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The surprises just keep on coming for these kids! Just received this goody box in the mail here at school and will be passing out these awesome t-shirts and hats to the kids tonight. They have no idea what is in store for them and I will try and capture some expressions once they receive them. A big thank you to Ron Greco and Edward Palmer for wanting to do this for the kids. What an amazing gesture of kindness. Merry Christmas to all of you!!!!!!

Here it is. Many more to come...

And have a beer or 3

As promised. The pictures aren't the best and I didn't get pictures of everything. But I bet most of you see stuff that I don't even know what it is.

Yesterday was a monumental day for the Tractor Club. Last night I was able to attend, and present, the school board meeting. In order for the new building to be started it must go through the proper protocols and have the donation accepted by the school board as a formality. Though most just breeze through without any opposition, we were somewhat nervous that we would have to come back with more details as it would be a building that would be placed on the school property. I can understand their reasoning to keep the property looking clean and pleasing to the eye. After many different topics were discussed during the meeting it was time to address the club building. They asked me to come forward and share what was happening with our project. The overwhelming support and smiles that I received were amazing. I still feel like this whole thing is very surreal and hoping that no one will pinch me to wake me up from this dream. I did not get asked one detail about the building itself but they were all very eager to hear about what the kids are doing. Needless to say I was on cloud 9 last night as I left the administration building. So good news is............WE ARE APPROVED! Now the building can commence as I do the leg work to get things prepared....ie electric, permits, site work, etc... I am so thankful for all of those that have made this project a huge blessing to these kids. No matter what you have offered up to the group, it is an amazing gesture and one that is very much appreciated!!!!! Unfortunately there will be no club meeting tomorrow night due to the cold weather and no place to work. The good news is...........that will be changing soon! Merry Christmas and a Happy and healthy New Year to all of you from the Harrison Elementary Garden Tractor Club!

Pewter gray, actually.

i spotted that silver one. i like the silver ones as much as the red........ every bit as good as the red ones.......

Ok folks I am in need of your assistance. I am currently in the planning stages and working out the details here at the elementary school that I am teaching at to start a “tractor club” for boys and girls in the 5th and 6th grades. This will be a unique opportunity to share in my hobby with the kids that I work with each day. My goal is that the kids will be able to get their hands dirty and learn about a vintage piece of machinery while taking pride and ownership in a project that they can see through to completion. I feel that this is almost becoming a dying breed as electronics have taken over the interest of young minds. I am currently on the search for a vintage Wheel Horse machine that is not ultra collectible and one that is fairly simple to work on, gear drive tranny is a must. Since this project will be funded on my dime, I am looking for a inexpensive machine that will fit the bill. I will then be searching for parts from time to time once the tractor has been designated. At the end of the project we will auction it off and take the money from the sale to purchase the machine and supplies for the project during the next school year. We are still working out the logistics here at school and hoping to get this project started very soon. Any help you could give would be greatly appreciated. I will try my best to document our progress for all of you to follow along and enjoy. I am excited at the possibilities that we may have. Thanks again! ****UPDATE**** David Rice has been gracious enough to get a nice running C-120 in to my possession for this project. A thank you goes out to Terry Dennis as well for the new decals that this machine will have once it nears completion. I am continually impressed with the hearts and generosity that so many of the members have. I am looking forward to this project with much anticipation!!!!!

Thought I'd post what I suppose would be termed an 'e-card' Every year the local churches get together and produce a card which they deliver to every home listing all the services held over Christmas. In the past this has been a cheaply poduced affair but this year they excelled with a proper card with typical photo of Romsey town center which I thought I'd share. The roads leading from the square are all lit with strings of colored bulbs which I've always thought are best since I was a child - part of the magic of Christmas. This year Test Valley Borough Council (of which Romsey is part) said sorry but no money for lights and Romsey Town Council responded with *** you, we'll find it from somewhere and the lights are good as ever. Anyone else got photos of their town at Christmas? Merry Christmas and have a good one from Andy

Many, many of the tractors had/have 16x6.50-8's on them and there are gobs of them on ebay - and you probably couldnt tell the difference once mounted.

