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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.

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.

Guys, I appreciate all the helpful tips and advice, and I think I have finally gotten the Onan a bit happy again. I was able to run those jet cleaner wires through the main jet a bit earlier today as suggested, and quite a bit of gunk came out. I actually went ahead and flushed the fuel line from the carb inlet to the tank, and thoroughly drained the tank and "sponged" it out a bit. Installed yet another fuel filter and wham...just as Nylon said...that fixed me right up. I guess carb cleaner didn't clear it completely the first time, but the wires surely did. Thanks JackC for the awesome fuel analysis and explanation, and thanks to everyone for your timely response to this issue. I sincerely appreciate all of you taking time to both reply and educate me on taking care of my 520 issues. I feel much more confident in taking care of the issue if or when it arises. Thanks again, and have a great evening!

For a mechanically sound 520 with a working loader, it isn't too bad a deal. As was posted above, you really need to make sure the transmission is nice and hot before laying the money down. When they warm up, a bad tranny will lose power. Take it up a slight grade if nearby to make sure the rearend is good. Check the pivot points on the loader for wallowed out metal around the pins. These require welding. One new item to add to the "watch out list"...............any Onan powered tractor that was left outside WILL be or will become an electrical nightmare. Make sure the owner hasn't played with the original wiring. After you get it, you will need to do some cleaning of the electrical contacts/plugs/connectors on that tractor.

keep both,then you don't have to change attachments as much and you have a backup tractor,i would get a snow plough and then you have a blower and blade for any type of snow

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).

Good looking driveway...Thanks for the photos! Hey, why do we park on a driveway and drive on a parkway??

Steve, maybe some back -row heckling will be in order!

I hate to admit it, but I have had these same issues with my '88 full size Chevy. What gets me the most about this, is the steel brake lines! With all the safety features vehicles have on them, they still use plain steel brakes lines that rust and can blow when you need brakes the most. I would gladly pay the extra to have stainless steel brake lines as standard equipment and it wouldn't cost that much more! I'm surprised that stainless brake lines haven't been required, especially with vehicles lasting much longer these days. C-85

I like the el camino as well as the horse.

Very Cool! Looks like there is a need for a replacement belt though...not for the tractor but for the fella slightly bending over in the start of the video

Picked up this '74 C-160 a few weeks ago and hadn't had a chance to post it yet. It was a one owner tractor bought new in '74 by the husband of the widow I bought it from. She was one of those women who had lived her whole life on a farm and could probably outwork most people half her age, myself included! She was still using the tractor to mow the ditches when it dumped all of it's transmission fluid out the RH axle seal. The local Toro shop said the bearing and seal needed to be replaced, and the cost to fix it was more than she wanted to put into it, so that's why she was selling it. I couldn't drive it in that condition, but the engine seemed to run well. The 48" deck is in very good shape and bearings are nice and quiet. The pads on the deluxe seat aren't the best, but at least everything is there. Overall the tractor looks well maintained, but also used pretty regularly it's whole 40-year life. She gave me the original manual. In it were lots of notes about services done and when. The hour meter shows a little over 1000 hours on it, but it wasn't hooked up so who knows how many hours it really has. The notes don't say anything about engine work, but it looks to have a newer shortblock in it. It has had some modifications over the years, but nothing that can't be undone as far as I can tell. I have already pulled the deck off and put it to work on my C-120. It mows very nice although the C-120 does lug quite a bit if the grass is tall or wet at all. It will do just fine for now. I'm looking forward to digging in to the C-160 and getting it back up and running. I'm sure a few surprises await, but hopefully they aren't too bad Dave

I drove a few hours out to the Poconos from Central PA to pick up a 417-8 Speed a gentleman had here on RedSquare in April. I've been putting hours into it and fixing/painting/shining it up. Bought a set of decals for it from Vinylguy and have the engine purring real well with a new set of points and a condenser, carb cleaning, new fuel lines and filter and new plugs. Some wires and ends fixed. A new tie-rod end and front bearing and the seat is getting reupholstered. The muffler lost it's chrome except for the tip which I tried to save! (Not sure I like that yet)! Compression is 97 - 96 PSI. It's a 1986 with 1280 hours on the working clock. Still need to do the rims and swap tires with a better non-cracked pair of turfs. It actually looks too nice to mow with but it will be a worker. Maybe just not as hard as my 310 and 416! I like knowing this KT engine has some oil pressure inside it! Before and Afters. (Picture heavy). I chopped the resolution a little so I didn't kill anyone's weak broadband. Wanted to get to the big show since I'm a hair less than 2 hours away from it but it isn't going to happen this year! Again!

Viola! - Finished 1973 10HP 8-Speed "Refresh" So what started out as a spun rod, turned into an engine rebuild, which turned into a full blown engine restore, which turned into a tractor "refresh", which ultimately turned into this shiny red picture of beauty! LOL All in less than 30 calendar days, too. Sheesh! Time for a rest. Glad the BIG Show is only a few days away.

However, back in those days we were having some long and nasty winters and this was the 875's first real workout from my dad! Mom dads house out in the country! Note the groovy green paint on the house and that Nova in the drive! This tractor had already seen a pretty tough life in its short ten years but dad needed a work horse and it went right at it. Now is where I need some help from you guys! Dad can't remember where that snowthrower came from or even if it was a WH thrower. Does anyone out there know if that is a WH brand unit. To me it almost looks like a Cub Cadet unit but I don't know? Dad said it wasn't geared right and never did that great of a job moving the nasty white stuff. I know this is a fairly early pic because it still has the original muffler on it at this point. By the next summer dad would add the straight pipe to it...

Not showroom quality, but super nice to drive and pretty darn tough.

It really does not stick out that much...about the same as the snow blade. I painted it today...here are some more pictures. Shorts really did a nice job on this...can't thank you enough Paul. I'll be taking the B-100 to AJ's next Saturday...sporting it's new hitches.

Early model 1955 RJ35 1956 RJ35 A few "modified" pics 1955 RJ 58RJ and 55RJ

RJ 25 Clone

Thought I'd put this up for consideration.