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This story goes back to a couple months before the 2015 big show. I've told it before but I briefly say again for those who didn't see it earlier. Two gentlemen (brothers) had four Wheel Horses and found this forum in search of more information on them. I replied and discovered that they were only 30 some miles from me so I told them I'd come take a look at them. They had a 701 which they ended up selling to a member here and I hauled it to the big show last year and @limited12 relayed it to the new owner in Virginia. They had a nice 854 that they decided to keep. The last two were these: As you can see they have their issues and my suggestion was to make one good tractor out of the two of them. Obviously one is a 657 and the other that I called a Frankenhorse, The snowblade on it went with the 701. A few weeks later I received a text. They told me that if I wanted them come get them At the time I didn't realize it but the Frankenhorse turned out to be a 500 Special (Serial #490313). That added to my excitement. 95%+ of the parts on a 657 and a 500 Special are identical so there was no question what I was going to do. 500 Special here I come. I disassembled both of them and my comment about making one good one was the right diagnosis. Based on the shift rails one of the transmissions wasn't original and likely a 5025. Many of the gears were in bad shape. Fortunately, out of the two transmissions I was able to build a good one. One fender pan was pretty much shot as well as one frame where it attaches to the transmission. Over the course of the past few months I've been gradually painting parts and making a few things for it. The engine sitting there is a K-161 I picked up from @jd110 It spent it's earlier years serving duty at Micky Mouse Land. No Tecky for me. Here's how she sits now. A big thanks to @19richie66 for many of the parts going on this build. The tires (23-8.50 and 16-5.50, all with the Wheel Horse lettering), the steering wheel, fuel tank, seat parts of the style I wanted, and more. Another item that was given to me by the same two gentlemen was a snow blade. I've got it restored but tucked away right now and it will be going on this tractor. A snow blade in central Florida No worries. We'll be back in Indiana not too far down the road. I'll be working on the body parts now but they won't get final paint until the weather breaks. That's all coming from the 657 and, as you can see, everything is nice and straight and will be easy to fix up.

After I got done mowing with the C-120 thought I would get some Cool pics for AC Man, as he often requests. Now, he warned me way back in May in a post when I picked up the 875, " You get One, then another, and another....." He was so right !!! The 875 in May A 1054 in June Then the C-120 in July. I wonder what is coming home with me in August ????

Me too Jerry. I was so impressed with the members, mods. and all the information freely given to me I quickly became a supporter, best investment I ever made! I also like the 520H . I have two of them now, One I've owned for 17 years I bought with around 25 hours. When you find the one you want buy it and you can tell the wife later, like she does to you with new boots and purses......

http://www.wheelhorseforum.com/store/category/1-redsquare-support/ Best investment a fan could ever make.

got the 62 wheel horse back together after going and picking up trans this morning. and until we can get new shift boot its got to stay in my shed next to my sears ss15. (hope it dont get jealous and break). we also tested out a color of paint we found at tsc too bright lol. thats the belt guard for dads 753.we are going to use it on this until we can get a extra.

Replacing the front tires on my 516H..I think from the condition and sidewall cracks that the tires are original...stuck to the rim so bad that I am having to cut them off leaving the inner edge of the tire with the steel bands and then getting that off. Will use 3 to 1 water and muriatic acid to clean the rims up for new tires...have used this method before on car and truck restorations...works real well - just have to keep an eye on it.. I have 2 questions: the original carlyle tires are 2 ply - I was going to get 4 ply - ? what do you guys think ?? My other question is where to get the dust caps for the end of the axle..mine are missing and I have seen some on the internet for over 8 dollars each - won't be doing that - what do the rest of you use? are there car caps that will fit? I sure have gotten a lot of good info on this forum - check in every day and really enjoy reading what others are doing with their tractors..maybe one of these days I'll talk my wife into another WH ( 520H is my goal ).. thanks in advance for your help.

