420 LSE

[jleitschaft 28]

Hello All,

      New to the group and looking for advice. My father was a devoted wheel horse enthusiast for many years. He only cut grass with a wheel horse tractor (rear discharge deck) pulling a Parker lawn sweeper. We have a lot of property and it took him a while but he was retired and loved being on the wheel horse. When he got sick, I had to take over all the lawn maintenance. All of our family lives close on the same road. At the time, I was responsible for maintaining 7 properties plus my fulltime job. Using the wheel horse was not an option for me so I bought a commercial zero turn mower.  Unfortunately, in 2017 my father passed away. I have all his tractors and it has been hard for me to think about what to do with them. He had 6 wheel horse tractors total. 3 tractors we used for cutting grass and 3 tractors are show pieces that have never cut a blade of grass. I have a few guys that have been asking me for years to sell them but I am not sure if I’m ready. I am turning to the group because I am lost at what I even have. Its my belief that the tractors are rare and the conditions are mint. If anyone would be willing to express their opinion and provide feedback I would be grateful.

Wheel horse 420 LSE (shows 7.5 hr)

Wheel horse 520 hydro (shows 92 hr)

Wheel horse classic GT (shows 26 hr)     

[ebinmaine 67,131]

[lynnmor 7,294]

 

Just so you know, you are sitting on a gold mine.  You might want to educate yourself on here before making any final decisions.  The worker tractors are a lot more than just mowers.  The show tractors are as desirable as it gets, half the members on here, including myself, will have interest.

[Ed Kennell 37,961]

 to the                 Mother Lode for sure.   

[Pullstart 62,698]

Wow.  Those look absolutely mint!  I am going out on a limb, but would assume show room condition and hours to match, you!re looking at 

 

$1200-1800 for the GT

$1500-$2500 for the 520

$4000+ for the 420 LSE

 

These are all speculations.  I am trying to give an unbiased opinion without interest to buy.  

[JCM 9,129]

Very nice collection  @jleitschaft

[Handy Don 12,088]

Welcome to the Forum!

This is definitely the right place to build up your understanding of what you have there and meet some truly appreciative folks. Those three machines are indeed treasures that are highly sought among folks that know and care about Wheel Horses. Rest assured that none of those three, if they stay in that condition, are in danger of losing their value so you needn't feel pressured to make a decision in a hurry. I'm sure you might think about keeping them as a family legacy, as well as the different options for selling if you go that route.

Most of us fully understand our own connections to those who came before us via things we received from them and are with you as you judge your own way of handling this.

 

Edited October 24, 2022 by Handy Don

[SylvanLakeWH 25,443]

 

Wow!!' 

 

With those hours I'm thinking @Pullstart might be a bit light, but value is always willing buyer willing seller on a given day...

 

Edited October 24, 2022 by SylvanLakeWH

[c-series don 8,649]

I know @Pullstart is well versed in Wheel Horse tractors however I believe his estimates are low. Just my honest opinion. Do you have the correct seat for the LSE ? Like it’s been said already if you don’t need to make a decision immediately I’d really think this through. Good thing is that you came to the right place, with honest people. I will definitely be following this thread. 

[D_Mac 8,587]

With those beauties I am very curious to know what the other 3 are. Sorry to hear about your father and welcome to Red Square.

[Horse Newbie 7,051]

to !!!!!!

 

Good googley-moogley, man you came in with a bang ! Like others have said, you have some rare machines there that will be highly sought after if you decide to sell…

In the condition that they are, and the extremely low hours, I would definitely be seeking top dollar. Set your price after educating yourself on what you have, and stick to your price !

Whatever you decide, Good Luck !

[EB-80/8inPA 1,613]

Welcome and sorry to hear about your dad.

 

In response to your question; I’ll go with the old “it’s/they’re  worth what a willing buyer will pay for it/them.”  The best way to discover this would be an auction of some kind.  It would be nice if a silent auction could be set up here in the Red Square classifieds, as the highest bidders would likely be from among this group of people who truly appreciate such an outstanding collection.  Rules here prohibit linking to an external auction site, though, if I’m not mistaken.

 

Or, you could just give them to me, I’d be happy to relieve you of this troublesome burden free of charge!

 

All kidding aside, @Handy Don makes a good point.  Take your time and consider keeping them in the family. That’s a very special inheritance you have there.  Once they’re gone you’ll likely never get them back.

[Horse Newbie 7,051]

I am flipping out !

[76c12091520h 3,608]

Agree with some others, prices quoted may be a bit conservative. Also, regarding the 420LSE : as mentioned above it is missing its original seat and the deck is newer than the tractor. Minor issues to be sure but may help you if you have other parts and or pieces that you may have laying around. Would be interested in any or all of them 

[EB-80/8inPA 1,613]

 

[EB-80/8inPA 1,613]

10 minutes ago, Horse Newbie said:

I am flipping out !

I know, right?

[The Freightliner Guy 1,327]

Welcome and nice horses a beautiful collection you have their.

 

Kollin

[Pullstart 62,698]

Hey, I did say +…   I am not up to snuff on the “newer” machines and their values, but was trying to give honest and unbiased opinions at least 

[The Freightliner Guy 1,327]

To bad theirs no rj in any of those pics 

[23 Reo 229]

Your tractors are special and if sold you will never be able to replace them. They were your Dad's and now they are yours. Keep them, they will always be worth more to you than the money you can get for them.

[Ed Kennell 37,961]

                                                          Certainly a better investment than cash that is depreciating 10-20% / year.

[Blasterdad 2,688]

Sorry for your loss, it shows that your father was a man of taste & knew the difference between a dime & a dollar.

I can only imagine how many hours he spent fussing with just those 3 Horses, ( & the floor in his garage for that matter, Lol ).

At the end of the day memories are priceless whereas tractors aren't.

Life brings about some tough decisions & you're truly facing one of them.

Welcome to Red Square, there's really great people here so no matter what you decide, I hope you stick around! 

 

P.S. I would definitely keep the ugliest of the 3 mowers you said actually cut grass, it was probably his favorite.     

 

 

[jleitschaft 28]

here is a picture of the original seat i have for the tractor. also pictured is where my dad took the id plate off. He likely took it off to restore it or polish it so there is a possibility it is around. Its been 5 years and i have not seen it.  It also could have been taken to someone to be restored or remanufactured but never picked up. If it wasn’t perfect he would have been working to make it perfect. I remember the plate being on the tractor.    

[kpinnc 11,842]

I am sorry for your loss. I'm sure this is alot to take in right now. I think the best advise has already been given: take your time to decide what to do.

 

It's obvious your dad had a good eye for collectible machines. While the 420 LSE will generate the most conversation, the classic GT with such low hours make it an almost NOS machine, and one of the last models ever produced as well. I think it is worth quite a bit all by itself. 92 hours on a 520 is somewhat impressive as well. 

 

Good luck with whatever you decide to do. 

[The Freightliner Guy 1,327]

You know @Pullstart wants all those but mainly the LSE