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let the ladies out to play today and do a little sun bathing Brian

Well...with a beautiful weekend behind me, and another beautiful day today. I actually think I may have this one ready for the show. I painted the belt cover, fender pan, and hood Saturday and Sunday. Both the belt cover and fender got dust in the paint, so I hand-worked them with 2000 grit paper and compound and they turned out nice. That's the good thing about using an acrylic paint. It's hard enough to sand and polish in less than 12 hours. On Sunday, I painted the hood. Put two coats on and came back to find a family of gnats doing the back stroke down the middle of the hood. So I got my tweezers and gently removed them, sprayed a third and final coat, ran the hood into the garage where I was hoping to keep it out of harms way, but no. Check on it last night and at lease four more gnats had found their way into the back of the garage, only to land on the hood. So this morning, I carefully picked them out and spent 3 hours wet sanding with 1000, 1500, and 2000 grit sandpaper, followed by an hour of compounding. Anyway, I guess all is right with the Wheel Horse gods as I am proud to present these pictures. Couple of other items of note. I rebuilt the engine back during the winter, but never had a chance to start it and see if it ran. So last Thursday, with 3 of 4 grandsons standing with fingers in ears, I cranked it over, it started immediately, and ran like it was brand new. No smoke, and only a small tweak of the main jet. As you can see, there is no seat. Dave Burley (Funengineer) sent me some custom-made two-piece seat covers, so tonight while relaxing in the recliner I will finish assembling them. But otherwise, it looks like a go for Thursdays journey.

To any Redsquare member who would like to stop by and socialize with other members is welcome to stop by our campfire and chat for awhile after the cruisin' to the oldies only thing you need is a folding chair and your favorite beverage hope to see some new faces Brian

Here is the prototype of the new unit with the steering wheel. We might even be able to afford one.

Outside of working them, that is what these tractors were made for. Here are a couple of pics. from April of my granddaughter and my just acquired 312-8. She loves the thing.

And to top it all, the same morning I was approached by one of those sort of guys you know that bat for the other team , if you know what I mean. What a morning.

That I had to finally get some pictures of the whole herd together! If you click on the pics, they will get larger. I've been using this one to mow the lawn, I'm Loving this 42" rear discharge deck! I still think the Column Shifter is Awesome! My main "worker". Taking this one to the Big Show, so if any of you wanna see the all-trails in person, keep an eye out, because I know there is a lot of talk about them! Hope you guys enjoyed the pics! Can't wait for the show! I'll see a bunch of you there!

yes it will be at the show and I won't be pushing it around ether Thanks the green one is a bolens 1957 super ride-a-matic yea I have 40 all together Brian

Heck you could have had my Senior for $4000. Now that's Wheel Horse history!!!

The Series II has an oil filter port cover on the engine block that is behind the PTO on a Wheel Horse application. The bottom of the cover is under the top of the drive belt in the photo below. The cover can be removed and an oil filter adapter or remote unit can be installed. There is also a port for adding an oil pressure gauge. Wheel Horse did not use the oil filter. You can jazz up the engine compartment of a Series I by adding the chrome air cleaner from a 417.

Grandpa (shynon) taking the girls for a ride. Sent from my XT907 using Tapatalk

It is good that you escaped from New York...with out getting pregnant.

Thats what I was thinking too Mike!!! I'm not kidding either, I'll do it

Holy Cow Neil...talk about being in the wrong place at the wrong time!! Hopefully you just witness some road rage after this. "Get on the right side of the road you pelican". From Crocodile Dundee.

See ya soon Neil, keep an eye on Steve especially if following. YIKES!!!

HMMMMMM 6000 could get me into a nice used 4x4 tractor with a front end loader.

to get them ALL out, he would have to take the entire month of June off!

As much as I love my Xi and Classics there's no way I'd part with $7k+++ for a new one. I can get a 4x4 kubota Bx for a bit more. It'd be money better spent. Lets just be thankful that Toro has been good with parts. For how much longer who knows. Until then I'm riding a horse!