I have been restoring my dad's 1962 552 Wheel Horse for almost the past two years now. Been a slow process but enjoying every stage of the rebuild. So far from this... to most recently this... Anyway, had a bit of trouble getting the lift lever/hood stand assembly disassembled. Soaked with PB Blaster for a long time. Still no results getting it apart. Figured that I needed to take it to a "professional" who had more powerful persuasion tools than what I had. Took it a local Cub Cadet dealer just a couple miles from my home. Once I mentioned it was off of an old Wheel Horse tractor, he said he wouldn't touch it... wouldn't even look at it. Well, that ended our conversation rather quickly. Took it then to a farm implement dealer, specifically Wertz Farm and Power Equipment located near Lineboro, Maryland which is about 30 miles from my house. Now this area is where I grew up as a child when my dad originally purchased the 552. The technician there took it immediately and got it apart within 30 minutes. Got to talking to the old guy and he said that he lived in the area all his life and has worked at Wertz's since about 1965. I told him I grew up near there also and started talking about how I acquired my dad's tractor just a couple years ago when I had not seen it for nearly 40 years. My uncle found it two years ago and gave it to me. Well, seems this guy knew my uncle and said my uncle lives in that house over there... and he pointed across the street. I honestly did not know that. Anyway, seems this guy also worked on my grandparents farm near there when he was a lot younger like way back in the '50's. Not knowing exactly where my dad bought this Wheel Horse tractor, I asked Fred if there were any Wheel Horse dealers in this area in the early '60's. He said that this company he worked for, Wertz Farm and Power Equipment, was once a Wheel Horse dealer when the company had their location in the town of Lineboro, Md. He smiled when I showed him pics of my RJ58 and 552 and said he really liked working on the old Kohler engines but didn't care much for the Techy's as they were generally hard to start. Although, Fred said he was pretty sure that they no longer had any purchase records from the old Wheel Horse tractor sales, I am now convinced that my dad bought my 552 tractor from Wertz in Lineboro which was just a few miles from my childhood home. That's my story from my little corner of the world and I'm sticking to it. So, back to my resto project, just got done painting the original rear wheels off of my 552 and a couple of front wheels for my RJ58.They actually came out looking like new... I was able to save the original rear tires from the 552... BF Goodrich Silvertown 6-12 turfs... There is some cracking on these tires, but they are generally in pretty good condition considering how bad the whole tractor looked when I got her a few years ago. Got new inner tubes for it and a bottle of that black tire paint from m.e. Miller Tire Co, so we'll give it a try and see how they come out.

Saved another one from the cold northern winter. It should spend the rest of it's life retired in Florida. I've been talking with Mike about this one for a year. Thought I was going to make the show this year, but I didn't. So I thought it wasn't going to happen again. Then about 2 weeks ago a fellow member, Bruce Scott, who lives about 2 hours from me said he was going to Buffalo and wouldn't mind picking it up for me Anyway, picked it up yesterday and took it out for a spin. I'm tickled red! One question, Mike, wheres the damn bell? -Chris

better get started building that barn.

I think I fixed my Issue with mobility and the seat my father-in-law Took the seat off and drilled two holes further back then we reset the seat. I still have an issue putting my legs over the transmission area but I figured out that while while I'm on the seat if I take my right hand and place it underneath the fender on the right side and rotate my legs completely over the steering wheel and drop them down on each side that's going to be the easiest way although I look like I'm doing something for the Olympics it works I'll just have to get used to it here are some pictures of the modified seat . I also forgot to mention that I also have to place the mower deck lever all the way forward to do this.

Great solution. I had a seat for my 312h that the holes would not line up. I just redriled like you did and it worked out ok. Funny how a little thirst quencher makes the job so satisfying when it's done.

Like this one,?

Glenn has the caps. Miller has the donuts. http://www.millertire.com/categories/lawn-garden-tires/23x10-50-12/

I can believe you had to cut them off?!?! Surprised a bead breaker wouldn't do it. .... 4 plys are ok See Glen Petit in the vendors section he has them... wants a little more for them but bet the bottom dollar they be worth it...

I'm going to work on moving back the seat this weekend I'll keep everyone updated on the process. I'm still amazed at the condition the tractor is in considering how old it its. I did play Rick Flairs theme music when I took it off the trailer which made it that much more cooler. I told my wife I was going to drive it to the polls tomorrow for the primary because it was a quality tractor made in America I'm not really going to but I just wanted to see the look on her face it was priceless.

I routinely pull a 17 cu ft cart stacked way over the top with firewood probably weighing at least 1000 pounds with my 310 and the 418A on flat ground and have no problem with pulling or stopping I would worry about going downhill but I have found common sense and a little healthy fear are good safety features

. I had better get some quotes on a pole barn.....lol

You already have the spray gun and compressor, for a durable good looking finish I would suggest buying a good acrylic enamel with a hardener. It will lay down better and won't be so humidity dependent on dry time. Also, remember .

That IS a nice set of three Wheel Horse's ! All detailed and shiny too!

Hey guys I feel like Jethro just landed in Beverly Hills. Check out the photo of the lobby of our hotel from the hall outside my room. I just wish my family was with me! Mike, check out the pics of my dif. I think the PO flipped it upside down. Can I remove his "repair?" If I can where would I find the outter needle bearings for the axle and axle seals? Part numbers? If I can't repair his repair, what dif would fit and where might I find one? Thanks for all of your help! Time for Jethro to get back to the cement pond!!

