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Just a quick post to let everyone know that my website will be down for a short time. We are in the process of moving to a new and more versatile browsing experience. Thank you for your patience during this transition. All products will be available but it will take a few days to get the about us and informational pages loaded. Please call me or email if you have any questions or problems checking out on the new site. Vinylguy

First, find out what your legal rights are in the state where you live before doing anything. However, in any case, you must document everything from here on out in writing. I am in Maryland, and when I was in business, and someone paid for, but didn't pick up a piece of equipment, I would send a "registered, return receipt requested" letter stating that he has 30 days to remove his property, after which it will be disposed of as I see fit, and all moneys paid will be forfeited. Likewise, if someone didn't pay for a repair and left a piece of equipment, I would notify them the same way, and dispose of the property to cover repairs and storage. But as I said, before doing anything, check your legal rights.

Thats a great question Craig. I have a young punk by me thats had a 701 for sale for 2 years now. No attachments, it was spray bombed very very shoddily, has no battery and he wants $700 for it. It has sat outside the whole time chained to a telephone pole along Rt 93. I stopped and talked to him about it 2 years ago in June about it and he was telling me how special it is. Its only made 1 year, yadda yadda yadda. The whole schpiel ( and it wouldnt start to top it off). Well now he has it on Craigslist. So about 2 weeks ago I called thinking the price had it have dropped by now. Gives me the same story as 2 years ago, tells me $700 again so I let him know I heard the same story from him in 2011. He cant understand why 20 or 30 people looked at it or called about it but nobody bought it....hmmmm wonder why???? I ask if he ever put a battery in it and got it running......wait for it............"No I didn't. I'm not puttin any money into this if guys like you are gonna get a special tractor for cheap and screw me." I said Dude do you think that maybe nobody buys it because A. It doesnt start or run, and B. You're out of your ever loving mind to think that you'll sell that machine for $700 with a spray bomb paint job and it doesnt run. I mean if you're gonna paint something take the time to mask it and do a decent job at least.

Well guys- The F-35 is taking shape as the replacement for the older less sophisticated fighters being used now. Specifically the variant for the Marines & Navy with vertical take off and landing capabilities. Rolls-Royce makes the lift mechanisum that it uses. My boy 'JR". Has three patents for its design. I am bursting with pride about what this boy has accomplished-and I feel that it makes our service men & women better equipped to handle the "mess" our world has become. Alan Jr went from almost qitting Pop Warner Football-to being an All Conference center for the PENN HIGH SCHOOL "Gold Rush" offense. He then went on to TRI-State College and graduated in Mechanical Engineering. He landed a job with ALLISON-GAS TURBINE in Indy, which was purchased by Rolls- Royce for Defense contracts. He is now Chief of System Design for all Rolls-Royce products in the USA. For give me for blowing this horn-but those of you with kids will understand- The lift mechanisum performed flawlessly over 18 days of testing-a perfect score! Here are some pics-Thanks -Al http://www.flickr.com/photos/lockheedmartin/sets/72157635146786820/with/9602143642/

Not wanting to spend the dollars for the one piece R&R, my local shop can get if for $65...um....... I can do better than that I think... here is my solution... and easier on the wallet to boot. (1) KEST Bridge Rectifier part number KBPC 5010 (50a, 1000v) A little overkill but hey it will not even think about heating up.... $4.95 at wholesale Electronics overstock parts store. (http://www.skycraftsurplus.com/siliconebridgerectifier-35amp600v-1.aspx) the link says 35a 600v but I got the 50a 1000v... (1) Voltage Regulator( Advance Auto parts # R296P) $17.99 plus tax...http://shop.advanceautoparts.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_voltage-regulator-bwd_5430526-p?searchTerm=voltage+regulator# (4) female spade connector (2) Female bullet connector (1) 3/16 eye connector. (2) 4" pieces of #14 stranded wire. That's about it... wire it up and you are good to go. At 3/4 throttle no load it puts out around 14.43v. That is an aluminum heat sink I had lying around.. you really don't need it as the capacity of the Rectifier is so overhead than what it is ever going to handle I just put it on for G.P....And besides it looks cool too. I used this same setup when I was building custom Yamaha XS 650 hardtail choppers... (that's one in my Avatar pic...) The factory Yamaha stuff was absolute garbage... This always worked flawlessly... The only diff was the Yamaha had a 3 field alternators were as these Horses have only 2 field Alternators so You need only one Rectifier...Were the Yamaha needed 2 or 3 depending on how you wired it. Any questions or interest done hesitate to ask.

