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Ok so..... Its been awhile... Been busy but the addiction still follows me around for wheel horse.. I pick up one here and there and sell one .....rarely....grr lol... Anyway, group effort on this project and i really hoped it was gonna see the light of day at the wheel horse show but i never made it to the show this year and didnt really want to share it this way but here it goes.. Early this year i picked up a 94 520H... I called up my other wheel horse-a-holic buddy to brag ,of coarse, how nice it is... He says how nice is it... I said you know the old car comerecials where ford and so on would display there new models on spinning platforms... he said yea.. I said yea that nice... Well, being the mad scientist he is, he says you know we can just do that... You get that thing cleaned up and ill start working on the rest. Well... i tore that 520h down to a roller and cleaned and cleaned and cleaned and buffed and waxed...Did the valves and other maint. related stuff for the hours on the clock. Replaced a few decals... wanted to keep it orginal as possible but couldnt live with ugly decals. I bet 30 hours in detailing. So an old hub from a plow , receiver tubing, some sprockets and chains and a grill motor.... and here it is.. Works awesome and stops a lot of people.. Not bad for an 850 hr machine!!! All orginal paint... nothing was repainted. Also... tractor mounts on the spinning display via the rear and mid attachomatic which means horses from all years just about can take a spin. Since the video and proof of concept. The aparatas has been blasted and painted. I also added a tent and ropes for safety. Just plug it in and i let it run for hours... So what do you all think???? Also brought me garden tractor of the year at the show and a nifty little trophie. I have to say there really wasnt a lot of wheel horses but all in all. Still a good show.. Thank you Terry for decals and all involed with project. Heres a video of it in action via youtube link

9-30-1955 James Dean dies in car accident At 5:45 PM on this day in 1955, 24-year-old actor James Dean is killed in Cholame, California, when the Porsche he is driving hits a Ford Tudor sedan at an intersection. The driver of the other car, 23-year-old California Polytechnic State University student Donald Turnupseed, was dazed but mostly uninjured; Dean’s passenger, German Porsche mechanic Rolf Wütherich was badly injured but survived. Only one of Dean’s movies, “East of Eden,” had been released at the time of his death (“Rebel Without a Cause” and “Giant” opened shortly afterward), but he was already on his way to superstardom–and the crash made him a legend. James Dean loved racing cars, and in fact he and his brand-new, $7000 Porsche Spyder convertible were on their way to a race in Salinas, 90 miles south of San Francisco. Witnesses maintained that Dean hadn’t been speeding at the time of the accident–in fact, Turnupseed had made a left turn right into the Spyder’s path–but some people point out that he must have been driving awfully fast: He’d gotten a speeding ticket in Bakersfield, 150 miles from the crash site, at 3:30 p.m. and then had stopped at a diner for a Coke, which meant that he’d covered quite a distance in a relatively short period of time. Still, the gathering twilight and the glare from the setting sun would have made it impossible for Turnupseed to see the Porsche coming no matter how fast it was going. Rumor has it that Dean’s car, which he’d nicknamed the Little Bastard, was cursed. After the accident, the car rolled off the back of a truck and crushed the legs of a mechanic standing nearby. Later, after a used-car dealer sold its parts to buyers all over the country, the strange incidents multiplied: The car’s engine, transmission and tires were all transplanted into cars that were subsequently involved in deadly crashes, and a truck carrying the Spyder’s chassis to a highway-safety exhibition skidded off the road, killing its driver. The remains of the car vanished from the scene of that accident and haven’t been seen since.

Richard - just wanted to say - sure do enjoy your history articles every day ....keep up the good work.

Here's my early production 953 before I tore it down for restoration.

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Now you just need a mirror under that beast... and you'll be all set for the big show.

The engine spec # has to be over 24299 to be a Series II engine Glenn.

