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John Robert is my go to Wheel Horse when some out of the ordinary heavy duty mowing has to be done. Anyway to reward John Robert for the hard work he does I gave him a good bath this week. He cleans up pretty well don't you think? Still going strong with the original K341.

Getting ready for cooler weather got 2 out of 3 horses in the barn, number 3 will come in when I make room

Let me chime in,the newer TORO Wheel Horse Classic 315-8 does not just resemble the earlier series, they ARE indeed a newer manufacture of the previous 300 Series. I own a 310-8 , a C-81 and a Toro / Wheel Horse 315-8, they are the exact same tractor frame and body, They placed a Command Series Kohler motor on the 315-8 and some added safety items but at the end of the day it's just a re-issue of the 300 series. It is not just similar ,it is not almost the same, it doesn't just look the same, it is indeed the 300 Series manufactured again for a short period, I believe 2002 to 2006. Toro should never have stopped this Classic 300 Series Wheel Horse manufacturing line as the markets are now void of anything close to the hi quality and the ruggedness of this Garden Tractor. It is the real deal. Had they left the TORO name off the hood and fender stickers, the world would see and recognize a 300 Series Wheel Horse. As stated above, ALL of the C Series , 300,400 , 500 and Toro/Wheel Horse Classic 315-8 Series attachments that use the Attach-A-Matic system can be used with any and all of the Tractors. Maybe someone at Toro should take a tour of the box store lawn tractors and also visit the John Deere dealer so they can get an idea of what is now totally missing from the market . Even JD is no longer making a similar machine unless you get into the 500 series. I guarantee that home owners with larger lots and other chores other than cutting grass who pay $3000 for a machine that will maybe last 6 to 8 years will think twice about doing that again after it falls apart. You put a REAL Garden Tractor built on a massive frame next to anything out there in the BOX stores and it is no longer about money. It appears that the corporate plan these days, including Toro and JD, is to only build lawn tractors that last 5 to 7 years.

My first 520 came from work. I worked for DuPont at the time and this machine in their eyes did not have enough safety switches. Machine was only used to blow snow with a 2 stage blower. They bought a new Cub to replace it. The only additional safety features the cub really has is the foot control where everything stops when you lift your foot (the 520 now has this, thanks Matt), and the reverse lockout that stops the blower when you reverse (more of a curse than a safety as you don't realize it has stopped until you drive into the snow again and plug up the non-turning blower). Cub has been to the shop many times due to a broken flywheel where the shaft drive connects, charge coil replacement, leaky hydro, broken plastic seat mount. Blower has been replaced because the flimsy sheet metal got so bent it could not be straightened. This is a top of the line unit that cost in excess of $10,000.00. The old 520 is still working fine.

Not sure I need more projects, but.....

9-28-1960 Ted Williams hits home run in last major league at-bat On September 28, 1960, at Boston’s Fenway Park, Red Sox star Ted Williams hits a home run in the last at-bat of his 21-year career. Ted Williams once said it was his goal in life to “walk down the street [and have] folks say ‘there goes the greatest hitter who ever lived.’” He succeeded. Williams led the American League in batting average six times, home runs four times and runs batted in four times. He was one of only two men ever to win baseball’s Triple Crown twice, leading the league in home runs, runs batted in and batting average in 1942 and again in 1947. Perhaps most impressively, however, he hit .406 in 1941–he was the last man ever to hit .400. He accomplished more than that, missing three seasons to fly combat missions in the Navy during World War II and parts of two more as a Marine during the Korean War, again to fly, this time with John Glenn as his wingman. Williams would later mold himself into a world-class fly fisherman, widely respected and accomplished with the reel. In spite of his brilliance at the plate, Williams had a tempestuous relationship with Red Sox fans and the media; to his frustration, his every move, both on and off the field, was reported in the newspapers. After being booed by the Fenway faithful early in his career, he swore never to tip his cap to the Boston fans again. In spite of the many spectacular home runs and clutch hits in his career, he never did. After he hit .254 with a bad back in 1959, Red Sox management urged Williams to retire. Too proud to hang it up after a less-than-stellar season, he returned in 1960 at 42 years old and hit .316 for the year with 29 home runs. In the eighth inning of his final game at Fenway, played in front of a nearly empty house, Williams pulled a 1-1 pitch from Baltimore Oriole Jack Fisher into the Boston bullpen. After rounding the bases, he once again stubbornly refused to take off his hat to acknowledge his cheering fans. John Updike memorialized Williams’ career by telling the story of his last at-bat in the short story “Hub Fans Bid Kid Adieu,” published October 22, 1960 in The New Yorker

Better pictures.

