Leaderboard

Every weekend so far in 2019 I've hauled home a Horse. Turning out to be a great year so far. Last weekend I snagged this poor tractor that someone has added custom features to. Believe it is a 702 that someone cut the tank and hood. Plus installed a Briggs and Stratton motor. Well have been wanting to put a 520-H forward swept axle on a round hood. So...since someone else started butchering the poor girl, figured it would be a good candidate for the axle project. Little adjustments and it was on. Added the wide rear rims and tires also. Next step is to possibly put the gear reduction steering on it. Still need to switch the seat out. But happy how it looks so far

Figured out one of the added perks of being a tow truck driver yesterday, you can come to your own rescue if need be . Not sure what happened to the old Chevy, went to feed the horses this past weekend, old battery is getting weak but she jumped right off and ran fine. But it was too far gone to run the pump to pick up a 1400 LB bale. No problem went to the shop and picked up a new battery, put It in and now all it will do is turn real slow two or three times then kick back so violently it sounds like the crank is gonna break in two. So I grabbed the wrecker after work yesterday and drug it over to my shop so I can try and get it going again.

I wanted to share my wife and i are so excited! Our oldest who just got married not to long ago is pregnant and due around july! This is our first grand baby! The time has flown by we are so happy! It seems not to long ago we were in high school and had our daughter ashley now she is having a baby. Where has time gone? Here is a couple photos the first is our daughter ashley sitting on( her's now) wheel horse 800 special. The picture was at the lagrange indiana gas and steam show tractor show many many years ago.The second is our daughter ashley and my great son in law kody. and the last is the happiest grandparents ever!

I have been busy with other things and kinda been putting this on the back burner, this plow will need an angle lever made as well as the push/pull rod but I also needed the correct lever for my 520 with the extension kit, I noticed that @richmondred01 had one on his 520-8 (should look like the last pic when done) and I contacted him to ask for a template I could just make my own, he obliged and today at work I finally got around to fabbing one up out of 1/4"x1"x4' HRS flat bar I got from TSC a couple cuts and TIG welded plus a couple 33/64" diameter holes drilled the rest I'll take care of here at home. From the ugly mess I made last year out of the non correct factory version to my new unpainted (except clear coat on my welds) version. Also if anyone would want to share the dimensions of the bend on the standard/straight angle lever (next to last pic) much appreciated, Jeff.

Richie if you run that plow in the Florida sand, it should clean the "slight" oxidation on the coulter, share, and moldboard very easily. That will make it glide through that Tarheel soil like going through butter!

Glad I was wrong also. Wife and I went out last night and picked up our Valentine's gift. A 1949 Simplicity Model L walk behind. Wasn't going to pick it up until Saturday but she insisted.

I got home from plowing at work for over 13 hours and Aiden was waiting to plow. I really wasn't looking forward to plowing for once. I quickly snow blowed a path to my parent's housee and Aiden was off. My dad saved him his turn around area to plow. This snow was a lot heavier than what Aiden was used to and once he figured out what I was trying to teach him he excelled. He then came home and plowed our back yard area. I let him be and he didn't stop. He moved tons of snow. I had to pry him off of it so his brother could try. Even the little dude did good. I ended up having a blast plowing with these 2 goobers. Thanks again @ebinmaine

Picked this up yesterday. A little far away to come plowing but I’m sure I’ll find something to dig into when I get moved.

Made a little more progress on the tractor over the weekend, got the axle put back in and the temporary front tires on it so I can roll it around the shop, these won't be on here permanently but for $6 each from the shop I work at it was money well spent to get it off the jackstands and mobile again. Hope to try and get a belt on it this weekend.

