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I keep a sleeve hitch on my C-161 all the time for my larger implements but frequently need to move trailers and carts with it. I've always wanted an easy way to do that and thought Lowell's (Wheelhorseman1000) adapter would work well. Then I thought two of them welded back to back would be slick, very strong, and flexible. I ordered two of them and he welded them before he shipped the order. When I received it I drilled out one of the center holes to 3/4" to receive a trailer ball, did a little prep work, and then painted it. To pull a cart I just turn it over. It could have been done less expensively but I thought this was clean and strong. I think Lowell and my wife think I'm crazy but I took care of my own Father's Day present so my wife was ok with it.

If you have that trans on the bench like that...why take a chance. Open it up clean it out, check your bearings and replace the seals and gasket. The hard part is already done, and if you are not lucky, you will be right back to where you are.

Yesterday was a very tough day. Had to put our Springer Spaniel down... Mokee was loyal, faithful, ALWAYS there for everyone, to the end... I am sure he has already stolen the keys to the pearly gates and is running in crazy circles while St. Peter tries to get them back, dug a few holes in God's lawn, and is barking up a storm at everything... Rest in Peace Little Friend...

Spending this stormy and rainy night in the shop getting a couple of tractors ready for two parades on Monday. My eight-year-old son will be commanding the 420 LSE and I will take a spin on the RJ 58. 🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸

Kind of corny , but it does work !

I have been searching for a allis chalmers push mower for a few years now, and when I lived in NY I even put a wanted ad out for one.. but nothing! Now living in TN I hadn't had a chance to concentrate on finding one.. but was on Clist the other night and stumbled acrossed this gem! $15 and a trip near Nashville later she was in my garage. I'm stoked! Has good compression so it will run, it needs alil TLC but I may just clean it up and build a shelf for it in my garage!

This is how I clean my mower decks. I just let them sit for a few minutes after lowering them before I start them. I haven't had any issues.

I am sure Mokee will be waiting for you at the Rainbow Bridge. just hope he and my two kitties get on well in the mean time.

Since the late 1960s or so, the Wheel Horse design has been fairly standardized, with incremental engineering improvements and increasingly larger engines. Find one in the condition you want, at a price you want, that will do the work you want it to. It is really that simple! The other major GT manufacturers went through some significant engineering and design changes in the 70s, 80s, and 90s. Wheel Horse didn't; they stayed true to a simple, well-thought-out design that lasted in production over 30 years! Here's what I've learned since I started researching to buy a good used garden tractor, in particular Wheel Horse. Some of it I learned from experience and general research, a lot I learned here by reading posts and manuals on Red Square. Most people don't want to mess with ignition points on a everyday working machine, you might want to stick with models that have solid-state ignition. You can't go wrong with the "long frame" models. They're the "C" series, (mind is slipping on the earlier named series...) and the larger numbered series like the 4xx series. The 520H/520-8 are sort of "special" maxxed-out builds of the long frame. You can run a single-stage snowthrower just fine with a 10HP engine. (I remember clearing the snow left by the Great Lakes region's blizzard of '77 with a 10HP John Deere 112!) 16HP engines and above should be able to run the big 2-stage snowthrower. The bigger the engine, the faster you can chew away at snowbanks. Mowing probably puts the heaviest constant load on the engine, which affects the size of the deck you can run. Know that the big 60" deck is hard on frames and engines. Personally, I'd avoid it or a machine that's had to run a 60" deck most of its life. Stick to the 48" deck and smaller ones. Maneuverability with a 48" deck isn't hard, but gate widths and gaps between trees and structures can be an issue in some lawns, so the 42" and smaller mowers are popular. Depends on your needs. Stick with the 42" and smaller decks for lower-horsepower engines, especially if your lawn tends to get thick or go too long between mowings -- it won't bog down your engine badly, while a 48" deck probably will. On the other hand, an 18 or 20 horsepower engine will probably power through anything with a 48" deck. Most other attachments are largely interchangeable because of the standardized design that Wheel Horse kept. Most of the time, differences come down to some specifically-sized attachment links that fit ranges of years, or the issue with the snow/dozer blade frame length and the later 520H forward-swept axle. I learned a lot from the manuals section here on Red Square. Even 8HP engines can run ground-engaging equipment like plows, disks and tillers. It's the strength of the rear axle and frame that matters, something any Wheel Horse has in spades. As engine horsepower and torque goes up, stress on the rear frame-to-transaxle mounting goes up. Look for cracks there on tractors that have done a lot of plow work. It can be repaired with welding, and prevented with an additional backing plate. The 520H is known to have the plate put in from the factory. Manual vs hydrostatic transmissions is a personal thing. Both are very strong in the Wheel Horse lines. It seems to me that Wheel Horse's hydro drives have always been among the most robust on the market for whatever year of manufacture you choose. The Sunstrand and Eaton hydro units are very tough. Just keep the hydro unit's cooling fins clear of mud and grass, and make sure that fan is in good condition. Loose hydro motion control levers or "creep" forward or backward when it should be in neutral are commonly caused by a worn-out or out-of adjustment cam and friction bolt on top of the hydro unit (Very easy to get to from under the seat) or, more rarely, wear or damage in the linkage to the motion lever. (Easy to get to by removing the access cover(s) on the center hump.) In short, if you want a hydro and it pulls just fine but the motion lever action is janky, don't count it out. It probably just needs a little attention to detail that you can do yourself. Good maintenance is critical on any machine, regardless of hours on the engine. If you need to get the tractor to work right away, find one that you're confident has had proper maintenance. Service records, the more complete the better, are golden. Even then, go over it carefully and put fresh grease in all the fittings and change the oil just for peace of mind. If you don't mind spending some time and doing a bit of repair or rebuilding, by all means go for one that's priced lower and needs more work to put right. "Sweat equity" is rewarding, and Wheel Horse's design makes these machines remarkably straightforward, if not downright enjoyable, to work on! Here's how my search worked out -- I started looking for a tractor to handle mowing about an acre or so, run a snowthrower to clear a 50-foot driveway in northern New England snowstorms, and possibly plow or run a tiller for a small garden. Those needs steered me toward 16HP and above machines really, so C-160s and later models were what I was looking for. I was prepared to pay the price of a new lawn tractor -- around $2000 or so -- for a used machine in good condition, with attachments, or less if the tractor only had a mower deck and I had to go hunting down at least a snowthrower. I started out just cruising Craigslist classifieds and auction listings to get an idea of the going prices for various conditions, learning all I could for the day when I would have the cash in hand to make a deal. Time passed, and I had to move to a different house that was more suitable to my wife's medical-related needs (single level, no stairs) which also had a smaller yard and driveway. That should have eased my search to one for a smaller tractor, but I've got numerous landscaping projects that call for a bigger machine, so my search qualifications never really changed. In a stroke of luck, I had the perfect timing to find a Craigslist classified for a 520H and attachments in my price range. It's a big machine for my yard and driveway, but it has no problem getting in and out of tight spots even with a 48" mower deck. The 520H is the "ultimate" development of the classic Wheel Horse design, and I consider myself very lucky to have found one; I'd have been quite happy with anything from a C160 on up. My 520H had spent it's prior life doing lots of honest work around a 1 1/2" acre plot of lawn and land with horses, mowing, hauling and clearing snow on a couple of long driveways. It's not cosmetically perfect -- the paint is faded and decals are tired. I did have to clean up a mess of mud and spilled oil under the fender pan from attempts at filling the hydro unit too quickly, which also involved dealing with rust-frozen bolts holding the fenders down because they'd been packed in mud. Mud and salt have damaged the footboards because muck got under the plastic treads. (No other rust issues, though.) I'm still tracking down a fuel gauge issue and the taillight bulb holders are corroded, but those are all minor things that I'll fix over time; the tractor was maintained well an came to me ready-to-work. If I have any complaints, it's that the shop that did service on it didn't clean out under the fender pan when they had it. That should have been just part of doing a job right, and would have stopped the buildup of mud that rusted the bolts holding the seat and fenders down. But, that particular shop has developed a bad reputation for not paying attention to detail, so I wasn't completely surprised. They also didn't check and adjust the hydro cam friction bolt, something that takes five minutes or less to do. So I've gone through the machine carefully anyway, cleaning and making adjustments that the shop missed. I expect things like that on a used machine, though. And I bought it as a worker, not a show machine. Shiny and cosmetically near-perfect costs more. My main concern was good mechanical condition and no significant rust -- I didn't want to have to start off with a rebuild and/or repaint project.

