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Almost loaded..May try to fit the 48"SD and a few trannys on yet. I think I have everything on that was prepurchased, 953, Raider 14, 32" deck, 36" deck, 2 hoods, snow plow, blower....If I missed anyone, let me know. Oh,I didn't forget you John, your gen set is in the back seat.

I was nearly packed and ready to go when I found out I couldn't make it.

Since owning my 520 for about a year now with zero issues, I decided to pull the engine to clean it up, adjust the valves and change the oil. So I get the engine out and set it on a bucket. No problems so far. Pull the air cleaner housing and engine tins. Piece of cake. This thing is WAY OVERDUE for a good cleaning. The top of the engine and valve covers are just full of crud. On to the exhaust bolts, the front two come out with no problems. I move the crud from around the rear two bolts, but there is only one bolt. I think to myself, that's weird. On to the intake. Loosey 4 bolts, no problem. Then I pulled the intake manifold and took a look at the intake valve area on the rear and low and behold, a crusty and charred exhaust bolt! The sight of this immediately flashed back memories from 25 years ago.... FOD! For those of you that have never worked around aircraft, FOD stands for Foriegn Object Damage. I still cannot believe that bolt did not jam the intake valve. Feeling lucky.

Oh Heckfire, me and the whole family is comin'!

I just bought this wheel horse today for $100. It looks to be in decent shape(not rusted through anywhere). I am not sure what model it is. The model tag has the numbers ripped off so I could not read it. It would be very helpful to know the model before the restoration. If you have any clues that would be great.

Moms still in the hospital, pending bypass surgury .. at 83 thats not gonna be a picnic. Still gettin a few things done when I can...got the seats back from my upholstry babe . so here's a peek ... sure, "Florida style" had to include some cherry red gator skin!!! LOL This is the seat back for the front seat.

HOLY POLOSI BATMAN...just maybe she is your new neighbor. WOW...see if she wants to come to the Big show. Quite honestly...I think she is hot!!

Well, you said... you've been wanting to mow it for two years.

You said you were heading "down" the intercoastal but your compass shows "N"!

Changing out tractors for this year show today Brian

I got a chance to do some cleaning. Turns out that the tractor is in very good shape and was just caked with dirt. The onan doesn't smoke and the tranny is strong. Some elbow grease, citrus cleaner, murphys oil soap, wax and a tooth brush equals a clean worker tractor. I am super happy buying this tractor. I didn't pay a whole lot and got a nice looking worker with a good 48" deck. I guess that I lucked out with this one! To be honest, I wasn't planning on this tractor being a keeper. I was planning on cleaning and selling but after cleaning her up and cutting some grass and a few odd jobs, she is a keeper for sure. I am really getting to like the hydro on the column and the reduction steering makes a big difference. Maybe one of Matt's foot pedals may be in order in the future.

I picked up a 94 520H. It runs well. The compression is good. 120psi front and 115psi rear cylinder. A few minor repairs and she'll be ready to roll!

Looking good at this point. Here's the extended forecast from AccuWeather.

The property next door to me has been abandon for over two years. I offered to keep it mowed but the mortgage company declined my offer so it sat empty and unmowed for two years. Last night when I got home a young lady was attempting to mow with a push mower. I introduced myself and discovered she was the new owner. After thinking about this last evening, I decided the Raider should make a contribution to this young lady's project. Four gallons of gas and four hours later, we had the place mowed. We ran with the deck @‌ max height @‌ WOT in low 1st and 2nd. Seat time !!! I hope She is surprised and pleased when she returns.

​Go buy a lottery ticket!!!

I had a FOD on time on a Case 210 with kohler K series 10hp. I could not get this thing to run right. Messed with carb, points etc long story short I pulled the head to find one of the carb air cover panhead screws inside and was holding one of the valves open. You never know...

Big show, sham on you! Every one was being soooooo good and then you went and used the "H" word.

Got some more done and was finally able to take it for a test drive today. Should be done before the big show but probably won't have time to get it painted. I'll be shopping for a new steering wheel and an 8 speed shifter for it.

Take the belt off the pulleys 1st...then release the front attachamatic...then lower the deck and use the star wheel to get slack to the lift arm and pull the carter, or hair pin from the lift arm. Jack up the front of the horse and turn the steering wheel to the right...slide the deck out. Works every time. To re-install...do reverse order. The MANUAL for installing and taking off the deck is in the reference section. Nice pictures Slammer !!

Nice find. It looks lonely all the way back there!

Picked up the 520-H today, got the deck on and into the backyard just as it started to rain hard

Tractor is now out of the garage and running

If you can lean back far enough, the drool when you fall asleep mowing will get on your shirt instead of your nice dashboard. At least that works for me!