I have enjoyed tinkering with mowers and small engines since I was a young boy hanging around my Great-Grandad's shop. Here a few years ago I started a landscaping and tree service, had a few push mowers and a couple cheap riders, but really wanted a true garden tractor for the bigger jobs. My friend Ray told me at the coffee shop one morning that if I wanted a garden tractor I should try to find a Wheel Horse, said he had one years ago and it was tough and easy to work on. Looked locally for a while but they're few and far between here in OK, so I gave up looking. Fast forward a year or so, I had been out to the city dump and picked up a nice older Montgomery Wards rider that someone threw out, had it in the back of my pickup the next morning at the coffee shop, one of our regulars came in and asked if I wanted another old mower. At first I told him I didn't need another one, then he said he had an old Wheel Horse in his back yard I could have if I came and got it. So with that the 1277 came home. Figured I would be good with the one tractor, then I found RedSquare, this magical place with so much knowledge and so many bad influences to fuel a guy's addiction . Soon I was looking for another, and came across an incomplete, rough, yet begging to be rescued 701. Picked it up for free as well, many of the original parts were missing, but the bones were good, currently working on repowering it and making a parade/show cruiser out of her. First pic is the day I brought her home, second is how it sits as of last night. Not too long after, my wife at the time decided she wanted one. Browsed around and found the little Commando V8 @Daddy Don had posted in the classifieds. Few days later and we were up to 3, the wife has since left but the little Commando is still here. Then came my worker C125, which is also my little nephew's favorite tractor. And finally my most recent one, which ironically goes back to the first time I ever heard the Wheel Horse name. My friend Ray came to coffee one day and told me he had found me another tractor for $100, turned out it was the C141 that he had purchased brand new and used for years before trading it to another friend of his. While I love all my tractors, this one will always be my favorite and hold a special place in my heart, it is currently tore down do the bare frame going through an extensive no expense spared full restoration

You can measure it to confirm but it looks like a 12"

You definitely married the right one! She got any sisters?!?!?

Now John, I have to take expectorate to that. Us old guys could easily lift those blades and blowers if we wanted to, but we found a better way. Why I haven't had a clutch in a vehicle since I bought that new VW bug in 1964. What a piece-o-@#$% that was. Anyway, I even added motors to my ice cream maker and meat grinders. And then there was Mad Max with the tiller on the front so I didn't have to turn my neck. Geez, what time is it? I musta dozed off. Where did I put my glasses?

Got my parts welded on (with the ole 220 "buzz box" and some 6013 rods) today still need a few more like the angle rod and lever...

just got back from a road test , on the road for 20 minutes, engine sounds great and runs well, lighting works , after a long sleep its very good to get it moving again. Bought this c-85 new , back in 82, lots of hours , but equal maintenance , always in a shed , like a part of me . now I can detail the rest of wiring, probably improve the exhaust, and add a few improvements . plowed the first snow yesterday with the other 312-8, how can you not love plowing snow ? this is what I did today, pete

I've gotten to put the C-161 with the 22hp predator to work a few times this year so far. I might have all the bugs worked out at this point haha. This pic was from yesterday. Just got done clearing up the snow and ice we got the day before and overnight.

We could make a “plow dog” out of you yet Richie! I was just picturing you shining up those plows by going to the local beach, slapping a set of high floatation tires (think @ebinmaine!)on your favorite tractor, hook on a plow, some sunscreen, and get to work! Not sure how it would go over with “Baywatch” but I’ll bet you that it would draw a crowd. The furrows would fill in fast but then you could just keep on plowing—almost like pressing the reset button on your “field” (every Plow dogs dream)! Tom—thanks for the picture. That corrects a HUGE misconception that most people have about plow share size. You don’t measure back along the share to determine the size, you measure out perpendicular to the landside from the suck point to the outside edge of the share. Essentially, it is the width of how much soil you are cutting out on each pass. Dad’s Plow has a 10” share and so it cuts approximately a 10” furrow on every pass. Caleb is using an 8” plow which is cutting approximately an 8” furrow. Hopefully between this post and Tom’s above, it clears up the misconception of how the size of a plow is measured...

We’ll I’m a plowing idiot but wanting to learn.

I have reused head gaskets on many Kohler singles w/o any leaks. But , it is a lot more work to replace a leaking gasket on a twin....are you a gambler?

