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I had to give the old C81 some TLC before I used it this week. I saw the insulation cracking on the stator/regulator wiring and it crumbled when I handled it. Used fome of my favorite heat shrink connections that have solder in them. Had some new connectors in my stash and a little 14Gage wire, so good to go. When I travel through Austin coming from the farm I pass near a huge city sewer plant. Nearby they have a contractor that takes the solids and the grass, leaves and limbs and makes excellent compost that they call "Dillo Dirt" As in Armadillo, it an Austin thing I can get a truck and trailer (2+yards) free if I shove or $30 for them to load with skidsteer. Its an easy decision to shell out $$. It does smell a little "fresh" at the composting facility. But the smell is gone from the yard in a day. Very good fertilizer! So the C81 has had easy duty pulling the trailer around the yard as I do the hard duty shovel/spreading. I've spred 2 truck/trailer loads on the lawn this spring.

…or someone did some drilling .

June 13, 1980, The Shining premiered in the USA on May 23, 1980, with a limited release, followed by a wider release on June 13, 1980, in both the United States and Canada. This classic horror film, directed by Stanley Kubrick and based on Stephen King's novel, marked its debut in theaters in 1980.

Many people like my parents got into the mindset and had no need for multi function equipment. if it was cheap and just cut grass it was fine. I like the fact that my stuff can be a Swiss Army knife of lawn equipment.

Here's Johnny!

I'm not so sure that's a 701 S/G guard, doesn't look quite right to me. Looks to be from a Briggs motor maybe?

I currently have 3 Onan engines. I was like you and very Leary of them when I bought my 416h. All 3 of my current Onans I’m sure have over 1,000 hours on them. My 416h is my go to tractor. It always starts doesn’t matter how long it’s sat or how cold it is. I don’t have a picture of the 3rd tractor and engine but it’s a 520. All have been excellent tractors

North sky this evening.

Something in the tank eventually clogging off the gas ????

those are some great notations on the small variations between the 1962 and 1963 models, @ACman

Definitely not a 701 guard. It has the smoother face like one, but not nearly wide enough.

I would search for 12x6 tubes.

Sorry - it looks to be a FrankenHorse. The double wide S/G belt guard says 1961, the short hood, front axle & steering, gas tank, iron dash all say 1962. If that is a Dial-a-Height lift stop, it says 1963.... Additional pictures from the rear & right side needed to better define this one... Rarity - probably a one of one - but not for a good reason.

The P216 and P218 Onan engines aren't as fickle as the P220 (20hp), but I'm not a fan of Onan either way. Of course if correct 400 hours is nothing. That being said, 1300 hours on a Kohler twin is getting up there. If it has been meticulously maintained, I would lean that way as well. But seeing would make all the difference for me. Both being hydros... you're just gonna have to look them over.

After a few cranks, it fired up on carb cleaner sprayed in the carb and rad good (for a rough check) I had it jacked up to change the rear tires, so kept spraying/running and moved the hydro control lever forward and backwards and hub rotates as they should. So theirs signs of life, maybe, just maybe the 400 hrs on the meter is real. A part of the deal I got a pile of 3 piece and 2 piece 3 speed transmission parts. #/4 of them are good, some are pitted or chipped . The complete 3 piece transmission has interesting damage, if only it could talk! Who knowns what went through it to break this bearing holding ring The case and hubs and pullies are good. This other side plate was good. This is a "newer style diff that I guess was in the 3 piece transmission. There are also parts to another 2 piece 3 speed. some good, some pitted. Here a close up of that diff with a corner chippe dout The axles need to be flipped, they have heavy wear in the bushing area. More parts and more parts. So for trading a tiller that I had 2 of sitting in the barn I feel I make out great. I really needed some transmission parts for various projects. I thing I can build a really good 3 piece transmission if i repair or replace that side plate, and a really good 2 piece 3 speed with another transmission I have that needed parts. There probable another so/so 2 piece transmission in the pile of parts. While the 520H is rough in some aspects, It give me one to learn on since it is the first 520h I've seen down here in 10 years. Its 48" deck has a rust hole near the discharge but turns free. If nothing else, as @ebinmaine said, If it becomes parts, the gear reduction steering, seat pan, wide rear rims, and some other parts have value to me.

I think Cecil Pond was not too enthusiastic about his offspring having to swim upstream against a rising tide of planned obsolescence lawn equipment. While they would face some hard decisions along the way just as Cecil had it was becoming obvious that bowing out while the company was thriving made the most economic sense.

Painted some 42” and 48” mower deck belt gaurds. The 42’s (smaller set) are Rustoleum Regal Red and the 48’s (larger set) sprayed with Rustoleum Farm IH red. Today outside in full sun the Ih red looks to have a little more orange tint to it. I go back and forth on which flavor of these 2 shades I like the best and have come to the conclusion they are so close it just depends what day of week they where made to which shade is the darker of the two. Both were sprayed over gray primer and clear gloss sprayed on them soon as last coat of red was applied.