Looks like a different tractor! congratulations!! If you keep all your horses cleaned liked that it is no wonder they called you!!

Thanks for the nice words fellas. Regarding that seat...man when I lean back on it I feel like I am in a recliner. It has a broken right front seat screw so that corner isn't attached. That gives me even more room to lean back! The seat is the same type that is on my 522. I am not sure if that is original or not. I do have a 520 seat on my 416 that I may swap. Since I am not a fan of reclining while driving I will have to figure out something.

​They will arrive at 8:00 am Thursday morning, but will be kept under lock and key until such time as I feel they are ready for distribution.

This guy is not coming with.

All cleaned up! Used Steve's plastic chain saw and no injuries have been reported!

Snagged another one for CT! I even got to use it once I got it home!

Well my local dealer came thru again! Great guys. They showed this tractor to me 2 weeks ago and asked if I was interested. It was really hard to start and pretty dirty but there wasn't any rust on it. I said "sure am interested" but I have no way to get it to my house. They said see what you can do. Two weeks go by and I stopped by early this morning to pick up some other parts. I mentioned that I had no luck in getting a trailer. They said we will just have one of the guys throw it on a trailer and he can follow you home. Pay us when you get the cash. We shot some starter fluid in the carb and by some miracle she fired right up! A 1993 520-H with a 48" deck followed me home today. Some faded paint, lots of crud and dried dirt BUT underneath is a rust free awesome hunk of tractor! Hour meter stopped at 658 hrs so I am not really sure what the hours are. New oil filter, tranny filter, fuel filter, air filter are all in store for tomorrow as is a wash. The Onan sounds awesome and doesn't burn oil. I put fresh gas in her and cut a third of my yard with her this evening and the hydro is strong, the motion control lever doesn't need any adjusting and the cut was great. Support your local dealer!

Of course!

HOPE then change?

I have Power Tools!

From the South Mountains Fairgrounds Facebook Page 615 Narrows Road Biglerville Pa. 717 677 9663 Please check to make sure I am correct and make the necessary correction.

Something to consider gentlemen ... The points are always a low resistance connection so this is not part of the explanation. During the time the engine is running , the points are closed about 95% of the time anyway, regardless of how long the tractor runs. Points only open VERY BRIEFLY - a few fractions of a second - every complete ignition cycle to fire the spark plug. Something else is at play beyond point resistance and the few fractions of a second the points remain open every ignition cycle. Something to do with magnetic field strength, saturation, conversion of energy and an electrical property of the coil called inductance. Anyone want to venture a more accurate reason why this extra 5% on time cooks a coil when being on 95% of time doesn't?

Well, you're both correct. I made that too easy I really mentioned Palm Coast again to make sure everybody knew where I picked up the 701. Of course Palm Coast is about 30 miles north of me. It was obvious that I was coming back home so I should have been going south. Yup, the compass busted me. Also, if I was going south the ocean would have been on my left. I preferred a shot with the ocean background so when I found a good spot I did a u-turn before I pulled over. Then another u-turn to continue on home. But not before I got out and enjoyed the scenery.

Wow !! That's a really good lookin tractor. Congrats !!

That cleaned up to darn near like new. Beautiful tractor.

It's a nice one indeed Papa... but, don't you need a ladder to get your leg over that seat?

1975 C-160 Auto takes belt # 7478 at 84" . The 8-speed manual takes belt # 7473 at 82". Thats per the Toro website. I have several of the GOOD USED belts in my shop. They aren't stretched or slashed, cut or chunks out of them.. For more details if you want to buy one of mine, send me a direct emails....clik here: daveoman@windstream.net

did the dealer put the serial number in the manual,they did when I bought my horse,in the front page

The red thingy could be a rear weight holder?

Well, I could always try and borrow this one from a friend our ours Here's a picture from a couple years ago when I was just finishing up the 401 and a friend was working on building the stack for me. Sure looks different with single wheels on the rear. Sure could fit some horses in this rig though! Anyways as for what we'll bring, probalby going to take our flatbed from the farm this year, has a 12ft long bed on it so should be able to bring a couple horses and still have room just in case we find anything we can't live without. Don't have any pictures of it.

Great thread Duane! Now Ya'll don't laugh! 06 Tundra 168.000 mi. Just spent a grand on new sneakers and some super whoopy Bilsteins. Trailer is a Lowes Special Sno Bear Strong Box trailer that has been modded to fit 2 Horses Nice and light. I'll be cruisin to XM Deep Tracks and Outlaw Country!

