Leaderboard

I told this memory to tkol1969 a few weeks ago. And he thought it would be a great one to share. In October 1960 my folks had Natural Gas ran to the house. So there was about 100 ft. of open trench going to the gas meter. When Dad was ready to back fill the trench ,one of his friends came over with what I believe now was a Suburban model Wheel Horse with a dozer blade. I distinctly remember the "Round Hood" shape on the little tractor. Dad's friend pushed in all the back fill with that amazing little tractor. I guess it made quite an impression on a then, 4 yr old, TIGman Only wish I had a old photo to go along with the story. Did find a photo that MikesRJ shared on a 1958 RJ-58 thread that looks much like the image I have of the Wheel Horse I witnessed doing amazing things.

The lookout is accessible again ! ( first pic ) . The logging is done there & the posted signs are gone Finished a new connector trail ( in the direction the bike is aimed ) . Was a little work each time out but well worth it . ( pic #2 )

1960 Suburban 400 Rat Rod

The C-80, C-100, C-120, C-160 are the best of the Wheel Horse line. I know there are different opinions. But construction for the models were the best. Making something more complicated doesn't make it better.

They were probably less expensive than a Deere or a Cub, but by no means were they entry level. The design was such that they were simple to work on, less expensive to manufactured and use a lot of stock parts in the Wheel Horse parts supply. Construction was well thought out to meet the requirements set forth, i.e simple design, less parts, easier to maintain, reuse of parts, easy to fabricate, manufacture and assemble. I believe these design traits has allowed them to be very durable, and for owners to maintain over the years. Also it what appeals to collectors and hobbyists today. They are easy to restore and work on, compared to other brands of the same era. And they were not entry level tractors. If you look at the overall design, and can understand manufacture techniques and design, and understand logistics, they were well thought out. Compare them to today's lawn tractors and you will see what entry level really is and what cost cutting is. The Wheel Horses were not!

Wasn't sure what to expect from the storm this weekend so I left work yesterday and went to Mathews to get my tractors out of the barn and up on blocks in my shed. Neighbor called this afternoon and told me the barn I keep a couple of them in did get water in it, but my shed was nice and dry. If I hadn't put them on blocks I'm sure the water would have reached my shed.

There was a time when I had some of the same thoughts on Wheel Horse tractors. I thought why couldn't they have put a bearing or bushing here or there? Why didn't they make the frame a little beefier? Why did they not use a nice steering box instead of the Fred Flintstone fan gear steering? But in the end I'm glad they did what they did because obviously it's kept me around Wheel Horses for 25 years, and I still enjoy them to this day. Adam, hopefully you will end up with the same smile on your face about Wheel Horses as most of us here on Red Square have.

http://www.nbcnews.com/news/weather/hermine-deliver-life-threatening-surf-winds-north-carolina-new-england-n642426 I'm thanking Cyclone Hermine tonight. After getting the above forecasts, I shortened my Labor Day weekend at my camp at the Delaware shore and came back home to Pa for the rest of the holiday. Arriving at noon today, I discovered lightening had struck my house several hours after I left on Wed. Tripping the breakers to a beverage fridge and a 24 cu ft chest freezer full of a years harvest of venison, perch filets, crab meat, blackberries, and the entire garden harvest. The good news...It only thawed on the top and everything was cold so nothing in the freezer was lost and the warm beer, soda, and wine has already been chilled. The bad news is ... so far I have lost two garage door operators, one TV, one answering machine, one clothes dryer, and possibly the breaker panel. Off to see the homeowners agent Tuesday morning. So, again, thank you Hermine for sending me home early and preventing a big 400lb stinky mess. Didn't mean to highjack your post Chip, but I thought you might be interested on some good news from Hermine.

The other day the wife and I were talking about how many of these I have bought in the last couple of years. She said "The first step in any addiction is admitting you have a problem." So I got out to the shop, sit down, and spend some time soul searching. I realized I do have a problem... ... I need a bigger shop!

I agree whole heartily that more complicated isn't always better I prefer to own equipment I can maintain. I even prefer to do the maintenance and repairs on my 90 Chevy k-1500 over buying a newer model.

Suburban 400

1966 - 1056

Did you use a horse to tow that yellow thing in the shed?

HA HA , It was in the box with the other parts and the box is empty. At least I did not go running around the Big Show screaming "Where is that guy?".

Hey all. Just wanted to show you all, what I purchased for My Wheel Horse 518 back in the spring. I am sorry to say, but you cannot but this cab in the US. But it is so nice! Lights, sprinkler and wiper. And it is real auto glass. It is attached in a matter of minutes and Will be so comfortable in the winter.

Have brought the C-175 home, and in spite of the sorry state of the machine, I am both hopeful, and tickled. Without further ado, here are photos of the tractor freshly unloaded from the trailer. Thing was sitting in a mud hole beneath a bunch of trees, and certainly looks it. Mud, bugs, leaves, and twigs pretty well cover everything, along with some moss starting from the damp. First order is to wash it down to make it bearable to look at. Since the weather is supposed to be sunny and dry for the next few days, will leave it outside the garage to thoroughly dry out. Will then start making runs to the hardware store and NAPA to begin the process of bringing this beast back to life.

