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Can a puller be a good mower again?

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RetroMower

Recently I saw a 98 520H for sale near me for $600. I believe these models are held in high regard but the problem is this tractor is a puller. Its bright blue with leds under it. The deck is there but no belt, belt guard or rollers. Is this a worthy candidate for a resurrection into a garden tractor again? Or has its life as a puller made its future unpredictable and expensive? I have not seen it in person but the pics show it in good condition. I will try to upload some pics soon

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Guest 88vic

As long as the previous owner has record of fluid and filter changes, mainly for transmission, test drive it fully after it has reached operating temp. Check to see if anything changes such as ground speed, abnormal noises or leaks. If all checks out, I wouldnt be scared of purchasing it. These tractors are reliable and tough. Hope it works out in your favor, you can never go wrong with a horse. 

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RetroMower
1 minute ago, WHEELHORSEFAN3 said:

As long as the previous owner has record of fluid and filter changes, mainly for transmission, test drive it fully after it has reached operating temp. Check to see if anything changes such as ground speed, abnormal noises or leaks. If all checks out, I wouldnt be scared of purchasing it. These tractors are reliable and tough. Hope it works out in your favor, you can never go wrong with a horse. 

I know these are tough units but competitive pulling is probably the most abuse one can inflict on any machine. My concern is in this case the possible looming dollar amount outweigh practicality. I know this is a tough question even to see it in person let alone some pics

received_2395389877406852.jpeg

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Guest 88vic

You could always buy another 520 and keep it as a spare 😉.   What is the asking price on what youre looking at ? 

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Guest 88vic

Nevermind I re read your post.  I would see if he would be willing to accept $500. Just my input. 

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JAinVA

That looks to be an 89 or 90 model by the straight front axle.Probably the least sought after 520 in my opinion.If it it had the heavier front end and gear reduction steering it might be worth the asking price.If you want a mowing WH tractor I think I'd look elsewhere.Pennsylvania has tons of them.Just my 2 cents worth

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RetroMower
5 minutes ago, JAinVA said:

That looks to be an 89 or 90 model by the straight front axle.Probably the least sought after 520 in my opinion.If it it had the heavier front end and gear reduction steering it might be worth the asking price.If you want a mowing WH tractor I think I'd look elsewhere.Pennsylvania has tons of them.Just my 2 cents worth

This was my feeling as well. In my mind if he would come down to 300-400 it might be worth sinking a few dollars into it. But then again i could very well spot a mower tomorrow that suffered much less and is ready to mow and doesn't need a repaint 

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JAinVA

I spend a lot of time looking at pictures of items for sale.I hate to admit this but I missed the hood.That is no 520.

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RetroMower
1 hour ago, JAinVA said:

I spend a lot of time looking at pictures of items for sale.I hate to admit this but I missed the hood.That is no 520.

Being a novice WH guy i would have never noticed the missing louvers. Well this is an open and shut case. If this lad either doesn't know the model or is lying i cant trust anything he has to say about this unit. This is why it pays to seek expert advice here on :rs:

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WVHillbilly520H
4 hours ago, RetroMower said:

I know these are tough units but competitive pulling is probably the most abuse one can inflict on any machine. My concern is in this case the possible looming dollar amount outweigh practicality. I know this is a tough question even to see it in person let alone some pics

received_2395389877406852.jpeg

 

2 hours ago, JAinVA said:

I spend a lot of time looking at pictures of items for sale.I hate to admit this but I missed the hood.That is no 520.

Also 520H doesn't have a break pedal on the right like a gear jammer (8spd).

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JAinVA

Could have been the elusive 520-8.Just kidding,Jeff, I missed that feature as well.Getting old!

Edited by JAinVA

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WVHillbilly520H
7 minutes ago, JAinVA said:

Could have been the elusive 520-8.Just kidding,Jeff, I missed that feature as well.Getting old!

I barely caught it with that black lower band.

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WHNJ701

great subject!  this 854 was an x puller.  it had a ridiculous stack, wheelie bar and a 1" pulley on the trans and a ton of stickers,  after that it was put outside til I got it.  I put it all back to working tractor which I use weekly in mowing season. 

it needed motor work from sitting outside and water coming in from the stack.