Zeroed in on this one owner C175, he passed, the family is selling it, they don't know anything about it, they just sent me these additional pictures. Can any of you super detective tell me anything about it by these pictures. I can't, lol. What year is it? Series 1 motor? Eaton rear? Whatever, anything anybody can tell me about it, looking for clues to the mystery before I get it. Why are the pictures Sideways? Who knows. Glenn

Well..... i will have to upload some more pictures to explain fully but i will try until i can. The center piece of receiver tubing is solid mounted to the hub. Then a piece of square tubing has round stock with washers welded to the end to mount to the rear atachomatic. So i set up the frame with the hub under the tractor, jack up the rear and set the tractor down on blocks under the rear tires. Then that allows me to slide the square tubing through the reciever tubing and latch the rear in place... Then i go to the front and jack it up. The front mount then slides onto that same tubing and the tractor is then lowered down in place... Then give the tractor a good shove and it falls off the blocks and is now floating on the hub. The drive sprocket shaft has a square milled on the end.. So you just drop the rotisserie motor on and go... The tractor was balanced on a pipe and a jack in the garage to find the center point of balance to get the best performance. So there is white line painted on the square tubing so i know how far to slide it in to keep it about balanced weight wise... The wind literally will move it around without the motor... Hey knew idea.... life size wheel horse pin wheels lol...

Found my 953 in a garage not used for 20+ years.....

I believe it is a 1982. My 1981 C-145 has the "T-Handle" like jdleach mentioned and this has the later hydraulic handle that was carried over to the 400 Series. But it has the plastic rear fender that was replaced with the metal fender from the Work Horse Series for the 1983-1984 models. The steel fender was revised in 1985 for the 300/400 Series tractors. Good news! I can just make out the black Toro filter in back when I blow up the picture, so it has an Eaton 1100. That is a clean dashboard!

One of my buddies, a C175 sleuth was guessing, 82 / 83 by virtue of where the deck lift was.. thanks for the compliments. I hated letting the cat out of the bag before I got help, but I just have to know,. But that's good, I can start another thread when I get it. Lol Glenn Thanks JD, you might have just named her for me, my little baby Glossy. Glenn I have asked for a picture of that Id tag. I would suspect I get it tomorrow, but more pictures tomorrow to. Yahoo. We all luv pictures, don't we. Glenn

I know it is between 1980 - 84...That's when the black hoods ruled the WH world... AMC owned WH from 1974 - 1982. (Straight from the Horses Mouth - Final Edition P. 217) Black Hoods were 1980 - 1984. (Based on RS Picture Galleries). That is one nice unit - the black hood looks new! Save the Black Hoods!

I'm no super sloth , but that looks to be a nice BLACK-HOOD ! There starting to grow on me .

Sorry Jack...no excuse ...I got spare trucks & trailers you coulda used ...heck a true horse thieve woulda used the wife's minivan!! I bet a guy coulda had it for 200 to boot and that B-80 the 1077 had for a sister wasn't too shabby either! Worst part about it it looks to be unmolested & clean! if I wouldn't had to go wrangle this 1257 I woulda went for it. My bad for not having the Milwaukee CL search in place or I would have seen it earlier. Well so much for the coulda/wouldas... lesson learned ...we'll get em next time. Sure bring those tires, I don't know if they fit as I was eyeballin it up for ags last nite and there is only an inch or so to the fender so it's gonna be tight but we can try anyway. These 50 yo turf tires are in such good shape they just might work. @achto is making this show plow hitch. Got the proper battery & good cables in her last nite. Was texting with Dan & telling him now it wouldn't start with out hand feeding it ala @Ed Kennell. Wife comes out in the shop and says ya sure there's gas in it?? I thought there was quite abit when last looked! Don't tell me you guys have never done this.. here I was already looking for a carb but it runs much better with gas in the tank now!

My 1067 has the original K241 10hp with about 1400 hours on it (dad bought it new in 1967). Starts fast on first crank, no smoke, plenty of power - nothing slows it down. Took the head off for the first time this summer. Cleaned out some carbon. Otherwise, metal and clearances look like new.

