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How I became a lover of the Horses is a mixture of fluke, mishap, luck, and providence. Not quite a year ago, my wife, our one year old son, and I bought a home and moved to a predominantly white small river town named Utica, in Indiana. I was depressed because after the previous five years of school, medical problems, and eventually graduating with honors and a bachelor's degree, I could not find work. With no interviews, no answers to my sent resume and applications, I found myself wondering what I would do. I am a minister, which means I did a lot of praying about what my next move was to be. I was lead to go out and look for someone in a less fortunate situation than myself, and to then ask them how I might serve them. I began mowing the lawns for our elderly, disabled, and disadvantaged NEIGHBORS, with a 12 hp Cub Cadet, the previous home owner had left. I used that little riding mower to drag away fallen trees, logs left by the risen Ohio River, and anything else my NEIGHBORS needed removed. One day an elderly NEIGHBOR who ran the local small engines repair shop exclaimed to me, "Manny, do you realize you're tearing up that riding mower dragging those trees and logs? What you need is a tractor!" I asked him if he had any in his garage, and informed he did not. BUT...Mr Snelling added, "you know, I think ole Jimmy Van Gilder has a tractor he's thinking of selling!" I should pause here to say, Mr James "Jimmy" Van Gilber was something of a local hero. A veteran, retired fire fighter, and long time member of the town of Utica, Mr Van Gilder helped many of the town's disadvantaged in ways they could never repay him. When I went to Mr Van Gilder to inquire as to the availability of his tractor, he was in the final stages of terminal cancer, so I did NOT want to trouble him. I asked Mr Van Gilder if had a tractor he wanted to sell, and explained what I needed a tractor for. He wanted only $250 for his 520H. I get $200 in SSI each month, but that was weeks away, so I turned to Facebook to raise the money. I offered myself labor for $10 per hour, to raise money for my community outreach project, which would later become the LOVE THY NEIGHBOR INITIATIVE. Within an hour of posting mt plea, a friend who owned a business asked if he and his wife could come see the tractor. That Friday they came to check out the item in question. Within minutes, he pulled out his wallet and paid for the tractor! With my mouth wide open in disbelief, "Matt" exclaimed, "Manny" we think what you're doing is a good thing, and we want to support it by purchasing, and donating this tractor to your cause!" I set about getting the tractor ready for operations, which lead me to look for service parts on the internet. That's when I found out some of the history of the wonder which is the heart and spirit of what was once, "America, the great". The more I learned, the more intrigued I became! That was July of last year. Today, I have nine Horses, and hope to travel to Minnesota this weekend to pick up number 10. I love, and enjoy the sense of community, and next door neighbor quality which is the Wheel Horse family. From day one I was accepted. I am not a black man with a questionable past in the Wheel Horse community. I am Manny to some, RJ, to a few, and Chaplain Manny to the rest. My questions are answered in full with patience from skilled - knowledgeable WH gurus, to newbies like myself how've learned a few things. I love saving Horses, and giving them a second chance to do what they love doing, working hard and making the shinie, new, poorly manufactured, tractors look bad. I hope one day to be able to share the knowledge I've gained from the Wheel Horse community with the next generation of Wheel Horse lovers, namely my two year old son. Thank you Wheel Horse community for making me a part! Your servant, Chaplain, R. J. "Manny" Higgins Utica, Indiana Police Department

After 1 1/2 days of raking the stones out of the grass and back on the road, I was ready for a fun project. So this afternoon I made a blade centering device for the 312H. I also wanted to stop the hydro lift from pulling the plow frame up against the front axle, so I incorporated a stop into the centering device. Two 5/8" bolts salvaged from a utility pole, a piece of a scrap electrical panel door, a piece of old fuel line, and a piece of a worn out blade scraper bar. It was even warm enough to throw on a layer of Regal Red.

chapeau, one of the most awesome back stories i've read so far we don't discriminate, unless you drive something green/yellow welcome aboard

Hopefully this will save some wear & tear on my body! Need to make it a little wider for the tractors, but that is do-able.

Great Story! Another example of being rich without money! We come with nothing........ and leave with nothing. We only get to use what is here then move on. I've told my son and daughter this for years. Wealth comes from the heart. Sometimes I would get confused looks. Sometimes you must live to learn.

http://www.usatoday.com/story/travel/experience/america/2016/01/07/american-mills-photo-tour-historic-iconic/78379624/

Praise the Lord... and pass the .

today i picked up my newest toy here's some photo's

Well, here is a sign for all you warm weather girls. This is what is happening today...like right now. Looks like I will be getting some horse time...and it ain't mowing grass.

I know that number! Welcome aboard ChaplainManny, that's a great story! Are your initials actually RJ?

Thanks for your story it is great to hear something nice for a change. Welcome to the Forum.

50 F here at the moment...but it is not going to stay this way. I just got back from a fill the gas can run, and I tacked on a Rock & Rye stop. Horses are feed and ready to play...and I will be ready also. Heck, I am already ready....I still have my blade on!! Show me all the flowers you want before March even gets here...I have a golf club that will take care of all that. Cinderella kid, out of no where...he's got about 200 yards to the green...I think he's got a 7 iron. Whoa...he got all o dat one!! It's in the cup!!!

Manny, I think you sense this community is occupied with "good people". It has responded to vous (you), because it appreciates the sincerity and message of your intro, your commitment to your fellow man, and your focus on "good works". They KNOW you are "good people". Steve

Thank you for your kind words of encouragement 953. It is my sincere hope and desire to influence other "good people" to join the LOVE THY NEIGHBOR INITIATIVE. I have a dream of a network of volunteers spanning across America. If a person in California contacts the LTNI community outreach program, and needs food taken to their loved one in Ohio, then like a large hand stretching from one part of the country to another, that need WOULD BE MET WITHIN A MATTER OF HOURS! I covet your prayers in this matter. Bless you, and your house!

Chaplin Manny, your's is an inspiring story and I really enjoyed reading it. Good works like you are doing are an inspiration to others and God willing will create a movement. Each year we do a little informal calendar, This photo is definitely calendar material!

Those aluminum spoke pulleys are not designed to handle the torque load & stress you are going to be putting on them in this application. Those pulleys and bad welds = grenades Do yourself a favor. If you want to swap pullies so it is faster than your average tractor, dig thru some tractor junkpiles at yards, at mower dealers ect, and find pulleys that were designed to move a tractor that are iron ,steel and are solid

This was post #3... I am not right very often, but it sure feels good when I luck out.

Great story Manny and the Lord has truly blessed you with a kind and giving heart. You have chosen a great tractor to use for His work. Your reward will be great in heaven as you serve others. You may not have earthly riches but you are a spiritual millionaire! We are a great community of Wheel Horse lovers and we will be happy to assist you in any way we can.

He has to find an RJ now, huh?

@ChaplainManny Wonderful story you shared with us.

As they say, He works in mysterious ways...

Wheel Horse PN 8675309

My dad, who graduated from med school (1944) during WWII, was in Japan after the war for a year and a half with the Army Air Force, then established himself as a general practitioner (known as a family physician today) in a small Indiana town of about 6,000. His clientele included four generations of some families and he did everything, as it was required in those days of few specialists in smaller towns and rural areas......x-raying and setting broken bones, sewing up accident wounds, delivering babies, practicing industrial medicine at a local glass factory under retainer, treating kids with ear aches and sore throats, administering uncounted injections of penicillin and other meds of the era in ye ole gluteus maximus after the intended recipient "dropped drawers", making thousands of "house calls" (yeah the doc went to see the patient, not the other way around), assisted in surgery usually at least a couple of times a week, and participated in "school roundups" (at that time a physical exam by a physician was required for a child to enter school in Hoosierland). Generally, whatever needed to be looked after in a non-emergency situation, he did. He did officially take an afternoon off mid-week, but that often went up in smoke because of patient needs. He was basically on call 24/7 in my hometown, and he was well respected for what he did and how he ministered to people with his medical skills. Realistically though, his medical practice wasn't restricted to just physical medicine. He counseled with patients about personal and family problems, their phobias, their hangups, their anger, grief over a love one's death, etc., advising as he saw fit to give them what relief he could from their mental angst, dilemmas, and emotional crisis. This included topics such as out-of-wedlock pregnancies (a big, judgmental, rather unsavory situation in the '50s and early '60's), physical abuse, contagious conditions such as gonorrhea and syphilis, and on, and on, and on. Whatever was on a patient's mind, my dad was likely to hear about it once his personal office door was closed. He, in so many ways, served the same function as priests and ministers did, and still do. More often than not, he became a Father Confessor, not necessarily by his choice, but by his intimate position of trust with this patients. People would tell him things they wouldn't necessarily tell a priest......meaning the really bad, and the really ugly. All this was before HIPAA, and its staunch legal guidelines regulating patient confidentiality. My dad followed HIPAA's guidelines decades before it became law, because he felt that was his moral responsibility as a personal medical caregiver, and as such, was considered by his patients to be a confidant. They could always talk to and tell "Doc" anything. He knew way too much about people (their flaws and sins) and events (meaning the bad and embarrassing stuff). Part of my dad's method of practicing medicine which is a very serious moral and ethically commitment to his fellow man, was having a healthy dose of humor at the ready, to be administered, at a moment's notice, but in the proper situation, at the proper time. He always had a long list of jokes and funny stories cataloged, ready to be used on cue. His patients loved him for his story telling almost as much as for his medical and professional skills. Shortly after my dad retired in Dec. 1989, someone said to him at one of his retirement parties, "Doc, you should write a book!" Dad thought a few seconds and then replied, "I could, but I'd have to leave town." He decided not to become a local historian and literary figure....... "Doc" (April 28, 1920- June 30, 2011)

Go back and reread Mannys original post Jay. You'll find your answer.

