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So my father called all excited today about a 702 tractor he sold to a guy down in Long Island NY. Apparently, the guy he sold it to then sold it to a purchaser for Ralph Lauren. Now that 702 is in the window display at their flagship store on Madison Ave in NYC. Here's a pic of it

Sorry for the long post, but this story needs to be told. My oldest Grandson Reed has a fellowship granted for his Astro Physics PHD at Lehigh University. He has been there for 2 years and has 2-3 years left. Last year he got tired of paying the college town land lords rent and bought one of the row houses to house himself and a couple room mates. His Dad Mike operates a HVAC/ Plumbing business so he installed a new gas furnace and a new Mini Split air/heat pump System. The existing gas hot water heater was only 2 years old and tested good so it was not replaced. Mike also installed smoke and carbon monoxide detectors as required for a rental property. About two weeks ago a CO detector tripped. Reed reset it and all was OK, but Mike sent him a second CO detector as a back up. Friday when Reed came home the CO detectors were sounding and when reset they kept tripping. He called his dad and Mike told him to disconnect the main breaker, open the doors, go out and wait in his car till he got there. Mike called the local fire company and left for the 2 hour trip to Bethlehem. He suspected the gas hot water heater that he did not replace could be the problem. When Mike got there, the fire company had allready checked Reeds house and appliances and could not find the source of the CO. They went to the attached row house and found the house was filled with CO from a faulty furnace and the family of five were all sick with flu like symptoms. Thankfully the loose stone basement foundation wall allowed the CO to leak into Reeds basement and trip the alarms and thankfully Reed did not come home for the weekend and was there to hear the alarms or the outcome would have been much different. Per the fire company, the family would not have survived the night. Sometimes we get lucky. Don't rely on luck...install smoke and CO detectors for everyone you care about.

We were aboard the U.S.S. Missouri a little while back, just after our visit to the U.S.S. Arizona memorial. Aircraft carrier U.S.S. Nimitz came into port. I muted the majority of the audio, and chose to enjoy some waves. Some of the mindless chatter behind me seemed to take away from the moment. I thank each and every service member, from the bottom of my heart.

I ordered some stuff from Wheel Horse Parts and More and thought the shipment was short. Sent a text and received almost immediate response. As it turned out the problem was on my end. Joette helped with the issue. Thanks, JoeM In today's world we pretty much hear the bad and hardly any of the good stuff. Just wanted to share.

For the little town of Knox local we have already exceeded half the normal snowfall for the season. Several springs ago I picked up this tall chute from a member in PA. The only use it's had was just when I wanted to play with it. That is until this year. A recent snowfall of 10+" of very heavy wet stuff won the battle with the Reborn B-80 blade tractor. I fired up the 05 with the blower and it did the trick. But I was on and off the seat multiple times to adjust the chute deflector. I just eliminated that problem this morning. I didn't want anything 'permanent' on the tractor. The 6" stroke proved to be perfect mounted like this. I did a little video but I can't get it to transfer to YouTube.

I got several things I need to get finished, but my Bronco has been marking it's territory in my garage. One axle seal was leaking quite a bit, and I had not seen it because of how it was previously parked. Guess I should get it out more, right? As is usually the case, a leaky axle seal left alone long enough made the hub removal super easy. Didn't even need my puller for it (lucky since I couldn't find the darn thing). Anyway the hub came right off with some wiggles. Made a couple small dings in the metal face of the new seals because it was crazy tight but it shouldn't affect it. The axle and bearing seems fine. A couple hours after and no leaks yet. I'll try to get it out over the holidays and see for sure, but so far so good.

I picked up another WH very close to home. 2 miles away. The fellow moved into a new housing plan with very little yard and no need for it. Very good price as it is off season here.He said it was used to mow a half acre field next to his old house about 6 times a year. I think I have to believe him. No rust just dirty which I will address. It will need a new seat and a hood as he said the hood met with a tree limb. Deck shows no rot or rust at all. Oils are clean. He said he serviced it regular. To dang cold to do much yet. Will probably start with the deck first for a good power wash when weather permits. It will be a camp tractor. It does have the 15 amp charging system. It probably will become a Burgundy stripe machine. 1990 vintage.

We got a few inches of snow over the last few days. Not enough for the snow blower on the GC 2410. But if I didn’t clean it up, it would be a mess. So I drug out the 314-8 and took the mower deck off. Put the front and rear wheel weights on and the chains. Gassed it up. Got my 42” plow put on. Couldn’t find the short lift link to go to the deck lift arm, so I made one out of a piece of garage door opener lift arm and a couple clevis pins. Done. I haven’t really ever plowed snow with the 314-8. Have a blower for it and always used that, until I got the blower for the GC. It worked great, and didn’t dig up the gravel driveway much. Good seat time today.

