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Picked this up over the weekend. It was made by a local gentleman who passed away probably 10 years ago. It has an American Austin 4 cylinder engine that runs, but not happily. Has the transmission and rear end off the same vehicle. It smokes like a freight train, but is fun to drive. He made a gear reduction for it to keep the speed down. What's the chances anyone here knows anything at all about American Austin cars that could help me with parts for the engine? 😂 20261028_181856.mp4

Cool little tractor !! Looks very well constructed. I only know one thing about those cars. There once was a man from Boston Who went out & bought an Austin There was room for his *** & a gallon of gas But his b***'s hung so low that he lost 'em Probably not much help.

October 29, 1960, Cassius Clay [Muhammad Ali], in his first professional fight, beats Tunney Hunsaker on points in 6 rounds in Louisville, Kentucky.

Cool mower. A first for me, never seen a WH push mower before. Closest thing to WH push mower Ive seen around here is when I run one of my tractors out of fuel and had to push it back to shop .

You would need to check and validate the hardness of the blade before and after annealing and finish tempering. Without knowing the exact metalurgy of the blade material - that is a crapshoot at best. Sorry, unless you have extensive blacksmithing experience, that is not a proven backyard "here, hold my beer" process. Those blades are best relegated to be wall hangers.

I came across this wheel horse 312 hydro "classic" near my home. $75! Doesn't run. A little over 400hrs. Owner doesn't know why, but someone cut thru the wiring harness! 🤔🤪 Right there is a big clue sir!! 😂

The Fredericksburg Tractor Club has an American Austin Tractor donated to it by a deceased members wife. It is well built and reportedly was a prototype of a tractor that never made it to production. It has a similar looking 4 cyl engine, and a gear reduction after the transmission. Has the same "Austin" badge in the front of the hood So interesting similarities.

Thanks for the great write up and pics @Andy N.! We went to this Plow Day in 2020 and had a really good time although it was cold and windy. I got some great footage of @Coulter Calebplowing and the moldboards shined up like a mirror in that soil. If moisture conditions are correct-that soil cuts and scours awesome. Sorry to hear about the “breakdowns” but that’s “in the cards” for a true plow dog! Thats why I recommend a dedicated Plow Mule if an individual is going to do a lot of earth turning… starting out as a Cub guy in the GT hobby, I really enjoy seeing the variety of Cubs out there at the plow days however, when I met the RS forum group—these horses grew on me. Plowing is common in the Cadet and JD communities but it wasn’t as common with the horses back in 2014…so I built GhostRider to see how it would work out—no complaints! overall, the Cub community has been friendly to the Horse club (at least that has been my perception) I love the IH trucks. Not uncommon to see one of these pulling a trailer with period correct Cadets on it😎 I always thought this little custom 71 was a well executed study into what a custom plow mule CC would look like in red instead of yellow. Dan’s @Achto Radpherd reminds me of this only cooler with diesel power! I always enjoy looking at custom articulated machines…can wait to see @Shynon’s in person one of these days. this one back in 2020 did a decent job. for those of you that have kids that enjoy doing stuff with you as they are in late adolescence or early teens—CLEAR your schedule as much as you can and make these memories WHILE you can. They grow up FAST! Caleb is now married and has a busy life of his own. I’m so glad we did these things when we could Now that’s a shine that puts a smile on any true “plow dog’s” face! Turning earth is a truly fun experience…

Wow....what was he doing? Mowing through a stump field? I think I would cut my losses with those unfortunately. Even if you got them back to "straightish", I doubt they would balance well with that much damage. I tend to collect old mower blades and use them as sacrificial anodes in my electrolysis tank.

Autumn is best enjoyed in all her glory. Unfortunately, the police officers who arrested me outside her window didn't agree.

Made right here in Butler< Pa. from 1929 - 1941. My neighbor has one that looks like a 3/4 size model A Ford. If you have a specific question, I can ask him.

How many John Deere owners does it take to screw in a light bulb? Just one to hold the bulb while the world revolves around him.

A while back I would this guy in the weeds of a retiring small engine mechanic. It was completely seized up when I got it, but a few buddies and I got it freed up. I have never seen a spark plug more corroded than this one! It's a chain-driven Front Wheel Drive, and only one lever controls the cutting height by raising or lowering all four wheels at the same time. Any information on the Wheel Horse push mowers would be greatly appreciated!

Does he know where parts can be had? Side note for everyone. It was never wired up to charge, so I'm thinking of adding a mini 6v alternator, rather than try to rebuild the weird generator and add in some kind of voltage regulator. Then once I have that, I can add some lights.

Austin and Bantam in Ohio were the predecessors of the Jeep protype. I would think replacement parts would be available. Very cool tractor! Dave

@Ed Kennell definitely had the style of the era , in todays world , a turbo 4 would absolutely make that , lots of related make up parts , seen a few in vegas , weekly parking lot car shows , and related storage warehouses , were stuffed with Duesenberg's , etc of the era. incredible original , solid rust free cars . pete

Where did the peeping Tom go when he fell out of a tree and broke his foot? The I. C. U.

Getting ready. Cleaned up the snow blade and installed a new poly scraper. Next up paint the wheel weights and get them installed.

I thought he went back to the future!?!?!

Fun fact, this is 6V NEGATIVE Ground. Couldn't believe it until I was looking at it lol

In Florida the mowing season is about ten months and blades need sharpening about three times a season, by then the back uplift lip is gone and you are mowing with thin knives. Over the years I added compost to the yard and the sand wasn't a problem anymore.

Your old blades do have a home! You can give them to your local blacksmith! ******* Yes, blacksmiths and bladesmiths do use old lawn mower blades, though opinions vary on their quality for higUse Mower Blades Free and Accessible: Old mower blades are easy to salvage from discarded or broken lawn mowers. Tough Steel Composition: Most blades are made from medium-carbon or low-alloy spring steel (often around 1040–1045 or similar grades) designed to absorb impact without shattering when hitting rocks. Practice Material: Many smiths use them for beginner practice, learning how to flatten, shape, and heat-treat scrap metal. According to blacksmith communities like I Forge Iron, old mower blades are frequently repurposed into: [ Basic utility knives and machetes Garden tools (trowels and small hoes) Shop tools (punches, drifts, and hot/cold cuts) Hardware and decor (shelf brackets, hinges, hooks, and wind chimes) Soft Steel: As discussed on BladeForums, many mower blades are intentionally softer (around 45–50 RC) so they bend or deform instead of breaking. This means they may not hold a fine edge as well as high-carbon steel files or dedicated knife steels. Inconsistent Quality: The exact alloy varies by manufacturer, meaning some blades harden well while others will not harden at all.

Is the speed reduction chain drive? The Gear drive to the generator and gear drive to the distributer is a bit unusual, I like it. Ford used the double pitman arm steering for years, some others may have too.

@Stepney Awesomeness!

An interresting build. I must say that I have never seen a double lever steering setup where each wheel is steered by a common shaft and no tierod between them. Nice touch with the Heim joints - Pete would approve.... @peter lena ??

An ugly, scrawny man was riding his horse through the woods and came across a bottle. He rubbed it and a genie came out saying he'd grant the man three wishes. "My first wish is that I want to be as handsome as Clark Gable, my second is that I want to be as buff as Arnold Schwarzenegger, and my third is to have huge privates exactly like the horse I'm riding." The genie tells him to go home and look in the mirror. He gets home, looks in the mirror, and sees that his face is as handsome as Clark Gable. He takes off his shirt and see that he is just as muscular as Arnold Schwarzenegger. He drops his pants and realizes that he was riding the mare.

I think I have my answer now. It's got the older steering wheel, and from what I am reading from others that makes it a 1987 31-16K803

Well that says it all. I'm a nice guy, but not THAT nice (ask my kids). Your nephew needs to procure a new set of blades for you. Even if they are NLA. A little "Visual Reinforcement" of the money leaving his wallet does wonders. Seriously, blades are tempered - they bend once, then fracture & break if force is applied in the opposite direction. Not worth the damage they can cause. Reminds me of Ralph Nader's book on the Corvair - Unsafe at Any Speed... DO check the accompanying spindle for being bent too....

Went back to Polo, IL today for their annual plow day. Turnout was great, weather was great, field conditions were great.....and breakdowns were a plenty. Took my 2 plow rigs (418-8 & 520-8) and was basically done by noon. I didn't get many pics of the day due to the breakdowns. IMG_1108.mp4 Never had a valve stem break off before, but got a clump of dirt stuck between the trans and and the wheel and it must of hit the valve stem on the way by, because all of sudden, I'm leaving a washer fluid trail. Nursed it back to the trailer and parked it with the valve stem up as there was still fluid coming out. No worries, I'll move to the 520-8...Well, she ran good for about an hour and was spitting and sputtering and the engine kept shutting down. Nursed it back to trailer and looks like I'll be replacing the ignitions system (which I probably should have done when I got it anyway). IMG_9314.mp4 IMG_9315.mp4 Since I headed home early, I was able to get everything cleaned up nicely and moldboards protected well before dark.

I.... Wow..... It's like you put words in a sentence but they're all in the wrong place.

And the wind was blowing! And I didn't turn over or even see a single rock all day!

You bought a bagger and stole a tractor, mower deck and chrome hub caps. What model is it, can't quite read the hood writing in the picture?

Some more great plowing today in Polo, IL. Hosted by John Boelens and a bunch of Cub Cadet guys. Still some good representation by Wheel Horse. My wife was able to come along and had a great time. I guess now I need a second plow tractor!

Heard something on the news about Elon Musk giving one share of "Spacex" stock to every child under 18, I'm too old and had to buy my own Spacex stock.

if the transaxle has been drained and new filter, I believe you can go with either Dex/Merc or Type F and be fine. Maybe schedule your next change out a little sooner than normal just for peace of mind. I run Dex/Merc in my 16-Auto based on a recommendation I got from someone here. If wanted to do a thorough flush, you could convert over to 10W30. Opinions vary on all 3.

You have more decks than @Sparky has snow blades. Whatcha gonna do wit all them there decks? Even you can only ride one at a time.

Most Wheel Horse parts are interchangeable so if you can't find the exact year there isn't too much to worry about. A 416-8 is a great tractor.

Got deck #6 ready for winter stoeage. This one was really clogged up. And it needed an adjustment to get the blade tips at the same elevation.

Flattening that in a press probably won't be able to fix it. If you don't have to go very far I would be tempted to, over straighten, so to speak. Go slightly past the point that you think is straight and let go. Probably have to put one end in a vise and use a large wrench maybe even with a convincing pipe?

A man walks into a pub with a tiny box in one hand, and a weird looking lamp in the other. He takes a seat right at the bar, orders a rum and coke, and opens the little box. He takes out a tiny little man and a very tiny piano. The tiny little man starts playing the piano like no tomorrow. The bartender comes with the man's rum and coke and is intrigued by the little piano man. The bartender also asks what "that pot" is. "A genie's lamp," says the man. So the bartender goes ahead and rubs the lamp. Out comes a genie. "Make a vish" says the genie. "Um okay, let me get a million bucks!" The genie disappears and the bartender waits. A few minutes later, a bunch of ducks start walking into the pub, one by one. "I asked for a million bucks, not a million ducks," the bartender enthusiastically says. The man replies, "you think I wanted a 12-inch pianist?"

Years ago, I was on the Tire & Rim Association Wheel Weight Subcommittee. We were working on standards to insure that clip on balance weights and the flange contours on steel and aluminum rims would play well together. With that background, I was kind of wondering why you wanted to balance the wheels on your tractor. Then the light came on you were wanting traction weights, not balance weights.

Started the clean up of Mrs.Ks family cemetery. Her Great Great Great Great Great Grandfather is buried here. Next trip I'll bring a .

After this year’s spring plow day, I couldn’t keep a belt on the Speedex, it kept jumping off! The Lever Steer started to bother my shoulder at Uncle Jim’s the other weekend and I haven’t fixed the steering either, so I decided to do some work on Speedy tonight. I thought that the set screw style trunion that adjusts the clutch throw (sliding engine) was slipping, so I pulled it off and put a 7/16”-20 die over it. Now I will have positive affirmation of the adjustment.

Only one of them was mine!

Hey Mike, you really need to start putting some oil in your engines! LOL

As stated previously, the BBT and I have been looking at possibilities for a small amount of land a couple hours/ 100 miles ish northeast of home. We go to the Weld and Carthage ME area usually twice a year. We go to a place about 40 miles northeast of Greenville ME once or twice a year. We've been wanting to explore and hike more up towards the Carrabasett Valley area. Trina's been looking off n' on for several years. A few weeks ago we found a neat little hopefully quiet spot in Mercer Maine. Today we signed an offer for purchase. If all goes right we'll own it within 2 to 3 weeks.

No Pullstart Pot, and I counted at least 3 Cubs that had to be towed from the field before I departed. Maybe they should start one! Pretty much straight down I-39 for you guys! I got the ignition kit system ordered from eBay and new plug wires. I'm just going to tear it down to the crankshaft and replace everything! I had the same thing happen on my 520-H last winter while pushing snow. It completely died and I could not get it running again. https://ebay.io/m/fViMI8

Next model finished (except decals - need to order smaller ones for the hood)... As always, no cost - all from bits and pieces... (except @Vinylguy's outstanding decals)... and one original part incorporated into the design...

If I want a rock of a particular size all I have to do is get a plant with a pot the size of the rock am seeking and ask my wife where to plant it. There WILL be a rock the size of the pot right there, never fails.

Ya gotta understand that @ebinmaine and I we get giddy when we find one full shovel of soil without hitting a rock.