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Every year I restore a Wheel Horse with my class. This year’s project is a C105. My students are getting good at bringing Wheel Horses back to life. I really enjoy passing my knowledge down to the kids. Some of them have even started their own collection of wheel horses.

Just acquired this machine from my dad. Been sitting in the barn for a few years, but still runs. Plans are to do a complete restore/mod.

Thanks. It’s really rewarding to see the kids work on the tractors. I have the 1st year students do the degreasing and disassembly, the 2nd year students do the prep work and the 3rd year students paint and assembly . There is a lot of teamwork to complete the project. All the kids like to bring their family members in at our open house and show them everything they are working one.

Our bum cat that I caught in a shop warehouse some years ago with some fried chicken... I can’t say whether he likes the picture or the big sock!

I totally get that. My main hobby is restoring old telescopes. The kind of scopes I like are the bit heavy beasts of days gone by that not many people want these days because they don’t have all of the bells, whistles, and computerized gizmos that the modern models have. Then again that is why they are also lost looking at the night sky trying to find something without a computer. Most of mine are really rough when I get them. Most of the time I will have more money in the restoration than what the market value is. The one I’m working on right now is a prime example of this. Stored in barn for 25 years and a big mess, but I love it and it will be a show stopper when it is done. Sometimes you just do it for the love of it. If I did not restore these, they would go to the dump.

I basically got it with the blade and the hubcaps, I bought it basically from a friend whose father had passed away, the po Used it to push snow Last winter, I wouldn’t mind re-powering it and clean it up and using it as a custom modified wheelhorse. Just to be fair and show the previous owners ability that he had this is a 32 Chevy 1 ton truck that he modified and mounted on to a 90 Dodge 1 ton frame and then mounted a gravity fed old wagon onto it for the box

I was able to finally dig out the 856 and get some pictures.

I had a few minutes today and was able to bench test the solenoid. I tested it for resistance and voltage and it worked perfectly. I am pretty sure it is a replacement unless WH was using solenoids sourced from Mexico. I reinstalled the solenoid, cleaned all the contact points and still nothing when I turn the key. So now where am I at? Somehow I am not getting power from the ignition switch to the solenoid it appears. So safety switches causing a problem? I found at least 3 of these, one on the brake pedal, one on the seat, and one on the PTO. I did take some more pictures of all 3 WH's because everyone loves pictures! Someone has been doing a lot of brazing to the top of that muffler!

That’s a shame you didn’t learn anything. I try to keep it interesting for my students. If I see that they have skills, I give them advanced tasks to do. This year’s new students didn’t even know what a Phillips head screwdriver was or what way to turn a wrench to remove a bolt. Kids aren’t very hands on anymore unless its with their phone but I’m changing that.

I was hoping to see people say >1200 because I like it a little higher and felt a little guilty being that there a lot of "as low as she'll go" fans out there now I dont

Going lower is not a good idea as it impacts the splash lubrication Kohler spec'd 1200 for a reason.

Good eye Garry!!!!

I know some design engineers who still don't know these things.

I'm very happy to see what your doing!! I think every one should have an opportunity to learn some type of mechanical skills. It seems like for a period of time classes were more focused on training kids for office type jobs and skilled labor took a hit because of this. Right now skilled labor is in high demand, if you are a machinist, welder, mechanic, etc good paying jobs are not hard to find.

Thanks everyone! I will definitely be including pictures throughout the entire process. This is a first for me (restoring a garden tractor). Also I’m very green to the wheel horse nostalgia. Thank you 953nut for the brochure, it will definitely come in handy. I’m not sure on the year yet, was told a ‘72, but as I’m seeing it wasn’t made in that year. Glad to be a part of this big community! Plans are to have a bit of custom fabrication on the sheet metal, and a slightly custom paint, carrying the red, but more metallic with pearl, and at what would be “show car quality”. I might be going the route of stretching the frame out about18 inches, lowering the front, and possibly a bigger engine (this could all change as the process goes). But, I’m very excited to get started and see what comes of it.

I also got some pictures of the #2 C-120. It is in much rougher condition than the first that I am messing with now. I think it has been sitting much longer unused. All of the soft components like rubber and wiring are much more deteriorated and there is more corrosion on other parts than the #1 machine.

I got a nice Christmas package from Wheelhorseman yesterday. Got it all installed today. Made a trip around the property to see If I got evert thing back together just before it rained.

I updated my signature about 12 times today since I first created it tweaking things here and there. You think I would have seen that This thanks you!

