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Just for the record Randy. I'm a pretty good-sized guy at 6 foot 2 and over 250 lb. I look like an adult. But really, I'm only about 5 years old.

Made a new scraper for my plow yesterday.

This is why I love this place! We are all adults and act like good neighbors!! Randy

Hello everyone. I'm pretty new to the forum but have been mighty inspired by what I've seen. After smoking (literally smoking) an old Craftsman friction drive lawn tractor pulling a firewood cart around at my camp I found this forum and have been learning something from it almost every day. My research lead me to a 312-8 on Craig's List that I picked up from a nice fellow at an affordable price and I've been getting it set up to go to hunting camp as my prime mover hauling a log splitter and firewood cart. I have done several things to it like get a new seat, paint the wheels and foot plates, added non-slip tape strips, changed the air filter, engine and gear oil, and put new tires in all four corners. I also found a matching set on inside and outside rear weights on Craig's List. A few weeks ago I built a 2" receiver hitch for it and then realized it might be too heavy in the rear when hauling the log splitter and a full firewood cart at camp. To counterbalance the rear weight loading I fabricated a 2" x 2" x 1/4" rack for the front of the tractor using the existing holes in the frame to mount it. Had to make 1/2" spacers to gain clearance for the bolts that the hood pivots on. Found a friend with an 18" piece of 6" x 6" x 1/4" (29 lbs) square tube stock that he let me have (he's a great friend). Welded caps on either end after filling with about 60 pounds of lead picked up from a local shooting range. Also welded clips to hold the box to the weight rack and welded two clips to bolt it solidly to the rack. Estimated total weight is around 90 pounds. I still need to drill holes in the rear clips to hold it in place. Also plan to paint it black and will mount it on 2" strips of rubber inner tube. Not being able to leave well enough alone (honestly, it runs in my family) I also welded a 12" length of 1/2" x 2" rectangular stock to the top of the weight box to serve as a tongue for a trailer ball (still need to drill the tongue out for a shackle or a ball hitch). Could be useful for spotting trailers or getting towed out of a tough spot in the mountains. I haven't run any critical welds in 35 years so be kind as you look at my photos. I'm older now, not as steady of hand as I once was, and my eyesight isn't as good as when I was working as a steelworker. Anyway, thought someone else might take my idea and run with it for their own tractor. Thanks for all of your great posts. This is a super place to pick up information and shared knowledge. A pretty cool forum..... Cheers! Dave

I certainly wouldn't mess with either of those tractors, best you just tell us where the guy is and we will handle it.... Seriously every one should have a LR just ask @dclarke But If I was down to my last nickel tho I would opt for any C series. B111 I know nothing about so will leave that to an expert. I do believe it is a vertical shaft tho, hence not on too many bucket lists.

This is the ad I read yesterday. "I have many garden tractors for sale after20 years of collecting, most complete , selling whole tractors, mower decks , motors and parts, mostly wheel horses from 60s to early 80s, some 112 john deeres, 2 newer john deere 185s, older cub cadets, 1970s sears ss, sx and st and a few simplicitys. call with needs." So I called. I don't think he is on redsquare he surely would have said so and we/you would know. He said he has close to 100 tractors. Yes 100....... mostly wheel horse. Also has a number of them from 1955 and up. He boggled my mind as he talked about how the late 50's machines seemed to have parts from a year or two earlier and what they were yet they were original to the tractor. He has 3 or 4 electric models. He knew his stuff from the way he talked. He's has D series, C series, comandos, chargers, no names, 400's 500's, suburbans........... Could this be the Canadian holy grail of wheel horse????? I'm going to try to get the tomorrow or Fri. Camera in hand and a few SD cards. P.S. I may never come back??????????????

Same rear axle bracket and lift link and you are good to go.

I'd be happy to pick that thing up. I work right in Portland. I was at that very same auction. You call Shane from Keenan. ...and you give him my name and I'll take care of it.

Some photo's from Biddenden Tractorfest and Country Fair. I took quite a few, so I shall only be putting them up so many each day. Uploading is a tad slow. More to see as more arrived.

looked at a Kubota diesel zero turn at the fair today...special Fair pricing = $16,000.00 ZD1511-72. 6 ' deck and probably pretty fast...but my 1951 Case VAC ($1100) and a 6 ' New Holland Finish mower (about $1000) also gets the job done....

Everything looks correct in your picture. A couple things that may cause the belt to jump off. Vibration from an unbalanced auger, or a weak tensioner spring, or a piece of debris in one of the three VEE pulleys. Check each Vee pulley carefully and make sure there is not something lodged in one of the Vees.

Got hos one running looks better now but no new picture.

I'll be out sometime in the afternoon to set-up. bringing the 854 , 606 and the tub trailer.

Loaded up heading out in the am, see you guys there.

The B-111 are vertical shaft Briggs engines. They either have a 4 speed Peerless or the 6 speed Foote transmission. They were made in 1978 & 1979. They are an excellent lawn mowing horse...the Foote transmission is not made anymore and is hard to find, which makes it on the rare side.

Does make sense but just to throw a monkey wrench in...why would WH/Toro go thru the trouble and bit of expense to repaint? Would make more sense (from a bean counters point) to use up white and start specing silver from the supplier? That way us nuts would have original tractors with white wheels that would be more collectible! Excuse me whilst I run out and repaint some silver 520 rims in antique white!

