What Are The Wheelhorse Weaknesses???

[MalMac 1,328]

The front axel pivot pin comes loose and then breaks the weld on the tab that holds it in. I have found this on several tractors. If a FEL is used all that weight sets on that small pin. Causes lots of wear on the axel pivot. Should have been designed with a bushing.

[TT-(Moderator) 1,129]

The front axel pivot pin comes loose and then breaks the weld on the tab that holds it in. I have found this on several tractors. If a FEL is used all that weight sets on that small pin. Causes lots of wear on the axel pivot. Should have been designed with a bushing.

I'd sooner think that lack of lubrication causes galling of the pin and axle bore. When the axle 'grabs' on the pin, it breaks the weld on the retainer tab. I grease the front axle pivot (bolster) religiously and I always 'take the weight off' with a floor jack under the frame or front hitch when greasing - same as the spindles. It's also not a bad idea to remove the bolster pin and add (cut/grind/file) a spiral grease groove for equal coverage.

[BOWTIE 226]

JAY , I DON'T THINK SO. I HAD 2 416 AND ONE WAS BROKE AND A 520 HAD THE LINE IN THE PAINT. I DON'T KNOW FOR SURE IF IT'S : TWISTING THE HOOD WHEN LIFTING, WARN OUT HOOD BUSHINGS LETING IT FLEX OR PUSHING THE TRACTORS AROUND BY THE FRONT OF THE HOOD. I CAN UNDERSTAND IT IF YOU BUMP SOMETHING WITH THE HOOD. I HAVE 1999 314-8 THAT'S SPLIT WITH 365 HRS AND 2002 315-8 WITH 312 HRS THAT HAS NO SIGNS AT ALL OF FATIQUE, THESE TWO TRACTORS HAVE HAD A VERY EASY LIFE.

BOWTIE

[Rock farmer 41]

Nobody has mentioned the rear lift cable going thru the tube and cutting into the axel?

That's something I'd check on any tractor I'd buy.

I don't know of a fix. Just replace with new components.

Joe

[boovuc 1,090]

I think a lot of the issues are covered and there will be more to come. I also think that the engineering of the Wheelhorse Garden Tractor became suspect over a long time line of use and owners! I don't think the engineers in South Bend ever contemplated their designs, (tractors), would be run as everyday tools in peoples backyards 30, 40 or 50 years into the future. And everybody uses their equipment differently. I had a neighbor in a development years ago that washed and waxed his John Deere "big box lawn tractor" after he mowed religiously. That tractor will be around for a long time and someone will say that was the best tractor JD every made! An overwelming majority of people who also had the same model will be junking theirs in 5 to 7 years of use.

A decent amount of WH Garden Tractors of the 50's, 60's, 70's, 80's and 90's are still in operation with many being used as everyday mowers and for seasonal ground engagment use. Many had more than 4 or 5 owners. The issues we point out are actually minor when you think of all the abuse and non-maintenance most of these machines incurred. But they are still useable. In a past thread I stated the garden tractors WH made then were a solid simple quality built, well engineered garden tractor that was a high water mark of American manufacturing. BUT......if you use something long and hard enough over a long period of time, no matter what it is, something somewhere will break! A design flaw? Maybe. A lot of issues on these machines can be traced to other companies that WH/Toro used. (Onan, Briggs, Sundstran, weak Eaton pumps, whoever supplied the cheap fiberglass fenders, belts, cheap gasoline with ethanol, maybe the paint and primer manufacturer, etc.). There are lots of "issues" with WH tractors. Same with the older Bolans, Cubs and JD's. But they showed up over time and for many, a long period of time. We can still talk about what we notice because something cracked or quit last night is something to be amazed by and something we most likely will never see manufactured new again in our lives.

[whc160 74]

Discovered this crack in the lower hood stand on thanksgiving day...

any ideas what would posssibly cause this to happen?

Heaving too hard on the lift lever and/or using the steering wheel as a grab handle when mounting/dismounting.

Craig 3 out of 4 of my C-160's had cracked hood stands at the bottom. One was on the left side like yours. The other two were on the right under the belt guard. On the two that I fixed I found that the mountings bolts in the frame had come loose, I think to do with what TT said. The one when I got it was already fixed before I bought it.

[AMC RULES 36,957]

Just wish I would've discovered it before mounting this new score I cherry picked from my buddy's Jacobsen collection.

All mounted up, then I discovered the spring in the lift handle is also broken... AARGH!

[roscoemi 245]

I'm more than willing to take that blade off your hands seeing as you can't use it! :ychain: