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In the fall of 1971 Wheel Horse sales requested the R&D dept. to come up with a full size garden tractor with more power than the then big shot GT-14, a rear PTO to power implements and a category 0 3 point hitch. They ended up coming up with the 1973 18 auto which would eventually be the D180 in 1974. During their development they decided to go with a "divorced" hydro system with the pump being driven directly off the motor and the hydro motor being mounted to the transmission with a set of steel lines coupled to the pump to drive the unit. They called it the "in-line power train". They also had 2 hydraulic spool valves, 1 controlled the mid implement lift and 1 for the rear 3 point. There was a actually provisions to disconnect the rear rubber lines from the steel lines and use the spool valve to power rear mounted implements. Through the years there were improvements but the tractors were basically the same. In 1976 they improved the drive system by putting grade 8 bolts in the bull gear to help stop them from shearing off and damaging the transmission when they fell into it and also by putting an external brake band to aid the transmission's hydraulic braking with mechanical braking. 1974 brought the D-160 which was Onan Powered, and the D180 and 200 which were powered by Kohler 482 and 532 engines respectively. 1975 was the last year for D-180 and in 1976 the folks in South Bend entered into and arrangement with Guttbrod from Germany. They had them build a tractor for them which they rebranded the Wheel Horse D-250, it was based on the Guttbrod 2500 and was Renault powered. The D160, 200 and 250 all continued until 1981 when they discontinued the D-160 and continued on with the D-200 and 250. In 1982 both tractors disappeard form the line up of machines and the D was replaced by the C-195 or "Super C" for 1982 and 1984. In 1983 there were no actual C-195s built but there were a few 1982 leftovers sold as 1983's

Having a grand old time!! but, Govt. furlough starts on Monday...

it's interesting that the 312-8 and 520h have been mentioned numerous times. one is a Cadillac with power everything, and the other is a 3/4 ton pickup.

This was the first tractor that dad and I tackled to clean up and put back in to good working order. It was the feature model for the 2012 WHCC show in Arendtsville, PA where it was revealed. We had a great time and learned many things through the process of doing our first machine. We were pretty pleased with the results and have had a lot of fun on it. It now has the correct seat and is getting a sickle bar mower cleaned up to install on it. Here she is........

i want to nominate my 1057. the whole story on the build on this one can be found here....... to date this has definitely been the most detailed build i have done. i also do my painting with powder paint, which presented a few challenges along the way, as much of this tractor as possible was painted this way, lots of parts had to be totally dismantled, engine, generator, fuel pump and carb for example, any of these parts just cant be bead blasted as an assembly and powder coated. they need to be totally dismantled and anything at all that wont survive 400 degrees in a cure oven needs to be removed. i also wanted to keep detail as much as possible as can be seen if you read through the build thread or look at some of the pics below. this tractor while looking nice, drives the best out of anything i have as no worn part went un-noticed and was either rebuilt or replaced...... engine that was used for the build..... and heres a few through the build........

In 1974 my father bought a brand new C160 Automatic, 36" RD deck, dump cart and Parker Sweeper to replace our junkyard Springfield. During my mowing years, I used this tractor every week. We didn't have a snow blade or blower so it was a summer tractor only. My father passed away in 1991, and my mother kept the tractor. When I bought my house in 1993, I bought my brand new 416-H because of the experience with the C-160. Well, my mother moved and no longer needed a tractor, gave the C160 to my brother and God knows what happened to it but sad to say it's gone. I had wanted to have a father / son project and thought what better tractor to get than a C-160 Automatic. Looking around all I could find was an old Electro and C-120 Automatic. A short time later Eldon (kj4kicks) found a C-160 somewhere in the midwest. It ran but wasn't much to look at. He offered to go pick it up (he was going that way anyway) bring it back and trade the Electro and C-120 for it. I agreed because it would complete the cycle from my father, to me to my children. Well, I went to pick up my C-160, expecting to get a rusty old tractor, but instead I received this: It turns out that with a collection from the members, and Eldon's awesome talent, he dismantled the tractor, painted it, and put it together. There was only a few odds and ends for me to complete. It was a complete surprise and I am still in awe of what everyone had done for me. This is one C-160 which is truly a RedSquare tractor, and it is my entry for this month's category!

