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This is how I remember my birthday. When I hear Jailhouse Rock on the AM. I know it's close. I didn't see the KING today, but he did visit me on my 70th. And I did my Elvis imitation about 50 years ago.

Happens to me... everytime I see one of these.

You got me thinking Craig. This could be dangerous...me thinking..remember mad max. I have a lot of scrap lead I use for making sinkers and jigs. Let's see cut out a circle of thin steel to fit inside the wheel covering all the holes. Seal it to the wheel with high temp caulk, Drill 4- holes for 1/2" rods to bolt to the wheel and let them extend into the lead to lock it together. Pour it full of lead. I'm estimating they would weigh 150 lbs each. Sounds like a plan..but wait, the current price for scrap lead is over $6.00/lb. That puts the pair of weighs at $1800. Guess I'll make more jigs today. Back to reality Wessex. Loading the tires is easy and inexpensive..about 30USD for 15 gallon of windshield washer fluid. There are many posts on here showing how to do it from buying special valves and pumps to just using gravity, a piece of tubing and a suspended plastic jug. Another consideration with weight on the wheels vs weight on the tractor is the increased loading on the axle bearings with tractor weights. OOPs..Mike types faster than me.

This worked for me about a year ago Brian. I was looking for a 19' Carolina Skiff to replace the 24' WAC Trophy I had just sold. I ran one with a 50HP Honda to $7000 at an auction and left it go , and the next week saw one on CL for $4000. Same year but with a 70HP Johnson. Called the guy and arranged to meet him in 2 hours. Stopped at the bank and got 40 - 100$ bills. Left 30 in the envelope and put 10 in my pocket. The boat was nicer than the one I bid up to 7K . It came with a new spare prop and a custom made heavy cover. After the demo, I laid the envelope with the 3K on the deck and told him I'd take it. He hummed a bit and said 3500. I took the 3K off the deck as I shook his hand and handed him the 3K as I said...OK, I'll split the diff with you....3250. He said OK and was happy. I was pleased to get the boat I wanted for less than half what I almost paid the week before. Of course everyone knows.... The two best days of a boat owners life is the day he buys one and the day he sells it.

Talk about a "custom"... imagine the top 1/2 of that tractor fitted onto the bottom 1/2 of that chair.

I got a steal on my 522 xi with loader and power steering along with deck, weight box, dual tires, and front plow. I have to say even though I have a terramite (mini loader and backhoe) I find myself using the xi all the time. The key is the power steering imo. I can have a full load in the box and turn the wheel with my finger.

Hi Guys, Just wanted to thank you all for the welcome to Red Square, and to say that I am totally impressed with the speed of response and depth of knowledge in your group. Wish I found you 15 yrs ago it would have saved a lot of head scratching here in the UK!! Thanks

It's a 20 year old tractor. It's going to have some small issues like he listed. Probably some he genuinely doesn't know about either. I don't think any of his disclosures should scare you or be unexpected on a machine like this. When you look it over, pay special attention to the frame junction mentioned by others. That's not any easy repair to make if you see cracks or tears. I think his price is probably in line with what it should be. Certainly a solid value. We on this forum tend to be pretty cheap when spending our own money but more generous when spending someone else's. If you like it and want it, buy it. You might not be able to turn around and sell it at no loss if you have second thoughts, but that's not the point. I've had (have) a lot of Wheel Horses and am an avid fan of them, but if I had to have just ONE tractor to use for everything I suspect I would tire of mounting and removing the loader to use the machine for other tasks. It can be done and kwik way did a good job making it reasonably easy, but it isn't something you're going to look forward to every week when you need to cut the lawn. You'll probably either add a second mowing/tilling/snow machine or find yourself looking to replace the machine in a few seasons with something that allows the mower to coexist with the loader to ease your task of outfitting the machine for its changing roles. The 520 was and is a great tractor. Certainly the top of the wheel horse heap. They are generally solid machines. In my estimation, they aren't any more or less reliable than anything else of similar vintage. I've found the engines to be pretty reliable over time as well unless the valve seats let go. They do tend to have electrical problems that center around the sub par molex electrical connector (which very easily can be the source of the wild voltmeter on your tractor) but that is easily rectified. It looks like a nice tractor and a decent value. You'll be doing fine if you park it in your garage. Decks are easy to source. Same with snow equipment. Looks like a good choice, but be aware that you may find swapping the loader on and off trying to make this a "do everything" machine might grow tiresome. Best wishes and welcome to the fold. Steve

Yeah, my glass half full (or half empty of somethings ) gets me in trouble sometimes .You got to have that attitude or you will go crazy !