As always, nice work Martin! You should have it running in no time, and hopefully the engine is sound, with no smoke or knocks. Matt

Wow was I working my 312-8 snowblower! I smoked of one of my pullies on the snowblower! I smelt some rubber in the dark, but dismissed it thinking it was just working hard! My neighbor who I helped (I.E. did his whole property,but that's the wheelhorse way) found it on the ground. So I found where it went,and was lucky to see that the belt was riding on the outside of the bearing case! It chewed up a channel the thickness of a pencil a little less than a quarter of an inch deep in my brand new belt! But I think I can use it for a little bit. I worked that 312-8 hard last night! I made 80$ and did a bunch of good neighbors driveways for free. People where in their windows in 4-5 houses just watching with awe at the power and speed of a 27 year old tractor just tearing through some hard packed snow! I was very satisfied and basked in the kind of feeling Noah must have had after his neighbors laughed at his the way my brother in law and mother in law laughed at me! Then I watched with quit satisfaction as they both sat there with their jaws hanging open watching ! It was a beautiful thing,and I didn't need to say a word,I just smiled that smile of complete satisfaction. Thank you Mr.Pond.

If that manual does not work for you I found 4 more. Have a model number and serial number on it? Garry

Well the big reveal happened and they were amazed!!!! I still am in awe of everything that has taken place. I can't believe what this has turned into. We are all blessed and very thankful. Here are two pictures of the kids in their new duds! Unfortunately a couple were missing due to sickness/appointments. They couldn't believe that complete strangers to them wanted to do this for them. The first picture is what I requested and the second one shows their true personalities. They are a bunch of goof balls! As far as I know this will be the last update of 2013. That is if we don't receive any more unexpected surprises. What a ride this has been so far. Looking forward to updating in January 2014! Have a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from the Harrison Elementary Garden Tractor Club!

It's definitely both, but I can do everything in 40 minutes on a hydro tractor vs. one hour on a gear drive. Saving 20 minutes might not be a big deal to most, but I spend enough time around grass and mowers at work - and I don't drink - so I like to get it over with as quickly as possible.

Here is my sons C-145 with the older C style fenders

WOW! Pink with flames, wait til the girls see those hats... talk about inspiring them. Incredible gesture there. I betting them boys will be jealous.

That gift box is one of the coolest things I have seen in a long time!

Well....I had to use the Farmall to get it off the truck I put about 50 miles on it last night and today it was in the upper 30's so the snow is disappearing fast. Kids loved getting a ride and the wife says she wants to try it out.

I'll say it again. Very nice work.

Moved to the general WH catagory. Mike...........

From time to time an old thread pops up near the top of the pile that I somehow missed the first time round. It's pretty much all been said but the key word to my mind in the last post just has to be 'respect'. Since joining RS about two and a half years ago now I've been impressed by the positive and supportive nature of this community in that whether you're expert or novice, seeking to achieve 'factory' and beyond, creating a custom, or just plain restoring a tractor to working order so you can use it you will find kind words and help here. It's a fun hobby and RS is a fun place to be and after all,no matter what an owner decides the term 'resto' means to them, it's another horse saved.! Andy

Mowing gets ya out of the house, when the kids are going crazy, I prefer to mow in low 1! When using the 8-speed, I mow in 2-high, 3 is a little too fast.

Karl, I have a friend who might be, yes, I do have friends. I'll get back to you

No sir uncle Buck (I actually had an Uncle Buck) , my tank is plastic and I just need to restore the outside. I used the stuff you're talking about in the tank of an old falcon I once had, it worked well. Just pour it in and shake it around and it coats the inside and seals all the little holes. I believe I got it at an auto parts store.

If your chain was stretched that you could take out 2 links then it is time for a new chain.

Not a wheel Horse but VERY cool!! Jim http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tPg1ZMiC9pA

He has 1 1/8" axles, only 70's sunstrand to use 1" axles was the B-100

Yeah here is my setup Dragging a WH Attachment https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zI2rdv0u8Ds

Old saying... one mans trash is just another mans project.