Don't forget the proliferation of the ZTR to help kill the GT market. I think the three factors that saw the end of the GT tractor as we know and like it are: the ZTR the SCUT Throw-away mentality society

Along with this ,when the Xi's were selling new ($10k+ for the 523DXI) the proliferation of compact and sub compact 4WD utility tractors for $12-15k with a FEL and 3pt hitch,so if you can/could afford $10k for the 2WD DXi plus attachments then why not $2-3k more for 4WD FEL PTO driven MMM and 3pt rear hitch and rear PTO ect, which most people than can has done which killed the L&G market, I like my 22 hp Kioti with FEL and it can do things the 520s can't but then it's really not a lawnmower or a farm tractor,so back to the old adage a tractor of the right size for the job, the more the better right fellas? ...Jeff...and just my Toro didn't hurt Wheel Horse (all mine are) they kept them going well into 2000s they just couldn't compete profitably against the box store (MTD) and C.U.T. segments...

Everybody is hitting all around the subject but no one has said. It's a disposable world out there. There is no more room for a piece of equipment such as a Wheel Horse in this world. As much as we would like it to be, this is the world in which we live now. You even see it in big trucks and farm equipment now. It's use it then throw it away.

So as my wife and I were sitting , talking, having a cup of coffee out in the driveway this morning, as we do every morning, we looked over at the C-81 parked next to the 315-8.... she says," what are you gonna do with it, we now have 3 tractors , are you just gonna look at it " ? I thought about it for a few seconds and said... "YES".

I know some of the older Wheel Horses probably has tons and tons of hours on them, but without an hour meter, it's hard to tell how many they have. But, just for discussion sakes, how many hours do you have on your Wheel Horse, if it has an hour meter. My '88 416-8 that I picked up in June has over 3600 hours, and I'm sure the engine and transaxle is original to the tractor. I should go and take a picture of the actual hours on it to document it, but it reads over 3600 hours. It still runs and drives good, but does smoke some on startup. Sorry if this topic has been brought up before as I did do a search, but couldn't find a specific topic on it. I did find threads asking how many hours on this model, this engine, etc., but no specific thread on actual hours of owner's machines, except for this one:

yes. The only thing that makes a 520 blade different is that it has a (removable) extension kit on it that pushes it about 4" forward to clear the forward swept axle and the angle handle is bent so you can still reach it. Other than those items they are exactly the same. So if you have the original angle handle, you can remove the extension kit and have the same exact blade as all the other tach-a-matic tractors use.

We have a couple more than four and love them! The 953 was so much in demand when first made by Wheel Horse that the 1054 was made for several years after. The 48 inch mower deck was the first 48 inch deck and was very heavy and well made. The snowplow was a 54 inch on this tractor. The Hein-Werner hydraulic pump gave you good rear and center rock shaft lift capability. The 10 HP Kohlers were the heavy industrial version which is why so many of these still have there original motors. If you use a tractor to work -this has a tremendous amount of power and flexibility.

Van, keep him away from my dirty girl, less he come with flowers and a ring in hand. We need good intentions and no hanky Panky. LOL Glenn

Looks like a well maintained worker whose earned its keep . They way our grass has been growing lately it's every 3 days !

My I own and use a 74 C-120 Auto, 87 310-8 and a 88 416-8 . The attachments work on all 3 , and the newer horses have way too many safety switches. If a switch goes bad get the mutli meter out start tracing. ( Not my favorite thing to do ). I like the 87 and 88 due to the gear trans. There are some differences in tire and front rim sizes on the 87 and 88 but all 3 a build like tanks compared to the box store products. I have a 72 Commando 800 that needs and engine and if the true be told that is my favorite . It fits my Butt and as we all know that is important.

I don't think Toro wants in the garden tractor business anymore. After they shut down the Wheel Horse line in 2007, they contracted MTD to build their lawn and garden tractors. Now that's come to a close also. Toro still builds zero turns and walk behinds, plus their Dingo machines and they own Exmark, so they're in the commercial landscape business big time. But I don't think they want back in the residential L&G tractors at this time. Toro shutting down the Wheel Horse line is both a blessing and a curse. The latter is easily seen as there are no more new Wheel Horses, but the former is harder for us to comprehend. I'm afraid if they continue making them, the design would change for less expensive manufacturing processes, which means more plastic, more components being made elsewhere (no more Uni-Drive transaxles, but aluminum cast transaxles from Tuff Torq and other manufacturers), less expensive engines, etc. It's what I would call, Catch 22. You can still get the Case designed big wheel tractors from Ingersoll, but they're expensive. Simplicity and John Deere still make quality, long lasting garden tractors, but they're expensive. If Toro still made the Wheel Horse Classic, it would be very expensive to make, therefore it wouldn't be cheap to the consumer.

Front view of JimD's avatar.

I thought buying more tractors was therapy ... Isn't that what you guys told me a year ago !

Very unexpected. I always search for Wheel Horse parts, decks, whatever, every morning. This morning this showed up on the local adds, about 40 miles away. I called early, made an appointment, got up to the sellers home , made quite a deal and brought it home. 1979/ C81 ( 8 HP Kohler ) 36" rear discharge deck and A Wheel Horse Tiller ! Yes all the proper mule power take off attachments and belts came with it. It runs great and yes even the lights work ! I was told by the seller that he acquired it from the original owner , he did some motor work and put it up for sale. I was also told that it spent all of it's life either in an outdoor shed or a garage. It's dirty and needs a beauty bath but other than that , well, I'm not exactly sure what to do with it ! This is #3 Price, under 6 for everything I have always wanted a C Series and should have bought one new when I made my first purchase, which was an A Series way back in the mid 70's. Better late than never ! So now it joins the family along with a 310-8 and a 315-8

I remember going into the local WH dealer in the late nineties or early 2000s and seeing machines that cost well over 4500 dollars. I thought they were nice machines but way more than I could justify spending.If the current crop of homeowner wants to ride while cutting grass then he or she has a lot of cost friendly choices.If they have very large areas of grass then the zturns will mow circles around the current riders or the old WH's.If heavier tasks need to be handled such as tilling or loading then the Cuts or Scuts are there if you have the money. To me my WH's are like the swiss army knife.They are capable of doing a multitude of tasks well, without costing huge amounts of money.With that said when the Horses aren't up to the task out comes something bigger.Just saying.JAinVA

Boy it's a small world...ditto over here.

Jonny Bob.........I thought it was Billy Bob ?

Found it interesting that you edited your post @ "1054". I have been a fan of the 953/1054 for years; love the look of them and the comfort, bought my fourth one this summer. Due to the relatively high center of gravity and light weight I would be hesitant to install a front end loader on one, though I have seen them. I have a FEL on my GT-14 which is a much heavier tractor and it is still a bit scary when the bucket is raised high on uneven ground. As for durability I would put them up against any other . My first 953 has plowed the garden, pushed snow and mowed for me for 14 years with nothing but routine maintenance. It was a barn find that has no paint left; ain't pretty; but is beautiful to me. My second one was missing a few parts when I got it, but made it a custom. The third one is a project; it is a very early production 953 which will be restored. The forth is a 1054 I picked up at this year's Big Show, it will receive some special treatment when I build it. If you want one you better act promptly; before I buy them all!

to @stevasaurus I'll let you handle this one . I think that you need to remove the hub , and brake drum . Though I haven't had any of these apart myself .

16 hp Kohler Magnum M16. A Magnum is about as close to a K-Series without being a K-series as you can come, since it's the direct replacement for the K-series. Since my '88 416-8 has over 3600 hours, yours with 670 hours is basically brand new.

Just wait until your bring home number 4 or (gulp) number 5!

I didn't have my glasses on yet and thought it you said stripped searched at the border ... not an image I wanted in my head first thing in the morning !

Maybe he, and his partner in crime... were stopped at the border.

I acquired a C-81 here in NC, 9/27/2016, the dealer tag is still on the machine. Warren Barber Inc. Plainwell Mi. The original owner brought it to NC with him , it appears by some paperwork with the machine that it was in 1989 .

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 !)

I was sandblasting a front wheel from a C-141 I picked up some time ago. I guess the PO had but some kind of flat repair glop in the tire. it hadn't worked and when it was flat water got into the wheel. it would go flat after a few weeks and i would just put air in. Today I broke it down (a real struggle as the tire didn't want to get off the very rusty and gloped up rim...now I know why tire shops won't work on tires that have been Slimmed.) Had it in the sandblast cabinet and thought I had it done when i noticed a dark spot. Hit it again and oops it got bigger Turned out there were 3-4 small pinholes in the rim. Guess she will get a tube,

No Mike, no reference to the Kennedy's. The original owner was John Robert Horne. He owned and took good care of it until age and poor health made it so he could not take care of the tractor any more. After five years of it sitting in the barn I very fortunate enough to become the new owner of the tractor, mowing deck, and push blade. I promised Mr. Horne that the 416-8 would live with me as long as he was alive so that he would always know where it was at and and was being cared for. So far I have been true to my word and Mr Horne is about 80 years old now and every time I see him he ask about that tractor. With a big smile on my face I tell him its sitting in my pole barn gassed up and ready for him to put it to work. So anyway, I named the tractor John Robert, and there the story of how it got the name. Partner, I wish those two could make some little Wheel Horse babies! We'd be in the Wheel Horse manufacturing business for sure

Very nice machine indeed Van. John Robert cleans up real well.

