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Motor is painted it almost done the wheelhorse probably April sometime

@Pullstart doesn't believe in "factory" appearance

Sounds to me like a franken horse ranch

I’m inspired by many things. Parts available, my tools on hand, and sometimes a little moonshine never hurt nobody.

March 19, 1929, Walter A. Strong, publisher of the Chicago Daily News, asked President Herbert Hoover for federal intervention (including the National Guard) following the St. Valentine's Day Massacre in Chicago.

I did some upgrades tonight to the 1445. I’d like to have it be a house machine this year for plow day. The rear end is super heavy, so some front weight was in order. I also put a new Lowell lift cable on too. The flywheel is the stocker from Norman when I upgraded to a South Bend Clutch a few years back. It’s pretty heavy.

Front end & wheels done. Wheels came out nice but were a real pain getting them apart as the bolts holding the halves together were rusted tight. the heads are slotted and even with a well fitting very large screw driver tried not to mangle them to use them over. Make matters worse they are fine thread fillisters. Finally got them all out. Lots of time in the blast cab. Most guys would have went with a gloss black but I went with flat. Goes better with the final patina. Also was able to use the original tubes as they were very heavy rubber not like what's out there today. Tried a finnish of MMO on the frame but just didn't like it so went back to linseed oil.

this topic has been beaten to death.

I can’t stand the thought of folks tossing round up on their food plots to leach into the soil, then eat the creatures that eat the things that grow next. Makes no sense to me. But I will toss some poop on it!

Eric I agree with this non E-fuel. Works well even after two years sitting with no additives.

Watchin too much TV in the shop! Talkin like a Pie-Rate. I guess we know what you watch out there!

Do I look like Big Unit?? I'll not go here Plunger. Oh what the hell ...

The shop is 68 degrees currently and it’s in the 20s outdoors. Just burning scrap 2x4 chunks. It’s much less volatile than the oil, and maybe a bit safer too.

Finally swapped put my short chute for a tall chute I got at auction a few months ago. Looked to be complete for $50...but it was missing parts...2 hair pin clips and a third one was bent This should scare anymore snow away

Love the sound of an ONAN blowing snow on a 520 for sure. Have had good luck with them. Nice job.

Well…winter storm “Elsa” is over in east central WisCo and she left a mess to clean up. Caleb is busy working and so I went to his house yesterday afternoon and surveyed the “damage”. Easily 12” on the level and several drifts that were in excess of 16”. However, the 520HC and two stage Ber-Vac were up to the task… The driveway looks pretty decent in this picture but as I trudged through the snow up to the house I walked through several drifts up to my knees! Hidalgo started without incident and even though the snow was heavy, and I had to drive slow but steady, the blower was handling the white stuff capably. I stopped midpoint down the driveway to grab this shot to give some perspective of depth. Nothing compared to northeast Wisconsin but the deepest level snowfall I’ve had to clear in a long time. I’m really thankful for this setup for Caleb. It will definitely handle whatever gets thrown at him in the upcoming years. I hope you guys affected by the storm all had “fun” on your tractors and stayed safe!

If I can't make them like I want them, then I won't keep them. I always wanted to say I had an "all original" tractor. My 701 will be close but not perfect. Absolutely none of my machines exist without mods, and several are complete mutts. I actually prefer them that way, because my tractors are all one of a kind. I think Kevin's machines are great. They are maximized for his specific needs and wants. I do the same with mine.

num nums, maple syrup right?

You do realize, I hope, that you could be moving at twice that speed. That Onan is wondering when you’ll ask it to actually work!

@JCM—i think the same thing every time that I work that Onan—such a pleasing sound like a muscular sewing machine steady at the work of moving tons of snow! That’s why I have one on the shelf—intending someday to install it on my Cub Plow tractor…😀

Brunswick Maine this morning. Quite a solid little snow clipper came through.

Have a Great Day

All of the at the Pullstart Ranch have names assigned, the 1445 is about the only one that sounds like a real, from the factory name.

This is the last of my tractors for rebuild or gone thru. It was about three years ago I pick this up from Stevbo. It runs pretty good. Many new parts.I think I made it better than it was. I had many others to work on before this last one. I thinking of keeping this one. Also I ordered a Gravely muffler for this also.SORRY FOR BAD VIDEO. I am rusty at doing Vids. I used do this in all my posts years ago…….. I hope you enjoy it..Fell free to ask any questions. IMG_1075.mov

While rummaging around in the basement found this. Everything about this one points to a very early or early 55 so may have to reclassify? Early 1955 RJ-35 things Later 1955 RJ-35 Very Early 1955 RJ-35 Gas tank On tank stand Strapped to hood On tank stand Front axle pivot stop Solid steel across axle 2 square blocks at each end No Axle pivot stop Lift lever Solid 3/4 “ round Push button release Solid 3/4 “ round Motion lever No stop Stop welded on end No stop Engine stop Brass push knob Toggle switch Missing Belt tension spring 3 hole in rear to attach 3 hole in rear to attach 1 hole in rear to attach Steering wheel column hole in hood Oval Oval Round and tight Lift cable hole to hitch Oval Oval Round Primary pivot bar assembly Is wider than other early RJ’s Drive pawl in hubs Machined Machined One of them is sawed not machined (The other might have been replace with new wheel hub casting in 1971) Variable speed pulley 3 roll pins /3 holes for slide 1 key way for slide 1 roll pin / hole for slide From what I see in the Pic's The Steering wheel column hole in the hood is round and just big enough space for the wheel column to go through C. Pond must have changed it to a oval to make it easier to remove the hood. I do not see any Front axle pivot stop - axle stops were added later for safety. ​As for the Steering wheel - the aluminum wheel Broke easily and replaced with a cast iron steering wheel

I really don't know much either but I think if I remember correctly in Straight From the Horse's Mouth it talks about how the early rjs had one wheel that freewheeled to allow turning before they came up with the differential.

Thank you kindly. It’s a 14 Automatic and I added the round fenders to look like a 1045, so I called it 1445.

I usually get 1to 2 psi pumps.

Bearing seized some where. Take off the belt and check end to end.

Yup I'm screwed ... somebody must have replaced the axle at one time. Digging in the basement I found pics of the axle where there are keyways cut in the axle to secure the pawl hub to the axle using a #15 woodruff. I do not have those keyways and was wondering why there are keyways cut in the pawl hub. There is a hole in the right side where I believe the hub was PO through bolted. The other side just free wheeled. I also noticed the snap ring grooves that hold the hub on are spaced at different lengths & no idea if that is correct. Not sure how to proceed here gonna have to burn a shout out. @rj35hunter Lots of questions here Clay.

On to the rear ... yep gonna need help on this. The pawls are missing on both sides and one pawl hub is boogered up royally. It's not a hard thing to reproduce on a lathe but I have no idea what the pawls or springs or pins even look like. I'll be down in the basement researching old threads anybody needs me ...

Okay MADGE Thought you were into Palmolive.

Not "with" my Wheel Horse, but with some wheel horse parts... My poor old yard trailer needs some love. It's built like a tank, but when my buddy made it for me 20 years ago it had 20x10x8 tires on it, and they just finally fell apart. I had stuck some 8 inch wheels on it, but if it sat low before it nearly drug the ground after. The dump feature was also useless. So one thing about doing tire wheel mods with 520 front ends was that I had a decent set of wheels and tires from one that I could use. So I cut off the axles and welded on a 6 inch extension and bracing, and slapped the 520 wheels on. Not perfect, but it will work great with my heavy rear hitches now and it also will dump properly. It still needs a little cleanup, but full functionality has been restored! First pic is obviously the "before"...