You ... want to sell that beautiful thing? Cause I just fell in love ...

Mine was done in Regal Red just this fall/winter. The paint was done inside our factory so the temp and humidity was consistent. Plan on painting the tires for the spring. With the help of all of the guys on the forum we've decided that it is a 701 with a 702 hood. I'll be removing the 702 from the guard.

There's company's out there that build them , but there to big and bulky for what I need . Need to get with someone and draw something up . Back in the day I would've done some farmer engineering and built one by now .

Is that Craig giving a thumbs up from back in the day?

I have run across many guys like him thru the yrs. and I would be willing to be bet that he really doesn't need the money. He probably doesn't use it enough anymore to warrant him keeping it. He might also be the original owner, if he is I'm sure he remembers what he paid for it when new. (a whole bunch) He has probably done his home work to come up with a fair price for it and refuses to let it go for less than fair market value. If you do go look at it you will have to pay as much attention to the seller and his surroundings as you do the tractor to get a real feel for him before you offer him less as he has made himself extremely clear about firmness. When some guys say they are firm they are so full of it but when some guys say they are firm you better believe it and if you offer less there is the chance of pissing him off and blowing the deal. The real trick is to try and figure out the one's who are really firm. Don't get me wrong, I love the chase and the art of the deal but thru the yrs. I've learned each buy/guy needs to be treated differently.. I know thru the years I have sold PLENTY of items and some of them I have expressed firmness in my advertisement. I can recall a guy that came to look at a boat I was selling. He saw the boat and his eyes were popping out of his head he wanted it so bad. He knew I was very firm as I told him at least 3 times over the phone and twice in person and yet he was stuck on trying to give me 500 less for it which I refused. He was trying all the flashing the cash tricks and all that, I wasn't amused. He told me he would have to think about it and would get back to me and he went on his Merry way. Meanwhile I got another call from a guy ten minutes away. He came to my house and was thrilled at what he saw and paid me my price. Well, the first guy never told me he was coming back to my house and when he got their he was pissed to see that a deal had been closed. He told me he drove two hours to come see the boat and that I wasted his time. Really?

I appreciate all of your information from blades to dash boards. I am taking in all of your knowledge from all angles. I want to walk a fine line between keeping my WH as the family tractor that it is and all that it has been part of and having it look great. I'm not sure where that line is, but I know I will find it with all of your help. ☺️ Thank you. Connie

I have never seen anything like your camouflaged bulldozer chair, that is so cool. You and your family are a true inspiration to all of us, you have a "Glass half full" attitude that serves you well. Look forward to meeting you at the "Big Show".

I was able to do a little more work on the 57'. Painted rear rims and tires, added a tank support which pushed the hood back up into position and will not allow the tank to break the straps from the hood when trailering it. I know it is not pretty but I am not looking to change the look. I straightened out the shift lever and replaced the smaller belt. I am waiting on a reverse disk and then I can get the drive pulley where it needs to be. Video link at bottom IMG_3021.MOV

