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This was taken today out back at the Cabin. In the past 16 years this is only the third time I have seen it at this level. The sight and sound is something that makes this life worth living considering all that is going on around us. Enjoy

Samsom iron horse In the early days of agricultural mechanization some people didn’t embrace the notion of controlling a tractor with a steering wheel. Many of the horse-drawn implements the farmers owned required an operator riding on it to set the depth or perform other functions. If only a tractor could be driven like a horse, by reins! The Samson Tractor answered the call. It could be operated somewhat like a horse. though it didn’t respond to voice commands like “WHOA!” when the end of a row was reached. The farmer controlled it via reins and could attach his horse-driven plows and implements. Weighing 1,900 pounds the Samson Iron Horse was powered by a 171 cubic inch displacement 26 HP 4-cylinder GM engine. The tractor was controlled by lever actuated belt tighteners, although leather reins could be attached to these levers to permit operation from a trailed implement like a plow. There was no differential but steering could be controlled with the two levers (or reins) somewhat like today’s tracked bulldozers. The Samson’s advertisements portrayed its horse-like qualities: “Driven with lines by one or two hands with perfect ease. Release and it goes forward; pull back and it backs up; pull to right and it goes to right; pull to left and it goes to left.” Each heavy canvas belts drove a shaft that powered the final drive on both sides of the machine. The drive system was geared to the closely spaced drive wheels, which provided four-wheel-drive. The Samson Tractor Company, was a division of General Motors Corporation, the brainchild of William Crapo Durant. Billy Durant, as he was known, was a colorful product promoter who made and lost several fortunes in the early days of the automobile business. In 1918, Durant was the chairman of GM, and a majority stock holder. He was determined to battle Henry Ford and his successful Fordson tractor for dominance over the agricultural equipment industry. Initial advertisements priced it at $630, but when it went on sale in 1919, it carried a $450 price tag. Samson quickly flooded the market with its new product. Several hundred Iron Horses were sold, but unfortunately for Samson, all but six were returned to the builders. It was riddled with mechanical problems, and could easily tip over." To compete with the far-more affordable Fordson at $625 ($7,600 today). GM engineers designed a new tractor, the Samson Model M – patterned after the Fordson. The Samson M weighed about 600 pounds more than the Fordson and outperformed it in Nebraska tests. The Samson M, at $650, cost a little more than the Fordson, but fenders, platform and belt pulley were included. These features were extra on a Fordson. It was a good machine and, at first, reasonably priced at $650. But that proved unprofitable. So, a rise to $840 followed, thus ending all plans to outsell the Fordson. In 1923, General Motors closed the unprofitable Samson division, transferring the Janesville assembly plant to Chevrolet division. Chevrolet and GMC trucks and SUVs continued to be built at that plant until December 2008, when GM closed the 89-year-old plant as part of its restructuring.

High water today at the ocean, it broke over the dunes in spots it hasn’t in probably twenty years. I took a few pictures of the waves but the pictures definitely don’t due it any justice. The roar of the ocean was tremendous, I guess I gotta figure out how to post videos.

A more complete orginal unmolested tractor than this one. A 1267... After much screwing around with the seller ... yes this is the one I mentioned in the FB thread. Out of the blue the seller says yah I can have it for the original agreed upon price. I immediately hooked up the enclosed damn the slick roads... been ther done that right Dan @Achto...before he had another dumb @ss attack. A few PO mods but nothing that can't be undone and NO rattle can or paint brush antics. I would love to do a mechanical only resto on it but do I dare? It's kinda been betrothed to someone else. More on that later. Feast your eyes on this and you know drooling on keyboards can short them out. Check this seat out. One cannot doubt it's orginal. Gonna clean up like a baby's bottom. Two very small cracks on it. Seller says some bozo offered him 250 for just the seat. Luckily he declined. The getting rare two spoke large diameter wheel. Straight as the day it came from a dealer.

I’ll be making me a video series soon, hunting me wabbits! This is the method I still use to do videos…

just a little piece of what I know about water in 8 speeds If the oil is just discolored a DFR and reboot might be the ticket If there is a lot of water, chances are there is rust in the case. The manuals are not painted inside like the hydro trans, and the if they set wet, they will rust. If possible, need to see if you can see into the case with a pin light or cam to check closer for rust accumulation. It doesn't take much rust in the oil to ruin bearings. It is not to bad of a job, maybe three afternoons, to remove open and clean up the mess. Get a gasket, new seals and boot. might want to check around for some replacement parts might find some chewed up ones. stevasurus has some good trans instructional vids on RS if you need know how it is done. 8 speed case with rust inside the top of the case was rusted because the water ran into the shifter and across the top of the case. If you do get into the case make sure you take a very close look at the bearings for defects. After clean up with diesel and some elbow grease.

When you flushed the transaxle how did the kerosene look? If it had rust in it you should go inside and take a look. Did the axle seals leak? Have you jacked it up and checked the axles for up-down or front-back movement? Was the transaxle quiet before the water was drained? Lot of things to consider. It depends on your plans for the and time available. If you won't be needing it to work for you in the next few weeks then a quick teardown and clean=up would be advisable. If you don't have the time and space to do the job in the winter and won't be working it hard until warmer weather it probably will be fine with fresh gear oil.

My First wheel horse was the one I grew up on. I have tons of awesome memories on this tractor mowing with my grandfather (him on his 416H which I own now) and me on my dad’s 12 Automatic. We mowed 5 acres twice a week. When I moved into my house (my grandparents house) my dad gave me his 12 auto. I remember my dad tearing it apart and repainting it and adding the 18HP Briggs and Stratton Vanguard V-twin to it in our basement. He had red paint everywhere lol. I used it a ton around here but unfortunately it sat for the last 5 plus years. Well I finally got it into the garage a few weeks ago. I dug into the carb. Had to get a new gasket. Cleaned the fuel pump and changed out the fuel lines and filter. Unfortunately Alex and I couldn’t get the starter to work so pull start it was. So happy to have it running again. Now to steal front tires back from @WheelHorse_Kid and get it out and stretching its legs. It should start first or second pull now that the fuel system is primed. I also ran it for a while after it died at the end of the video and it throttles up and down perfectly fine. this is the tractor that started my crazy addiction. So glad it’s back to running.

Go have another one Waldo... Check out the head light lens...no cracks no fading no nothing but originality. Well ok the screws are not original so sue me. Maybe the bumper worked? Tires are all marked and no weather cracks and hold air! Very good to excellent condition. Sheet metal completely strait. No dents nicks or gouging. The PO things. Not terrible ... the bumper of course... actually kind cool that's gotta stay Mike... goes for character. Long legged guy? Custom hood ornament... lost in the heat of battle? Understandable. There's yer close up with the patina Waldo... whadda ya want for 57 years old? The deck... Haven't looked at it close yet but appears to be solid. Bonus nothing has been messed with and all there.

Hhhmmm... I dunno... or... I'm going with Elmer...

My generator setup. Stays in shed. Exhaust exits outside. Fresh air vents & attic fan to exhaust any potential fumes/heat. Just have to run power cord to 240v outlet installed on outside of house. Have an interlock installed on fuse box. Eventually, I'll go to an automated system.

Push the roll pin out and lift off the wheel. Steering wheel removal is a right of passage with wheel horses. Lots of threads here on various methods....almost always involving blood sweat tears and cursing... To start get a true quality 1/4" roll pin punch

I really like my tractors. I really enjoy plowing and blowing with them for fun. I really love having my plow truck to do the work!

Wheel Horse 702 312-8 416-H C-100 (elec lift) Deere 318 46" deck, 54" 4 way blade 420 60" deck 425 54" deck, 3pt, ctc Loader 445efi 60" deck, 3pt Simplicity Legacy XL27 60' deck Toro Zmaster 23hp Kohler 60" Turbo Force

I just wanted to share my latest little project, I wish I took more photos of the process but pure excitement got in the way and I couldn't put the welder down. I wanted a factory looking muffler for the C series tractors so I came up with this. I bought a farmall cub muffler and dissected it. With the body empty I cut 4 1/2 inches out of it, then took a rotted out muffler and recreated all the original baffles, (wish I took pictures of this) it wasn't hard. Some sheet steel, a few holesaws, and a 1 3/8 steel freeze plug I had it built exactly as factory. I did reuse the original outlet pipe and Welded it all together and this was the end result. $40 for the muffler and an hour of time. I hope this might help someone looking to make a factory looking muffler fairly reasonable.

OMG !! It;s Jeremiah Johnson !! Some said he is up there (in those mountains) still.

Here’s a picture of a Suburban 400 and 551 frame side by side. They both measure 32-1/2”. I can get you any more details if needed Here’s all the parts to assemble a 400 except the hood and transaxle

Looks like there is some sort of gear system. Maybe the chain driven wheel in the middle drives a pinion to engage the large gear looking things on the wheels.

Mixed bag this year helping out. WH 520, 418, Can-Am and JD. Had a good 10'' to deal with this past weekend. Almost gone now with the rain and warmer temps, crazy .

Often times condensation over the years will cause the top half to rust as well. When you don't drive your horse for long periods, the oil will drain down. Leaving the top half exposed for rust formation by the condensation.

Those are cap seals, the bearings may be OK. Drain the trans and let's see what comes out. This might be a cheap fix, depends and what is inside. I would not order anything untill I opened it and had a cnance to see what you got. You can get all that you need from Lowell in a couple of days. Those are not the bearings, the bearings are on the inside of the case. Watch both of these videos. The 1st one is the 702 with pictures. The 2nd is a 4 speed, but it is the same (basically) inside. You can call me if you need any help...send me a PM for my phone number. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I'm going to edit the above. Those are capped bearings. They are both the seal and bearing. They tap out from the inside. I had a "Mini-stroke" like last October...I'm OK, but I need to be extra careful when I type anything. I need to read it over and over before I post. Sorry !!

miljaar, Sta ik hier toch altijd te kijken van de vakmanschap. Ik doe m'n best en heb nog niet veel ervaring maar als ik jouw werk zie, geeft me dat toch altijd moet om zelf ook wat vaker aan de slag te gaan met metaal. Knap werk!

As always, entertaining story. You like picking up lost 's in snow storms don't ya?!?!?

In my 40 years of being around Wheel Horses I don’t remember ever seeing a seat like that. I can’t wait to see it all cleaned up. And please check your back pockets every time before you sit on it 😂

You and me both Don. There was one similar but not like that on my 1067. Only thing I can think of is perhaps a dealer replacement? Surely with the embossing ther must be others. Non survivors? When Mike and I first saw the listing the seat hit us right away.

For the more later... @Mike'sHorseBarn saw this on FB and clued me in since he knew it was somewhat local. I guess whats fair is fair especially with brothers from a different mother so he has dibs. I says let's just get it safe from a FB crazy and roll dice for it later. Not to say if he knocks up the missus and can't take it it would fit right in with my 1067, 1257, 857, 867, RE-67... Did I mention '67s rule? Now Mike for the you owe me big time! I didn't mind having to deal with the crazy. Comes with the addiction. After digging the enclosed out of the snow bank i had to empty it of the tractors I had stored in it and the work. Not a big deal right? Not for my missus. She had a hissy fit that I was going to pick up a tractor that was going to someone else. Wadda ya know about that @953 nut? She just doesn't get that saving horses like this is what trips my hammer these days. Told her to stay home then not much of a navigator anyway. That damn near brought out the frying pan. Anyhoo she got over it. I took her out for Mexican afterwards and then she was all roses. More on the shape of the tractor after I play catch up with El Camino.

@WHX?? I have never even seen a WH seat like that? How rare do you suppose it is? If I had to guess I’d say very!

@WHX??You better get your eyes checked , that is ugly than a @squonk. I had to go there , I like the front bumper. it looks in good shape, where are the close-up photos? I had a POS El Camino that looked great at 40 feet away.

It's one of the quietest c series I have, granted most those mufflers are 50 years old now. About 10 years go I bought a new muffler from my local dealer for my c160, it was $180 back then and now they're NLA. But it's every bit as quiet as the new factory muffler I put on that c160.

I was thinking about doing an "OR Elmer Fud". Great minds think alike.

When it dies, try the starter immediately, then see if the engines coasts to a standstill after releasing the key, rather than stopping quickly. I had this problem with my 312-8, it was a sticking exhaust valve, due to excessive back pressure in the muffler, resulting in an overheated valve. It would start again after cooling down!

Just so you know what your actual speed should be, here is a cut from the manual for all 8-speeds. So, with that in mind, start by replacing your worn belt. Check your tension spring on the the clutch to be sure that it is pulling the belt tight. Make sure that the pin in the idler arm is not sheared keeping the belt from tightening. Check to be sure that the input pulley on the transmission is not slipping. Check for missing Woodruff key. Next check to see that your hubs are not slipping on the axles. Be sure that the hi/lo range shifter is in the hi range. These are all of the mechanical things that I can think of that might be a problem.

