New Wheel Horse Owner 417-8 - mower and snowblower questions

[Seth Powers 35]

Hi All,

 

I just bought a WH 417-8 with a snowblower and a 48" mower deck. I am not mechanical, but I did change out the oil, checked the gear fluid (looks good and is the right level), changed the spark plugs, changed the air filter out, - anything else I should do for maintenance? Also, I am looking for blades for the mower deck. What can I get for replacement mulching blades for that deck? (I couldn't believe how simply that deck came off - totally cool) Also, the chain on the snowblower looks pretty rusty and it doesn't spin easily - what does that take for a replacement chain? And what does it take for a replacement belt for the snowblower attachment? (I only have the belt to run the mower). 

 

I am looking to get weights and chains on it before. I read that these older Wheel Horses were really good which is why I bought it. I have owned a Honda rider, a John Deere 30" rider, but I needed something with a snowblower and larger deck for our new property. 

 

Thanks for any help you can give. 

Seth

[ebinmaine 72,706]

 

Welcome to Redsquare from almost next door...

 

I'm not familiar with the newer models but others will be along soon to let you know the things that you should do.

 

We've got to Meet And Greet coming up in a month about an hour and 40 minutes from you..

[Seth Powers 35]

Thank you, Eric! Where is the Meet & Greet? 

 

Seth

[ebinmaine 72,706]

 North Berwick Maine.

@JCM Jim is throwing a shindig at his house.

There's a thread on here somewhere about it.

Throw your tractor in the pickup or on the trailer and bring it down.

Saturday September 12th.

 

[peter lena 9,279]

seth, welcome ! glad you found us, good that you quickly started a " baseline maintenance " interest , make sure you jack up the front end to grease the axle fittings , allowing grease to show on bottom of axle , grease steering gear also , behind " gear fan " on bottom of steering shaft under dash. check out shift boot for tears or splits, replace. while its jacked up good time to drain that trans fluid , added height increases drainage,  75-85/ 140 gear oil.snowblower chain is # 40 chain at tractor supply , most important is " chain and cable fluid " regularly on that chain drive , never let it dry out, chain slot adjustment on lower chain sprocket area. the blower should have a belt on it for function. what size blower is it ?  single stage , 36-42 ? or a 44" double stage? can,t hit on all your questions , but someone else will jump in , let us know , pete

[Daddy Don 909]

[Seth Powers 35]

Pete, wonderful information. Thank you! I will check on the width of the blower tonight. 

 

Seth

[WHX?? 51,772]

 Seth

Sounds like you got started on the basics as far as maintenance. 

Grease all zerk points and might consider fuel filter & lines change. A few of us like to change the gear oil just because we don't know when it was done last. 

 

If you don't have manuals and IPL's we can get them for you. Those help alot with keeper her running. and finding correct parts. we would need specific model numbers or pics of the tags. 

 

Did I mention we like our  here!?!? 

 

 

[Pullstart 66,803]

Seth!

[JCM 10,225]

@Seth Powers   Check out Shows and events/ Red square herd for info on the Meet  & Greet on September 12 in N. Berwick Maine.     to  Good luck with the 417, hope to see it on the 12th.  Great  Model you chose.

[rjg854 12,205]

 I see you're being taken care of with the responses so far.

This is the answer place 

[c-series don 10,034]

Okay I’m going to have to say it again. This place has the nicest people on earth. Always a warm welcome to anybody new to the forum or Wheel Horse in general. You guys are the best 👍🏻

[Seth Powers 35]

Okay, so I measured the snowblower. It is 45 inches to the outer wingthings and 35 at the augers. Not sure what that means. 

 

I will try to take some pictures of it soon.  

 

Do you think that blades a tad over 16" will work? The ones on it measure 15 13/16 or close to that. 

 

Thanks for the friendly welcome!

 

Seth

 

[gwest_ca-(File Mod) 11,488]

This list of single stage snowthrowers may help you identify what you have.

