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Picked this GEMCO BIG BOY Garden tractor up this summer just got it cleaned up & a good friend Del got it running again, drove it around the yard what a awesome feeling getting this old stuff back to life again! I will be leaving it as is in its original skin.

Big Thanks to LeeAve (Bill), we got a young family of three started as Wheel Horse people today. Scott, his wife, and their Son (Peanut) drove 2&1/2 hours east to pick up the 310-8 that had an engine transplant (upgraded from a M10 to a K301), a Brinly rear sleeve hitch mounted scrape blade, a Simplicity plow, and a factory WH Sleeve Hitch. I had to give Scott a crash course in Wheel Horse 101 as they were then headed up to Virginia to Bill's house to pick up a Johnny Bucket from him. Peanut was loving all the tractors and trucks at my house. I was kinda sad to see them leave so soon but they had a long drive ahead of them to get to Bill's, and then back home to Western NC. Now I have a little extra cash to spend on some already mounted up AG tires and wheels at the 2014 Show. Hopefully I'll score some nice ones like Mike did at this years show. This is the tractor but with a Red K301 engine in it instead of the M10 you see here. I do not have any pics of the tractor showing it finished with the Red engine installed.

I have been looking for about a year on and off (but not seriously due to funds to purchase). Well last night I came across an ad on CL for this 1949 Chevy 3100. It is from Kansas and all original and untouched. As you can see from the pictures it needs some work but I really like the year/model and color of this one. The last time this was registered was 40 years ago (the year I was born in 1973). Someone took the time to seal off the carb and gas tank with plastic. The motor is looked up but I think it should free up with a little work. Either way I think the motor will be coming out in the spring or earlier for a refresh. I have no plans of repainting this truck. At most I will clear coat it and maybe some touch up of old pinstriping. I am really looking forward to this project. It actually looks pretty good next to my new mini barn....

Thought I'd give a quick update. I pulled the head off the K301 with plans of removing the carbon, but instead found a rather heavy wear ridge in the cylinder, as well as 2 vertical scratches in the cylinder about an inch apart from one another, that were enough to hang my fingernail on. By the way, this engine didn't smoke at all, but I decided I better investigate. I pulled the pan, and removed the rod cap, which looked great, and so did the crank. I pulled the piston to find a wrist pin clip had come loose! The scratches in the cylinder aren't very deep, but the piston is trashed, as can be seen in the pics. I hadn't planned on rebuilding this engine, but I'm going to have to now. I pulled the valves, and found a pitted exhaust seat. I then pulled the flywheel nut, and realized it had a sheered flywheel key, and the flywheel was over 1/8in from where it was supposed to be, and you could tell it had been sheered for a very long time. How on earth was this thing running as well as it did? Its truly amazing. I already took care of the valve seat, as I have a really great working little valve seat cutter from Neway. With money being tight right now, I'll have to get one of those aftermarket ebay kits for $100. My machine shop charges $30 to bore, and hone a cylinder, so I'll get it dropped off soon. Here are some pics. Thanks Matt

I've never seen one before, but to me it looks like its just a little gear on the crank driving a big gear for the PTO. I'm guessing you just split that PTO housing, remove the gears, and then remove the rear of the PTO housing. Hows that for a wild shot in the dark?

Gonna need more salad dressing!

Belongs in a museum looking that nice.....

Ewww. GRODY TO DA MAX!!!!!

With my picks this week I might be using that bucket, but I will take it out and dump it. The idea of evaporated pee smell does not appeal.

Still like the "OBO" at the end of the add...... I usually wait a couple days, then I will call, and ask what their "best offer" has been so far. If I hear, " you are the first to call", which does happen, my response usually is, I'll give you a dollar, seems to be your best offer so far... LOL

Another good one. "Don't need it anymore. Moved to a smaller yard" The pic shows the tractor being sold and also in the pic are 27 other tractors, 6 pushers, a few 4 wheelers, and a couple of half dismembered Trans-Am's/Camaro's and Ford Rangers. all around a house trailer.

It might help to know how you intend to use a Wheel Horse tractor in order to recommend models to you. Strictly my opinion and I own 2 D-160s, but compared to other wheel horse tractors the D Series are clumsy mowers. They have loose steering and wide turning radius. They also take up a lot of room due to their size. They do make good plow tractors or yard tugs due to their weight. I thought about owning a D250 and then decided against it due to it being so unique and it may be hard to find parts and attachments compared to other Wheel Horse models. The C, 300/400/500 series have so many common parts and attachments that they are much easier to own and maintain. And, they are all very capable tractors.

