Why do you collect these tractors?

[Desko 552]

I'll post some video links from my you tube of the work horse and some other wheel horse related stuff

[Desko 552]

My You Tube channel

http://www.youtube.com/user/ryandesko006/videos

wheel horse project 1

[WHEEL HORSE 312-8 52]

I learne d from my great grandpa older machines r better new ones r garbage and before he died he bout me a wheel horse 211-5 my first tractor that's y I collect them

[Rob.A.700 306]

There are a lot of great people with a lot of great knowledge and tractors on this sight. Thinking about how I got addicted made me wonder how others got hooked.

 

My story is by chance I was bored at work one day and decided I wanted a garden tractor to tinker with. So I hit up the old CL and found an add "one year only wheel horse" work horse 700 by the sellers story (later to be decided as a 655/656). The guy wanted $200 asked him if he could do better and got it that night for $180. I got it running and did some maintenance and cosmetic work, and found a few implements. And along the way found it some other horses to keep it company. I haven't looked back sense.

 

Right after I picked it up

 

What it looks like now

[buffaloman 295]

I needed a mower when I moved to a place with an acre lot to mow, my Father in Law gave me a C-120 8 speed out of his herd . automatic addiction! I just Love to ride these tractors its nostalgic , and to know your sitting on machines 40-50 -60 yrs old! and they still run! how can anyone not think that they are the best machine ever built.

Edited June 15, 2016 by buffaloman

[Achto 26,569]

I had a 10 horse diesel engine sitting around that needed a home. I found this old girl that had been sitting in the woods for 15 years at a friends house and thought it would be a good candidate.

After putting a battery and some gas in it it fired right up & ran good. Well at this point I couldn't bring my self to chop it up & make the diesel fit. Instead I decided to restore it and ended up with this.

One year later 1 lead to 4 & a want for more. Yep the disease set in hard.  Oh yea, I still haven't found a home for that diesel engine. Maybe some day

 

Edited June 16, 2016 by achto

[Daddy Don 893]

Looks great keep buying it is in the blood now.

[ClassicTractorProfessor 5,262]

Mine all started a few months ago...I have been wanting a garden tractor for a long time and friend of mine told me I should try to find a Wheel Horse...said they were the best out there. Spotted two or three at auctions over the last 3-4 years but they all sold for way more than I could afford. One day a few months back I was at the coffee shop and happened to have an old Montgomery Ward rider on the back of the old 66 F350 I had picked up the night before at the city dump...friend of mine asked if I was wanting another mower and I said no until he told me it was a Wheel Horse. Went and looked at it...and that's how the 1277 came along...and the resulting addiction. 

 

Then when I was ordering belts for the 1277...got to talking to a guy and ended up going to his place the next day and the 701 followed me home. 

 

And finally I was browsing the classifieds here on RedSquare looking for attachments for the 1277 or parts for the 701 when I stumbled upon the Commando V8 that I bought for the wife.

 

Still looking for number four...found a 1054 on Craigslist but a little unsure of it as he says the transmission is stuck in gear.

[kthack657 254]

Mine was kind of by assimilation, my hubbie mowed with a lawn ranger as a kid, and when his newer Toro broke, he remembered that wheel horse, and decided that was what we needed.  Wound up getting a 657 to mow with.  then we added a raider 12...and then we were hooked... here is a picture of the lawn ranger that my husband mowed with (totally redone)

[rjg854 10,744]

A Commando 8 started it for me. Bought it for $100, for something to tinker with, I like working on older types of equipment. Bringing stuff back to life so to speak. Well like most of us one just isn't enough, one building later, 3 tractors, miscellaneous implements, and a  trailer, I'm looking for the next acquisition 

[elliot ness 1,916]

My collection  started because I was driving down the high way many years ago when along side the road I saw a big garden tractor with a huge gas tank on the rear, and the tank reminded me of a dozer my dad. I stop and talked to the owner and later that Day I brought my first D200 home. I fell head over heals for that beast and the love for wheel horses continues strong today. That old D was about shot, but I enjoyed it for years and even put a loader on it . I have 7 running wheel horses  at the moment. and a few parts tractors. I have tried to stop and almost got out of the W/H's all together a few years bad, but it's in my blood. When I did try to sell all my tractors, my wife talked me out of it. Lucky man I am, great wife and a great collection.

