Leaderboard

I got tired of getting stuck and having the C-120 get through a month of accumulated snow. So I hooked up the blower to the 520H with wheel weights. Got done fast!!

Wow, THANKS for all the suggestions so far. Very appreciated. I'm not trying to troll for eager buyers here, just trying to gauge interest in if it would indeed be worthwhile to host an event and expect a reasonable turnout. Sounds like it might be, but I get the point about the stress of the day trying to make arrangements with lots of guys at the same time. That's where I'm waffling about what to do. I remain blessed that I'm not in any kind of position that I NEED to sell anything. This is more of a sentiment of just getting rid of stuff that really doesn't need to be sitting. Duane is an animal! An 800 mile run for him is like going to the corner store for a gallon of milk for the rest of us. I'm not quite ready to get the ball rolling so I hesitate to post up the list and pictures yet. I don't want to start a frenzy that I can't budget the time to handle just yet. Being a micromanaging personality type, rest assured I do already have a spreadsheet with everything on it. I have to admit, it feels nice to get this out there and see the reception. I have been thinking about doing this for a long time and just haven't built up the courage to pull the trigger. Getting closer. They say the first step is admitting that you have a problem... Thanks, Steve

Some divorces get ugly.....

Just a quick hello to everyone. Brought my first Wheel Horse and was told to check out this group. I brought a 1996 520H and can't wait till nice weather when the grass starts growing.

It is called "parallel parking". Back when I was young you had to know how to do it if you went anywhere, as there were no Wal-Mart's, Kmart's and such to "angle" park!

How do you park a truck sideways? The wall on right is solid, with no door. Is this Austin Power's house? Maybe the question should be WHY?

Not really radical with flames but a black hood converted to a Linen Biege hood and a black engine to red.

Great lookin' Stallion! Welcome to Red Square! One of my first upgrades, just 'cause it makes tire changes easy. Lug nuts.

HOLY COW STEVE!! Does this mean we are going to get to Shelbyville?? Just wanted to put a smile on your face. This is huge what you are doing.

I’m not sure what to do here, so I’m just throwing a general question out to the group to give me something to chew on… I have been threatening for the past few years to do a major housecleaning and thinning of the herd. As far as I know, I’m not sick. I don’t have money issues. No significant life changes. I’ve just lost interest in this hobby and know I will never get around to the scores of projects that lie ahead of me. I also find myself wanting for time, and when I do carve out some recreational free time I seldom spend it putzing with tractors….I’d rather be fishing or making sawdust. My kids also have no interest in this red stuff. My daughter is a pretty typical 9 year old girl. My 11 year old son has Autism. Neither could care less if they ever touch a Wheel Horse. I think my daughter actually prefers green tractors anyway (where did I go wrong?). Stage set, here’s my problem… I want to get rid of about 40 Wheel Horses. Yes, FORTY. I plan to keep the really old ones (Lever, Senior, RJ’s) and may keep the 5xi’s, but really everything else has no real meaning for me anymore. Almost everything I have is or was in decent running condition when parked in the shed. Some are started and exercised regularly, others have had their fuel tanks drained and have been sitting for a decade. There are a couple of genuine pieces of junk here, but most of my stuff is/was good and nothing ever sat outside in the weather. This weekend I pulled a bunch of them out of the barn and fired them up. Few of them made me smile. I never was enthusiastic about restoration, so most all of my tractors are in their original clothes. I just like them better that way. All but a few were good, solid, machines. There are a couple restored ones. I know a fair amount about each of them, but there are a couple that I neglected to record detail. Like most people with a job and kids, freetime isn’t in abundance with my schedule. The financially smart thing to do would be to get each one running in top condition and then eBay it. I don’t see myself doing that in any reasonable amount of time, and frankly I don’t care enough to make the effort. What I’ve been thinking is maybe hosting a day here in Illinois where everything is for sale – I’d advertise prices and give a few pictures in advance – and just have guys come to shoot the breeze, kick the tires, and haul off a bargain or two. I can’t give them away, but I’m realistic in that tractor prices are pretty depressed these days after their peaks about 8 years ago. And I like to wheel and deal. Probably wouldn’t be open to trades unless they involve Lund boats, Evinrude E-tecs, or Sawstop table saws. I realize this wouldn’t clear the barn, but it would probably make a dent. I don’t often haul my stuff to shows so few people probably have a feel for what I have sitting here. My WH collection ranges from 1946 to 2000, so there is a lot of stuff. Other than having three C-195’s and a couple of 300-series tractors, there really isn’t much duplicated. As for special models; there is a 701, 953, D-250, GT-2500, a 520-8, 867, others. I’m not sure what to do with the 420-LSE. And a wide array of implements that took decades to accumulate. Hitches, Mighty Mac, Cabs, blades, mowers, cultivators, PTO units, 1950’s carts, early 60’s fertilizer spreaders…lots of stuff. Even have some weird things like Wheel Horse walk behind mowers and a walk behind Wheel Horse Royale reel mower. Trailblazer snow blower…on and on. I also have several signs and lots of paper and literature. Several engines, gas and diesel. I can’t haul this stuff to the show. It would take a semi load (or two) and I just don’t see the point in dragging stuff 800 miles to get pennies since we all tend to be cheapskates on large items when in Arendtsville. Plus, if I make it to the show again I’d rather spend time walking around and talking to the friends I made since first visiting the show in 2000. I also don’t want to have an auction to the general public, yet. You guys have interest in this stuff whereas they’re just lawnmowers to the great unwashed masses. Everything (almost) is in Alton, IL which is just north of St. Louis, MO. There are a couple other RS members local to me who you’d like to visit to while here. The location is certainly not convenient to most of you, but we’re close to interstates and St. Louis has quite a bit to offer for families and you can really cover some ground on the interstates these days. Some of our attractions are world-class and are FREE; like the Zoo, the Science Center, the many museums, and even the AB Brewery. We finally got rid of the Rams this year too. Come have a pork steak, toasted ravioli, and gooey butter cake. Gas may very well be cheap for the bulk of this election year, it was $1.40 this morning. So, my question is: Would there be much interest from members here to make a trip to the glorious Midwest sometime this spring, summer, or fall? I’m not sure how I’d accommodate hordes of trucks and trailers and weather in this area is always subject to complete randomness and oppressive humidity, but I’d like to know if there is any genuine interest. I could eBay the whole shooting match, but that’s a ton of work. And I imagine the more work I put into this the less willing I would be to let it all go down the road. I don’t have a master list or anything planned yet, so I’d prefer to keep whatever discussion and comments you may have public on this thread. There are a few guys who in year’s past told me “if you ever sell that, be sure to let me know…” so I need to contact those guys once I figure out what I’m doing. Comments welcome. Steve