Winner picks highlighted in red... Thursday, Dec. 26 Little Caesars Pizza Bowl at Detroit Bowling Green (10-3) vs. Pittsburgh (6-6), 5 p.m. (ESPN-25). Poinsettia Bowl at San Diego Northern Illinois (12-1) vs. Utah State (8-5), 8:30 p.m. (ESPN-25). Friday, Dec. 27 Military Bowl at Annapolis, Md. Marshall (9-4) vs. Maryland (7-5), 1:30 p.m. (ESPN-25). Texas Bowl at Houston Minnesota (8-4) vs. Syracuse (6-6), 5 p.m. (ESPN-25) Fight Hunger Bowl at San Francisco BYU (8-4) vs. Washington (8-4), 8:30 p.m. (ESPN-25). Saturday, Dec. 28 Pinstripe Bowl at New York Notre Dame (8-4) vs. Rutgers (6-6), 11 a.m. (ESPN-25). Belk Bowl at Charlotte, N.C. Cincinnati (9-3) vs. North Carolina (6-6), 2:20 p.m. (ESPN-25). Russell Athletic Bowl at Orlando, Fla. Miami (9-3) vs. Louisville (11-1), 5:45 p.m. (ESPN-25). Buffalo Wild Wings Bowl at Tempe, Ariz. Kansas State (7-5) vs. Michigan (7-5), 9:15 p.m. (ESPN-25). Monday, Dec. 30 Armed Forces Bowl at Fort Worth, Texas Middle Tennessee (8-4) vs. Navy (7-4), 10:45 a.m. (ESPN-25). Music City Bowl at Nashville, Tenn. Mississippi (7-5) vs. Ga. Tech (7-5), 2:15 p.m. (ESPN-25). Alamo Bowl at San Antonio Oregon (10-2) vs. Texas (8-4), 5:45 p.m. (ESPN-25). Holiday Bowl at San Diego Arizona State (10-3) vs. Texas Tech (7-5), 9:15 p.m. (ESPN-25). Tuesday, Dec. 31 AdvoCare V100 Bowl at Shreveport, La. Arizona (7-5) vs. Boston College (7-5), 11:30 a.m. (ESPN-25). Sun Bowl at El Paso, Texas Virginia Tech (8-4) vs. UCLA (9-3), 1 p.m. (KOTV-6). AUTOZONE LIBERTY, Memphis, Tenn. Rice (10-3) vs. Mississippi St. (6-6) , 4:00 PM (ESPN) Chick-fil-A Bowl at Atlanta Texas A&M (8-4) vs. Duke (10-3), 7 p.m. (ESPN-25). Wednesday, Jan. 1 Heart of Dallas Bowl at Dallas UNLV (7-5) vs. North Texas (8-4), 11 a.m. (ESPNU). Gator Bowl at Jacksonville, Fla. Nebraska (8-4) vs. Georgia (8-4), 11 a.m. (ESPN2-26). Capital One Bowl at Orlando, Fla. Wisconsin (9-3) vs. South Carolina (10-2), Noon (KTUL-8). Outback Bowl at Tampa, Fla. Iowa (8-4) vs. LSU (9-3), Noon (ESPN-25). Rose Bowl at Pasadena, Calif. Stanford (11-2) vs. Michigan State (12-1), 4 p.m. (ESPN-25) Fiesta Bowl at Glendale, Ariz. Baylor (11-1) vs. UCF (11-1), 7:30 p.m. (ESPN-25). Thursday, Jan. 2 Sugar Bowl at New Orleans Alabama (11-1) vs. Oklahoma (10-2), 7:30 p.m. (ESPN-25). Friday, Jan. 3 Orange Bowl at Miami Ohio State (12-1) vs. Clemson (10-2), 7 p.m. (ESPN-25). Cotton Bowl at Arlington, Texas Missouri (11-2) vs. Oklahoma State (10-2), 6:30 p.m. (KOKI-5/23) Saturday, Jan. 4 BBVA Compass Bowl at Birmingham, Ala. Vanderbilt (8-4) vs. Houston (8-4), Noon (ESPN-25) Sunday, Jan. 5 GoDaddy.com Bowl at Mobile, Ala. Arkansas State (7-5) vs. Ball State (10-2), 8 p.m. (ESPN-25). Monday, Jan. 6 BCS National Championship at Pasadena, Calif. Florida State (13-0) vs. Auburn (12-1), 7:30 p.m. (ESPN-25)

yeah, the garage is kinda getting a little cramped these days. last time you were over i still had the trailer in there and we had room to work on the lone 416....... at the moment trailer is outside covered in snow and the horses are nice and warm inside. i moved some around the other day to make it easier to navigate from one end to the other, but i still trip over stuff everywhere...... those darn 416s are multiplying.......

