What have you done to your Wheel Horse today?

[Bar Nuthin 3,008]

23 hours ago, Bar Nuthin said:

Tomorrow, I'll give a full shakedown and see how well the hydro performs and what leaks develop. I'm guessing axle seals at a minimum.

 

 

Ran it around for about an hour today. So far no drips or odd noises. Feeling pretty good about it!

[Handy Don 17,296]

2 hours ago, adsm08 said:

towing the neighbor girl on a skateboard

Not mentioned in any WH brochure I’ve seen. 

Give that girl a job in marketing!

[adsm08 4,996]

On 9/1/2026 at 10:45 AM, ebinmaine said:

 

 

I like it. That is called, "technically correct."

 

Giving me terrible ideas to use on my own truck.

 

 

[adsm08 4,996]

8 hours ago, Handy Don said:

Give that girl a job in marketing!

 

Well what she actually got was a slap on the wrist, so to speak, and a threat to take her keys away if we catch her towing "non-approved conveyances" again.

[Bugzilla46310 21]

Going through the 520xi I just purchased as leaf vacuuming season will be here shortly. Besides new air filter, greasing, changing tranny and engine oil and filters, the mower didn’t have a battery hold down bracket so I made one of those. One of the lift rods was broken and the PO had it tied up with rope so I fabricated one of those also, as the $80 price I saw for a OEM one was totally ridiculous. Went with synthetic transmission fluid and with the little I drove it, it seemed to drive better. Forgot I bought new plugs so I still need to replace them. Have bearings for poor man’s power steering but that will be a separate project. The battery on my AC916H that I sold that I have been nursing along for a few years of course died the day the buyer came to get it so it got the 520xi battery and the 520xi got a new one.

 

[adsm08 4,996]

On 9/1/2026 at 10:27 AM, WHX?? said:

Saw this at a show. Owner called it a battery quick disconnect 

 

Years ago, when battery cables were built as one piece and the end couldn't be easily unbolted like a lot can today, I would do something like this for draw tests.

 

I'd put one grip on the battery, and then use a second to hold the cable to the first so I could go drive it, and then set up my meter and jumpers between the first grip and the cable and use the second one as the disconnect. Got me plenty of looks from the other guys in the shop, but it worked.

[ebinmaine 80,253]

Started separating the Herd for transportation to  @JCM & @Raven 's annual North Berwick Meet n Greet.  

 

 

[CRF857 543]

Installed thrust bearings on the spindles today. Didn’t take long to do, made a big difference.

Used two narrow hose clamps to use as a guide. Then started cutting with a part off blade, and finished the final depth of material removal with a flap disc wheel.

Reassembled with a goodly amount of Red and Tacky grease.

In disassembly I discovered the left side tie rod end was froze up. Replaced both sides with new spring loaded ones. Made setting the toe in easy.

[cleat 9,204]

1 hour ago, CRF857 said:

Installed thrust bearings on the spindles today. Didn’t take long to do, made a big difference.

Used two narrow hose clamps to use as a guide. Then started cutting with a part off blade, and finished the final depth of material removal with a flap disc wheel.

Reassembled with a goodly amount of Red and Tacky grease.

In disassembly I discovered the left side tie rod end was froze up. Replaced both sides with new spring loaded ones. Made setting the toe in easy.

 

I have never seen those tie rod ends before.

 

[ebinmaine 80,253]

39 minutes ago, cleat said:

 

I have never seen those tie rod ends before.

 

 

40 minutes ago, cleat said:

tie rod end

 

spring loaded ones.

 

Me either.  What's the spring do?

[Bill D 3,089]

Those are quick disconnect tie rod ends.  

[ebinmaine 80,253]

1 hour ago, Bill D said:

Those are quick disconnect tie rod ends.  

 

Nevah hoid of it!

[Bill D 3,089]

7 minutes ago, ebinmaine said:

 

Nevah hoid of it!

Me neither,  but Google had.

[Lee1977 7,750]

Me either, I have good quality heims joints on five of my tractors. don't think I would ever try them.

[sqrlgtr 3,694]

11 hours ago, ebinmaine said:

 

Nevah hoid of it!

Hillbilly translation "Aint never even heard of them before" 

[ebinmaine 80,253]

Very busy day here this Labor Day. 

Trina's family was here for a mid day gathering and meal. 

The grandson HAD to have some tractor time. 

 

 

Won't be long before he's driving on his own. 

He gave the Sparky tractor a little test today.  

 

 

After all that was done Trina kept going as usual. 

More firewood processing with The Ugly Bruce tractor hauling the splitter and Millie pulling the loads of split wood.  

 

 

 

 

[pfrederi 21,043]

Looks like great day...but as I get older having Mr. Chervy coal come and dump 5 tons into my coal bin looks a lot easier

[5151 16]

I found a new root with the tractors center blade mandrel / spindle.

Stopped the tractor right now and the blade is hitting the deck flute.

 

The guy that's not breaking something is the guy doing nothing lol.

[Lane Ranger 12,090]

Put my second coat of boiled linseed oil on my 1958 patina Wheel Horse RJ i bought last August in Indianapolis!

 

 

i really love this one!   Joe Papke just finished redoing the Schnacke recoil o put back on with one of my stainless steel hex nuts i had made for a Kohler Schnacke application.    I had the Hex nut made so you could reverse it if it wears groves in the hex from The three metal dogs in the recoil!

 

 

This one has the original oil bath air cleaner and amazingly a hood with no cracks in the metal around the gas tank neck hole!

 

Yes motor smokes some and i really have not run it much but thats ok with me! 
 

 

It started on the very first pull of the Schnacke after i turned the gas line valve open and set the choke door on the carburetor!

 

[peter lena 10,009]

@CRF857   been road testing  steering  heim joints for years  , never had a failure  , also on my  plow blade  swing arms , pto  lever  shaft to mule  drive , greatly enhances any movement , pete 

[ebinmaine 80,253]

5 hours ago, 5151 said:

.

 

The guy that's not breaking something is the guy doing nothing lol.

 

That oughtta be on a T shirt 👕 

[adsm08 4,996]

1 hour ago, ebinmaine said:

 

That oughtta be on a T shirt 👕 

 

I know someone who can make that happen.

[adsm08 4,996]

We did some testing on the 1076 tonight and now I am really stumped.

 

I put a wagon with about 500lbs of gravel on the back and had my daughter run laps around the house with it. She said it ran fine, never lost ground speed, none of it.

 

Then I took the wagon off and asked her to go try mowing. As soon as she turned the blades on I could hear the change in the running from the other side of the house. She was back within a minute saying it just kept slowing down.

[SylvanLakeWH 32,107]

Gotta be Bearings or belt... 

[adsm08 4,996]

27 minutes ago, SylvanLakeWH said:

Gotta be Bearings or belt... 

 

Yeah. Like I said, I'm a little stumped.

 

So it's a hydro, which means no mechanical link between the wheels and the crankshaft. So the engine doesn't necessarily feel the load of that 500 lbs of gravel directly. This also makes a slipping belt less likely to be the culprit.

 

The PTO belt on the other hand is directly on the crank, and the full load of the blades goes on the engine. The deck spindles all feel good and free when turned by hand, but the blades could be sharper.

 

I also hear the engine start spitting when it acts up. I hear the thing miss and crackle at least twice, and it boggs out. But the governor is holding the throttle wide open when this is going on too, so probably not a governor adjustment issue.

 

My two 8 HP units though are gear drive and don't slow when the blades aren't cutting correctly, they push through and smoke the deck belts.

 

Wife found a 312-8 that needs a fuel pump and two tires for $175 tonight. Maybe it just needs a Magnum re-power.