May I be as plagued as you are

I really appreciate the kind words. I definitely would not keep the conversation private since it is for everyone's benefit hence the purpose of this great place. My invitation to a PM was simply to avoid posting in another language which some may object to. It would be like holding a conversation in a different language where other participants would not understand it . I personally find that extremely rude and inappropriate. My intention is to then post entire conversation translated. Trying to help him as much as possible and reduce any frustrations to him since i have been in the same position in the very far past. It is just awesome to see these tractors come up all over and captivating people of totally different cultures. To my surprise in another of my other posts someone from Russia replied to it.

It would of been worth going to the pub after filming just so I could of seen the look of shock as I walking in plastered in mud Before the flame jets were fitted the exhausts got a good clean up and a coat of red oxide.. Red oxide isn't a "high temperature" paint, but the over spray that had got onto the pipes hadn't burnt or flaked off despite WN getting lots of muddy thrashings about the place, so I thought a coat wouldn't hurt and help keep any possible future rust at bay. One of the jets welded in.. Well, the nut not the jet Speaking of jets, I needed to give the home made jets a smoke test to see how they flow... That should do Nigel dug out his brake pipe flaring tool.. I've no idea on the make but it is very old, very well made and easy to use.. A proper tool in this age of cheap tat! Here it is in action flaring a short section.. Which Nigel then soldered into the jet. A steam Punk exhaust.. The fencing wire won't be staying, once I know the flames work then I will make some weld on clips to stop the brake pipe from moving. That fits well.. Fitting the flame fuel tank took a bit of thinking about.. I could of just welded a couple of bits of box to the tank and bolt them to the frame... But I didn't want to spoil the look of the tank which is a nice shape, so I made up some nice brackets.. Fitted but not fully welded.. I'm happy with how it fits in the small space that's the only place left to fit it The final spark set-up.. This produces very good sparks at both plugs and as Nigel and I found out yesterday it has no problem lighting TVO....... On the bench that is.. With all wiring and plumbing done on the flame set-up there was only one thing left to do...... Yep try it out.... No flames just lots of smoke and TVO pouring out the exhausts!! A bit of over fueling me thinks that just floods the spark plugs! That should be an easy fix tomorrow... The smoke looked good though

Did it work as well as the 5 gallon acid baths? Jim, I looked at a few other YouTube posts (independent) and they were amazed at how well it worked. The ones that I viewed had only soaked them for about 24 hrs. It is good to know that we have a member with 4 years experience and up to 4 days soaking time..........Then I started watching how well vinegar baths work!.......I was stuck in the "Rabbit Hole" for another couple of hours, I hate when that happens??

Beep Beep Steve

24 days before I was born. I can't understand why I don't remember the day!

I would make the trip for the right tractors at the right price no problem Brian

Currently watching American Pickers, this guy Speedo has a ton of stuff, including a bunch of Wheel Horses and attachments in the background.

5-6 inches!! At least a foot here!! Ha Ha. These pictures are about 40 miles East of La Crosse. Not alot of snow this year.

Wisconsin in February and all you have is five or six inches, hard to believe.

I have a sheet I print off the net several years ago that was a list of WH models from 1966 thru 1976. I think the list was much more inclusive, but I printed what was relevant to me considering the time period I was concerned with. Unfortunately, I've been through about 4 computers since then, and that link was lost. C'est la vie. Anyway, here's what was on that list, as it pertains to GT 14s: 1-7441 1969 ____________ 1-7451 1970 1-7452 1970 1-7453 1970 ____________ 1-0500 1971 1-0501 1971 ____________ 1-0502 1972 1-0503 1972 ____________ 1-0502 1973 If a GT 14 owner knows where to look for the VIN plate identifying his tractor by model number, he'll know the year of manufacture.

The 1969 GT14 had clips on the inside of the hood (on the sides). The hood clips would slide into the hood stand. The 1970 and later years had the "pins" and "slide" type bars attached to the hood stand.

I took that transmission case out of the E-Tank today...it has been in there 6 to 7 days. You are not going to believe these pictures!! The gears cleaned up, the shift rails shift with the shifter now, the case cleaned up nice. I also took a wire wheel to the differential housing (this has been sitting in my parts washer tank a couple of days), and I wire wheeled the side plates to get ready for paint. A little spot cleaning, filing, paint and this is ready to go back together...need to weld one bolt nubbie though. I am going to show before and after pictures here, so you do not have to go back through the thread to find them. Check this out!! AFTER. the fork gears, spline shaft & pinion, reverse idler and forks and shift rails. Before and after on the differential housing and bull gear. And the side plates...before and then after.

The Wheelhorse OEM belt 8334 is 85 x .625. Parts Tree has it for about $45. I would suggest paying a few bux more for the OEM and be done with it for the next 30 years or so.

The fact that here in Spain and seen 3 on sale and disappear very quickly mine is in Toledo ( Spain )

85" 5/8 Gates 6985 For 8 speeds i always use WH belts...but for hydros like yours i haven't had issues with aftermarket

I've never used acid baths for cleaning parts before. For years at work all we used for getting rust off was a wire wheel or sandblaster until I saw an article about electrolysis in the Red Power magazine and set up a tank to try it and it worked so much better and easier that I used that until I saw Evapo-rust at Harbor Freight. Didn't think something I found there would work too good so I only got a quart and was surprised at how good it worked so I've been buying it buy the gallon ever since at Tractor Supply. As for cleaning carbs I use the Gunk Hydroseal II carb cleaner. It always worked good until they started with the ethanol in the gas and now it doesn't work as well and takes a lot longer to do anything to the carbs and I still have to take a small wire brush to clean the inside surfaces

I second Matt's kit (I have 3 of them). Throttle can be tightened easily by just crimping the main center rivet a little tighter. Cleat

I too came to the realization that while it was awesome to go down in the shop and gaze at all my tractors, the practicality of it was ridiculous. If I had a large storage building like SteveBo's I would have never sold any of them. But having to do a huge shuffle every time I wanted to pull one out or do a restoration was getting to be a pain. I slowly sold them off one at time till I was down to 3. I was happy there. Then I was able to buy another RJ58 from another member. I wanted just a plain one seeing as I had modified the other I had. So now I sit at 4 and I'm really content there. I do still look around occasionally just to see what's out there. I think the bulk of them have been stripped from our try state area but I know there are some real collectable sleepers lurking out there just waiting to be discovered or sold. Now the only problem is to beat the other guys to the punch (which is real hard to do with the crew in CT!). These guys have their fingers on the pulse and are ready to go at a moments notice. But that's ok. The way things go around here the tractors usually make it into all their garages at least once and then sometimes back again . I'm content with what I have. (For the moment!)

Oh yes, I did get a bunch of PM's about this offering support and encouragement. Much appreciated. I will get back to each of you as soon as I can! Steve

those "welds" look like it's been shat on by a bird without an ahole

Thanks Gary, the best way to get "talent" as you call it, is to just have a go. I'm self taught, you could be too As for the next project... We have an idea Thanks for the YT subscription by the way I had an early morning visit from this chap on Monday who arrived with some decals.. It was good to catch up with you again Mark and thanks for the great decals Before you all ask there is a reason, but your going to have to wait to find out Bit of a difference from the machine we started with

What do you guys think of duals on the rear? I'll just find some matching wheels and tires and run with it. I think the duals would really set it off!! Anyways I have a couple more pics for y'all and another one of those PROFESSIONAL welds lol.

I like your post......but and and a big but. ... sounded too much like an infomercia and I never believe those..l. ... now if they wanna send me a free sample to try on a precious bull gear....

Steve, maybe you can do a comparison using Evapo-Rust. It has Rave Reviews.......... a product that can clean this well and is Biodegradable is hard to believe. The key word is....."Chelation" It may work on the axles?

Steve, I'm a new member here and my interest is much narrower and focused than lots of the members, but if you have what might interest me, I'm within reasonable driving time, if there's the desire and good reason to participate. I would think the best thing for you to do is create an inventory list of items you wish to sell, with a minimum pricing which would be acceptable to you, and make that known publicly here. Not even knowing what you have, I'm sure you would create considerable interest, since the specific market which your collection would have the most meaning to already exists here, and theoretically, would pay you the most reasonable prices the market would bear. Some pics of what you have would stir positive interest......visual stimulation beats text descriptions all to he-double-hockey-sticks to attract buyers. I would make a suggestion however. Are you really prepared to deal with an unknown (at this point in time) number of potential buyers on a single day, weekend, or whatever, and handling all those transactions yourself? Think about 30, 40, maybe 50 or more people wanting your attention, brainstorming about a certain model or feature, and haggling with you at the same time, or in close succession. I would personally find that a bit overwhelming. I honestly would find that overly stressful. Buyer's generally like an orderly process in a public sale setting. I'm not sure that's what they would get with a "do it yourself" public sale. If it's 5-10 people, maybe it's not a big deal. The bigger the numbers, the more problems, IMO. I suggest you consider advertising your list among WH aficionados, get a headcount of potential onsite bidders to see if a sale is justified on a certain date, and, if so, think about having a local auctioneer you know and trust and can make a decent deal with, handle the sale. Allow 2, 3, 4 hours "preview time" where you can mill around and discuss things with folks, then the auctioneer starts the sale and it runs it natural course, without your hands on involvement. Set reserves of whatever you desire (based on the distributed inventory list and minimum pricing), and sit back and watch the action begin. It takes you out of the up front selling equation, handling money, clerking, etc., and lets you add commentary to the auctioneer's call, if needed, to move things along or answer a specific question. Do what you want, but I would want to minimize the stress, worry, emotional turmoil, and personal angst of such a sale if it were my long possessed property I was selling, at the site of where I live. I'd be looking for the most streamlined way to do that. I think that involves detaching yourself from the details and methodology of getting you to where you want to go, as much as possible. Regards, Steve

...Meet and Greet...Seems like this would be your best bet - one and done with folks rsvp'ing so you know what to expect. I would think your WH / RS crowd would not only be the most interested, but more importantly the most respectful of you, your herd and your time... All the best to you.

The new parts come from different sources. Toro specific come from Toro, RCPW, Jacks, EBAY NOS etc.....and Amazon (Having Prime membership this past year paid for itself several times over.) Some parts are generic and once ID. OD dimensions or length and thread size and pitch, I exercise my google foo and try and locate best / lowest price. For some things such as Hydraulic hoses and fittings, I utilized vendors and part numbers from other threads on this site to order replacements. In some cases they are not exact but in affect same and new. The Hydraulic connections were specific to WH so someone on this forum smarter and more experienced listed a work around. I have spent lots of time using the search engine and reading through many topics and threads. Electrically I followed one of Martin's older restoration threads for marine grade wire and terminals etc. That will be one of my next major undertakings. Hope this answers your question.

I would love to go to a big ole house party, garden sale, swap meet ,call it what you will, but alas I don't live in the USA I think you should maybe catalogue what you have, and at least a snap of each. I don't tend to want stuff that I haven't seen if you know what I mean.

I am in a similar boat to you but I don't have that many tractors,only 10,but I know what you mean,will I ever get enough time to do all the things I want to in life,i love working on tractors but theres not enough time for so many,and you have a lot,i think you have a great idea to sell to people who appreciate wheelhorses,and maybe lots of them will get used and restored as they should,i lend out a few tractors here and there just so they get used a bit,i cant use then all,if I were in your shoes and got good responses from the members and community I would do as yyou are thinking

Ian and Nigel I wish I had 1/2 the talent you two have. You turn nothing and turn it to some new and different. I would say you two are Master Mechanics. I truly enjoy your projects. So what is in the wind for the next project or this top secret ? Gary B....

It was a sad day.

I'm in this year, can't wait 'til June. Thank you Terry for all you do.

This one?