[ohiofarmer 3,157]

 I had a Sears that I bought with my country house and got tired of the constant repairs. Finally, three of us went together and bought three Horses new. Unfortunately, i got the onan 416 that lost the engine and now will have to have a harbor freight. I also bought a 520H used from the same dealer and it lasted better but the engine started making noises and I put the 13 HP harbor Freight in that one first.

 

 A few weeks ago, I bought a Raider10 with a Kohler and cannot get enough. I added a comfortable seat and now have gone through it with new gear oil and added some LED headlights. I hate to admit it, but that mower is easier to adjust and mows the tough stuff better and more evenly than the bigger machines. An absolute bargain at $300. I can take the old worn blades from the 48" decks and make them get a second life on the 42" deck on the Raider10. I do miss the steering on the 520,though, so I use them both.

 

 My machines work for a living, but it would be nice to paint up that Raider

[Aldon 4,826]

Mine story starts out similar to Buffaloman's. I had relocated back east from out west. I sold everything and downsized as we were moving into an apartment for a couple years. When I proceeded to purchase a home, it was like Christmas as I got to buy a lot of what I'd divested. During transition wife and I became empty nesters. Prioritized my needs and snow blower was 1st on my list. Ended up with a Cub Cadet 3x unit. Throws snow great.... Back to the purpose of this meandering tale.......I'm not made of cash nor do I have a printing press so I did lots of research on each purchase. I have about an acre of grass and additional 2.5 acres of scrubby sandy quasi wetland. So garden tractor was 2nd priority. Not knowing any better but doing due diligence I initially started looking at box store units. Research indicated that these units were consumable and most could not handle ground engaging implements. Along the path I determined to acquire a true garden tractor. I was open to yellow, green or red. Red won out due to impliment universally swapped by many models. Ended up with a C-161 twin Briggs. Not necessarily bad but it seems there the single Kohlers are easier to get parts for and maintain. So after a few months I started acquiring tractors and taking opportunity to test drive buddies tractors and even had the C-195 for a time. But the first time I saw a GT14 something resonated with me. Have had 4 and still have 2 of them. The restoration was fun and tedious at same time due to the self imposed deadline for the show. I'm not sure how long it would have taken otherwise. I like old things. Cars, antiques, machines and tractors etc. I'll likely never sell my GT14 but I am drawn to Panzers and old Allis Chalmers tractors too:-)

Edited June 16, 2016 by Aldon

[ACman 7,510]

Growing up in a Allis Chalmers AG  dealership , I'd never even considered an lawn tractor . So when my cousin (ACcuz) wanted to go look at this little old tractor I  wasn't expecting much . When we arrived at @Dhodge house , he showed us his herd , explaining the differences between models. Couldn't believe how many tractors he had, stashed away. He showed us what he'd sell . Loved the round hoods as they looked like a big tractor. Bought the RJ in the ad ,along with a 702 as projects. He told us about Red Square , so I looked it up the next day. Been hooked ever since. Here's the ad that started it all.

[312Hydro 473]

When I lived in town my neighbor bought a 1990 312 and I used to watch him mow thinking how great it looked. I had two lots to mow so I bought one too. I bought the same Wheelhorse he had cause I didn't want him to think I was one upping him by buying a larger horsepower. Mine was a 312h even though I wanted the 520h at the time. I didn't think I had enough yard to justify the 520h. So I waxed that 312h and really babied it. That is until my wife's sister put her purse on it and scratched the hood with its rivets.Then it just wasn't the same any more and I let it go downhill over time. Fast forward to 2011 and my tractor was looking pretty sorry. Duct tape on the seat and paint faded and blistered from being left out . I found Red Square somehow and saw all the beautiful restorations the members were posting and decided my 312h deserved to be restored too. You can read about it here -

- I did finally get my 520h but had to visit Michigan to get it-     

 

[rmaynard 14,906]

Mine actually started in the summer of 1960 without me knowing it. I was going into 5th grade, she was in 4th. She was the daughter of one of my dad's old army buddies. They had money, so the kids had most any cool thing they wanted. We were visiting for a picnic at her house and she asked me if I wanted to ride her tractor. I wasn't sure what she meant by that, but I said 'sure'. She and I went out to the back of the house and there sat a little red tractor with a cart. I found out many years later that little tractor was a Wheel Horse, probably an RJ or Suburban. I wasn't that interested in the tractor, I was more interested in 'the girl'. We rode that tractor until the sun went down and we had to leave. As we were getting ready to go, she kissed me goodbye. Wow, that was my first kiss from a girl other than a cousin or my mother. The memories of that kiss, coupled with the image a little red tractor still remain indelible in my brain. I never saw either again.

 

Fast forward to 1993. That's when I purchased my first Wheel Horse, a 1977 B-100. I bought it because it looked tough, my father-in-law said 'you can't go wrong with a Wheel Horse', and I thought about that little red tractor and the girl. Her father passed away in the late 1990's, and my dad and I were talking about him. He asked "I wonder if he still had that little Wheel Horse tractor that you kids played with?" In 2009, I decided to refurbish the B-100, and in November of 2009 I discovered RedSquare. That's when the real addiction began.

 

The rest of the story is in the more than 9000 posts here on the forum.

 

 

[WHX?? 46,803]

 & lots of cool stories &  here!

 

Good threads @312Hydro was this tractor  liquid cooled or is that hydraulic fuid??

[312Hydro 473]

LOL! That tractor actually was another members,dobeleo. But ya ,it looks liquid cooled to me! Always a welcome refreshment after mowing.

looks like he did a fine job restoring it. Found this-http://

Edited June 16, 2016 by 312Hydro

[Uncle Buck 246]

Just before my pop retired around 1985 he ask me to go look at an old riding mower he was thinking about buying. What we found was a 1968 Lawn Ranger setting behind a house. The machine was almost totally complete except for the knurled thumbscrews that secure the hood. The thing did not run and no telling how long it had been setting. Pop looked it over and seemed ready to leave. I knew nothing about the brand but I really liked what I saw. I told pop he needed to buy that thing and tear it down and refurbish it. Understand, pop wanted a rider to use not collect or show. Pop replied what if the engine is shot? Then what? I told him big deal if the engine was shot, even if he had to buy a new replacement the whole machine was virtually all steel and it would clearly outlast him and probably me! Fortunately pop saw things my way. He did in fact put a new engine on it, new belt, a new seat to help his bad back, new blades and deck bearings then repainted everything IH red and AC cream. He mowed with it for a few years then passed it over to me where it mowed three acres a week for a couple of years.

 

Time went by and I was married, still had the horse, mowed my small yard with it but spent more time giving kids tractor rides with them setting on my leg. Then I did the unthinkable, I am embarrassed to admit that I carelessly let it go low on oil and trashed the engine. I was going to either rebuild or replace it with another Techy engine. I have since changed my mind and decided to repower with a HF Predator instead. That is still not done though. Over the last 10 years or so I have added a 1963 633 and a yet undetermined year Suburban. Mower decks, one for each, one snowplow and mount for unknown model number WH. I also have a sweet 4 wheel wagon. I added an 857 to the herd in October of 13. Thanks to my good WH friend and fellow RS member (bowtieguy) I now have a nice plow and chains for my 857 WH as of late November 13!  Now today I am considering bringing home a 1979 B-100 with a deck and plow to fix just good enough to be reliable and loan to my SIL for whatever time she still has to mow her large property until her house sells. If she is still there come winter then I will swap the deck for the plow so she can clear her driveway too. Once her house sells she is going to an apartment so I will figure what I am going to do with the Horse then. I am simply out of room for storage so who knows what I will do. I do know if push comes to shove round hoods stay for sure, I would have to part ways with a square hood.

 

But then maybe not, that is what tarps are made for right?

Edited June 16, 2016 by Uncle Buck

[WHX?? 46,803]

Anybody else notice how dear old Dad is involved in many of  these stories??

 

Only one thing you can do when you run out of storage for horses ...buy more!!

[WheelHorseNut 222]

Hey guys!  I'm new here but I thought this would be as good a post as any to introduce myself.

My love of these tractors started about 12 years ago when I bought an old house.  It had a few outbuildings and in one of them was a snowblower attachment and a back blade.  I didn't really know anything about it or what it attached to so I just left it there.

In the garage, I had discovered a manual for a 1973 Wheel Horse Raider 10 lawn tractor.  I thought it was pretty cool and thumbed through it and discovered that the snow blower attachment belonged to that tractor.  The tractor, however, was nowhere to be found...

 

One day, after my neighbor had seen me mow the large lawn with a self-propelled Ariens walk behind mower, he came over and said, hey, I have this old tractor that the previous owner of your house had given me -- do you want it?  It runs and just needs maybe a tune up and a battery.  I told him that I'd definitely be interested and he pushed it over (the front tires were flat and dry rotted).  I was thrilled to return the tractor to the property and reunited it with the snow blower attachment and blade in the shed.  It sat there for a year and I ended up moving it out to storage at my work.  It sat there for several more years but I had been doing so much reading and craigslist shopping over those years.  After 3 moves, I am finally in a place to use it.  Unfortunately, a few years ago, we had a hurricane and the wheel horse had suffered some damage by salt water.  My workplace was fairly high, or so I thought... Anyway, the salt water had attacked it pretty good and, unfortunately, caused some rust on a rust free tractor -- nothing that can't be fixed with some evaporust and high build primer on some of the lower sheet metal but it was just too bad that it happened at all.  Luckily, the motor didn't suffer any damage.

 

Now, I am in a place where I can get to restoring this tractor.  The funny thing is, for the last few years, I've been eyeing several others that are around and for sale before I finish this one... Hah!

Anyway, I am pumped up about getting this thing restored.  Here are a few pics.  I'm looking for the pictures of when I originally received it but it might take a while.

 

[WHX?? 46,803]

  @WheelHorseNut

Need any help along the way just ask!!

[rmaynard 14,906]

@WheelHorseNut Glad to have you.

[Racinbob 10,287]

Very true Jim. My addiction began in 1960 when I was five. My Dad pulled into the driveway with a shiny new Suburban 400. He let me drive it all around but would take the belt for the mower deck off when I did. It wasn't too long before I was mowing with it. Definitely at a younger age than what is 'politically correct' these days. I was always helping him with the car, tractor and other equipment. Sometimes a bit too much. One time I decided to help out by pouring water into that opening coming through the hood. After all, I watched him pour water in the car so I figured that was what it was for. The water made it to the carburetor just as he reached the furthest  point from the garage on his 10 acres. In 1964 he bought a new 704. In 1968 he bought a green thingy and I remember to this day how upset I was with him. He only kept that one two years before he bought a new Raider 12 in 1970. That one kept it's home until after we moved down here in 2000. Married in 1975 I bought my first new one. A 76 B-80 that I converted to a C-160. That stayed with me until the move here. I was amazed when I discovered that the neighbors to our daughter have it. That was another thread a couple years ago. Over the years in Indiana I built up quite a herd with just about every attachment and tractors dedicated to each one. They were all workers on our 26 acres except for an 854 I restored as a parade tractor. Every 4th of July I would hook on a trailer to the 854, load it up with family members and drive it the two miles to 'downtown' North Liberty to watch the parade.

[WHX?? 46,803]

2 minutes ago, Racinbob said:

After all, I watched him pour water in the car so I figured that was what it was for.

As long as your still not doing it!! What did dad say after his walk back???