522xi

[cdsl810 181]

OK guys... I have a rare opportunity to get one... a 522xi with 52" deck, blade, and 44" 2-stage snowthrower. About 800 hours on the tickity-tock.

My question to you is this: is this rare beast worth $2500?

I bought my 520-H with 525 hours on it for $900. I know the 522xi is far more advanced feature-wise, but is that asking price in the ballpark?

[bmsgaffer 2,053]

Yea that's a great deal if its in decent shape. Not all that rare, just not many on the resale market yet.

 

[JERSEYHAWG / Glenn 4,498]

IMHO, with all those attachments yes, I paid allmost that for mine with just the deck. Although the hours were much lower, maybe 240 or so at the time. The blade and snowthrower  in "good shape " arent found all over the place. Some pictures if possible would be good. Its a great machine. Big, heavy, good ride, etc.  I really enjoy my 522. Best of luck..

Glenn

[Forest Road 594]

If everything is in REALLY REALLY great shape then it's a fare deal. Pics would help. Don't waste anytime comparing a 520H to an XI. It's like F150 vs F350. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[shallowwatersailor 3,214]

I agree with Kevin. The 5xi series have the good design features of Wheel Horse with added improvements. The Hi-Lo range on the Eaton 11 along with a Neutral position allows it to be moved ( level surface as it is 1100 pounds) by hand, lengthened wheelbase, step-though open station, rocker pedal control (allows easy hydraulic braking), and tight turning radius. All of the 5xi series, including the 518xi without PS and only the Mid-Back seat, are great tractors.

The price, if in decent shape, is about right for all that you mentioned. The hours on the Kohler Command are starting to be up there but parts will be cheaper than an Onan.

 

[cdsl810 181]

I'm not that concerned with 700-800 hours on the KoCo. If it is well maintained, I feel that there are hundreds of hours of life still ahead. It's the overall condition and wear and tear evidence that will allow me to pull the trigger with no reservations. I have an appointment to check it out on Friday. The owner and myself both work long hours and that's the earliest I can get to it. I am going there with a trailer and cash... just in case. Too rare in my market to miss the opportunity. He is pretty firm on the price (and I love to haggle). His local dealer told him to list it for $3500. He started at $3000, and two weeks ago lowered the price to $2500. He says that's his bottom line.

I told him that I will gladly pay what he is asking IF everything is in the condition that he claims.

Honestly, I have been trying to find a nice 522xi or 523Dxi (impossible in Michigan) for a while, so the trigger finger is already itchy.

I will let you guys know what happens... TO BE CONTINUED...

[cdsl810 181]

Well, I had an unexpected day off...

So I hitched up a trailer and went for a ride to see the 522xi. It's now the newest horse (literally and figuratively) in the stable. Not sure the exact number of hours because the meter stopped. But, I saw his property and know when it was purchased, and his estimate of 750-800 hours seems likely. Functionally, it's near perfect and has been very well maintained. There are two issues: the seat is shot, and the paint is pretty scratched/rubbed/worn. It is in great shape otherwise. The PO fashioned an awesome rear suitcase weight complete with a ball hitch, and it still maintains clearance to use the drawbar hitch beneath. The 2-stage 44-inch snowthrower looks brand new. That thing is three times the size of the single stage on my 520-H... It's a real monster. The PO is including a great offset pull-behind mower deck that he made from a 48" deck from a 520-H powered by a 16 HP Kohler. Nice. He had very good maintenance records which also support his claim for hours. It was always serviced at a reputable Wheel Horse dealer, and the service records are recorded (and signed/dated) by the dealer in his manual. And I thought I was anal about certain things.

I am extremely impressed with the 522xi. It is what Wheel Horse should have offered 10-20 years earlier. Some of the systems are more complicated, but still seem to be well engineered. Most areas are easier to access than the 520-H and the engineers actually thought and planned for how to service the machine. The service manual is very good and seems to cover most anything that I could encounter. As long as there are parts available when the time comes, this beast should last another decade or two.

The 20 HP Onan in the 520-H seems a bit "torquier" to me, but the 22 HP Kohler V-Twin in the 522xi is WAY smoother running, quieter, and more fuel efficient (not hard to do compared the the Onan). I really like the horizontal positioning of the Kohler and love the driveshaft/front PTO configuration. The intake is a vastly superior design as well. For those of you not familiar, it is completely shrouded with screens on 3 sides--making it virtually impossible for any debris to make it to the flywheel screen (cue the angelic chorus). That's the one thing I really don't like about the super-sucking Onan on the 520-H... constantly clearing debris off the intake. The 2-speed Eaton 11 in the 522xi is also awesome with the HI and LO range, and seems smoother and more refined than the Eaton 11 found in the 520-H. I'm not sure if the driveshaft vs. belt drive has something to do with this. I wont really know which horse is truly stronger until I get some time behind the wheel of the 522xi. My instinct is that the 522xi will prove itself to be the stronger of the two, but it is also almost twice the weight and the operator is more disconnected from the equipment with power steering and shaft drive, smart turn, etc. This may be the reason that I don't initially FEEL the power like on the 520-H, even though there is a lot of it. But there is no question that the 522xi is HEAVY DUTY and refined, with all the modern features and comforts. It's the first WH I have driven that makes the 520-H appear to be fragile. I am really looking forward to owning this thing.

To me, this model seems like the pinnacle of Wheel Horse. I think it's that good. I always felt the 520-H was great and powerful. This 522xi is just magical. It's like Wheel Horse finally figured it all out... and nailed it. (I don't wish to offend with this statement... everything WH did is great, that's why I have several... and I understand that some of you may have the opinion that a shaft drive WH is not a true WH)

Thanks for letting me share the adventure. I will add some pics when I get a chance.

Edited July 23, 2015 by cdsl810
Additional thoughts

[bmsgaffer 2,053]

If it weren't for the expensive repair parts and the expense of replacing all my attachments, I would most definitely have an XI by now. But alas, I will probably stick with the classic for a good long time because of all that I have sunk into spare repair parts and accessories.

I did find a 522xi for my brother in law (unfortunately not the mechanically inclined type) and got to drive it around a bit after I did some minor maintenance and it is a sweet beast.

[shallowwatersailor 3,214]

Welcome to the 5xi Club! You won't be disappointed. And contrary to the myth that parts are more expensive by members that are not owners -they are not! In five years of ownership (besides maintenance items of oil filters and sparkplugs) of my 518xi, I have had to replace a seat switch for $35.00. The other two have had no repair items in 3 and 1 years respecitively. True, attachments are different but it sounds as if you are set. We also have two vendors on RS that now makes accessories. They are gaining popularity as they age and members consider ownership.

Edited July 23, 2015 by shallowwatersailor

[bmsgaffer 2,053]

Welcome to the 5xi Club! You won't be disappointed. And contrary to the myth that parts are more expensive by members that are not owners -they are not! In five years of ownership (besides maintenance items of oil filters and sparkplugs) of my 518xi, I have had to replace a seat switch for $35.00. The other two have had no repair items in 3 and 1 years respecitively. True, attachments are different but it sounds as if you are set. We also have two vendors on RS that now makes accessories. They are gaining popularity as they age and members consider ownership.

I don't mean to imply that basic maintenance is more expensive, but often will have either more expensive items to fix (drive shaft, power steering, etc) or rarer spare parts to find (body panels, steering components, anything XI only). But to say that long term maintenance on an XI will be the same as a classic is just not true. This is simply a result of them usually being a heavier duty and more complex tractor and not having many torn down for the used parts market. The used parts should only get better with time as they age.

Same as with all tractors: if you happen to get them in good shape, repairs will be minimal for a long while but if you buy them well loved or beat then you will be putting more in.

Don't get me wrong, I love the XI series... and as they get cheaper and more available I just may get one as long as I can find attachments. There's something about a shaft driven dual range hydro tractor possibly with power steering that is just pretty hard to resist.

 

[cdsl810 181]

I simply couldn't pass up the opportunity to own one. The snowblower alone is probably worth $1000+, so $2500 for both a moderately used 522xi in perfect working order and the blower plus the blade seemed like a deal not to miss. From checking various parts suppliers, the prices seem about the same as 520-H parts I have purchased recently. The used market is slim pickins, but as robust as the 5xi series is, I am not surprised. There aren't many of them that are only good for parts yet as they are still running strong. Brand new Kohler Command Pro CH22 engines are still available as well (really expensive, but available), and it seems like a much easier design to repower with a wider variety of engines if need be. There also seems to be more new parts still available then the 520-H has available. I understand the concern with XI exclusive components, but I have a feeling that more used XI stuff will start showing up during the next few years. It seems like I can keep the 522xi going at least that long without major problems. Someone suggested that the Kohler Command Pro engines are good for 2000+ hours when properly maintained. Mine is at about 800. I will post some pics this weekend and share some final thoughts after I get a couple of good work days out of the (new) 522xi.

[cdsl810 181]

Well, I posted some pics in the Members area. I admit that I have no idea what I'm doing yet with posting pictures, so they are just all there and not in a particular album.

Here are some taken after baby's first bath...

On the back is a sweet custom weight (about 80#)  with a 2" ball hitch. The only real issues are that the seat needs replaced and the paint is a bit worn. Oh, and one of the decals is worn--you can see the white spots.

Edited July 29, 2015 by cdsl810

[cdsl810 181]

Did I mention that I love it? My 520-H has been sent north to take care of another property. So I'm using the 522xi as my primary and the 310-8 for dirty little things like tilling and pushing dirt around. The gears are great for that sort of thing (a real pain to mow with).

[JERSEYHAWG / Glenn 4,498]

Looks sweet & rides sweet. Best of luck. Beast of a machine.

Glenn

[boovuc 1,090]

Put some Mothers Car Polish on it and it will really shine!
Nice tractor! Good deal!

[shallowwatersailor 3,214]

Looks good! Yes, the infamous wear-spot from the snowblower chute rotator rod. You might consider motorizing that, and get a set of Terry's replacement decals.

Your pictures show the easy access for the 5xi. Thanks.