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Finally got the boat ready about a week ago and was able to get out on the water a couple times for some long awaited fishing. Pulled this one in last night and guessing betwwen 5 & 6 lbs, my fist could fit inside it's mouth. Too bad the scale was broken. The fish were fighting strong, even the smaller ones had some spunk to them! Must've had some water get into my fuel system or something because the engine would barely start and then die out. After we were out there of coarse! We had to run back from the other side of the lake about 1/2 mile on the trolling motor in the dark. Now I need to get that straightened out which takes time away from custom Wheel Horse building.

Day 1.... I got there just in time to watch Dave take the WILDFIRE down the track with two nice pulls. He gets every ounce to the track I unloaded my few tractors next to Daves string of horses. Brian and Jo's rig is in the background and Eric Johnsons field of RED is just behind me. Checked out the auction field....what a collection to be sold tomorrow. From V belts to tractors, boats, campers...you name it. Even had US Mail delivery. Lots of old Fords, Some original and some not so original. Pullers...all sizes

Up next on restoration list is a 1986 Wheel Horse 312-A. This will be a bottom up restoration, with a bit of customization as well. Here's where I am starting. A couple of things I've decided already: 1) I like the K motors better than the Magnum's, so the K motor is staying. It'll be rebuilt before going back on the machine. 2) Paint will be a custom paint job. I will once again try my hand at HVLP instead of my normal rattle cans. God help me! 3) Along w2ith the custom paint, the decals will also be a custom set. 4) The deck will probably be changed to a 42" RD instead of the SD that is on it. I'm sure I'll think of more things to change, but at the moment that's it. @Vinylguy Terry, I'll be in touch soon to discuss. Stay tuned...

I finally got started on my media blast cabinet. I'm building it out of 1/8 plate. These panels are like our wheel horses very old and built to last. The panels I've used so far are from a 2500 amp switboard. When finished it will have all welded seams. It's 44.5 wide 33.5 deep and 30 high. I'm thinking 15 x 30 for the window. Holes are marked just not cut. It will also be on casters.

So the wife and decided to just go driving around where we haven't been before. Ended up in the northeast section of Connecticut poking thru the small towns up that way when I saw this Wheel Horse on a sign pole. Also saw this weird lookin plow machine for sale, it had a 8 or 9 HP Briggs in it. Maybe homemade?? Mike.........

A few more from today. The BIG garden tractors pulled this morning. Two HP hay rides Met some new and OLD Red Square members....here ya go Jim and Jay. Someone better check on Dave...is he still breathing.

I went to the last Pioneer Power Show meeting and learned that they are doing something new this year on Saturday night. At around 6, they are going to for an 8 mile tractor ride for whoever wants to put their tractors in. This is geared for the bigger tractors with a road gear, but they are trying to come up with things to keep people there longer. The main feature is "John Deere through the ages" which means that it is for anything John Deere so that they can show how farming technology has evolved through the years. It should be fun and the John Deere feature should draw a large crowd.

If you want 70's just get a B or C and paint it like the Partridge family bus!

Finally got some batteries and got the Cam out. They should be shining them up in about 2 weeks. One Apple tree is loaded and one is bare.

Okay, as promised, here's my 'new' horse, fresh off the pickup truck. I had a few tractors to look at, but ended up buying the first one I saw (that's good because I really didn't want to spend the whole weekend chasing all over!) It's a '78 C-101 8-speed with 36" rear-discharge. It was in really good shape, looks lightly used, and already had a lot of maintenance and new parts (and the work was done right). Plus, the price was too good to pass up. $350 and that included a nice, heavy gauge dump trailer. I'll fiddle around with it some, but it's pretty much good to go. I already have a snow/dozer blade and rototiller attachments, wheel weights and chains, and a soft-sided cab. Plus two parts tractors. I want to get a snow blower attachment so I'm sure I'll be looking for some advice on that. Only real problem is that you have to use the steering wheel to make it turn. Doesn't respond to 'gee' and 'haw.'

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QVAJT2ThP-4 Now THAT is a stump grinder! And a mulcher to go with it https://youtu.be/x7nqnndHVcw

My ultimate would be a 523dxi diesel 4wd with a locking diff.... oh wait they never made that... 523dxi with 48" mower deck, plow, and quick attach loader would be my pipe dream.

No doubt about it; I would want a 953 with 483 mower, snow blade and a mold board plow. Oh, I don't need to wish, I've already got that, new they aren't but I have them.

522xi 60 inch deck 2 stage blower snow cab glenn

OK. Confession of an idiot. I didn't reconnect to the down rod with the trunion.

Sounds like a good time if your into the bigger tractors....I hope it works out to be a regular annual thing. Hmm, That gives me until 2020 to get my jubilee ready for when the National ford club and their tractors are featured.......

So what your saying is we should put smaller pulley's on our transmission's so we can keep up

Just set it in for s & g's. Initial observations look promising. It will definitely have to be raised up a good 2.5". The long PTO shaft was necessary (about 4.5") since the overall width of the engine is narrower than my original K482. Big weight difference with the aluminum block vs cast iron. Probably 50 lbs! Might make turning this beast easier. The coupler will need spacers to bring it out far enough to mate with the hydro pump. Suggestions welcome. The hood fits with room to spare, but the engine is not raised up to its final position yet. Exhaust ports look like they'll be fairly easy to adapt. The clutch control linkage from the lever will definitely need to be modified. Might even need to extend the control arm to raise it up high enough to clear the shrouds. Anyway, I'm pretty excited and I think this is going to work. More as I progress!

Someday, for me at least, is today. You know how you see something really cool and think to yourself... "someday". I picked up the Suburban 400. To my surprise, I think I scored BIG. This turned out to be the best garage sale find EVER! The tractor came with two big boxes full of of nearly every part necessary to complete the restoration. And the original mower deck. And a snowblower. And a plow blade.... And 200+ pages of documentation in a 2 inch binder containing every record of every part purchased for the restoration, even with a mapquest page for each purchase showing exactly where the part came from. He claims that he has a rear plow for it too, but it's mixed in with his other tractor stuff--he said it's mine when he can dig it out. He has parts diagrams, and a copy of the original owner's manual. He obviously cared about this little project. I guess I can stop bitchin' about my Craigslist Nightmares and all the $#!T I dealt with recently. The Wheel Horse karma has come full circle. This more than makes up for all of that. Here are the only pictures I can post today. I had to quickly unload and squeeze everything into the garage before a huge storm hit.

I'm new to the wheel horse but I got tired of the same old junk lawnmower's from box stores. I needed a new tractor I can use in winter to plow and in summer to cut grass.so I did a lot of research and I really liked the wheel horse so I purchased a 1995 520h in beautiful shape. it will serve me well I just need a plow for it for winter, so I was on craigslist and saw a wheel horse for sale ( I got the WH bug) and I went to check it out. turns out to be 2 WH 's . one is a 1974 WHEEL HORSE C160 MODEL 1-0480 9 with a looks like 48 or 50 inch deck and the engine runs good so I removed the deck because it will fit on my 520h which has a 42 inch mulching deck . and the other is a L 156 this is a small tractor. the C160 runs good (after I rewired it), I took it for a ride in the yard but when I looked at it the left axle was coming out about 6 inch's, so I tried to push it back in but it will not go all the way in . I want to fix it up but I don't know if it is worth fixing or selling for parts.I NEED TO KNOW HOW TO FIX .HELP

Now that I'm officially an incurable Horse Head, I realized something after picking up the Suburban 400. I now own an example of every Horse era/decade except the 70s. I suddenly feel compelled to finish the mini collection. 1960, 1980, 1990, 1998 are covered. See what I mean? HOW can I call myself a Wheel Horse nut if there is such a gaping hole in the herd? I already have a C-125, so instead of another B or C, maybe I should be looking into a good 3 or 4 digit model number. Or, maybe a Horse with a name, like a Bronco... That would represent the 70s, disco-style. Hmmmmm

I'm pretty sure I would want one of those UK Wheel Horses that came from the factory with a diesel engine. I think the model number of those is 512 (someone please correct me if I am wrong about that) . Attachments would be a 48" SD deck, tiller, and a front mounted ice cream churn

I have a super heavy duty gear box with about a 40:1 ratio to build something like that stump grinder but unfortunately the stump would still be there with a Wheel Horse orbiting around it. That thing is cool and seems someone built a better mouse trap. Just wonder how long those edges stay sharp enough to cut like that.

I live in the middle of a forest on a mountainside, I would cut trees down just to watch this thing eat the stump.

I definitely would make good use of that!

Holy Moley, When can we get both for WH ?

1973 16hp Auto, 42" RD Deck, Snow Blower and a Tiller

Never had the need to remove the wheel when I had a 5xi, but attached is from the factory service manual on how to remove it. Good luck. Rick 522xi steering wheel.pdf

420 LSE Blower Plow Cab

Care to share where ya were.....buddy . Mike......

Thanks for the photos...Nice show. That also explains why the USPS is so slow!!

That would be entertaining.

What a great find. Great horse with accessories and great honest people to deal with. Both seem to be scarce these days. Seems like people these days are more concerned with making money than friends. Money can be had easily enough friendships are few and far between and should be cherished.

I feel like I hit the lottery or something. I'm already planning a weekend of horssembly (see what I did there)

I think a electro 12 sounds more disco-style Sent from my XT1080 using Tapatalk

Thanks guys for the positive comments! The future of this tractor will be noted right here. After all, the story goes on every day that we use it or give it rest! The Story: I looked through many old slides and pictures to find the ones that I have posted here. This is the first picture that I could find of me and the Iron Horse. I was about nine months old at the time of this picture. I've been into engines, cars, trucks, tractors, and pretty much anything mechanical my entire life. Mom and dad tell me that as a little child, every time I would hear that single cylinder Kohler fire up, I wanted to be on the machine riding. That tradition continues today with my youngest son who is now about 26 months old. He loves to ride on the tractor. I know that it isnt considered PC or "safe" to give a kid a ride on a tractor but... Notice the 1966 IH Scout in the background. That was purchased by dad as a means of transportation but also because it had a 6' plow for snow removal. It would be in our family until 1992. At that point, dad installed a light kit on the Iron Horse and modified yet another single stage snowthrower to clear the driveway with it. Dad wishes to this day that he had kept that old truck too. The only machine that he kept through the years though was the old wheel horse 875. Of course cutting lawn wan't the only time that I wanted to snag a ride! Here dad is busting the clods from last fall's plowing. "We" are getting the garden ready to plant. Don't I look serious about the task at hand? What is ironic to me as I look at this picture is the fact that dad here is a dozen years younger than I am today. The 875 was a tough tractor back then and it continues today. Although the wheel horse isn't in this picture (It was parked just to the left of the screen), this is where I spent my time as a little dude, with dad in the garage. I'm smiling because I'm looking at my reflection in the shiny Cardinal Red 1972 Pontiac Lemans right in front of me. Or maybe it is because I was just "helping" dad rebuilding the old International four cylinder from his Scout on the saw horses behind me. A couple of interesting notes to observe: the bolt rack behind me is the same one as you will see in the current resto photos (even though mom and dad moved about 20 years after this photo), as is the old Craftsman tool chest which a discerning eye will see the drawer just sticking in to the left of the screen, and you may also see that brown oil can in current pictures too! Dad put a premium on getting good things and taking care of them. They were built with pride and have endured my whole life, Including the Wheel Horse 875!

Here's another control plate decal by Terry. The serial # was completely gone and I didn't want a random one.. I flipped the original plate over to get rid of the pitting, made new levers from 3/4" stock from Lowes, and new levers from Glen Pettit. You've got the heat shield and belt guard. Any other that you might need won't break the bank.

Here's a picture of what Terry's decal looks like to complement Jason's post above.

A Wheel Horse chicken plucker?!?! Brilliant! KFC alone could have kept Wheel Horse in business

My dad was a logger, talked about dragging them with a skidder, but I never saw one. I just got to drive his dozer a few times. Fireman is correct A link to another picture http://www.plastikosmd.com/Default.aspx?ContentPageID=95

Thanks Brian. I have been off the forum for a while. Without his his help that tractor still wouldn't be running!

I was an owner/opeator for 8 years, so yea, lots of KW input ... hard to see in the sun, but over 60 LED "chicken lights"!!

The golf "T" time is going to be around 11:00 AM...Thursday. Joe needs to drop off his trailer first at the show grounds. I don't blame him.

There wasn't a B-120. I'm thinking the dealer just put it together for some reason or a C-120 automatic with B-100 decals. I'd like to know what the model # is.

When thinking of a 1970 I think of the GT-14; great contrast to the 400!

Thanks for all the encouragement. this will be my first total teakardown and rebuild. I want to make sure it is done well. I have made a little more progress. I got detained because I had to do a little upgrade on my electrical system. Started blowing fuses so I added a couple 240 volt circuits and replaced the old fuse box. Now back to the fun stuff. I had finally started on the blast cabinet. I will start a new thread for the build.I have totally tore down the starter/gen and ordered new studs.I need to find a new bolt. One was rounded off.

Here is my Wheel Horse push mower I bought a few years ago when I got it you could hardly see the red paint & logo. It has a 2 cycle Clinton engine it runs and mows pretty good,heavy steel deck.

Boovuc, that was well said. Living in the South Bend area for 45 years until 2000 I was one of those who bashed Toro when they closed the plant. I now understand the reasoning and you are spot on. Toro respected Wheel Horse quality. Thank you for saying it so well.

Depending on how in-depth you're going, use SPI's epoxy primer, then use body filler for the pits, then use their regular or high build primer to finish before you put a top coat on. If it was me, I'd just put a good coat of epoxy primer on and top coat, letting the pits be as long as they're blasted clean.

Same here, I voted