Just finished up installing Matt's Hydro foot control and doing some maintainence and belt replacing. The conversion was very easy and the instructions and parts Matt provides are first rate. It took about 3-4 hrs for the actual conversion with no problems or alterations other than drilling the holes for the nuetral positioning bearing and the spring associated with it. Nice Job, Matt!!!!! Here are some pics of my 520H with the new control and the Honda muffler I decided to use. The muffler that came with the Honda kit was too close to the PTO linkage. The Honda muffler also has a heat shield. I did have to cut into the hood, but it does not look bad or adversely affect the tractor. I replaced all the belts and cleaned out years of crap around the transmission and other areas. I also cleaned up the mower deck tensioner and got that working properly again. Red

Thought I'd introduce myself & share a little about myself . I live on the western end of New York state & have recently aquired a 1972 (?) Wheel-Horse Raider 10 for $150.00 She's in pretty decent shape but needed some TLC to get running . Items addressed : 1) fuel system & air filter cleaned ( remove & flush tank , replaced fuel lines [ that's what's dripping on the deck in the pic ] & filter ). 2) fresh 30 wt. & greased all Zerks ( whew ! ) 3) thorough cleaning & new battery / ground cable. 4) new seat ( not correct , but pretty comfy ! ) Not pictured. 5) new deck belt & deck-drive belt (NAPA "green" ). She mows great ! But there are a few items that will need to be corrected in time . 1) tie-rods & ends. 2) blades ( the spindles are mis-matched but working well ). 3) rear end lube changed . Here's a few pics : This image has been resized. Click this bar to view the full image. Report this image http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c-LAaD__DVU&feature=c4-overview&list=UUOhJW1EtgGjsCAf7Kk5Dwfw Note home made stainless cowl plate The plastic one was broken & looked terrible . LOL ! So , thanks for reading & any comments are welcome .

Hi all, Yesterday afternoon I set off heading north on the 315 mile round trip to collect yet another wheel horse! I won't go on about it so here are the pictures! The only bit of rust I can find Other than that it's a real nice straight machine. The engine turns over and has some compression however there is no air fitler and this has resulted in the carb being extra rusty and all ceased up. HOWEVER, I was lucky enough to pick this up A NOS K91T, I picked it up for what I thought was a decent price so went for it. I will most likely end up putting this NOS engine on it and painting it red, only time will tell though! My plans are to get it running for now as I'm having some problems with the transmission at the moment and maybe eventually restore it we will see. Tom

Need some advice. Looking for a Walk Behind, Self Propelled Mower. Larger than a 22", and no pull start. Wife likes to mow the yard around the house. About 4500 square feet of lush Saint Augustine that gets a lot of TLC. Her only desire is to have electric start. Any suggestions?

I bought this beautiful D18 automatic this weekend this will be my second D first one was parts. This one is in great shape and came along with a parts tractor to. Im excited to have it and hope to find a loader/bucket for it....Anybody got any cool History on them?

Bought my first Horse today off a fellow forum member. An all original 854. Cant wait to get started on this little guy,.

Got home this afternoon to find these in boxes on my porch. I think I paid a fair price, considering how much I have seen them go for. I'm slowly building my second favorite machine a 1973 16 auto or 70's C-160 with a Wheel horse Lawn Sweeper or even better a Lawn Vacuum setup. Got the wheel weights...now I need the tractor... lol

Don't know much about the 520's, but I know on my Sunstrand, the aluminum fins on the pump can get clogged with grass, oil and debris and interfere with heat dissipation. Might be an option to check out anyway.

What a great day it turned out to be happy 4th ya all

This one uses a WH 8 pinion trans I forgot what sled engine he has in it, and now it's Artic Cat green

Hell-o and welcome to Red Square. You will find a lot of priceless information on this site. People are super and plenty willing to share knowledge and experiences. Best of luck with your first "Horse", if you can get the little girl off it......

Fab, how the hell did you find that!!!

Baseball, Hotdogs, Apple Pie & Wheel Horse!

Thanks for the photo... I agree, looks like the young lady HAS a 854!!

It's more then just a day...it's been all week.

Cool tractor.

Nice to get started with, looks like your little girl has already grown fond of it, you may need to buy yourself one!

here's a few of my pics from the stickering ceremony

Thanks everyone!!! Get your pedal kit from Matt. Use this link for more info. http://www.wheelhorseforum.com/forum/103-matts-custom-hydro-pedal-kit/ Red

Check out the Toro Personal Pace Mowers. I have 2. They work well. My brother has one also. They are good machines.

Very nice 18 Automatic. Speaking of loaders does anyone have any comparison information on the ARK versus the KWIK WAY? I believe the KWIK WAY has a smaller bucket. A loader, if you can find one, might run around $1,500.

Red, or leave it in the shed...pretty sure that's how it goes.

Duke, Down to 20??? Looks like I got some catchin' up to do regarding the Horses. I do however have a little of that apple juice you are talking about, and some peach juice too. Ask our friend Steve about it

The previous pic in that album shows the part cut and drilled, but not installed yet...

Looks like a nice machine you have there!

Oh, alright then! It did make a very good drinks table Can't believe I booked time off work to make sure I could make it over.... I think I was more excited than you stickering it up it felt good to be there seeing the finishing touches being applied! Great to catch up again, thanks again for your hospitality and thanks again for letting me take her for a spin. I'll get some of my pics potatobucketed and on here and my site. For now here's two phone pics Cheers

As I found when doing my 701, the original bracket is hard to find, if not impossible. My 701 has the newer type, and it works fine.

Only real cool history I can tell you is the 1973 was the pre-cursur to the D series. That's why it's called the 18 automatic. Didn't really become the D160, D180 or D200 till 1974. They did offer an ARK550 loader and Brantley Backhoe for it!

Interested in knowing what the model and serial numbers are. Can see the ID plate below and up tight to the bottom of the dash housing in the 2nd picture. A bit of literature to get you started There is a lot more I should be able to dig up on a clear day. Garry

No cool history here either but I think the model numbers have more to do with the rear wheel and tire sizes and the tire type: used turf or ag. Mark.

I dont have any "cool" history for ya but heres the model#'s for that model. Seems like there are four #'s for the same year machine. They all have the same tranny and engine specs. 1-0600 1973 D Series Garden Tractor 18 HP Automatic Kohler K482S-35209B 18 Sundstrand 90-1137 1-0601 1973 D Series Garden Tractor 18 HP Automatic Kohler K482S-35209B 18 Sundstrand 90-1137 1-0610 1973 D Series Garden Tractor 18 HP Automatic Kohler K482S-35209B 18 Sundstrand 90-1137 1-0620 1973 D Series Garden Tractor 18 HP Automatic Kohler K482S-35209B 18 Sundstrand 90-1137 MIke..............

That photo of your Horse in front of Stonehenge is just beautiful.Well done,Neil! :handgestures-thumbupright: Thank you Rich It was a real Honour to have Michael display my picture of my Commando 8 in his book , I havent stopped grinning to myself since Michael said he was going to use the picture way back last year . It does pose me a bit of a problem now though in that i can now never sell my commando 8 ( not that i wanted to anyway ) LOL

looks like it's turning out great I need to contact vinyl guy for my projects also.

The last time I saw this 701, it had been sandblasted, but was sitting in a pile waiting to be primed. I know that Austyn had hoped to get it together in time for the big show, but as we all know, these things take a lot of time and patience. So, having said that, I am glad you are taking your time to do it right. As a side note, Austyn is 14 years old, and the previous owner of my recently acquired Lawn Ranger. I am really glad to see young members like him, Jake Kuhn, and others carrying on the hobby.

Somehow, a key, fell out of a gear! When I opened the case, the key fell onto the work bench, I almost put it back together, thinking that I somehow dropped it in there the last time it was open. Right before I did, I saw the empty keyway. Im guessing the bottom gear being out of place allowed the key to fall out when I was assembling the tranny?

My son "Andrew" would like to nominate his Tractor. It's a 1967 L-157 Lawn Ranger. It's for the most part Original with a few extras added.

No story just found this driving down the road. Just a cool tractor. My 1975 B145 Elec-trak w/forklift

My 1974 Wheel Horse B-80. The work horse tractor of the house!

Here are photos of my 653. It is 100% original. All decals are present and intact even on engine. Even the carburetor looks like it has never been touched. The plow has never been mounted with the hardware still in the sealed bag. Tires still have a lot of the "knibs" on them. It has only cut grass twice in its life. Cas (additional info edited in) Bought it in 2007 on eBay. It came from Columbus,Ohio.My fiercest competitor for it was Wild Bill. It was his questions to the seller and the fact that he stated who he was that really sparked my final interest in the tractor. Needless to say it did not come cheap. I seem to be the third owner. It was originally owned by an elderly gentleman in a farming comunity and it was only used by him for transportation. Its second owner had it only for a little while and used it only twice to mow an elementary school yard. I don't believe this tractor has ever stayed outside one day in its life or ever felt a drop of rain. With the exception of a bill of sale every other piece of paper that came with it in 1963 I have, down to the engine tag warning to put oil in before using. Everything feels tight like new specially the steering. It was certainly loved by its previous owners as testified by its condition. It has never been touched by paint or a wrench. It only had one diode changed at some time in the past . I can also state that it will stay that way for at least two more generations, since it will not go anywhere during that time.

I use my suburban with the 5.5hp lauson to cut grass, plow the garden and push snow and even with my meager 300lbs on there, that engine doesn't hesitate in the slightest. If I dump the clutch, that little thing will throw me on my rear faster then a jack rabbit on a date. My neighbor laughs when he sees me on it. Says, it reminds him of a gorilla sitting on a door knob.

I like the Raiders!!!

Welllllllll Now ..... Ifn's ya' have ever heard me announce the Wheel Horse models going through the parade at the Annual Wheel Horse Show Ya would know that the most popular models were the 8hp versions from 1965 to 1977. Now there is some discrepancy on the early to mid-60's 6 and 8 horse powered models, buyers were not sold on the higher price they would pay for the 8 horse power tractor when a 6 horse power tractor could do the same work. (oh no .... here he goes with his Tecumseh talk again) Wild Bill in Richmond, Va. Attached Image

I gotta say that I've never got to drive a 520 but I love mowing with my ratty old c195, and as soon as I find the rest of the 3 point parts I'll be backblading too. :hide: