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I just got this baby home. Got it for $300 including hub caps. Runs like a top!! 1967 857. I don't think I got hurt.

i recently bought a moldboard plow and today was the first test

So I'm at the shop where I volunteer and one of the guys starts flashing pics of a tractor on his phone... "ya. The guy has this thing and it needs a stahteh - thats starter for you non new englanders he shows me the pic and I say. "That's about a 72 commando based on the stickers and steering wheel". Shows me the engine plate and the sticker covering the model and serial,for the machine. Well it's got electric start so I pop on here and download the reference chart for years and engines. Coulda been a 857, nope wrong engine code. turns out to be a 72 commando 8 as best we can tell its not running so I offered $100, there might be extras like a deck or blower or something. He's got 3 machines total so I may come home with something new Oh, and why exactly is this place awesome? Because in 3 months I've learned more about models and options to id old stuff and to find reference materials when I need them thanks All

Hi Lynn, As I promised, here's your 875 the PROBLEM the new rod x Alive and well and riding the horse trails.

This is meant to make you smile. This is a story only emoticons can tell.............................

well then while your at it: http://www.ecotrons.com/products/small_engine_rhb31_vz21_turbocharger/ That should help overcome the flathead limitations.....

I put a HF winch on my 312-8 and have the grader blade on the regular lift.

I just picked up a rear discharge deck that was on a tractor I bought for 250 bucks and it is in real good shape. As you stated, it needs painted and the deck spindles gone over. (And some real good blade sharpening too). There should be no need for you to drop that kind of money on a used deck and never, IMHO, on a new old stock deck. The Wheelhorse decks were some of the heaviest built mowing decks on the market. Way over-engineered! This is why you see so many decks still being used on 20, 30 and even 40 year old tractors. Welding shops charge very little for hole repairs on decks that were not cared for. (Rode hard and put away wet). Spindles and the spindle bearings are easy to find and so are the roller and deck wheels. Even if you spend 250 buck for a used deck that better darn well be hole-less and quiet for that price, pressure spray it, dry it off very well and coat the bottom of it with a good sealer. If you clean it out just decent between mowings and grease the spindles and wheel regularly then super clean it and store it inside over our winters like I'm sure your tractor is, it should last your lifetime. If you don't care for it, it will still last many years but repairs will be required in all the usual suspect places in time. My opinion and never given unsolicited!

Moved a ton of stone the other day with a Briggs 14 hp Work Horse. Did OK but a FEL would be the way to go. Sorry to hear 'bout your problems but, were you just having a bad dream? An excuse to tell the Ms., "I'm going to have to get another Horse."

The frame is correct for a 400. Also the clutch/brake pedal is correct for a 400/550. Same frame was used for a 400, 550, or 401 BUT, something is modified or lengthened in the front too. The hood should mount close to the front edge. Better to find another frame unless you are doing a rat rod

Very complete, you even got the cigar lighter!

I forgot to mention before thanks for the add! As for the serial number plate that is gone as well. The motor does appear to have been swapped out to a kohler k181s with a 12v ignition system. However I must admit I do like the little stack the previous owner put on.

Heck yeah... looks like it's gonna clean up nicely.

Ditto what @Ken B said.

The transmission is a Wheel Horse # 5010...a 1960 transmission. You can tell by the brake band mount on the side plate...it is at an angle rather then straight up and down.

Another thing a wheel horse can do, that very few (if any), other tractors can do, is set there in the basement (or garage), all shined up, and silently, just look damned good.

I'm happy you got that tractor Boo. I knew it really wasn't a good fit for the original poster but I knew it would make a great tractor for someone.

And you don't have to join to see pics!

Redsquare is the best WheelHorse manual you will ever find .

You did good Jack, a buddy's got a 314 and loves it. Looks like we are pretty close to each other - let me know if you need help rustlin it!

Looking forward to the pics. I would just start off with the good cleaning, Change the engine and transmission oil, air and fuel filter if needed, grease her up, check the battery cables and any other routine maintenance thing you can think of. Then use it some to find out if there's anything else it needs.

With the wide range of implements that were made for Wheel Horse tractors you can cut grass, plow and blow snow, plow and disc or till your garden, drag logs out of the woods, (been there done that) sickle bar mow along ditches, and just about anything your mind can conjure up to do with one. NO they aren't a 500cc four wheeler by any stretch but I wouldn't have the need for one of those here other than recreational use. We mow about two acres here and if we both are on the B60 and B80 it takes an hour to do it. The 8hp Kohlers have plenty of power and sip gas like Grandma does moonshine. We also have a C85 with an OH140 Tecumseh transplant that whips through a foot of snow without much trouble. I'm sure you can find lots of pics of members putting their Horses to work here on the forum.:)

Jack, the chain thingy hanging from the rear tell me the tractor has the lift cable / rocker shaft / chain. Its got all the good things going for it mechanically and ground engaging wise. Time to call the owner and go get the tractor before someone else (like me who knows what they are looking at) beats you to it!

I started early last summer gathering GT14's and implements. I started the real tear down a couple months ago but its hard to keep up pace what with job, family and HEAT etc. I have been meaning to start a thread to capture some of the activity. This is my fiest full tear down and I am sure I will hit snags along the way. In fact a couple of posts have already delved into them such as pulling the Tiller Pulley. I deem this a restomod since I plan on making some revisions for ease of use. For instance my current plan is to add an Attach-a-matic and wedge the Ariens 60 inch deck under this tractor for next years mowing season. Picked up a 3 point hitch and tiller (still need to pick this up) and I will install the 16 HP K341 and newer Hydro pump that was on the GT14 i got from Baerpath. I have marine grade wire and equipment for the rewire. As I have a working unit, a parts tractor and the tractor I am resto-modding, you may occasionally identify that the tractor in the pic is not the one which will be the final product. The net result is I will have 2 complete GT 14's when done. I have not yet decided if I will restor the second one. Leaning that way as I will paint this one and may Powder Coat the next. Here are some pics to start off,

Nice, I think it will do you well. You even got some extras that add up quickly.

Sand? Great for any garden! Improves drainage, warms up in spring permitting earlier planting. Keeps the plants feet warm on chilly nights. Gypsum is another soil conditioner ( http://www.usagypsum.com/agricultural-gypsum.aspx ) Yep, I knew why, was just confirming that is what I was looking at. Although I didn't know it made a temperature difference Think of the sandy soil in "Joisey." NY tomato is the same as the larger NJ tomato. Better drainage and warm roots in NJ = Earlier planting.

You're never without a friend.

A very Good Deal indeed !

it says,its better to beat a dead horse,,,,,, than ride a banana.... did i get it ??????? lolololololo

wow,,,what a find.....if it were mine.......and it isnt....but if it was........the only thing i would change is the dash..... terry,,,,the vinyl guy,,,,sells them......i think....10.00 bucks.....and leveve it stock.....with a good cleaniing... you did good,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,way good..... i will buy it.....anytime....first dibs ...shot gun....what ever the rule is....... he who has it,,,,,,,Rules...........congrats/////////////////////////// but im serious about selling it..... howard in ve

A 500 special is a commando 6 with different decals. so you will need the Id tag to confirm that. It's under the dash and very hard to see. A 500 special has a Tecumseh H60-75118H 6hp. a 700 has a Tecumseh H70-130043 7hp. there's many other models it could be if not the original motor. Hope this helps.

I joined just before Sprocket, and I agree, I have learned a lot in a short time

Received my book yesterday. Can't wait to get a chance to read it and watch the DVD. I did browse through it and checked out many of the photos a couple of times last evening. It's an exceptionally well made book. Very high quality construction. Even signed by Micheal. Good job, Micheal, Thank You, Todd

Parts arrived Saturday. Got 'er running.

Sometime in its past but it was dry when I pulled the plug and put diesel in to the top a few weeks ago and it still took me about 3 hrs to wedge it apart after removing the hitch pin.

Yep these unidrive transmissions were built tough. Now that you know they are incredibly tough, here are a few of the weak points (weak is a relative term, the weakest link in a wheel horse's chain is really not all that weak) Just be cautious on 'dropping the clutch' as it were and yanking things (same as ramming things with the plow). They can handle some of it, but with continued abuse you might see some breakage. Keep an eye on the four bolt holes in the chassis where the transmission mounts. The mounting plate has been known to crack there and can start to tear out. Many people ave seen this issue (usually after 30-50 years of hard abuse) and many have fixed it with reinforcing the plate.Keep your set screws tight on the hubs, otherwise you may wallow out a keyway in the axle or hub and sheer a key.Watch for leaking transmission fluid witch may indicate bearings or seals wearing out But you will continue to be impressed with what they can handle!

TO There are quite a few posts on here on this topic. Try a search of electric lifts. I'm thinking a small RC winch..HB has on sale now for 54$

For further clarification: http://grammarist.com/spelling/plough-plow/

It's been pretty wet in northeast Ohio this summer. These guys haven't had much time in the lawn. Great day to give them some fresh air.

What can a Wheel Horse do? Darn near anything you ask it to do!

" Any Crapsman can do that" But for how long? 40 years? I doubt it.

The 314-8 is a very good choice. It will handle any garden chores you throw at it. You would be hard pressed to find a better or stronger manual transmission in a garden tractor. The combination of that cast iron Kohler and that 8 speed doesn't get any better.

I literally was coming home from town and stopped in to see it. The home owner is in the process of selling his home and moving, hence the reason for selling the tractor. Anyway, he had someone coming in 30 minutes to look at the house and gave me just a few minutes to check out the tractor. I did notice a chain hanging off the back coming from under the seat pan. I will make sure I look at that closely tomorrow. Thanks for the advice. That would be a bummer to not have the "core" of the lift system... I was impressed with how smooth the transmission worked and the engine ran well.

I finally got the transmission apart. What a mess. It appears I will need to find alot of parts. I'll get it cleaned up and see what it really looks like. Can anyone tell what transmission this is.

Picked up a RJ35 over the weekend. The guy I bought it from says it's a 1955. It has a K91 engine, that runs pretty good, and has a 5003 transmission. From the little research I've done, I found that the 5003 trans was a dealer installed option. The trans is dated 024-9. The tractor is in decent shape, came with 2 good decks, deck belt cover and a homemade hitch. Needs a few things like a drive belt cover, correct seat, exhaust shield, steering wheel has a chunk of the rubber missing, one hub has an broken tab and uses a through bolt, etc. Right now, I'm having issues with the belt/trans. There is not enough slack in the belt when the pedal is pressed to stop the drive pulley from rotating, thus I cannot shift in to gear. I bought a bit longer belt, but that did not work. Any thoughts on what the issue could be? And as always, here are a few pictures.

Picked this one up this rainy 4th of July morning. Any guesses? I know, that's not much of a clue. Maybe this will help. Loaded up and heading home. One more clue.

This is close to as far as I took the unit alot of curve balls came my way welding , voltage regulator , bushings , etc washing before prep and paint .

Add one more to the "very well stated Karl" pile. Very well written and thought out

Thanks Karl for your post on this subject. I agree with Glenn, ( very well stated )