 

Front quick hitch introduced. Snowthrower rear frame has a 5/8" diameter round bar.

1973-74 model 6-6212 plus 6-9113

1974 model 6-6213 - (First model to include 8-0221 extensions without the front straight return - just a flat plate)

1975 model 6-6214 - (First model to include 8-0221 [103552 replaced by 93-1617 and 93-1617-01] side extensions with the front straight return. First model to have a cable spool on chute rotating crank)

1976 model 6-6215 - This one -

1976 model 66-42ST01 - and this one are likely identical. The model number format changed.

1977 model 76-42ST01 - This one

1978 model 86-42ST01 - and this one

1979 model 96-42ST01 - and this one plus 1980 may be all the same. They started using a different model number for each model year.

1980 model 06-42ST01 - (Last 42" model to use 4 grooved rollers for the chute)

1981-82 model 06-42ST02 - (First model to use plastic collar for the chute but was a retrofit for older models. Last model to use wheels)

1983 model 06-42ST03 - (First model to use skids)

1984-87 model 06-42ST04 - (Last model to use a 3/4" diameter driveshaft)

1987-89 model 06-42ST05 - (First model to use a 7/8" diameter driveshaft)

1990 model 06-42ST06 - (Last model to use a cable to turn the chute)

1991-93 model 06-42ST07 - (First model with tall chute retained by 3 individual grooved retainers)

1993-2001 model 79360 - (2001 and earlier will fit 2002-2007 with kit 105-1503)

2002-2007 model 79362

 

Same for mower deck

Mower DNA 48" side discharge

1966-1967 model RL-486 replaced by

1968 model 5-1481

1969 model 5-1482

1970 model 5-1483

1971 model 5-1200

1972 model 5-1201

1973 model 5-1202

1973-1974 model 5-1210

1975 model 5-1211

1976 model 65-48MS01

1976 model 65-48MS02

1977 model 75-48MS01 - These all used blades with 5/8" x 3/4" double-D center hole unless the spindles have been upgraded.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Note - 3/4" or .750" is 19.05mm

1977 model 75-48MS02 - Uses 6203 bearings with 3/4" ID - (First deck to use blades with 3/4" center hole) - Originally had a nylon-insert nut holding spindle pulley on.

1978 model 85-48MS01 - Uses 6203 bearings with 3/4" ID - Originally had a nylon-insert nut holding spindle pulley on.

1979 model 95-48MS00 - Uses 6203 bearings with 3/4" ID - Originally had a nylon-insert nut holding spindle pulley on.

1979 model 95-48MS01 - Uses 6203 bearings with 3/4" ID - Originally had a nylon-insert nut holding spindle pulley on.

1980 model 05-48MS01 - Uses 6203 bearings with 3/4" ID - Originally had a nylon-insert nut holding spindle pulley on.

1981-1983 model 05-48MS02 - Uses 6203 bearings with 3/4" ID - Originally had a nylon-insert nut holding spindle pulley on.

1984 model 05-48MS03 - Uses 6203 bearings with 3/4" ID - Originally had a nylon-insert nut holding spindle pulley on.

 

Note - 17mm is .669"

1985 model 05-48MS04 - Uses 6203 bearings with 17mm ID - Originally had a standard nut and lockwasher holding spindle pulley on.

1986-1988 model 05-48MS05 - Uses 6203 bearings with 17mm ID - Originally had a standard nut and lockwasher holding spindle pulley on.

1987-1988 model 05-48SC01 - Uses 6203 bearings with 17mm ID - Originally had a standard nut and lockwasher holding spindle pulley on.

1989 model 15-48SC01 - Uses 6203 bearings with 17mm ID - Originally had a standard nut and lockwasher holding spindle pulley on.

1990 model 15-48SC02 - Uses 6203 bearings with 17mm ID - Originally had a standard nut and lockwasher holding spindle pulley on.

1991-1992 model 15-48SC03 - Uses 6203 bearings with 17mm ID - Originally had a standard nut and lockwasher holding spindle pulley on.

1993-1997 model 78360 - Uses 6203 bearings with 17mm ID - Originally had a standard nut and lockwasher holding spindle pulley on.

1998-2007 and 2009-12 model 78361 - Uses 6203 bearings with 17mm ID - (These all use blades with 3/4" center hole) - Originally had a standard nut and lockwasher holding spindle pulley on.

 

Garry

[c-series don 10,034]

Question Garry, did you physically just type out all that information just for this post? That would have taken me a week to do!! Thanks for being such a wealth of knowledge and sharing the information 👍🏻

[gwest_ca-(File Mod) 11,488]

I typed it out over a long period of time because the info was not available without a lot of research.

Discovered the Attachment Interchange is a good document but limited in what it could do. They list the original attachment, the attachment that replaced the original and the attachment available when the list was made. What was missing was the models between the last two and in some cases there are many.

Adding specific attachment details was an afterthought and is constantly being updated to help identify unknown models.

 

If you go into our files and do a search for DNA the popular models will come up in a random order. The DNA list is with the earliest models.

 

Garry

[Joe Warren 80]

I may have new chains. What size are your tires?

[Seth Powers 35]

Gary, that is an awesome list! I will look it over. 

 

Joe, they seem pretty big. I Will check it out. 

 

So I went and through away the belt that turns around the mower blades (not the one that goes to the drive pulleys), measured it, and then through it away. I must have measured it wrong because I thought it was 103" but I got one of those belts and it was too big. 103" is the other belt, I believe. Anyone know what size that other belt is? This is the belt that just runs the blades. 

 

Thanks for all your help! 

Seth

[Seth Powers 35]

Also, I shall try to post pics tomorrow!  

 

Seth

[midpack 1,010]

was it on Craigslist? I was looking at a 417 on CL when I was in Maine last week...

 

I'm fond of that model  

 

[953 nut 60,059]

On 8/14/2020 at 9:58 AM, Seth Powers said:

I did change out the oil, checked the gear fluid (looks good and is the right level), changed the spark plugs, changed the air filter out, - anything else I should do for maintenance?

One thing that will keep that Kohler running well is to avoid using gas with ethanol. 10% ethanol gas will kill the fuel system. To find a source of real gas use this site, https://www.pure-gas.org/. I would suggest replacing the fuel line and adding a fuel filter too.

[gwest_ca-(File Mod) 11,488]

9 hours ago, Seth Powers said:

So I went and through away the belt that turns around the mower blades (not the one that goes to the drive pulleys), measured it, and then through it away. I must have measured it wrong because I thought it was 103" but I got one of those belts and it was too big. 103" is the other belt, I believe. Anyone know what size that other belt is? This is the belt that just runs the blades. 

 

Thanks for all your help! 

Seth

This may not be the 48" deck you have but the belts will be the same. Click on the fuzzy picture to see them.

Sounds like some mix-up somewhere yet with belt lengths.

Garry

[Seth Powers 35]

1 hour ago, midpack said:

was it on Craigslist? I was looking at a 417 on CL when I was in Maine last week...

 

I'm fond of that model  

 

 

Nice tractors! It was on facebook marketplace and I got it from St. Albans, VT. 

 

Seth

[Seth Powers 35]

22 minutes ago, 953 nut said:

One thing that will keep that Kohler running well is to avoid using gas with ethanol. 10% ethanol gas will kill the fuel system. To find a source of real gas use this site, https://www.pure-gas.org/. I would suggest replacing the fuel line and adding a fuel filter too.

Good advise. I have been using only ethanol free gas in my small engines for a number of years. Thankfully, we have two places around that sell it. 

 

Thanks for the friendly welcome! 

 

Seth

[ebinmaine 72,706]

2 hours ago, midpack said:

was it on Craigslist? I was looking at a 417 on CL when I was in Maine last week...

 

I'm fond of that model  

 

Next time you come up through let me know. I'll throw a barbecue and invite a couple other Wheel Horse folks..