This is how I've attacked the steering problem, I've done about all that I can think of and it's better than its ever been, but it still slips some! I really like the roller chain idea and if I had seen that before I bought the snow hog tires I think I would have tried that first.

She could do a lot worse. As a matter of fact she has a couple of times. I think they call that the Mother Teresa complex, bring home the losers and lepers and try to heal them.

Check the scrap yards. You'd be surprised what people scrap. This is in perfect shape except for a dent in the back where they threw it off the truck. That can be hammered out easy enough.

Hopefully this post won't be in bad taste, but..... I have been very pleased see Terry posting again this month -- I always viewed his commnents as being very insightful

The 953 and 1054 tractors use a unique transmission. The axles in particular are longer than the "normal" Wheel Horse transmission. and the mounting bolt pattern is also different. Best bet would be to repair the trans that is in it. These models used a spider gear differential which works really well, but is relatively weak. An 8 pinion diff can be fitted with a few mods, and I think this is the way to go.

The chart tells me you prob are looking at a '63 4 speed trans (5045). Several vendors and repairmen might still have some for sale. The one I'm thinking of may have gotten rid of all but is still listed in vendor section at bottom of main page. If you have some idea from PO what malfunction stevasaurus Steve can give you some ideas on what you could look for if you feel comfortable teraing it down. He prob has parts and if not another member racinfool40, Mike the 8 speed guy also has some 4 speed parts. At any rate you could put an (WANTED) add (area below on main page) and will prob find one. I'd shoot a guess at from $100 to $175 for a known good one and maybe less (those are kinda ebay prices I remember). On 953 with transmission dead, all rest good (tires, sheet metal, engine), if it's a $75 to $125 asking price, overall cosemetic++ or rust bucket is where to figure. I'm a new member so get several advisers and if you're in WH country there're a lot avail. Great huntin to ya! You may find this instructional informative, not your unit but gives an idea of what is inside and basic workings:

I did not know that...sorry. I thought that seal looked a little different, and I did see the canister in the picture. I did not know about the seals being different in the hydros. Dang...I just hate it when I learn something new. Thanks guys.

Scotsman, Make sure you place a 5/8" flat washer between the lift rod and cotter pin,

Here are a couple of photos of my latest attachment for Tom and Scott's 2" receiver hitch. I bought the Suitcase Weight bracket from Greg Parnow (Heavy Hitch.) It is a perfect match for the 2" hitch. It can hold up to six suitcase weights (43 lbs. each.) My Lowe's only had two in stock. This is on my C-105 which serves as my backup plow and general plow year-round. I needed some weight on the rear as both of my 5xis have wheel weights installed. Santa has indicated that "she" is bringing a pair of Ags for the C-105 this year! On my shelf waiting for an install is the hitch for the 520-H that I received this week with the 2nd 5xi hitch close behind. Tom is also fabricating a receiver mount for my HF crane. I'll post pictures when I get it. These really increase the versatility of the tractors.

Just thought I'd give a quick update. I painted the grill to the OE semi-flat black finish, and installed the headlights as well as the front Case decal. I'm hoping to start on the mower deck tomorrow. HERE IS A VIDEO http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Innr_zXg-ZU&feature=youtu.be Matt

I just saw this thread. I think its awesome what your doing for these kids. I wish there was something like that when I was in elementary school. And I am very impressed with the group willing to build you a shed to teach and work with them in, more power to you. Sadly something like this would never work in my town. Too many people that are too helpless to do anything themselves, I graduated high school in 2010 and now there is no wood shop and the school is trying to close down the auto program. The auto program gets $50,000 every year from the government to buy new materials tools, machines etc... Well last year when I went to visit my old teacher, he said the school spent the $50,000 not on the auto program but instead on new projectors for every class room. Everything is so geared towards going to college and not working manual labor or learning a skill or trade... We are gonna have some more serious issues in the ext 10-20 years.

Update again for tractor club! Sorry for the delay for those of you that look forward to getting these updates! Well like most of the country.........we are flat out freezing around here. Though this might not pose a problem to some, it really puts a wrinkle in what we are trying to do here at school with our club. If you have been following along you know that we have run in to some issues with getting enough heat in to the building. As I mentioned last week, I had a few gentleman stop by and look over the building and get an action plan in place to insulate the building so that we can have a warm place to work over the winter months. After a few phone calls and trying to get it set up to have electric run out to the barn, things changed for the better. I was then approached by these men and they said let's skip the whole idea of insulating. I was kind of confused and bummed at the same time. What was coming next was something I never even dreamed of. They said "How about we just build you your own building exclusively for the the club?" I couldn't believe what I was being told and asked again what they were planning to do. They decided it would be much more beneficial to just build a 12 x 20 shed that will be fully insulated with lights and the whole 9 yards. If I could perform a cart wheel I would definitely be doing them right now. I have to get board approval through the school system which is just a formality, get my permit from the city, have the 220 electric service run to the new area, and the building will be built and then transported to the school property. I keep pinching myself as this is surreal. Now that the ball is rolling I am hopeful that we can get this building in place by the beginning of the new year. This is a great addition to the club for sure. Last night we had change things up as we couldn't even work out in the barn as the temperature was just too cold. We moved quickly in to the computer lab and started researching the history of Wheel Horse tractors. It was a good refresher for me and the kids learned some very valuable information about the progression of the company. Many questions were asked and answered and the kids seemed to really enjoy digging deeper in to the history of the Pond family. Needless to say the last couple of weeks have been amazing. I never imagined in my wildest dreams that this project would turn out the way it has thus far. Continue to check back for updates..........things seem to be getting pretty exciting! Sorry for no photos this week!

i have a nice light weight 5 x 8 tilt bed trailer with a boat winch. its light enough to tow with any of the horses & big enough to haul them on. i have hauled most of them home on this . & it carries the 516,518 or 520 18 miles to the wifes homeplace weekly for mowing.

Here are mine both are homemade and can pull whatever i hook up to them.

Well an early update! The bronchitis is about gone and my energy level is finally coming back! Well I know it isn't Wednesday but we have a tractor club update. Due to the fact that Thanksgiving is right around the corner, I moved our club night up. Many parents enjoy starting the holiday break as soon as the final bell rings on Wednesday afternoon. The day started off on a very positive note. Through the grapevine a group heard about our dilemma of having a pretty chilly place to work. Needless to say they are willing to come in on a weekend and insulate the entire barn just for our club. I am so very thankful, I can't believe the generosity of so many folks from here on RedSquare, as well as our community. The kids worked hard again tonight and with an extra heater in the barn, it was a manageable environment to work in. I took a couple of videos that show a small glimpse of what happens during club time. I am currently trying to build a YouTube account so that I can share it with the rest of you. I will be sure to post when I get everything worked out. Here are some photos of the fun tonight! Here is a photo of the kids standing around as my dad just finished using a torch to help break free the rust on a very stubborn locking collar. He was able to explain to the kids why the heat was able to loosen up the set screw so the locking collar could be removed. They all thought it was pretty cool how well it worked. My 4 year old is part of the club too! Here is what he thinks about the progress we have been making so far. Tune in next week for our next update!

That looks good, as low as that Predator sits your nuts will only be half roasted!

As the saying goes "To each his own." ask 100 people you'll get 100 answers. I have a 655 done up about as close as I can get it to original but with SS fasteners and I am not ashamed to admit that I drive it around all year get dog crap on the tires and scratches on the hood, about a week before the MI show I drag it out give it a good bath and touch up the scratches. From 10 feet it looks great get any closer and you will see the worn and bent steering wheel, wrong dash decal, never did do the rims, a little rust on the hub caps and the deck sounds like hell. But it is still my baby and a trailer queen in my eyes. I also have a few others that go from workers to wrecks to rollers with no engine or non running and a ratty old puller. But the other tractor I bring to the show is my C-125 worker that is more of a C-175, it's ugly, mean, and nasty but boy is it fun to drive around all weekend. Will I ever turn it into a trailer queen..Hell No! And if you try to judge either one I'll probably tell you where to go. Point is this hobby is too much fun to get all technical and the documentation for such probably doesn't exist. Toro can't even track any of the serial numbers cause someone tossed the records out years ago if they were even kept at all. Each dealer did their own version of prep and installed options after they left the factory, and it wasn't as if they were made in the millions like autos or even close to the numbers that the more popular of farm tractors were. They were a smaller regional manufacturer with no distributors out west and in the deep south, yeah they made em under license in Europe but they didn't have the following or backing of a JD, Cub, or Sears. For a company that started out in a garage and was eventually buried and died under corporate greed it is amazing that they are collected and restored at all to the degree that they are now.