Welcome to the forum. To narrow it down it will be a 1978 or 1979 model. Garry

Manny to Red Square...The More "Horse" people we have here ,The Better it Gets!.

Manny...Welcome to the best tractor forum on the planet. You have already made it better. Great pictures and Thank You for sharing. I also am digging that RED suit. We don't have a "Best Dressed Member" on Red Square thingy, maybe it's time?

Yes, my love for originated with my Dad owning them when I was a kid, eventually owning them myself. See my post that has been pinned titled "VINTAGE PICS", on this forum. I have 5 currently, including a 1982 B-115, coincidentally, but it's a 5 speed. I attached a pic for ya. .

Thank you JC! The " cup holder thingy" atop my Van Gilder is a cup holder with a huge magnet on its base. I found it last summer after googling "tractor cup holder"

For the work you do and WELCOME to Thanks for sharing the

I wish I had a buddy that would give me a tractor like that.

The latest "invasive species". Break out the mole controllers.

Great story. Thanks for sharing. Welcome to Red Square. Great family hobby to pass down for sure. I'd vote you to be the best dressed on the forum!!

Welcome aboard, a truly inspiring story.

Tuna, R. J. Is for Richard, John. I was named for my grandfather, Reverend R. J. Emmanuel Higgins.

to Chad. If you don't find a tiller before, I am sure there will be several for sale at the Big WH Show in June. The show is at the South Mt Fairgrounds about 10 mile North of you.

Welcome to the Square

From a men's clothing store here in Louisville, Kentucky called "In-Style". That one cracked me up Steve!

Manny. Great story for sharing.

Welcome Manny! 'Bout time you got here! There's enormous information, resources, and helpful folks here at RS. I'm sure you will benefit by being here, as will we by you being here. Welcome aboard! Regards, Steve p.s. Where can a guy get a RED SUIT like THAT???? Is a license required to wear that????

Chad: I think that you have a tractor that would be perfect for application of a Wheel Horse tiller attachment. Take you time to buy a good one. I have been using one the last two years. I put it on my 1979 Wheel Horse C-121 -8 Speed. My tiller is an early 1990's model I bought from a Professor in a nearby town. The tines had one side wrapped in nylon clothes line and some wire which needed to be removed. I used two years ago in my garden (60 x 100). Last year I had to change the oil seals on the one side that the nylon clothes line had run around as I noticed a small leak of gear oil from the case. All and all I would say the Wheel Horse tiller attachment surprised my how well it worked. I had the extra lift assist spring installed as the tillers heavy on the back of a tractor. A hydro lift on a tractor would make it easier to use. One of the things I found interesting is that with such a long belt to turn the tiller the belt would often jump off if you shut the tiller off using the PTO. I found I could lift the tiller when finishing a row of work and turning the tractor that I could keep the tiller PTO engaged and turning the tines and not jump the belt off. Here is my setup with my friend Steve operating the tractor. THIS IS A LINK TO THE TILLER IN ACTION VIDEO: 241.MOV

I think there a least one of them guys... in everybody's neighborhood. After installing my rock collection a couple years ago... the issues on my bank have pretty much all gone away.

If it is 400 miles WEST of you? We may have a problem . For that money? And it turns over? Get it. It may just need points or something simple like that. Cheap enough for all the attachments you get with it. If you don't know much about them? They can get expensive. It is actually a Gutbrod tractor and can be difficult to get parts for. Good Luck. And Welcome to the Redsquare addiction center

nice "mower" i also like this one

I don't know about the tire/wheel fit. The attachments are worth whatever someone is willing to pay as they only fit the D-250. If you could get it all for around $1k? You would be getting a great deal. The tiller can easily bring $800. But be warned. It is all very heavy. I think the tractor alone is around 1200 lbs. and that is without the fluid in the tires. The deck is probably a 60" and all of 350lbs. The tiller and gearbox will be close to 250lbs. or more. Those rear ends are bullet proof. Plus have a diff. lock. Right and left turning brakes. It is actually what a compact tractor is today. Without the live hydraulics. I wouldn't sell my tractor alone for the asking price. JMO. Good Luck

Spark, I'm sure Mike was saying to use longer bolts turning them thru the tapped holes in the hub and adding nuts to the back or inside of the hub to spread the pulling force on the cast hub to help keep it from breaking or the threads from pulling out. IMO, the addition of the ball with centering joint will help to reduce friction as It insures the threaded puller rod will remain centered in the axle and will not walk to one side as it is turned therefore adding side load to the threads and increasing friction. The ball , being a dissimilar metal from the mild steel axle and threaded rod ,will also insure there is no galling between the stationary and moving parts.. Of course high pressure grease lubrication is a given.

Looks like that guy is having fun at what he does best. He might have a loose screw or two but who don't. I'd love to take that thing for a ride!