Hard to believe It's been 2 months since I worked on this project. I got the boat winterized and put away for the winter this morning so the low rider project got some attention this afternoon. I had bought a non runner C-105 a few weeks ago just for the 8 speed for the LRer. It actually had a K321AS transplanted that the PO said hadn't run for years. After chasing grounds or lack of grounds for quite a while, I finally got fire and got it running by hand feeding fuel in the carb. This is what I found in the totally plugged tank shut off valve. It has a Walbro carb, so I didn't even check it out...just bought a new one from the jungle for $35. I hooked up a high temporary tank and It starts and runs perfect with no smoke, so the 321 is going in the LRer So this afternoon, the transplant began... The first job ...not my favorite...was to remove the hitch from the 8 speed. Then remove the 8 speed. Fit up the seat pan and fenders. Then Pulled the engine out of the C-105. Man I hope I can stuff that under the hood! That's all for today folks....Mrs K is calling me for dinner.

I have not run an apples to apples comparison, but I feel there are slightly less vibrations in the rubber mounted versions. I don't know if its significant though. I actually think they shake a bit more at idle and start up/shutdown, but the isolators really help at full throttle. To be fair, I have always noticed that the hood hinges on my blackhoods are less worn then the solid mounted singles I have come across. That could be entirely by chance though and has no real basis. I still don't know if i am going to drop over a hundred bucks on them when I go to redo my C-105/165 or put the money towards the never-need-replacing solid mounts...

John Robert???

Definitely agree but as much as I love my well built Wheel Horse tractors, I highly doubt I'd ever buy a brand new $6000+ garden tractor. I'm guilty of the throw away mentality too because I could get 6 brand new cheapie tractors for the same price. 5 years outta each one equals 30 years. I'll be dead and gone by then so I'll just get 3 and save the 3 grand. The Wheel Horse would certainly out live them all but does require some repairs to keep to it going, especially with the crappy ethanol gas.

I would not walk from a good deal on a clean low hours 315-8. The new era added safety things are not near as bad as many say they are. I would NOT let them cloud your mind away from a purchase of a 315-8 . we acquired a 2004 several weeks back with 400 hrs on it, it has become #1, the 29 year old 310 will have to get over it . Looking past the safety switches which many can be over-ridden should you choose to, the Tractor is great !

Went through some Class Year books at the Cedar Springs Museum and found a couple photos from the Cedar Springs Tractor ad which have the show room with Wheel Horse tractors on display. . Behind the gentleman on the snowmobile are some photos also.

i sure with i knew how many was on my dads 502. its been through 4 engines that we know of 1 front axle and a trans lol

The 300,400 are basically the same tractor as the 78 and newer C series. The 500 series have the same transmission and frame for the most part. They changed the upper hoodstand and dash also the hood. On the 500 series from 90 on had forward swept front axels. In 91 they added sterring reduction for easier turning with larger attachments that were designed for the 500 series. Those attachments will fit the C series to, but need more hp to run them. The 78 C's were the beginning of the finale basic design of the Wheel horse. Hope this helps you a tad bit. There is one exception to the rule and that's the C195. Same concept but different beast. I think it came out in 82.

I'm assuming you mean a Toro/Wheel Horse classic. Turning radius should be the same as your C-101. The attach-a-matic attachments from 1973 right up to present fit both your C-101 or a new style classic. Mike.....

Rest assured Jeff...I'll be a bidder. The 1257 would fit right in between my 875 and Commando 8. Luv the short ones with that vertical bar in the grill. A little more than that Dick...no coil, carb needs a throttle shaft bushed, wiring is hacked, some paint over grease. Nice tires and wheels though. I don't want the Sears Jack. But if your interested in it, send me a PM. I can deliver to the next show. Too late for therapy Paul....This WH addiction probably can't even be cured with surgery. I was trying to reduce the herd and actually sold one at the Big Show, but then I already bought 4 more this summer, now these show up.

JD, here are the before and after (to date) of the C125 restoration. All the running gear is now installed but I have to recreate the wiring harness. All the safety switches were replaced. If you are interested in the OEM suppliers (not Toro), send me a PM. Engine, as I said earlier, is the problem child. Running boards, side panels, and fender need sanding and paint. Hood had broken welds on one side which have been rewelded, but the hood is a little out of whack so I need to think about how to twist it a bit to get it close to perfect. Rims are actually in much better condition than the last two restorations I did, but could use a refresh and of course tires

That's a start , for $25 that would be hanging on my wall !