This was forwarded to me in an email today FWIW thought I would share. For those of you who actually try to repair some older and rusted equipment, the following just might help you out. Worth the short read. Penetrating Oils Machinist’s Workshop Mag™ recently published some information on various penetrating oils that I found very interesting. Some of you might appreciate this. The magazine reports they tested penetrants for break out torque on rusted nuts. They are below, as forwarded by an ex-student and professional machinist. They arranged a subjective test of all the popular penetrates with the control being the torque required to remove the nut from a “scientifically rusted†environment. Penetrating Oils ........... Average torque load to loosen* No Oil used .................... 516 pounds WD-40 ....................... ... 238 pounds PB Blaster ..................... 214 pounds Liquid Wrench .................127 pounds Kano Kroil ...................... 106 pounds ATF & Acetone Mix............53 pounds The ATF-Acetone mix is a “home brew†mix of 50 - 50 automatic transmission fluid and acetone. Note this “home brew†released bolts better than any commercial product in this one particular test. Our local machinist group mixed up a batch and we all now use it with equally good results. Note also that “Liquid Wrench†is almost as good as “Kroil†for about 20% of the price. Steve from Godwin-Singer says that ATF & Acetone mix is best, but you can also use ATF and lacquer thinner in a 50-50 mix.

I FINISHED THE DECK TODAY ON MY 1988 312-8 TRACTOR. THE DECK IS A 2002 BOUGHT NEW IN 2009 A DEALER LEFT OVER. I DISMANTLED,CLEANED, POLISHED THE DECK WITH A BUFFER. I WILL START DISMANTLING THE TRACTOR NEXT, HOPE IT TURNS OUT LIKE THE DECK.

There are two more bolts inside that cover if it is like briggs. The end of crankshaft will have splines or teeth cut on it to mesh with bigger one in there to get the 6 to 1 reduction. The cranks I have seen could not be used for anything else. David

fly- the memories is what it is all about !! My grandfather used to have a 1946 Chevy 3100. I thought it was either a 46 or 49 (I could not remember) until I spoke with my uncle bo on the way to pick this up using his car dolly. If my old man were still around he would have been riding shot gun right next to me!

I'm with Mike and wallfish, Craig..... Take the PTO housing off and see what's in there ... I've never one of those either.

I think Kiwi is right, at least that's how they are on the Kohler gear reductions.

Way to go Van!

The 953 is a great choice. It is rated at 9.6 HP and will do the job as well as some of today's Big Box 18 HP units. Mine both came with 48" mowers and will mow all day in 2nd gear. I also have a GT-14 with a FEL and must admit the 953s might not do well with it. Geography plays a big part in the value of a and being in Maine you may be willing to pay more localy than if you had to go to Indiana or PA. Good luck and keep us posted. When you get one .

If you want to drive down to CT. I've got a nice 1054 i'll sell you!

Never seen a "Big Boy" other than the resturant. For posting it.

Nope not Necessary, it only takes one to win!!!! Besides that I don't recall anyone who said it would be a blowout. Like I said only one!!!! Go Hawkeyes!!!!

I love how crude and basic the manufacturing was on this old stuff. If you do a search for Gemco... one of our other members has had one in the past. Looks like you nabbed a nice one. Thanks for sharing!

Very cool! I always thought those were some very neat tractors!

Sorry man , but that ^ almost made me spit my coffee out !

Is there a vendor that sells those thumbscrews that hold the hoods on the round hood line? I've had my 704 over 2 yrs and the last 2 times I had it out I noticed one missing Worst part about today I moved that tractor maybe a total of 15 ft and It's gone. I know it was there when i started. You'd think I could find it? NOOOO!! I figure If I got new ones at least one of them will show up! :banghead:

I am going to use the 633 this winter for snowplowing instead of my B-80 set up I have used for five years. I want to see how this 633 and 1962 -BD-4262 Snowplow will do. I placed the 1962 -Wheel Horse BD-4262 Snowplow/Dozer Blade and two newer Wheel Horse rear wheel weights on the 1963 -633 recoil start Wheel Horse. This will be the second half of my snow fighting team this year. The 1967 Lawn Ranger is... ready with the STR-324 Snowthrower. I am looking forward to using this BD-4262 Snowplow as it has a foot pedal on the right side to open the pivot pin for the front of the plow and a handle with a knob to move the plow left/right or center. This plow (and the 1961) was the early version of the plow that would pivot with a handle on the right side.

I put nylon washers under mine to keep from damaging the paint. Secondary effect is that they don't seem to vibrate out.

Have a friend here send it,unless like me you don't have any friends here

The problem is with the gauge.

i was wondering why the side of the boiler was getting rusty!