C-85 I bought awhile back has always had two leaky fronts. Been stored in the shed up on blocks so the rubber wouldn’t get ruined sitting flat..well today I decided to tube em both. I hate tubing the small tires ! This old HF tire changer comes in handy still. But now it’s done and the big test will be to see if they stay “up”.

Thanks for the quick responses! I meant to respond earlier. I am looking forward to it, but I i gotta make the time cuz I dont really like choking it out to shut it down. I'll update as I go through the wiring, but I did briefly go through all wiring/grounds i could see. Specifically the dark blue one, for grounding purposes. I'm planning on eliminating some more length of the wiring related to the little idiot lights as I take out the battery tray, etc to see wiring and eliminating pinch points. I dont want to eliminate any safety switches! I haven't taken time to really look into it yet with my teenage kids always taking up my wife's and mybtime and wheel horse $. 🙃 I do have an exact model/year (93 73401), (part donor/maybe future project/high hr but does run 314h) unfortunately, that one has an obvious corroded rusty bad terminal on the switch,vbut it actually "ran last year " 😄 (po has a push button installed) @gwest_ca you rule! I actually thought that they both had the same part number, then I realized I clicked on the same link twice 😅 Thanks for keeping me straight!

I've been wanting to replace my mulching cover, due to it being broken at the corners, and the PO hacking it. WHX?? was kind enough to sell an extra one he had (including the mounting bolts/nuts which I didn't have). Today I used rust reforming primer and GM Red spray paint on the rusty areas of the deck. After it all cured I added a little weatherstripping to the back edges of the cover and installed. My mild OCD is doing better now. Once my son in law has the time he's going to 3D print me another one for the spare parts shelf.

Went out for a test drive.

Breakthrough Died again but no gas in the inline fuel filter. Looked in tank didn't see anything but wiggled the screen with a screw driver and gas appeared in the filter. Still didn't see the problem got a swab and rubbed it up and down the screen got some yellow gummy stuff. Looks like a paste version of the yellow ethanol gumballs that show up in the carb bowl. Tomorrow pulling tank to clean it and I think I am just removing the screen. He is only up here in the summer and has old metal gas cans. I imagine it formed in what ever gas was left in his cans over the winter it was diluted by new gas but still was there. Thank you all!!!

Tecky parts are hard to find. But maybe a single shaft Snow blower engine would work. I'd put a 7 or 8 HP Kohler on it if was mine

Just because it is clean doesn't mean it works right. I've cleaned my problem unit 6 ways from Sunday, there is just something wrong in the body of it. Also, check the condition of the inside of his fuel tank. I have had debris block the tank outlet of dirty tanks too. If it just restricts flow instead of cutting it off it can take a bit for the problems to start, and then they improve after it sits and this catch up. With the mention of debris in the filter and carb this is a possibility. Also pull and inspect the sediment bowl if there is one. I've had similar situations develop in there, up in the top where you can't see. Nothing filters fuel going into the sediment bowl, it just gets screened coming out, so there are passages in there that can also become blocked. Also, what is he using for a fuel pump? That tank isn't high enough to gravity feed.

Thanks guys. Sounds like the general consensus is probably the expansion valve. I’ll tear into it at some point and hopefully that’s the whole of it. Our former AC guy at work would put the vacuum pump on our big systems and run them all day and sometimes overnight before recharging. He was big into pulling out all the moisture. Easy enough to do, so we’ll do that. THANK YOU all! steve

OK, my bad.... The hood stand may be from a 1963 or 1964 model. Still makes it a FrankenMutt.

Better check the Spec Number of the Command Pro 18. They did not have ball bearing crank shafts. More like KT and Magnums only some came with a thrust crank shaft. (had some sort of radial thrust bearing),. most has a "non-Thrust crankshaft.

Belts we use are measured on the outside circumference. Belts shrink with age so a new old belt will measure a bit short. Industrial belts are measured at the internal cord location which allows shaft speeds to be accurately determined. A or 1/2" wide belts add 2" to get the outside circumference. B or 5/8" wide belts add 3" to get the outside circumference.

The Kohler Command is a much newer engine so the hour meter reading is probably inconsequential. Wheel Horse began using the Command engines in the very late 1990s and continued to use them up to the end of production. They have a fairly good reputation and the newer replacement engine may be the seller's justification for the higher asking price.

I too was leary of Onans, but now I have two 416H's and a 416-8. Personally I would go with the 416H. All of the problems you read about are relatively easy to fix. With some minor wiring modifications you can prevent burnup issues with the notorious 9 pin connector. 400 hours is nothing. Buy it and run it, you won't be disappointed.

