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You need one of these with a manual trans!

http://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/15/08/01/f9d14272e7dc1f9023e865ae224062c7.jpghttp://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/15/08/01/c1d5d93c53a388d1cfa0806b2ebd217b.jpg] Front tires are shot and missing the guard on the left side

I just scored this nice find today. Looks like it will go directly onto the belly of the 520-H. It's in great shape, and all the parts are there. A little paint and it will be good as new. I've been looking for a 50" mid grader blade but haven't had any luck in my geographical area until now. I can't stop collecting (and using) cool attachments for my herd. I think I officially have a problem... haha

Years ago I asked a friend at work how big his lawn was. He thought for a moment then said "Oh its about a three beer yard." Nuff` said!

Finally a topic I know something about. While I do not ride around with a beverage, unless it is a trip around the block, I always have something before I start and it sits in the garage waiting for me when I return. Understand, it only takes about 10 minutes to mow my yard, and I do not want to run over any flamingos...while mowing the obstacle course. But having that cocktail waiting for me at the end, is like having a cigarette after sex.

http://www.neatorama.com/2013/06/21/Horse-Rescued-from-Tire/ Didn't see that coming, did you?

John, its always sad when one of the pet members of the family have to leave us for whatever reason. We all consider them to be a big part of the family and it looks like you had the same opinion with your buddy. We have a 17 year old Lab cross that is nearing end of life and its sad seeing the decline happening in him especially the last 6 months or so. He has bad kidneys and is also loosing muscle mass in his hips and rear. He still tries to keep up with the two others, a Beagle/Harrier and a Rat Terrier, but i can see his frustration every day. He is now on a special diet ($$$$) and it seems to be slowing the decline, but its still a decline, none the less. He is still a happy dog, but as soon as that seems to change, it will be a decision based on his comfort and quality of life and not our feelings. Hang in there, you made the right decision, its always better to not have them suffer any discomfort or pain, even though we would love to keep them around forever.

So sorry to hear that. As difficult as it was, know that you made the right decision. The quality of life in any time you could have bought him wouldn't have been good.

Looks like the little one has already staked a claim on the Work Horse! You wife wouldn't want to upset the little one by getting rid of it, would she?

im working on it i'm heading out to give it a good cleaning and will post more pics when done

I will be there Saturday for sure, I'm not sure on Friday at this point yet but I'm planning on it. Here is a picture of the exhibiter plaque for this year

Not sure I'd be able to drive correctly with her sitting on me. That motor in the video was very soothing. Thanks for the clip.

So... The maiden voyage. Well, the first attempt at a maiden voyage didn't go so well! As I was backing the boat down the ramp when I had it in deep enough I went to hit the brakes that was a no go! I'm pushing the brake pedal down and I'm thinking why am I having to push the pedal down further than normal? Yeah, no brakes! (Blew a front brake line, kinda surprising because underneath my van its spotless.) The ramp is kinda steep and you'd be surprised how fast you pick up speed. Luckily I got past that WTF moment pretty quick and dropped it in drive pretty quick. Of course the ramp is slippery as all hell so there was a little spinnage but I didn't float the van. So, I pull out a cigar, light up, re-secure the boat and say to myself, now what? Screw it, I'm only ten minutes from home I'm outta here. hey, ain't that why they put e- brakes in cars? I get home and decide to hook up to my Grand Cherokee. I haven't driven it for a few months and when I put it in gear, no go! Front caliper is locked solid! I just replaced that caliper last summer. I pulled it apart and the pistons on that caliper wouldn't budge. Ist attempt at a maiden voyage TOTALLY UNSUCCESSFUL. I figured I'd tell the whole world before some other clown does... So.. Second attempt the next day was almost as crappy as the first one. The motor fired right up, which is usually a good sign. I'm pulling out and as soon as I hit the throttle its banging out of gear. More than likely a bad clutch dog in the lower unit. I turn around and head to shore. I think to myself, let me call my son and if he's home little does he know it but he's gonna earn some keep. he's home and he is going to run another motor down to the ramp for me. Thatta boy. I put the Evinrude on and after one pull of the recoil I'm holding the rope in my hand! So, off comes all the covers and I wrap the rope around the flywheel and after the 50th pull it decides to start. It usually starts in the first or second pull. It ran like crap and started hard every time I shut it off. I met Stevebo on his yacht and we hung out for awhile, thank God he had some ice water! Yesterday it rained, So I rebuilt the recoil and took the carb apart for a cleaning. I guess the old sayin is true, third time is the charm. Today I went out and the Ole Evinrude started on the first pull and purred like a kitten all day and I was able to get a pretty good feel for the boat. Its a lot more fun than it was the second day when the motor was running like a turd...Next I will try my Mercury and I think that one is gonna go pretty good.

It's our last night here and there's a full moon.......pic time! Mike....

Thanks to all for the kind words. I spent the afternoon looking through the numerous photos that I took of him over the past three years. I got him as a rescue and he was blind in his left eye. This photo popped out at me. Mal's get a pink nose in the Winter which was his favorite time of the year. I'll miss the change this year.

Moving the parking brake knob to the side was another Toro change. The old original wheelhorse way of a simple piece of square keystock up through the tunnel cover works great and there is no silly small roll pin to deal with. I have switched mine all back to this way. Cleat

I took a close look at the Diesel engine option. I would love to swap out for that (but then restore the engine slowly over time as a hobby. But I didn't want to cut into the hood and make other, permanent, modifications. There is also a very good chance I need to use the tractor during the winter. And it gets into the -20's here at times. I read that it becomes a bit tough to start in the cold. I just dropped off the short block at a local machine shop. The place is amazing, like a toyground for gear heads! Scruffy dude in an old shop with mills and other super heavy duty machining equipment. It's a a place where engine blocks, things like a random bucket filled with Pistons that have had the skirts broken off, cylinder heads, and all kinds of random engine related parts off all sizes are just everywhere. There was a massive 2 cylinder crankshaft standing on it's side. About 3 feet tall and what must have been a three to four inch thick shaft (heh). He'll get the needed parts and get it all sorted out. He said the last engine he did of this kind ran about $400 in labor and like $200 in parts. He asked if I wanted to bring my own parts or have him order original or generic. Since I did not want to reuse my $80 eBay rebuild kit parts, I asked him to take care of getting them. He recommended generic due to the price difference, and no difference in quality. Seemed like a good dude, seems like it is in good hands. I will need to drop off the cylinder head, he said it looks like it is warped by the black "tinted" metal on the block (top of the cylinder part) and a $300 deposit for the parts he is ordering. I'm excited! Will keep you posted.

The 42" decks also have had cracking around the spindle mounts that cause the pulleys to not be line up.

Steve, they are talking beer, not Rock 'N Rye! LOL

that's the reason why you've got a hydro right? A skilled man can drink and shift... LOL

Many of these models are hard to nail down totally without a ID tag. Sometimes a tag doesn't even matter, because so many parts are interchangeable that machines have just been cobbled together to get something that runs and works. Without complete records from an original owner, you can never know for certain. From your pictures....most likely originally a 65-67 Tecumseh powered machine, meaning 605 / 655 / 606 / 656 / 607 / 657. Clues... the squared off gas tank which would have originally been mounted to the enginethe 6-12 rear tires and skinny front tires (Kohler 8HP machines all came standard with 23x8.50-12 rears and wider front tires)Rear fender pan is skinny size (wider pan started in 1968)More likely to be 65-66 than 67 due to the belt guard indent, but in my opinion not definite. I seem to recall discussion way in the past about early runs of 1967 using up the supplies of already stamped belt guards before they changed the tooling to eliminate the indent. I can't locate a picture at the moment to back it up, but regardless, like anything Wheel Horse, there were subtle small changes constantly through production.Take that for what you will.... YMMV (your mileage may vary)

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!

Hi. i just got my first wheel horse, its a 1977 mod C120. this was used by a local fottball field. it hava been standing still for 7-10 years before i bougt it. the tractor seemd to be in ok condission at first, but transmission have som problems. mower deck having som problems too.. I have start too take it apart for ordering some parts. parts arrived yesterday, but i am missing one bearing (1533) here are some pics:)

Well boys & girls , I feel I should update you all on my current state . Last month , I was fired from my job of 13 years for a really dumb reason . Partially my fault but it was really a blessing in disguise . I was absolutely miserable there but made good dough & when this happened after the shock wore off ( about a day ) I realized there is waaay more to life than just money . Took a huge pay cut but with the house paid off ( just the month before ) & no car / pickup payments , this is do-able . I was working again 2 days later for a little outfit where you're actually treated like a human being rather than the contents of a bag on a Halloween porch prank . We do most of outr work for General-Mills hauling their finished product to various local customers . Today I was training on "bulk" flour where I load several trailers & the road guys haul them to where they need to be . Its been 13 years since my boss whacked me on the shoulder & said " nice work , man " .

Hi John, I am saddened to hear about the loss of your cherished friend. Same thing happened to our Golden last year (May 2014). She was the only Golden we had since a pup (a Christmas present in 2001). My wife has been pestering me for another Golden and in a moment of weakness, I agreed. We saw Annie at age 3 weeks and brought her home at 7 weeks. In 2 weeks she will be 6 months old. She definitely filled the void left from the last dog but damm, raising a puppy is really hard work at our age!

I used to go there 20 years ago or so, read my post in the pinned vintage dealer thread about them. Yepper! My dad used to go on there 25-30 years ago and buy parts for the Iron Horse--his 875. They were very helpful. I'd highly recommend them.

Wow! That horse musta been double-jointed in a few spots to get in there! Mike......

So sorry for your loss. Mike.........

They live in your heart forever John.

I could not agree more. finally told my wife she was being cruel by letting my dog suffer, and she finally agreed. We cried like babies, but it was the right decision. They do become just like one of our kids.

Sorry for your loss. My German Shorthair was put down about a year ago. My wife kept putting it off for over a year, and the poor dog was suffering.

thats prettty sad

Don't forget a vodka chaser for the weed whacking!!!

Nothing wrong with them that way Craig but they are backwards. The longer hub goes to the inside putting the stem and zerk on the outside. I was at odds with myself as to which way to put them on my 400 and finally multiple vintage pictures in the Horses Mouth book made it clear.

why shift? everything in WOT, breaking means fear

that's the reason why you've got a hydro right?

Don't know where I heard it, there were supposed to have been 2 runs of the 500 Special. Some had the insert and some not. Also some had a 6 between the flags on the hood stand decal and others did not. There were at least 6 different batches of 500 Special built as shown in the serial number list and a very good possibility there were more. http://www.wheelhorseforum.com/files/file/2384-tractor-1968-500-special-da-om-ipl-snpdf/ How this was determined is if you have all the 1968 serial numbers in a single list other models were assigned serials between these batches. Garry

This town has a population of under 1000 people and there is not one single restaurant in town...not even a gas/convenience store. But the next town over has pretty much everything you could need. We only ate out once. Cooked all the rest of our meals here....did a half dozen lobster last nite YUM! I'm useless in the cookin department, so my wife, my daughter and her boyfriend have done most of it......I do most all the dishes. Mike....

Good to hear from you Martin...if you think you do not have any time now...wait until you retire.

Get yer own beer fridge for the garage Lager

If the threads are good, just a little pipe joint compound will do. I use the yellow stuff in a tube that is safe for gas and oil. I don't want to use anything that is going to make that plug harder to get out next time I try.

I'll be there.

Rebuilding an engine can be cost effective if you don't have to pay for a lot for machining and part replacement.I just did a 12 horse Kohler for the cost of after market rings, (no cylinder wear, good crank and rod),gaskets and new bearings.Total cost was less than $100.00.Fifty hours on rebuild so far and it runs well.Bought a real low hour 16 horse Kohler for $350.00 locally.If you don't have to have a running machine right now,and shop around you can save a lot of money.In some ways I would rather buy a used tractor that runs well rather than spend $500.00 or more on a rebuild.JMHO,Luck,JAinVA

My understanding is the 58s-59s had a welded angle iron frame but I thought all the other RJs had a sheet metal frame. And I have no idea what would distinguish the slot hitch. But I'm taking pictures and notes! Thanks! Dennis Thornton Nice tractor and you take GREAT pictures! Not just one, not just this side and that side but several! 57 or older but, wait a minute and I'll check my notes: This not my info but believed to be correct: 1955-57 RJ23/35: Frame made of a steel channel either fabricated from sheet metal or structural channel. Belt driven and the gear case on the rear has Pond cast in it. The RJ25 had a Briggs model 8 and the RJ35 had a Clinton or a Kohler K90. Well, I think we pretty much knew that. So still, what year is it! Keep it up! And give your Grandpa a hug!

Well......I have no knowledge at all on most things but............they really do fire at the same time. That's how they work! No distributor. No firing order. Most twin small engines fire this way.

A cool thing in case the pure red junkies didn't know. The cub shift pattern allows for aftermarket Knobs, also matches the 3rd gear speed and feel of the shifter clunk. P.S. Cubs are red at heart...International Harvester is red.

I was in the same boat as you. Found a small engine place to do the rebuild for me for less than I could have purchased all the tools for. If you plan on doing a bunch of engines, just find a place that will rebuild it for you. I had a Kohler single rebuilt for just over $400 last year (aftermarket) parts, labor and machining all included. Kohler parts are CRAZY expensive, and at this point I dont think the quality is any better than aftermarket you find on ebay.

I got fed up with my job, finally just quit one day and started my own business. Couldn't be happier Good luck Digger