Boy do I like the way you set that up,,,,,sweeeeet.

I like the ones that read; "Runs good, just needs the carb adjusted" (Well then why don't they adjust it?) "Runs good, just needs a battery" (Well then why don't they put a battery in it?) Or they post a pic of it parked in front of six or seven junk tractors and say "Works good" (Seriously?)

How about "Very Rare, I have never seen another one" I've seen this statement used many times on things that are readily available most of the time. That may have been a good line before this new invention of the the internet, but now you can find almost anything. Once in a while that statement will hold true but not very often.

I like when they say they don't know what's wrong with a tractor, yet have 5 or more laying around. They know darn well it's a clunker.

Here's another scammer story: Posted Yesterday, 05:53 PM "I ran an ad in the Lawn & Garden Tractor magazine. Got a call over today that first got me excited.....then I realized it was TOO good to be true. Problem is, I wanted it to be true, so you tend to try to rationalize it out. Here's how it went.....I got the model you are looking for. It was my fathers he collected them for over 40 years. He said all the right things...but where he messed up, he tried to push me to make it all happen asap. I told him I travel up into that area and could probably arrange to pick it up, he quickly said I have a friend for 40 years that hauls down your way and he just happens to be going your way this week......it kept getting better.....the truck was actually coming with in 25 miles of my house. All I had to do was pay the freight by western union, and I could write a check for the tractor and send it to him after I had received the tractor......now why would anyone send a gt hundreds of miles away and only want the freight up front?? Cause all he was hoping to get was the freight. I sure wanted it to be true, but I did not call him back since I felt it was just a waste of time....bummer..... I am only posting this so those who may have not already been in this situation can head it off at the pass....... ALL MY LIFE I HAVE LIVED BY THE CREED IF IT SOUNDS TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE, IT IS TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE. SOMETHING IS WRONG. Never let someone push you to close a deal. Ask why does it happen to have to be done this fast??? I see it in my business too, the more they push to speed it up, the more I push to slow it down." BE CAREFUL OUT THERE.

I found two of them at the Big Show. $29.99 each and they're yours! Just kidding

I like the ones that are complete junk that are listed for over $1000. An then there are the ones that say, "Ran when I parked it last year."

These also work, I have them on my 854: http://workholdingcomponents.mortonmachine.com/viewitems/thumb-screws-standard-thumb-screws/large-panel-screws?&forward=1

I will throw the one i ran into in, Said needs minor engine work "probably tune up" got there and it had a hole in the block the size of my fist. Hmm yep some good gas and a plug will fix that right up.

Saw another good one today on a Bolens. Ad said, "I don't know if it runs" Well did you try to start it?

I finally got some more pictures! whatcha think?

...and a grinder, resulted in this. What are you thinkin'...better than you expected?

Terry: I actually bought this plow -now get this-for $20 when I bought another tractor in Southern Illinois. The guy I bought it from had 50 plus lawn and garden tractors, mowers, etc and was selling off some things. He was a John Deere guy but I noticed he had a Wheel Horse 953 tractor with plow and chains as his snow moving rig in one shed. The plow was sitting outside rusting in the weeds and I just happened to go back and look at it closer. (I did not need another plow -I have four in the basement right now 1) but this was early this year and I just asked how much do you want for it. When he said $20 I had to have it. I took it all a part and sanded, wire brushed, primed and repainted with Rustoleum Regal Red and black paint on the cutting edge -which is still very good on both sides. Rydogg: I agree the pedal for moving the pivot pin in and put is a little small or short especially if you are using heavy work boots to operate it. But I like the way it operates. One other thing to note the previous owner welded on six inches of steel bar (same set up as original plow had) to extend this plow and make it useful on laonger frame wheel horse tractors. You can see in one of the pictures (second one down) above.

Early this spring, I noticed our back yard had an unusual amout of clover come up. I decided to only mow the perimeter, leaving the majority of it uncut a few weeks to let the clover come in. While looking back through this years picts...I noticed we had a lot of critters stopping by for a visit. Our first baby bunny since we've lived here(too bad a red tail hawk got him early on though), a baby woodchuck, three fawns, and the two baby skunks under the shed. Not to mention, a whole plethora of them little red horses too. Interesting how such a little yard supports such a diverse amount of wildlife...can't help but think letting the clover come in has something to do with it. Lets hope that clover comes back heavy again next summer.

Ain't nothin' gonna stop you Lane... please don't forget our annual plowing video.

I would have much more fun playing in the snow with that little Horse than sliding down hills on a sled!

Could have used a bit of padding on the seat tho.... . Mike...........