Some idiot cut a big ugly hole in the front of the hood rather than using the correct air filter. Other than that it appears to be a rather nice 702 with a 701 S/G belt guard. As far a value is concerned the S/G belt guard and two v groove pullies are worth as much as the rest of the tractor in my opinion. For $ 100 it would be a good deal but not worth driving from Florida to PA and back.

I used to have my own auto AC shop and did it for many years at dealers before that. It is either the expansion valve or the overcharge condition. Since this car has been messed with I would replace the valve I would also consider replacing the condenser as the receiver drier is part of it as as an assembly. But here is one thing I would insist upon. Whoever recharges is I would insist on evacuating ( running the vacuum pump) for at least 2 hours. Many shops have AC machines that run the pump for 30 minutes and kick off. On a system that has leaked or been messed with there is no telling how much moisture has gotten in it. Water gets trapped in the refrigerant oil and you have to boil that moisture off and it can take quite a bit of time for the water vapor to break out of the oil and get sucked out by the pump. I made good money from customers who had their car at a shop ( mostly body shops) and the AC would work on and off or not get real cold. All it took was to run the pump a few hours and recharge it. It even happened to me after I didn't have my shop anymore. My wife had a Toyota van. The rear AC line failed so I took it to a shop that specializes in Toyota's and they replaced the line and recharged it. It worked for a day and a half. I suspected air and moisture in the system or a piece of dirt got into the expansion valve, I asked before they replaced the valve they recover the refrigerant and run the vacuum pump all morning and recharge after lunch. That fixed the issue. No parts required. I'm including a short video of my findings on my gauges the morning after it quit working after the line repair.

Your pressures suggest a restriction, a new expansion valve is where i would start. Sounds like it’s sticking. Being that the high side is well over 300, the compressor appears to be in good shape, or at least capable of making good pressure. I would still inspect the high side of the expansion valve for compressor debris which may have got caught at the expansion valve and has caused the restriction. Sometimes you can hear a sticking expansion valve if you listen closely to the dash, idle up to around 1500rpm, and a lower blower speed so you can hear over top of it. Silent for a few seconds, then a few seconds of hissing in the dash accompanied with a brief gush of cooler air through the vents, then back to warm, and the cycle repeats. Yours sounds to be just stuck. On the newer (i’m old so everything is newer now) small capacity systems, it can be rather easy to flood the evaporator with just a few ounces of being overcharged, so be careful not to overcharge it, and check or just replace the cabin air filter if you haven’t already. They are often overlooked.

I asked AI whether someone could have saved Wheel Horse. Here is its assessment: An analysis of the outdoor power equipment industry indicates that saving the Wheel Horse brand without compromising its heavy-duty, cast-iron quality was highly improbable. The brand’s demise was driven by structural shifts in the market rather than simple corporate mismanagement. To understand why the brand could not survive in its original form, one must look at the specific economic and competitive pressures that dismantled the premium garden tractor market. ### 1. The Bifurcation of the Market During the 1970s and 1980s, the market for residential outdoor power equipment split into two distinct segments, leaving the traditional heavy garden tractor without a viable customer base: * **The Rise of Sub-Compact Utility Tractors (SCUTs):** For consumers who actually required ground-engaging capabilities (plowing, tilling, heavy towing), Japanese manufacturers—most notably Kubota—entered the U.S. market. These machines featured diesel engines, true category-0 or category-1 three-point hitches, and robust shaft-driven power take-offs (PTOs). Wheel Horse tried to compete with large-frame machines like the D-Series, but they were fundamentally stretched lawn tractor designs competing against miniaturized agricultural tractors. * **The Commodity Lawn Mower:** For consumers who merely needed to cut grass, the market shifted toward disposable, stamped-steel lawn tractors. Mass retailers and big-box stores demanded low-cost units. Consumers proved unwilling to pay a massive premium for a cast-iron Uni-Drive transmission and a heavy-gauge welded frame just to maintain a standard suburban lawn. ### 2. The Economics of the Independent Dealer Network Wheel Horse’s business model relied entirely on a dedicated, independent dealer network. These dealers provided custom fabrication, mechanical diagnostics, and long-term parts support. * When Toro acquired Wheel Horse in 1986, the industry was shifting toward mass distribution via big-box retailers. * A premium, heavy-duty machine cannot be sold profitably through a department store or home improvement center because these channels demand high margins and low price points. * Without the high-volume sales of lower-tier units to subsidize the dealer network, independent shops could not survive on low-volume, high-cost garden tractor sales alone. ### 3. The Cost of Over-Engineering The defining characteristic of classic Wheel Horse tractors—such as the late 400-series 8-speeds—was their heavy, standardized construction. * **Production Costs:** Manufacturing heavy cast-iron transaxles and thick steel frames in South Bend, Indiana, became cost-prohibitive as commodity raw materials and domestic labor costs rose. * **The Longevity Paradox:** Because Wheel Horse machines were engineered to last for decades with basic maintenance, the replacement cycle for existing customers was exceptionally long. A company cannot survive on replacement parts alone when its primary product line is virtually indestructible and new unit sales stall. ### Summary of Strategic Dead End | Strategic Path | Required Action | Outcome | |---|---|---| | **Maintain Original Quality** | Keep cast-iron components, heavy frames, and independent dealer support. | Price remains too high for suburban homeowners; capability remains inferior to compact diesel tractors. **Result: Bankruptcy due to lack of volume.** | | **Pivot to Sub-Compact Diesel** | Engineer a completely new, shaft-driven diesel platform from scratch. | Requires capital investments well beyond Wheel Horse's financial capacity under AMC or Toro. **Result: Out-competed on price and engineering by Kubota and John Deere.** | | **Adapt to Mass Retail (The Actual Path)** | Use pressed-steel frames, plastic components, and shared platforms. | Brand survives as a badge-engineered label until total elimination in 2007. **Result: Survival achieved only by eliminating original quality.** | Ultimately, Wheel Horse was a victim of a changing society where small-scale hobby farming declined, suburban lawns shrank, and consumer preferences shifted away from repairable capital goods toward disposable convenience. To save the brand without compromising the quality of the machine would have required an entirely different macroeconomic environment.

I’ve heard that the large corporations like Kenmore, Whirlpool and others do have something called “planned obsolescence” . A engineered lifespan where products last x amount of years then wear out/break to the extent it’s cheaper to get a new one. People’s phones, lawn tractors, appliances and more are all part of it.

i’m giving this JB weld a try. It is muffler cement It had a big crack at the base about half way around. I have some big wire wheels and I brush the heck out of it clean it up the best I could and then I applied the muffler cement. Let’s sit overnight and this is the way it turned out once I got the engine running I guess time will tell if it’s gonna last right now. It seems to be pretty stable. Hope you enjoy the video and the pictures. IMG_1245.mov

Great post. Informative. It's not just garden tractors and lawn tractors. Much of the products we now purchase have a short life. (I sometimes wonder if it planned?) Appliance repair man (finally found one) told me this week our refrigerator is not worth repairing . (Cooling fine but interior light is real dim and loud buzzing from an item on a circuit board. Remove light and all is well other than no light inside ref.) When it comes time to replace, he suggested purchase the cheapest refrigerator (that wife could get by with ) and plan to replace every 6 to eight years. He listed a few name brands that he would not purchase and for sure don't purchase a brand whose name you don't recognize or am able to pronounce. I suppose enough of the components of our disposable items are able to be recycled to make this viable. Today, I sold a power miter box that I purchased in 1979. (Still had owner's manual.) Most of my power tools are more than 20 years old. The 520H should out last me. I'm a believer of maintenance. Believe it or not, we even cleaned the cooling fins on our refrigerator.

From what I’ve seen/read the next Pond generation wasn’t interested in taking the “reins” so to speak. I wouldn’t be surprised if that was a factor with Cecil selling out too.

In 1982 the SK-486 cost roughly $1800. Today that would translate to about $7000. That puts it in the range of the John Deere X500 series. The problem, at that price point, John Deere’s margins are MUCH higher than Wheel Horse’s would have been because of Deere’s use of molded plastics and consumables vs steel and cast iron. We’re all lucky to own what’s left of the dinosaurs 🦖.

It's called plagiarism on steroids...

only one I know of that Shaun (guy on the Senior) imported, he didn't bring it this time on account of now fetching a GT and D-200 with loader

A rubdown with Penetrol. It was thirsty and will get another...

I pulled decks from two this weekend. I've never had anything other than 48" until the 42" I recently got on a c-161. The 42" is SO MUCH more manageable

Got a couple BIG loads of firewood brought up from down back of the barn. I've never tried to stack as much wood in the trailer as I did today. The first load is taller but has shorter length pieces. The second load felt heavier. I figured for sure that tractor tire traction would be the limiting factor. Nope. The ole beast Cinnamon Horse C160-8 just kept on ah-chuggin'... I was very pleasantly surprised at how well that went. Second load:

Couple out for some fresh air.

312-8 after mounting a 42” deck.

Zach cutting big brother @Coulter Caleb’s lawn with “Hidalgo” (Caleb’s 520HC)—man I feel old!😅 in the most blessed way possible🙌🏻

I didn't wanna go off on Plunge's thread ... ahhh to hell with him he'll get over it ... tellem EB made me do it...