Leaderboard

I recently purchased my first Wheel Horse tractor, a 1966 Model 1276. Overall I am happy with the purchase, but I did have a few surprises after I got it home. Originally, I intended on giving it a freshen up with a good cleaning, some general maintenance, and replacement wiring. At this point, only the rear transaxle is sitting on the floor with the rear tires still attached (for now). So, what did I find that other first time buyers should take in to consideration when looking at a tractor to buy? Many of the units I have seen for sale, do not have the correct decals or markings on them, and many times the owner is not correct in the model that they think it is. Check the tag on the tractor to be sure. Research it and tell the owner where to find the tag, and have them give you the number from it. For example, according to the owner, mine was a “C120” model, but when I checked the tag, happily I found it was a T-1276. Obviously, the first thing is to do a functionality check, does it run and operate properly? These tractors are quite old, and the wiring and ignition components degrade and corrode. Expect to replace at least some of the components. On mine I found most of the wiring cracked and frayed, but these have a very simple wiring scheme, so they are not difficult to rewire. The older Kohler engines remind me of the old flat head engines I used to work on in antique Chris-Craft boats. If they have fuel and any kind of spark, they will run. This does not mean they will run efficiently. On my 1276, I found that the coil wire and the coil output tower were badly corroded, and was shocked it was running at all! Replace the coil, coil wire, condenser, spark plug, and you should consider points as well. The voltage regulator is key to a properly operating starter/generator system. It will probably have been painted over at least once, and as a minimum you should clean all the terminals when replacing the wiring, and consider replacing the carbon steel terminal nuts and screws with brass nuts and screws available from the hardware store. The Kohler engine manuals describe how to clean and adjust the voltage regulator, and/or consider replacing it with a new one. If the tractor you are looking at does not use a solenoid in the starting circuit, then the ignition switch is carrying the full amp load for the starter/generator, if you replace the switch be sure to get the correct one. As a minimum, remove and clean the terminals and look at replacing the hardware as previously mentioned. The size of the wiring will be #6 gauge for the starting circuit and battery ground, and all other wiring can be #14 gauge. Choke and throttle cables. Check these for corrosion and function. A lot of times you will find that someone has routed one or the other right under the exhaust outlet, so it may exhibit heat damage. Several models used a twist to lock throttle pull, if so, you may find that it is worn and will not hold the throttle setting. Both cables are readily available on a popular auction site. Fuel line, unless recently replaced, expect to replace the line from the tank to the fuel pump. If it is old, and you move it any at all, expect leaks. For the proper look, use the squeeze to expand fuel line clamps rather than a worm drive clamp. Pulleys, check over all the pulleys for wear, including the idler pulley(s) hidden behind the belt guard. On mine, not only was the idler pulley shot, but the brackets it was attached to had the holes elongated from wear, and the associated spacers were shot as well. I found both the 2.5” and 3.5” diameter pulleys on the shelf at a popular farm store. You should check your belt condition as well, if they are hard, expect to replace them as well. Tires, my tractor is 51 years old, and it has original Wheel Horse branded turf tires on it. Needless to say, they are very hard, show lots of weather checking, and leak air. Expect to replace your tires at some point. Structural condition. These tractors vibrate quite a bit, and can see a lot of stress in certain areas. Probably the weakest area of the frame is the plate that bolts the frame to the rear transaxle. This is a high stress area as it carries all the weight on the four bolts attaching it to the transaxle. On mine, I found that it had its back broken at least once, and had been poorly repaired, and was cracking again. Solution, tear down the tractor to the bare frame, clean it thoroughly to remove any oil and grease, and have it properly welded. For longevity, consider either adding side braces and/or a plate welded in over the top of the existing plate and use new grade 8 bolts that are longer than the originals by the thickness of the new plate. Other areas of concern. I found stress cracks in the following areas on my 1276. Behind the bracket on the hood stand for the PTO clutch lever. Mine was cracked all the way around the two fastener inserts. Grind out the area slightly and have it TIG welded. Engine Motor/Generator belt cover, two of the three mounting tabs had broken off the cover, and had to be TIG welded to reattach. Corners of the hood, I found one small crack in one corner of the hood, it will need to be TIG welded at some point. Tool storage box under the rear fender assembly. I found numerous cracks around the four mounting bolt holes, these will need to be ground out and welded to restore integrity. The transaxle mounting area has two narrow raised flanges that the box sits on. It is also cantilevered off the mount toward the rear which creates very high stress on the mounting points. After repairing, consider adding an additional plate inside the box, and/or, find a small plate that will fit between the transaxle mounting bosses (same height) to help spread out the stress. If yours has the manual transmission, then inspect the brake band for wear and proper function. If you have the automatic transmission, inspect the plastic sliding plate that the control lever moves for cracks and/or breakage. Mine is missing the top corner on one side, but still functions. It is located under the square plate where the position indicator is located. Check the rear axle for any signs of leakage out of the housing which would indicate the need for new axle seals and possibly axle bearings. Check the front axle for any fore and aft play which would indicate a worn pivot pin. This is a common wear area, and if the axle pivot bore is not worn out, replacing the ¾” diameter pin should restore proper axle geometry. Lift the front tires off the ground and check the front spindles for wear. I did not have any wear, but others have reported wear in this area. If worn beyond an acceptable amount, then you will need to get replacement spindles and/or a front axle (less worn used parts). Tie rods, again with the wheels in the air, check for play. If loose, replace them. Nothing is more annoying than to be turning and have the ball rip out of the rod. Your stuck until you replace it. Wheelhorseman1000 which is a supporting vendor on Redsquare can supply you with new upgraded parts. If yours has the attachment hitch assembly on the front, check the locking lever for proper function. People like to run into solid objects which tends to bend the release rod which can lock up the mechanism if bent enough. Mower decks. Probably the biggest area of concern is the condition of the spindles. If shot, this can be an expensive replacement. Check the condition of the blades, pulleys, and belts. Do a structural inspection for major rust through areas or cracking around the mounting areas. Decals and paint. Well, if you have gone through all of this, then you are probably considering a repaint and new decals which are also available from one of the Redsquare supporting vendors. Good luck, and Welcome to the Wheel Horse addiction! Update: Pic 1 shows back side of the frame mount after being ground down. There are cracks all around the bolt holes and was split down each edge from bottom to almost the top. Pic 2 shows the front side of the frame mount with the booger welding. This will be ground out and rewelded once he back side is done. Pic 3 and 4 show where the engine belt cover tabs were broken off and rewelded. Pics 5 and 6 show the side of the hood stand where the PTO clutch lever bracket mounts. We also found cracks on the very bottom on one side as well. Pic 7 shows the cracks in the bottom of the tool box, you can see the stress the small mounting area puts on the metal. Pic 8 shows the idler pulley and bracket. You can see how worn the small pulleys spacer is, it was cutting into the bolt. The red link shows how worn the hole where the spacer rides compared to the bare link. Pic 9 shows the wear on the front axle pin, fortunately the axle had minimal wear. Pic 10 shows the corrosion in the coil tower terminal. The welds will be ground down smooth and then, the parts will be refinished.

NOW what to do... I've been on the lookout for an engine for my hydro machine to replace the one that blew a rod, i had a snowblower on my manual lift and i gotta say, it's not fun lifting that sucker even with an assist spring... anyway. i check CL every morning (sorry boss) and found a possible donor machine,it is a 417 8. the plan was to take the engine (ser II KT17) and part the rest. the problem is, i don't think i can justify tearing this machine apart. It has an electric lift, so that solves the snowblower weight problem. it looks like it will clean up pretty well, and i do like manual transmissions... it has a slot hitch (?) on the back. what would i use that for? it also has a regular tongue hitch that i have on the other machines BTW, this is the one that was for sale in Monson if any of you guys were looking at it of course, that means i still don't have a motor for my hydro machine... lol

Ok now that we are done hazing Squonk here's what it looks like finished. Note the thin piece of rubber that the batt sits on for a little cushion. I also lined the tray with some stick on foam I found in the aisle with all the chair bottom s at Ace. I was going to use these big knobby type old school wing nuts for tool less battery removal but they did't fit. Oh well would have had to have wrenches to take the terms off posts anyway.

Done; who said we were done? We have a time honored tradition of picking on Mike!

Well my friend, I hope you don't ever lose that cents, since, sense of humor. Laughter keeps you young. Thank God, the bus is always late in Ardentsville.

I was hoping for the master bath! but I'll take what I can get nowadays

That's a lot of excellent information. Well done

MEME MEME MEME !!!

Well finally its happening i'm getting a tractor I've been persuing for since last November and well the luck I've had along the way hasn't been the greatest and the when the last 3 months I've had it in my sights to get well its been very frustrating to think that its almost slipped away lets see it started in my house down stairs heating system went, 2 weeks later had recouped and was going to see it and being -5 degrees below zero letting the car warm up 20 minutes before I left came out to hear it knocking shook my head again then my wife was suppose to get her settlement that failed to come through and holy smokes its just been one thing after another ......almost gave up hope and this week I see the guy had put it back on craigs list and I said I got to find a way to get it oh yeah had to dump a bunch of money into my truck for brake booster and tires as well so I had to a micro loan and talked to the gentleman today and things were conflicting for him with daughters graduation and mothers day stuff so Monday I made time and he had time so I will have pics of it later in the evening ......I will just say I have never worked so hard for one particular tractor in my life like I have for this one LOL and being a 953 I was afraid I would never see one up here so close to home again so I thought this story would be a little entertaining to some LOL!

Hello all its spring again and its time to mow the lawn . Well my push mower didn't want start could not find out why and the lawn was about 8 inches high. A few days ago I saw used riding mowers on peoples lawn for sale, so I jumped in the truck and went looking for another mower. I came to a house and it had a wheel horse mower for sale so I looked at it and it said to me "Please take me home" so I felt bad and said ok and it wanted to meet my D250 so off we went, I paid $250, its a 211-5SB. Now does this make a wheel horse collector ????????

Happy Birthday Karl, we are all glad you were born!

I give you permission to take the day off ! (From work not here!) Happy Birthday Karl!

Well I'm a current owner of a 414-8 since the winter. Well now I stumbled onto a 312-8 I'm picking up for nothing but my time. I haven't seen it in person but from the blurry picture it will make a fun project

To each his own, but with that much land that hill would become wildlife habitat...

Thank you all for the birthday wishes, I am grateful for all of them. While I had NO seat time today, I did get myself a special treat, a brand new in the box 42" RD mower deck 78350. It has to be shipped from the depot, but hopefully I'll have it by the end of next week!

This is a very helpful and caution light giving rundown of what a buyer or a New/Old Wheel Horse should be considering. As yours was 50 plus years old (and many more of them are still out there like it) -the list covers most of what to look for and consider when buying and or bought and repairing for continued use!

Here you go: Clevis Hitch.pdf We have a thread on this also:

So now we need a contest to find out the best use for a picture of Squonk 1. Your child has the hiccups and you flash the picture at him to scare the hiccups away 2 3 4 Or...The second place prize is a picture of Squonk. The first place prize is no picture of Squonk. Don't feel bad, because my wife is the only person on Earth who thinks i am good lookin'

I just bought my first Horse, a 1993 314-8 with 330 hours on it. I have to check a few things on it first. 1. Is there supposed to be a o-ring or something on the engine oil dipstick tube? The dipstick on this engine has nothing holding it down and just flops around. 2. The steering wheel is cocked off to the right a little and the steering column has play in it. Are there any components in the steering system that have to be replaced?. 3. The owners manual says there is no reason to change the transmission oil but I want to anyway. I was going to go with a synthetic 85/90 weight GL-5. Will I have any problems? Are there any other areas for maintenance I should be looking at. Can't wait to mow with it for the first time and see how that 42" recycler mowing deck works.

Happy birthday to you Karl......... And many more........ Glenn

Picked up this little gem yesterday. Not sure what model the tractor is yet. Sickle measures 44"..... I'll look for maual today. So far it runs good and sickle is very nice. The drive belt on sickle keeps slipping off. Never been around one of these so not sure what the problem is yet

Old age.....

Shoot sorry it didn't load

I would buy that 160 and never look back,keep the oil up and she will be fine

First off I love my 520H I bought new, and with fluild filled AG tires and weighted wheels it does a good job on the slopes but I recently acquired myself a new red tractor a Mahindra SCUT eMax 22G with 60" deck but with 4x4 and gear drive it flat out does better sideways up and down steep slopes than my beloved 520, it holds back without sliding come down said slope (4wd engaged of course) which has happened to myself on a 520 like @ericj said above , not the most pleasant ride, but I'm thoroughly impressed with the safety agility of this little SCUT, so how come you find your to have better traction that the Kubota? turf tires? 4x4 not engaged? Just wondering?, Jeff. Picture of said slopes from the drivers seat of the eMax and the 520H (don't use those suitcase weights while mowing just blade and blower work)

Every piece of wire contains some magic smoke, the trick is keeping it in the wire! The lighter should be OK at 15 amps. guess used some heavy duty elements! If a 20 amp fuse won't hold you definitely have a problem.

Input from Ed Stoller, New Fairfield CT. There is a kill wire that grounds out both the magneto and Tecumseh Solid State Ignition, SSI. The SSI is actually a Capacitence Discharge Ignition, CDI. When checking the ignition, it is best to disconnect the kill wire at the engine to separate the ignition from the tractor wireing. This is done by disconnecting the wire behind the flywheel that comes from the stator under the flywheel. If you do this test and the engine runs, you will neeed to shut off the fuel to stolp the engine, If the SSI has failed, one option is to replace it with a batter powered ignition ,so save those old switches. See enginesandmagnets.com. I need to provide the latest configuration as the cost are coming down and I now use a modified GM crankshaft sensor to make the new trigger. Ed Stoller

Go to the "manuals section and search for "Clevis Hitch Drawing 1.0.0" There's an excellent drawing with all the dimensions. (Sorry I'm not good at posting links)

Well ok so much for my wiring skills . Good thing I didn't do this with Dan's custom set of batt cables. Finished up the wiring and anxious to check things out so I jury rigged up a set of old batt cables with a piece of scrap 16 ga wire from batt + to batt term on the reg., just had it wedged between the post and clamp. Every thing checked out good. I did end up running from the L term to switch batt term and acc term had power with switch in acc and on positions. Motor turns over nice, gen light comes on as should. Didn't check for spark tho. For some stupid reason I was doing this with the cover off the reg. and accidentally operated the cutout relay with my forearm while reaching over the top of the tractor. Evidently this relay does not like to operated in such a manner as it froze shut and sent power from the reg batt term directly to ground. Talk about letting the smoke out! Luckily I had the presence of mind to quick pull the + batt cable off (I hadn't tightened the clamp) and avoid any damage to anything but a scrap wire and my pride! Wired a blade type fuse holder from switch acc term to lighter and lights but having a problem with the fuse blowing when the lighter is pushed in. Bad lighter or socket or perhaps too small a (15 Amp is all I had) fuse. Will have to work on that some more.

I'll be there on the 3rd My first time at that show and now it's only about 40 miles away. I haven't decided yet but I might bring my Suburban.

Nice looking machine, too nice to part out in my opinion. I think that I would clean it up & use it. Yes this doesn't solve your engine problem for your hydro, but like 953nut said you'll have a user while you solve that issue. The slot hitch on the back - you can get a slot to sleeve adapter and use any Brinly pull type equipment, (mold board plow, disc harrow, cultivator, rear blade, ect.) Your choice, but I'd have a hard time parting out such a nice tractor.

Just a reminder

For All You Do Here!

Prior to placing your up for sale it would be good to look at Craig's list and in our classified section to see what similar size garden tractors are selling for so yours will be priced at the market price. Be sure to clean it up and photograph it with an attractive background. Be honest about the condition and mention good and bad points. You will want to list it in our classified section.

Nice Stallion but same old story, "Hon, look what I found in my truck."

The 417's are my favorite work tractor. Any 417 I've ever seen has had the Series 2 engine in it. They are a great engine and one of the best sounding engines Kohler ever made in my opinion. If the one one you are looking at has only 800 hours on it and if it was at all taken care of then in most cases it has a long life ahead of it. I had one that had 2200 hours on it, it ran so nice that I treated it to an 8 hr. refurb.. If the price is right I'd grab it.

Probably meant the short frame / big block machines.... for example the 1055 or the 1257. Any of the short frame models with bigger than an 8hp Kohler under the hood. Mike........

I always change the engine oil in a newly acquired WH, just on general principles. But the trans oil depends on how well the trans is working, and the appearance of the oil. Any 'milkiness' or dirty oil gets an immediate trans oil change. With the low hours on your 417A, I would give low priority to changing the trans oil now. Come colder weather, if the trans is sluggish, I'd consider changing then. Drain as much oil as possible with the tractor level, then jack up the front to get more of the old oil to flow to the drain. Let it drain overnight to get as much out as possible. Then fill with your choice of oils, 10w-30 dino oil, or Mobile 1 5w-50 (available from NAPA). Use the genuine Toro trans oil filter, not an aftermarket. My 418A is running fine in warm weather but I plan to put in Mobile 1 in the fall when I put on the snowblower. Some used headlight bezels are available on ebay now for less than $40, but I would go with the new ones for $40. The old ones get brittle with age. The supplier of the new ones makes a lot of reproduction parts, and does a great job of it. He's one of the supporting vendors here on RedSquare, and deserves to be supported. The headlight bulbs are available from Tractor Supply at a reasonable price, cheaper than anything I've found online. Good luck, Jim

