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Unless your dealer is a complete putz, I'm of the opinion that patronizing your local dealer is the best bet for maintenance items. Why not? He might go to your synagogue, sponsor a kid's soccer team, be on the volunteer fire department, or tell you about the trade in that just came in from a little old lady who only cut grass when she came home from church on sundays. Besides, the OEM belt fits properly and is constructed of whatever rubber and pixie dust that's required to make it work correctly. Does this always work? No. You might buy a Kohler filter that was made in some offshore sweatshop by an 11 year old. But I think you stand a better chance of maintaining your continuity if supply if you get it locally. Steve

What bmsgaffer said. I had the hand control on my 416-H and absolutely hated it. But not having a lot of money to spend, I was reluctant to buy Matt's foot pedal kit. Once I pulled the trigger, I wondered why Wheel Horse never built the hydro's that way. I will NEVER go back to a hand operated hydro. Once you find the neutral stop position, you can loosen up the friction nut, lube the whole assembly for smoother action, and it works like a dream. My Eaton 1100 has 1600 hard use hours on it and it's still going strong.

Some pictures of my 1985 414-8..fully restored. Carb, Motor and Transmission fully torn down and rebuilt with all OEM parts.. All new OEM belts, PTO rebuilt with new OEM bearings and clutch. Frame and body parts and wheels sand blasted and powder coated. Hub Caps re- chromed New tires. Electrical harness repaired where needed. 48" Mower deck is brand new... Total cost for parts including deck..$4500.00 132 hours of exciting and rewarding labor... Good for another 40 years...(That's if i use it !)

So at the house I got the 1973 12 HP Auto and a Poulon from, I found this buried in a corner. I went and got it today. It appears to be complete and in decent shape. The rear tire looks to still hold air, and the engine appears to be free, but we'll find out more this weekend. The things that do need attention so far is the drive chain and the steering chain, which are both locked up. When I was looking these up, it appears that the company was started in Indianapolis and began making roto-tillers. And apparently only 500 of this type of tractor were made. So parts might be somewhat scarce. But it seems like most parts could be fabricated fairly easily. And the engine is a Briggs & Stratton, so parts for it might be easier to come by. Or just engine swap it. More pictures will come as I clean it up and get it figured out. I'm a little upset that this guy didn't have the snowplow attachment. But it shouldn't be too hard to make myself.

And yes your 520H will handle lots of forward and reverse around obstacles with no problems. I would recommend a "Matt's Hydro Foot Pedal Kit" which eliminated the hand control and puts the drive control to your right foot more like a modern hydrostat. Then adjust your creeping and those 520s are quite maneuverable.

I'm not sure where to put this, feel free to move it. While looking at that FEL/Johnny Bucket on the JD, I came across an ad for a company who can fabricate splined shafts, gears, etc. Maybe it will help someone restoring an older model with hard to find parts.

Garry

You have a good machine there. And we like pictures.

Yes, that seat cost me $450.00 and i was lucky to find that one still in the box unopened from a dealer in PA. Thank God for EBAY.... While restoring this machine I purchased a 1984 416-8, because I needed a tractor during the winter to run the 38" Ber Vac 2 stage blower. The 416 was tired but did its job...Once I finished the 414 , I started the 416 restoration....but I could not find another seat...My 416 is now the work horse mowing in the summer and blowing snow in the winter... and I just drive the 414 around the yard just to prevent the carb from gumming.... When I was younger I was a mechanic at a Gravely, IH Cub Cadet Dealership back in the late 70s. They were great machines to work on ...but I always liked the Wheel horses... This 414-8 was the first wheel Horse I purchased...I guess this restoration was a a mid life crisis for me....not so bad... Thanks for all your kind comments Below is the 416-8 restoration with the 38" Ber Vac Blower also restored...bad seat though

Nope

I got my $60 front mower attachment working tonight. I had to make yolks get wheels and even make a mid mule drive. It all works good. I made everything from a picture too.

I made some notes above in red.

Don't let @DennisThornton know; he will have the NY Boarder Patrol after you.

Yes, as stated. Matts pedal kit. You will not regret it. Glenn

9-21-1989 Powell becomes Joint Chiefs’ chairman The Senate Armed Forces Committee unanimously confirms President George H. Bush’s nomination of Army General Colin Powell as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Powell was the first African American to achieve the United States’ highest military post. Powell was born in 1937 in Harlem, New York, to Jamaican immigrant parents. Joining the U.S. Army after college, he served two tours in Vietnam before holding several high-level military posts during the 1970s and 1980s. From 1987 to 1989, he was national security adviser to President Ronald Reagan and in 1989 reached the pinnacle of his profession when he was appointed chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff by President George Bush. As chairman, General Powell’s greatest achievement was planning the swift U.S. victory over Iraq in 1991’s Persian Gulf War. In 1993, he retired as chairman. Two years later, he embarked on a national tour to promote his autobiography,My American Journey, fueling speculation that he was testing the waters for a possible presidential campaign. By the fall of 1995, public enthusiasm over the possibility of his running for president had reached a feverish pitch. Regarded as a moderate Republican, opinion polls showed Powell trailing close behind Republican favorite Bob Dole and favored over Democratic incumbent Bill Clinton. However, in November 1995, he announced that he would not run for president in the next election, citing concerns for his family’s well-being and a lack of passion for the rigors of political life.

I went to look at the 417-8 today in person. It looked a lot better on the internet than in person. Seller had washed it, and painted some of it with wrong colors. Fair amount of peeling paint. It has electrical problems and some broken clutch linkage. I made the seller an offer lower than his asking price, but he turned it down, probably because he just listed it three days ago. Engine sounded good, and only had 488 hours, but they must have been hard hours. I passed on it. Instead I've decided to get a newer snow thrower with the high chute to use on my 312. I've been told that the high chute makes a difference compared to the short I used last year. But I'll also keep my eyes open for a better 417. Thanks for all of the help and advice. Jim

Kelly Hollister has gotten back to me, and said he would check his stock of parts to see what he has. So that is taken care of. I plan on taking a pile of pieces out to my machine shop this weekend to prep, and paint. These parts will include a pile of fasteners, the fender pan, drive belt cover, PTO pulley, and other pieces. Will also take the steel rod to make new battery hold-downs. Will leave these parts at the Shop till the following weekend for curing. Thursday I get my new front tires, so I need to get the front rims to the sand-blaster Friday. Hopefully Kelly can get me a replacement front spindle in the next week or so. Adjusted the carburetor this evening to see if I could get the engine to run smoother. Actually improved it markedly. No doubt part of the improvement is due to running the engine. At higher RPMs, the motor smooths out well, but at idle tends to run uneven and rough. While I may still get a new carb., I intend to get to NAPA Friday morning and get some new plug wires and end caps. I feel that a lot of my issues can be cured by that change alone. Once the new wires are fabricated and installed, will also check the timing to get it dead-on. It does start easy now, with just a throw of the choke till it fires, then slowly backing off as it warms. While the tractor was idling, I actuated the hydraulic lift, and it works good. Have not detected any leaks so far, but may go ahead and replace the hoses as insurance. One item I intend to address pretty damn quick, is the horrible exhaust leaks. The thing sounds like an over-rev'ed John Deere with no muffler. Too, the heat shields and muffler are loose. Not sure where the leaks are coming from. My luck, they are probably everywhere there is a joint.

36D - Argh - I be banned....

Well it's different. I have no clue how you would go around trees. I'm only 16 and I made all the parts I needed from a picture.

I just purchased my first wheel horse tractor. It is a 1995 520H serial #5901574 and I have a few questions to ask. When I received the tractor the idler pulley on the main drive belt was shot so I replaced it. I notice that the drive belt is still doing a lot of jumping and may be stretched. The parts diagram shows the belt but the diagram doesn't seem to be the same as my model. It lists the drive belt as 5/8" x 83". Can anyone tell me if this is correct? Also the hydro transmission seems to be slightly engaged when in neutral and it will move forward when parked. If I put the brake on it sounds like the transmission is trying to move. Any adjustment for this? I am using this to mow about 3 acres of grass that has a lot of obstacles and I am wonder if the hydro tranny will take a lot of forward and reverse motion? I did tighten the bolt a little on the tranny shift linkage to stop the shift lever from dropping down when it was in motion.

http://www.mywheelhorse.com/graphics/file/z_Other/AA_WH_Interchange_1955-_00.pdf Not sure this will do exactly what you need but I have used it few times to find attachments model numbers and years.