For a beginner in the WH brand - I'd recommend the C series over the others. A lot simpler to work on/learn, tough as nails rear axle/hydro and very easy to put attachments on/off the machine. Simple, high-torque single cylinder Kohler. Once you own and use any Kohler single above 12hp - you'll be hooked on that unbeatable torque curve. Even with a single stage blower that 14hp Kohler would be hard to knock off of it's governed rpm setting - the 16hp K341 is a favorite around here for that same reason. The only thing in my opinion that is better with something like the 520 is that model's 1" front axle spindle size. Be aware of the 520 and their wiring issues - well documented here and with some reading/help they are easy enough to fix. The Onan can develop some valve seat problems that are not only expensive to repair, but a tedious job to boot. The cast iron Kohler single cylinder engine is highly sought for a reason - dead simple and insanely reliable as well as easily rebuilt. As others have mentioned - some of the late '60s up through early '70s models had a 10-pinion limited slip rear differential. Those models are very simple and about as tough as they get - the traction level from them is just a bonus. Don't limit yourself to just the models that are available right now - you can hunt around a little and you'll find WH tractors hidden away all over the place. Sort of like some of the little known automotive examples - once you own one, you'll notice others you never saw before. The older model tractors also look a lot more like farm tractors and have the least amount of wiring and safety switches that can fail - which also leads to less downtime or problems for a beginner. I'd also recommend a hydro before anything else, mostly for the ease of the forward/reverse changes but also for lifting heavy implements. The infinite ground speed gives you a lot more finesse in using implements and general maneuvers, too. Most implements, like the blades, for example, can have lift links that have a slot for a certain amount of float while retaining the ability to have down pressure. If you ever ran across a deal on a snow blower - you'll appreciate that hydraulic lift in a hurry. Except for the smallest of mowing decks - none of the WH implements are exactly lightweight, they are all quite heavy for what they are. Sarge

If I went through all that work to pull the motor, remove all the tins, remove the heads and decarb them, I would certainly invest the $ to buy new head gaskets. After all, how will you feel if the old ones leak and then you have to do it all over again. My motto has always been, "if it is worth doing, it is worth doing right"

Don't get enough snow here to have any experience with using a WH to remove it, but I would think a hydro would be your best option for the reasons mentioned above, much of the same reasons I liked (and now miss) my hydro in my 1277 for mowing. I love my 8-speed for the heavy jobs, but the hydro made mowing so much faster and nicer, and I can imagine snow removal would be the same. That being said, I would find an older C series with a Kohler, parts are still easily obtained, and they are simple to repair and maintain. The Onan engines are one that you either love them or hate them, they are great engines but much more finicky to get them running right than a Kohler, and parts are much more expensive. I've got an old 79 model Miller welder with an Onan on it that still runs like a champ, but the Onan on my generator in my RV I spend more time working on than I do using it. A lot of guys here will say 8 or 10 HP is more than enough to plow snow, maybe so but personally I prefer at least a 12. I've always been the type to buy bigger than what I need, cause you never know when that extra power will come in handy. Good luck in your search and

I told my wife she didn't need to buy me flowers, but she better not forget the candy!

They definitely light up the night

Like the head lights on the C125. You can work day and night with that one.

Thanks for the reply's, so it looks like its 50/50 on it. I was told by my dad that on the tractors we had growing up that it was a bi yearly action he did to all his engine's. We always just reused the old gaskets if they looked good. Now that being said they were Kohler/briggs engines, easy to get to. This one is an older 74 Onan in a SS16 Roper tractor. There is a lot of work involved to pull if there is an issue. I think after all the painting an Restoration work I have done to this tractor it would be best to just buy new and be done with it. Thanks for the push in the right direction, kinda what I needed. At least I will have a spare set should I ever need one in a pinch.

And four suitcase weights. Quadruple score!

Do NOT forget to check and set the camshaft end play! This little step that is mostly forgotten by many that rebuild these(even professionals) And this is the cause for the notorious "kohler knock" that so many are plagued with in the mid rpm area. Sounds like a rod knock but its the camshaft slapping back and forth due to excessive end play. The procedure is covered in the rebuild manual for the K series engines. Mike the Aspie

Hey, nice round hood. It should have a snow thrower on it by now. (?) I am glad your son enjoys the plow!!

@953 nut good idea and thank you for sharing that video. I've heard that term a million times and never knew exactly what it meant.