You guys are something else!! Let me at least say a little bit about her. Born in Chicago in 1928...a lot of you guys are not going to know what that date means. It means that you were a kid during the Depression. It means that you were a kid after the 1st war to end all wars. It means that you were going through the 2nd war to end all wars as a teenager. It meant that you were probably farmed out to relatives or a home to take care of you because your parents could not take care of all of their kids. My mom and her sister were brought up as cousins...not knowing they were sisters until their 20's. My Dad's story is pretty much the same. I have a ton of friends my age, and the story of their parents is always so similar it knocks you out. My Mom and Dad married at 21...their birthdays are 1 week apart. They had me the next year...(might be the best thing that happened to them). Anyway, if you wanted to play TOP THIS for scars, you would not stand a chance. She was almost bionic...quadruple heart by-pass, both hip replacements and some others that I should keep in the family. She was strong until the end, and I got to spend her last days with her at her home. I am blessed that I was able to do that...and I am so happy that she lived a full life...and I am missing her already. She was into the horses, because my Dad bought them and got into a business. After he passed, she was out there in the shed with me getting the 4 of them out of moth balls and running again. That's when we found Red Square. I brought her home a T-Shirt from the 1st Big Show that I went to...and T-Shirts from some of the other shows that were going on during those years. She always enjoyed looking at all the pictures I brought back to share with her. I'll tell you this...if our house would have been near the railroad tracks (back in the day)...the hobo's would have marked her mail box as a safe place to get a good meal and a place to rest. Rest in Peace Mom...I love you.

I been here for a number of weeks figure I better introduce this ol fart. Really not much to tell except Im an ol fart that will tackle anything and everything. Ive had my wheel Horse given to me by an excellent Uncle who is a wizard when it comes to anything metal that has to be machined. He gave Big Red to me I think about 2004. I would use it almost everyday for moving and collecting wood, rocks or even stuff thats discarded at the side of the road....doesnt bother me a bit to grab someone elses garbage heheheh, I say one mans garbage is another mans gold. I love making an item special again when someone else sais its junk, like giving it a second chance to proove itself. Some items just seem to come to life of there own. I know my wheel horse is old, hmmm not sure of its year exactly but I do know its late 60's early 70's........and ever since my uncle and I wipped it back to life it has touched young and old alike, even to the point everyone calls her Big Red. By about 2011 I had to start working out of province far more then Id care for and Big Red even though she was always on my mind was sitting there withering away. So about a month ago I decided I couldnt take it any longer......well I was also tired of shovelling snow by hand lol, but dont get me wrong I always missed her and it hurt to see her in this state so I said to her....come baby, everything I had to fix is basically finished and now it is your turn for some long over due pampering. I swear I heard her giggle. So slowly but surely Big Red is now getting the attention she always deserved. From here we will just keep making history and helping anyone who needs and asks.....Thats Just Big Red, non stop giving, my baby.......smiles.

I get that question a lot, but it is not so easy to answer. The magnification is calculated according to the focal length of the telescope and the focal length of the eyepiece being used. So for this scope, about the most magnification I use with this one is around 300x. The one I am working on now would be over 440x because it has a larger diameter mirror with a longer focal length.

OK my bearings are the correct size is there any numbers on that bearing because that is bigger than a 1533 can you get me a outside diameter of that bearing I know there was a substitution for a 1533 for a short time and you might have it

McMaster

My “telescope” is as big as the little dude attached to the top right of the one in your picture...!!!

The one I am doing now is about 16” longer than this one and another 2” bigger in diameter. We do call them “yard cannons”!

The grout is coming along!

whaaazoooo thats no telescope you you foolin hahaha thats a dang canon to scare anyone who even thinks of trespassing .....thats huge!

The “Elf on the Shelf” did that candy cane job!

Maybe a full belly after seeing that empty candy cane box!

From someone else who recently inherited the hobby, You couldn't have found a better, or more helpful community than you have here. With tons of resources available, and plenty of people willing to share their experience and opinions here I am sure your project will turn out great!

Ok Guys so I took the plunge and picked up the 953 tractor. I'm sure I will be looking to the boys for advice and I'm sure a few parts. I took off the mower deck and a front bracket that the previous owner had installed. I think it looks great in my humble opinion. (rear tires are BF Goodrich Silvertown) I haven't had time to get into the engine but my plan is to flush the gas tank and instal an inline fuel filter clean the carb put in a new plug and pray lol. New front rubber as well. Thanks again for all the feedback

I always love to hear about a being passed down in the family and loved by subsequent generations. If questions arise during your restoration please feel free to ask for assistance and advice. This manual should be helpful, nor sure of the year but guessed it was a '75. The decal on the front of the grill side looks interesting, was that a military insignia?