I’ve been looking for a 520HC for about a decade and haven’t found the right fit (price, distance, condition) until recently. My son @Coulter Caleb is purchasing his first house and it has an acre and a half of land in addition to a 125’ driveway. He needed a solid tractor for mowing and blowing. Then this one popped up on the local marketplace. It was owned by one man most of his life until his passing and then was inherited with an estate purchase. It is amazingly clean and original. The wiring is in fairly as produced condition. It ran great when we picked it up but it had several details that needed attention. finding a staple instead of a fuse was more than a little disturbing. this idler pulley was too big and the drive belt too worn and so it slapped on the frame rail making an annoying sound. I also noticed that none of the gauges were working on the dash (long story short, someone installed the wrong key switch). The tach and the rectifier were both toast and after finding some suitable used pieces with the correct key switch we were in business. Tractor was running good, charging good, and driving good 👍. then I pulled the fender pan, changed the rear end fluid/filter installed the rear hitch and cable (he may want to plow with it 🤔) and added the brackets for his bagger. Started the tractor several times to circulate the fluid while raising and lowering the deck. I was getting excited now! beefy looking horse💪🏻 I have never owned one of these (I still don’t technically—it’s Caleb’s) and I am amazed at how heavy duty certain items are! The last thing on my list was changing the oil and filter, then it was time to cut the grass. After the oil was changed, I started the tractor, went to grab something and came back just in time to hear it die😡. It sounded like it ran out of fuel. I checked the petcock and it was on. I started it again, and it ran for three or four seconds and died, then it wouldn’t start. After sitting overnight, I got it to start again but it only ran for about 10 seconds, then died again. Any thoughts on what to check first guys??? I don’t want to go on a wild goose chase. I’ve checked and lubed the 9 pin connector. I have the replacement key switch with good connections and lube. I’m wondering if it is the trigger module but I don’t know how to test that and I don’t want to take the flywheel off unless I have to…

Happy Borned on Day. Cory

Happy Birthday

Ya!! I think it’s a 7/16” hole!!

HAPPPPY BIRTHDAY

Awesome, sounds really good…. I have the same fuel pump on my 1257. Enjoy it, definitely a keeper.

Same here. Mother Nature can be cruel!

That is exactly it @ineedanother! Thank you! I don’t think we’ve heard from @johnnymag3 in quite a while here? And yes, as I remember that Eddie Murphy tractor is in very good condition. So is @Ike’s 130hr 418. I think there was some movement in the zipper area of my pants when I read 130hrs! I’d like to see more photos of both of them. Maybe someday I can put one of them in with my 400 series?

I used the 1445 Auto today to clean out some deep litter bedding in the chicken coop. I hauled that beautiful nitrogen out to a spot that I’d like to plant a spring/summer food plot blend in front of my ladder stand. This $50 gutted manure spreader makes a wonderful hauler for the poop!

I have an old co-worker that is typically in the gym the same time as me in the mornings. Today he told me he had the opportunity to catch an injured female bald eagle yesterday! His dad found her on a dog walk, and she couldn’t fly. They got permission from the authorities to catch and transport her to a rehab facility an hour and a half away. When she is ready to be released, they get to pick her up and set her free. I thought that was a story worth sharing! I might even see about being around for the release event.

I had two large does get hit in two days, so decided to haul them away from the road side. I had a thought that possibly one dead one attracted others to the area. Upon pulling the two away, I found the blood trail of a third. I’m still seeing activity in the snow, so I know these weren’t the only ones in the area, but it’s still sad to see them killed without harvest.

They are paying no never mind to mine. Not up enough planted too late I fear. Oh well maybe in spring. Six ladies in tonight eating broadcast corn. They are so tame I can't harvest one. They hear me rattlin the corn bucket and they come flying over from Punkin farmers ... 'Course then I remember how they hopped the hot fence and scarfed my broccoli ... What we should do with yours Kev is plow it under at plow day and then replant in corn right after. What a lot of guys do is turn the 6" rye shoots right back under as it's supposed to put nitrogen back in. You know how cheap the rye seed is. Guessing your guy is going to put in beans next year and this would give your girls some cover and feed into next winter ... just leave it standing. Get a (decent) tiller up and working I know you have one. I could bring over Alice too. Your dirt could be worked up a bit. Plowing and tilling would do just that.

Great thread for modifications as well as the family and generations points! Definitely some of the things here that drew many of us to these machines and this hobby!

Not much for pics Kev... we got a little trackin dust. Amazing how the girls are easy to spot in the woods now. This was planted the weekend after plow day or so.

Nice find!

@PeacemakerJack noting your reference to that drive belt IDLER PULLEY , known for lubrication failure , referral to belt bounce is typically incremental bearing lube hang up . causing stop / start bounce , have made a point of enhancing all of my idler pulleys , with similar / yet different pulley , allowing a wide grease shield bearing , hi temp polyurea grease , eliminates belt bounce , might also consider , adding some vent slotting on your drive belt guard , local , metal shop , can easily punch in what ever set up you want , bring over the guard , and ask , pete

I finally achieved a good hot burn! It was fun to ramp this up to the point of making the entire burner system glow.