Reo Wheel Horse snow thrower

[Coadster32 793]

Picked this up a couple of weeks ago. Don't know too much about it, but the price was right. Typical carb cleaning, and fluid change. She starts right up and runs nice. Bearings are all freed up, and it engages and drives nice. I thought it was in pretty decent shape. I painted the top cover, and put a RS sticker on it. (certified). Model is 420. Has a Tech/Lauson MW-10597 on it. Don't know too much about that either.

If anyone has any info on it, or a year, that's be great. :hide:

[sscotsman 194]

wow, a single stage! I didnt know REO/Wheel Horse had those..

I havent seen that particular model before..

I had a thread about a different model awhile back (a 2-stage)

http://www.wheelhorseforum.com/index.php?showtopic=16561

If the engine is a Tecumseh, I can tell you the year from the Tecumseh serial number..(assuming its the original engine, which it likely is..)

Scot

[Coadster32 793]

If the engine is a Tecumseh, I can tell you the year from the Tecumseh serial number

Serial # 3211 02375

I too am assuming this to be original. I'm pretty sure bought reo in '61' to get into the rear riding lawn mowing buisness quickly, before the lawn ranger was introduced. The serial# on the thrower is 4603 or 4803. (hard to make out). I figure the year of the motor might tell the tale.

[sscotsman 194]

If the engine is a Tecumseh, I can tell you the year from the Tecumseh serial number

Serial # 3211 02375

I have some info that says Wheel Horse bought Reo in 1963..

and made Reo/Wheel horse snowblowers into the "early 70's"..

(I dont have an exact date for when they stopped making them)

So your snowblower could be a 1963 or a 1973 model!

serial number 3211, in Tecumseh parlance, translates as "the 211th day of a year ending in 3"..unfortulately Tecumseh never bothered to add that fifth digit that would tell us the *exact* year! like if they did 63211, or 73211, we would know..but the number 3211 could mean 1963, 1973, or even 1983!

we know it isnt 1983 because WH wasnt making REO snowblowers into the 80's..

So that leaves 1963 or 1973 as the only possible options..

If it was an Ariens snowblower, I could tell you for sure if it was a '63 or a '73!

there are obvious difference over those 10 years..

but I dont know enough about WH/REO snowblowers to tell for sure..

If we found the date for when WH stopped making them..(say if it was 1971 for example) then we could confidantly date your machine as a '63..

otherwise, we dont have enough to go on yet..

Interesting Trivia..the REO company is best known for building the "REO Speedwagon"..a delivery truck from the 19-teens and 1920's..and yes, the band is named after the truck!

Scot

[sscotsman 194]

Chris,

I thought of one detail that should be tell the difference between 1963 and 1973..the style of muffler on the engine! (again, assuming the muffler is original!

Tecumseh model numbers probably wont tell the tale..they made H50, H60. H70, etc engines all through the 60's and 70's..so the model number alone probably wont tell the year..but the muffler should!

If it has a "button" style muffler like this:

Then its a 1963..

If it has the more modern style "square" muffler like this:

Then its a 1973!

(the change over of the muffler styles happened in 1967)

please post a photo of the muffler!

and the engine model too..

Scot

[Coadster32 793]

Wow, at work the picstures sure are darker than at home. (monitor). It has a square type muffler on it. (The design sure seems antiquated to be a 1970 snow thrower to me though.) On another note, the 551 lauson on my 551 came off an ariens jsut like in your picture. They were top of the line back then, (and now in my book). Thanks Scott for doing some of this leg work for me. :hide:

[sscotsman 194]

Wow, at work the picstures sure are darker than at home. (monitor). It has a square type muffler on it. (The design sure seems antiquated to be a 1970 snow thrower to me though.) On another note, the 551 lauson on my 551 came off an ariens jsut like in your picture. They were top of the line back then, (and now in my book). Thanks Scott for doing some of this leg work for me.

Well there you go then!

I would say with 90% confidance that you have a 1973 model!

Yeah, the design does seem perhaps antiquated..but not really..

snowblower evolution was pretty gradual back then..I wouldnt be surprised if a 1973 model was basically identical to a 1963 model..

and its also a single stage, which by the 70's was probably a lower priority than the 2-stagers, as far as R&D was concerned..and REO began their snowblower line in the 50's.when Wheel Horse bought the line in '63 they might not have wanted to put much money into updating the designs, for whatever reasons..

So..I dont think it looks terribly out of place for a '73! it looks about right to me..

(and there is always the possibility that it *is* a replaced engine afterall..the snowblower could be a 1965 (or whatever) model, that later had a newer 1973 engine put on it..but its also quite likey the engine is original, and both the snowblower and the engine are both 1973 models..

Cool machine! and probably quite rare..an interesting piece of Wheel Horse history..

Scot

[gwest_ca-(File Mod) 11,744]

From what I've seen the 420 was sold 1962-67. If you go to the largest Database Table in

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/wheelhorsetractormanuals/

and do a search for 420 - then go down to the snowthrowers you will see the different ways the 420 model number was written. There is also some manuals and product service bulletins listed.

The Toro MPV does have some of them.

Garry

[stevasaurus 23,456]

Nice looking blower Chris, and a nice find. Some great information on this thread. You guys know that I love the snow, so not surprisingly, I am into the walk behind blowers...Chris yours is a beauty.. Thanks for sharing guys. :WRS:

[sscotsman 194]

From what I've seen the 420 was sold 1962-67. If you go to the largest Database Table in

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/wheelhorsetractormanuals/

and do a search for 420 - then go down to the snowthrowers you will see the different ways the 420 model number was written. There is also some manuals and product service bulletins listed.

The Toro MPV does have some of them.

Garry

ah! interesting..thanks Garry!

well then, now it seems more likely its a replaced engine afterall..

a 1962-1967 snowblower with a 1973 (or 1983!) engine on it..

(I doubt its a 1963 engine with a newer replacement muffler..I have never seen that done..I think there is something about the engine designs that doesnt allow the newer "square" muffler to replace the older "button" muffler..although I could be wrong!) but I would say its much more likely the engine is a 1973, on an older snowblower..when you get into these 30, 40, and even 50 year old snowblowers, replaced engines become common..in my Ariens research, I would say about 30% of the currently operating 60's and 70's machine have newer engines on them..simply because the engines dont last as long as the machines themselves..(which are often bullet-proof and last virtually forever, with good maintance and care)

Getting closer!

there is probably info, somewhere, that can figure out the exact model year, based on the model and serial number of the snowblower..

Scot

[wheelhorse656 20]

From what I've seen the 420 was sold 1962-67. If you go to the largest Database Table in

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/wheelhorsetractormanuals/

and do a search for 420 - then go down to the snowthrowers you will see the different ways the 420 model number was written. There is also some manuals and product service bulletins listed.

The Toro MPV does have some of them.

Garry

ah! interesting..thanks Garry!

well then, now it seems more likely its a replaced engine afterall..

a 1962-1967 snowblower with a 1973 (or 1983!) engine on it..

(I doubt its a 1963 engine with a newer replacement muffler..I have never seen that done..I think there is something about the engine designs that doesnt allow the newer "square" muffler to replace the older "button" muffler..although I could be wrong!) but I would say its much more likely the engine is a 1973, on an older snowblower..when you get into these 30, 40, and even 50 year old snowblowers, replaced engines become common..in my Ariens research, I would say about 30% of the currently operating 60's and 70's machine have newer engines on them..simply because the engines dont last as long as the machines themselves..(which are often bullet-proof and last virtually forever, with good maintance and care)

Getting closer!

there is probably info, somewhere, that can figure out the exact model year, based on the model and serial number of the snowblower..

Scot

most tecumseh 5hp and up had the bolts to put that style muffler on but the hole was threaded for a button muffler. one fast way to tell is to take the muffler off and see if the hole is threaded if not more than likly it was replaced but if the hole is threaded its probly original. Good Luck, Jordan

[VinsRJ 723]

Chris that thing looks great! Hoping for a big up coming winter :hide:

[SNYFIX 13]

Interesting collectable !!