Had the C-120 out today taking care of the lawn mowing duties. It sure does a nice job.

Wheel Horses can trace their history to 1946, the year after WWII ended. (Correct me if I am wrong on this guys.) The first IH Cub Cadet 'Original' garden tractor was introduced in 1961. The first John Deere garden tractor model 110 was introduced in 1963. You don't have to go much further back than 1946 to only have 2-wheel motorized plows and cultivation tools available for small acreage needs. Deere and IH already had many years of corporate success when their garden tractors were introduced. In my mind, the Pond's are post WWII American pioneers. A uniquely American product from a one man start-up during the crest of the machine age.

You know , l do have a memory of a WHEEL HORSE tractor . When I was in my early teens I went to a friends house . His dad and uncle each had a foot on one of the running boards arguing ( I think a 4 or 5 series ) . It was all about who's tractor could pull who's backwards . His father was pretty proud of that WHEEL HORSE . I know reside in the last home he built before he passed away . Wonder what ever happened to that tractor . @TIGman for jarring my head and bringing back some good child hood memories .

Yes Sir, I likes chainsaws too! And all of them run and are operational. Still 025, 029 super, MS460 Magnum Dolmar 7910 Homelite super xl Poulan 3800 McCollough timber bear And my Granddaddy's 1959 Clinton Handy D50 yes it runs and saws too.

Managed to get it done fairly quickly this morning but had a few minor hiccups, but I figured I would describe/show the steps to replace the outer wheel bearing. Just so everyone knows, you do NOT have to remove the inner needle bearing to do this. 1) First thing I did was remove the outer C clip at the end of the PTO shaft. 2) The next thing I did is I clamped the PTO in a vice and used a piece of wood that fit through the needle bearing and into the outside bearing. I used a hammer to drive it out. Here you can see the bearing shell sliding out. 3) After I had the ball bearing removed I removed the C clip holding in the ball bearing to the outside lug. 4) From there I struggled a bit to get the broken ball bearing off shaft. I came up with a 15/16 deep socket and that wrapped around the outside and then place a 7/16 socket underneath after I soaked it in PB blaster for a bit. I then hit the 15/16 socket and drove the ball bearing off the shaft. 5) After that was removed I put the new ball bearing on (same way as I just removed it) 6) Then I clipped the C clip back on just like in step 3. 7) Put the ball bearing back in the shaft through the outside. (Just like step 2) 8) Put the outside C Clip on like in Step 1. 9) And this is what it should look like. 10) Clean the inside up and add some grease to the needle bearing and your good to go.

Yeppers, the only problem I see is you might need a BIGGER barn for the Horse collection. I seem to have the same problem.

You are not alone...

I haven't quite got around to the mower deck just yet, but got the exhaust from our friend jimkemp installed and the disc redone. Received a dual wheel adapter from squonk and considering adding to this one. It's like power steering with the disc on!

I built my 26x32 garage in 1993. I have 4" of concrete with wire mesh,with a 12x12 footing poured into the slab all the way around the perimeter with re rod imbedded into it. I also added one course of block on top of the slab, then built walls on top of the block. only have the normal concrete cracks. Poured on top of a gravel base. No problems with settling here.

1977 C-120 1965 Lawn Ranger actually tkol1969 thinks it is a 1966.

9-4-1957 Edsel arrives in showrooms at last On September 4, 1957–“E-Day,” according to its advertising campaign–the Ford Motor Company unveils the Edsel, the first new automobile brand produced by one of the Big Three car companies since 1938. (Although many people call it the “Ford Edsel,” in fact Edsel was a division all its own, like Lincoln or Mercury.) Thirteen hundred independent Edsel dealers offered four models for sale: the smaller Pacer and Ranger and the larger Citation and Corsair. To many people, the Edsel serves as a symbol of corporate hubris at its worst: it was an over-hyped, over-sized, over-designed monstrosity. Other people believe the car was simply a victim of bad timing. When Ford executives began planning for the company’s new brand, the economy was booming and people were snapping up enormous gas-guzzlers as fast as automakers could build them. By the time the Edsel hit showrooms, however, the economic outlook was bad and getting worse. People didn’t want big, glitzy fin cars anymore; they wanted small, efficient ones instead. The Edsel was just ostentatious and expensive enough to give buyers pause. At the same time, there is probably no car in the world that could have lived up to the Edsel’s hype. For months, the company had been running ads that simply pictured the car’s hood ornament and the line “The Edsel Is Coming.” Everything else about the car was top-secret: If dealers failed to keep their Edsels hidden, they’d lose their franchise. For the great E-Day unveiling, promotions and prizes–like a giveaway of 1,000 ponies–lured shoppers to showrooms. When they got there, they found a car that had a distinctive look indeed–but not necessarily in a good way. Thanks to the big impact ring or “horse collar” in the middle of its front grille, it looked (one reporter said) like “a Pontiac pushing a toilet seat.” (Another called it “an Oldsmobile sucking a lemon.”) And its problems were more than cosmetic. Drivers changed gears by pushing buttons on the steering wheel, a system that was not easy to figure out. In addition, at highway speeds that famous hood ornament had a tendency to fly off and into the windshield. In its first year, Edsel sold just 64,000 cars and lost $250 million ($2.5 billion today). After the 1960 model year, the company folded.

Ed , that is a lot of damage . I hope the lighting strikes did not do any structural damage to your home. Mother nature can be a wicket beast. Maybe it was a good thing that you were away when the lighting struck.

Good to see you kept the horses hooves out of the salt water.

Sunset was nice tonight so I took a snap of the old Horse .

Great story Tig. I too date back to 1960 on Wheel Horses and many times I wish I had some pictures. I'm not the only one who loves seeing those old photos.

If I had all the space you guys have ,I would be in hog heaven. The perfect house garage combination for me would be house size 1500 sq feet, garage would be 3000 sq ft with room for another 3000 sq ft. I wish.

Thanks for the replies. I like all brands guys, just prefer green. I am not saying these tractors are inferior in any way, just different from what I am used to. I enjoying restoration projects like this, and the challenge of making them better than new. It is a fact that these tractors are very simple indeed to work on. I will enjoy updating and uprating this tractors features/options to my liking. Thank-you for all the input so far

1960 Model 400.

Maybe you never got it from Squonk, because he could not find you at the show. Maybe you left it on the bench at the motel. Too funny Jim.

i remember as a kid going to the indianapolis motor speedway and seeing shiny new wheelhorses everywhere. there was alot of grass along the track in those days. they always had a fleet of c195's and then later on 520's putting a nice stripe job on the lawn there. it was almost as exciting to me as a boy, as the cars were. my how things have changed, wheelhorse as a company, and a sponser has faded into just a memory.

Footers below the frost line for sure and it will still move some. My wifes grandfather built on a slab years ago and I have to repoint 1 corner every few years. Just keeps settling a bit at a time. I think slabs are fine in more temperate zones but not so good in areas with severe temp changes.

This could have been put into the regular forum, but since it shows a couple of off-brand tractors, I'm placing it here. This guy is pretty much into all colors, all brands of garden tractors. In this video you will see a 1962 Cub Cadet Original, a 1963 Wheel Horse 753, a 1968 Wheel Horse Charger 12, a 1967 John Deere 110 pulling an IH cart, and a 1963 Wheel Horse 633 (without it's hood). And you will see some more tractors in the background.

Nice job protecting the tractors....glad to hear you didn't get "swamped"! Mike....

Need to put that shed on stilts.

perect time to take those blades off and sharpen them

Take a look at this article from an old cope of a street rod magazine. Don't think you will be able to match up the original paint on a touch up.

A year too late but going for the month of June

Throwin a hat in the ring here... 1960 Suburban 400 1959 RJ59 1960 Suburban 400 1961 Suburban 401

Still waiting on the exhaust stack from our good friend Jim Kemp. Otherwise pretty much completed. Now to the mower deck. Looks a tad better, don't ya think?

Okay, an update. I have been busy on this project for the past few weeks. My hat is off to you guys that do these regularly. Progress has gone pretty well. I swapped the 12 horse that was in this one into a C-121 that I bought with a broken rod. I'm using that one to mow on some land I own. Will resto it (maybe) in a couple years when I get moved up there. The plan was to rebuild that engine but the piston skirt had a pretty nice hunk out of it, so I opted against that for now. I sourced a M10 from a guy that had it on a compressor. It was smoking a bit. So I rebuilt it with new piston and valves. It was right on the edge of needing to be bored, so I am gonna give it a shot. If it needs boring, I will do that this winter. First step was to take it to the carwash to remove 50 years of crud. I started dismantling. Probably could have done a better job of marking parts, but I will just have to figure it out. Sandblasting and knotted wire wheel until I was blue in the face, but finally got everything cleaned and primed. ( or red, it's hot in Texas!) Tried for 2 weeks to get the steering wheel off. PB Blaster and a gear puller and a lot of cussing. Finally through in the towel. Will do the best I can with repainting. When I got to the transaxle, I gave it a shot of PB and a few whacks and went straight to the sawzall. Will replace with the TS pin everyone has talked about. Found a couple of stress cracks on the frame and welded those up, as well as cracks in the hood. Couldn't figure out how to get the pictures to come along with the story, so I guess they will all just be at the end.... Been using filler primer and wetsanding the seat pan, hood and belt cover. Ordered paint and now I am almost a standstill. Will start blasting the wheels in the meantime. The seat was beyond hope. the rust made the bottom see-through so will have to order a aftermarket seat. Considering ags for the rear and maybe ribs on the front and a stack exhaust. Will probably reincorporate the headlights, though not positive. Decided on Rustoleum Regal Red for paint. Will shoot it from my HVLP gun. Man I must have read 30 pages of painting tips. A wealth of information! More to come! I have been relying so much on the wisdom and experience found here, that I pulled the supporter trigger. That's probably been the best bargain of this whole resto project! Like I told several friends, I have proven I can tear one down....soon the bigger task of putting it back together will present itself. Curious to see how all the pics I added show up...... June 22nd at Carwash...