It's disassembled right now. Will follow up with photos in this thread as it goes back together. Here's what I bought it as... Previous owner had bought it as a roller and installed a go-cart engine and duals. I sold that engine as soon as I got it home and recouped most of my investment. Rear tires are new, but the fronts did not really hold air. Dual kit is heavy duty steel. Transmission seems tight and smooth. I did have to replace the input seal as it was leaking. I'll flush the trans once I get it back together. It has the pivoting lift hitch on the rear and I'll be adding the fixed tow hitch as well, but the pin is frozen so that'll be fun. I only bought the tractor because I had this sitting on a shelf. I was selling some Wheel Horse parts on Craig's List this summer and a guy sees my ad and calls me asking if I want to buy his Kohler engine. He had an "old round hood Wheel Horse from the 60's some years ago" and the the tractor wore out, he said. They scrapped the tractor but kept the engine as it was only used for a year or so before the tractor died (replacement engine-this is why it is grey). He says runs great, should be like new, just been sitting in my garage for about 25 years. Said he was tired of tripping over it and wanted it gone. I said don't really have a use for it. He said he'd take $25 for it. I said I'll take it. He lived about 5 miles away and delivered it to me that afternoon. I got the engine, belt guard, starter/generator, regulator, an amp meter, and a busted up ignition switch for $25. It was dirty on the outside. It looked brown from decades of dust and garage grime. The exhaust had been knocked off with a hammer. The belt guard was full of dirt and bent up from being moved around for so many years. The carb was full of white scale as was the fuel pump. BUT, the engine oil was like new, when I removed the exhaust pipe the exhaust valve had no build up and looked new. When I removed the carb the intake hole was like new as if it were just cast a couple weeks ago. When I removed the fuel pump, the inside of the engine looks like it was just assembled and the cam looks perfect. It turns over nice and has real good compression. I figured any guy that once owned a Wheel Horse had to be honest. Best I could tell from running the engine numbers is it is a replacement engine from the 1980's. I've installed new points, plug, wire, condenser, rebuilt the carb and fuel pump. new belt, and cleaned all the electrical connections. Can't wait to get it mounted and fired up. This is not going to be a full restore, but a nice worker. I've begun working on some of the parts. Thanks to Terry the Vinyl Guy for his help on the custom decal above as well as the rest. This is the second time I've ordered from him and can't say enough about the quality of his work. Thanks to Glen Pettit for his plastic bits. He included this cool key tag with my order. Everyday is like Christmas when you're working on a Wheel Horse. I wasn't super happy when the green belt showed up. The original fuel bowl was not worth fixing. Next step is to attack the steering. Needs a flanged bushing up high to support the steering shaft and a bushing up front to control the center shaft end play. Once I fix that then I can start putting it back together.

Hope to make it in June . Forgot about the charger 10 . That makes 2 's and my other set of legs .

I had this old mule drive just sitting around and decided to cut it up and make a front hitch out of it. So far it is just tacked together to take home and check for fitment before welding it up and adding the actual receiver tube. Wheel horse front Tach-A-Matic measurements.pdf Wheel Horse measurements for front hitch.pdf Wheel horse parts list for front hitch.pdf I will keep you posted as work progresses. Cleat

There is a great bunch of guys here! Not just a bunch of WH mechanics or collectors, but also real humans! We help each other, poke a little fun sometimes and as a result it is easy to speak frankly, knowing that others will understand. You already know that or you wouldn't be posting what you have. My problem is that I have problems, problems that I've allowed to affect me somewhat. Then I look at your picture, I read your posts, and I'm somewhat ashamed to even think that I might think I have any problems at all. Man! I've got it made! I'm sure you don't want people to feel sorry for you, but I do feel that what happened must be unfair, but for you to have such a positive attitude! Makes me somewhat embarrassed... I don't feel sorry for you, but rather I envy you! I've got to do some soul searching, have a little chat with myself and then an attitude adjustment! I commend you! I am glad you got back into tractors! I am glad you came across REDSQUARE! And I'm so glad to have met you online and would love to meet you in person! Good Lord! If you need something, you just give a shout! Hoping I can do the same!

There's a little "Reply to this topic" that I've been staring at for sometime but I don't know what to say. Somewhat of an odd condition for me... I keep going back to the first message and looking at the picture, I type, I erase, I type again, I erase. I did just it again... Best of luck to you ACman! You most surely deserve it!

You do not want ANY moisture in a mold (wheel) when pouring molten metal of any kind. I worked for Eastalco aluminum co. and there was aluminum stuck to the 20 ft. ceiling from pouring into a damp mold. Molds and ladles should be heated before use. Be sure to wear a face shield. Moisture under any molten metal is a bomb. I`ve seen it first hand, fortunately from a distance. And Ed types faster than me. You do not want to breathe the fumes from molted lead either.

All joking aside for a moment.. Please be aware of the dangers involved in melting and handling molten metals. When that metal comes in contact with any nonmetal, there can be a violent reaction. These include but are not limited to ... water, moisture, oil, grease, paint, Teflon coatings, wood, plastic, rubber, concrete, etc. Wear protective clothing on all body parts. Keep fire equipment ready. Plan on the melting pot and/or mold breaking and build a containment dam with fire brick and sand before you start. Work in a well ventilated area.

What is your pick John...nobody left...you are the last one to pick...what are you waiting for...I would pick Iowa if I was you. SORRY

This place will do that to ya... Just remember the 11th commandment...thou shall not covet thy neigbors Wheel Horse!!!.. drooling on it is perfectly acceptable!

The reason I know this works. I used to sell cars for a living for a couple of years before I was promoted to manager. I had an old guy walk in wanting to buy a used Cadillac. He made some crazy offer like half what we were asking. I told him that was way less than we owned the car, and I was willing to negotiate but he needed to face reality, the price was going to have to be pretty close to what we were asking. He kept raising his price some ridiculous amount, like $100 a shot, and after 4 or five of those, I was getting pissed, and told him we were just way too far apart, and that maybe he should look at cars elsewhere. I was convinced he was just jerking me around, which you would be surprised how often that happens. People would negotiate for an hour or two, come to an agreement, then say they had to think it over. He stood up, and said, well, if you don't want my money, I'll go elsewhere. I hadn't noticed it before, but he picked his checkbook up off the desk, and I knew I had screwed up, he was serious and had his checkbook out already, he was ready to buy. I quickly backtracked, and we finally did come to an agreement, and he bought the car. I ended up actually liking the guy, after I didn't have to negotiate with him any more, LOL. The moral of the story is, once the money is on the table, the seller has a hard time walking away from it. A bird in hand, and all that.

I'm totally against adding weight to a tractor that also adds weight to the rear axle bearings.....so I vote you figure out the mold size and make weights to install inside the rims. Mike.......

My new log splitter has a 7hp Kohler . Then I could scavenge the pump and drive motors off that old white zero turn in the background .

You could always make a mould out of the actual rim itself.

I have found if I follow the instructions on the can , It works fine. conditions are min 70 degree F and max 50% humidity recoat within 1 hour or wait 48 hours I usually recoat at 15-30 minutes and have applied 4 coats in 2 hours with no problems.

Believe me if thought long and hard about a gas powered trackchair . Would add suspension as this chair has none ,even at top speed of 6 mph it rattles fillings out of your teeth!

Just a thought but could the set screws on there be regular bolts instead of actual set screws? A set screw will be cupped on the end and should grab the shaft by distorting it a little and creating a small indented circle from the cupped edge. A regular bolt is flat on the end and will not grab onto the shaft as strong as a set screw will. There should also be lock nuts on them to keep them from backing out

Here's a Commando 800 with Regal red I did for my grandson some years ago. With the conditions just right a rattle can paint job can look outstanding. Considering the conditions this tractor has dealt with since the restoration it has held up well too.

Congrats Craig, and anyone else that has quit or is trying too. I quit back in 1972. Cold turkey. Found another good reason with this spinal fusion surgery that I had. Surgeon said that if I smoke, I need to quit at least 30 days prior to, and not smoke after, as smoking interferes with the fusion of bones. So for all of us Titanium Rangers, that's a good enough reason not to smoke, and if you are thinking of becoming a Titanium Ranger, a good reason to quit.

Looks like your making some nice progress finding parts for it! That engine was 1 great find! 1 tip of advice I thought I would give you is you might want to look for 1 of the shorter air cleaners off a 4 or 7 horse kohler. The 8hp will hit the hood, so the 854 which is the only round hood to use the 8 horse has a little longer hood than all the others.

