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I just picked this up and I after I power washed it I can't decide if I should paint it or clear coat it the way it is. I have a few days waiting on electrical and fuel parts for it so I need to decide.

I always enjoyed time with my Grandparents and learned a lot from them. As I have gotten older I think back about the wisdom they shared with my generation of the family. When my grandfather was 94 his doctor retired. I took him for his first appointment with the new young whippersnapper that took over the practice, he wanted to put Grandpa on a low fat no salt diet. Grandpa calmly explained to the young doctor that he had outlived all of his friends, his wife and and one of his children and was not about to give up the foods he loved. I was sitting there sort-of snickering because of Grandpas direct forceful attitude. The doctor looked at me and said I should take Grandpa out to lunch and buy him a hot dog and french-fries with lots of salt. It has worked for him all these years, why change it.

Gave this a second look today. Just not a Tecky guy, shame WH seat has a hole ate in it.

Got bored and went for a quick drive tonight. I wanted to see just how bright the LED headlight was. It is very bright! Tractor is basically done. Still got alot of hitch fabbing to do, but it's awesome so far. Oddly enough the low back seat is the hard part to get used to. I leaned back a couple times and thought I was gonna fall over backwards... Did I mention I love LEDs? Even with the electric fuel pump dragging my rectifier down, it still maintained 12.3 VDC with the lights on. Turning them off made no increase in running voltage.

National Department Store Day, celebrated every year on October 16, honors the significance and impact of department stores in the country. Department stores are commercial retail establishments that sell to customers directly. Unlike normal retail outlets, department stores classify and display a broad array of products as per department. For example, a department store will have separate sections or departments dedicated to fashion, furniture, appliances, foodstuffs, and so on. These stores fuel and support the American economy. Shopping is an integral part of the modern lifestyle. Due to competition and globalization, the prices came down and people were able to afford more products. A consumer-friendly market setup, coupled with an increase in demand and supply, gave rise to the first department stores. Trade has always been a driving force in human history. It was through trade that ancient civilizations could connect and exchange ideas, and it was for trade alone that we could brave the unknown raging seas. Department stores are one of the largest centers of trade.

If your old paint is not peeling or flaking, I would not remove it. Wet sand it with 400grit and spray over it.

Yes you did. I'm the worst for always painting my tractors- with varying degrees of success. But if I was gonna go with the patina look, I'd probably just paint the wheels and leave the rest as is. So long as you can protect from rusting more...

Closest I came... One summer working as a general laborer for brick layers. Being low man on the totem pole I had to make lunches which consisted of something on a small grill. If things weren't to satisfaction in your mortar mix or the lunch to the journeyman you got a real butt reaming. I had to use a trowel to flip burgers and got a chewing ... they were a little gritty... Next time I washed the trowel first and got reamed cause water was at a premium...

Daylight pics...

Just for inspiration...

Maybe "Trio Thursday"? Got the Vanguard boys out today for some air during lunch. Had to bring out my son's Ranger too. Bonus pic...

If the Jeep has idle-stop I wouldn't be surprised if you're required to use that AGM battery you're considering. They better handle the more frequent shallow discharge/recharge cycles. (I realize this loosens the lid on the idle-stop can of worms, but there's no need to remove it completely) I don't have any specific recommendations, although the Odyssey AGM battery in my boat is showing no signs of slowing down and it's 9 years old. It was quite expensive when I bought it. Steve

My Dad had the same experience with doctors... I loved going to his appointments during Covid and listening to him lecture the doctors on his opinion of masks, social distancing and working from home... he had Covid twice in his 90's, once while in the hospital for a broken hip... his response? "Sniffles" and a shoulder shrug. He died just shy of his 96th birthday... Miss him and his wisdom...

Can you say repower? Sure I knew you could...

Was the original paint remover prior to the maroon paint? Since it's newer paint I would expect some of the newer strippers like Citistrip to work OK. Wrapping tightly in thin plastic does help, it slows the evaporation so the product works on the paint longer. The "Aircraft Stripper does an excellent job, but it is pricy. Since it is newer paint, try wiping it with a very wet rag of lacquer thinner, it just might wrinkle right up.

Nice to see another NC member! Terry makes outstanding decals. You won't be disappointed with anything you buy from him.

I have wanted one of these tractors for a long time after I used my wife's grandfathers in KY after he passed away. When I fired my lawn guy this past September the Wheel Horse was the only brand I went looking for!

One reason the finish on WH tractors and implements turns to that familiar rust-brown color is that they did not use a primer prior to painting & top coating. That makes for a rather thin base to build off of later... it all depends on how chipped, flaking, or rusted the overall finish is to decide to strip it to bare metal or not. Unless you are a total hack & just use a paint brush or roller!

Rust don't take a day off around here. Can't remember the last measurable rain, maybe three week ago. Got a fine mist some time last Sunday, noticed a little moisture on the north side windows. Just checked the Humidity meter 56% and climbing. If it less the 1/2" thick and you want to keep it around we paint it. Can't say it helps much but I paint it. The only tractor I haven't painted was my 520-H 95% of the original paint was still there. I did treat the rusted spots and patch paint thoes. I even sanded and painted the inside of the wheel covers.

@ebinmaine down South we don't get near the battery life most people get in northern climates due to the cooler weather. Back at work our large Industrial Battery supplier preached 70-77F. as the best temp for battery life. If I buy just about any brand of 3 year car battery I get 32-34 months. Same scenario on a 4 yr warrantied battery. (They try to get us returning for the tiny bit of warranty) This is on daily drive vehicles, so a battery tender wouldn't help. if I get 18 month/2 years out of a garden tractor battery I jump for joy! yes I use battery tenders on them! Surprisingly, my 2014 Ford truck and my 2017 Chevy RV got 5-6 years out of the factory battery. But the local dealers can't get that exact battery. i have a friend who live here all his life, them he moved to the Colorado Rocky Mountains, lived at 8500 ft. He was amazed how long his vehicle batteries suddenly lasted.

I've had good results with CitriStrip gel on various items. As @oliver2-44 mentioned, wrapping the stripper in a poly sheet keeps the gel wet and working for a long time. Sometimes a second application is needed. You could buy a small bottle and test it on a small area to see how it works. Results will vary with the type of paint. It seems to work well on 1K single-component paints, but 2K (two-component) paints are more chemical resistant.

Looks like @Blue Chips has pretty good results wrapping the stripper.

NAPA and Interstate batteries are simply high priced stickers placed on whatever is available batteries, find batteries made by East Penn, Duracell at Sam’s Club is one of many.

In short... don't paint.. yet. If you really can't decide, wait a year. Several points to consider: It's only original ONCE. It isn't like these are super valuable vehicles or pieces of great art but they ARE a part of our history. Here in our Herd we have both fully restored and original "work clothes" tractors. For a looooonng time I've been a "fresh paint" person. So has my S/O Trina. Over the years we've done half a dozen full frame off restorations and several mechanical only builds where we painted only what was necessary. We've both come around to appreciate both types. TIME is going to be a HUGE consideration for you. In order to properly paint a whole tractor you'll need to partially disassemble. Even a "quick repaint" takes many hours to accomplish properly. "Patina" is rust. Period. Rust needs to be stopped. You're already headed the right direction there. We were pleasantly surprised to see how much positive difference wet sanding alone makes. DO wet sand it now. That'll be another positive step because it needs to be done either way. The top coat is your option. At the recommendation of the folks here on Redsquare we've tried Flood Penetrol. Excellent results. IMHO..... wait a year. Let your mind wrap around what you're desires are for the tractor and the amount of work it takes. Maybe you'll get totally enamored with the "work clothes" look. Maybe you'll be completely sick of it by then...

Agreed. I added the same hitch setup and dual spool valve on my Bronco 14. It's alot of hydraulic lines to keep up.

It will lower the deck efficiency by quite a bit. The deck should be slightly lower in the front to provide relief for the rest of the cutting blade "disc". Raising the front will cause the blades to have to cut all the way around. This requires much more torque, and drags down blade and engine RPM. You can adjust the deck somewhat but raising the nose by an inch is alot. You're better off adding taller tires all the way around if you plan to mow with the 520. My 523-H has 18 inch front tires but 25 inch rears to maintain level. Just something to think about.

Here is a link to what you need. https://www.redoyourhorse.com/motion-control-knob-decals-for-all-300-400-and-500-series-hydros-1991-or-newer/

Cooking man style on the jobsite!

I love that show, but I can't get the kids to watch it for the life of me. Until very recently they have written off anything in black and white simply for not being in color. Last Saturday they were out helping the wife lay the new footer for their tree house while I was in working on other things. Its rare I get the TV to myself, so I had the Stooges on, and they came in around 7 started watching and actually liked it.

This C120 has this wide right foot rest. Is it an add on? Looks well made and fits nice. Wonder the purpose?

Good afternoon, I have a 314h and on both the direction lever and the hydraulic deck lift levers the writing has worn away. Is there a location that might make a decal to be placed on these levers? Thanks in advance, Chris

CitriStrip can be quite slow, but works well for a lot of paints if you're not in a hurry. I usually cover the object being stripped and let it work overnight (or longer). In most cases the paint literally falls off. I've used a LOT of different paint strippers over the last 50 years or so...some of them VERY nasty to use. Different stripping chemicals work better with some paints than others.

Keep in mind that Wheel Horse made two different types of handles, the miserable ones shown on https://www.redoyourhorse.com/motion-control-knob-decals-for-all-300-400-and-500-series-hydros-1991-or-newer/ and the smooth ones like this:

Good clean humor that we need more of today on TV. My 11 and 10 year old girls enjoy watching episodes of this with me.

This is single coat Rust-Oleum 2X. Sounds like it could work.

701 had a seven HP Electric-start Kohler K-161 with a Starter-Generator so it should have been a 751 but the Ponds broke their own numbering rule early on. They continued the rule breaking in 1962 with the 702 and then went completely off the rails in 1963 when a 603 with a Kohler seven HP pull start engine became a 633 rather than a 703. ? ? ? ? ? ? ? I need to take a nap now, I just fried my brain.

Another bit of trivia, if it wasn't for Lucy, there would have been no STAR TREK, it was produced by Desilu Productions.

@thekevin personally like the original patina look on the older units, always bring back what's there , like penetrating oil first , for a days long soak in , then a mineral oil rub down , clean oiled cloth . have a multi stage recovery used on all my stuff , most important is , don't rush it , you can easily try a spot / area for effect . regularly maintain my paint , with lubrication . pete

We all like fresh RED paint, but we LOVE an honest patina original paint . In my opinion a clear-coat demises the beauty of patina, just use some WD-40 and fine steel wool to remove oxidation and knock down the rust a bit while celebrating the experiences your Raider has had.

We aren’t really this fast, but it’s still hard work!

This particular case, some of it is scratched or broken already and I don't want to leave it there because the maroon has such a sharp contrast to the gray going over the top of it. It will get scratched again. And I don't want to see a two color scratch. I'd rather just remove it now while it's easy.

Rustoleum make what they call Aircraft Remover. I've had a partial spray can on the shelf for many years. I ran across it a while back and thought I'd try it again figuring it wouldn't spray after all these years. It did. I forgot how nasty it is. Even the mist will feel like acid on your skin. Yup, first hand info. Give it a few minutes and the paint will basically drop off. It's still sold but, like lynnmor said, it's probably watered down now. I've tried about every stripper out there and haven't found anything close.

IMHO - if a vehicle needs two batteries in 6 years I'd be looking for a good quality battery maintenance system that's constantly plugged in.

More useless trivia, the address given in the show for the Ricardos' apartment building is completely fictitious. The street ends several blocks before the one their address would have been on, and if one attempts to go said address they will find themselves firmly in the middle of the Hudson river.

A couple of old sacrificial wood chisels tapped in at the widest opening you can find will get it going. Be prepared to move them around a bit to pop it loose.

I seen several videos about Road Tripping & cooking food on the hot exhaust manifold at the same time... This guy did it with style on his Model A Ford...

Optima batteries used to be a top of the line product, with a top of the line price of course. In 2019 they were sold to a company in Mexico. Not sure on the quality of them now.

@edgcooper, @c-series don, I had 3, sold the last one at the show in June. Thanks for the mention Don.