This was his daily driver

Well today I found out Dooley setup on a garden tractor is not the best idea for plowing snow LOL 😁 but it was really fun doing it

Same great tractor bones, just a few sign of the times safety systems added. Hey, we don’t get traffic lights until enough people get side swiped... Toro had to add a few “lights” to keep the idiots safe too

Don't mean to offend you here 'timer just being honest. That looks like a parts tractor to me unless you really like a project. We've all seen a lot worse here and we have seen them turned into silk purses but that one gives labor of love a whole new meaning. On the upside I do see things that could revive another.

Jim...thanks for that. It is truly amazing how much those people that are/would have been in their late 80's and early 90's had so much in common. Some history was lost today with her passing, but I also remember a lot of what she told me. Take the time to listen to what your Mom can tell you.

I drug this c - 175 home yesterday, the price was right but what a nightmare, there are wires everywhere, it has been reported with what I believe is a kohlrabi 8 horse but I’m not sure. The poor girl has had a rough life. The pop added away and his son wented it to go to some one that would appreciate it, it hasn’t ran in two year, from the little I got to mess with it last night it didn’t have spark. Any help in Identifying it in the parts would be a great help identifying it and the parts would be a great help ,it has the plastic pan on the back which I want to replace with a metal on. It has great hubcaps and a good blade.

I saw somwhere on here that a c160 or something i forget the number, but they came with a larger plastic gas tank....kind of having trouble locating one.....any suggestions?

OK I just got off the phone with @Gordyhogg and we figured out the issue he has a metric bearing. It is about 2 11/16” OD and a slight bit bigger on the ID Please see picture below of the number and measurements of the bearing I’ve been trying to locate the old threads of what the substitution was when they ran out of 1533’s for a short time.

Yupper The best way is to make your own.....I get these from working in the generating plants and the nuclear plants from some of the guys in the electrical trades they work excellent.....and like ebinmaine sais always solder them and wash em good afterwards with backing soda n water...then adding heat shrink. as i install I slap the die electric grease to protect it all too. If you dont have access to these electrical wholesale might sell or if they wont sell to public again just ask a local electrician. But in the end the cheapest way is also like what ebinmaine said, soft copper or even hard copper. with hard copper tube make sure its type k or L its heavier then M which is whats used on residential water lines in your home....when I make struts for light weight purposes I do exactly the same with steel tubing of almost any size like the second pic.

That should be ok. Some grease around the outside and they should go in without much effort. Pick the seals out of the 1533's before putting in. Might have been mentioned but put some black tape over the axle keyways to prevent nicking the axles seals. Use your shout out you run into questions problems. Many of us have put these back together only to find we did something stupid! Like to see that not happen to you.

How do you find these things? I was surfing CL frequently while we were up in our 'alternate location' the past couple of weeks. If it were listed there, I missed it. Good catch, though you are going to have to re-arrange your shelves to fit it in. Didn't I just comment how things will expand to fit your new found storage space?

Trying not to make a complete career out of this project but so be it! I finished the paint and the wood wall is complete. I have a 1/2” or so gap at the top. I feel like it will get a similar trim treatment as the rest of the baseboard. My favorite 1-by common board! Now I’m scrubbing the tile in preparation for grout. Yay! 🥴

Lol stupid me ... now that's a badge to aspire to! Guess I gotta hit the classifieds a little harder! There you go Alex your in the club! Is there a secret Super C club handshake he oughta know about Brian?!?!?

Not sure how I missed this one either. Glad I stumbled across it though, I've got the same tractor sitting in the back corner of my shop that I'm about fed up with the VH80 on myself. Had almost talked myself into getting rid of it or parting it out. But after seeing this I'm getting other ideas. My oldest son has been wanting a tractor of his own, might be a good project for him and I to do a repower on in the near future.

I don't know where you are in VA, but there is a decent starter/gen shop here in Richmond.

Zachary looks stoked big time. It will be a great tractor for him. Lots of fellas on here to help you with the PTO. I'll chime in as well. But it I think the topics been covered. If no one chimes in, I'll see if I can find the thread and add a link to this thread sometime in next day or so. Laptop is easier for me than phone for such things. PS, I love the moniker!