It could be a few things, but the first thing looks to be running rich. The screw on top ot the carb...back out 1/4 turn and see how it runs. You might also check the gap on the points...should be .020...if that is what you have, try .018. Do things one at a time, or you will not know what the problem was.

I was wrong about the information I put above. Those are cap bearings. The needle bearings are in the cap. They will tap out from the inside. Sorry. It is still a cheap fix.

Ok well due to me being cool I have headlights so I'll set it aside also I put the hood stickers on

I was watching American Picker's today when this pick happened...thought I would share this history. Sorry about the quality of the picture...it is a picture taken from the TV. The guys were picking Tim Corwin"s huge collection. Who is Tim Corwin you might ask?? He was the drummer for the Ohio Express in the 1960's. The 1st air date is 3-11-2019 if you want to do back and watch the show. One of their songs that I still know the words to !!!

Those may be fine and your leak may be coming from the brake shaft seal just above them. Clean everything thoroughly and check again closely for where the oil is coming from. I have not rebuilt near as many of these transmissions as others have, but I have never found a leak at those two seals. I have found bad brake seals often.

Do all the external checks that Richard and Joe detail before opening the case. If the bearings look, sound , and feel good and the seals are not leaking, I would fill it with kerosene or diesel and drive it slowly in tight circles in all gears to get all the gears clean. You may have to do this several times until the drained fluid is clean. Please remember to raise the front of the tractor as high as possible to drain all the fluid that gets trapped in front of the tranny hump. If you see, hear or feel any bearing problems , tear it down and replace all bearings and seals.

Seems like you are a candidate for a little Green Intervention! Nice lineup.

I do wish the bucket was a bit smaller - it's a pretty large bucket. The rear tires aren't loaded and are 13-28....the Jubilee came out with 10-28 tires, I believe, with 11-28 optional, so these are a bit larger. The front tires are a bit oversized as well.

I bought this just before the end of the year. Drove 4 plus hours one way into a foreign country (Illinois) to pick it up. Runs good, but I'll need to add rear weight ballast. Either I buy a ballast box or I can use my Ford reversible scoop and add weight to it. Also, no power steering, so that's a bummer, but it won't see a lot of use, but will come in handy on occasion.

@c-series don this is the easiest way… if you have a Google account…

The Lucas transmission stop slip is helping, it's getting better each day. Thanks for the input I'll keep you guys informed as it goes along. I'm hoping this gets me through the Winter at least or until I come up with a plan B lmao. Thanks Again, this site has never let me down, you guys are great.

Correct on the decal placement. Bad photos but you get the idea. The front where headlights would go and on the back fender under seat pan.

Best way to check is see what battery voltage is when motor is off. Fire it up and recheck voltage. Should climb slowly depending on RPM. One can also put an Amp gauge in series with reg. center terminal and battery. If the SG turns the motor over chances are good it will charge. That just leaves a possible bad regulator. There are many manuals here on cleaning & setting the regulator.

This older Kohler manual covers the starter/generator system.

I have a pair of them. My dad did the engine swap in the mid 90’s when my parents built their house.Unknown to any of us my grandfather liked it so much he swapped out a tired 14hp in his Bronco 14 with the same 18hp Vanguard. When I first moved into my house my 12 auto had been sitting in my dad’s garage for probably 12 years and needed work. I had never spent any time or had any interest in small engines so the going was slow. I tried to enlist the help of my grandfather who was the best small Engine mechanic I’ve ever met but unfortunately that was right around the time we realized his memory was really starting to slip. He felt bad that he couldn’t figure it out and called me one day and said “come to my house bring your trailer”. So I backed in the driveway not knowing what was going on. He walks out to the shed and I hear an engine start and knew right away it was a 18hp vanguard. I spent so many hours on my dads as a kid that sound was burned into my brain. He came driving out on the Bronco 14 with a big smile on his face and drove it up On the trailer and said “it’s yours now”. We didn’t even know he owned it. He had a 1848 and never even knew the Bronco existed. Sorry long story.

we all love our WH plows and blowers -- but just in case you are thinking of an upgrade -- or maybe just want to be entertained while you are house bound on some cold winter nights -- here is a few minutes of entertainment -- or perhaps just some extra envy that we dont all have a part time job to play out in the snow? Check out this link -

Bolens 1556-3. Oh160 Techy. Blown Rings. May do a Predator Swap.