That is a great idea. I like buying my own Father's day Gift . Better than a shirt , socks , etc that you smile at your love ones and say a big thank you.

Right Bob...it will be next year for me. Chris wants a new kitchen and a new car...and I just had surgery for a detached retina. The surgery was a success, but they are telling me this take a long time to heal.

Thanks for the GREAT list 953 nut! I don't think a list could get much better than that. Thanks for the input stevebo and buckrancher. I like them both.

Early in the week something went POP !! in my knee, so I've been hobbling around like an" Old Man"... by the way I am one. That 312 Hydro really made it easy on me mowing the lawn this week.

Many thanks all for the warms thoughts and support. This site really is unique - what a great group of people...

There's a reason folks here are partial to Wheel Horses. After all, this IS www.wheelhorseforum.com. There are forums for green thingys, yellow thingys, and about any other thingy and you'll find that the folks on those forums are as partial to their respective thingys as we are to red. I think the best thing to do is read up on the threads here and learn more about Wheel Horses. There's a wealth of information here as well as folks willing to share their knowledge. Get an understanding of the history of Wheel Horse and how the tractors have evolved over the years without a major redesign, just keep tweaking a proven design. Oh, but they quite making them in 2007? Yes, they did but we live in a disposable world these days. People look at all the bells and whistles and big horsepower thingys at the big box stores and won't justify the cost of what it takes to build a machine like a Wheel Horse. Bells, whistles and a limited life win out over decades of service. Excellent write up @EricF

My go to tractor is a C81 with a 36 rear discharge. Next in line is my C101 with same deck. I use them for mowing in tight areas. I know they are not Magnums but If I had to get rid of all the tractors those are the ones I would keep. To me that 36" deck with the sealed spindles that are pressed in to steel housings are great. Spindle bearing goes bad just press it out put a new one in. No messing around with aluminum housing that deteriorate. There are other good choices out there this is just mine. I should say the vintage of 36 will determine if it has the steel spindle housing with sealed spindles or the aluminum housings.

EVIDENCE!!! there are other RS members in NY! NYS Pageant of Steam in Canandaigua NY August 9-12th Featuring tractors under 20 HP & Garden Tractors. I'll be set up at the end of the line for the Allis Chalmers Club. Let's get a big turnout this year! http://www.pageantofsteam.org/

A testament to the quality of these machines!

Heat is a good rust buster, but working with cast iron I think I would let it cool and apply some PB Blaster or whatever you prefer while it is hot and then after it cools down try removing it. You should put a quart or two of diesel fuel in it and (since you already have it off)use an electric motor or drill to operate it in all gears for several minutes then drain. This will get most of the water out of the bearings.

i'm just a shade tree mechanic, but I would probably put my brazing tip on my torch and heat it to cherry red to loosen the rust and back it out of there... I imagine you will get a lot of good ideas here...

When the mower deck is off the tractor and turned upside down, I use a 4 x 4 wood block about 8 inches long to hold the blade stable when removing and replacing blades. I do this on almost every model of deck. Sharpen the blades and back on. On the 42 inch decks I use a torque wrench to replace the nuts on the spindle.

For the thin wrench old blades are very tough steel they, will not bend . A hacksaw a file and some patience ...

