the engine running at full throttle the reading should be about 32 volts AC. Kohler say 'above 28 volts but in practice I'd expect about 32 volts) If this is the case the the alternator is ready to go so if there isn't any charging (having reconnected the wires to the RR) then it looks like the RR has failed and will need replacing. Before condeming it though it's worth connecting the multimeter (set to DC volts) to the battery and watch what happens when the engine is run at full throttle. If the voltage rises above 13 volts heading towards 14 volts then the RR is working and trying to charge the battery. If this is the case then I suspect the battery has got old and is failing to accept charge from a regulated source. From experience it is possible to get some charge into batteries like this using an older traditional type mains charger (usually these have an ammeter rather than LED indicators to show charging and charge finished / maintenace charge). A modern charger can think that an old battery is charged long before it has taken much charge at all - the same is true for an RR.

I have very fond memories of helping my Grandpa (The one who got me started in Wheel Horses) set out the flag every morning when I was a little boy and would stay at their house.

MINE IS OUT....

From the previous owners records...the original sales receipt for my 653.

I keep mine lit so it is always out.

Kohler engines equiped with a battery charging system have an alternator incorporated into the flywheel consisting of magenets embeded in the flywheel and a set of stator coils mounted to the engine plate. This produces alternating current (AC) which is transferred via a pair of leads which exit the engine from behind the flywheel cover and go to a rectifier regulator where the AC is converted to DC to charge the battery and also regulated so that the battery doesn't get overcharged. The rectifier regulator (RR) is the silver / grey thingie with fins that is mounted above the ammeter on a C-160 and the most likely culpret asuming that a wire hasn't broken or come off somewhere. Corrosion on any of the three terminals can prevent a charge. The corrosion can sometimes be so bad that a terminal has come away completely from the unit. The RR must have a good earth to the chassis and again corrosion can prevent this. I would check the RR out first. It is possible for an RR to fail internally or for the stator coils to become faulty at which point a test meter is needed if the above fails to resolve the no charging issue. SOI has produced some excellent diagrams to help which I'll track down the threads and add another post here. Hope this helps a bit Andy

My flag is out every day as well.

The garrison flag on Trophy Point sure looked beautiful today.

Mine's out every day unless there's a big storm brewin!

I will add some more later on but I can share about our family dealership now. Name: Waterford Fuel & Supply Waterford, Michigan Opened by my great grandfather in 1927 Closed spring of 1994 Sold Wheel Horse tractors and accessories from 1967-1994 The business was owned/operated by my grandfather, great uncle, and my dad. In addition to Selling Wheel Horse they also sold...... Fuel Oil, Sherwin Williams paint, Snapper, Jacobsen, Ariens, Massey Ferguson, Lawn Boy, Stihl, Honda, Go carts by Tiger Cart, Weed Eater........I may be missing a couple. They had 3 full time mechanics, 2 full time salesman, 1.5 for the parts room, full time individual for just paint/fuel oil sales, and a full time office manager. Many of my memories as a youngster revolved around the dealership.

Here is one item I'm adding to my list for defense against E blended fuels. Remember guys - stop grousing and get busy investigating how to defend against the effects. If we need to upgrade fuel lines to poly - do it. If you need to change your habits of leaving too little E fuel in the gas tank when you store the tractor for the week - fill the tank before you store the tractor - don't grouse - do it! If you must leave the tractor exposed to the elements, find a way to prevent and water from entering in the gas tank. Is your fuel gauge lens cracked ? Then order one from Glenn and don't give water an easy entry into the fuel tank. Don't store your gas tank outside where rain water can intrude into the container. Stop whining - change your habits - look around and see where corrections need to be made. I am going to investigate coating the exposed portions of the internal parts of the carb with this http://damonq.com/red-kote.html I figure coating the inner surfaces of the fuel bowl and the "roof" of the fuel chamber above the bowl will certainly provide some protection against water oxidizing the aluminum parts of the carb and allowing oxide particles into the fuel system. We will see how easy this will be to accomplish and how durable the finish will be. I believe POR makes a similar product too. This one appears to be more easily applied. We will see.

I'll be there with footboard mats and a few other goodies. Also bringing a 414-8 with deck and tiller to sell. Sorry, no new custom machines this year. Looking forward to seeing some old friends and finally meeting TD !!! woo-hoo !!

Original motors in older collectable machines makes sense when your talking about value. An RJ is worth more when the original motor is in it over one with a yank start Briggs bolted to the frame (for example). The 520's in my opinion are just common easy to find newer machines and have not become collectors items, so most guys own them for utilitarian purposes (mowing, plowing, towing carts), not for any collector value. I think anything that makes the 520 do "its job better" is a great idea. Heck, I would venture to guess the value of this 520 would increase after the Honda transplant is complete. Just my opinion of course... Mike.............

I'm with you Bob. My 520 only has 230 hrs on it. She still runs real strong but how many hrs will I get out of it? I'm hoping for 600, praying for 8 and begging for 1000. Personally, I don't have the cash right now to rebuild an Onan if I had to, if I did, I'd spend it on something else anyways! When my Onan pukes (not if, but when) I'll repower with just about anything EXCEPT an Onan or a chinese motor.

Ya I rebuilt this one............. NOT worth it. I could have saved money just going strait to this solution. so much quieter. more power. its ok though you shouldn't have one this nice.

My vote is to put some non-ethanol gas in it with some type of staybil and run it dry when you are finished.

The only thing I see that might be a problem with the Honda engines is repairing or rebuilding them in the future. Yes, they can be rebuilt. But Honda has a policy of only supplying parts for 15 years after model obsolescence. You figure if you run 100 hours a year, after 15 years the engine will only be at 1500 hours, and they are rated for 2000 hours life. So bottom line is it will be unlikely that parts will be available come rebuild time. It’s kind of the same boat people are floating in with their original Onan engines now. The company stops making engines, parts are too tough to find and too expensive at the time when they become necessary. Look at all the people who bought Honda lawn tractors years ago when they made them. At the snap of a finger in the board room they stop making them, and the parts dried up in a hurry. It made a lot of easily repairable tractors totally worthless. I guess you take a gamble with anything today. -Mark-

I know several folks have repowered their Onan powered 520-H tractors with Honda engines, but I still feel it's relatively new - as far as seeing lots of the conversions done and the long term success of them (which I have no doubt the Honda will give many hours of reliable service). It's great to see these repowers documented here on the forum for everyone to see, reference and learn from - much thanks! I know I blather a lot about Matt's foot control conversion, but that combo with the swept forward axle, reduced effort steering and tighter turning radius make the 520-H a very nice tractor combo. I could see mowing with this combo for many years to come and would have no hesitation on my part to repower. Thanks for sharing these Honda repower experiences!!!!!!!!! Bill