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I never thought I would get one of these! Also bought a 520H with 91 hours!

I like this saying, ( If you have something bad to say about a farmer, don't talk with your mouth full. )

I got a Wheel Horse for my grandson, age 7½, since he has outgrown his powerwheels. It is a Ranger 800 and since it was in the garage beside my C125 I thought to take a few pics for comparison. It's had to believe that the Ranger is 10 years older than the C125. 1973 Ranger and 1983 C125.

Im probly going to be picking up a 520h with loader wheel weights, agg tires and weight box tomorrow. I'm just curious what you guys think. The good: Tractor runs good no smoke, knocking, doesn't bog. Hydraulics work as they should houses not cracked no leaks, very responsive hours arn't to bad at 850, The bad: It was stored outside so its not pretty paint on hood is faded, tires have some dry rot. PTO clutch lever pops up and the clutch disengages if you hold the lever down it works fine. The loader assembly is a bit sloppy and has some play, and there is some squealing when the bucket is curled down. Overall it's 20+ years old so I don't expect it to be pretty. Price is around $1700 What do you guys think? Thanks

This has been a long time coming, but I think with snow season close...I will be loving this new driveway. I got to use the horses a little...like getting all the plants off the concrete, getting out the edging, and taking up the patio blocks. Time to rip it all up. Freddie Time for gravel. They let me try spreading with the horse when they took a break. It would have taken a lot longer. They start them out young. We had home made Tamales for lunch one day. They were fantastic. :) Time for the concrete. Finished and landscaped Put the patio back in and start unloading all the plants. Thanks for looking...19 yards of concrete. I can't wait to move snow off of it this year. We probably will not get any.

Drain the tank and clean it and install a new fuel line shut off valve (and bushing) in the tank. This is in addition to changing the fuel line and Seafoam use as Richard suggested. Make sure the engine fins are not clogged and the engine breather may need cleaning as well. Check the condition of the two 9 pin connectors (one goes to the engine, the other is up high behind the battery). They are prone to developing open circuits due to resistive (I^2R) heating at the connections. You can get replacements from Bob Maynard here on RS. Also, check the fuse holder, another location for open circuits also due to I^2R heating and well as proximity to the rear cylinder. All of these open circuits are the result of corrosion on the copper alloys. The WH engineers could have used tin plated wire and terminals on all electrical connections, but for some strange reason they did not. Enjoy your Onan. I like mine, but I also like the simplicity of Kohlers

I don't know if it is ok to post this here but some sad news for us collectors. Bowtie, a Chevy man and fellow Wheel Horse collector passed away last month! He lived close by me here in Ohio, in Gahanna. Don't know if anybody else knew him but he had some nice stuff and it all got dispersed around. Thanks...Hammerhead

There are SO many reasons this time of year is special. It's the time to transition from Summer Wheel Horses to Winter Duty. It is also the time when 2 major forum events happened. November 14, 2006 - RedSquare was started by whchris on a free service called Forumer, anyone remember whforum.15.forumer.com October 31, 2011 - We abruptly moved from Forumer to our current home. I often go back and look at the posts from those times and while RedSquare is so different today then it was then, there are STILL many of the same people here who helped make this what it is today. So at this important time of the year, as you get your machines ready for the new season, Thank You for being a member of RedSquare, it's been a heck of a ride and still going!

Hello, I just bought my first Wheel Horse this past weekend. My brother-in-law new i needed a mower and found it through a friend. He educated me a little on Wheel Horses and told me this was a good buy. I paid 500 for the tractor and it also came with a trailer and a bagging system. I've got to go back and get the bagger this weekend. I'm starting to research my Horse to find out all i can. I know this is the '89 model. I'm looking for advice on maintaining and a little restoration. This thing has been sitting in a garage for two years. It started right up and ran for a while, but then shut off. I drained the gas and i'm gonna replace the fuel filter. It ran great before it shut off, no smoke, no noises, blades engaged and ran fine. I'm excited about this tractor and i'm looking forward to learning all i can about it.

been here a while,i do remember the orig format,and the big crash,but here we are and we need to thank all the people who keep the square running,thanks guys ,u guys are A1

I have always preferred a manual transmission,less parasitic power loss.

Welcome! As a fellow newbie, I can attest to Digger 66's comment - this forum is great for all things WH! great group of people with excellent advice... I would recommend becoming a supporter too. Just go to the "store" and click support. It's worth it... Enjoy!

I think most of us would agree that you should keep both of them. A 12 HP Kohler will run a snow blower with no problem and I have a personal preference for a rear discharge deck but that is just my opinion. Kohlers will last for ever, but the Brigs has been operating for 30 years +/- so you can't say it isn't durable. As you said, hydro and lift are great to have, guess you need to keep both!

Power Kings Kohlers are a special breed and a certain Spec# and other Kohlers just won't bolt up to the cast bell housing (similar to a car or truck with a flywheel. pressure plate, throw out...) and they are getting harder to find. I have had two of those rebuilt. Other Kohlers were bought while still sitting in the tractor. Just seems cheaper to buy a whole tractor than to rebuild an engine.

because that is the 520 that's in the bed i think, the 420 is on a trailer

I was just about to post that both of my attempts were no improvement over plain incandescent bulbs, but maybe $17 each would be! Gadds! From link below: A standard 1156 bulb puts out about 400 lumens when new. As of January 2010, I haven't found an LED replacement that puts out any more, and most are only 50 lumens or so, not enough for a standard 1156 housing.To confirm the above: From Bosch Automotive Handbook7th ed. a 1156 (BA15S) Stop/Turn 21W bulb puts out 460 lumens. For a 5W Side marker / Tail BA15S it is 50 lumens (strangely low, I know) and 10W Tail light 125 lumens. http://www.answers.com/Q/How_many_lumens_for_an_led_replacement_vs_stock_1156_bulb So these 800 lumen LEDs should be rather impressive! Price certainly is! Hey! Just noticed the price is indeed for a pair! I just ordered from Amazon!

When welding aluminum cleaning the area is very important. Take the engine apart prior to welding. Drill the end of the cracks to prevent further cracking and v-out the crack area. Depending on the material the metal may need to be preheated also.

Whoa nelly, are these your real picks or your pencil in picks??? Don't want to hear that excuse!! The Ka Sara bus left weeks ago!!! Did Koen save you any brewskies or donuts?? I think Jim said they were running low on just about everything, you better stock up. The basement without munchies is the pits!!! It's not very far to go before you won't be able to touch the top. Just think your favorite buds will be hanging out at the top going, Where's Dino???? As always, Go Hawkeyes!!!

I don't own a shop but here's the problem. Any place that overhauls an engine has to GUARENTEE it. Most shops don't have a complete machine shop so they send out the block,crank ect to be checked. The machine shop has to GUARENTEE it. So it's $$$$$$$$$$$$$$!!! We don't want to pay it. Many of us here and you have all seen the posts, open an engine, look at the bore -looks good and throw in some rings and maybe new valves and put it back together and it runs and we're happy and saved some money. The reality is, we don't really know how worn that engine is. Example: I bought a C-160 non runner a couple of years ago. It had carb issues so the guy parked it. I wanted to rebuild the motor as a spare for my current 160. I opened it up and things looked good. I took it to a friend of mine who builds kart engines for an opinion. He said the bore was out of round and needed boring and the crank was out of round and was all ready .010 undersized. Rod had numerous cracks which showed up on dye. He called a friend of his that does his machine work. I brought everything to him to double check. Crank couldn't be turned again. And bore was near limits and may need to be sleeved. Total estimate with machine work and parts was $700! That's not including gaskets or any reassembly labor. Remember this was a motor that to the naked eye of a guy that has been a mechanic for 30 yrs. looked good!

Not necessarily... in that order. More like... muggies and the Cubs.

Hmmm... Five hours later and no response. I wonder what Steve's doing right now. CUBBIES AND THE MUG!!!!!!!!

I purchased replacement 1156 led bulbs which fit into the sockets on my 68 Commando from Autozone

Been here less than a year, but I've been a member on enough other sites...tractors, atvs, snowmobiles, cars.... to know this is one of the best out there. So much information, such great people, very nicely run. Great site.

I need to know 4 things: What is the yellowish stuff? Why isn't there a closeup of the custom front hitch? It's design and perhaps a Sketch Up link? Who is the little fellow doing all the work? Who is the guy on the round hood dominating several of the shots? Oh! And tell the little guy, "Nice job!"!

Hmmm... Five hours later and no response. I wonder what Steve's doing right now.

RIP Bowtie

Haven't got this picture posting down yet . Pics got out of order. I have 2 702's should be able to make a super nice 702 still missing gen flywheel cover,fuel pump stock coil . I have enough tin for one and it's all really strait. Couldn't make it to the rest of the RJ . I know the last one not the right color but if I could have one tractor it would be an AC D21. Couldn't get around my sons truck with my wheelchair . Here's the hoods. My cousin had a pic of the RJ from the add in which we bought it from. He's most likely a member , he had at least 25 tractors most of them early round hoods.

I saw the Ranger under a porch this spring. I went to visit an old Wheel Horse collector and he showed me his horses. He had 7 there at his house and a few someplace else. Well, he passed away this summer and his son asked me if there was anything I wanted. I told him about the little one under the porch. We settled on a price of $150. It's not NOS .... probably looks that way because everything above the frame is plastic. (grille, hood, console and rear fenders) No rust on any of those parts! Some of the frame and footrests have been repainted. And the motor is not original. I had to put points in the motor and clean and adjust the carb. The steering needed tightened up. Clutch and brake did not work. But it's all getting better. Ummmm ..... plow and chains??? I could get done in ½ the time! There is a mowing deck for the Ranger ....... Grandson mowing ...... possibly. But dragging the wagon around would be more fun.

This thread will cover in detail the history of how one 1965 model Wheel Horse garden tractor affected our family. This will be a back ground story thread that begins in the summer of 1975, before I was even born, and will go as long as it takes for us to finish a complete restification of this tractor to better than new condition. If you aren't into detailed stories, you probably won't enjoy this thread. My dad has receipts for parts that he purchased for this tractor over thirty years ago! I intend on scanning those and including pictures, lots of pictures. We lovingly call this tractor the "Iron Horse" because it is built tough out of a block of iron and it was a work horse in our family for many years! I have so many memories of this machine but I intend on including excerpts from my parents and brother in this story. They often used it as much as I did! Feel free to comment as much as you like and ask any questions that you may have along the way. I'm really excited to open another chapter in the history of this machine and our family, hopefully one my children can enjoy. A third generation embracing the Iron Horse... Then Now Future...?

no one else has done it to my knowledge. So I am making a 3d wheelhorse in blender 3d. I just started blocking it out from a 2d image off of google and looking at my 1967 if any other artists out there would like to help, there are lots of things that could be done I am not really a good 3d artist. I mostly just do it so I can visualize a project before I do it.

Check for battery voltage at the coil (+) terminal with the key in the RUN position. Should still have battery voltage while running the starter motor. Check the coil (-) terminal voltage. When the points are closed you need 0 volts. When the points are open you need battery voltage. As you are running the starter the points should open and close giving you 0 volts and then battery voltage for every 2 turns of the crankshaft. The 0 volts will be for a longer period than the battery voltage period. Even a test light will work. Garry

Enjoy the ride Steve -- October baseball is FUN!!!

Mike this is a cast iron block. Im hoping to not even remove the motor from the machine let alone completely disassemble it. This is not any sort of stress crack on anything structural so further cracking should not be an issue. I cracked it by over tightening the 1/16" NPT fitting. JB water weld? ive never heard of water weld. Are you suggesting that would be a good fix for this? When welding aluminum cleaning the area is very important. Take the engine apart prior to welding. Drill the end of the cracks to prevent further cracking and v-out the crack area. Depending on the material the metal may need to be preheated also. KT 17s do NOT have cast iron blocks( crankcases) The are Aluminum alloy of some type.

Tri-ribs for sure, and with weight. Because: (1) Wrapping a 'bicycle chain' around a tire is similar (as Dennis said), but the ti-rib rubber is about 1" wide and 1" high and will "dig in" to the snow much better, and without scratching pavement (as Brandon showed in his first photo). (2) Steering Control = keeping the tractor straight or making a turn with minimum sliding is what the high-center rib does, and having a lot of weight in front to keep the tire down on & in the snow is what is essential. (3) Having the snow thrower or blade down actually lightens the front end/wheels and as the rear tries dig in to move the tractor, it also lightens/lifts the front end, again reducing steering there, thus the need for extra weight (in the wheels and/or hanging on the front). With the implements up, we have great steering control because of the weight. Good tires and lot & lots of weight at the back tires will keep you moving, the front weights will keep you from getting into trouble via steering control. (4) I do use Lug tires on one Winter tractor and Tri-ribs on the second, Tri-ribs are much better. Also tire inflation as a noticeable factor, use 20#psi in the Winter on both front & back, less rubber on the ground ='s more traction (and Winter temperatures will drop 3-4 psi anyway in them).

tri-ribs will probably steer the best in snow, but if you need all around versatility without digging ruts in soft ground, get vredestein V61's (i am using V61's). They have multiple biting edges when steering and spread the weight out to not dig ruts. Yes, front weights make a HUGE difference in being able to steer the plow when you are pushing hundreds of pounds of snow. This year I plan on loading my fronts with RV antifreeze (rears are already loaded) in addition to running front and rear wheel weights. Tri-Ribs: V61's:

I used to use chains sometimes...I will not be using them this year. We use the driveway for too many things, blacktop would be way too hot in the summer. It is already sealed and I intend to use the blower more this year. The little guy is the son of the guy in the yellow/green shirt in the same picture. He was crawling all over my horses and I let his dad take him for a ride on the 702 around the block. Dennis, the yellow stuff is gravel also...it just came out of a different yard...it was Saturday. Here is the link on that front hitch... http://www.wheelhorseforum.com/topic/47635-pushpull-b-100/#comment-438983

Driveway looks good. Have you applied curing compound or sealer?

‌@bean yes the 8" front cast Wheel Horse weights fit nicely in the backs of the lawn rangers.

Yep, well mostly. New Holland contracted with Toro to buy blue versions of their 518xi (GT18), 520lxi (GT20), 520xi (GT20A), and 522xi (GT22/GT22A, not sure what the differences there were) If you check out tractor data for those models, it will say "Manufacturer: Toro" I am assuming toro probably built them and painted them and just sold them directly like that. The models and accessories are identical except for the paint and stickers... So if you can find New Hollands cheaper, then you have a Horse of a Different Color!

Two or three of these are flip a coin games. Iowa. Wisconsin, Indiana, Michigan State, Minnesota, Ohio State, NOTRE DAME

Nice! i would love to have a 69 or 70 El'Camino for hauling my 1969-70 Tractors. sweet horse hauler!

Ken, I am a big fan of Lexol leather conditioner. In fact, it was the 1st thing I did to when I got it home. I think I am up to about 8 treatments so far on the seat and steering wheel. That seat leather was dry.....each time I go back it is softer and softer. I think am a couple of applications away from having it where it is got enough moisture back into the seat. As far as plans....I think I am just going to put my 5K watt generator on the front and let my kids ride it around from time to time.....maybe a couple of local parades. In fact, my 6 year old daughter and my 11 year son have about 3x the seat time on it versus me. In general, I am guessing I will put 5-10 hours on it a year. Enough to keep the fuel system working properly and enough to appreciate the extra work it will take to keep it in good shape. It may also pull around my 18 cubic foot dump cart. Thad (Ohio) Thad

Thanks for all the positive comments and eagerness to hear the story. I hope you'll enjoy hearing as I enjoy telling it. It is fun to reminisce about things that conjure warm and positive thoughts and feelings in our hearts. The story of the Iron Horse does just that for me. It is so much more than the tractor though. The tractor is just a picture of the really important things in life. The Wheel Horse tractors of that era were built to last much longer than just a few years if properly taken care of. They were built in a time when pride mattered and people were willing to pay a little more and be a brand loyalist if they knew for sure that they were getting a quality product for a fair price. There was pride and care taken to develop and deliver a machine to the customer that wouldn't tarnish the company's name. Today it seems like the bottom line is all that is important in the market place. "How cheap can I get it. If it handles the task today than it must be ok. If I have to throw it away and get a different one in a few years, oh well than that is what I must do!" seems to be the unverbalized thoughts on many peoples minds. I personally, as a "young" man of 36 years old don't subscribe to that modern philosophy! So pardon me if I tend to be sentimental about a garden tractor that has been in my family for nearly 40 years! I am happy to report that my parents marriage is strong and enduring 40 years and counting. They had two sons who are alive and well. I married my sweetheart almost 15 years ago and God has blessed us with four beautiful children. My parents have been faithful in the ministry that God called them to nearly 35 years ago. I am busy in my construction business and active in a youth ministry today! My parents have lived now in two homes since I was born and the house they live in today is on my grandparents homestead land. Why do I say all this? What does this have to do with a GT restification? Everything! I want to help you understand the things that are really important to me are more than a machine. However, this machine has been around and working hard simply and "quietly doing its business" while everything that you just read was happening. I'm proud that my dad invested in a machine that has stood the test of time. For me, its a time capsule that takes me back to relive many of these events... SO...where to begin? It has been said that you can take the boy out of the country but you can't take the country out of the boy. My father grew up on a small dairy farm just west of Oshkosh, WI. They had several Case tractors but when it came time to purchase a lawn tractor, Grandpa purchased a small Wheel Horse. I know a picture exists of it somewhere but I need to locate it first and I'll post it. Anyway, my dad met and married my mom and they moved in to an apartment in town. It drove my dad crazy being so confined. So, in the spring of 1975 they purchased a house on an acre of land out in the country. Dad had gotten a job in the previous year working for Chief Equipment, an IH farm implement dealer in Oshkosh, as a service technician. When the lawn began to grow dad found that it was more than exercise to push mow an acre of land! He began to long for a riding mower. Working at the dealership he saw the new line of Cub Cadet GT's and was smitten (I know---sacrilage!) but his budget wouldn't allow it. Then one day, mid summer 1975, a local traded in a 10 year old 875 Wheel Horse. After they cleaned it up, they were asking $500 for it. That was still a little pricey for dads budget and so he let them sit on it. It stayed around all summer with no one serious enough to take it home. He began to talk to one of the other veteran technicians about it. That guy told dad that he would look into it for him. He looked in the books and saw that they needed to get at least $300 out of it to make a little profit. Dad offered them $300 and became the owner of the Iron Horse! In those days, dad only had a 1970 Chevy Nova and a 1971 Kawasaki 500 Mach III motorcycle. Neither was equipped to haul his new possession home! He received permission from the manager at the shop to borrow a work truck and trailer for an evening to get his purchase home. I'd like to say that the first heavy use was something like this...

A picture of my wh in original condition after 36 years it looks like this ..... it is a raider 10 from 75 Greetings Lars from Norway

Nice day for a wheelhorse pic.

Neil, your Stonehenge shot is my all-time RedSquare favorite!!! Vince...I'm digging those two-tone wheels! Cool tractor and great shot. Some good B-80 shots have already been posted, but that's all I got, so here goes! At rest.... and at play!