IMHO - there is a market for a true garden tractor (by true, I mean a tractor that has the guts to pull a moldboard plow if needed) that comes in for less $$$’s than a SCUT. Needs to have foot control hydro and a 60 inch deck option. I think the 5xi would fit the bill for this, but need a diff lock too. MTD has their 2000/2100 series tractors, but no sleeve hitch for them. Simplicity is similar with their Prestige, though, supposedly one is available, but rare. The Deere x700 and Simplicity Legacy tractors are almost as expensive as a SCUT. I find fit amazing I can outfit my 520H with a 60 inch deck, pull a moldboard plow and put a front end loader on it. Same for the 5xi tractors. I hope Toro does something positive with a garden tractor. Dumping the Wheelhorse for an MTD box store tractor with red paint and a Toro logo was an all time stupid decision.

Yip . . . wet sand, motor oil, salad dressing, baby oil, rub hard, clear coat . . . .

Hi Ray (I guess) First off looks to me as though there's a little more work to do first in that I try and get rid of rather more of the brown stuff before treatment, particularly on the outside. I've found one of these to be amazing. It's an Oakey abrasive wheel from B&Q or other suppliers and it really gets the surface back to steel almost as good as dry shot blasting. The only down side is that these shred easily if you encounter a sharp edge. Even then treatment is essential - I favour products containing phosphoric acid rather than fancier ones that magically change colour but something that converts any remaining rust, which is an oxide and holds water in its crystalline structure that you cannot remove by drying into to phosphate. The underside of the deck will always to an extent be a lost cause whatever you use to treat and then paint. Unless you are just regularly trimming a neatly manicured flat lawn, only ever cutting when the grass is dry, then the speed at which the blades spin will fling grit and small stones at the paint inevitably shot blasting through both paint and the treatment underneath. I've tried all sorts of treatments and paints but basically over winter the deck has to come off for cleaning and dealing with any damage to the finish used. Cutting long wet grass, which I've had to do quite a lot earlier this season means getting all the soggy stuff off that builds up underneath after every mow - a foul PITA job that's just about manageable without taking the deck off but it does help to reduce deterioration under the deck after all the work you've put into it. Just a few thoughts - Andy

I know Bob...I am not going to count on them making an announcement. If we know when to expect taking the picture, and all read this...it should work and be before the parade starts. As usual, we will take the picture of who is there. If they will announce it, I think that is the best time for all that goes on there...and should be the best time for the members showing up. I plan to take a lot of people pictures, so if they can not make the big picture, we can still get a picture of who is there. So, to all, if you can not make the big picture...stop by and get your mug shot anyway. A lot of us hang there all weekend...stop by and introduce yourself.

I may be wearing a pair of Union Jack shorts to the show, I hope people don't think that I have brought the British weather with me, We got caught in a huge thunder storm yesterday and got soaking wet, , I actually thought you RS guys had arranged the storm to me us feel at home . 3.30 AM as I wrote this post, still can't get used to the time change, would be 9.30 AM in UK. Spoke on the phone to Mike Martino last night & had a good chat Had a Skype call with steveasaurus just before we went out to evening dinner, ended up talking for ages so didn't get dinner lol . Anyone that gets a chance to visit New York should got to the 911 museum, all I can say is , WOW . Another WOW, 2 New York bagels , 2 latte coffees 1 choc chip muffin $35.00

Well, I did it again! Only this time I can justify a portion of it. While looking for another David Bradley, I found this nice 196? Gravely Model L 6.6 hp with a 26" snow cannon, 30" bushhog, gear reduction hubs, and dual wheel adapters 1/2 hour away. The tag/plate is gone so I can only guesstimate the year. I bought it mainly for the bushhog as I really don't need another snowthrower. I already have backup for the backup! It will mow an embankment that I used to use my trim mower or weed trimmer. After my foot surgery, it has been hard to do so this should make easy work of that. These walk beehinds can take up to a 60 degree bank with the Gravely T-Head engine. The blade is 3/8" steel on the bushhog. I am the third owner and the 1st owner painted it grey for some reason. In the next few weeks I hope to return it to the proper colors. I also need to find an electric start for it as my arm is tired already.