I'd like to think it does if we restore them to work and earn their keep. And yes it makes sense to restore one to love, and take to the tractor shows. But to buy one for $500, then spend $400 to make it nice, shortly thereafter turn around and sell it for $500 then two weeks later do the very same thing again , NO it does not make sense...............................especially if its done over and over and over hoping for different results. I think that would be called "insanity" by most folks, but for us regarding Wheel Horses I'm leaning more towards thats kinda normal................... Maybe thats why we all congregate here?

I was lucky enough to have some friends head upstate this weekend to lend a hand. I had a number of diseased balsam trees in need of removal. We rented a chipper and left the moving to my wheel horses. A couple of my friends laughed at the 522xi loader initially, there're accustomed to industrial equipment. At the end of the day they were all fans. Ironically my Mac Kissic chipper served as a great counterweight for the rental chipper.. I had more than enough help. Two of the guys were able to put the finishing touches on the horse house. Horse house before Horse house before Horse house after

I will be there. I am not bringing anything but we will have a trailer. Hoping to find a hydro fan screen guard for my 875, a complete (or as complete as I can get) 400 or 401, a tow hitch and pin for my 857, maybe some rear rims and tires for my 401. Otherwise we will just see what's there. Not asking for a lot. lol Looking forward to meeting you Jake, I have a few questions about your 401 you did. It looks great!!

I just wish that the Bears played more games with the AFC North Division..

Probably hiding them from his wife or soon to be EX!

OK just a few more pics and you'll be caught up to current status.

So I've made a little more progress. Here's where I'm at now. I still have some more touch up paint, decals and finishing tweaks here and there, but It' almost done. I'm pretty happy with the hood stand/tank support. It does what it was intended to do and doesn't look to out of place.

I was in the yard today when I looked over and saw a good sized cat had entered the yard. I know this cat to be a male. He walked up to my cat and when he got close enough to her she slapped the hell outta him and he was off and running! I hate to do it but around 8pm I give her a little food and then I lock her in the shed for the night. I figure she has a nice house I made her with a comfy bed in it to sleep or rest in and be safe from any creatures of the night. It can't be all that bad? I was working on a tractor for a good part of the day today in my yard. she sat right next to me almost the entire time and followed me around just about anywhere I went.

Well, I was really hoping that we wouldn't have to resurrect this thread this year, but with two games played, the Browns are now 0-SUCK. Yes, that's right, the Browns SUCK. I would like to add that their town SUCKS, the coaches SUCK, the trainers SUCK, the grounds crew SUCKS, the guy that drives the team bus SUCKS, the owner SUCKS, (are ya starting to see a pattern here?) and the rest of this season is going to SUCK to boot! GO BENGALS!!!

