New 314-8

[BartBarr 9]

Spoiler

 

Holy crap !  You should see the one I just bought for $400 !  It's a 1994 Toro Wheel Horse 314-8 with only 275 hours and I swear it's in perfect, showroom condition, not a scratch, the former owner kept it clean and perfect, runs and purrs like a kitten. ( I will post some pics as soon as I figure out this forum,,, new here)

I just bought a new house with a BIG lawn and I never owned a lawn tractor before and I was asking around what's the best one? Everyone I talked to said "Wheel Horse"  I didn't know what a Wheel Horse was? A friend who is a self proclaimed tractor expert that used to own a Wheel Horse was in tears, honest! he was crying!  when he seen the 314-8 I bought, he said he used to own one and was sorry he got rid of it and it was the best tractor he ever owned, he said his $10,000 John Deere is crap compared to that.  Of course he wanted to buy it from me , insulting me by offering me $500 for it, told him, nope, not for sale. He was amazed how perfect is was, he said I could take it to tractor shows and win awards for it and not to run it so I don't get it hogged up,,,,,NO, I am going to use it! ( he wants it so bad that I worry about him breaking into my garage and stealing it )

I spent the past month searching the classified ads looking for a used lawn tractor and when I found a bargain, good one, it was quickly sold then a few days later the same one was for sale again on another ad with a private guy that had 50 other tractors for sale at double the price, so I figured it out there are old guys out there that buy up all the bargains and clean them up and put banana peels in the engine and resell, flip them for more money.

I found my Wheel Horse on an online classified site that's not popular anymore and the ad had no picture, so I called the guy and he told me how it was in excellent condition and when I went to see it I was amazed how perfect it was and quickly bought it.  I asked him IF anybody else called him, he said no, I was the only one,, the reason why he didn't have 100 buyers coming to him cause he didn't have a picture of it with his ad.

Of course I folant it, and showed it off to those a**holes that have 50 used tractors for sale and told them how bad they screwed up by letting this one get away and the one asswipe told me I bought a piece of **** that I can't get parts for anymore , but I know better and told him he was jealous and pissed he missed a good one.

My tractor expert friend, co-worker said I could sell it for $3000,,,, I find that hard to believe,,, but I tend to think it's just as good or better than a new $3000 tractor so I am going to keep it and use it and keep it forever.

Don't you just hate it when a loser like me that knows nothing about lawn tractors has the one everybody else loves and wants?

I mean I didn't know there was a cult following out there that worshiped the old Wheel Horse tractors,,,  I just wanted the best one and everyone told me Wheel Horse is the best,,, I didn't know better!

Edited April 13, 2019 by BartBarr
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[Retired Wrencher 5,847]

Bart      I guess you could say it is beginners luck. I hope you enjoy it for many years to come,but take care of it clean it often and keep the pm`s up thru the year. 

 

[rjg854 12,260]

@BartBarr 2 nice tractor for sure!  If you bought that for $400, it's a steal.  SWEET

[classiccat 548]

Your friend (a tractor expert) offered you $500... are you still friends?  

 

Congrats on that time capsule of a garden tractor!!  She's a beauty!

[Daddy Don 909]

[peter lena 9,320]

like i said before , how come the new guys find these tractors?  looking at this, is a tofer,  druel cup and a pamper  !  in  today's  plastic / junk world  , you have a lifetime unit, i really hope you take care of it , amazing find , pete 

[ZXT 2,401]

That is an extremely nice tractor. If you plan to use it hard and put it away wet, it might make more sense for you to find one that's not as nice - the grass you're cutting won't mind.

 

If you plan on taking care of it and cleaning it after each use, then go for it. It would be a shame to scratch that nice of a tractor up. Someone has obviously went out of their way to take exceptional care of that tractor and preserve it.. No need to change that now.

 

 

[roadapples 6,983]

You did good....

[BartBarr 9]

Thank You all for the welcome.

That's the pic right after I unloaded it after bringing it home, nice and clean.

I admit I am still learning how to operate it.

If you notice the toggle switch on the left side the former owner installed an electric fuel fuel pump and wired it to the switch, he didn't know he could have wired up directly to the ign switch via a relay, I will fix that, plus a series of diodes and a fuse for added protection, he said the mechanical fuel pump went bad and the electric fuel pump works better,,, I don't know?

What surprised me how quiet and smooth the engine sounds, I was thinking that big engine would be LOUD and shake itself to death, but even at full throttle it purrs like a kitten, the guy just changed the oil, the oil is so clean it's hard to see on the dipstick. Also the way the mower deck discharges out the back surprised me, never seen one like that and that's a great idea. Maybe a week ago I never knew a Wheel Horse ever existed until I talked to everyone telling me that's the best, I was ready to buy a used 2016 Simplicity Boradmoor for $1800 until I found this one. My thing is buy the best so I never have to buy another one again.

Thank You Guys Again

Tom

Edited April 13, 2019 by BartBarr
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[BOB ELLISON 2,981]

Welcome to Redsqure 

Here is a manual that will help you.

I also have a 314-8 and they are great tractors. All the help you will ever need is here and there are more manuals in the manual section. Down load all these and you'll know all about your tractor.