Looking at the load of parts I picked at the auction last week, I realized I almost had enough parts to make a tractor. I may have to buy another gallon of bondo to fix the hood.

Pictures from the UTC thresheree in Symco Wisconsin. On the show grounds known as Unionville The down town street in Unionville The lumber used to build this mill was all cut with the saw mill on the show grounds. Making flour inside the mill Some night time entertainment on their outdoor stage The steel bridge that was moved to the grounds from a near by highway after it was decommissioned by the state. The tractor on top is a real tractor not a lighted cut out. PeacemakerJack and his son turning some ground on GhostRider. Jack was nice enough to let me do a little plowing with this sweet machine. Thanks again Jack! My line up of garden tractors This Roof Palomino was very cool. For those who don't know this is a garden tractor. Attachments include 60" deck, push blade & more. Definitely one of my bucket list tractors. Ford & doodle bugs were the feature. This 1920's Ford is running a silo filler Some Doodle Bugs Very nice work on this MF Sign does the talking on this one This started out life as a GE electric tractor. Uses a speed increasing gear box to the rear end, and a dead mans clutch A little fun time with my Rat Rod Suburban. Like most shows you can't get pic's of every thing. Check out the UTC post in General shows & events for more pics.

Just a heads up for you to BE CAREFUL. I moved my seat back on a Raider !0 as I was too fat, too old , or maybe both to even get on the darn thing. Then one day i was on a slope with the front end elevated and decided to get off the mower. Because the seat was moved rearward, when I leaned back and swung my leg over the steering wheel, the seat pan latch let loose and I dropped right on my tail bone. It took me an hour to somehow get in the truck and drive home and three weeks to be able to lift any kind of weight..I consider myself very lucky not to require surgery to fix things Just add a 14" bolt with a stop nut to hold the seat pan on and it just tales a minute to remove and then tilt the seat pan back.to check the gear lube level.

Tig , that's one beautiful group of horses ! Thanks for the pics . I don't know where you find the time , but they turned out great . Glad you found us horseoholics and share your passion with us . Hopefully someday we can meet up . One more thing I TOLD YOU SO !!!

Just looked at the pic of the lift lever and your chain should be moved to the front hole. That should give you 1-2 " more lift.

Although it goes without saying it's clear that this won't be as the 500 Specials came out of South Bend. I love the restorations that folks strive for absolute factory correct but my rebuilds tend to be tweaked towards what I like on them. The tire size, Kohler motor, C-101 steering wheel, the seat setup will be similar to the mid 70's style, stainless hardware, and who knows what else will be different. It did start out life as a 500 Special but I guess when I'm done I would be best off to call it Racinbobs 500 Special. Now why didn't I think of that before I bought the decals from Terry.

I'll be there Saturday. Maybe Friday night and Sunday morning as well depending on weather.

Sorry can't help with tire question. As for caps check out vendor section Glenn Pettit sells the caps.

How long ago? Did the seller have a return policy. If he sold it as good condition, I would contact eBay and file a claim if he won't work with you. Just my 2 cents worth.

Thats the one. Should bolt right up, the grass screen looks like the right one. They usually come with the four mounting screws. Chris

8-1-1981 MTV makes its maiden broadcast “If advertisers make the video disco channel a success, the implications for cable television and the recording industry could be far reaching,” wrote a New York Times business columnist in the summer of 1981 about the upcoming premiere of a new cable television network dedicated exclusively to popular music. This prediction proved to be an understatement of historic proportions, though not exactly overnight. Though the premiere of MTV on this day in 1981 would later be seen as the beginning of a whole new era in popular culture, only a few thousand night-owl subscribers to a single northern New Jersey cable system were able to witness the televised revolution. It was just after midnight in the early morning hours of August 1, 1981, that the fledgling Music Television network flickered to life. “Ladies and gentlemen, rock and roll” were the words that preceded on opening montage featuring a chunky guitar riff playing over the familiar image of an American astronaut planting an unfamiliar flag on the surface of the moon—a flag emblazoned with a big, block capital “M” and the smaller, handwritten letters “TV.” The video that followed was, famously and prophetically, “Video Killed The Radio Star” by the little-known English electronic new wave duo, the Buggles. Pat Benatar’s “You Better Run” followed, and from there a rotation that featured several songs and videos that might be considered classics of the early MTV era (e.g., “Rapture” by Blondie and “Love Stinks” by the J. Geils Band) and many more that might not (e.g., “Can’t Happen Here” by Rainbow and “Little Susie’s On The Up” by PhD). The roughly 80 different videos that made up that first week’s rotation on MTV probably represented nearly every promotional music video then available. This would change, of course, as MTV proved its ability to break new artists and as record labels responded with ever larger budgets for lavish video productions. But on that first night, as several employees of the fledgling MTV gathered to watch their creation in a New Jersey bar, it is impossible to say how many others actually joined them. Soon enough, however, MTV would spread to cable systems nationwide and begin to exert the cultural influence that has since been credited (or blamed) for everything from Flashdance and Miami Vice to Rick Astley and Attention Deficit Disorder.

