biz-buz 0 #1 Posted May 2, 2010 :D Hello everybody out there, I am so glad I have found this forum as I thought I must be one of the few people to have bothered keeping and running a Wheel Horse tractor (Commando 800)! Obviously I am completely wrong and have been just amazed looking at the wealth of equipment that is available for these superb machines. I have a Commando 800 3 speed which is sick, I have just dismounted my gearbox and have found that there is a little bit of very fine metal in there and that several of the gears have rounded corners. Currently the keys in the drive shafts have slipped so they have gouged a huge chunk of metal out of the shaft and the wheel hubd, leading to a quarter turn wheel slip when braking!! Which makes life very interesting when coming up to immobile objects such as large trees and walls. I have pulled the wheel hubs off the shaft which are all mangled. My current list is two wheel hubs, two drive shafts and some cogs for the gear box. Is is worth trying to replace these cogs and shafts or is it better to try and find a second hand overhauled gearbox? Are they even available?? I have wondered about replacing it with a 6/8 speed box from a Raider, but am not sure if it will fit. I have also replaced the old side valve Kohler engine with a new Kohler Command 12.5 hp unit which is great but I am not sure if my transmission is up to the power, this is maybe why I am loosing metal, or it might just be an unfortunate coincidence and the box was on the way out any how. I have checked on the various threads for any similar questions but have not found any. I am sorry if this is an old chesnut but I am in France and have no Wheel Horse supplier or community I can call on so please push me in the right direction if I can find the answers myself. I am on a dial up connection still, ADSL is still not available, so any big photos or large data files take all day to download!! Any pointers of any possible UK sources would be very helpful, but I am sure that somebody can help out there. Thank you all in advance and have a great weekend. biz-buz Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
TT-(Moderator) 1,127 #2 Posted May 2, 2010 :USA: I believe you might be the first member from France. There are quite a few U.K. members here , but the one who might be able to help the most is "Horsebreaker". He breaks down tractors for "spares" and might have exactly what you need to fix your Commando. The 6/8 speed conversion is not a 100% direct bolt-in, but it only takes a few minor modifications to make it work - depending on the model of the replacement gearbox. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
horsefeathers 15 #5 Posted May 3, 2010 Hello, out there HORSEFEATHERS! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Dutch Horse Fan 0 #8 Posted May 3, 2010 Hello and Glad you found red sguare these are great folks with an incredible amount of knowledge about wheelhorse. Ihave an adree for you in the southern part of the netherlands Lozeman Tuinmachines Markt 14 5973 NR Lottum Tel 31 77 4632341 www.Lozeman .nl They have been wheelhorse dealer for a long time and have a lot of parts in stock. Diederik Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mavfreak 11 #9 Posted May 3, 2010 :D I have a commando 800 and I love it. Hope you get it well again Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
biz-buz 0 #10 Posted May 3, 2010 Hi, everybody thank you all for the warm welcome. I know these lovely machines are built to last, but is there any or much difference in strength between the 4 speed and the 8 speed boxes? As I have a more powerful engine now and I have managed to trash so many of my cogs it might be the right time to get an 8 speed box, I am sure it would be more useful! Thank you particularly TT and Diederik for the European addresses, I shall follow these up and will post you some photos of my tractor once I get it sorted out and tidied up a bit!! Any comments on a sickly bar cutter, front or side etc, I need to use it in anger here in France to cut large volumes efficiently and quickly so need the best and most resilient set up possible. Sadly my parents used to have an Oxford Allen motor scythe, with every imaginable gadget for it under the sun, but my mum gave it away when they left Ireland.... of course I did not need it at the time! But I still miss it greatly. The WH though is a worthy replacement, I am still in awe of all the different gadgets that are available for it. Adrian Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
stevasaurus 22,229 #11 Posted May 3, 2010 biz-buz... I was reading your post about the commando trans, and I happen to have a rebuilt spare in the garage that I picked up because I had some trans problems. Depending on the year of your tractor, this may work. It is a 3 speed forward and 1 back. But then I saw you were in France. Long way to ship something, but if you can not find anything, maybe we can work it out. This is a 5085 trans...fits commando's 1973 & 1974 and a few other wheel horses.. If interested, we can measure axles, pictures, consult TT, etc. Send me a PM if interested. Long way to ship a trans, and not sure about Wheel Horses built in Europe and their numbers. Willing to help if you want. Again...welcome to Red Square. The gears out of this trans will probably fix yours. Interesting. :D Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