20180615_173011.jpg

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RetroMower
8 minutes ago, jabelman said:

great subject!  this 854 was an x puller.  it had a ridiculous stack, wheelie bar and a 1" pulley on the trans and a ton of stickers,  after that it was put outside til I got it.  I put it all back to working tractor which I use weekly in mowing season. 

it needed motor work from sitting outside and water coming in from the stack.

20180615_173011.jpg

Beautiful machine and exactly what i thought possible for this blue mystery. It too is adorned with led ground effect lighting, the term "monster creeper" on the back in mailbox letters and stickers showing hes got a mossy oak endorsement. I will keep looking tho. I feel bringing a puller back to its intended purpose is among the most noble reasons to rescue a WH. 

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EricF

To venture a guess, returning a Wheel Horse from puller to daily worker isn't much different from repairing/restoring any other Horse that's been  messed about with by a previous owner. Replace worn parts... remove non-stock parts and replace with correct (or your preferred) ones... repair/rebuild anything that needs it... repaint... and back to work she goes. Note: Check for cracks where the back end of the frame bolts to the transmission. This is a stress point that can be damaged in pulling. But it can also be damaged in regular work, too. It can be welded and repaired, there are reinforcements that can be made so it never happens again -- several threads about that here on Red Square. 520H frames can also suffer cracks in the middle of the frame from hanging the heavy 60" mower deck. Those, too, can be repaired. (520 frames are strengthened in the rear end from the factory, which makes them unique.)

 

Worst-case single issue would be if the differential inside the transaxle has been welded up solid for serious pulling. (No differential action means the axle stubs will act as a solid straight axle -- both wheels will always pull at the same speed, so no wiggling as one wheel gains or loses traction in relation to the other.) But, the diff assembly can be replaced. And if the previous owner got into the transaxle to mess with the diff, that means they already pulled the hubs off the axles to get in there. Which means somebody else has already done one of the least-liked tasks on these tractors -- pulling hubs! Pulling them again will be easier because they haven't had as much time to get stuck on with rust and crud.

 

Wheel Horses make good pullers because they're already sturdy and powerful enough off the factory floor to do serious work like plowing -- it doesn't take a lot of work and parts/customization to make pullers out of them. Which makes it not too hard to put them back the way they were. Just a matter of figuring out what you need to remove/replace/rebuild. Plenty of tractors that have done nothing but work have needed heavy rebuilding just because of neglect. A puller has probably received some mechanical attention just for safety, so having been a puller doesn't automatically make a a clapped-out candidate for the parts bin. More likely just another stage in the life of a remarkable piece of machinery.

 

Besides -- it makes a cool story. You can have a tractor that did hard work for years, got rescued from the scrap heap to entertain folks in pulling contests, and then got a "retirement" with some TLC and plenty more good, honest work ahead of it.

 

By the way, squinting at that picture makes me think the original tractor in question is more like a 318. Notice the size of the front wheels, and their size in relation to the rears. Also, I kind of doubt the weights hanging down are any kind of "permanent" modification -- it looks like somebody put some barbell weights on a bar that's latched into the center Attach-a-matic hitch. Even if they damaged the hitch somehow, like by grinding the jaws to hold a thicker bar, it's just another group of parts that can be replaced. The Kohler engine is rebuildable and largely bulletproof - and if this isn't a 520, then it should have a Kohler. (Onans can be rebuilt; but parts are more expensive.) Extra lights can be removed. Previous owners have a knack for messing up wiring even on workers, so you're no worse off there if you have to un-do PO mistakes with lights and wiring. Gear-drive transmissions are simple and rebuildable. Hydro units still have a variation of the Uni-Drive geared rear end, just made as a final drive for the hydro unit. Hydro pumps can be rebuilt or replaced.

 

Bottom line, if you can negotiate a good price, get it and have fun! If you want to learn how to take apart and restore these tractors, this might be a good candidate for learning on. Look around on Red Square and you'll see some amazing examples of "basket cases" and piles of parts that have been brought back to life as fully functioning tractors that look brand-new. Unlike restoring old cars, where there's a rapid descent into way to much money and time unless you have an extensive shop at your disposal plus plenty of time and skills, these old tractors are much friendlier to your time and budget. They're small, largely simple, and repairable with basic skills and easy-to-learn ones where things get (relatively) a little more "advanced."

