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Well I've had my eyes out looking for a decent deal on a Commando 8 for some time. I really like those 8 hp kohler engine's. I finally got what I was looking for and a little more. I was able to work out a deal on a Horse, Blade, Deck and 55 lb wheel weights and chains. Doesn't appear to be hacked up and looks like its all their. So another project in the line....

Put my “rusty parts” I got from @953 nut on the 953. Trying to keep this one mostly original. Richard was kind enough to swap me some original parts for my painted parts. My brother n law toted them up and met him close to his hometown. Going to look great in it’s original skin tones.👍

This rj was my first Rj. My best friend bought it when I first got into them. He tossed the correct engine and put on a 7hp kohler. It came with duels and also a snow plow. After a while he tired of it and traded it to me for some box tubing I had in my driveway. I kept it the way it came but finally decided to restore it. He hates it now that it's restored but it's not his anymore lol. It took a while to find the correct k91 but i finally found 1 and scored it for 15 bucks. It had over half a inch of bondo on the hood when i stripped it. Its far from perfect and I know it still needs a few things like decals, belt guard and a heat shield but I'm pretty happy how it came out. I like putting it with my original rj (that's another story for another day) at shows. A lot of people like seeing 1 in its work clothes and 1 all dolled up. I do think I'm gonna switch it back to ag tires and put those tires on my suburban I'm restoring.

This old guy gets around.

Free if you drive off fast enough

Hear that Dan? ..Lets get on that! Not sure if I have the patients for a 21yr wait. Heck it drives me nuts that it takes 4hrs for a good clearcoat to get dry enough to hit with a buffer.

The look of a K361 OHV is very unique visually compared the all the other valve-in-block K series engines. You could actually tell the difference from 50-75' away if the engine is exposed at all. The K361 shares the same bore and stroke dimensions with the K341 (3.750" x 3.250") = 35.90 cu. in. (588cc) The compression ratios however, vary a great deal: 7.3:1 (K341) to 9.2:1 (K361) K341 is a 10 bolt head, while the K361 is a 6 bolt head. The valve sizes vary marginally as well: K341; Intake: 1-3/8", Exhaust: 1-3/8" / K361; Intake: 1-7/16", Exhaust: 1-13/32". Engine code number can identify each clearly also. Code (71) = Model of Engine (K341); Code (23) = Model of Engine (K361). K361 head: They both have rod dippers and splash lube. The 2 HP difference comes from the OHV and cam. The rockers on the K361 are oiled by the splash and vapor of the common K Series bottom. They supposedly were only made in 1979-1980. While they are rare, its generally believed to be because they had issues enough that they quit production. Not enough oil gets to the rockers, and valve seats come out. "K361's lack of oil to the rockers and valves is because of a design flaw in the location of the crankcase breather. The top of the engine builds pressure therefore keeping the oil from reaching the top in sufficient quantities. It is a simple fix to get the oil up to the rockers. Block off the factory crankcase breather and install one in the aluminum valve cover on top of the engine. You will have to cut the factory valve cover to insert a breather. Once the top of the engine can breathe it will oil fine. Think of any other engine with overhead valves and where the crankcase breather is. Kohler really dropped the ball on this one." * http://gardentractortalk.com/forums/topic/16803-kohler-k361-any-good/ There is actually one off a Power King for sale at that well known auction site. Pics from the listing: https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&ved=2ahUKEwjwiJfj8N7fAhUELK0KHfjbCc4QFjAAegQIBxAC&url=http%3A%2F%2Fkohlerengines.com%2Fengines%2Fonlinecatalog%2Fpdf%2Ftp_1288.pdf&usg=AOvVaw1p06NV2wXpPPfkzsoVdnz_ Addendum: K361 block pics:

Please share with me the coordinates, I’d love to come pick some tractors *ahem* moss too...

Now, if you want the original organic free range moss Jim, here's the recipe. Just drag it out to Western Maryland and place it in a drainage ditch. I have the GPS lat. and long. Then return 21 years later and pluck it out of the ditch with an excavator.

