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About 6 months ago a gentleman contacted me about purchasing this literal barn find C-101. He did so after posting here and many of you fine gentleman said I should be the one for this tractor. It would have been an 8 hour drive one way for me, so after asking for help here on RS @Ed Kennell stepped up and said he would help me. I have to say that if it wasn’t for him I’m not sure this would have happened? So thanks again Ed ! He was kind enough to pick it up, store it in his garage and then bring it to the Big Show for me. This tractor I believe is as close to New Old Stock as you will ever find. The guy I bought it from wasn’t a Wheel Horse guy but knew that it was old and in great condition and he wanted it to go to someone who would take care of it. He actually did find it in a barn he was cleaning out with his coworker who said that it belonged to his grandfather. Upon actually seeing it first hand and then driving it, I was amazed! It really was as described, the nubs on the original tires, paint on the muffler, no belt has ever run in the PTO pulley, original seat with not a crack or scuff on it, the paint is still on the shifters where it hits the shifter plate. I am now super happy to be the proud owner of this timepiece. This also completes my collection of the 1978-79 C Series tractors. I’m sorry that I didn’t take pictures of it as soon as I got it home, but basically it was just dirty and dusty. The rear rims had a little rust on them and I purchased a set of ags with nicely painted rims at the show so I switched them out until I repaint the original ones. Don’t worry, I have a new reflector for the one that is missing. I know one of you would pick up on that!! I did a light power washing, compound and wax, here it is!

My trigger for picking up my first Wheel Horse was seeing my neighbor's Raider 10 buried back in the corner of his shed, along with a host of attachments. It has a hole in the side of the block, and he says he's saving it for a retirement project. When I brought home my C-120, he was almost as excited as I was. Well today he came rolling up on a '76 B-100 8-speed he picked up from the original owner who is heading for an assisted living facility. It was listed for $650 and my neighbor was going to give him the full asking price (w/snowplow). The gentleman showed him receipts for everything that has ever been done to it, including a recent one where his mechanic pulled the head and carb and gave it a full service. The old boy wanted to drive it one last time, so my neighbor let him drive it up on the trailer. When he went to pay, the old man says, "Well, I think it's going to a good home so just give me $500."

I've driven past it many, many times having lived just 9 miles north. Going into Chandler's with my dad as a little boy. I wish I could have appreciated what I saw at the time. I saw Chandler's showroom across 30+ years of it evolving. But mostly.... I love wheel horse because of my Dad. He was no ordinary Dad. He was the best. He taught me how to steer while sitting on his lap on the 1962 Lawn Ranger. That and a 1963 Thunderbird! Ha ha. Then came the time to solo on the Lawn Ranger! If he told me once, he told me 50 times..."Get in trouble? Turn off the key! This tractor will run right up a tree and flip on its back". I often wondered what kind of beast I was driving. My dad only lived to see me acquire one wheel horse. A 1977 B-80. I bought 8.5 acres of land. And burnt up the Tecumseh motor on the Ranger mowing some of it. So I needed something bigger. (I had no clue what wheel horse really made). But the B-80 mowed about 3 acres sufficiently. Each wheel horse I bought had a high and a low. I thought of my dad each time I got one. And was also sad to think he wasn't there to share in the experience. Sorry I got caught running down memory lane. I have often wondered. Has anyone seen photos or videos from within the wheel horse factory on Ireland Rd.??

Just thinking back about my 1257, back when I helped my dad get it, back when he had his own place to work on stuff in his garage before moving in a smaller apartment building. I want to say it was the summer of 2009 when my dad got it. Then I took over it in the spring of 2016 when he moved in the building. He took it apart and cleaned it up then painted it before I got it, I put it back together and added/changed some things throughout the years. Definitely a big difference between then and now looking back at a couple old pictures. Next year I really want to make it to the Big Show as things keep coming up every year. I’d really like to meet some of you guys as I’ve learned quite a bit on the forum from everything that’s been posted on here. It’s the friendliest and best forum I’ve ever been on.

I cleaned, lubricated and sharpened/balanced the blades on the 36” RD deck that’s on the 308-8 I bought from @Docwheelhorse Ill do an oil soak and dry once we see the sun again MA. I recently installed the ceiling, mounted electric winch on a trolley system in my garage and that thing has come in handy a few times so far. And like I do with most everything, I just had to weigh the deck

Worked on the 314A that @c-series don gave me at the big show. When I brought it home and unloaded it, the engine ran fine but it but barely moved. I put it in the barn and planned to leave it for a winter project, but today curiosity got to me and I had to open it up. Got the choke cable freed up and working. Then pulled the tins off to find the problem that seemed to have the motion control system locked up. I disconnected the link to the cam plate and with some cleaning and lubrication, got full motion from the cam. The motion lever was still locked up. Then I saw it, the brake pedal spring was missing and allowed the pedal to fall down and lock the motion control lever in the neutral position. Duh ! Added a spring to pull the pedal up and all is well.