It would be a good idea to have the cylinder Magnafluxed. If there are cracks they may not be visible but will show up with magnaflux.

Congratulations! we have 2 grandsons and fortunately they live nearby. they are over almost every Sunday and we totally enjoy/spoil them. We are Nannie and grandpa to them...you have to start working on what they will call you. its part of the Grandparent role of honor. This past Sunday the almost 3 yr old didn't each much Supper, so Mom said no dessert...Then Nannie got caught feeding him one of her freshly baked cookies under the table like a child would feed a dog. We laughed so hard as Nannie explained she just couldn't help help herself seeing the sad face he made!!! You will truly enjoy moments like that. Our son in New Jersey recently told us there expecting so that will be #3 grandchild and our first long distance one.

Congrats, grandkids are the best, no better feeling than when the grandkids run up to hug you, unconditional love.

Yes it has a dealer sticker but I can’t make out where its from. I’ll get a better look tonight. Got this Brinly too

Congratulations, and welcome to the wonderful world of Grandparenting.

Congratulations! That is a super feeling.

It was empty, luckily. When I ran new fuel lines, I put two inline filters right near the tank to switch out often, if needed.

Hey Tom @Shynon and Mike @prondzy what do you guys think—that looks like a 12” to me. Nice looking plow for sure. When the time is right to actually put it to use, you’ll want to clean that moldboard and share up as detailed on the first page or two of this thread. Richie, you will have to come up some time for Jim’s PD! You would not only be able to learn a few more tricks of the trade but be able to get some serious seat time. oh yea...if you ever make it up, you might have to borrow some of our cold weather gear if it is 25 degrees like last year! (You certainly would have a free place to stay with us should you ever make it up...) Glad you found the right plow for you Richie! Well done.

Aviation Permatex. My Dad used it on small aircraft and since it was in the shop we used it on farm equipment and autos, and everything. Once you smell this stuff you will never forget the smell. No it's not terrible, just very identifiable.

Did not find where I got them but I got a few if you need one. I never buy one of anything

Valentines Day, is just another reason to buy flowers, or candy. It was originally about a killing massacre. I choose to leave it like it is and just put it in a bundle, roll it in your hands and blow it away. HAPPY VALENTINES DAY....just does not compute...HAPPY MASSACRE DAY...now, there is a reason to buy flowers. Why does it have to be a Holiday to buy your wife flowers?? How about if you could say..."I bought you some roses last week....and they are still looking good."

That together with a 10 pinion differential like on a Charger makes the ultimate plow machine. My neighbors love to watch me backup my Electro on my icy 6% grade driveway at full speed. Pushing a full plow of wet snow up the driveway not a problem either.

Steve, some 416-8 were actually the Onan twin just like the 520-8, now @DG1776 since I am a little bit biased I would say go get that 520H with the hydro drive and hydraulic lift, hopefully it has the snow plow with it as if it's 1990 or newer you will need the snow plow frame extension kit to clear the swept forward front axle, and since I've owned 1 since new, there's nothing quite like and Onan growling when working just my experiences and opinion, Jeff.

For plowing or blowing snow, I would only use a hydro with hydraulic lift and foot controlled motion. Ten HP is enough to push snow. For turning a blower and the hydro, I would want 12HP minimum with 14-20 being much better. I just cleaned 4 driveways in 70 minutes with my 312Hydro with 48" blade. I have a solid link on the plow lift so I can apply down pressure as I pull up to garage doors and parked vehicles, drop the blade and back drag the snow to where I can push it. I (the hydro) probably lifted the blade and changed F/R direction 70-80 times . With a gear drive this probably would have taken several hours. So, I recommend a hydro with 12HP minimum. Then If your needs change, you can even run a blower or a 48" deck .