I sure hope so i am about sick thinking i hurt my horse and i want to spend alot of money on her and make it look really nice. I got all new decals coming and some 520H 8 1/2 wide rims. I did try turning the hubs both at the same time in gear and they locked up in the same direction. Also if you spin one the other goes in the other direction. I will try the nuetral thing in a few minutes. Thanks for all your help. I got wheel weights, chains and a 3 x 4 x 16" dump trailer also.

I put a small screw with a locknut thru the rivet to restore the friction.

It sounds like you did not break anything at all. If you turn one hub, the other hub SHOULD turn the opposite direction with little to no resistance. Try this: sit behind tractor (everything off, key out, parking brake off) with it IN gear. Try spinning both hubs at the same time in the same direction, you will be unable to move them (unless you are an absolute hulk then you have a chance of cranking the engine over). Now put the transmission in neutral, and do the same thing. You should be able to turn them both the same direction but it will require a bit more effort because you are spinning the gears in the transmission (you will probably hear them spinning) but not the transmission input pulley (because you are in neutral). And if you dont want to try any of those things I will bet good money that you can slap the tires back on, put her on the ground and she will work just as you expect her to.

I do not think you broke anything you just meed to understand what an open differential does. If both wheels are in the air turning one wheel will result in the other wheel turning the opposite direction. If it is in gear you will be able to turn one hub freely but if you try to turn both at the same time it will stop.

Or the rusty red ones . Everyone saved is better than letting them be crushed or rust down to nothing.

Took a slightly long trip last night to pull another one outta NY. Oh, and now I can mow my lawn much much quicker.

The most collectible Wheel Horses? The red ones.

The correct part number for your belt is 114895. It is 5/8 x 83" (cloth covered). The adjustment for the "creep" is found in your owners manual, and if you don't have one, it can be downloaded from our manuals section. Glad to have you.

My Ford 9N broke down late in the night hauling logs. Towed it back to my garage the next morning with my 856. Let's see if this works...

Get the tall chute thrower and continue to look for a tractor with more Horse power. Bottom line is more Horse Power with a thrower equals more satisfaction and that turns into more fun.. I had a 417-8 with almost 2000 HARD hrs. on it and she still ran excellent when I let it go. Peeling paint is the norm for these year tractors, electrical bugs are as well and they aren't too hard to sort out. More than likely he painted the two side panels as they almost always peel.. They are very easy to take off and repaint in a color that matches better. Without seeing pics of that 417 and what his asking price is there is no way for us to know whether it was a deal or not... 488 hrs is very low hrs. There is never a way to tell if they are accurate but if you know what to look for and what a low hr tractor should feel like that really helps. I also had a 417 with 400 hrs. and it was a world of difference from the one I had with 2000 hrs. on it. Cosmetics are an easy fix..

Not that I recall, it's three years ago, here's a build pic of the steering. If it makes you feel better I paid more for the axle, wheels and tires than the original tractor...that cost me £300 ($450) with deck and trailer!

Prior to restoration I knew I needed a seat...The whole project pivoted on " Could I find an original OEM seat ? "...I worked on Wheel horses for years and I knew what I was getting into and all the other parts I would need... I wanted this tractor the exact same way I purchased it back in 1985...and did I luck out when after 2 weeks I found an brand new original seat .I knew that was a good sign that the machine restoration would be successful. I enjoyed every minute of it and all the memories I had of using the machine throughout all four seasons as I grew up. This machine was so dependable..I couldn't let it down and the restoration had to be perfect in my eyes...This was the least i could do for this machine, seeing it performed beyond expected for the 30 years I had it... I just glad i grew up in that era when these machines were built ...I just shake my head at all the throw away machines they sell today...

Kohlers were always my favorite Horse engines. Now however my 20 hp Onan 520-8 seems to be my go to Stallion.

I used Rustoleum Satin Black on my 1142. Not perfect but real close. I read where people have trouble with it drying but I have never had that problem here above the Mason-Dixon.

They are even better now. The friction material is slightly curled and more flexible allowing it to conforms to the shape of the brake band easier.

It's that magic time of year again!!!! First day of autumn is tomorrow and the leaves are starting to fall and the white tail deer we have so many of here in southern central Iowa are getting dumber every minute of the day...... If your a hunter, and want to put some meat away for the winter come to Iowa and leave your shot gun and slugs at home. (No rifle deer hunting allowed in Iowa, like they are on the endangered species list......) Just drive around in the country and the deer will find you and run into the side of your vehicle at full deer speed ahead. You now have a great big dent in the side of your truck and winter meat for your freezer. Gotta contact the DNR to make it legal of course and your insurance company will be grinding their teeth processing all the additional claims and the body shops always have great big smiles on their faces as you pull into their parking lot for an estimate...... DON'T VEER FOR DEER...... IT'S THAT TIME OF YEAR!

Just what is a "wench chest"?

Slammer, I don't know of anyone with lighting in the cab. But heck, I don't even have a cab. Regarding heat, I think some engine heat finds its way into the cab, considering how the cab drapes over the hood and down the sides of the hood near the rear of the engine. That is just my thoughts from reading, and dreaming, over the years. You see me in the pics, a cold, damp, wet dog, shivering and shaking. With no cab. Lol Glenn

I'm thinking... something that combines the three of these into one would be the perfect snow machine.

When I find a round hood tractor that is in decent enough original condition I like to leave them alone. Any round hood tractor I've restored in the past was pretty much trashed. I also think the newer tractors, (such as yours) are more appreciated when restored. Now, when I come across a tractor such as yours I think they look awesome when they are restored or have a nice refurberation. I tend to go the refurb route on the worker type tractors, I consider a refurb a tractor that has any worn parts replaced or repaired, a good general tidy up and clean up of the tractor before repainting it with a decent paint before adding new decals. You really don't need to blow the tractor completely apart. You don't have to go absolutely nuts on it, especially if you plan to work it.. When I use the word "restoration" I take that word seriously. Absolutely no short cuts, everything gets completely torn down and inspected, a rebuild on anything that needs it, only high quality paints used applied by a spray gun, weather cracked tires replaced... In other words, as good as new. I've been there and done that and boy does it get expensive... There really is no wrong way to go as long as you are happy. Here is an example of a tractor I did a refurb on.. I have been using it thru out the summer hauling fire wood as I split it.. I'll have to find some before pics.. Total investment including the cost of the tractor is less than 350 bucks..

Find a local welding shop they should fix it for under $20.

You have a nice fleet going as it is. It seems like these days either you spend a little or a fortune to buy a tractor . 1500 for a lowes special or 10,000 at your local John Deere dealer. What happened to the garden tractors of yesteryear? My local toro guy used to sell Wheelhorse and had one floor model that I think he had for 3,000 . After that one sold he would be selling no more of that model. People want cheap not quality. Now he only sells toro zero turns.

9-20-1960 Mickey Thompson tries again to become the fastest driver in history On this day in 1960, California hot rodder Mickey Thompson takes another shot at the world land-speed record. A few weeks earlier, Thompson had become the first American to travel faster than 400 mph on land when he’d piloted his Challenger I (a car that he designed and built himself) across Utah’s Bonneville Salt Flats at 406.6 mph. This drive had made Thompson the fastest man on wheels, but not officially: In order to win a place in the land-speed record books, racers must make a return pass within the hour, and Thompson’s car broke down in the middle of his second run, necessitating a follow-up attempt. At the time, the world land-speed record was 394 mph, set at Bonneville in 1947 by the British driver John Cobb. On his first run across the flats (403.135 mph), Cobb became the first man to go faster than 400 mph. (His second run only reached 388.019 mph; the record speed was an average of the two.) To set a world speed record, drivers must make two passes over the same measured mile, one out and one back (to account for wind assistance), and beat the previous average by at least 1 percent. After Thompson’s first pass across the Utah flats on September 9, he refueled the 7,000-pound, 2,000 horsepower Challenger and pushed off for the return trip. As the car gathered speed, however, something went wrong. For years, Thompson told people that something was the driveline: It had snapped, he said, forcing him to stop accelerating and coast back across the desert. In fact, one of the car’s four supercharged engines blew when Thompson shifted into high gear. (“When you’re sponsored by an engine company and you blow an engine,” one expert on the Challenger I explained, “you don’t say that you blew a Pontiac engine. You say that you broke a driveline.”) On September 20, Thompson tried again. This time, he only managed to coax the Challenger up to about 378 mph on his first run and 368 mph on his second. But it hardly mattered: The Challenger’s speedy trips across the desert won worldwide fame for the car and its driver, and by the time Thompson retired in 1962, he had set more than 100 speed records.