Early photo of a Pond Company picnic, with corporate dunk tank in the back ground. Elroy Smittigens is caught on film trying to do the hokey pokey with a neighbor's lawn mower. Later, Elroy learns that The Ponds don't appreciate such nonsense and he is reassigned to the REO Division to pursue push mower designs...

Get one of those little cash envelopes the banks give out, put what you want to spend in that, and a couple of hundred in one back pocket, the rest in the other back pocket, as 953 Nut said. Look it over, drive it, be sure it is worth what you wanted to pay, and then say you are interested, but with the issues you have, if you are firm at $2800, I guess I'll have to pass (while pulling out the envelope). Hold the envelope and say I've got $xxxx here, and I am ready to take it with me if you are interested. All he can say is no. Notice you didn't say it was all you had, in case he is willing to negotiate, so now you can pull the $200 out, so he still doesn't know how much you have. Don't let bidding fever lead you to pay too much over what you want to spend.

thanks red ranger yes I totally stripped the machine a d sanded cleaned and painted each part individually painted with rattle cans too

Five years ago today I was in my accident that put me in a wheel chair for the rest of my life who knew 25 mph in snow storm could change your life forever. Everything changed on that day , but I try not to let it hold me back . I need help with everything I do , from when I wake up , until I go to bed . I know longer can do things for myself including going the bathroom to eating ,showering or getting dressed . It's funny how you find out who your real friends and family are . But I don't think I would change anything , you just move forward in life and figure out how to do things differently . I would like to thank my wife for taking care of me ( and putting up with me for that matter ) 24hrs a day . I don't how she does it but as she says after 25 yrs and this year will be 20 years married for better or worse and sickness in health. I'm glad to of found my first horse and great bunch of people here on !!! Everyone here shares a passion( and compassion) with others . Hope to meet some of you this year at the big show . Hopefully I will have more than one to bring ( need to get the barn finished and the tractor projects done ).

350 for a mount? All I used was some 2 in square tubing and a piece of 5/8 rod. Ther are only a couple welds. 50 bucks tops.

I'm still a relative newbie at this WH collector stuff. I've been watching for tractors, parts and attachments on ebay, craigslist and the forum here for the past year or two. As far as prices for used items, the Red Square forum members are the most reasonable (and most helpful) IMO. You can find reasonable prices occasionally on ebay and CL as I've scored a couple of times. But IMO for the most part the ebay WH stuff is over priced. I live north east of Kansas City MO and commute to KC for work. As I said, I follow items for sale on RS, CL, ebay and follow a couple of Facebook pages. Most every tractor, part or attachment is always located east of me and usually several states away. It seems most things are way east, PA, MD, OH, VA, NY etc. The price may be very reasonable and I'd certainly be a customer for it, but driving for pickup or getting it shipped makes it very unpractical for whole tractors and attachments especially. Very rarely will I see anyone who is willing to ship a whole tractor or attachments. Also, I hardly ever see anything listed to the west of MO, I did buy a tractor on CL that was located in Topeka KS, (about 2 hours from me) but I don't see many ads listed any further west of KS. I'm not filing a complaint here, just my observation in my recent search for WH stuff. Any one else have any observations? IMO, I'd say most of the WHs must be in the eastern-northern area of the USA.

I used Rustoleum Red Red when I was doing some work on my 310-8 . I think not think it would ever dry. I live near a river in a high humidity area so I know that caused the problem. I started using GM 81 red ( automotive paint ) dries fast so you can apply numerous coats in a short time.

Square head set screws

i'll go with alabama

I had developed a list of "This Date" topics several weeks back and found it a bit ironic that the day before NK had made their announcement, don't know that it has been verified but Kim Jong Un is one scary dude.

I don't know Craig. That guy looks a little like you plus he's showin skin and has the sandals!

You can enjoy life as much as anyone, just in a little different way. God bless you and you're family.