When I was 11 or 12 we attended a lawn and garden show during the winter and my Dad was looking at several options including an RJ-35. Needless to say I was liking the idea of mowing while riding , but sadly it was not to be, he bought a rototiller and a walk behind mower, guess who walked behind it for the next seven or eight years! Fast forward to twenty or so years ago while living in Florida my wife and I bought a nice peace of property for a future retirement home and I wanted to buy a garden tractor to improve and maintain the property. A friend told me about the Florida Flywheelers Show and I attended with him and found my 1055 with a 36" deck, mid mount grader blade and a cart. I made a small landscape rake for it and was amazed at how much work it could do. I was hooked! A few months later a good friend was attending a yard sale near hi in-laws home in Ohio, There was a Wheel Horse for sale and he called and asked it I wanted it, as he had an empty truck bed he could deliver it. I bought my first 953 sight unseen and the rest is history!

I’m sure there have been threads started specifically for this topic on here and if the moderators want to combine this with one of those, please do. Per @Daron1965‘s request, I’ll start a thread about my personal favorite attachment for a Garden Tractor—the furrow plow. I want to state clearly here that I don’t claim to be an authority on this subject. Maybe like doctors “practice medicine”, I find myself “practicing with a Brinly” every time that I head out into a field. I’m going to tag a few of my buddies like @Achto @WHX20 @Shynon @prondzy @Stormin @WVHillbilly520H (If i’ve Forgotten you, not my intention, please join the discussion) Who are all “plow dogs” in that they enjoy climbing into the furrows and turning earth for extended periods of time! I hope that they will weigh in here with their experiences and things that they have done with their rigs and plows. Pictures will definitely welcome and encouraged in this thread, both for instruction and coolness factor. It is funny how people look at someone on a garden tractor turning under a field! I wish I had a dollar for every time someone uninitiated said to me, “I didn’t think you could do that with a lawnmower!” Many folks today have seen people blading with a GT, mowing with a GT, blowing with a GT, but when they see someone plowing with one—they are often shocked. Our culture has moved so far from the agregarian society that people aren’t familiar with it. I bought a 10” Brinly two weeks ago from a buddy who brought it to my Uncle’s Farm day. It was a vey cost efficient price. Apparently, he found it at a garage sale. The person had painted it all black and was using it for a yard ornament because they had no idea what it was for. The first thing I want to make clear about plowing with a GT: GROUND CONDITIONS ARE OF UTMOST IMPORTANCE! If you are trying to plow red or blue clay that hasn’t seen a drop of rain in two months—Don’t Even waste your time. You won’t have fun, you won’t have very good success, and you’ll probably break your tractor in the process! Also, be aware that a garden will traditionally plow easier than a field because the field gets compacted throughout the year with large equipment that weigh anywhere from 5 ton to 20 and more. If the soil is too wet when you are trying to plow it will stick to everything unless it is a real sandy soil. This soil here was quite sandy but was still as hard as a rock. We had trouble getting the plows to suck in. When a plow is only cutting a 2” deep furrow, the geometry of the plow isn’t correct and the next pass or tractor in the furrow is acting more like a chisel plow than a moldboard plow. One of the awesome things about GT plow days, is the opportunity to share the experience with some buddies. Rarely do we get together to blow snow or cut lawn. I like GT shows but I like plow days better. Why? Because not only do we get to look at cool tractors or show off our own, we get to use them and see them in operation. Here my Uncle Roger is using his 314-8 to turn my garden. He was cutting a 6-7” deep furrow with his 10” Brinly and it was doing a beautiful job. This soil is a sandy loam and the moisture content was perfect. One problem with most WH’s as a plow tractor—they are way too light in the front. If you want to do any SERIOUS plowing with one, you need at least a good 60-70#’s or more of front end weight. I’m running 3- 22# weights on my front attach-a-matic and a pair of cast front wheel weights on GhostRider. When I first plowed with him, I couldn’t keep the front down! I was tempted to sit on the hood and look backwards over my shoulder . Power is important and it is good to have a strong running engine. However, there is no need for 25hp when a strong K301 will pull a 12” Brinly in moderate soil conditions with proper adjustments and weight all day. Size your plow to your tractor and it’s power. Comanche is an 8hp Tractor and an 8” Plow is suited well to it. I regularly run the Punisher(my 12” Brinly) behind GhostRider (my 314-8). Conditions were nearly perfect this particular day. I was cutting a 6-8” furrow (notice the lean angle on the tractor) and the soil had just the right amount of moisture to scour really well. Tires are important. I like the modern Carlisle TruPower on the left but I know that Tom and Mike swear by Firestone 23’s and I can’t wait for them to weigh in on their experiences. Dan and I have been discussing the pros and cons of tire width. Too wide and your tractor floats more and then it takes more weight to keep it from spinning. Too skinny and you don’t have enough bite in the ground. A clean moldboard is also very important especially if the soil is sticky at all. If you buy a used Brinly and the moldboard and plowshare are all rusty, I’d suggest cleaning them up some with a wire wheel on a grinder or a drill before using it. The dirt in the field will do the rest. I love the mirror shine that Dan has on his plow here! You know the plowing was good when you leave the field and your plow looks like this and your rear tire like that! I have a lot more to say but I have a few other things to take care of right now and so I’ll check back in later...