So this is what was in my 5025, by some miracle it still seems to be working! So now I'm wondering if I should flush it with something or if I should I just fill it with 90W gear oil and cross my fingers? And any tips on unsticking a stuck drain plug? I drained it from the fill hole, feels like I'm going to strip the allen head socket on the drain plug.

I picked up my parts today, and in the deal was this engine. It is an 8hp Tecumseh, pull start and it has an electric starter that plugs into 110 AC. Never seen one like this. Runs good, includes a new carb with it (not pictured). Any idea what this is worth?

C-100 is a long tractor frame model Garry Adding May not be the exact deck model you have but the belts will be the same.

Very good idea. two thumbs up!👍

We all know that using a Battery Ignition switch on a Mag can create expensive magic smoke. The reverse is interesting and less destructive. the 1075 I am working on would start albeit hesitantly. After cranking it a couple times it would fire up and run when you released the key. Initial just figured being 52 years old it needed a tune up/carb cleaning. Turns out some PO had installed heavy duty Magneto ignition switch. Wired the coil to the Acc terminal which is only hot in Run. After you got it spinning and released the key then the Acc terminal would feed juice to the coil and she would run.

WHAT? It's not going to be the same without ya Steve!

Steve - thanks for the comment and also your great thread on rebuilding your transmission. On the one hand I'm trying to avoid more work on this but I do like the idea of getting it all cleaned up. I'll go take another look at your thread and see if I get inspired!!

Steve I gave you a like but I don't like it. Sure going to miss you. The tractors are great but it's the good times with the guys that makes it special!

May be a little off topic, but I had the same problem with my 74 year old feet. I started wearing these new shoes or sneakers with FULL GEL inner soles, and it really helped. Mine are New Balance, but other brands also offer it. Also, I tie the laces a little less tight . , but I hope it's helpful. Back on topic. Nice 312H. The hydros are great for mowing, especially in tight spaces. I have a dozen WHs, but I find that I usually go my Hydros for work in the yard, unless I'm towing something heavy. Jim

I am missing the good times already, but I have to take this year off.

If you do a lot of this stuff - consider getting an electric impact , they are far stronger than you'd expect and will rip those nuts off easily . Best solution for those without a decent compressor and you can find them at times on CL or one of the auction sites . Some of the newer cordless impact tools are also quite capable - my little 1/4" hex drive Bosch will knock 120ft/lbs of force onto a nut - have removed the lug nuts off the old Cruiser with it several times and use a torque wrench to put them back on properly . I have a full compressor setup here as well as a 650ft/lb 1/2" drive impact here - stuff will come loose or break one way or another . Sarge

@JPWH Jay what length fan gear do you need? I have a couple lying around.

The 308 is a good choice. But with trees and such Id go with a 36" rear discharge with the steep ditch use wide ag tires with wheel weights for traction and stability. I have a fairly steep ditch line and the ags make the difference between staying put and sliding around

yup. my dads 502 needed alot of parts lol

A little welding and grinding. Then a check for hose routing to see what hoses and fittings are needed. I found a good fan gear but the shaft is two inches too short. May find the right one or the big show.

I got my front and rear wheel weights on today and also my front weight mount. Then I decided to put the new stack on.

