Horse with famous PO - a new addition to the stable!

[wheeledhorseman 579]

If you leave the stable door open you may find that another horse has crept in - seems to keep happening to me!  I'll come to the PO bit later but before I hear cries of OMG he's gone and bought another boat anchor or didn't you part one of these out last year I must say that in parting out a 210-4 (which was already minus engine) I was quite impressed with it for what it was with its substantial folded steel chassis. Sure, these were designed to be mowing machines for lawns with a rear pto and hitch fittings so that you could run the powered grass collector on the back but to me it had a special charm none the less with its electric pto, sort of column shift I suppose you'd call it, stumpy x00 series hood etc.

 

The one I've just purchased was described as::

Wheel horse tractor mower 210-4 well used machine needs tlc last used last summer 2012 (use the word summer lightly) needs several things doing to get it working again

                        1 new starter motor
                        2 ignition switch
                        3 Battery may need replacing as its been stood

This lawn mower is for either spares or repairs not working at present!
 

Hmm... I thought, if the price is right there's money to be made parting this out and it has a deck that looks as though its in pretty good nick as well. So here it is.

 

 

It clearly has a bad attitude problem and lost its headlamps thinking that a tree would come off worse but it kind of adds to the charm and I do have a good hood with lamps for one of these in stock but first to see whats what with the pile of bits removed from it.

 

 

It had obviously failed to turn over this season, was fitted with a new solenoid to no avail, and the starter had been removed to reveal a broken magnet. I'm not sure where the ignition switch came into all of this or why it was removed as it checked out ok so I put it back.

 

One of the four ceramic magnets in the starter had broken up and jammed it. There were three decent sized pieces that were retrieved and lots of shards to clean out. An aftermarket starter in the US is just over £40 but add a further £24 shipping and then theres the import fees to pay. (I did find a source of one here in the UK at a staggering £160) so it looked like parting out time unless I can glue some of the magnet back. I then wondered how good one of these starters would be with just three magnets - just out of interest with nothing to lose, at the end of the day reassembled and fitted the starter, fitted the solenoid, ign switch and put the engine tin etc back, found a battery and...... it turns over ok. Woo - Hoo!

 

 

It was very tempting to try and get it to run but as it was getting late and the rubber gas tank bung that the valve sits in has had it, decided not to put fuel in till tomorrow but it has good compression so fingers crossed! Looks like it could be joining the stable rather than being parted.

 

It was only in the process of collecting it and loading it up that we got talking and I let it slip that I restore and collect them so he decide that I ought to know it's history so I feel a little guessing game coming on here - no prizes though.

 

The original owner that let him have the WH when he moved to the US was a member of a well known band during the second half of the 1960s. Not a beatle but there is a connection of sorts.

 

Married for a second time in the 80s and bought a property in the Meon Valley area of Hampshire and a WH to mow the grass which still has the local dealership sticker on it. The tractor was used on occasions to drive to the local pub and back - possibly how it sustained the damage perhaps?

 

I can't verify the story as the guy in question is dead now. I didn't realise this until I started researching to try and make contact. He's on Facebook but I was informed that to make contact with him I needed to join up. (Didn't realise that the benefits of Facebook include communication with the other side!)

 

Can you guess who it is yet? More clues to follow but have a go at guessing first.

 

Andy

[Lars 526]

another good find Andy.. does it have a B/S engine?

then i have a starter for it in the shed.. i know i have a good starter that came of a 12,5 hp engine i think 10 to 12.5 hp has the same starter.

Edited May 20, 2013 by Knusern

[rmaynard 16,342]

I'm going to guess that it was Davy Jones of the Monkees. I have friends that own a farm in Pennsylvania near where Davy lived about a decade or so ago. They told me that he was a regular kind of guy, and I figure that he just might have cut his grass with a Wheel Horse.

[JamesBe1 84]

I guess it is Davy Jones too.

 

BTW, that looks so much lime my 212-6 it isn't funny.  Complete with the dented in plastic grill on the front.   Kinda creepy how people parallel.  I guess great mind think alike (but so do sick ones - remember that )

Funny, if you were closer, I would have given it to you for next to nothing.  I'm not very fond of it.

 

Anyhow, congrats on you new acquisition.  I hope you enjoy it.

Also, I couldn't tell from the pictures, but is the rear fender plastic or metal?

[dsholler 54]

I think you should try to sell it on one of the reality TV shows.

[meadowfield 2,756]

another good find Andy, I was going to say someone out of floyd, but the aren't exclusively 60's - davey jones is a good guess!

[wheeledhorseman 579]

another good find Andy.. does it have a B/S engine?

then i have a starter for it in the shed.. i know i have a good starter that came of a 12,5 hp engine i think 10 to 12.5 hp has the same starter.

Thanks for the offer Lars - much appreciated. Unfortunately it has a Kawasaki engine.

 

 

I'm going to guess that it was Davy Jones of the Monkees. I have friends that own a farm in Pennsylvania near where Davy lived about a decade or so ago. They told me that he was a regular kind of guy, and I figure that he just might have cut his grass with a Wheel Horse.

 

On the nail Bob! The guy I got the 210 from said much the same about him and that when he was over here he'd ask if the Wheel Horse was still going. I gather he had a larger tractor(s) in the US.

 

 

I think you should try to sell it on one of the reality TV shows.

 

As mentioned in the original post I have only the second owner's word for it that the history is true and Davy never autographed it,

 

 

I guess it is Davy Jones too.

 

BTW, that looks so much lime my 212-6 it isn't funny.  Complete with the dented in plastic grill on the front.   Kinda creepy how people parallel.  I guess great mind think alike (but so do sick ones - remember that )

Funny, if you were closer, I would have given it to you for next to nothing.  I'm not very fond of it.

 

Anyhow, congrats on you new acquisition.  I hope you enjoy it.

Also, I couldn't tell from the pictures, but is the rear fender plastic or metal?

 

 

The 210 is all metal construction James, apart from the headlamp surround which is different to the regular 2,3,4 series lights. The tractor probably wouldn't have got a mention on RS beyond some parts being used in future project threads if it wasn't for the story that went with it. Parted out the engine and the transaxle are each worth more than I paid for the tractor and I didn't get it with a view to adding it to the herd but if I get it running at little expense then I'm thinking I'd best keep it. After all, as I have a tiny example from the ABC series, I suppose there's a case for having a tiny example of the 2,3,4 series.

 

 

another good find Andy, I was going to say someone out of floyd, but the aren't exclusively 60's - davey jones is a good guess!

 

 

I wonder how many other people in the entertainment business had Wheel Horses Mark? Roger Waters would have been a good guess actually, as he lives a few miles from me on his Kimbridge Manor Estate which is kept 'well manicured' but I don't know him to ask if he's ever had one but it's possible.

 

Andy

[meadowfield 2,756]

I think there might be a few - I seem to recall Neil has a GT that has a relatively famous past owner...

[bowtieguy 334]

How about the drummer w/Kentucky Headhunters......Fred ??????..........and remember the pic of Bob Hope?....and my favorite gal on page 73!!!!!