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10 hours ago, EricF said:

To venture a guess, returning a Wheel Horse from puller to daily worker isn't much different from repairing/restoring any other Horse that's been  messed about with by a previous owner. Replace worn parts... remove non-stock parts and replace with correct (or your preferred) ones... repair/rebuild anything that needs it... repaint... and back to work she goes. Note: Check for cracks where the back end of the frame bolts to the transmission. This is a stress point that can be damaged in pulling. But it can also be damaged in regular work, too. It can be welded and repaired, there are reinforcements that can be made so it never happens again -- several threads about that here on Red Square. 520H frames can also suffer cracks in the middle of the frame from hanging the heavy 60" mower deck. Those, too, can be repaired. (520 frames are strengthened in the rear end from the factory, which makes them unique.)

 

Worst-case single issue would be if the differential inside the transaxle has been welded up solid for serious pulling. (No differential action means the axle stubs will act as a solid straight axle -- both wheels will always pull at the same speed, so no wiggling as one wheel gains or loses traction in relation to the other.) But, the diff assembly can be replaced. And if the previous owner got into the transaxle to mess with the diff, that means they already pulled the hubs off the axles to get in there. Which means somebody else has already done one of the least-liked tasks on these tractors -- pulling hubs! Pulling them again will be easier because they haven't had as much time to get stuck on with rust and crud.

 

Wheel Horses make good pullers because they're already sturdy and powerful enough off the factory floor to do serious work like plowing -- it doesn't take a lot of work and parts/customization to make pullers out of them. Which makes it not too hard to put them back the way they were. Just a matter of figuring out what you need to remove/replace/rebuild. Plenty of tractors that have done nothing but work have needed heavy rebuilding just because of neglect. A puller has probably received some mechanical attention just for safety, so having been a puller doesn't automatically make a a clapped-out candidate for the parts bin. More likely just another stage in the life of a remarkable piece of machinery.

 

Besides -- it makes a cool story. You can have a tractor that did hard work for years, got rescued from the scrap heap to entertain folks in pulling contests, and then got a "retirement" with some TLC and plenty more good, honest work ahead of it.

 

By the way, squinting at that picture makes me think the original tractor in question is more like a 318. Notice the size of the front wheels, and their size in relation to the rears. Also, I kind of doubt the weights hanging down are any kind of "permanent" modification -- it looks like somebody put some barbell weights on a bar that's latched into the center Attach-a-matic hitch. Even if they damaged the hitch somehow, like by grinding the jaws to hold a thicker bar, it's just another group of parts that can be replaced. The Kohler engine is rebuildable and largely bulletproof - and if this isn't a 520, then it should have a Kohler. (Onans can be rebuilt; but parts are more expensive.) Extra lights can be removed. Previous owners have a knack for messing up wiring even on workers, so you're no worse off there if you have to un-do PO mistakes with lights and wiring. Gear-drive transmissions are simple and rebuildable. Hydro units still have a variation of the Uni-Drive geared rear end, just made as a final drive for the hydro unit. Hydro pumps can be rebuilt or replaced.

 

Bottom line, if you can negotiate a good price, get it and have fun! If you want to learn how to take apart and restore these tractors, this might be a good candidate for learning on. Look around on Red Square and you'll see some amazing examples of "basket cases" and piles of parts that have been brought back to life as fully functioning tractors that look brand-new. Unlike restoring old cars, where there's a rapid descent into way to much money and time unless you have an extensive shop at your disposal plus plenty of time and skills, these old tractors are much friendlier to your time and budget. They're small, largely simple, and repairable with basic skills and easy-to-learn ones where things get (relatively) a little more "advanced."

Thank you for this in-depth and insightful response. I guess purchasing a barn find thats been hibernating for a decade and a puller pose many of the same challenges. But there is that tiny grey area where pullers suffer deliberate punishment now and then compared to the constant wear and tear if ground maintenance. Bottom line is pullers deserve the same chance of resurrection as any machine. 

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