What have you done to your Wheel Horse today?

[squonk 46,876]

2 hours ago, Sparky said:

 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Don't try to do any welding and use that coat hanger for "fill material!" 

[sqrlgtr 3,038]

Painted some 42” and 48” mower deck belt gaurds. The 42’s (smaller set) are Rustoleum Regal Red and the 48’s (larger set) sprayed with Rustoleum Farm IH red. Today outside in full sun the Ih red looks to have a little more orange tint to it. I go back and forth on which flavor of these 2 shades I like the best and have come to the conclusion they are so close it just depends what day of week they where made to which shade is the darker of the two. Both were sprayed over gray primer and clear gloss sprayed on them soon as last coat of red was applied.

[ebinmaine 79,158]

1 hour ago, squonk said:

Don't try to do any welding and use that coat hanger for "fill material!" 

 

No wood welding? 

[oliver2-44 11,536]

 

I had to give the old C81 some TLC before I used it this week. I saw the insulation cracking on the stator/regulator wiring and it crumbled when I handled it.

 

Used fome of my favorite heat shrink connections that have solder in them.

Had some new connectors in my stash and a little 14Gage wire, so good to go.

When I travel through Austin coming from the farm I pass near a huge city sewer plant.

Nearby they have a contractor that takes the solids and the grass, leaves and limbs and makes excellent compost that they call "Dillo Dirt" 

As in Armadillo, it an Austin thing 

I can get a truck and trailer (2+yards) free if I shove or $30 for them to load with skidsteer.  Its an easy decision to shell out $$.

It does smell a little "fresh" at the composting facility.  But the smell is gone from the yard in a day. Very good fertilizer!

So the C81 has had easy duty pulling the trailer around the yard as I do the hard duty shovel/spreading.

I've spred 2 truck/trailer loads on the lawn this spring.

[C100guy94 107]

Gave mine a good cleaning 

[Fj40z 156]

Finally got to feel the void in the grill of the C160-8 thanks to some help from @ebinmaine

 

Edited Sunday at 01:43 AM by Fj40z

[Bill D 2,891]

8 minutes ago, Fj40z said:

Finally got to feel the void in the grill of the C160-8 thanks to some help from @ebinmaine  

 

Nice looking rig.  Newer 48" deck too!

[Fj40z 156]

1 hour ago, Bill D said:

Nice looking rig.  Newer 48" deck too!

Thank you sir! Thinking of swapping decks and putting this 48” on the 314-8. Making it my dedicated mower, then running the C160 without a deck. The 42” on the 314 just seems a bit too small. 

[Sparky-(Admin) 25,577]

  Installed my last new drive belt on the C-85 this afternoon. Much better clutch pedal action! 
  I don’t like NOT having 8 speed drive belts in stock here. Usually have two new ones on the shelf.
  Hopefully K&B WH Parts has a couple at this years Wheel Horse Show (hint hint @76c12091520h ) 

  This post gives me a chance to show off the rig 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[stevebo-(Moderator) 8,663]

Mike,

I bet that little 8hp rubber mounted rides like a dream!

[ebinmaine 79,158]

Here in Maine we are pretty much limited to late spring for loam deliveries.  That's due to two things. 

1. Mud Season.  The fields and forests where the loam comes from are mud pits until mid to late April most years. 

2. Sharp demand early in the year dictates a lack of availability for the rest of the warm seasons.  

 

Sooooooooo.....

A week or so ago the BBT and I were babbling about future plans for the garden area. This fall she wants to add more loam. Can't buy it then. Gotta buy it now. So she moved the big flatbed trailer out of its parking spot tucked into the front forest and the guy came today to deliver 4 cubic yds of nice clean fresh dark brown loam. 

 

 

 

 

[Sparky-(Admin) 25,577]

35 minutes ago, stevebo said:

Mike,

I bet that little 8hp rubber mounted rides like a dream!

It does! 
  She’s a dream to bomb around on, smooth and quiet.

  This one might get the next mowing session here 

[squonk 46,876]

43 minutes ago, ebinmaine said:

Here in Maine we are pretty much limited to late spring for loam deliveries.  That's due to two things. 

1. Mud Season.  The fields and forests where the loam comes from are mud pits until mid to late April most years. 

2. Sharp demand early in the year dictates a lack of availability for the rest of the warm seasons.  

 

Sooooooooo.....

A week or so ago the BBT and I were babbling about future plans for the garden area. This fall she wants to add more loam. Can't buy it then. Gotta buy it now. So she moved the big flatbed trailer out of its parking spot tucked into the front forest and the guy came today to deliver 4 cubic yds of nice clean fresh dark brown loam. 

 

 

 

 

The wife had 4 cubic yards of "Mushroom dirt " delivered to put in totes for tomatoes, peppers zucchini ect. She had them dump it in the drive way. She has used half of it. I put 4 loader buckets full into a flower bed. There's about a 1/4 of it left in the driveway in her way. I keep asking where she wants me to put it and she hasn't made up her mind. I hope it's not there this winter! 

[ebinmaine 79,158]

5 minutes ago, squonk said:

The wife had 4 cubic yards of "Mushroom dirt " delivered to put in totes for tomatoes, peppers zucchini ect. She had them dump it in the drive way. She has used half of it. I put 4 loader buckets full into a flower bed. There's about a 1/4 of it left in the driveway in her way. I keep asking where she wants me to put it and she hasn't made up her mind. I hope it's not there this winter! 

 

We played smart on the loam. Notice that the stones are there. They've been setting for at least a year because of a change of plans. The stones will still be used.... just waiting for the excavator to make time. No rush. They ain't in the way.  

[TonyToro Jr. 2,466]

Just finished up some late evening rototilling. And snapped some very cool calendar shots! 

[76c12091520h 4,195]

4 hours ago, Sparky said:

  Installed my last new drive belt on the C-85 this afternoon. Much better clutch pedal action! 
  I don’t like NOT having 8 speed drive belts in stock here. Usually have two new ones on the shelf.
  Hopefully K&B WH Parts has a couple at this years Wheel Horse Show (hint hint @76c12091520h ) 

  This post gives me a chance to show off the rig 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Boxed up the belts yesterday....

Edited 15 hours ago by 76c12091520h

[8ntruck 8,958]

The 42" SD deck needs service, so I dropped it off of Morgan, the 14-8.  While it is off, I figured I'd put the dozer blade on and back fill the holes we dug to get to the septic tank hatches earlier today.  BUT, the lift link came up missing.  I have no memory of removing it from the plow, or where it might be.  It must be in a safe spot, 'cause it is still there.

 

Well, it was easier to backfill by hand than to build a new lift link.  The link dimensions have been posted here several times.  I'll research that subject and build a link in the near future.  About tha time I finish it, it is a safe bet that the old one will fold back into this universe and reappear.

 

I continued working on the downed tree again tonight.  4th session with the Milwaukee Hatchet and I still have a half charge on the 8 A/H battery.

 

Went to wake Clyde, the C-195 up from hibernation yesterday.  No crank.  Suspected the battery.  Pulled it and put it on the charger.  It was only pulling 3 amps.  I let it run on the charger for a couple hours.  Now I'm suspecting a safety switch.  More troubleshooting in the near future.

 

Finally, I wandered down to the dock just after sunset to find the 3 planets that are currently visible.  Venus, Jupiter, and Mercury.  Venus and Jupiter are easy.  They are the 2 bright objects in the southwest just after sunset.  Mercury is a bit harder.  It is roughly in line with Venus and Jupiter and closer to the horizon.  It is faint, about 1/3 the brightness of Jupiter.  

 

Tonight was the first time I've seen Mercury.  Only took me 70 years to find it.

[kpinnc 18,460]

On 6/12/2026 at 4:19 PM, Andy N. said:

Way too wet to mow due to all the storms that past few days

 

I was gonna mention that is some GREEN grass but now I see why. 

 

Mine is dry as a popcorn fart and yellow. I honestly don't care because I'm normally mowing twice a week by now. I'm gonna consider it a lucky break. 

 

Always wanted a front mower. Built one but haven't used it yet but nowhere as nice as a factory carrier. 

[adsm08 4,562]

5 hours ago, 8ntruck said:

Tonight was the first time I've seen Mercury.  Only took me 70 years to find it.

Mercury is hard to see. It usually sits so close to the horizon that trees or other buildings block it, unless you can get up high.

 

It should be sitting higher now in the northern hemisphere because it's mid-year and we are tilted that way. 

 

I would have loved to get out and see that too, but I was beat last night. Watching Jupiter through the telescope is one of my favorite things to do, but it's better viewing in winter, less distortion from the atmosphere.  On a good night I can see the red spot, some of the larger bands, and up to 5 moons if they are in the right spots.