Next was the 1973 10/8 speed. This one is locked up tight! Pulled the shroud…not as nice as the C-81 . Really packed! Found some fur and whatnot was jammed between the starter gear and flywheel, she freed up once that was removed! This one will need more attention before a battery goes in it for sure. But not seized is a win for today

Although there's plenty things that need done around the house, I chose to clean up the tractors instead. Wash & wax all 3 along with a few cold beers & a cigar. What a perfect way to spend the afternoon.

Met a guy this weekend who owns these sweet rigs and I’ll ask him if that name rings a bell @squonk . Supposedly Him and his son built a couple of them . He wants something else made and lost his number years ago .

I’m a day late…just mowed with the ‘77 B-80. What a pleasure to operate!

hi men, just wanted to give a shoutout and say thank you to two members here. thank you daveoman for all the help (diagrams, pics, and your time and patience) to help me get my C160 auto tranny adjusted properly. works great now! thank you pfrederi for sending me the seals i needed to stop my bronco tranny from leaking. i had to pull the tranny out of the bronco and replace some seals on the shaft that goes to the white plastic motion control cam. PITA of a job but, no more leaks! paul sent me these for free. i know you guys like pics and i'm sorry i do not have any as i do not own a cell phone. being a member here is fantastic! best regards mike

This was the largest mountain I've tackled in several years. I feel GOOD! 7.09 miles. 2050 feet Elevation gain. Substantial !! Here's a passel o' pics...

Put the new to me C-101 to light duty work this weekend.

You could use Kev to demonstrate the consequences of unsafe practices.

Finally almost done

Semi-rehabbed a 2 piece seat. Picked it up for $20. going on my 875. Had a set of springs in stock. Gave them a quick flat black paint job. Got the pads off and gave all of the dead stink bugs trapped inside a proper burial into the rectangular dumpster. Pretty hot out with a high DP. Paint was a little slow to dry but my Big A$$ fan helped!

We were heading to a cookout on the 4th when I saw a round hood for sale a few minutes from my house. It’s a 753 with a mower deck and a k161 for $100 so I took it. The engine spec indicates “tri powered corp” so not original but that’s ok. Just about everything is seized up on this but the rear wheels so I’m probably in for quite a project haha. wanted to post my find on the forum to see if anything stands out about it or if it looks pretty correct. I thought it would be cool to get a round hood eventually but who would’ve thought it would pop up right in my own street!

This was our first year and we only went up for Friday, but we still had a great time driving around and seeing everyone despite the rain. We drove through this little number on the way up Thursday night. Our 312-8's... Some WH's from around the show. I also picked up some wheel weights for plowing and @WHX?? (to hold them down?) No wait, that was because he broke down!

Preparing for my brother's medieval-themed birthday party in Devon (England)

Picked this up today for $300!!! 1989 Town Car w/69k miles. Been in garage almost 30yrs, never driven in winter. Needs minor maint, fluids, tires, & fuel pump. All original rust free paint will buff out & shine when I get done with it. Couldn't believe how rust free underside is too. Interior needs a light cleaning. Old school luxury......I like it

Need I say anything?!?!? Just glad it's off my trailer ... room for a real ...

July 4th Side Shot!

Had to involve the wheel horse somehow

Jammed one more into the shed (7 now) Maybe room for one more. Tried to take a panoramic pic.

OK, here's my wedding ring story. When I started working in the Allis Chalmers Hydro turbine lab, we measured test pressures with 200 inch mercury manometers. This required climbing a ladder as high as 20feet many times. I would run up the ladder, read the mercury level, and with my hands and feet on the outside of the ladder rails, slide back down fireman pole style. Yep, one day the ring got caught on one of the thin metal angle braces . I was lucky to be under enough control that I could stop before the finger was ripped off. After the swelling went down, the ring was put in the jewelry box and not put back on until 50 years later when I retired. When I did put it on I discovered it no longer fit my gnarly index finger but it did fit the little one.

Picked up this 315-8 at the show from @ljsdad414. Carburetor and various linkages were missing. Acquired all the missing pieces. Had to settle for a cheap carburetor for now. Happy to report she’s alive and running. Replaced the rear tires, fuel lines and filter. New seat from @76c12091520h. Small oil leak around the valve cover to fix along with complete fluid and filter change. Then a good scrubbing. IMG_1436.mov

So with the destruction of the transmission is my suburban, I have decided to build something a little different and it's a little safer and easier for my kids. So I am building what I call a doodle horse. Ideas are from the doodle bug conversion in the past. I am extending the frame rails and mounting the engine behind the seat. I went with a belt drive tourqe convertor that drives by chain a forward and reverse gear box to a soild chain drive axle. It has one mechanical disc brake which I will use the original brake pedal. The whole tractor will be much longer then original so I wanted to make it look not goofy so I am cutting some rough cut oak boards and building a simple bed frame, steel frame wood sides and flooring. Here's some pictures. Don't mind the mess things have been crazy and I'm trying to finish this before the local show. I'll post more. I'm still waiting on the axle frame rails need to be finished tonight.