Most if the other garden tractors on the market had white wheels, maybe they were getting from a supplier that painted everything they made white, so the Ponds had to paint them silver after they got them. Randy

Today i cut 1/2" off the old axle pin and used a 1" collar as a giude to grind the weld out, finished with a 1"grinding stone. Actually worked pretty well the pin is tight no slop. Pulled off the front wheels an pulled out the spindles.

Does this look like this is our first rodeo?

I have to agree that is an odd comparison.I would have to say also that I can't imagine the average homeowner spending $16,000 to get a grass cutter unless they also had the resources to have a grounds keeper.The VAC can do more than cut the grass which is why I think so many of us still keep the old WHs around because they can too.

A one owner that has been well maintained is a real find. As @pacer said, the 16 HP Kohler thumper engine is a real plus. Don't go too low on the starting price, don't want to loose the deal on a great tractor.

Put 12v on the coil + terminal have a good ground somewhere on the engine block and hit the A terminal on the S/G with 12 volts (heavy wire like a jumper cable)

Looks like rain Fri am... thinking I'll load up and head over tomorrow sometime too.

not to try to keep this thread active but I thought I would pass this along. The filter for this engine is the same as the filter for a 2017 ford fusion I drive and most likely many other cars. Got a Napa gold $ 7.00. done and done. Thanks for all the response's.

One of those things that make you go hmmmmm! Randy

Rear wheels have been cleaned up and painted. Rear hubs have also been painted I will wait a few days before bolting the wheels back on. Cleat

I got it back to May 2015, the rest will be difficult because of the way the software changed then.

I have several k engines that used this dark metallic blue/green,, I think if you bought just an engine it came that color from the factory

I agree with Jim, $1000 is not unreasonable, especially with the 3pt hitch and apparent good condition there (and the 16hp 341 engine is an added bonus) I recently sold a D180 with 3pt and mower deck in similar condition - paint/decals/etc - asked $1500 and on 2nd day guy came, looked and had $1400 in cash on him and he left with it. Down here in La. horses arent well known, so I was pleased to get that.

Thanks for the responses.I had not thought about the supplier angle,since WH would have gotten them prepainted You folks. are great.

I have four 200 series tractors. Three 212's and a 257. The 212's have the smaller 19" rear tires. It's likely a 212-6. The steering set up on the 257 is beefier. They are Kawasaki engines. The dash lacks a number of the idiot lights that are on mine. The tins look in fairly good shape. Like pullstart says But a tough one non the less. I have a blade for the 257 but haven't tried it yet. Of my 212's, two of them run and cut great the other is a parts tractor. Price wise, up here north of the boarder I payed 175, and 200 for the running ones. For cutting grass and pulling the utility trailer considering they are 25 plus years old.......... not bad at all. It's gotta run and drive good though. What would you pay for a "good" push mower???

Your gonna have to give us more to go on. I recommend checking all your grounds first. Don't just tighten them, undo them, use a small wire brush to clean them and then put a little dialectric grease on the connection. If still no go after that, I sure somebody smarter than me can help!! Randy

200 series Lawn Tractor.

Yes, there are a few bearings and if you follow this thread you will see how to repair it. Another option would be to replace it with a mechanical clutch.

New points and condenser installed along with belt guard and exhaust back on.

It can take several passes. We try to bust the top grass off first then go lower on the second pass. Used both a gear drive and hydro prefer the hydro. Wheel weights help a lot to control bounce. The video is my neighbor using a 312-8 several years ago.

Thank you all, I just picked up a 10 inch moldboard plow, and will be plowing the area up within a few weeks. I do plan on plowing it up, discing it, spreading manure, letting it set a little, and then dicing it a few times.

We used the B80 Patriot horse to unload and bring our auction purchases down to the workshop for future sorting.

Love these old signs. This might be my favorite prize from this auction.

Don't let him kid you with that hoist nonsense.... he just puts helium in the tires. Helium is for the faint of heart i use Hydrogen you get a bigger bang

I don’t have a hoist system so ramps it is. Lol Don't let him kid you with that hoist nonsense.... he just puts helium in the tires.

A little more love today new steer tires that are radials vs bias ply, drove so much better coming back home from Walmart this evening...i should have included this last pic originally so you can see what came off it, Jeff.

Seems that the screen name has been changed from gulftane to rtfbg. Perhaps @Sparky or @nylyon can do some magic and find a way to put the photos back in this thread. I am sure Bob wouldn't remove them, he was justifiably proud of the project.

I must have missed that post, glad I did because that is just plain wrong. I was happy to hear that "The Beast" was headed to a new home, Bob put a lot of talent and work into it and it needed a good home. I have been around the street rod hobby for a few decades and built and sold quite a few. I could never understood why some people were so negative toward folks who bought a ready to run vehicle that someone else wanted to sell. If it hadn't been for willing buyers I couldn't have built the next one. I for one applaud you for showing some love to these creations and look forward to meeting you.

Nice Eclipse! Have a Parkhound model here myself. I rebuilt a Rocket model exactly like yours for my father in law several years back and man do you have to run to keep up with them! And yes... Those old Briggs run forever. Just clean the points and spark plug, brown paper bag to gap the flywheel and away you go.

Don't sit on that tractor! If you do, you'd look like a circus bear on a tricycle!

Thank you everyone who responded to this questions. It can off easier than I thought it would. Everything just slid off of the crankshaft.

That is one clean 520 Cleat

i dont have any 6-12 tires on wheels and am not sure what width they would use. i dont think they would be 12 x 7.5 wheels though. my 1054 has 6.40 -15 tires on the standard wheels and they are about 4 inches wide if i remember correctly. i went searching 1960 to 1964 manuals and they dont mention rim width.