Does your WH collection have a theme?

[wh500special 2,262]

Steve...has your "theme" changed since your first post (and the last election)...might be time for a new "theme"!!!

Good question Frank.

Actually, things haven’t changed all that much for me. Although I do have nearly all of the items on my bucket list checked off. I’d still like a 2007 Classic edition and an E141. And I added a few other brands to my stable including diesel Simplicity, Cub, and Deere examples. By no conscious decision, I seem to be accumulating each model within the 5xi series having just added a 522 this week.

For me, the “milestone†theme is still alive and well. My list with explanations is below:

1. Lever – The Alpha

2. Walk Away – the first “big seller†and the tractors that bridged the gap from 1948 to 1954.

3. Senior – Big evolution over the Lever, and a “real†tractor

4. RJ-35 – The start of the true residential tractor

5. RJ-58 – Introduction of the Uni-Drive transaxle

6. 701 – Introduction of the standard tractor configuration that ran until 2007.

7. ’62 Ranger – First lawn tractor/economy model

8. 953 – first heavy hitter

9. 875/1075 – First Hydrostatic

10. 867/1067/1267 – First dual range unidrive

11. GT14 – significant because it was such a heavy duty machine

12. V7/V8 – first vertical garden tractor

13. 18-Auto – WH’s first Super Garden Tractor

14. C-160 – Top of the C-series; the most useful, versatile, and prolific series made.

15. D250 – The “Edsel†of the line. W-A-Y ahead of its time and amazingly sophisticated.

16. C195 – An improved and more versatile Super.

17. 520 – The top of the foodchain for the conventional C-series arrangement.

18. 5xi – Drive one and you’ll see why it’s on my milestone list.

19. 2007 Classic GT w/swanky decals – The Omega, end of the line.

Those are the “milestonesâ€. Others that I feel sort of fit as “significant†are:

1. 400/550 had the first cast iron front axles.

2. C161 twin – first twin cyl engine (was supposed to be a C171)

3. GT2500 – Anniversary model

4. E141 – WH’s designed-in-house electric.

5. 420LSE – Should be obvious

6. 1996 model 520 – Another anniversary model

And there are the less plentiful models as well that seem to garner attention:

1. RJ-25

2. 603

3. 754

4. 520-8

I might even put the YT-12A on the “rare†list. Maybe not…

For me, the milestones or major leaps forward in design are where it’s at. I like almost everything WH made during their run, but I view most of the different models as very slight variations on the same theme. For example the 702, 753, 654, 854, 633, etc are all fundamentally the same thing. Same goes for any of the shortframe square hoods. The C-series…etc. WH made a LOT of very similar models what often didn’t vary much from each other or from year to year.

Realistically, any of the B/C and 300/400 series tractors can be considered as a “significant†piece. They were the bread and butter for WH and certainly as a group were the best sellers. If you had to have just one tractor to do everything, these are probably the most suited to the most applications.

Unlike most of the guys on this site, I have an appreciation for the vertical shaft series of machines since they were hugely popular and served the LT need for thousands of people. For their intended tasks, the WH vertical shaft yard and lawn tractors were probably some of the best in the market. Especially with the newer models, they mowed very well and were exceptionally nimble. And most were quite heavy duty compared to discount store items. Heck, some of them accepted tillers and plows! And, my fascination with this stuff started with a vert, so…

Many won’t consider stuff after 1990 as “true†Wheel Horse products since the Toro name started to appear on the decals, but I don’t share that philosophy. Toro bought the line in 1986. AMC and Munn were before them in, what, 1974 or something. Other than subtle improvements, some styling changes, and improvements in manufacturability the designs practically stalled after 1973 (excepting the D250 and vertical shaft lines). If I were to throw the Toro-guided products out of the mix I’d also have to toss out anything after 1974 to be fair.

Not gonna do it!

Thanks Ja-Tee for dragging this topic back out of the cellar!

Steve

[twostep 0]

my theme right now is to find/get my first horse... preferably a round nosed one :)

[Trouty56 567]

For now they are all hydro tractors. Only three of them.

sent via mobile....

[redhorse100 4]

i guess my theme is one year only wheel horses. did not plan it that way but came across a 75 c-100 one year only and three days ago got a 72 raider 8 one year only. thanks joe w

[jay in nc 210]

well i love the 5 series i would love to have them all! i do have a 516,518,520,& a 520 with swept forward axle,gr. steering & sterring coulum shifter. would love to find a 520-8 & a 520hc but my true loves are c series& broncos. well hell i just love em all! 21 and counting! Jay

[whc160 80]

I have to say I got a thing for C-160's. The 656 I have is because it was the very 1st tractor I ever drove when I was a kid.

[JackC 617]

My favorites are the twin cylinder automatics.

In that category I have four C-175s, a 520HC, a 416H, and a D-160.

For single cylinder I have a C-165, a C-81, a 876, a 12, a 14 a 252H and a 211-3.

I like the sound and smoothness of the twins the best.

The 16 and 8 horse Kohlers are nice sounding also.

[JackC 617]

Forgot to mention my C-160 automatic, my LT1100 Work Horse and a few parts tractors.

I also have a second D-160.

I struggle not to buy more when I see a good deal.

[antiquetractors 4]

I have 2 suburbans. The round nose are all I have interest in and what started my collection off.

[mack 904 3]

My theme happened by accident. I went through a lot of Horses, but kept my C-81 as a worker. In less than a year I came up with the C-101, C-111, C-121, C-141, and a C-161 single cylinder. All of them are 8-speeds and made in 1979. No idea how this happened but I guess it is a theme.

["D"- Man 827]

I now have a later model 953 I am getting ready to restore and a 1054. I also am considering a second 1054 that a fellow wants me to make him an offer on. I have three sons and would like to maybe get them a 520 for a lawn mowing service. Not sure if that even fits into any theme, Mark.

[Tankman 3,523]

I've owned quite a few Wheel Horses in the past. Most were round hoods, pull starts.

Just got hit again with the aliment. I call my two, "Horse Play."

'68 Raider 12, 12 hp Kohler, 48" deck and a '73 12hp Kohler, automatic, 42" deck

I also have a 25 HP Cadet, owned a '32 Farmall (first year with rubber tires).

My choice is gear drive, don't trust the automatics. For some reason, the Raider suits me best.

[KC9KAS 4,744]

My Wheel Horse collection really doesn't have a theme, but my garage has a theme....CHAOS!

[Hammerhead 817]

When I started collecting garden tractors, I had to have a 1963 953 since that is the first one we owned when I was growing up. I didn't find one of them right away but found a ton of other WH stuff! So I asked myself what would be the best type of WH collection? So I thought every Model ever made. So that is what I started out trying to do. I collected mostly the early ones from 1955 up to the 1970's. I never figured they made as many as they did, so I have givin up on the every one ever made idea and set out to get all the early models and I tripped over a bunch of newer stuff along the way like the bigger horse power models from the 1980's and 90's. It's a great hobby to enjoy. KJ

[gratefulydeadman 25]

hey steve.. i guess u could say i kinda have a theme to my collection. I like most things from the 50's into the 60's. i started with a 1968 raider 9. Then traded a craftsmen mower for an 855. i restored the 855 and gave it to my father. The 855 was the first year for the square hood design. So that left me needing a wheelhorse to ride around with my father. i didnt want one that looked like his but i wanted one kinda similar. That brings me to purchase and restoration of my 854. This was the last year of the round fender horses. I guess you could say that collecting wheelhorses and going to shows has brought my father and i closer to each other. Now keeping that in mind my latest aquisition of my rj58 was bought strictly because my father was born in 1958. my mother was born in 1959 and i am hoping that a rj59 will be my next purchase whenever i get the rj58 started and finished. so in conclusion i guess u could say that my collection is kinda family oriented. Besides just horses i have a 1967 jd112 w/ factory hydraulic lift and a 1961 international cub original. So i guess u could also say that my collection also reflects the beginning and ends of era's. with my 854(last round horse), 855(first square horse), 1961 cub original(first of a brand), and my 1967 jd 112h(last of the round fender deere's)

[cstempert 27]

My collection hasn't much theme, were mostly acquired because the deal was right.

I started with a Case 220 which I love and have set up with a cab for snow blowing. After that I bought my work-horse; '89 416-8 for mowing, at the same time I got an '84 416-8 with the Kohler (My dad has it now.) and a diesel Kubota L185 CUT. I restored all of them (except the 84 which is a clean original)

After setting up the 416, I cleaned up and sold the 96 Husq YT160 I was mowing with as it kept breaking the sheet metal frame.

I had a customer who had an old Toro golf course tractor that he let me drag home and I restored, has a Ford Industrial 9N engine. That's my parade tractor I guess. It gets at tension everywhere it goes

Just earlier this year a friend of ours' father wanted to get some tractors out of a garage after his father died and gave me a RS-83 to assemble and sell his '39 9N. I'm a Ford guy so I'll probably end up keeping the 9n because it's a real early one (s/n low 5k) and it would go well with my trucks (1949 Ford F-5 M/H & 1950 F-1 paneltruck)

I'm really just starting to gather info and parts for the Sr and will post a thread soon

...In a way they are all somewhat related ... I have Ford trucks & tractor, the Toro has a Ford engine, Toro acquired W/H. I have a Kohler in the '84 416-8, the Case has a Kohler 10, and it's orange, same as the Kubota...so maybe there is a theme here...

To round out ( ha...pun) I'd like to add a RJ now that I have the Sr., Luckily they are small because I'm running out of room

Edited November 8, 2014 by cstempert

[Geno 1,929]

My theme is easy.  If it is red and says   and has 4 wheels, 2 wheels, a track, or no wheels at all I'm in!    

[AMC RULES 37,196]

His theme is...    

  world domination. 

[Geno 1,929]

Yeah that's it, thanks Craig. 

[JC 1965 1,532]

No theme here. I just have 3 workers ready for duty. C-121 for snow duty, 312-8 for cutting grass and a Raider 12 with a transplanted Magnum 14 as a backup for cutting grass.   

[rick 255]

     LOL, my theme is that they have to agree to work!  I have C's, and 300/400 series. My attachments are interchangeable, I have enough tractors to keep the switching out to a minimum.

     I have the greatest respect for those that truly restore these great tractors, there are many beautiful jobs shown. That kind of work is not for me. While I will go to great lengths to do a mechanical restoration, and am anal about keeping to specs, I don't have the patience or time to make a pretty tractor. This is NOT meant to demean or minimize the efforts of those who go to great lengths in restoration! Hats off and kudos to those who do the hard work!

     I am 66 and still working full time, my commute is an hour or more each way. I live on 60 or so acres in a rural area, 1/2 mile off two lane blacktop. Gardening, hunting and cooking on a Big Green Egg are my hobbies. Brothers, there ain't  enough hours in the day as it is!

     Got some St. Louis ribs to prepare for tonight's supper!

[Horse46 519]

No theme here, I only have one the C-101

If I had reason for the C it would be because it looked cool and sounded cool, I would like more, I have no need for more so my theme has to be Coolness!

[Tankman 3,523]

Theme? Sure, "Horse Play." What else could it be?

[Geno 1,929]

Very Nice. 

[Sean Keys 57]

I collect round hood "Nut Roasters". Working on getting all of the models. My signature has the 4 models I currently have of the 8 I would like to eventually accumulate (I need a Rj25, RJ35, and a Suburban 400 and 401).