In 13 days that will be in my mirror again as we head out for the big show. I'm sure you all see the dead give-a-way as to what model it is. That or you'd read some previous posts. It's got a decent mower deck and the correct BD-4271 dozer blade. The blade was still on another tractor. I took a look at the U-bolts that hold it on the rear axle and kinda sighed thinking they are going to shear off. Using a 1/2" drive ratchet. a long extension so I could get it to where I could get the best leverage and I was ready to bear down. Well, you know what it's like to pick up what you think is a heavy box only to find that it's empty and you darn near toss it in the air? That was those nuts. Very little effort was needed.

Gonna be a whirl of North Carolina there too!!! Jay, James, Isaac, Van

Duane, that is absolutely beautiful! I saw a video testing the Ford vs. Dodge vs. Chevy and the Ford easily out pulled the other 2 carrying a 15K 5th wheel. Very nice!

Hey, Where did you get that hood with the esroH leehW on it like that...I want one.

As restoration quality and New Old-Stock (NOS) Wheel Horse Dash Panels are harder to come by, it becomes necessary to restore what you have rather than replace the part entirely. This page is dedicated specifically to the restoration of an otherwise "good condition" dash panel that has been time-weathered, and return it to its original luster. The following process can be used (with little variation) on any parts made of vinyl, plastic, PVC, cloth, leather, or rubber. This includes items such as; shift handles, height adjusters and belt tension knobs, steering wheels, wheel caps, seats, plastic handles, hood latches, etc. The VHT line of products is extensively used in the automotive/aircraft restoration worlds for returning anything made of these materials back to near original appearance. See more details concerning VHT Vinyl Dye products at this website: http://www.vhtpaint.com TOOLS REQUIRED: 1. Small bristle brush and Dawn Dish Detergent 2. 1/8" Metal punch and heating source (if making repairs) 3. 800 grit Wet/Dry Sand Paper 4. 0000 (fine) Steel Wool 5. Brake Fluid 6. Paper Towels 7. VHT Vinyl Dye, Gloss Jet Black (p/n: SP941) 8. Elmer's "Painter's" Opaque Paint Marker (fine and wide tip, WHITE) 9. Exact-O Knife, Dental Picks and Toothpicks PAINTING TECHNIQUE: The white borders, letters, and symbols on the dash panels were originally manufactured using a screen printing technique. Since reproducing this technique is far more difficult for the "home restorer", this relatively easy method is presented to mimic the original process. The technique I use is pretty straight forward and quite simple to do. The most important thing to keep in mind is that you are NOT trying to completely cover the black dye color (underneath the white paint) in a single pass. What you ARE trying to do is build-up multiple, very thin layers of paint (usually two or three), until the white completely masks the black underneath and you are left with sharp, crisp edges and an overall opaque paint coverage of these raised dash panel details. The second most important aspect is to insure your panel is well supported (i.e. will not move during the painting process) while the heel of you painting hand is firmly planted on the work surface as you apply paint. This will insure the steadiest hand, and you will therefore have better control of the paint marker tip and where it touches while you apply the paint. Of third importance, as in any paint application process, starting off with a well prepared surface ALWAYS results in a higher quality final appearance. Complete and thorough cleaning, drying, repairs, and re-cleaning are all painstaking and necessary steps, before applying any dye or paint to the surface. The instructions below go into greater detail where necessary, and if followed closely will result in a "better than new" looking part for your tractor restoration. When painting with the white paint markers, insure the tip is about as wet as when using an artists "dry-brush" technique before touching it to the part. Apply the paint so it thinly "flows" over the surface, and use a paper towel to keep the tip "almost dry" of wet, runny paint between individual characters on the plate. Apply the paint with a very light touch in single passes only. Don't cover any more than a single pass at a time, building layer thickness with each additional coat. As always, follow the package directions for all of the products used in this process. Step 1: Thoroughly Clean the Dash Panel The entire dash panel should be thoroughly cleaned of all dirt, grease, oil, and old marking paint on all sides. Brake Fluid is a good paint and marking ink softener, but care must be taken to insure the brake fluid does not "melt" the plastic. I normally test the Brake Fluid method on the back of part, or on an surface which will not be seen when the part is installed, to insure the brake fluid will not attack the plastic. Use the brake fluid sparingly to "loosen" any foreign materials (paint, ink, or hard stains) from the surfaces. Then with a combination of 0000 steel wool (try not to scratch the plastic), gentry scraping using the edge of an exact-o knife, and/or dental picks and tooth picks, you can easily remove the unwanted debris. Once all of the foreign matter is removed, the plate should be thoroughly scrubbed with a small plastic bristle brush and Dawn Dish detergent. This will remove any remaining oil and dirt from the plate, the corners, and the edges. Rinse with warm water and allow the piece to thoroughly dry before continuing. Once it is completely cleaned it should look like the image below. Step 2: Repair Surface Blemishes This is the tricky part. If any face blemishes