Greetings from Potter County, PA

[Gasaholic 183]

Hello, all. I see an intro from someone that used to work at Howards in Coudersport. (Hi Karl!) Thought I'd put in my first post a similar fashion. 

I also found the dealer list and happy to see Canfield's mentioned. 

 

Right out of high school (Good ol' PAHS and the daily walk to Vo-Tech out back - now known as Seneca Highlands CTC) I went to work at Canfield's (Formerly Kemp's Tractor Sales) , quickly became the "A" Tech (1986-1991 and 1993-1995) so I am intimately familiar with Wheel Horse. BTW They are still in business, Pat (The original Canfield) died some time back of a massive heart attack, but his kids took over the business, and I believe it is Nikki that now runs everything, and doing very good at it. (I knew those kids since his oldest daughter was 4 and "helping" daddy in the shop picking up tools and moving them somewhere else!) 

 

After moving on to Heavy Equipment and Heavy Trucks (With a class A CDL for a while, and a stint building & maintaining gravel quarry equipment) and then a stint at Ford (Automotive) dealer, then a fleet tech for a trucking company, ended up moving to Miami for a change of pace and worked several years as a Programmer Analyst and Systems Admin for a web hosting company in downtown Miami. After the economy went down the toilet (housing bust) in '09 , moved back "Home" to Potter County and re-opened my own small engine shop, finally closed down/retired in 2019, and have been doing woodworking and wood turning for something to do. Inherited my parents house (Same house I was born and raised in) and recently decided to get back into Wheel Horse as a hobby, and score my first (Of what I suspect may be many) - a 1974 C-100 with 36" Rear deck in almost pristine (Albeit it needs some TLC after being parked in a barn for 30 years) condition.  I happened across this forum while looking up copies of owner manuals (and hints on NOS and used parts sources). 

 

So, I'm available if anyone wants to pick my brain - I have not yet forgotten all the know-how I learned over the last 37 years - My specialty was K series rebuilds and transmissions (everything else was gravy work, but my precision and attention to detail resulted in some of those engines and transmissions I rebuilt still being running strong to this day... and a few years back a customer brought me his transmission in pieces because he couldn't get it back together. I assembled it in front of him in a matter of 45 minutes just from memory.. His jaw hit the floor because I made it look so easy.)  

 

Look forward to digging through the forums and reading about everyone's adventures with what I profess to be the GOAT of Lawn & Garden tractors. (At least before Toro started messing with them! - It was heartbreaking to see what they did to the classics when some engineer fresh outta college started "making it better") 

 

[Pullstart 59,744]

 back to the rodeo!  Glad to have you along!

[Handy Don 10,634]

Welcome to the forum, sir.

Very interesting career you put together for yourself, I must say!

I don’t think, though, that it is fair to blame only the engineers at the end of the WH run. The market for GTs was in major decline and the ownership was trying to recoup their investment before it tanked altogether. The goal of lowering every possible cost was top of mind. All the competitors had cheapened their low-to-medium product lines--even the vaunted JDs and Cubs--and they had the entry of imports made in low cost labor countries to contend with as well. 

Here you’ll find a bunch of folks that just appreciate and are maintaining those gems from the 50’s through the early 90’s.

[wallfish 15,937]

Glad to have you aboard. The more the merrier and especially so when it's someone that is willing to share their knowledge and experience to help others.

[SylvanLakeWH 24,175]

[ebinmaine 63,214]

[Pullstart 59,744]

By the way, you kind of just missed a pretty alright (“The Big Show” AKA the best Wheel Horse Show Ever) show at South Mountain Fairgrounds in Biglerville, PA.  It is every year, the weekend after Father’s Day.  Might want to mark your 2024 calendar!  

 

 

[JERSEYHAWG / Glenn 4,487]

Great to have you here. 

[Gasaholic 183]

1 hour ago, Pullstart said:

By the way, you kind of just missed a pretty alright (“The Big Show” AKA the best Wheel Horse Show Ever) show at South Mountain Fairgrounds in Biglerville, PA.  It is every year, the weekend after Father’s Day.  Might want to mark your 2024 calendar!  

 

 

Would have loved to, but Bit much of a drive - 6 plus hours from here to Gettysburg, so unlikely to attend (I'm not one of those collectors with more money than brains, unfortunately.... So hotel, gas, etc would be beyond my budget)  Although the AMEIA show is just down the road from here (Allegany Mountain Engine & Implement Association) in Port Allegany. They just had that one this past weekend. 

[lynnmor 6,796]

1 hour ago, Gasaholic said:

Would have loved to, but Bit much of a drive - 6 plus hours from here to Gettysburg, so unlikely to attend (I'm not one of those collectors with more money than brains, unfortunately.... So hotel, gas, etc would be beyond my budget)  Although the AMEIA show is just down the road from here (Allegany Mountain Engine & Implement Association) in Port Allegany. They just had that one this past weekend. 

 

Google says 4 hours 19 minutes for the drive.  There is camping facilities on the grounds if that helps, many use that option.

 

I very much enjoy Potter County, my family owned a camp on Route 6 three miles from Galeton.  I hunted, fished, hiked and snowmobiled all over the county.  We no longer have the camp but I do some camping there in my travel trailer. 

 

At a friends house in Cherry Springs:

[Gasaholic 183]

1 hour ago, lynnmor said:

 

Google says 4 hours 19 minutes for the drive.  There is camping facilities on the grounds if that helps, many use that option.

 

 

Drive time, maybe - but I tend to take longer - Its about 3 1/2 hours here to Danville (Geisinger - thankfully we don't have to do those visits every 3 months any more) , looking at map considering it's more Rt 15 (Which I hate, TBH- Have had enough near misses on that road that I miss driving in Miami, FL... talk about crazy drivers...  Once, if I hadn't been watching my rearview coming down 15, woulda just about gotten pancaked between a couple semis:  truck behind us barely missed rear ending the truck in front at 75 MPH - I'd dodged out of the way into breakdown lane..)  I figure maybe 5 1/2 to 6 hours given pit stops, bathroom breaks and inevitable road construction (4 seasons in Pennsylvania - Almost Winter, Winter, More Winter, and Construction)  I prefer to stay home these days rather than deal with the stress from driving in P.A. At least in Miami, EVERYBODY drove like a madman, even the little old ladies... so I knew what to expect. Up here any more, they are either "just a tick under 55" or "60 ain't fast enough!" on our typical 2-lane rural highways. 

[Pullstart 59,744]

3 hours ago, Gasaholic said:

Would have loved to, but Bit much of a drive - 6 plus hours from here to Gettysburg, so unlikely to attend (I'm not one of those collectors with more money than brains, unfortunately.... So hotel, gas, etc would be beyond my budget)  Although the AMEIA show is just down the road from here (Allegany Mountain Engine & Implement Association) in Port Allegany. They just had that one this past weekend. 

 

6?  Bah, it’s worth a drive from MI to there!

[dkg520 501]

I grew up visiting Canfields and purchased my very first Wheel Horse at that store.  Great customer service back in the day.

[Wheel-N-It 2,967]

Welcome to the forum, and Thank You for becoming a Supporter right out of the gate. 

I agree with your statement of Wheel Horse lawn and garden tractors being the "Greatest of All Time".  I've stepped outside my Wheel Horse comfort zone a few times, but in the end I always returned to Wheel Horse with a deeper appreciation each time. 

[lynnmor 6,796]

You can take the 872 route and avoid 15 altogether.  5 to 6 hours out of a lifetime really isn't a big deal.