Now to figure out how to grow the coveted moss on the hood! I got Dan @Achto working on that. Claims he was a horticulturist in a past life!

We’ll it’s home for good. 👍 Thanks for letting me be part of it’s family.

Glad I could be of some help. I was about to strip them down to bare metal as the 953 they came from is being restored. When Richie posted his conundrum of a half painted, half patinaed 953 it was a no brainer,they belonged on his horse. Those are some high mileage parts. They cam off the 963 I bought from today's Birthday Boy, @Ed Kennell, that was hauled from PA to NC by Van @Wheel-N-It and then picked up by @19richie66's brother-in-law Chris and on to Florida! Looking GOOOOOOD!

Happy Birthday @Ed Kennell, we are all glad you were born!

Bust Out Another Thousand for that hole in the water to throw money into. But they sure are fun!

That is what the Front End Loader is for!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MR ED!

16hp is the largest single wheelhorse used that doesn't mean someone could have put a kohler K361 in place of the original motor

Here's my wife's commando. I was buying paint for another tractor I was working on and the guy said I've got something for you. He told me make me an offer I said "Tom I only have 25 bucks on me" he said "Deal!!" It runs great. Needs a few small things.

I bought this tractor a little while back for $50 from my neighbor that was moving out of state. It had been stored for over 15 years and had 211 hours on it when I bought it from him. The machine came with a nice snow plow, mower deck and wheel weights, but the engine wad bad. It took some time to gather all the parts I needed to get it back up and running, but i'm satisfied with the results. I had to replace the 2 front tires, repair the engine, it was ran out of oil by his son. I had to replace pistons, rods, new rings and a crankshaft and now it runs like new. It still needs a little more work to be complete, the pulley covers on the mower deck need replaced and I plan to change oil in the tranny come spring. I also did some touch up paint work on a few places that needed it. This is my 3rd horse and it hopefully will last a few years.because there is nothing today that comes close to what these machines are. Just thought I would share my last project with the members here.

Well I tore the ole girl down tonight and scrubbed the frame, engine, and trans with lacquer thinner to remove as much grease as I could. I was shocked at how much red was still there. Emory even got in on the scraping. Only problems I’ve found are the trans appears to have been full of motor oil😱 and there was this weird green thing hugging the engine! Oh and if you’ll notice I pulled down my sheets I use for curtains to wash them and you’ll see why I have to put them up - my wife’s washer and dryer share one end of the little garage.

Yah ther is... pull up a lawn chair, crack a cold one and watch her burn...oh and make sure you got some extra cold ones for the fire dept....

I have an FEL on the D200...Never used it for snow removal. We had 28" awhile back and the town used a road grader, created a big pile. Used the snowblower. Pile was so high as i undercut it it was falling on the hood of the Electro, but she cleared it.

Loader plans here http://www.pf-engineering.com/ Stick welder here https://www.eastwood.com/ac-stick-welder-lew-k1170.html?SRCCODE=PLA00020&msclkid=3395e1c703ba10478f0abdf22a7a2bd3 Hydraulic parts here https://www.surpluscenter.com/Hydraulics/ And score some steel at the local scrap yard. You're halfway there already so get started!

Eric, I have a real nice Kwik-way subframe complete with axle brackets that would fit right on your C-160 if you need one someday to build your loader,give you a great deal on it and may even deliver it to Hiram.

A big 2 stage blower. No worries about the DOT piles or snow piles from plowing. I did the same method as Paul does. You'll figure it all out quickly enough. Pushing with the blade raised sometimes also helps. That's how I used to push back the big piles. Then drop it to clean up and start a new section.

Indoor tractor shows?? In the winter??? Close to home??? Like the BS?? You PA guys are starting to tick me off!

Lowell, Joette, Scottie sendings more prayers your way. Don’t want to make this about me but for the last 8yrs (I celebrated my lifeday yesterday) I’ve been dealing with U.T.I’s , cathedrals , spasms and pain from head to toe . The wife (my 24hr caregiver) and I know what your dealing with so please don’t hesitate to send a PM . Maybe some of our experiences could help in some way .

On any of my Wheel Horses I get 100 smiles per gallon!

Count the head bolts. A 16 has 10 of them.

Welcome to the forum Jason. You will certainly will find all the help you need here. What you have there with the Tecumseh/Lauson HT55 is a rather rare engine which is much misunderstood by most people. Its electrical workings are a bit unconventional compared to others and unfortunately many if not most found are discarded or destroyed due to the fact that it takes a bit of effort to understand their electrical workings. Many opt to just replace it with something else. Parts for it are absolutely not easy to come by, but I encourage you to stick with it and save it. A few important things to keep in mind with that engine are, ignition switch and solenoid are unique to that engine. They are activated by grounding. Absolutely no voltage to be applied to magneto at anytime. These are the essential things to understanding that engine and not frying anything. Smoke from under flywheel is never a good thing. Most likely coming from your magneto/coil.Probably happened by reversing the diodes although I have never come across that happening from that alone. Those diodes are directional therefor your resistance readings.Current flows through wires coming from under flywheel through diodes and into battery, therefor their directional ability. For the time being you can just remove them until you get engine going. Important specially if there is no battery in the system .They only have to do with the charging of the battery. I suggest that you start by reading thoroughly the information supplied above by Garry our file moderator. You are going to find him a lightning fast and precise information provider.Just one of many invaluable members in here.Meanwhile I will look and supply links to many posts regarding that engine and similar issues that others have come across , some very recent, and I am sure many others will do the same.

Hear that Dan? ..Lets get on that!

I agree. The main reason of asking is because I need to do a good bit of leveling high spots and slopes in my yard, along with continue to garden. I received two quotes so far. They both are over $5200 to do the dirt work. I figured I could buy a larger tractor with box blade for that price and work on it myself, and also have another tractor.

I did the bushing thing in my 1067 build but with no welding. A welder I am not. I drilled the hole out to 7/8" or 1" and loctited a x 3/4 oil lite bushing in. The pin & plate are available from Toro yet & reasonable. I think it was about 15 from a toro dealer. Other guys here make the pins as well.

Sweet deal

I’ve got some trimmin’ and tackin’ to do on the rear to make it square and tight.

So this morning Scottie’s suprapubic catheter was not draining for him so we came back to St. Mary’s to get his catheter flushed. The medical team here decided to drain his bladder through his urethral stent for now. He is in tons of pain and they have given him some IV meds to help with the pain. Scottie’s urology doctor is here helping him through this. Their plan is replace the suprapubic catheter on Tuesday after both medical teams meet with Scottie. We don’t know as of yet whether or not he will need surgery or what they plan on doing. We will wait and see. Scottie did get sent home with some good medication to help with his bladder spasms and his bladder pain.

My father and I picked this up over the weekend for $100. It has no spark and I let the magic smoke out of something under the flywheel, so parts will have to be ordered. I need to know some info about the tractor/engine before ordering ignition parts. It appears to have a Tecumseh HT55c-3089, but I am unsure as there are no numbers on the engine either. Serial number 62-6802 on the shift pattern sticker. Dad thinks it’s a 702, I think it’s a 552. Who is right?

I finally got Emory’s Work Horse 100%. New carb made it start easy and purr like a kitten! Even his headlights work😁. He bought what we were told was a 603 at the show last summer and it took the efforts of several folks to get it going so Emory could ride it in the rain! Now, I’ve got to put on a fuel pump so it doesn’t run out of gas going up hill. It originally had a Tillotson updraft carb on it, carter now. I’ve sealed the gas tank and need to clean it up good to give it a coat of clear and paint the wheels. He wants to keep it original looking. I took a picture of the serial number. Is this in fact a 603 or a tractor that was repowered and made into a 603? It had 633 on the belt guard. Doesn’t matter either way, but I’ll probably let Emory think it’s a 603 even if it isn’t. That was the reason he wanted it so badly. I’ll do some pics as I go, but it isn’t going to be as involved as his Work Horse. Next up is a project for me - cleaning and painting up the D160 I got at the show last summer.

Hello all, new to this forum and was looking for some advice on value. In my area is posted a 1983 C-125 with blade attachment and mower deck. The unit looks pretty clean from the pic and the asking price is $950. Is this in the ballpark, or too high too low? Thanks in advance. So fast forward to New Years Eve and my wife humored me and let me buy the tractor, so this is my first one. I ended up getting everything including plow, wheel weights, tire chains for $680. It had sat for a bit so wouldn’t start at first, add a little starter fluid and she lit off and purred nicely. Just one puff of smoke on initial light off as would be expected for something that had been sitting, nothing else bad at all. All gears shift nicely, engine is smooth etc. So the reason I’m posting is that even though it was advertised as an ‘83, I think it might be a 1981. When I got home and went thru the papers that were included, they looked to be original owners manual and brochures that came with the tractor upon first purchase. (Pretty cool actually.). So one of the included magazines is a Wheel Horse magazine, dated 1981, and has an article about 1981 design features. Who knew that Jackie Stewart was their pitch-man at the time? So looking at the VIN Number I come up with: 01-126803-25028. followed by: 2095. Hoping that someone can give me an idea if the tractor is 1981 or ‘83 or anything else. My my little disclaimer here, still figuring out how to post and read on this forum, so if I have double posted anything I apologize in advance. Thank you all for the help!!

You serious Richard or you pulling our leg??? Is ther a certain species of moss or does it have to be Ed's organic free range hybrid? Anything on the north side of trees work? Does the base coat of sour cream change the original patina? Does it grow that fast you have to it? I got a 604 hood that...never mind your

In life. they say there are only two thing for sure, death and taxes. Over the years I've come to believe taxes may not be for sure. But there are a couple of thing that are for sure, whoever comes to you with this Barzini meeting, he's the traitor, and if Buckrancher, and Shynon, say it's a 552, it's a 552 .

Looks like you have everything to mount the deck, BUT for lifting it you're missing the hydraulic cylinder. Manuals for the decks are separate than the tractor. Don't be fooled by all that rust powder on there. You'd be surprised how much paint can be left on there. Some 000 steel wool and some WD-40 will clean it up to give you an idea but there are many previous threads on here about saving the patina. I like them original but that doesn't mean a beautiful trailer queen doesn't attract everyone's attention. Nice Score! Especially way down there in Texas

I like to put the seals in as the very very last item. After I've got it assembled, shifted it through the gears rolled the input shaft, brake shaft and axles to be sure everything is smooth/good. That way if something doesn't feel right, I'm not sliding the seals over the shaft key ways several times. ...Yea I learned the hard way!.

I'm not trying to be contrary to that piece of information but the fact of the matter is I run short on front end loaders right now Soon, I hope. as a matter of fact, Trina and I have been talking about making that one of our projects in the coming year.

I'll be there weather permitting. We RedSquare members should make it a point to meet up somewhere!

Hey ...keeps us outta the tavern and in the shop fridge where we belong!

I had one of these when I was 10 or 11, LONG time ago {55 now},loved that tractor! Didn't have a deck on it,I would just use it to cruise around town and back in the woods.One of Few good childhood memories with my father.A few weeks ago,This came up local to me on FB marketplace for $50.00! I bought it,plan on restoring in the spring.Complete,less seat.Will post pictures when completed.Look forward to being on your forum.

Just have to preserve it now. I picked up Johnson paste wax as was prescribed.

My first non-farm job was pumping gas, 19.9 was the going price, gas wars would bring it down to 17.9. That was in 1961 and I guess I was making about $ 1.00 an hour then. Relative to today's wages I guess the price is about the same.

We officially found out today that the bacteria in Scottie’s bladder is resistant to the one antibiotic we started on Monday. So the medical team at St. Marys changed his antibiotic today and we started it tonight. How was Scottie’s day? Well it was very quiet as we were trying to get his pain under control and let him rest. He did have a migraine headache from his traumatic brain injury so we are taking that one day at a time. Lowell and I appreciate y’all and we are very blessed to have our son home for Christmas and the New Year.