I'm planning on attending the Big Show on Friday and am considering selling or trading my 1986 Wheel Horse 420-LSE project tractor. I bought this tractor about a year and a half ago, but just have too many projects and not as much time as I'd like to get to all of them. This tractor is an authentic 420-LSE, though the serial number tag is worn off and unreadable. The tractor does have the original hood emblem and plate for the hood (not pictured), which never had the owner's name engraved onto it. The previous owner did more harm than good by removing the original seat and steering wheel, and replacing the original tail lights with some generic ones. The metal on the tractor is pretty straight, but does suffer from surface rust in spots. Some of the chrome pieces look nearly perfect (like the engine shroud), but most have some pitting or flaking. The tires are in fair condition, but one of the front tires doesn't match the rest as it dry rotted and had to be replaced. The tractor has approximately 1050 hours on it and then engine seems to run strong and does not smoke. The only mechanical problem with the tractor is the hydraulic lift, which does not seem to work. I have not messed around with it to diagnose the problem, but I did buy an NOS 420-LSE hydraulic valve (with chrome control lever) to put on the tractor. Additionally I have a few other small NOS parts and pieces for the tractor, as well as a complete set of reproduction decals. I have probably close to $1500 wrapped up in the tractor and parts that I had started to accumulate, but I would rather concentrate my efforts onto some of my other rarer tractors. I am asking $1200 for the tractor and parts, or would consider trades (I would be particularly interested in a Lawn Ranger 32E, a C-175, or any Wheel Horse tractors or memorabilia with ties to the Indy 500). Feel free to contact me with any questions. I will likely not give up the trailer space to bring this to the show unless I know it is going to a new home ahead of time.

Been wondering a bit about 1960's model numbers. Last digit is the year...That makes sense lead digits Horsepower...that makes sense middle digit 0 = Recoil start... Sort of makes sense 5 = Electric start... Huh?? 7 = Hydro... Huh??? So what happened to 1-4 and 6. Why 5 for electric and 7 for hydro????

Yeah, I can sympathize for sure. For the past year and half or so, I get pain in my feet after being on them for too long. Not as bad on soft ground compared to hard floors, but still, no fun. My 520H gets around obstacles in the yard better than my previous lawn tractor, so I don't have to spend nearly as much time on my feet trimming with the hand mower. Nice Horse!

IMO find a 312-8 with a 42" side or rear discharge deck.

Jim, sorry for your loss. I know how your family is feeling right now. We went through this two years ago. I'm sure that Mokee was greeted by my Oke' at the end of the the Rainbow Bridge yesterday. Probably comparing notes about their crazy owners with their Black Hoods! My tribute to Oke' was to save and adopt another rescue Malamute.

6bg6ga Some may say it is the model they are looking for. Some may say it is only want horse power for big jobs. And most go for the price. The vintage market will never go down. It is steadily climbing As they get harder to find. It is up to you where you want to go with it. As for the collection part it is fun to chase these fine tractors down. As for your area west of the Mississippi river the company never ship them out west of that from what we know of. That is what I was told but could be wrong there?. It is in the chase that makes it fun as you see this great country we live in. I hope this helps.

Things change, so you never know until the last minute what's coming and what's not. Having said that, I anticipate bringing the following items for sale: 607, 401, 551, WorkHorse 700 roller, RJ hood/tank/steering, 32" snowblower, RJ rear fenders/toolbox, early metal seat (no holes), several bathtub carts, 42" snow plow for mid frame, several early mower decks, miscellaneous parts, and if I get them finished in time, 2 fully refreshed/refurbished Kohler K91T Wheel Horse engines. Added a few more items to the list. A couple of bathtub carts, a 48" deck, and another 42" snow plow. The mid-mount grader blade is not for sale.

Just a little update on my progress, as you may have noticed one of the rear tires does not hold air. This is not due to the tire rather the wheel assembly, specifically, the area where the original valve stem hole was welded shut and ground down. It was taken down too far and this is where the air leaks, so needless to say it's going to have to be rewelded. I still have to get the other two tires mounted and test them for leaks. In the meantime, I assembled the side panels to the frame. Hex head bolts are not O.E.M. these were originally self-threading.

Had a go at mocking up a couple of the Ag's on the rear, yes I know the tread is the wrong direction. Didn't catch it till after I already had them on. The models that are equipped with a hydro cooling fan, have the mounting bracket sandwiched between the frame and a couple of the transaxle bolts. I temporarily mounted this for a photo op, but will remove and reassemble it later so it doesn't get too bumped around. I am currently trying to source some Woodruff keys {Part# 907346} for the 4 hubs.

I wish that stinkin' list had a different name. :angry-tappingfoot: