The "Before and After"

[squonk 43,276]

This tractor has a special place in my "collection" Bought it at the show in 2018. HHHOOOWWWAAARRRDDD!!! or as I call him "The Pope" was thinning his herd. I think he had like 5 tractors he was selling. He employed the dear late roadapples as his tractor guardian. You know how Howard is, Kabitzin, holding court bouncing from one thing to another. I remember he was having electrical issues with one of them and I think @wallfish was lending him a hand. I wandered over to where Jay was tending flock and here set this little 857. It had a seat that would have been in the top 10 in a nasty seat contest. It looked like one of my Dear Grandmother's pincushions that was dragged over from Italy. Whish I took a pic of it before I changed it. I told Jay "I'm taking this tractor for a ride. and took off. Never even checked to see if it had gas in it. Had a deck that had more holes than metal. Made a couple of laps and found Howard and asked him what he needed for it. At first he didn't even know it was his.  But we struck a deal. First thing I had to do was find Bob Ellison as he had some seat covers and he changed it right away!  The tractor had the remnants of an old insect fogger exhaust on it

 

It has been my go to utility tractor since. Pulling the wagon, plowing some snow, steam pageant cruiser and mowing on occasion with a better deck. It's getting the spring off. I'm planning on bringing it to the show this year. I haven't touched the paint at all. All the runs, stains chips and dents are all like I bought it. I did paint the back wheels, changed the front wheels and tires. Added a nice WH seat. Had to replace the exhaust and couldn't save the bug fogger piping. This past winter I rebuilt the engine from my 875 and swapped it out as the original was just starting to smoke.

 

The Sunday after the show when I set it in the shop:

 

 

I believe it was # 5 in Howard's collection of 857's. That's roadapples horse horn installed.

 

 

Rebuilt engine:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Easton Rich 597]

He’d be proud

[Wayne0 1,098]

That's just pretty.

[Retired Wrencher 5,722]

12 hours ago, squonk said:

This tractor has a special place in my "collection" Bought it at the show in 2018. HHHOOOWWWAAARRRDDD!!! or as I call him "The Pope" was thinning his herd. I think he had like 5 tractors he was selling. He employed the dear late roadapples as his tractor guardian. You know how Howard is, Kabitzin, holding court bouncing from one thing to another. I remember he was having electrical issues with one of them and I think @wallfish was lending him a hand. I wandered over to where Jay was tending flock and here set this little 857. It had a seat that would have been in the top 10 in a nasty seat contest. It looked like one of my Dear Grandmother's pincushions that was dragged over from Italy. Whish I took a pic of it before I changed it. I told Jay "I'm taking this tractor for a ride. and took off. Never even checked to see if it had gas in it. Had a deck that had more holes than metal. Made a couple of laps and found Howard and asked him what he needed for it. At first he didn't even know it was his.  But we struck a deal. First thing I had to do was find Bob Ellison as he had some seat covers and he changed it right away!  The tractor had the remnants of an old insect fogger exhaust on it

 

It has been my go to utility tractor since. Pulling the wagon, plowing some snow, steam pageant cruiser and mowing on occasion with a better deck. It's getting the spring off. I'm planning on bringing it to the show this year. I haven't touched the paint at all. All the runs, stains chips and dents are all like I bought it. I did paint the back wheels, changed the front wheels and tires. Added a nice WH seat. Had to replace the exhaust and couldn't save the bug fogger piping. This past winter I rebuilt the engine from my 875 and swapped it out as the original was just starting to smoke.

 

The Sunday after the show when I set it in the shop:

 

 

I believe it was # 5 in Howard's collection of 857's. That's roadapples horse horn installed.

 

 

Rebuilt engine:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mike nice serviver from Hoooward. Those K181 are built proof. Enjoy the ride.

[Sparky-(Admin) 22,740]

  I really like the small mods you made to it Mike. The black wheels look great. 
 Are there spacers on the rear wheels, usually the 6-12’s look more tucked in. 

[squonk 43,276]

9 minutes ago, Sparky said:

  I really like the small mods you made to it Mike. The black wheels look great. 
 Are there spacers on the rear wheels, usually the 6-12’s look more tucked in. 

No spacers. Same wheels on there that Howard had on.