Was thinking bath also. It looks like it's up by the frame so I wondered that myself. I will do that and post as soon as I can with more thanks

Video is probably going to have to wait till Saturday or Sunday. It's kinda difficult to drive with a battery bouncing around on the foot board and jumper leads hanging off everywhere and throttle cable hanging. I should have enough time to make a wiring harness Saturday morning. It was far from ready to go last week I just couldn't help myself.

Give it a good bath and get all the grease and crud off first off. Then park it over a piece of cardboard and see where it drips. It's much easier to pinpoint leaks if everthing is clean. Try and trace the drip out to where it my be coming from. Its possble a bolt that holds the frame to the transmission but unlikely. More than likely is around a input shaft seal or the like. Change the oil in it, if you have a new to you tractor who knows when that was done last and if it's even the proper type. I've had a couple of leaks quit once I got the proper type fluid in it but than is kind of a long shot.

This is the rock shaft you need for the C-160. I ahve one and it is on Ebay. It is fopr the 1976 and 77 C-160 and C-120 tractors.... Moderators frown on selling in this o0pen forum, but can locate it on Ebay with keywords WHEELHORSE C-160 PIC HERE: PART # 105539

Making repro parts or selling off Parts from parters is not going to get anyone rich, it's just a part-time fun-time occupation, to make a significant profit is very unlikely, you'll just make a few extra bucks . . . . To make a profit, you have to factor in: transportation/travel time (gas & wear), trailer & related equipment like storage & covers, electricity, workshop & tool use and biggest of all, your time (when you could be doing something else constructive too). Time from family and spouse must be factored in, and customers always want something at an inconvenient time. Most people really appreciate what you may be offering, but them sometimes someone will let you know they are unhappy & you need a thick skin. The only 100% full-time Wheel Horse person I'm aware of is Gene Strickland in KY, selling parts plus restoring Wheel Horses to perfect original, but then he is really hustling and probably working at least 60-70 hours/week (www.WheelHorseStables.com). For me, there is a lot of satisfaction in making people happy, especially when they say so and proudly show off their projects (baby). For me to go to the Big Show in PA in June will easily cost $1,000 in expenses (gas, motel, food, thank gosh I have my wife to help), but the rush of happy eager faces is worth it. In the end, I'm having a lot of quality fun and enjoying it. I've seen many people offer a needed item, maybe sell a couple, and then cease, -- most items will be a very slow low-volume sell and take time. Re: HAPCO, Brandon, the owner is mainly a fun-time big-time farmer, but Kate & Mike do run the magazine and the business full time for him. They have taken a risk on having some needed items remanufactured (seats & toys), I would think they are doing OK but are not big profit makers. FYI: I did check in on having some 1:24 scale Wheel Horse 312 tractors made in China, like ERTLs are; it was $25,000 up front for 1,000 pieces. Any item remanufactured by a big business will have a significant up-front price or a large minimum order, again, paid upfront, if anyone of us is going to take a big financial risk, we want a guaranteed significant RTO, which may put the retail price up to $100. Some members have access to a machine shop at work and may be able to use on their own time, that can save a ton of cost. Sometimes a Wheel Horse part is the exact same as also used for another brand of garden tractor or something unique, and a inventory is found somewhere for cheap. (for example: K-91 engines were used in oil fields, and lots of spare parts are being found now).

If you wish to post a lot of pics you may want to consider becoming a supporter. This would remove your picture limitations and help keep the lights on here. Trust me, it don't take long to get your money back in information and help.

Here is the picture that hangs in the guest bedroom.

@squonk How did you photo shop Dino's gut on me in that photo? Where is Waldo?

Early potatoes are growing fast, I will use my discs to earth them up, just use 2 gangs and set them for drawing soil, makes the job so easy.

You could drop to a 23-8.50x12 Carlisle, you will only loose an inch of width and if you wish to use a mold board plow it will fit a little better in the furrow. Just my opinion. Or the Deestone 10.50's are actually closer to 9.50 in width if you wish to stay close to original.