reddobie0 7 #1 Posted July 31, 2014 Just wanted to say hi! I have been riding Wheel Horse tractors since I was born(1970). My dad always had Wheel Horses and its been in my blood. I currently have a Commando 800 3 speed(tecumseh), 417-A, and a 314-Hydro. My 417-A quit working on me so I found the info on here to get it back up and running. Nice forum and a lot of good information. I was shocked to find so much info on these old tractors. I never realized how well built these are compared to a lot of the stuff out there today. I knew no different because this is all we ever owned until my neighbor saw the uni-drive on my one mower and showed me what his Home Depot bought mower had for a rear end. We started to compare and I realized his stuff sure won't last 40 plus years like my one mower. My family and I took the old commando apart and fixed her up and painted it and my son wanted it to look like a race car so we put racing stickers all over it. Amazing how well it still cuts after so many years. So nice site and hello! 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
rmaynard 14,964 #3 Posted July 31, 2014 Glad to have another Marylander aboard. So, where are you located? I am in New Windsor, just 2 miles south of the center of Westminster. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
reddobie0 7 #4 Posted July 31, 2014 I'm in Gambrills, Md a few miles west of Annapolis. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Molon_Labe 731 #5 Posted July 31, 2014 Nice collection of Horses and welcome to They just don't make 'em like they used to, that's why so many of these old timers are still around! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Eric C 109 #6 Posted July 31, 2014 (edited) Hi and welcome to the forum from another Marylander (Finksburg, the gateway to Carroll county) Mark your calendar now for the big wheel horse show next year. It's the weekend after fathers day in Arendtsville PA, just west of Gettysburg. You are guaranteed to find something you'll like, regardless if you "need" or not. Edited July 31, 2014 by Eric C Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
JackC 616 #7 Posted July 31, 2014 Welcome to RedSquare. This is a great site. Wheel Horse tractors are one of the finest examples of great styling, engineering, maintainability, and all American made quality. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Tankman 3,515 #9 Posted July 31, 2014 Welcome! We're always Horse play here! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
km3h 543 #10 Posted August 1, 2014 That's a good collection of horses. Welcome to the forum where everybody tries to help keep these great machines running. Post some photos of your collection. We all like to see what the other guy has. I am from Maryland also. Live just south of White Marsh. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
reddobie0 7 #11 Posted August 1, 2014 (edited) I posted pictures of my tractors in my gallery. I tried to post in the thread but the pics were too big. Here is a video of my wife trying to ride the 800. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0192i3EPZuE and my son riding the other two https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=27D5Qkn2mco https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gb99gNLEZRY Edited August 1, 2014 by reddobie0 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
shallowwatersailor 3,213 #12 Posted August 1, 2014 to . Enjoyed the videos! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
rmaynard 14,964 #13 Posted August 1, 2014 Love the videos. The little guy looks very comfortable on a horse, where mom looks a little timid at first. Thanks for posting! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
boovuc 1,090 #14 Posted August 1, 2014 Nice collection of WH! The appreciation of these tractors is more so when you throw money at the cheap tractors first then discover the quality of a WH and actually a few of the other older USA made brands. (You know.....back when we used to engineer and manufacture durable goods in this country and had a middle class economy). I guy once told me that he knew plenty of people with real old Craftsmen and MTD tractors. All they need is TLC and maintenance and any tractor will last. I don't think he could grasp just how many million(s) cheap lawn tractors have been stamped out through the years that the owners did garage keep, cleaned, changed the oil religiously and lubricated where they could be. The thin metal decks still rusted. The cheap springs and pulleys kept breaking, the rear ends kept snapping or broke internally, the crappy motors blew oil and the details on the tractors faded, ripped, rusted and or fell off. My father had a "Ride-A-Magic" 8 horse he bought at Montgomery Wards in the 70's. The only tractor he ever bought and ever owned. He kept it for almost 20 years until it just couldn't be used. He babied that tractor mowing a half acre of grass with no hills. Any WH tractor including the 200 series lawn tractors would have lasted 30, 40 or 50 years with the care my father gave that Wards tractor. (I will admit that the last two years he owned that Ride-A-Magic, we had no mosquitoes within a block of our house). People who own the old WH, Bolens, JD's, Cubs, Simplicities, Case/Ingersol-Rand, Gravely, Allen-Bradley and Panzers continue to use them and others are discovering these old tractors and are snatching them up. It sounds like your neighbor just discovered the quality of a WH and more than likely, he will have one parked in his garage when his lawn tractor croaks! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
JC 1965 1,528 #15 Posted August 1, 2014 Great video, thanks for sharing and Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
