Leaderboard

Hi. This was my first resto and everything that was done i did myself. From painting to bodywork and anything. Thanks for checking it out!

Just finished the restoration of this cart. I picked it up from a great guy, and the shape was good, just needed some TLC.

I have a 1977 C 160 that was used by Mears racing that same year. I am rebuilding and repainting. I have bought another hood to replace the one that has the original Mears Gang sticker and a Bell Helmet sticker on it. I know this was a common thing back in the day because while I was in college I worked at a Wheel Horse dealer in Terre Haute Indiana and had to remove many stickers when we would get the tractors after the 500. Are these tractors special in any way?

Growing up my neighbor was a wheel horse dealer, he was a great guy and a very close friend. He passed away about 10 years ago now and unfortunately his wheel horse collection all got sold before I ever got a chance to get 1 of them to hang on to in his memory. Well after years of searching I stumbled across a 66' 1276(?) That was purchased from old Jack Miller in his dealership days. Needless to say I got in the truck and it's now in my garage. The orginal 12hp Kohler had long since given itself a "rod-ectomy" and was no longer around, so a 10hp kohler was on it when I picked it up. The "new" motor ran REALLY well, but burned more oil than fuel (it was seriously impressive how quickly it would drink a quart). So after talking to some friends and family about my new found project I was given an outstanding deal on a kawasaki 20hp twin, liquid cooled motor with 4 hours on it (FD620D, currently set up to run propane). A few hugs, handshakes, and $150 later the transplant began. NOT A SINGLE HOLE has been added to the wheel horse, I will keep it as unmolested as possible incase I ever decide to do a full restoration, (although old Jack was a hot rod man so he'd probably appriciate the engine swap) but this is now leading me to a slight issue. The monster V-Twin is a we bit bigger than the kohler, and I can not bring myself to cut up the hood/grill, it's in really good shape. Anyone have a spare? Are there any hoods that are less rare that I would be better off "destroying"? -tried to upload a couple pictures, keep getting an "upload failed" pop-up There we go.

I had to replace the spindles on my b80 36" rd deck.the two on the outside were not bad but the middle one with the double pully would not budge.i put a steering wheel pully on it ,soaked it with penetrating oil for 2 days and nothing.heated it with torch it would not move .so I decided to try to cut it off.hack saw wouldn't fit so if I can't cut it without cutting the deck I had to think of a way to GITTER DONE .So what would Larry the Cable guy do.Then I got an apiffiney let it cut its self.This worked like a charm and only took about 5 minutes of cutting. After cutting it off I put it on my work bench and beat it out. And I mean I had to beat on it I did save the pully and reassembled it . Ok now and works great. All I used was a 3/8 16 x 2" stud that screwed into the spindle . a 3/8 drill and a new hack saw blade.hope this helps someone.

Here are some before and after pictures of my freshly restored 1969 Work Horse 700. My dad bought this tractor new when I was 2 years old. I started driving it when I was 6, and mowing when I was 8. My son will be 6 this fall. It will be his turn to drive it soon! Let me know what you all think! Thanks, Eric.

It's the "entitlement" mentality of the world we live in, I'm not advocating it but probably guilty of always wanting better for the kids than we had it, so then they think they're entitled instead of working for it I know first hand with my son whose mother "buys" him, then I'm expected to do the same, but I don't play that game so I don't get to see him much or even talk on the phone but I digress sometimes it has to be a dose of tough love, my current wife and step children aren't that way whether we have the means or not you have to "earn" your way through life, I grew up without running water and color TV and name brand clothing, what would these kids today do without that and their phones and tablets and Xboxes?,but I think I turned out just fine and respect my budget and fix what I can ,know how to grow, catch, gather,and hunt my own food it doesn't always come from Wal-Mart! For every 1 good thing technology and evolution brings us seems like 10 bad to go with it, yes at 44 even I sometimes pine for the days of old, 20+ years ago I couldn't wait to get out of hillbilly "hell", now I wish most days were right back there, funny how that works,anyways just an ole hillbilly's ramblings,Jeff.

5-9-1964 An unlikely challenger ends the Beatles’ reign atop the U.S. pop charts Following the ascension of “I Wanna Hold Your Hand” to #1 in early February, the Beatles held the top spot on the Billboard Hot 100 for three and a half solid months—longer than any popular artist before or since. Over the course of those months, the Fab Four earned three consecutive #1 singles (a record); held all five spots in the top five in early April (a record); and had a total of 14 songs in theBillboard Hot 100 in mid-April (yet another record). But just when it seemed that no homegrown act would ever stand up to the British invaders, one of least likely American stars imaginable proved himself equal to the task. On May 9, 1964, the great Louis Armstrong, age 63, broke the Beatles’ stranglehold on the U.S. pop charts with the #1 hit “Hello Dolly.” In a way, it was entirely appropriate that a titan such as Louis Armstrong would be the artist to end the reign of the first foreign group ever to take over the American pop scene. It can be argued, after all, that Armstrong bears more responsibility for shaping the course of 20th-century American music than Elvis Presley and Frank Sinatra combined. Louis Armstrong became one of jazz music’s first individual superstars as a young trumpet player in the 1920s and 30s, but more than that, he revolutionized jazz itself by turning it into an individual improvisational art form. The recordings Armstrong made with his Hot Five and Hot Seven combos between 1925 and 1927 are widely credited with creating much of the foundation for the future of jazz and blues performance and, by extension, of rock and roll. Armstrong’s own statement that “if it hadn’t been for jazz, there wouldn’t be no rock and roll,” was effectively endorsed by the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, which inducted Armstrong as an “early influencer” in 1990. Of course it wasn’t Louis Armstrong the young revolutionary, but Louis Armstrong the late-career light entertainer who knocked the Beatles from the top of the pops. By the early 1960s, Armstrong’s most important and influential work was already behind him, yet his famous charisma and ebullient personality were still enough to lift a show tune like “Hello Dolly” to the #1 spot on the pop charts—and over the Beatles–on this day in 1964

Yes sir! I will have better pics tomorrow after I get it cleaned up.

Been a bit since last update. Bodywork phase. Sand, puddy, sand, puddy and sand again.....and waiting for a few days warm sunny dry weather to start doing some painting. Since this is a worker when I get the right weather, paint is going on regardless of how perfect the bodywork is. It won't win a prize but it is a darn site better than it started out. Lol And the reason for the update....Check out the bling Terry, @vinylguy, made up for me. This image is next to last draft. The set of decals he is sending me are identical but indicate GT16 instead of GT14 due to the K341 on board. I can't wait to get them installed.

If you could send me some pictures that would be great. I do a lot of custom fab work, so even if the hood is some-what close I can make it work. Here's a few more pictures of last night's little project, I didn't want to hack up the stock "dash" to mount the extra controls for the kawasaki, so I made a new one. FYI X-Ray film makes AWSOME templates for custom stuff. And apparently Im not allowed to upload the finished product pictures.... how do you upload more than 8.21mb's of pictures?

Thanks for the number Kurt. I took an old bearing to NAPA this morning and said I need 4 of these and didn't say another word. The counter guy looked to be about 12 years old so I did not expect a good out come. He walked back among the parts bins for about 5 minutes and came back carrying 4 boxes. I then said what did you come up with for a part number 6203-2RS 17X 40X12mm? He said Yep we sell a bunch of these. I was very happy as well when he told me my total would be $53.42 which is $12.60 each plus tax. The description on the receipt says alternator bearing. I did remove the rubber shield from one side of each bearing and I'm glad I did. 2 were packed full of grease and 2 had little if any grease in them at all. I installed the new bearings in the old spindles and reassembled and installed the deck to the 520H, fired it up and engaged the PTO . I now have a nice quiet smooth running 48" spare mower deck and only spent a little over $50. Thanks for all the help you guys gave me. I was ready to just buy spindles. I had no idea how simple and inexpensive it is to replace just the bearings!

Can't start 'em out too young! Kudos to you. Good luck on your horse hunt!

I read a recent post on the forum which sparked a concept we sometimes forget but can never take for granted. The machinery (including Wheel Horses) we use and play with is stronger and more powerful than we are. This means it can hurt us and others, and it will if not used with full concentration, total awareness, and undivided attention. Whether it is a tractor, table saw, planer, welder, chop saw, or lawn mower, these machines deserve respect and undivided attention when they are being used. I lost part of a thumb to a table saw. My father lost part of a finger to a joiner. I grabbed a belt on my Wheel Horse and nearly lost a finger. Many of us have injured ourselves in some way using the tools we love best. And in most cases, it is at a moment when we lost concentration, forgot a basic rule, or tried to take a shortcut. These days, manufactures try to "dumb down" tools to protect them against weekend warriors who have no more respect for them than video games. Let's face it, if you are not going to respect your machines and use them with the caution and reverence that they deserve, then you should not be operating them. They are fun to use because of what they can accomplish in the hands of a skilled "professional", but they are not toys and should never be underestimated in their ability to harm if used without complete awareness. No safety feature will overcome this fact. Now, let's go mow in reverse.

Well I keep telling myself I'm not buying anymore as I'm trying to get ready to move hopefully in July... Well I found one I'm dying to have... Soo... I sweet talked my wife(even tho she did tell me when I found a good deal of a nice horse I could buy it) so that is my plan for tomorrow after I get my new wheels n tires mounted on my truck, I'm headed over 2 hours away to look at and hopefully buy another red horse.. Can't wait! Will post pics tomorrow!!! O me and my son got the ranger out yesterday after the lawn got mowed.. Then later me and my daughter took all the wheels off my wife's A-81 to scrub them up for Mother's Day present! It's a family hobby around my house!

Ran into minor problem with Lazarus. Set screws on carb keep working themselves loose. Ordered a new carb and will rebuild the one on the tractor at my leisure for a spare. Does do a decent job mowing. Although I can't raise the height of cut as far as I would like. I'm hoping that it's at least in part due tontheb42 inch rear discharge deck as I am rebuilding a 48 inch side discharge deck for mid summer. Here is a charity pic showing the cut.

On my way home. Got a few extra toys too..

Welcome to Red Square. Where there is a world of knowledge about Wheel horse tractor and anything related to them. Enjoy new friend.

A supporter means you have paid ,donated to this forum which helps keep this forum up and running . Any user name in red is a supporter in which in return is not limited to how much memory he/she uses ( I may have used the wrong term there , as I'm computer illiterate ) . I do know it just makes posting pics easier and your not limited to how many . To become a supporter go to top of page click on Store(SupportRS) and pick one of the plans that suits you best . 6months , 1year , 2year , or lifetime . Buying merchandise doesn't get you supporter status. I hope this helps .

Thanks! I'm suppose to go look at the tractor today at 4ish

I was given this one page safety sheet that was given to tractor buyers in the 1960's (came from a pile of old Wheel Horse dealer manuals and papers) and thought it should be of interest to the Red Square Wheel Horse Forum Members. I sent to Garry to post in the Wheel Horse Manuals area of this site.

I think I need to post this for jsp_333 ! Not to be a smart aleck -just to send a precautionary note! Very glad to see you preserving that RJ 35!

So we begin the wonderful journey of moving to a new house tomorrow. Never had give it much thought until tonight but I need to build a bigger trailer...was able to load the 701 and the Commando but there wasn't quite enough room to get the 1277 on there...I probably could have squeezed them all on if I took the mower deck off of mine but that's more trouble than it's worth lol guess I need to spend some time behind my welding hood in the shop

That will fit a 520h. Here is a pic of the mid mount idler. You can easily make a variation of one,just do a search on the forums

Very nice restoration. Just to stir the pot, what brand/color of red paint did you use?

I need to do something with the engine shrouds on the rj and am really backed into a corner because the they are bright green and just look ridiculous. I can't paint them even in the correct red because - as you'll see in the photos - the rest of the tractor has a dated look. So I just strip off the paint and get a really unique result... Jury is still out but unless anyone has a technique that can match the look of a 60 year old paint job that is how she's gonna stay.

One of the best things about this site is experience. These guys have already tried this stuff. They can save you a lot of time.. Just sayin`....

I see. Those attaching bolts in shear loading do not have the same cross section of material as a homogeneous blade. They are thus weak and prone to catastrophic failure. A bad accident would leave you with a life long memory you don't want. I agree with Don, don't do it. The location of the bolt holes make it even worse being near both edges of both blade components. If the bolts don't shear the blade material will tear resulting in the same catastrophe.

If you buy new bearings get the 2RS variety-sealed both sides. No need to grease. Make sure you remove the zerks and replace them with set screws

This came home with me...........from the local tractor show. It certainly has some issues , but, runs and drives fine. I have a kohler k91 hanging around so that will maybe be the ticket when I get around to restoring it. Would like to know what year it is .....if thats possible from the pictures...and if it could have had a k91 originally?? Thanks!!

Well, Took a pile of "EXTRAS" off it and I think looks a lot better. A couple turns of the screwdriver and even the tecky is runnin' ok. Not really sure why hood was raised 4 1/2 "................everything clears the engine ok .its tight, but not really all that bad. I would like to think there was a reason people do things...but......what a pile of washer's nuts and spacers I have left!

That is because mom and dad have good parenting skills.

Beautiful machine! That just set the bar a little too high!

Reality is now fake, Men are Women, Women are Men, People who don't work make more than people who do, Pets have rights, Corporations are human, Robots look like humans, What is illegal and bad for us in the long term is now a good thing, Free Speech is a right unless you speak positively about the Constitution, Religion, Marriage, or conservative values, then you're a sexist, racist, homophobe, whatever.... Our reality is as unreal as it can get. This world is upside down. I'm only in my 40's and in the last couple years I've come to understand what my 90 year old grandma told me a few years ago. "I've seen enough in this world and am ready to leave." At the time, I thought she was crazy for saying it, now I understand it. Not that I'm ready to give up, but I do understand her point of view.

I miss the good old days, with all the live variety shows. Loved the Muppets, Carol Burnett show , Smoother Brothers, Barbara Mandrell , Hee Haw . I know I'm missing some others. Some this reality TV is just is to much. I have enough drama in my life, let alone watching someone else's.

Thank you glad to be part of the community, and (hopefully) pass along some knowledge of these classic tractors!

Thanks! As far as the propane goes, I havnt the slightest idea if i should keep it that way.... it could be easily converted back to gas. The propane "kit" is pretty simple, besides the regulators and safety valve that shuts the gas off it the motor dies, it's just a 1" tall "ring" that is added on top of the carb. Gas would be easier, but with propane I'd never have to clean the carb, or winterize, or worry about fouling plugs....

http://www.wheelhorseforum.com/store/category/1-redsquare-support/

Unsure of exact year but if you have round spindles (not the one with 2 flats on them) then you likely just have ball bearings.

Looks 100% better! looks like it just needs a quick wash..

Thanks 953 nut! I appreciate it!

Be advised, you'll need the short tecky cup... for a Tecumseh recoil to bolt up to your Kohlers tins. Multiple recoil assemblies will work on a K-90/91, and each lends their own unique looks to the engine too. Schnacke, Fairbanks Morse, Tecumseh, and of course Kohler...all use different cups, because each has a different arrangement of pawls that engage said cups. For example...a K-90 with the Tecumseh recoil... ...K-90 with the Fairbanks recoil... ...K-90 with the Schnacke recoil.

Not plow related ,but could you check to see what paint matches up best (iH red or regal red ) . Maybe you could end the paint debate but I doubt it . Great score by the way , and your son has one sweet ride .

Thanks Jim... I might be up for a bit of welding on your El Camino (if I'm ever your way) but I will have to give the body prep a miss as I actually hate doing it! I'm sick of sanding bondo/filler! When I was happy with the bonnet it got three heavy coats of red oxide which also need flattening back to a smooth finish. The fender pan has taken lot's of work, but when I was happy it was mostly the shape it should be I hit it with red oxide.. Nothing like a coat of paint to show where the flaws are... And there were loads! Lot's more sanding and adding a bit of filler here and there we have reached this stage.. Only a few minor pin holes to sort out but I'm happy with how it looks now.. All the smaller panels are done apart from the final red oxide coats and some wet n dry flattening, and a thank you to Nigel for finishing the welding on the foot plates Friday With a bit of luck everything will be getting top coats next week, it will be nice to see some shiny paint on them finally

That's what i thought but apparently if they don't own it they can use it lol. That's what one told me. Sounds like some other people i know.

Atleast , there not getting scraped , another one saved !!!

Worst part is all that reality is made up!

Hi. Had something similar in the past. I resolved the problem by replacing the spark plug . It might be looking good but not enough "power" to light the fuel mixture. Cheap test since you have access to spare on the other engines. My 2 pence. Didier