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Being recently retired , I thought I would restore a tractor to keep me outa the wifes hair. Well I found 2 G14s about 3 hrs away and carted them home. After repairing and repainting one 1971+ I have a 1969 left over. I thought it would make someone a good project tractor or parts tractor. The engine runs(new piston,rings and rod)however the hydro is in need of refurbishing. Even though there is an excellent step by step tutorial on this site to repair one, I think it is still above my pay grade. Would like to get about $250 to cover parts I have put into it or would consider a trade. Say like an old Raider from the 70"s.

I said, stop bothering me!

Lost our dog Dusty a few years ago, at the same fine my son moved out and daughter started college. They were both a big help with Dusty since wife and I both work full time. We had this cat already so he really gets all the attention now. Named him Nosey (super curious). Strictly an indoor cat, no ticks or fleas to deal with.

The veri drive on my RJ35 was shot so I had a new hub made, slightly oversized in diameter then the pulleys were bored to fit the hub. Now it’s good as new!

Last Christmas daughter comes home from college in West Virginia with Bill the cat. Of course I heard “Can we keep him? He was all alone on the streets!” Of course I caved and he is a good cat, gets along great with Nosey. Original cat is 12 years old and Bill is maybe 2 years old. They didn’t get along at first, but after a couple weeks they became best friends.

Put some sweet new skins on Poppy the 552 with the double belt S/G K161. The front hubs need a bit of fixin’ up to fit right, but that’s an active project.

Just sharing a couple of my favorite early tractors in our collection that are in my opnion, two of the most historically significant garden tractors. I was very fortunate to have been able to aquire these tractors last fall from another collector who had them for years; each restored 10-15 years ago. The 1946 Pond lever steer is one for the very first tractors hand built and sold by Elmer and Cecil Pond, which evolved into the Ride-Away Senior model, mine being a 1955 example. These were the first two and only two "large" post WW2 models that were marketed to vegitable farms/truck gardens using recycled automotive parts, including the Ford rear end and transmissions. Each time I sit on either tractor, I can't help but to imagine the Pond's hands who built each one by hand and think of the history under my seat. If tractors could talk, I believe these would have a facinating story to tell!

A couple of years ago we adopted a feral mommy cat and her two kittens. She had been dropped of at a church and the kittens were born there. The kittens were aboyt 12 weeks old when we got then and were afraid of everything. Now they are great entertainment for us and all are very loving.

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I received these Carlisle tires as partial payment for services rendered at my Aunt and Uncle’s house. They were on his SCUT John Deere but tire up his yard too bad while mowing. I’ll need some hubs to mount a set of rear Wheel Horse 10” wheels up front, but I like ‘em!

Trina and I both have Android phones and we use the Google system. I'm sure many of you are well aware that Google sends you suggestions for all kinds of stuff. Google photos in particular might send you a suggestion related to a picture like, do you want to rotate this? Do you want to correct the color or tint? Do you want to remember this day ... a year ago or whatever... So a couple days ago Trina gets a little window popping up on her phone and it's the video below. Google in its infinite wisdom separated out a bunch of pictures that Trina had taken of our dog. In the interest of full disclosure, the five-year-old in me is absolutely fascinated with this technology. I know a lot of you have or have had, pets that you are quite fond of. Please do take a minute and share with the rest of us, photos, videos, whatever.

About 20 years ago or so, I got a 10" F.E. Reed and Company engine lathe from my brother. She's old. Really old. But she's has less wear than many much newer machines I've seen. Look at the condition of the ways, right under the chuck! When I first got her, I didn't not have a chuck key, so I used a good old trusty Swagelok wrench. Kinda of a pain in the butt, so I used my lathe to make a tool for my lathe. Nothing fancy, but I did add a set screw to the shaft. I didn't have the correct one so I cut the head off a 6/32 and file a slot in it. Ground the end of the shank square And epoxied a spare socket onto the end. Love this old girl! NEVER leave your chuck key in your chuck. I know. It's for the paparazzi! I hope you guys enjoy ancient machines as much as I do. They JUST WORK.

Didn't have much time to work today with Doc appts. but managed to get Bob Maynard's wheel stud kit installed on the Wheel a Matic.

Hey Doc, If you have an apple device, pm me your contact info and I’d be glad to FaceTime with you to assist in pulling the deck. Understanding your mobility is not that of a 30 year old, it takes me about 1-1/2 minutes to get a deck free of the tractor. That said, I have time and would be glad to help!

I always like looking at the early RJ-35's! Let's see yours. I'll start - this is our 1957 RJ-35. My 6yr old Nora likes sitting on tractors too.