Praying for you and your family Hhhhhhooooooowwwwwwaaaaarrrrrrrdddddd .

Think it will be first time maybe several cleanups shall not a bad idea... ok this is a Petrol Car, mine in the past was a Diesel. Hope you have a plastic tank, otherwise some rust maybe will congest the filter... Oh, what memories come up....😇 Thanks Kevin- After i bought my old Mercedes RV Truck about 20Years ago, ( buy it before it was an Oltimer) it stands for about 6 Years without any moving and taken of care in a Barn. When i see it first time, i fel in love with her. What a Lady... With Transfer numbers i did my first travel with that Thing i never driven before 560 Km far...😎 To a friend with a Truck size Garage... I'm thinking to myself, oh not a thing, it is a Mercedes what shall be happen....😂😂😂 I just bought the complete spare of Dieselfilters 20pcs. from a Truckstore (can't exactly tell why i did this, but sometimes i hear a internal voice and listen to her), checked first the Oil - looks not too bad and has fingertest passed about lubrication, then i checked the Watercooling - it seems fine and keeps water, and last but not least i checked the mechanical parts about the Brakes -(just in case if airpressure fails) all seems to work normal. Change Dieselfilter just to be save, the i put in 2 brandnew Batteries in, bleeding and Fireup... it started after the 5 try and runns pretty well. so i enhanced my opinion, i do that Trip....🤓 The first 5Km i think i lost my complete dental fillings, the tyres was more square then round, but i continoued the trip, nothing is harder than me - hahaha...😂😂😂 but the Engine runs great until first 20 Km On the next reachable Station i fill up the Dieseltank to max (180liters) to drive that trip at once. It was an Oldie Truck, so 75Km/h was Vmax...😎😇 no time to loose... It was 85Km later, perfectly timed direct on a Highway without any Border in the dark rainy night, where the street goes a bit uphill, i feel suddenly a big loss of Power and i nearly stand immediately. Just a Bit more as idle and the Engine stops... Ok, the first Filter was congested and i come to a bad situation to change the Dieselfilter, and bleeding with handpump. This pump was so idioticaly mounted, that i scrap each pump up my finger.... don't wanna talk about how happy i was for that situation.... Ok two solutions - bloody fingers or Stop... To Bleed you have to pump 40x up and dowm...😎 each time to pump you thinked - ok, ouch, only once more...😂 ....after 5 times pull the starter with full throttle it fireup again. I tried to continouse my Trip, but about 80Km later same play again, luckily there was a parking area. This horrortrip continouse with shorter comeing intervalls by Filter congest. After the 10. times, the Filterchangeintervals extended and after further 10 filters later all was fine. what i didn't know at that time, the Diesel was not usable for the Old Tanks, while they where coated inside. the Changes Fuel releases tis coating from the Metal of the Tank. The horriblest thing on that first trip was the situations, where i must change the Filters. I remember, as it where yesterday... i memory on that, a simple changable Prefilter is allway's a good idea.👍 Kevin, Hope you will never catch such memories, but if you do, accept it, you wan't miss them later on.... i know where i'm talking about... with a big grin Stefan

Thats great news, congratulations. Glenn

Definitely got some great ideas today. @pfrederi He indicated that we should be able to get a minimum 1/2 cord per acre per year indefinitely. The current forest is soooo thick we'll get 2 to 4 per year for several seasons.