exist you need to make a choice whether to make the repair or leaving it as-is. Obviously, starting with a high quality, unblemished panel is more desirable, you may not have a choice. Repairing any surface issue may only result in a far worse appearance than leaving it alone. Choose wisely based on your abilities. Only one surface blemish was corrected on this example, the second blemish ("wiggle" in Electric Clutch "OFF" arrow-bracket) was left alone as it was too dangerous to attempt repair without further damage. The right side of the "N" was smashed down and the right "leg" of the "N" was partially split in two. A small round punch was used to "re-form" the letters edge by heating the punch tip to just below the melt point of the plastic, and "pushing" the letter back into shape. The split essentially closed up and re-bonded to the adjacent part. Care must be taken to not overheat the punch as you do not want to melt the plastic, only make it soft so it will "move". Once repairs are completed, re-clean the part as you did in Step 1. Step 3: Restore Plastic Color and Shine Many products exist to restore vinyl and plastic to their original luster. VHT produces a vinyl dye in several colors and the product is NOT A PAINT! It truly is a dye designed for vinyl. The product comes in Gloss and Flat finishes, but I prefer the look of the gloss, as it appears more like a new part than does the flat finished dye. VHT Vinyl Dye Gloss Jet Black (p/n: SP941) in the 11 oz. aerosol was used to treat this Dash Panel. The panel should only require a single, light coat to restore it to original appearance. NOTE: Allow the dye to absorb and surface-dry at least 4 hours before proceeding to painting white. Step 4: Apply First Coat of White Paint Applying the white paint is rather easy, but does require a little technique and a steady hand. For this step I have used Elmer's "Painter's" Opaque Paint Markers. They come in several tip-sizes (fine point and wide used here) and is composed of an opaque acrylic paint. The acrylic paint bonds very well to the dyed plastic, and holds up to temperature and the elements quite well too. LARGE PANEL DETAILS: Using the wide tip, very lightly cover the large borders with a single pass, DO NOT go over them a second time as doing so will leave "brush marks" in the paint. The result should be an almost see-through appearance in the white paint. Several coats will be necessary, so if the black shows through, leave it alone. Also, "paint" any large details on the face area; such as the choke symbol, large letters, rabbit and turtle; using the wide tip paint marker. SMALL PANEL DETAILS: As before, you are applying a very thin coat, so make sure the marker tip is almost dry (as in dry brushing) and apply only a very thin coat on the first pass. Using the fine tip marker for lettering and small details; use a patting (tapping) technique to apply paint to the tops of the letters. Begin at one end of the letter and overlap your taps, moving toward the other end of the letter. Don't wipe the paint on, PAT it on! Especially at the ends of the letters. This keeps the paint from "rolling over" the edges of the raised detail, and it should almost pool on the top of the surface on subsequent passes. NOTE: Notice the black showing through the white in the image below. Keep the first coat of paint VERY, VERY light. Step 5: Apply Additional Coats of White Paint ALLOW AT LEAST 4 HOURS BETWEEN COATS The application of paint continues as described in step 4 until all of the painted areas are completely opaque and covered well. This is normally accomplished in two to three coats. If you have blotchy or spotty coverage you can use 800 grit wet-dry sand paper to lightly sand the white faces to even the paint coverage, then apply a final top coat after cleaning the part. Make sure you allow the paint to dry thoroughly before sanding, and re-clean the part before applying the next coat of paint. Make sure all surfaces are evenly covered without brush strokes. The image below shows good coverage with very little over-painting. Some letters and small details will need to be scraped and cleaned up prior to applying the last coat of white paint. Step 6: Finishing Up The final step in the process is to clean up any mistakes or over-painting. This step is normally done BEFORE the last coat of white paint is applied, so that any scrape marks or edges can be covered on the final pass. I normally use dental picks, tooth picks and/or the tip of an exact-o knife to clean any edges which were over-painted or where paint has been errantly deposited between letter lines. Any over-paint on the panels surface can be covered up by spraying some of the VHT dye into a small cup and using a fine tipped artists brush to "dry-brush" the paint drip into oblivion. When the entire piece has dried for a full 24 hours you can then buff the entire surface with a wadded-up piece of regular kitchen paper towel. The paper towel is course enough to remove any dust which may have settled on the details, polish the faces, and burnish the letter and detail edges; resulting in a truly polished and natural look to the piece. The completed piece will now be "show-ready" and look like the images below. Thanks goes out to RMaynard for the use of his B-80 dash panel in the creation of this diatribe. Bob mentioned somewhere on this board that he was looking for an NOS panel for his B-80 restoration, that he had an old usable one in-hand, but did not like its appearance for his restoration. I offered to restore his old panel for this tutorial, and perhaps he will use it on his B-80 should he not find another. Hope you enjoy the tutorial, and Bob, Thank You for allowing me to use your panel for this example.