Thoughts (Evaluation) of a 1988 516-H

[marvairplanes 34]

I know it was manufactured for only one year....1988

Has 16 HP Onan engine...

Any body have any comments re. performance, problems, reliability...

Is it any more desirable (collectible) than the 520-H ?

Marv (NW Oh)

[Operator 7]

Marv Marv Marv "More desirable than a 520H" !

I myself thinks NOT! You haven't sat and mowed grass with a 520H have you?

No comparison. You can't beat the steering on the 520H with "forward swept" axle.

Randy

[Sparky-(Admin) 24,035]

I'm pretty sure it also has the Eaton 700 tranny which means it will be a manual lift tractor. As long as your after a hydro it might as well have hydraulic lift.

Mike........

[marvairplanes 34]

OK, Thanks guys.

I was sorta' hoping I would get some feed-back from actual owners, or someone with hands-on experience with the 516-H model.

I'm also interested in hearing how popular they are, and how many (if any) are still in operation.

Thanks,

Marv

[wh500special 2,359]

Marv,

I don't know anything about the production count of the 516 and 518 versus the 520, but being that the 520 was made for about 9 years versus the 1 year for the others there certainly can't be - comparatively - that many of them. I don't believe the 516 was included in any promotional material or brochures, so it very well may be somewhat hard to find if you were searching for one.

I've only seen maybe 10 of them either in person or on the net. More 518's seem to be out there. And, of course, there are 27 gazillion (give or take) 520's. But I would hesitate to consider the 516 as a "rare" tractor. I reserve that title for things like the 520-8, 420LSE, 754, etc (I realize this is merely my perception and not something anybody else should care about).

What I have noticed is a relative trend of 516's and 518's that pop up on the used market with blown transmissions. Too bad the US-spec 518 couldn't have been equivalent to the Europa 518.

I had a 518 and thought it was pretty nice. When in proper tune, there probably isn't much in the WH world that runs as nicely as an Onan twin. Of course, you already know how smooth and quiet they are compared to almost everything else...with the watercooled motors perhaps surpassing them by a smidge. They seem to draw more fuel than a one cylinder Kohler, but they also seem to have more useful power than their rating suggests. That P216G "makes" that tractor.

My old 518 and the 516 you're looking at are virtual twins except for the 2-hp difference and the lack of taillights on the 516. Both have sparse instrumentation compared to the 520, both have manual lift, and both - unfortunately - have the smaller Eaton 700 hydro. I'm pretty sure the product brochures for the 518 showed that drawn ground engaging equipment was not recommended for any tractor equipped with the smaller Eaton (Nick857 might have had some updated info on this though). They are grass mowers, snow pushers, and tillers only. No plowing, disking, etc....for most people, that's not a big deal.

In short, I personally wouldn't value that 516 any differently than I would a 300-series hydro with the Eaton 700. Good tractor, but nothing (in my mind) particularly exceptional.

Unless we find out they are indeed hens teeth

Steve

[Horse Fanatic 51]

I have one, It's my mowing machine with a 48" deck. I like the hydro for mowing and also prefer a manual lift for mowing so I can quickly raise the deck if approaching a raised object. I find it ideal for what I use it for.

Glenn

[marvairplanes 34]

Glen...from your signature I see you have both the 520H and the 516H.

So, is the manual lift the only reason why you choose to mow with the 516H ?

If you had to pick your "favorite"...overall performance, etc., etc., etc., ...which of the two would be #1?

Marv

[Horse Fanatic 51]

The 520 hands down! But I wouldn't prefer it to cut grass with.

Glenn