Hello All, Im going about this at a different angle.... Sparky pointed out this seat pan this afternoon on my 16 Automatic, he suggested I pull it before it gets wrecked as he thought it was a one year only special deal. Pics are in other post (sorry), so is it worth something or do I have .02 worth of fiberglass scrap.... Tony

Well the good news is he is coming down... about 5 years ago he told me the price was $6500 and not a penny less. I asked if $6000 would buy it and he said no. I guess the value is decreasing ... lol

I'd pay $5500 in a heartbeat if it was closer to me, and I already have a 420LSE. The Dealer near me wants $7000 for his NOS last time I asked him about it. If you want Wheel Horse history this is it. Only model with 20 HP Kohler Magnum Engine.

Next to the cruise, it was my highlite from last year!

I had a sucessful day on the water today. The Evinrude 25 ran pretty good but not as speedy as I need it to be. I need to find something a little speedier...

heres a thread i did on making one for my c160, should be very similar, if not the same as yours......

The .2 hours is because every tractor i'm sure was test run at the factory.

I think it is.

You mean a John Deere collector ? Mike.........

Make sure you save me some! Maybe we can buy a whole pie and split it!

Same here, If any one of your guys need me I'll be at the food stand. I'll be the one with a piece of rhubarb pie in each hand

I'm going to make a "special" trip back to Sohars and speak with the service manager. It may not produce any fruit, but maybe I will get the info, on what "prototype" he was talking about. Stay tuned. Rob

Hello Ray, good progress on the Deck Shell. I have to get around to doing the same at some stage. I agree with the guy's suggestions here and the materials quoted (i.e. Kurust or Trustan 24) , they are tried and tested. In answer to your question and assuming you are removing more of the rust before prepping for paint, rather than neutralising it with a rust treatment, then you can't do much better than use a 'Weld Through Etch Primer'. Alternatively do the weld repairs first, then de-rust, treat and prime straight after when thoroughly dry. Regards

Yeah, we'll be at the show! can't wait! I'm assuming I'll see you there? haha . And well, we only have room for more if we 're-arrange the garage more, and get rid of a few things. *cough*themtdtractorsinourgarage*cough* hahaha ;D Sent from my HTC One (M8) using Tapatalk

Well--- IF and thats a big IF Toro came back with the classic line I would be very tempted to buy one..... I think Ed Cole had mentioned that the fuel system on the Classic line was going to have to be changed over to a closed system and that Toro didn't want to bother,,,, And face it folks..... everybody wants a zero turn to cut there grass and has a walk behind snow thrower to blow snow (yah me too....) . Nobody has a garden or a need for dragging anything---so where is the market? I don't know how JD, Simplicity and any others sell enough "big" garden tractors to make it worth while.... look around---have you SEEN any new Simplicities or JD's or even a "BIG" Cub Cadet or "BIG" Craftsman running around the neighborhood? Tony

Yeah...that's hot... I dig the look.

It doesn't look like much different from the pics above but the painting is a pain in the _ _ _! Just when I think i'm done there is something else that needs to be done. It's really getting old but I've come this far so onward I go. Really in the home stretch. Of course I also ran out of the red paint. I think i've used a dozen cans so far. Got to work tomorrow so I won't get back to it till Tuesday.

Hi, Kurust type products work well. Mark

Short update.... Bendy made it to this years UK wheel horse round up and then back. I started on the footplates, using the original ones but reversed left and right. New bars for the footrests With the heavily modified plates back on Amazing how the original front angle works in reverse And with the seat on blocks to get the height Next stop, rear transmission strip down :D

pity the dealer didn't store it with the same enthusiasm that they have for its rarity and price. how much effort would it have taken to cover it properly to keep the dust off it while sitting there all this time? reminds me of the ones you find outside in the weather that the owner won't let go for a fair price. won't look after them, won't let somebody else save them, just let them sit until they have lost most of their value, but still want top dollar like they just rolled off the production line.....

Don: are you sure that just isn't the usual expression when seeing Van? No shine for me at the show this year!

