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I posted a couple of shouts about this recently, just thought I'd share the whole (long) story. Not that I think anybody will be interested, but it might help calm my nerves a little... This past Saturday morning, I was sitting in the dining room eating breakfast and enjoying my first cup of coffee. I heard a noise near the back door, kind of like the noise a local cardinal has been making flying into our windows recently. Except this was different somehow. I got up and went to check it out, and heard a loud scratching/gnawing noise under the floor right next to the outside wall. It sounded like a large rodent trying to get out, and I started kicking myself because the day before I had opened up the large doors to the basement to air it out a bit. I figured something had walked in during the day and just couldn't get out. I smacked the wall hard a few times next to where I was hearing the noise, and the critter responded by chattering loudly at me. This unnerved me a lot, but gathering all my "man of the house" bravery (because nobody else in the house was going to do it), I walked vewy carefuwy down into the basement to see what was going on. I saw that whatever this creature was, it had knocked over several small items on one of my storage shelves, AND a 20" window fan that was standing on the floor nearby. So, this was not a mouse, probably not even a rat or squirrel or chipmunk, probably something much bigger. I also noticed that a large area next to where our main water line enters the house had been freshly dug out. That didn't help my nerves much. I opened up the big basement doors to the outside, hoping this thing would just see the error of his ways and walk out the way I hope he walked in, preferably after I got safely back to the main part of the house. As I looked around the basement, I caught a quick glimpse of the creature in the crawl space next to the basement. All I really saw was his tail, which was gray and furry, as he turned away from me and walked deeper into the crawl space where I couldn't see him. He seemed to be about the size of a cat or small dog, but thankfully didn't appear to be a skunk. And he didn't do anything that I saw as threatening, just walked away from me. I left the basement doors open, but heard noises down there several times during the day, in different parts of the basement and crawl space. I didn't want to leave the doors open at night, thinking there probably were enough wild animals in my house already, so I closed them before it got dark. Later in the evening, I heard more noises, so I went down to investigate. The fan had been knocked down again, along with a few small items, and it sounded like my friend was in the basement. This is where it got freaky, and truly frightening. Because as I crept down the stairs, I saw him again, same gray furry tail, walking away from me toward a corner of the basement under a large walk-in fireplace. I knew there was some danger involved in possibly cornering this thing, but I really wanted to get a closer look. So I very slowly and quietly moved through the basement toward that corner, peeked around my water softener, and saw ABSOLUTELY NOTHING! No animal, no sign of activity, not a clue where he was. At this point, my mind and heart were just racing, because not only did I not know what kind of animal this creature was, I had no idea whether he was above me, below me, or maybe behind me ready to tap me on the shoulder and watch me p__ myself. All I really knew was an intense desire to get out of there very quickly, and that if this dude wanted to spend the night in my basement, he was welcome to it. The next morning, more noises as expected. I opened up the doors again during the day and hoped for the best. My wife started an interesting conversation by mentioning that we might be able to identify our friend by the way he walked. Based on that and the quick glimpses I had, we ran through all the different wild animals we've come across in our area over the years, and ruled out skunk, groundhog, raccoon, possum. And we decided our best guess was that this thing was a gray fox. The appearance was right, and our critter moved gracefully, deliberately, smoothly, with no hint of panic. I've encountered foxes in the wild several times before, and I know they're perfectly capable of sneaking up on you with absolutely no warning, and will then walk away from you as if to say "excuse me, just passing through", fascinating animals. The only thing that doesn't fit right now is the way he chattered at me that first morning, just because I don't know if foxes make that kind of noise at all. Later in the day, we all realized we hadn't heard any noises from the basement in several hours. Maybe he was asleep, and wanted to leave at night, but I wasn't going to take any chances and leave the doors open at night, so I closed them again and we all crossed our fingers. The next morning, no noises still. I was starting to hope that maybe he had left, so I kept the basement doors closed. I came back from work in the afternoon and asked my wife and daughter if they had heard anything, and they hadn't. Knock on wood, we haven't heard anything since Sunday afternoon, and I want desperately to believe he's gone. Because if he's not, then he's dead, somewhere in our basement or crawl space, waiting to entertain us with that wonderful dead animal smell that's so pleasant to experience. My wife has a much better sense of smell than I do, and she has agreed to let me know immediately if she smells what seems like a dead animal down there. That's not particularly difficult for her to accept, because the next step would be for me to go into our basement and crawl space, looking for this thing. I've done that numerous times before here, and it's a seriously unpleasant task. There's a large area of the crawl space that's less than a foot high from floor to bottom of joists above, and the only way for me to get through there is to slide on my belly. I'm way too old for that any more, so I'm hoping he just left, for good. Thanks for tuning in to this story, I'll let you all know if anything changes.

YUP! That's the same way I once was. Used to spend every waking moment on CL or Ebay trying to find Wheel Horse tractors. I once drove 4 hours each way in a blinding ice storm to the eastern Mass coast to buy one. It was either the 753 or 702 with the HY2 hydraulics (can't remember which it was i've had so many)). Guy said there 5 people supposedly coming to get it after 5:00pm but it was first come first serve and I had the day off so I headed out. Thank god i'm past that stage with the cost of gas now. Back then it was still only like $2.69 a gallon. I can tell you it really does get better. Even SteveBo has slowed down a bit. Except his new found appreciation of antique outboards and aluminum boats has taken the tractors place. It might be even worse! The other day at his house I counted 5 aluminum boats with three of them on trailers. Got to be like 10 or more outboards. Looks like his own private marina

shall i be the one then? sounds like an interesting creature, mate of mine cought a young fox and kept it as a pet Koen

In case it was to snow right now, two of the backup Bee-Hinds are ready. Stay tuned to this station for the real crew!

I put this hitch together to make use of the rear lift installed on this tractor for the rototiller. Since the tiller is only on for a short period of time I figured I might as well make use of it to move my utility trailer around the yard and be able to hook up by just backing under it and lifting until the ball engages. Wheel horse lift hitch plans.pdf Cleat

I'll ride all day on a tractor. After 4 hrs. with a shovel my shoulder and knee are shot

Hey Gene, I'm excited that I get to relate my experience and hopefully help someone. My B 80 had basically the same problem with 1st and reverse, and I (with the help of Stevasaurus)found the trouble to be a rusty, pitted ball bearing and a ridge worn on the groove of the fork shaft, preventing the ball to move out of the shaft. I had to replace the 1/4" ball bearings and remove the ridge with sandpaper around a wood dowel. If you want, you can find my "story" along with a few pictures under B 80 transaxle (transmissions). Don't know if that is your problem or not, but hope my experience helps.

Made up new receiver and hooked up trailer to check my work. Trailer raises and lowers fine, not enough to automatically detach but good just the same. I have a heavier duty hitch on my other 520 if I need to move something heavier. Cleat

Glenn I actually joined before that. Do to a dispute I had with a member I closed my account. When I had Karl reopen it I couldn't keep my original member number and start date. But alas yes it takes a bunch of years and a whole lot of money before it slows down. The big problem I see now is with the explosion of the internet a good portion of what was out there, at bargain prices, is gone. Sure theres the occasional story you hear about where someone got a smoking nice tractor for like $200. Most of the tractors I bought were the cream of the crop in fantastic condition I paid anywhere between free and like $600 but most were in the $300 range. The nice thing was I held on to them for few years and when I did sell them I either broke even or made a couple bucks on them. If you want to hear one of the best stories about mega finds, talk to Dave at Dave's Tractor World. He hooked up with a collector out here in CT and I think the story goes it was divorce situation. He hauled over 5 tractor trailer loads of tractors and parts off of the guys property. I'm talking Seniors, D200s, D250s and probably at least 1 of every tractor made. NOS parts like crazy. Decks, plows, blowers, etc. I forget the actual count of tractors but I believe it was well over 100. Then there was RickV. This guy amassed one of the largest NOS Wheel Horse Tractor collections I have ever heard of. Some of them where still in the crate including Ds. Search the threads and check out his story. He too lost it all in a divorce. Too bad. Those are probably 2 of the best stories about collecting and it's ups and downs but i'm sure there's plenty more but probably not to that extent. PS: Hey Karl can you find my original member number and date joined in your database?

I just finished packing up...gas up in the morning and hit the road. Bringing the 702 this year....might do one of two parades this year, seeing the 50's/60's tractors are featured. Looking to get there around 1:00 or 2:00 PM. maybe earlier.

Like Dave said...pull out the shifter. You can look down the hole, with a flash light, and see if you see rust on the shaft. You can try a heavy screw driver as a pry bar, squirt some penetrating oil on the shafts and see what you think. It is possible that the detente ball and spring may be messed up...in that case...you need to split the trans. Do not force anything...be gentle. Since the tractor runs, you could drain the trans and put in 2 qts of diesel and run the horse in 1st and rev for a while with the tractor on blocks.

Alright looks like im gonna have to pack a battery some wire, gas and carb cleaner and see if I can bring that horse back to life to try it out.

I am going to add mine but you guys are probably burnt out seeing it. Rock and Son custom, articulating GT16. I really enjoy the time I putt around the house pulling the kids around in the cart. I've made more trips around the block than you could shake a stick at! We've got some shows coming up so I will see if I can get some new pictures. Maybe some Rock climbing Have a Good day!

You better get help and quick! I have 22 in the shop now, I am completely out of room. Know what I just did? Went looking on CL to see what was new. Know what I did after that? Gotta go to IN tomorrow morning. 1985 417-A WHEEL HORSE. AUTOMATIC W/17HP KHOLER ENGINE. ATTACHMENTS INCLUDE 48" MOWING DECK, 48" SNOW PLOW, 48" UNDER MOUNT GRADER BLADE, BOTH TURF AND AG TIRES, REAR WHEEL WEIGHTS, SNOW CHAINS, 3HP VACUUM UNIT, 36"W X 60"L X 36"T VACUUM CART, 36"W X 24"DIA. ROLLER, EXTRA SET OF MOWING BLADES, EXTRA BELTS AND PARTS. I PURCHASED ALL OF THESE ITEMS NEW. SELLING AS A PACKAGE AT THIS TIME. WILL CONSIDER ALL REASONABLE OFFERS. I need to shut off the internet!

I have a plow for both of these Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

the black hooded 125 is looking better. It was locked up tight when I got it, so I poured some Sea Foam in the plug hole and left it soak for several days. Today I was able turn it over and it is now free. Now I'll put the starter back on and see if she has fire.

Jim, thanks for the recording. The gekkering doesn't quite sound like what I heard the other day, but maybe. I've heard (if I remember correctly) groundhogs and raccoons making the noise I thought I heard, which sounded like they were clicking their teeth together very quickly, my impression was that they were aggressively giving me a warning to get away. There's parts of the gekkering that sound like that, I'm not going to rule it out. I've heard most of the other sounds on that recording in the fields and woods around my house, some of them are just chilling. The "What Does the Fox Say" reference went completely over my head, I thought you were talking about the old "See and Say" toy from way before my time. Koen, you get the prize for being the first to post it here, and I have to confess you weren't my first guess, but what do I know? That's an odd but fun video (my daughter knew immediately what you guys were talking about). It's weird, but in a strange way their interpretation of what foxes sound like are actually not too far off from the true noises. Although I'm pretty sure my wild critter wasn't wearing a white shirt and tie, or standing on his back legs doing a little dance for me. Fun stories so far from you guys, anybody else?

Judging by the strapping required to keep that horse on the POs trailer, You might have one WILD and CRAZY mustang on your hands .

I get to use a shovel at work. I'd love to get my hands on a cheap short frame tractor and plow and leave it there. i 'd fill the tires and chain it up. 8 hrs. on a tractor beats 4 hrs. of shoveling!

We're screwed Glenn. 23 in a little over 2 months X 58 more months =

Got up early this morning and went out to the garage. Used a wire brush and got the transmission and frame prepped for painting. Thought I would do this one with rattle cans, so I went to Home Depot and bought a dozen cans of Rustoleum Regal Red. Primer and first coat on and drying. I already have the decal set for this one. I wanted to honor our service men and woman so I went with the Patriotic design this time. I know it is not pure Wheel Horse but I own the tractor and it is my choice. Now if I could just find a set of Stars and Bars decals for the next one that would be some pair.

I joined in 09 but I've been at it for well over 30 yrs. My best advice is to stay away from the space hogs unless you absolutely NEED it. (unless its a Senior.)

And this is how it begins

Called about the horse looks like if im going to get it im just going to have to chance it.

Great mowing tractor IMO

Mikes got a good point there. I used the blade on a 84 GT1100 which is the same setup as a C. I put a nut on the lift rod underneath the trunnion which allowed me to manually apply down pressure if I needed it. The downside to that was if the blade got itself pushed up the lift arm moved with it but I never had a problem with it.

I believe that some of the transmissions in my the black hoods were Sundstrand and Eaton 11 meaning if its a Sundstrand the pump might be bad (someone will correct me if I'm wrong). It looks live a very solid tractor id go for it and no rust in the deck is a big plus

Thanks for all the good info

Pressing is best, but I have put a lot in using a washer bigger than the bearing and a deep well socket against the washer then tap with a hammer. Just be very careful to stay straight. if there is a lot of resistance you are staring crooked. Good presses (not like mine ) have a pressure gauge so you can see if you are crooked as the pressure will go way up.

Well, I've got all the seals and axle bearings and I am ready to put it back together. I have one question on installing the bearings. Can they be gently tapped in place or should they be pressed in? The needle bearings look kind of fragile. I did get the bearing and seals cheaper through a local Motion Industries, even though they had them shipped from Chicago directly to me. It was cheaper than ordering them online from them. Go figure?

Picks are coming, but in the mean time, I see only a coule games that are what I call a real challenge. This week though Wisconsin is taking it to the MAX! Rob

That's just nuts!!! Love it

Pull out the shift lever....is the shift ball still on it? If not, MAYBE only a broken shift lever...doubtful, but maybe.

Jim, I really want to listen to that recording, but I don't see it. As far as the lugnuts and their video, the night is still young, and I actually have an educated guess as to who will be the first to post it.

Umm it tells me that its not stuck between gears its probably going to need split because the PO probably did the shift on the fly and ruined the gears on the cluster shaft of the gears themselves. That's my best guess sorry its not a simple fix

I'll give it a shot. My picks Eastern Ill. WASHINGTON ST. MICHIGAN ST. Illini. 10WA. Neb. California. Purdue. LSU. Indiana St. Maryland. Michigan. Oh10. Central Florida.

In answer to this simple question ,, simple answer would be to become a Bear fan .. Thanks for all the fine pictures taken at this event ,, I have pm'd Wingrider before and it is nice to put a face with his name Casual Observer also,, Looks like everyone had a good time Rick

If these are those 1/2 ID...9/16 OD or whatever...I used a 5/8 OD and drilled the holes out to fit...works and much cheaper....

I filled it again with diesel and ran it slowly in a tight circle both ways and I could not hear any noise. The diesel looked clean this time when I drained it. I will fill w/90 and go. both for your advise.

Ian Glad to see I am not the only WH owner to dent the front of their tractors by driving into immovable objects (I thought I had my 310 in reverse but didn't and drove into my father's old Minneapolis Moline ZTU) -- Unfortunately for my 310-8, I don't have "mad metallurgy skills" like you do

Very nice , especially when they come out of the same shed. Keep your IIZ open.. and good luck

Very nice looking tractors you got there!

Here ya go:

bought bronze flanged bushings at ACE hardware. For the pedals but they had other sizes

Mike - Pull that off and you will be haild the SNOWBLOWER KING!!!!!! That would be awesome........ Would make some of those homemade 2 to1's look like child's play..... Rob Hey John, you could combine your 2 into 1 also. Have a swivel seat in the middle, blower on the front and blade on the rear! With a rotating seat in the middle. That would be equally impressive! Rob

This I gotta see... can't wait for the video.

You might want to add a second motor in there somewhere Glen! Mike........

I have a new idea for this year's snow battle. But I need to get something fabricated to make it work. When you see the picture you will get my drift. Glenn I have a new idea for this year's snow battle. But I need to get something fabricated to make it work. When you see the picture you will get my drift. Glenn

If I had known you needed to make a vari-drive pulley I could have sent you a print I made one up a couple of years ago Brian

Here's one I did from a few years ago.