I've had a bit of a hiatus for the past couple of weeks. We've been so busy with several projects (new roof, new HVAC, new sump pump, re-decking our 15 x 33 rear deck, mowing, helping my wife landscape, adapting to life in the COVID age, building a new side porch, etc, etc... I just haven't had time to do any site/forum work. Just wanted to check in and say thanks to everyone for being so helpful. It really does help when one does not have a history with a certain tractor brand and I was (and am) new to Wheel Horse so your help is GREATLY appreciated. Quite honestly, I have had some difficulties where my W/H is concerned. I find myself now trying to locate a second deck belt spring. The first one broke and then the replacement broke and now I'm "up the creek" till I locate another one. I called Gene Strickland (Wheel Horse Stables, Harrodsburg, Ky.) where I bought the tractor and unfortunately, Gene told me he's not restoring tractors anymore...just doing custom builds for rather wealthy people who can afford to make it worth his while to do the labor involved in creating something new and distinctive. He said he couldn't help me because he has a client coming in from Chicago to pick up a unit and then one from Maine to pick up another and I'm thinking, well - you told me when I bought the tractor that you guaranteed it for life and now this has changed??? Methinks I am out there on my own now and, knowing so little about Wheel Horse, I'm going to have to learn a lot about these tractors in order to do my own maintenance and repairs. I didn't want to do this. I'm almost 71 with some health problems that keep me from getting up and down (have to have wife's help with that) and didn't plan on having to do my own mechanic work...plus, I'm no mechanic so it is truly an uphill struggle for me...anyway... I feel sort of "done poorly" by Mr. Strickland but I do understand there is little money in restoration and he will probably do better in creating new machines from scratch. Still, I feel a little put off by the whole deal. Well, enough of that, I plan to download a manual. I need to take the deck off to make it easier to get to the spring and have no clue as to how to do that and I'm hoping a manual will help with that. I just wanted to say thanks and how much I appreciate everyone who replied to my previous post on the site and I hope to be a better "site brother" in the days to come. Many thanks from someone who does indeed appreciate your help. Regards, DoctorP

Just remember we gotta pass through WI to get home ya And we know where you live

Thought I told Mr. Ed. To chase them guys home!

Oh... yeah! I must admit! I might have to change Poppy’s name to @Skipper Jr!

Fuel gauge arrived... so panel now looks like this.

1957 with original mower deck.

Should be 13.6 to 14.7, so you are good. If you run many hours per week, then maybe it could be considered overcharging. Check periodically to get a better idea of any changes.

DONE!

I know Uncle Jim’s gonna kill me for this, but I’m modifying these hubs into front hubs by boring them to 1-1/4” and using some solid round bar to slide onto the spindles.

Those Deckel's mills are beautiful. My neighbor Dave has one he recently restored. A bit older than yours I believe. What a fantastic machine.

Pull the valves. Clean them with a wire wheel, lap them and reinstall. I think a valve is hanging up at low speed. Bill

Wind chimes from tubular curtain rail.

Got a bit of seat time mowing green and verges.

From your side of the story I'd say you were let down in a big way. To have someone tell you they will guarantee your WH for life was a huge commitment. I'm wondering who's life, yours or the life of his business. Either way I'm sorry that you found yourself in this position. Someone will be along before long that can get you headed in the right direction. Best of luck.

Oh boy! I better get ahold of my Native American chief friend to do some smudging!

Some scrap iron and few dollars worth of welding rod, I'm using these ramps today.

LIGHT BULB! What about using a set of 1” hubs... and running a 3/4“ x 1” Bronze/brass bushing!?

It doesn't matter how much you push on the brake, if the transmission is still in forward it keeps going. That's why it's important to make sure that the linkage is returning to neutral as soon as you start braking.

1" blocks netted me nearly 2" higher lift at the cutting edge.

To gain moldboard height when lifted you need to add spacers to the rear axle plow attach...

I have been a mentor for the local high school robotics team for the last few years. Seems like I end up warning several students every year about leaving the key in the chuck - multiple times. A couple had to learn the hard way. Fortunately, no injuries.

OSHA Haiku: Keep all your fingers Keep all your toes on both feet Keep guards or lose both

Well finished up the 48" deck I been working on. One of my packages arrived from @Vinylguy arrived so I peeled placed them on the deck. Very pleased with how the deck came out. I just have to sharpen the blades and put them back on and the deck is finished. Tractor is fighting me. I tried fixing the brakes today. I cant seem to figure it out. If I tighten the brake far enough that it will stop the tractor I cant engage the parking brake. If I loosen it enough to where the parking brake lever will catch it wont brake......ugh. Looks to have enough meat on the brake pad. Maybe I am missing something. Any suggestions? I will add some photos.

Good topic guy... Off ... you put yer fingers or toes wher they don't belong yer own fault. I don't mow in sandals or flip flops either. I wear steel toed safety boots and other appropriate safety gear. I have been known to bypass seat switches. Call me an outlaw.

The other two that followed. Used to take my great niece and nephew to car shows. We got more attention then any car at any show. I sold the red one. Kids have out grown them. All they do now is collect dust and not memories. Sad

they’re getting an inch and a quarter slug pressed through them and welded on and drilled out to make my own front hubs. I think the set screw area is a perfect spot for a grease zerk

After the 416-8 project has been 9 months on hold the shoulder is finally getting to the point where I can get back to working on the tractors. Installed the repaired wiring harness. Thankfully I labeled all the wires or I would have been up the creek. Installed all the new decals on the panels and installed all the switches and gauges. Got the wife to help installing the engine. Installed the cables and the PTO (minor PITA) Guess the next thing is the running boards and then the hood.