Nice pictures Jack, I was too burned out last night to add any. Will try to post some tonight. Unfortunately Jack didn't get any seat time on my rat rod. I do owe him though for letting me plow a round with Ghost Rider.

300 LBS should not be a problem for your horse. I pull a 48" lawn roller full of water which is supposed to be 540 lbs, with my B-100 which pulls it up hills with no problem. And that's also with about 100 lbs or so of wheel weights attached.

Looking goog Tigger... those three should be on every ones tractor list!

I found that to do several coats using rattle cans, a typical tractor took me about 15 cans. Then after all that, it took over a month to fully cure. Once dry, it scratched and nicked so easily that I stripped it all off and used acrylic urethane. In my opinion, you might as well do what 953 nut said and use your spray equipment to lay down some acrylic. Don't get me wrong. There are guys who have worked magic with rattle cans,(see @Zeek's 1276) but for me, I only use them for touch-up and small pieces.

Triplets, sweet mother of the wheel horses, they are beautiful.

Should have cleaned them up a bit before you took the pictures TIG I expect they will breed and by next month you'll have six.......

I will need a BIGGER horse barn !!! lol

Stories like this confirm my belief that this is an awesome tractor site!

August is only a few hours away, i wouldn't be at all surprised if one follows you home before the week is up.

You gotta love before and after pictures..

I did yesterday as soon as I got home I mowed the yard and had a good ol time

I ended up getting a 657 with a 10hp Tech engine, 1277, belts, fenders(400 series) and hoods(520H,416-8 and 520xi), tire chains, Howard tiller blades, tiller, snow blowers and dozer blades. Prices were cheap on parts. The D160 with the blade went for $475. The rear end was pretty rusty because they had a salt spreader out back.

I thought the crowd would be bigger . Boxes of N.O.S. engine parts were cheep 10-20 average .They did not sell all the parts advertised, I think they sold the obsolete stuff and kept the newer stuff . most collectors were there for the old stuff anyway. I only made one purchase and left by noon , so I didn`t get prices on tractors . I got the 55 rj35 early model with tank stand, aluminum wheel original engine two piece front wheels missing Schnacke recoil and correct intake belt guard and oil bath air filter. I spoke with one of the owners and he said they took it in on trade about 30 years ago and was sitting on a shelf since.

I'm glad you found the tractor you were looking for. Patience is the key, and I commend you on showing the patience to wait for the right tractor. You were in my neck of the woods, I'm just about 6 miles down the road from Wildside. I haven't met him yet (go figure, we're that close and yet haven't met), but I am meaning to. He sounds like a wonderful guy, so your post here gives me more ammo to go and see him. The tractor looks great, and it will handle about anything you can throw at it. I hope the mods you do make, will help you use the tractor as conveniently as is needed for your limitations. I also hope that there aren't that many mods to make so you can enjoy using the tractor sooner. Nice score.

You just can't beat a B-100. My worker is a B-100. Got it in 1993 and it does everything I've ever asked her to.

The rule of thumb is, don't tow more than what you and the tractor weigh. If the weight of what's being towed is greater than you and the tractor, then stopping becomes a problem, even on flat surfaces. Plus, that way you won't overtaxed the hydro in your tractor if you follow this rule of thumb. Yeah, it may tow more, but that would be my advice.

I bought and use a 1986 416-8 that someone booger welded a pepper pot onto. Holy cow is it obnoxious!. I asked a local guy about muffler recommendations while picking up a deck spindle he ordered for me. He looked at me, ran over and dug through a pile on/around some shelves, and popped up with a brand new factory muffler! (Covered in dust) He said he had it for a long time, and they cost over $130. He said he needed to clean up, get rid of it. $30! Now I have to cut booger pipe off of original elbow and TIG weld new nipple on. I can't wait to mow without sounding like a WW2 Spitfire on a straifing run!

Great first day at Symco! It was really neat to see some of the fine specimens from Dan's collection. His Rat Rod Suburban is really cool and the quality of his 1076 resto speaks volumes of his workmanship. Here is dad's Iron Horse flanked by two CC 100's. this is Dan's 1076 and Dad's 875! We we plowed a couple of rounds today but it was still pretty wet. I think we will give it another day to dry and hopefully tomorrow the conditions will be even better. Dad just finished restoring this 8" plow (write up on the yet to come) and it really looked nice in display! If you're in the area, come on out tomorrow! jack