[Red Horse 33]

If the engine is a Tecumseh, I can tell you the year from the Tecumseh serial number

Serial # 3211 02375

I have some info that says Wheel Horse bought Reo in 1963..

and made Reo/Wheel horse snowblowers into the "early 70's"..

(I dont have an exact date for when they stopped making them)

So your snowblower could be a 1963 or a 1973 model!

serial number 3211, in Tecumseh parlance, translates as "the 211th day of a year ending in 3"..unfortulately Tecumseh never bothered to add that fifth digit that would tell us the *exact* year! like if they did 63211, or 73211, we would know..but the number 3211 could mean 1963, 1973, or even 1983!

we know it isnt 1983 because WH wasnt making REO snowblowers into the 80's..

So that leaves 1963 or 1973 as the only possible options..

If it was an Ariens snowblower, I could tell you for sure if it was a '63 or a '73!

there are obvious difference over those 10 years..

but I dont know enough about WH/REO snowblowers to tell for sure..

If we found the date for when WH stopped making them..(say if it was 1971 for example) then we could confidantly date your machine as a '63..

otherwise, we dont have enough to go on yet..

Interesting Trivia..the REO company is best known for building the "REO Speedwagon"..a delivery truck from the 19-teens and 1920's..and yes, the band is named after the truck!

Scot

Additional trivia Scot.. REO was a set of initials for Ransom Eli Olds maker of the Oldsmobile. When he sold Oldsmobile to GM he couldn't use that name anymore if he wanted to go back into the car business so he used his intiials. Made cars up the mid 1930's then made trucks only until they were bought out by Diamond T. Now you know the rest of the story.:hide:

[Woodsman 3]

Red Horse is right on the money with his REO trivia. Some of the middle aged and younger members of this board may know of a certain Rock & Roll band that was so fond of one of REO's vehicles that they used it for the name of their band. Anyone ever heard of REO Speedwagon?

[Coadster32 793]

This is turning out to be a pretty informative thread as far as history goes. When I get a chance, I'll try to pull the muffler, and have a look at possible threads that may lay behind it. Really neat stuff with Oldsmobile, and the music band. :hide:

[Kelly 1,033]

My Grandfather worked at REO in the 30's building trucks, I work about 4 blocks from the old REO plant, well at least where it used to be they tore it down a number of years ago, in downtown Lansing MI. I bet a few million cars were built here over the last 100 years, there is a cool REO museum, here with lots of cool stuff in it.

[Coadster32 793]

My memory lapsed me quickly this week I guess. Yeah, it's a pipe threaded muffler. (Doesn't look like it had the room for a Kohler looking style can though). Hard to see in the picture, but the white line just above the muffler is the white top that's painted. Adding all of these up is starting to point to an original 1963 model.

[wh1257 226]

I got an cab for this machienes

[dclarke 4,108]

Chris, i've had this old REO for several years and really like it. it's built like a tank. i think it's a '64 or '65 with a 6 horse tecky.

[sscotsman 194]

My memory lapsed me quickly this week I guess. Yeah, it's a pipe threaded muffler. (Doesn't look like it had the room for a Kohler looking style can though). Hard to see in the picture, but the white line just above the muffler is the white top that's painted. Adding all of these up is starting to point to an original 1963 model.

oh ok! well that makes much more sense..(you said "square muffler" before!

I agree, that type muffler, combined with the Tecumseh date code of 3211, combined with the info Garry found that says 1962-67 for the model 420, all come together nicely to suggest a 1963 model snowblower, with its original engine..nice!

Scot

[Coadster32 793]

Thanks again Scott, and Garry for all the info. Gotta love RS.

Hey Denny, that thing does look like a tank. Looks like a two stage chucker. That'll last another lifetime I bet. It looks to be in great shape!

[wh1257 226]

here a cab for an reo

[Coadster32 793]

Cab looks to be in pretty darn good shape! :hide: