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It all depends on what you want your tractor to do. Ultimately what will happen (If you have a big yard) will be that you buy a zero turn to mow with, keep a 520 for a back up mower, get a C195 for a back up back up, pick up as many wheel horses that you can find and can afford, including round hoods, rare models, examples of each type, until you have all of your neighbors staring at you and wondering if you need to be locked up because of some rare OCD affliction. Fight it all you want, but this is the evolution of the wheel horse collector.

My wife and I drove up to the show on Sunday. There were some nice tractors. One guy had four Electraks, one of them had a roto-tiller on the back. It had a giant electric motor attached to it, must really use up the batteries when that things running. I only saw one Wheel Horse, a round-hood, but I think Saturday is the better day to attend. Around noon, alot of people were heading out. Here's some pictures.

I know how everyone likes pictures so I thought I would share after I gave them a work out and washed them up. GT 1800 - repowered with 11 hp Clone Genesis - My first - 1988 520H 1997 520H 1988 520H - 815 hrs -

Thanks Craig, that helps a lot. :thumbs:

That cake is really cool!.....but the cupcakes could make you go blind,JUST KIDDING Jake

You probably need to heat those nuts to get them to budge. You may get lucky with a propane torch but I had to break out the oxy-acetylene on mine. They most likely haven't been touched since Abe Lincoln was learning to play wiffle ball. That tab on the PTO pulley was not on the 604 that my dad bought new nor is it on my 704 so I don't think your tractor is supposed to have one I keep saying lots of rags. You may need a new camera or hire a camera person if you do a belt changing video! :ychain:

Hey everyone, im having deck problems! was mowing the lawn yesterday with the RM-364 deck on my 1964 model 854 tractor, and the deck broke! rather than post photos and a description, I made a video! A few things to clarify though, that I didnt explain well in the video.. I said "The deck binds up on tall grass".. "binds up" isnt the best way to say it..what happens (I think) is that a belt (or belts) slip, and the blades stop spinning. I also said the belts "are very thick"..I meant "stiff".. I think the belts are old, perhaps not as pliable and flexable as they should be, and in tall-ish grass (which is not "too tall" at all, IMO) the belts dont hold tight enough, they slip, and the grass is not cut..or thats what I assume is happening anyway..I could be wrong! this grass was also totally dry.. video: im thinking about replacing all the belts..I have read, here on RS, that its quite the undertaking! but I think it is probably the only solution..I believe the gears are in great shape..the gears are very quiet. I have the manual for the deck..it gives part numbers, but no suggestions on how to fix anything.. I have two main questions for the group here: 1. how do I re-attach that pully? 2. any thoughts on what is causing the mowing issues? any thoughts or suggestions are welcome! thanks, Scot

Cover their eyes...quick. :ychain:

hi thats what i was going to say. i know all of us in the hobby have different funds they spend on there horses. some just save there money or just have money and only buy the best to put in that 200 thousand pole barn and the rest of us that are disable and live on a paycheck to paycheck have to buy the good deal horses. once it is redone and you can say i did that thats what the hobby is about but dont want to spend good money after bad if after your done all you have is the same thing that 10 people on the same block have. thanks for the info if there is not a lot of 1054 around i dont mind saving and redoing thanks joe

Let's hope not. Maybe the next one will featue it with an operator, and that deck in action. :popcorn:

Elvis and Reddi at the Memorial day show:

Its fixed! back up and running.. the pully is fixed, but the issue of the deck not being as "strong" as I think it should be, is still not fixed..but im happy with it for now.. eventually I plan to restore this tractor, and when I do, I will probably restore the deck as well, so the belts will get replaced then.. thanks for the help everyone! much appreciated..

I have begun making a new custom dash panel for my '68 Charger project. The first part of this thread covers how I made an aluminum panel with engine turning. To begin I purchased a .025 aluminum sheet at my local home improvement store. The metal came with a brushed finish and had some scratches on it. Therefore, the metal must be polished. You can use an orbital sander, hand sand with Wet or Dry sand paper, or use a polishing pad in an air grinder. Whatever gives it a uniform matte finish. Next, I made a temporary base with a fence to attach to the drill press table. This doesn't have to be fancy, a piece of plywood with a strip of wood attached and clamped to the table. I added markings to the base to guide the alignment of the work piece. For this piece I decided to use a 1" tool. I used a wooden dowel the appropriate size. This wouldn't chuck in my drill, so I added a 1/2" dowel as a shank. Then using hot glue, I attached a piece of red Scotch Brite pad trimmed to size. Other sizes of dowel may be used. I have also done this with 1/2" dowel. Size the turnings according to the scale of your project. Chuck the dowel in your drill press and set the speed for slow(500-600rpm). Place the work piece against the fence with the tool aligned with the edge farthest from the fence and starting at the left corner. Make a pencil mark on the plywood at the edge of the metal. Lower the tool into contact with the metal. It doesn't have to be with a lot of pressure and touch the metal for a second or two. Next, move the metal to the left 1/2 the diameter of the tool and repeat. When you get to the end move back to the left end. You will now add a strip of wood between the fence and the work piece. The strip will be 1/2 the diameter of the tool in width. Starting directly above the first polished spot begin again. Continue this way until finished. I did this on a drill press, but I see no reason this couldn't be done on a vertical mill. Also worth mentioning; I've heard of people using a wood dowel and lapping compound to do this. I tried it and found the results to be variable and messy. I don't recommend it.

now that is the spirit!! Instead of a open casket, you could have a "open hood" viewing!!! :D

Here are a couple of pics i took yesterdaye tidying up the garden

Had some time to work on the Guard part 57 today. Used 16 gauge 8"x 24" steel that I picked up at TSC. I just traced the pattern and cut it out with the grinder. Used a 17/64 drill bit for the mounting holes. I'll be scanning the shield actual size so you can just print and cut. The top of the belt guard is next and I need to bend it at 90 degrees. Need to figure out how first. Here's the latest pics-

i have 2 414,s and they are a great tractor,although i really like all of my tractors my 87 414 is my favorite tractor,i would really like to get a 416 with the single kohler one day

When I was quite younger, I used to set on our front porch and listen to the Reds games on our neighbors tractor radio about a mile down the road. Crystel clear. No cabs to speak of in those days. You had to turn them way up to hear them over the diesels. No wonder my hearing is so bad now. Just flash backs,LOL Chester

Coming from someone who has 3 520's, they are one bad little pony. Gobs of power, strong tranny, and the hydro lift makes it hard to beat. Granted the 520 is the biggest tractor has made in the last 25 years, and can handle every power robbing attachment made for them, they aren't the best for everything. I wouldn't buy one just to mow the yard, a 312-8/H or 314-8/H could handle that along with many of the other attachments. But up north here, when it snows it dumps and a 12hp Kohler is no substitute for a snorting 20 hp Onan chained up with a 2 stage blower rearing to go. Those are the times when you forget the extra gas money the Onan eats. When I just need to pull out a tractor to trot around or do some light duty work, the GT 1800 (11 hp clone) is more than enough.

Hang in there. They all have their place. I've had these vertical's for years. Was going to seel them but the wife wouldn't let me. Said it would break up the family. Most of the verticals have gone to the crushers along with the MTD's, Crapsman, etc. Still waiting on their value to go up but won't see it while I'm alive. Like they said, if you like it, it don't matter, its all good. A81 & A111 Tom B

I guess it's time for a little update, little being the operative word as I haven't been able to spend a whole lot of time on the project over the past couple of weeks. Finished off and painted the mule Fitted it and as it had finally stopped raining took the tractor for a drive round outside. Finished and fitted the deck adjuster - it's probably not an exact replica but it looks ok and will do the job. Thanks to Lonny and Bob for the photos and dimensions I've worked from which have also been used to fab the deck hanger bracket. I'd already placed the 'Tach-a-matic' decals where they were originally but noted with interest that when a deck adjuster was fitted they appear to have been placed higher between the two mounting bolts. Puzzle is - how did they know at the factory whether a particular tractor would end up with a deck or not? Hmmm. It would have been nice to have turned up the proper looking spacer sleeves but as I don't have a lathe yet I had to improvise. Some washers as spacers held in place with a little bead weld and instead of a steel turned sleeve we have nylon plumbing nuts on the basis that nylon against steel is better than steel on steel. I think it will look ok once it's painted red. The gas cap arrived thanks to James who forwarded it on to me. I think it is safe to say that Kelch supplied the OEM factory part and the design has changed little over the years apart from an improved plastic float. The original was 13 and 1/2" long, made no doubt to WH spec, but the nearest stadard item is 12" long. Looks good though and I now have a 'reserve' after the gage reaches empty. (sorry about photo quality - camera auto-focus in closeup mode chose the foreground) Looks good on the tank too. The 'E' looks distorted but it's just a trick played by the shape of the clear gage cover in the photo. With various vintage vehicles and tractors stored together in a barn we (my son and I) have a golden rule - the batteries are left disconnected. The jeeps have factory isolators so I thought I'd add something to make disconnection easy on the 'D' and found this isolator which fits directly to thee battery post and takes the original earth lead as well. Another bit of 'bling' thats 100% functional. Undo the thumbwheel a quarter turn and the battery's disconnected. While I was back in painting mode thought it was about time I did the PTO brake bracket which is a little unusual on my example of a D-200. The brake normally mounts onto one of the PTO clutch lever arms but this is a different arrangement. The bracket is certainly an OEM part and bolts onto one of the lugs on the aluminium engine plate. The bracket was still in place whe I got the tractor but sadly the brake itself had been lost along with other of the smaller parts of the PTO which had been taken off. (The PTO came in kit form in a hessian sack) So that's about it for now. Must get on and get the rest of the decals on and paint the instrument dash etc etc. Yep, there's still much to do. I'll sign off for now with a couple more photos of the beast on it's first outing after the rain stopped. Andy

Video 2 Video 3 thanks! Scot