So....I have been looking after and feeding a stray cat at work for the past few months. I happened upon her while I was sifting thru the pallet pile, she was looking pretty desperate and was wicked thin. The truck driver at work told me she has been there at least a year, he would often come upon her as he was getting his truck ready to roll early in the morning. She would usually run out from beneath his truck. Anyhow, I started feeding her and when I discovered she was living in the cardboard dumpster I had to make her a house. Believe it or not I would check on her a few times a day, she really enjoyed the attention and is very friendly! She would actually come into my open shop door and just plop down on one of my benches and chill for a few hrs. Yesterday while hanging out with her at break time out back near the pallet pile I saw a young coyote heading over to her cat house! Just before that coyote showed up for some reason she got up and took refuge in the pallet pile. Now I knew why and right then I decided she was coming home with me. So....I bring her home today, I cleared out my shed and put her cathouse in. I figured I'd give her a half can of food so she'd know that this is where she now eats and sleeps. After about an hour or so I told my son it was time to open the door to the shed and let her do a little exploring. Within a half hour or so she was nowhere to be seen for the next few hrs. My son started to worry but I told him she'd be back, she is just checkin out the hood. The wife gets home and says, where the cat? I said I don't know, off checkin things out. Man was she mad I let the cat loose so soon telling me she'd never find her way back to a new home so soon. I didn't know any better, I've never owned a cat before, I just figured they could always find there way back home. It really didn't occur to me that the cat didn't know this is now her home. So now my son is real worried and now I'm a little worried to. Its now dark and me and the boy are now off wandering around the neighborhood callin here kitty kitty for the next hour or so without finding her. We get back home and I shine the flashlight in the back yard and we see green eyes, another here kitty kitty and she comes trotting right up to us! I really wasn't too pleased with my wife for putting a scare in us and making me feel like a total idiot. So, if there are any cat people in the house, how do I go about letting this cat know this is now home? I'm also wondering how to introduce the kitty to my beagle who just so happens to actually like cats. To top it all off I suspect this gal has a few buns in the oven! For tonight I locked her in the shed but I really don't think that is right. This week I'm planning a trip to the vet for shots etc. I wasn't planning on letting her in the house until I know she isn't carrying any types of disease etc. Thanks for any advice!

So I broke my fuel pump (aftermarket) and ordered a new one. Since I did so I figured I would put a new kit in the carb. The one i received was basic that replaced the old needle under the float and a gasket. I received the new fuel pump which is now all plastic with a metal arm?? and I have not had this 8 horse ever run like this. EVER> biggest issue is its pumping fuel right out the front of the carb. Can't get it to stop. I have taken the thing off several times to see what is going on and it appears that the float and needle are functioning properly when the carb is off. The float is not leaking and is dry inside, and it starts right up every time, but then it just suffocates with fuel. Also, I can't get the bowl to seal for the LIFE OF ME!!!! I have owned this horse for quite a few years, High compression rebuild port polish and has balls the size of Texas. But not so much right now. ' Help!! (i'm having withdrawls from driving this thing)

I tried this great experiment over the past couple of years trying Cub Cadet and Simplicity garden tractors,in addition to my fleet of Wheelhorse tractors. Enjoying the new tractors of different types, however my expertise seems to lie with the Wheelhorse or at least that's where my memory is - LOL! These Cub Cadet's and Simplicity tractors are nice old iron tractors, however sometimes they throw me a curve. It seems like I know the Wheelhorse tractors like the back of my hand. No surprises with the Wheelhorse. I'm thinking that this experiment may need to start winding down. While I like the old tractors and tinkering with them, at the end of the day I'm more comfortable with the Wheelhorse tractors and confident of my ability to fix them. What compounds this notion of working solely on Wheelhorse tractors is that the Wheelhorse is very very simple to work on and they are really easy to operate. In addition it's great that the implements from one Wheelhorse model to the next fit the tractors that I have so I can grab one mower deck from one machine or one front blade from another machine etc. etc. and I know I have common parts across platforms - not so much so with the other old iron tractors I have. So I may be crossing old dog new tricks territory were you can't teach an old dog new tricks. It may be time to standardize on the Wheelhorse and get on with life. Anyone else suffer from this old dog new tricks deal as we get older and a little bit longer in the tooth - LOL! Thanks! Bill

Wow!

Steve, I don't follow college football. However, my son-in-law is a Wisconsin graduate and I am forced to hear about the Badgers all the time. So he happened to mention jokingly today that Maryland was 3-0 (but a "look at the competition" comment was thrown in for good measure), so I thought I'd use the same line and see how long it took for someone to say "but look at the competition", and it didn't take long. Once they get into the Big 10 or Big 14 or whatever they will call it, we will see some real competition. Go Turtles!

Are you referring to the 3-0 Terrapins? Is that the Big 3 Conference?

I have sandals Bob...I will need some black socks and a mini van.

I'm right there with you Bro' For those of you who are not, I have a CC1650, CC106, and JD 140h3 for sale. Also an Allis Chalmers B. Got to keep the old Simplicity 728 though. That one was Dads.

I would say yes, you know when you finish , look at your work, and smile to your self, money can't but that feeling, close to buyin' yes. Of course I'm not speaking for my work, money can't buy it as they don't make that small a denomination!!

Ok guys so I tore into it this morning and found lots of little issues but the big issue was definitely the wrong blades. I found that this deck has been welded on before. There are about 4- 6 welds (Ok maybe it was bubble gum stuck to the deck, at least they looked like bubble gum) of various degrees radiating from under the rear deck hanger bolts. I guess maybe it spider cracked at one time or another. Those bolts were loose so I tightened them. I found the right hand hanger bar worn pretty well so I will be making or buying a new one over the winter. I replaced the deck belt and blades. Heres a comparison of the blades I was told were 42 RD blades VS the correct 42 RD blades from my Toro dealer. As you can plainly see the original Ebay blades were definitely wrong. I never second guessed anything because the Gator blades were the same size. Shame on me for not checking further I guess. I ripped off a couple passes and it mows 95% better. Not as good as the 60 incher I have on the 18 Auto but that tractor doesn't run worth poop right now so this'll do for this year I guess. I think this winter is going to involve tearing this deck completely apart grinding off the bubble gum welds rewelding all the appropriate areas correctly and making it perfect. I will also be finding some 3/8 cold rolled round stock and bending and welding it in place from one end of the deck to the other in the front. Similar to what they did in later side discharge models. Topped off with fresh coat of paint top and bottom and some new wheels and anti scalp rollers. I bet it will last another 40 years easy!!!

Do the Bears still play football?

Thanks Jim for resurecting this thread!!!!!!! Browns are tied for 2nd place in their division.......Look out playoffs here we come!!!!

I read, you could swap an 8 speed rear into one of your 520's.

Cheese Head you are showing early symptoms of classic WHA (Wheel Horse Addiction). Why of course you do need a third Stallion. Who doesn't?

I kind of liked last weeks game! Born and raised in IL. My bedtime prayers include blessings for Pappa Bear Halas. I'll never be anything but a Bears fan! That being said.... it was kind of a crappy win, but a W is a W! The Bengals should have gift wrapped that one! How'd they fair this week? Give away, or were they just beaten?

My 418-A has a Kohler twin Magnum. And it has the nice shiney air filter cover!

I thought about a push button but wanted to keep it stock. Oh and Sorekiwi.......... Thanks for that encouraging fortune telling on my 520. (But you know your right and I know it too).

This is probably an opportune time to relate the story of our purchase.. About two years ago we (my son and I) were driving to Home Depot and saw the little horse on a front lawn for sale. He asked if we could go and look at it.. to which I replied "let's go to the store first and then we can check it out on the way back".. well on the way back it was gone.!@ I got out and knocked on the door to ask the owner if he had just put it away. He told me it sold. He saw the disappointment in our faces. He then asked where we lived, when we told him he said that a neighbor of ours "Gary" bought it. Well we knew Gary as I sold him my old RJ and a Copar Panzer previously. Oh well, that's the way it goes. Fast forward to about a month ago and Gary asked us if we'd be interested in the Wheelhorse. My son beamed at the thought of buying it. We asked Gary how much he wanted and guess what? He wanted $100 for it, which was $150 less than he paid but it didn't run now. Gary had neglected it and let the fuel go bad. My son asked if he could buy it so I told him that he has the money if he wants it buy it and we'll restore it. So he made the deal and Gary even delivered it for us. We later went back and made a deal to buy back our old RJ and now my son has it in a big parts pile ready for restoration! I've created a monster..

yeah... uhhh... I forgot your address! send that to me by pm and I'll be right over!

The gasket at the top of the bowl should be above the fuel level, it really doesn't have to seal that well. Either the needle and seat aren't shutting off the fuel supply, or the float level is set too high, or the vent for the bowl is blocked.

Our cat doesn't know I'm alive... except when I'm eating my dinner, then we're best buds.