I'll say this and stir the pot some more, it's all in the prep work. Doesn't matter if it's paint or powder coating. Prep work is the key. On that note, do some calling around and go visit with different places. Example: two shops in the same town have completely different prices. To blast and coat a 17in car wheel. First place was 100$/wheel to blast and 100$ wheel to powder coat it. They wanted nothing to do with my questions and had a generally bad attitude. Second place was 50$/wheel to blast and powder coat. They took the time to understand what I wanted done and the best way to get the results I was after. How they did it so much cheaper is my business was pure profit to them. Mixed my parts in with other batches of parts being blasted. They got coated when they had an open spot on the racks going into the oven. I've since moved on and have my own powder coating setup but for things I can't fit in my oven or don't want to do I take it to the second shop. They've always been fair to me. Like I said in the beginning, it's all in the prep work.

Glenn, I can not offer you any pros and cons to paint vs powder coat yet. However here is what I have done so far to my GT14. I have had the frame, wheels and steering components powder coated the red is RAL3003 and the wheels are an appliance white that the powder coated had in stock. They were sandblasted and coated in zinic for corrosion protection. The rest of the parts were sandblasted and painted with PPG JP209 high build epoxy primer to fill damage from corrosion. Let the sanding begin. They will then be shot with a nice coat of PPG RAL3003 single stage paint. The transmission was stripped cleaned and primered with zinic cromate primer then coated with RAL3003 red from a rattle can. So far I have $300 in to the powder coating $50 in the PPG primer and about $200 in zinic cromate primer and misc. sanding supplies.

We have a couple more than four and love them! The 953 was so much in demand when first made by Wheel Horse that the 1054 was made for several years after. The 48 inch mower deck was the first 48 inch deck and was very heavy and well made. The snowplow was a 54 inch on this tractor. The Hein-Werner hydraulic pump gave you good rear and center rock shaft lift capability. The 10 HP Kohlers were the heavy industrial version which is why so many of these still have there original motors. If you use a tractor to work -this has a tremendous amount of power and flexibility.

Here is something for the 5XI owners. I just ran across this the other day. This is the Original Specifications that the 5XI was designed around.

First off thanks to @Bttatro for turning me on to this CL score ( I tried to PM you the news Friday but my phone sucks at the cabin)! So anyway I set up the go look at & turns out the guy is only 2 miles off my beatin path up to the cabin. Made a wrong turn because Karen (my GPS) was useless as T#ts on a bull up there & ended up having to back the rig out of the woods 1/4 mile in the dark... no fun there! Finally found the place & there she was. Turns out the seller had just bought this place (estate sale) opened up some shed doors and found out he bought a tractor with the property. He had no clue as to what a Wheel Horse even was. Said he put a new plug in it charged the battery & some gas and it started right up. So closed the deal and driving it out to the trailer it would only come off idle by a couple of hundred RPM's. So I asked the guy about the throttle issue and he had no clue. Said he even cut grass with it like that! I explained to him ( he was not very mechanically inclined) that this motor will get up and go when adjusted right. So I manually set the throttle and get it on the gov. to show him where it should be running RPM wise and he gave me a look like I was gonna blow it up. I says no this is where it should run at. He was amazed at the power & sound of that 12! Ok enough Yakin and on to the GOOD STUFF.... She is a dirty girl but a round with the pressure washer and some elbow grease should clean up nice. Aside from the throttle issue runs good & may need a carb cleaning. Has the wrong battery in it and some other minor stuff but is complete. If somebody can tell me if that switch on the dash is factory. It must of had some kind of lighting on it at one time. Some bug eyes up on the corners of the hood?? I sure do like looking down that long hood with seat time!

From my friend jackc, who sent me the list. Glenn Edit / update: JD, beat me to the punch. Thank you both. Model Year Description Type Trans. Engine Model HP Drive Model 01-17KE03 1983 C Series Garden Tractor C-175 Twin Automatic Kohler KT17-24223 17 Eaton 1100-03 Your quick as a rattlesnake bite. You beat me on that one JD......

I know..... was really hoping to keep it hidden till i could show it off at the wheel horse show but not sure when i will make it. However it takes a special kind of nut case to go through the effort to do that but i know you guys are out there just like me lol.... Oh well.... its all about the fun

THAT'S FORK'IN GREAT, that's sure to catch on if it's seen at to many shows eric j

What a great idea! Love it. How difficult is it to get the tractor on it?

it was talked about but never got around to it yet...... It is just as clean under.. When it was torn down to a roller i had the front jacked up with a 4 ft 2x4 and was cleaning away.. Now my only issue is this is my first 520h with gear reduction steering and i am to afraid to use it now because i dont want to go through cleaning like i just did again should i ever want to put it on display again. So I guess that means i buy another one.....I know isnt that terrible??? lol

Wouldn't bother me if it was a Series I engine... love to work the '83 model I've got here.

My take Glenn: Post 1980. The reasons are that the lift control handle is of a different design as was used on the 1980 models. Mine has the "T" type handle for the lift control, similar to the drive belt disengage lever seen in the photos. As for the engine, I suspect a Series I. My understanding is that virtually all, if not all, of the C-175 tractors had a Series I. If this an original motor, it isn't a Series II. Condition looks very good, although I would speculate that the hood at least, has been re-painted. The black is too glossy. As far as the tranny, given the later style lift lever, it has to be an Eaton 1100. The Sunstrands were used for only about the first half of 1980, then Wheel Horse switched to using the Eatons.

Thanks Fellows. This is my first round fender. My first tractor was a 1979 Craftsman LT-10/36 and I wore in out in 8 years. Thats when I bought the 1987 WH 312-8 which the wife still uses to mow.

Thanks all for the comments gents. Just got back into town after a week in the deep south, Mississippi specifically, working on the installation of a huge pallet system for a new Cincinnati CNC mill. The mill is for machining Caterpillar diesels, from the V-8 all the way up to the V-24. I am a worn out puppy. Will try to post replies to you all before the weekend is out.

That is one solution that some members have used successfully. A shut off valve is another Finding and installing a leak tight pump would work. Electric fuel pump that is mounted below the minimum fuel level in the tank would work. Keeping the tank full above 1/2 full so the fuel level is above the pump works....my solution on my 312.

I think what we have uncovered here is something that we all know deep down in our hearts and that is we as a group are all dinosaurs living in a world that sees no value in high quality simple design and would prefer to use cheap junk that is shiny and new just because the ad agencies tell them to. That's okay with me though, I'll take my old horses and put in the sweat equity to keep them running for as long as I can

The two flat top screws are the adjustments described above. The round head screw is for setting idle speed.

Turn both adjustment screws clockwise until they just bottom out. Then open them the number of turns described in the manual. Fine tune them by turning clockwise until the engine sputters, then open counter-clockwise until the same thing happens. Then find the halfway point in-between.

The 175 I have has 3/4" spindles. Its a 1980 model.

I hate to say this, but in a way I am glad many people have a throw-away mentality. Most of us on here should be because that's how myself and many others here have picked up our beloved machines for free or next to nothing!

First of all, let me say that this was a great score Jim! I think you acquired a great machine and echo the sentiments of the guys above. I really look forward to turning soil with you on that dude! Now whats eats the deal bringing up the deal for me that just wasn't meant to be?. So, there was a 1077 for sale for about two months locally that looked from the pics to be in great original shape... it was $350 or offers. It sold last weekend and I was bummed but my truck has been laid up with a bad tranny for over 2 months (thats me having conversations with the tranny shop guys! Yes it's been an adventure.) so, this one passed me up and I'll always remember it. Jim, I have an extra set of 23x8.50-12's with fluid in them for plowing on Calebs 125. We will pull them off for your plow day and you can use them for your big day! I've acquired multiple sets over the years and I'm looking to get a couple more! You'll be good to go with that beast! For the WHX8 PD I!

Very nice! I owned one identical to yours about ten yrs ago that was used for one season and put in the corner of the garage with a blanket on it for many yrs. They are a super strong tractor, the 12 hp Tecky's have some pretty good nut and are a good engine. I've owned a bunch of the SS 12 Suburbans and Custom Tens as well and I'd no doubt own one if I had more room. I have many fond memories of sitting on SS 12 Suburbans on the show room floor of Sears with the nice shiny hub caps on them when I was a kid... I think a Sears Suburban is the first tractor I ever sat on. The blue ones were my favorite..

My '88 416-8 M16 as of a couple of years ago. 1865 hours now and still runs great.

WHX8: Those groovy silver caps on the rear tires of one of our 1054's are plastic PVC end caps that my brother bought and they will actually ride between the four bolts on the rear hubs. They looked pretty cool and we kept them on. Not sure of the size but at least four inches.

Thank you for sharing! Amazing to read through with what was proposed and then to see how the 5xi was actually produced. It appears that the 518xi was intended to be a price leader with less capacity components installed. Thankfully the only differences became the size of the steering wheel (14" vs 15"), cruise control, and a lower seatback. The axle and spindles are the same across all five models. The rest is the same as the 520xi, and only missing the power steering of the 522xi, 520Lxi, and 523Dxi. A minor item but the taillights were actually designed for this model and not off the shelf from other Wheel Horse models. Unfortunately the toolbox incorporated in the seat didn't make it. Interesting how the transaxle was a re-design of the Wheel Horse transaxle with the Eaton transmission 11 once again used. Too bad the ability to lock it wasn't added. I found it fascinating that the slope of the hood was dictated by the Kawasaki engine's air filter housing! The mention of alternate engines considered makes me wonder what they would have been like. A Vanguard engined 5xi or a Mitsubishi engined 5xi is food for thought.

I couldn't find these to add until now. It's my one neighbor's driveway that always is a challenge due to the grade uphill.

Whoever decided to place lower cost LAWN Tractors in the box stores struck gold for the manufacturers but not for the consumer. People think they are buying a very hi quality machine for the money, it looks good , has a so called hi HP strong motor but at the end of the day, regardless of the brand name, they are disposable and in many cases NON fixable . This era of corporate "executive" planning closed the door on the garden tractors. I am sure we all know someone who spent good money, not cheap, for a box store lawn tractor and within a few short years they had to replace it. Just look around as we are driving each day, the yards are full of them parked with flat tires and tall grass around them. They are worth only their weight in metal. nobody cares, they bought it on credit and made small monthly payments to a 20% credit card over 5 or 6 years ! They are not even paying attention. Maybe I'm crazy, maybe I'm too old, but when I came home with a new Wheel Horse ( 1975 and 1987) and even the two I recently purchased , I felt like a kid in the candy store, I was excited, proud to own them. They are not lawn mowers to me, far from it, they have significance,they represent an era of USA manufacturing and design that has left the planet. I guess the generations today would indeed think I am senile for being excited about owning a "lawn mower". Truth be known, I could care less if I ever cut grass with any of them ! When I look at them I am brought back to my childhood when I first saw a neighbor plowing snow with one probably around 1960. thats what I see.

WOW !!! You better post a video of that tractor asap!!! Jack, that tractor is sweet! Mods, is it ok for me to say a Sears tractor is sweet?

Found it interesting that you edited your post @ "1054". I have been a fan of the 953/1054 for years; love the look of them and the comfort, bought my fourth one this summer. Due to the relatively high center of gravity and light weight I would be hesitant to install a front end loader on one, though I have seen them. I have a FEL on my GT-14 which is a much heavier tractor and it is still a bit scary when the bucket is raised high on uneven ground. As for durability I would put them up against any other . My first 953 has plowed the garden, pushed snow and mowed for me for 14 years with nothing but routine maintenance. It was a barn find that has no paint left; ain't pretty; but is beautiful to me. My second one was missing a few parts when I got it, but made it a custom. The third one is a project; it is a very early production 953 which will be restored. The forth is a 1054 I picked up at this year's Big Show, it will receive some special treatment when I build it. If you want one you better act promptly; before I buy them all!

They are 3/8" bolts. My bracket measures (center to center) 12 3/8" and 2 3/4"

I hear Ya Bob. I'm only 5 mile away, so I may run over tomorrow if I see a break in the rain. I really feel sorry for the folks that put he show together. Has to be discouraging to be rained out two years in a row.

I saw some rebuilt and used onans and for sale in Michigan. Looked like the guy did this on a regular basis. Worth checking out.