I figured we needed a thread to capture some of the boneheaded moves we make when doing what should be routine stuff. I'll start. Note to Self: When you've got your transaxle put back together and you're ready to fill it with fluid - double check your parts tray to see if the drain plug might still be laying there.

Installed 3d printed chute retainers and motor cover on the XI

Here ya go:

December seventh is National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day. A solemn remembrance of a pivotal historical event that forged resilience and unity in the face of adversity, inspiring generations. The following day in an address to congress President Franklin D. Roosevelt spoke these words. “Yesterday, December 7, 1941 — a date which will live in infamy — the United States of America was suddenly and deliberately attacked by naval and air forces of the Empire of Japan,” There is a beautiful lagoon in the Hawaiian Islands that is named for the lustrous jewel that is formed when a piece of sand irritates a clam into coating it to protect itself, Pearl Harbor. This harbor also houses the headquarters of the United States Pacific Fleet, and has been an important part of the American Naval placement in the Pacific Ocean since 1887. Little did anyone know at that time that an attack on this harbor would bring the entire might of the American Military into a war it was desperately seeking to avoid. National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day honors the men and women who died in the Japanese attack on this beautiful harbor one December day in 1941.

. First run after complete K181 engine overhaul. Always a fingers crossed time hoping no loud banging noises. Don't know what happened to the sound Try again

A snow shoe needed repairing and I need to practice my welding. Laid piece over it and buzzed away. Didn’t get a pic when done ... . Actually didn't do the worst considering my welding skills suck.

@squonk have provided the chickens also.

The plastic front ‘bumper’ (for lack of a better term) of my 522xi had a chunk broken out of it and several cracks radiating from that spot. Fortunately, I had the missing piece, which made the repair a little easier. After thoroughly cleaning and degreasing the area around the breakage, I stuck the piece back in and cemented the cracks with a water-thin plastic solvent cement that had good capillary action to flow into the cracks. Here’s the back view of the breakage area after applying a few applications of the cement. It seemed to work very well. Even though the cracks were completely welded shut, I shifted into my usual over-engineering mode and decided to reinforce the back of the repair with a few layers of thin fiberglass cloth. I wanted a molecular bond between the fiberglass cloth cement and the plastic, rather than mechanical, so instead of something like epoxy or polyester resin, I used a thickened plastic cement that exhibited some solvent action on the plastic. Here's the back of the bumper with at least three layers of fiberglass cloth adhered with the plastic solvent cement and with a coat of red paint over it. This part of the bumper won't be visible. Here's the front after gluing, sanding, and a coat of clear “Adhesion Promoter” primer: And the damaged area after the first coat of Regal Red paint (two more coats to go). The color looks a bit off because the photo was taken in the shade. Note: The red bumper is made of PC-PET plastic (a blend of polycarbonate and polyethylene terephthalate). The black bumpers on similar models (such as my New Holland GT18 / 518xi clone) are made of ABS plastic. However, the cements that I used were actually designed to be used with other types of plastic, such as acrylic or PVC, but they still had a solvent action on the bumper and seemed (to me) to work fine. I guess time will tell.

December thirteenth is the U.S. National Guard’s Birthday. The U.S. National Guard’s birthday is a significant event, marking the establishment of America’s oldest military organization. It honors the establishment of the National Guard in 1636. The Guard plays a critical role in both community and national security. This day honors the brave people who serve in the National Guard, showcasing their dedication and contributions to the nation. By celebrating this day, we acknowledge the vital role of the National Guard in maintaining peace and stability across the United States a The Massachusetts Bay Colony organized its local militias into three permanent regiments, forming the first militia units in North America. These early militias were essential for protecting the colonies from threats. They set the foundation for today’s National Guard. Over time, the Guard evolved, but its core mission remained the same. Guard members continued to serve both local communities and the nation, responding to emergencies and participating in military operations.

Drain plug in - check Oil in - check Gassed up - check PTO disengaged - check Battery charged - check Fire it up and... it's somehow raining oil???!!! Oops - Dip stick reinserted in fill tube? - Not Check I have heard that can happen...

Changed out the TU pulley on Frankie. I has a few of these plastic ones. JD uses them and my son has a 324 that has them on the hydro pulley. I know he has to be pushing 500 hours with no issues. I put one on the hydro and I must say they are smooth. Very smooth. Now I know why they are used by JD.

A few more - he completed the drive flanges, so now the hubs are driven. onto final bits = the rear axle keyways were badly wallowed. So fresh 1/4 slots milled ready for much longer keys.

Not a great look, but walk behind snow blower tire make excellent steer tires. No added weight, goes where I point it.

Look what I found in mail today. New decal for HY2 lift lever on 1257. Cant wait to see what it looks like on tractor. How lucky are we to have a member like @Vinylguy as a member here?????

Splash lubrication should be kept inside the engine.

Here in Maryland, when I was growing up, because I was the biggest kid on the bus, I was the designated shovel wrangler. School busses ran until there was at least 3" of the white stuff on the roads. If the bus got stuck, the bus driver and I shoveled her out. None of this pansy-a$$ crap that is going on today.

This morning Trina and I started the cleanup of the recently found "Tripp" graveyard. We brought up a couple hand tools and started by cutting the smaller saplings in and around the small metal enclosure. We'll continue with the project through the winter and into spring. Quite a good workout to get there. 1.4 miles each way and about half of that was through 8+ inches of snow.

That looks correct to me. I added a chunk of rubber to stiffen each spring. I also add a piece of rubber for the springs to rest on. Make sure you leave a hole for the seat switch.

Battle ready!

It was my maternal grandfather "Grampa" that deserves credit/blame for my initial fascination with Garden Tractors. He had an IHC Cub Cadet of the yellow and white variety back in the 70s. Then around 1980 they bought a new (?) IHC 682. A few weeks ago I was perusing the interwebs for an entirely different reason and found a model of just that.

Jim & I went on a short trip to purchase a 520 for $1.00. Guy said that it would crank over but would not start. Pushed it on the trailer, paid the man & away we went. Got it home & discovered that he had hooked the battery up backwards. Placed the cables on correctly & it fired right up.

I plow a large area.. For the main driveway start out down the middle casting to the right turn around out in the road an go back still casting right ..Repeat until you have cleared your driveway.

I went to start tiny two stroke Toro snowthrower yesterday. Gas full. Check. Primer pumped. Check. Choke on. Check. 5 or 6 starter rope pulls later with no indication of it wanting to start. Step back, scratch head. Ignition on? Not check.

I've definitely done similar. I'm also quite proud of the fact that I have multiple times, attempted to start an engine powered by gasoline without actually having gasoline in it or, perhaps, leave the gasoline flow valve shut. Neither of these things works very well at all.

I looked a little bit for the work your horse thread but failed ... my penance is reading all upmteen pages of this one ... As long as we're wrenching on sno machines. This one in the shop for oil & filter. Is it just me or does a motor just seem to run better with fresh oil? Should have cleaned the carb ... surging abit and seafoam aint workin. Need it tho so after today's cleanup. Grass screen was rusty ... I think they look cool in red ... Do I have a problem?

Added a lift assist spring for snowblower on the 702. Made it definitely easier to raise up. With my lower back issues I need any help I can.

Well well well... a whole day dedicated to some, not all, characters on

Worked on restoring the headlights on the 522xi. I had good luck with the headlight reflector, but not quite as good with the lens. For the reflector, after cleaning and a light bead blasting to roughen the surface slightly, I sprayed it with "Rust-Oleum Automotive 600 Degree Aluminum Engine Enamel," which is great paint. It's quite shiny and adheres really well, although the overspray is messy as it sticks to everything within several feet of where you're spraying. I then top-coated it with "Rust-Oleum Automotive 600 Degree Gloss Clear Engine Enamel." I think the reflector is 'almost' as reflective as the original surface, and it should hold up well. The headlight lens is much better than it was before (brownish yellow, almost opaque, and heavily oxidized), but it's still rather milky after I spent almost two hours polishing it halfway to China, using all kinds of approaches, including progressively finer sandpaper, headlight restorer kit, polishing compounds, wax, etc. I think the milkiness is very deep, so I guess I'll either have to put up with it or buy a new or used replacement lens. New ones are still available, but kind of expensive. By contrast, the headlight lens on my GT18 (the same kind of lens) cleaned up beautifully (below) and is crystal clear. I guess my 522xi must have spent a lot more time outside in the sun than the GT18.

It is very difficult to get the front two mounting bolts hooked up on a K-181 on an 856/commando frame. You can't get good access to the under side of the frame to get the bolt up through or hold a nut if you bring the bolt down from the top. After a half hour of frustration I had a brain fart. With the engine slid back you can work the bolt up from the bottom. So I got two 3/8" E clips slipped them over the bolt on the top side of the frame. Held the bolt in place while I lowered the engine over them. Just catch the lock washer and nut then use a pry bar lift the engine and with a small hook you can pull the E clip off.

When I still had blowers., I also liked the old style with wheels. Made the blowers so easy to move around when off the tractor

The lard and bacon grease trick is the best for cast iron pan work.

Today is Chester Greenwood Day, celebrated in Farmington, Maine, honors the town’s beloved inventor of earmuffs. This lively event draws crowds with its unique charm, highlighting the importance of a simple invention that brought warmth to many ears. The event fosters a sense of community and honors a local hero whose invention made a significant mark. This celebration is a testament to how one person’s creativity can leave a lasting legacy, bringing warmth and cheer to generations.

Seeing there's been some chatter about this topic, let's actually have one. So if you've done some ordinary or extra ordinary things with your tractor this can be the place to talk or post about it. Of course pictures are required for proof it happened.

If you get stuck, someone will ask "are you stuck?" Nope, just camp n!

I got to thinking about this and my last snafu I was working on Frankie and needed to run it and check some things. Robbed a battery out of another and hooked it up in Frankie. Hit start (I have one of those solenoids with the button to activate, tractor is not wired yet) and the starter just spun, the bend-ex did not engage. Worked fine the last time. HMMMM Messed around poking and prodding. Well got to take starter off. Went to unhook battery and seen the + and - crossed. Starter was spinning backward. That bend-ex was never coming out. Hmmm dumb a$$. I believe I done this on an xi with using the key switch one time.

Or flushing out the bottom residue. That is my story.

Not really to, but with: The first post I couldn't get balanced on the dolly well because there wasn't enough room to work, so I had to leave it attached to the engine crane too. The whole thing was too heavy and unbalanced for me to push up the ramp to the garage by myself, so I got to thinking about my options. The 855 has the plow on, plows are for pushing things. Fired it up and set the plow at the right height to engage the base of the post, and up the hill we went. Do we have a "What have you done WITH your WH today?" thread?

Not a problem Jim. My local drug pusher has me on a daily dose of lisinipril and simvistatin washed down with a shot of Sea Foam.

Had venison wrapped in bacon last night for dinner... yum!!! Any edible derivative of pig is ok by me...

My mom always had a bowl of lard on the stove. We save bacon grease and use it to fry eggs, burgers and other meats. Works and tastes way better than pam.

Today we pay honor to the citizens who were killed when Japan sprung their surprise attack. This date results in World War Two, as the United States declared war on Japan on the following day. On this day, organizations across the United States hold tributes to honor the memory of Pearl Harbor. There are also a lot of reunions and survivors share their stories as well. Traditionally, the United States flag will be flown at half-staff until sunset. This is an act that honors the people who lost their lives while they were serving for the U.S. at Pearl Harbor. Today, there are a number of different sites at Pearl Harbor that have been created in memory of those who served during the bombing. Pearl Harbor is the final resting place for a lot of the crew of USS Oklahoma, USS Arizona, and USS Utah. The memorials here serve as a place of honor to the service members who lost their lives during the attack. They also act as a touching and emotional reminder of war and the loss that it causes. At Pearl Harbor, you will find the USS Bowfin Submarine Museum and Park, which pays honor to the American submarine that sunk 44 ships during World War Two. There is also the USS Utah Memorial. This is in remembrance of the former battleship, which in 1931 was converted into a target ship. It was sunk in an attack on the 7th of December in 1941. Another site is the USS Oklahoma Memorial, which pays tribute to the battleship that was also sunk on this date, resulting in 429 men losing their lives. There is also a marble memorial that goes over sunken battleship USS Arizona, which is in tribute of the 1,177 crew members who died. The attack was devastating, killing over 2,400 citizens of the United States from the time it began at 7:48am Hawaiian time and ended just 90 minutes later, making the attack incredibly devastating. Multiple ships were lost during the attack, though things could have been much worse. Intelligence gathered after the attack indicated that there was intended to be a third-wave of attacks to hit the island, complete with an invasion fleet intended to take the island and prevent it from being used as an American base of operation. The purpose behind this surprise attack? America was well positioned in the Pacific to interfere with Japanese fleet maneuvering, and it was hoped that by launching this assault they would cripple the US Pacific Presence and be able to control the ocean unhindered. As early as 1984, National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day was officially declared by President Ronald Reagan. Then, in 1994, the United States Congress agreed jointly that this event would be celebrated each year going forward. The attack on Pearl Harbor sparked a wave of patriotic creativity in American culture. The slogan “Remember Pearl Harbor” became a popular rallying cry, inspiring songs like Sammy Kaye’s “Remember Pearl Harbor” that climbed music charts in 1941. Several ships were salvaged and returned to service. The USS West Virginia, sunk during the attack, was raised, repaired, and rejoined the Pacific Fleet in 1944. Similarly, the USS California and USS Nevada were also restored and fought in key battles later in the war.

This jolly ol’ feller and his bride needed a fire engine ride to go see all the littles at the hall.