That is my breakfast. Onion, green, banana, jalapenos and tomato's. Some land raised chicken eggs, Viola good eating! Takes me back to when I was a kid, My dad made this pretty often.

Started on the 314A project. Added Sta-Bil and fresh fuel. Tuned the carb ...opened low idle jet almost 1 turn, high jet was OK Started soaking fasteners with PB Cleaned up the hub caps and wheels Jack up one wheel and spin it while using the wire brush on a grinder, then aluminum foil rub. Ya think the fronts were well greased Pete?

I noticed during the last few months of mowing with the refurbed 312-8 that one of the fuel tank captured nuts had developed a seep. No worries, had some about to expire fuel tank sealant at work so I sealed up both captured nuts and add a flat washer. Leak check was good using the blue dinosaur juice.

Was doing some oil changes today and was getting frustrated trying to read the new oil on the dip stick. I'm sure that others have had this issue as well so I thought that I would share my cure for this. First off a picture of what I am talking about. The picture below shows the dip stick right after I pulled it out of the engine. Hard to see but yes there is oil on it. The solution that I came up with was to sand blast the end of the dip stick. This made the oil level very easy to see. Next question, would this still improve things after the dip stick has been saturated in oil ??? The answer is, YES. Even after the dip stick has been saturated it is still easier to read. Hope this may be of some value to those of you out there.

C-121 hauling weeds with the tub cart

New front wheels and skins on the 875 for the Steam Pageant.

The ole B-80 .Probably my Most favorite out of the three tractors I own . Cuts the back 40 great perfect for my yard .

I had to get the C-141 8-Speed with Sweepster C-48 broom out today to help prepare the driveway for seal coating. That tractor was blocked in by a few others. The LSE and the Work Horse were still in my enclosed trailer since the big show and I wanted to put them back in their proper places. A few were just in my garage so I took them out too! The other half of my collection is in my basement awaiting late summer/fall photo shoot.

Deck maintenance day (well, need more than one day, not finished yet). Two 48" SD's cleaned up, lubed, and blades sharpened. Third one just came off, will get to that one this weekend. Been a lot of mowing going on here lately, and the last time, I got caught in the rain and hence had a lot of wet grass clumped up in the deck. Got the pressure washer out and gave it a good bath. Not sure the other 2 will get a bath this time around but at least scraped the dried grass out from underneath and sprayed on some rust deterrent. Don't know if anyone else uses these little 3-wheel dollies from HF but they sure make sliding the decks in and out a lot easier. Still need to check all the fluids in the tractors and maybe give some of them a bath also this weekend.

Not today, but I’m just getting around to what I did in the fourth. Drove our FD tanker on the local parade. 1996 Pete with a 425 hp Cat, 9-Speed coupled to a 1973 Trailmobile 6200 gallon tank trailer. We are one of only two departments to have tractor trailer tankers on all of Long Island. I was on the purchasing committee for tractor and am very proud of it. I have supplied countless thousands of gallons of water for all kinds of fires.

My July 4th side shot

Here is the link to my YouTube video from the Big Show Big Show Video

It was a decent show. Kinda clashes with the WHS in PA so hard to say when I’ll go again. Next year it’s probably the same weekend I think. Even with iffy weather it’s still good to just “hang with the guys”, bust chops etc… @wallfish

My neighbor was pulling drip tape in the sweet corn today when I noticed the brand on the spool. The boys maintain some tension on the spool to keep it from tangling while the horses pull the tape attached to a cultivator.

Well, I’m almost done with this one been working on this four a few years now it was very rough when I got it, but slowly I’m going through it. All I have now is the throttle control is not working, but Walfish straighten me out on that. I will reset everything again tomorrow And I even got the belt to work now. I just think I had to be run for a while. It was kinda tight when I put it on there, but I had to put a 2 x 4 on the clutch brake works good now as a belt wears in I should be able to ajust everything where I don’t need the block anymore at least it works. She’s not pretty, but good enough to beat around the yard and take it up the street with a cold one. Hope you enjoy the pictures and the one video. IMG_0596.mov

Made the A-60 earn it's keep... FE72CC40-F5F6-44E6-8D66-54B106E2FBEE.mov

Block painted. Not perfect but looks better than it did. Yeah that's a cheapo carb on it. The original is badly corroded and is gonna take a lot of work. It'll get rebuilt soon. Spark plug is just a dust cap. Not even threaded...

Tie 'em down three more in the hauler... Who's the fruit cake hauling a sno mobile to a tractor show?!?!?