My old cat was basically a dog in a cat's body. would hang out with me anywhere around the house. At dinnertime, would sit up in the empty chair like he was dining with us. Defiantly an awesome personality.

Yes, a lot of folks out there think their junk is gold but if you're patient enough, good buys show up now and then. As far as restoring them, I view that as something of a labor of love for personal satisfaction and enjoyment, not to try to resell for profit because I doubt if you add up the time, effort and cost of restoring you would be very likely to be making much if any money. If I'm buying one that I think I'll resell someday i just do the necessay things to get it running right and looking decent.

Waiting patiently for it's heart transplant.. New Throttle and Choke cables came in the mail the other day. So officially everything is done on the body of the tractor except putting the motor in (once it's done) and wiring it up.

I got this finished up today, overall I'm pretty happy with how it turned out considering I painted this one myself.

Beginner's luck I guess.... -BK

Hey, I'm not even in this little folderol. Why you pickin' on little ole me?

Actually, the cat we have now is the first one we've housed that wasn't declawed... if you provide them multiple scratch posts around the house...they're pretty good about not marking up any furniture. Window perches are a must have also...because they really like height, and live to see out the windows. Around the house, cats are typically great little perimeter guards. Rest assured, day or night, Chloe knows before we do...what's going on outside.

So they're not quite what I had envisioned. They hold the tank and the hood fits as it should so that's something. I'm going to get some more stock and make another set. We'll just consider this a proof of concept exercise.

Here is my son starting to bolt it all back together. He opted for Stainless Steel nuts and bolts where ever they will work out. We decided to line the battery box with rubberized undercoating to extend it's life as you can see in the pictures.

Guess I'll weigh in here. How are we determining "toughness"...pulling power?, brute strength?, long term survivability? Over the years I've done a lot of swapping, selling...general Horse trading & have had all the above models in my stable at one time or another. Here's my thoughts on some of them. D's...the hydro D's are built like tanks. I mean literally they are big, square, & take a lot of room to maneuver. There known for sloppy steering, weak hydro's (more related to wear & tear than design), complicated DCL linkages. early D's had problems with the bull gears spitting out the bolts & breaking the transaxle cases open. For a hydro they have plenty of yanking ability, but a hydro will never be as efficient as a gear drive. They are a tough Horse...but not the toughest. D250...nice machines (I like mine a lot!), probably Wheel Horse's only true entry to the "CUT" market. Like any Horse they have there share of issues, parts availability, weak steering & transaxle problems. Built with a Renault engine, Italian steering gearbox, German transaxle, cuts grass with a John Deere deck, assembled by Gutbrod in Germany, imported to the states with Wheel Horse stickers...is it really a Horse or a stepchild at best? Plenty of power & a lot of neat features, but again I don't think it's the toughest Horse. GT14's...I've had a few & they are "tough", but no more so than any other big block hydro Horse. 520's...I'm not a 520 fan. I had one great one with a 48" deck that would mow grass or plow snow like crazy. Then I've had three others that were less than great, weak frames (I suspect from heavy use carrying a 60" deck causing them to crack at the mid point), blOnan issues, wiring problems, finicky carbs & thirsty, thirsty, thirsty! I think the 20HP Onan & 60" deck were to much for the Wheel Horse chassis... They are a sweet sounding machine & have a lot going for them...I don't think very "tuff" though. 953/1054's....round hoods on steroids. Pretty tough, early models had some issues with the spider gears going "bang". Not all that "tough" either. IMOP...a C series with a big block Kohler, 8 speed, 8 pinion trans is the toughest tractor ever built by Wheel Horse. They are simple to work on, plenty of pulling power, survive & keep going. I know of a C120 a barn collapsed on & sat under that mess for years, when it was dug out eventually it took very little to get it running again. (that's tough!) They may not out pull a D, GT14, 520...or even a 953/1054, but when is the last time you seen one of those in front of a sled? Opinions are free & vary, those are just my thoughts on what Wheel Horse's "toughest" model could be. To much caffeine tonight.

Thanks guys, looks like I'm good to go.

i think i figured it out mike, as mentioned, it's the economy. carlisle didn't allow for ........."inflation". :thumbs: