Leaderboard

let the ladies out to play today and do a little sun bathing Brian

Well...with a beautiful weekend behind me, and another beautiful day today. I actually think I may have this one ready for the show. I painted the belt cover, fender pan, and hood Saturday and Sunday. Both the belt cover and fender got dust in the paint, so I hand-worked them with 2000 grit paper and compound and they turned out nice. That's the good thing about using an acrylic paint. It's hard enough to sand and polish in less than 12 hours. On Sunday, I painted the hood. Put two coats on and came back to find a family of gnats doing the back stroke down the middle of the hood. So I got my tweezers and gently removed them, sprayed a third and final coat, ran the hood into the garage where I was hoping to keep it out of harms way, but no. Check on it last night and at lease four more gnats had found their way into the back of the garage, only to land on the hood. So this morning, I carefully picked them out and spent 3 hours wet sanding with 1000, 1500, and 2000 grit sandpaper, followed by an hour of compounding. Anyway, I guess all is right with the Wheel Horse gods as I am proud to present these pictures. Couple of other items of note. I rebuilt the engine back during the winter, but never had a chance to start it and see if it ran. So last Thursday, with 3 of 4 grandsons standing with fingers in ears, I cranked it over, it started immediately, and ran like it was brand new. No smoke, and only a small tweak of the main jet. As you can see, there is no seat. Dave Burley (Funengineer) sent me some custom-made two-piece seat covers, so tonight while relaxing in the recliner I will finish assembling them. But otherwise, it looks like a go for Thursdays journey.

To any Redsquare member who would like to stop by and socialize with other members is welcome to stop by our campfire and chat for awhile after the cruisin' to the oldies only thing you need is a folding chair and your favorite beverage hope to see some new faces Brian

Here is the prototype of the new unit with the steering wheel. We might even be able to afford one.

Outside of working them, that is what these tractors were made for. Here are a couple of pics. from April of my granddaughter and my just acquired 312-8. She loves the thing.

And to top it all, the same morning I was approached by one of those sort of guys you know that bat for the other team , if you know what I mean. What a morning.

That I had to finally get some pictures of the whole herd together! If you click on the pics, they will get larger. I've been using this one to mow the lawn, I'm Loving this 42" rear discharge deck! I still think the Column Shifter is Awesome! My main "worker". Taking this one to the Big Show, so if any of you wanna see the all-trails in person, keep an eye out, because I know there is a lot of talk about them! Hope you guys enjoyed the pics! Can't wait for the show! I'll see a bunch of you there!

yes it will be at the show and I won't be pushing it around ether Thanks the green one is a bolens 1957 super ride-a-matic yea I have 40 all together Brian

Heck you could have had my Senior for $4000. Now that's Wheel Horse history!!!

The Series II has an oil filter port cover on the engine block that is behind the PTO on a Wheel Horse application. The bottom of the cover is under the top of the drive belt in the photo below. The cover can be removed and an oil filter adapter or remote unit can be installed. There is also a port for adding an oil pressure gauge. Wheel Horse did not use the oil filter. You can jazz up the engine compartment of a Series I by adding the chrome air cleaner from a 417.

Grandpa (shynon) taking the girls for a ride. Sent from my XT907 using Tapatalk

It is good that you escaped from New York...with out getting pregnant.

Thats what I was thinking too Mike!!! I'm not kidding either, I'll do it

Holy Cow Neil...talk about being in the wrong place at the wrong time!! Hopefully you just witness some road rage after this. "Get on the right side of the road you pelican". From Crocodile Dundee.

See ya soon Neil, keep an eye on Steve especially if following. YIKES!!!

HMMMMMM 6000 could get me into a nice used 4x4 tractor with a front end loader.

to get them ALL out, he would have to take the entire month of June off!

As much as I love my Xi and Classics there's no way I'd part with $7k+++ for a new one. I can get a 4x4 kubota Bx for a bit more. It'd be money better spent. Lets just be thankful that Toro has been good with parts. For how much longer who knows. Until then I'm riding a horse!

IMHO - there is a market for a true garden tractor (by true, I mean a tractor that has the guts to pull a moldboard plow if needed) that comes in for less $$$’s than a SCUT. Needs to have foot control hydro and a 60 inch deck option. I think the 5xi would fit the bill for this, but need a diff lock too. MTD has their 2000/2100 series tractors, but no sleeve hitch for them. Simplicity is similar with their Prestige, though, supposedly one is available, but rare. The Deere x700 and Simplicity Legacy tractors are almost as expensive as a SCUT. I find fit amazing I can outfit my 520H with a 60 inch deck, pull a moldboard plow and put a front end loader on it. Same for the 5xi tractors. I hope Toro does something positive with a garden tractor. Dumping the Wheelhorse for an MTD box store tractor with red paint and a Toro logo was an all time stupid decision.

Yip . . . wet sand, motor oil, salad dressing, baby oil, rub hard, clear coat . . . .

Hi Ray (I guess) First off looks to me as though there's a little more work to do first in that I try and get rid of rather more of the brown stuff before treatment, particularly on the outside. I've found one of these to be amazing. It's an Oakey abrasive wheel from B&Q or other suppliers and it really gets the surface back to steel almost as good as dry shot blasting. The only down side is that these shred easily if you encounter a sharp edge. Even then treatment is essential - I favour products containing phosphoric acid rather than fancier ones that magically change colour but something that converts any remaining rust, which is an oxide and holds water in its crystalline structure that you cannot remove by drying into to phosphate. The underside of the deck will always to an extent be a lost cause whatever you use to treat and then paint. Unless you are just regularly trimming a neatly manicured flat lawn, only ever cutting when the grass is dry, then the speed at which the blades spin will fling grit and small stones at the paint inevitably shot blasting through both paint and the treatment underneath. I've tried all sorts of treatments and paints but basically over winter the deck has to come off for cleaning and dealing with any damage to the finish used. Cutting long wet grass, which I've had to do quite a lot earlier this season means getting all the soggy stuff off that builds up underneath after every mow - a foul PITA job that's just about manageable without taking the deck off but it does help to reduce deterioration under the deck after all the work you've put into it. Just a few thoughts - Andy

I know Bob...I am not going to count on them making an announcement. If we know when to expect taking the picture, and all read this...it should work and be before the parade starts. As usual, we will take the picture of who is there. If they will announce it, I think that is the best time for all that goes on there...and should be the best time for the members showing up. I plan to take a lot of people pictures, so if they can not make the big picture, we can still get a picture of who is there. So, to all, if you can not make the big picture...stop by and get your mug shot anyway. A lot of us hang there all weekend...stop by and introduce yourself.

I may be wearing a pair of Union Jack shorts to the show, I hope people don't think that I have brought the British weather with me, We got caught in a huge thunder storm yesterday and got soaking wet, , I actually thought you RS guys had arranged the storm to me us feel at home . 3.30 AM as I wrote this post, still can't get used to the time change, would be 9.30 AM in UK. Spoke on the phone to Mike Martino last night & had a good chat Had a Skype call with steveasaurus just before we went out to evening dinner, ended up talking for ages so didn't get dinner lol . Anyone that gets a chance to visit New York should got to the 911 museum, all I can say is , WOW . Another WOW, 2 New York bagels , 2 latte coffees 1 choc chip muffin $35.00

Found these in a barn. Got them for free!! I wish I had taken before pictures, I was thinking of taking a few parts off and scrapping them myself. They were so covered in dirt, dust and grease they were almost solid grey. The tractor is missing a few parts and the fuel pump doesn't work but it fired right up on starting fluid. Since it started, I figured I'd take it down to work and pressure wash it and see what I really had. When I brought it home my wife said she doubted if I would've gotten them for free if the guy had cleaned them himself. Enjoy the pics Sent from my SPH-L720 using Tapatalk Found a before shot, sitting in the barn. Sent from my SPH-L720 using Tapatalk

Well, I did it again! Only this time I can justify a portion of it. While looking for another David Bradley, I found this nice 196? Gravely Model L 6.6 hp with a 26" snow cannon, 30" bushhog, gear reduction hubs, and dual wheel adapters 1/2 hour away. The tag/plate is gone so I can only guesstimate the year. I bought it mainly for the bushhog as I really don't need another snowthrower. I already have backup for the backup! It will mow an embankment that I used to use my trim mower or weed trimmer. After my foot surgery, it has been hard to do so this should make easy work of that. These walk beehinds can take up to a 60 degree bank with the Gravely T-Head engine. The blade is 3/8" steel on the bushhog. I am the third owner and the 1st owner painted it grey for some reason. In the next few weeks I hope to return it to the proper colors. I also need to find an electric start for it as my arm is tired already.

I love mowing for some reason, wife thinks I am crazy, and she may be right. I came up with this striping kit last week. I've used it twice now and I really like it. My only issue is that sometimes on rough terrain the bar will make contact with the rear wheel on one side (see past discussion topic) as something is a bit off with my mowing deck. I did put a strap onto that side of the deck and hooked it to a fixed object and pulled in an attempt to re-align it- that's another topic. Pretty self explanatory, but I used some flat stock, 3/8" threaded rod, and a 3/4" piece of rigid conduit.

Hello All, Im going about this at a different angle.... Sparky pointed out this seat pan this afternoon on my 16 Automatic, he suggested I pull it before it gets wrecked as he thought it was a one year only special deal. Pics are in other post (sorry), so is it worth something or do I have .02 worth of fiberglass scrap.... Tony

yes I bought a new pit

Well the good news is he is coming down... about 5 years ago he told me the price was $6500 and not a penny less. I asked if $6000 would buy it and he said no. I guess the value is decreasing ... lol

Next to the cruise, it was my highlite from last year!

heres a thread i did on making one for my c160, should be very similar, if not the same as yours......

Thanks for the help guys. And 546cowboy and boovuc? I am going to peen the seat. Just because I want to try it. Unless this tractor literally goes to hell in a handbasket? It will never be sold. If it doesn't work? Then a Re-Power will be in order. I use stuff until it can't be used anymore and then ladies and gentlemen. It becomes a parts donor.

The .2 hours is because every tractor i'm sure was test run at the factory.

You mean a John Deere collector ? Mike.........

I love stuff like this. Great idea and glad you shared it. I too love mowing. Started as a 13 year old mowing commercial property with my step dads brand spanking new 1978 JD 400. Summers in my teens I logged hundreds of hours on that machine. Step dad passed recently and I still have the 400. He left behind a nice JD 855 and a JD 930, brother and I are sharing cutting around Mom's with those two JD's for now. But I love that old 400, needs a starter and I will get to it someday. When my four kids were growing up I didn't have as much time to cut and it became more of a chore. Out of necessity three summers ago I bought my C-125 from a neighbor. I had no idea what I was buying, knew nothing about the WH line. If its possible I have to say that my love for mowing has been rejuvenated by this little tank of a tractor. I cut roughly 3 acres around my place and look forward to cutting every week.

I think this is as close as they're going to get to building another GT. pretty bad ass I must say! http://www.toro.com/en-us/professional-contractor/trenchers-vibratoryplows/vibratory-plow/Pages/Model.aspx?pid=ProSneak365VibratoryPlow-25403

I'm going to make a "special" trip back to Sohars and speak with the service manager. It may not produce any fruit, but maybe I will get the info, on what "prototype" he was talking about. Stay tuned. Rob

Monday forecast update: Weather bug is the same. Accuweather has an increased T-storm threat for Thurs. night but a decreased rain threat for Fri. and Sat.

Great pics! When looking at the shape of that cart I do believe it was designed just for that purpose. Thats my story and I'm sticking to it.

Well--- IF and thats a big IF Toro came back with the classic line I would be very tempted to buy one..... I think Ed Cole had mentioned that the fuel system on the Classic line was going to have to be changed over to a closed system and that Toro didn't want to bother,,,, And face it folks..... everybody wants a zero turn to cut there grass and has a walk behind snow thrower to blow snow (yah me too....) . Nobody has a garden or a need for dragging anything---so where is the market? I don't know how JD, Simplicity and any others sell enough "big" garden tractors to make it worth while.... look around---have you SEEN any new Simplicities or JD's or even a "BIG" Cub Cadet or "BIG" Craftsman running around the neighborhood? Tony

Hey you are missing a nice one. Will you be bringing it? :)

Yeah...that's hot... I dig the look.

C'mon... that can't even be half of them.

It doesn't look like much different from the pics above but the painting is a pain in the _ _ _! Just when I think i'm done there is something else that needs to be done. It's really getting old but I've come this far so onward I go. Really in the home stretch. Of course I also ran out of the red paint. I think i've used a dozen cans so far. Got to work tomorrow so I won't get back to it till Tuesday.

I might be wrong but I believe that this is the brace that goes to the front Attach-A-Matic on the 5xi. Later blades had it welded at the factory but earlier manufactured blades needed to have it bolted on. Without it there is quite a bit of wiggle. The drawing that comes up on the parts viewer does not show it.

The 854 uses the standard flanged bearing 1-3/8" OD x 3/4" ID, Toro number 110513

pity the dealer didn't store it with the same enthusiasm that they have for its rarity and price. how much effort would it have taken to cover it properly to keep the dust off it while sitting there all this time? reminds me of the ones you find outside in the weather that the owner won't let go for a fair price. won't look after them, won't let somebody else save them, just let them sit until they have lost most of their value, but still want top dollar like they just rolled off the production line.....

I find that if you are prepared for the worst...the worst never happens. The world according to Stevasaurus. Remember, we are trying to make Neil feel at home.

I would'nt push it around ether Brian

I work on a LOT of small engines and tell everyone about using Seafoam in the gas. The hardheads who don't listen are repeat customers. The ones who do take the advise don't have problems. 'Nuff said. Modern oils don't need any help. "That's all I've got to say about that"