I don't think it would leak. But why would you start it? Your paying through the nose for a museum piece. The uniqueness of this machine is that no time has been placed on the tractor. The second you spark that fuel in the motor, you might as well have dug a hole in your yard and thrown money in it. I don't want to talk down to you Jason and please don't take it as that but unless you have money to burn as in your a former top ranking VA Hospital Manager, a CEO or CFO to a bailed-out bank or automotive corporation, why would you want to run it? (Just know that it will run because there isn't any reason why it shouldn't run). Gun collectors pay through their bloodied fingers to acquire a weapon that is NIB and NBF and they will never ever fire them. That is their niche, their claim to fame! Just like this tractor has NBF. Do you see where I'm coming from? PS.....I have bought new cars that depreciate as soon as you title it let along put the first mile on it but that new car isn't a collector's car already nor is it old.

its looking real good, Jake. Will be another very nice tractor when you are done..... I gotta say Jake you have a bunch of talent for these tractors at such a young age, and I'm always floored by how much knowledge and ability you have at finding parts for these older ones. You are becoming a force to be reckoned with!!!! Us older guys better watch out, i know I'm looking out!!!

Finally got the hood ready for primer today. Sure took a lot of work, but it is straight as can be now. Will prime this and the rest of the parts again sometime next week.

I stand by my statement. When I first started tinkering with engines in the mid 1960's, we used to get a catalog from a company called JC Whitney. They sold everything automotive. But the funny thing was that their catalog had ads on every page like, "add this to your gas tank and improve gas mileage by 30 percent", or "this product cleans all the carbon from your engine and boosts horsepower by 15%, or "mechanic in a bottle, never have to tune your engine again", and on and on and on. So if I were to buy a load of those items, I would have never used any gas, my little 6 cylinder Chevy engine would have been increased to V8 power, and my engine would never need a tune up. We all know that that is pure BS.

Amanda, One very important question to be asked before giving it a Yea or Nay would be “What do you expect to accomplish by the use of this product?†Experience tells me most expectations for “liquid fix†products fall into one of three very different categories. Scenario one. “I use it a few times a year as preventative medicine.†This, in my opinion, is the expectation held by the most informed user, folks who take one a day vitamins and 81mg aspirin. These users understand 50 year old gasoline engines will develop deposits in the combustion chamber and in the valve area. These users understand gradual varnish buildup takes place in the fuel delivery system as a natural aging process. These users understand small deposits are most easily resolved by fuel system cleaners WHEN THE DEPOSITS ARE IN THE EARLY STAGES OF THEIR DEVELOPMENT. I have been using this product for nearly 15 years and believe SeaFoam will perform admirably as a preventative added during regular fuel-ups. Scenario two. “I used it when I had a fuel problem and it didn’t do a $^#^ thing!†NOT EVERY ISSUE CAN BE CURED BY SEAFOAM. A worn out throttle shaft closely mimics varnished fuel passages in a carburetor.. SeaFoam cannot cure a worn throttle shaft, problems with corroded points or a problematic ignition coil. You may not have properly diagnosed this problem and used the wrong tool to attempt to correct your problem. However, Seafoam can function very nicely as an exclusionary diagnostic tool. Many talented automotive diagnosticians use products such as this to eliminate suspect areas of the fuel delivery system in cars. The SeaFoam treatment works wonders for diagnosing and correcting fuel injector delivery imbalance caused by buildups dissolvable by SeaFoam. Scanario three. “I used SeaFoam and it caused a whole bunch of other issues.†I’m guessing these engines and fuel systems were what I call TW’s. “train wrecksâ€. Problems just waiting to happen. 20 plus year old fuel lines, brittle fuel pump check valves and years of tarnish, bugs, and trash in the fuel tank. Adding (or probably overloading) the fuel with Seafoam breaks off large chucks of varnish, bugs and debris and clogs your fuel filter or maybe even your carb passages. Dam#^$% Seafoam. Not the fault of the product itself as it is doing what it promised – dissolving deposits. You are using the product improperly and expecting a miraculous cure for your TW. Ain’t gonna happen! Use the right tool for the right job and have realistic expectations. As far as the negatives you have heard. “Too much smoke†– sorry, you are using the product improperly – you are putting waaaayyyy to much product in your fuel. “Too expensiveâ€, OK. Buy the gallon and reduce the price in half. Less than 50 cents per thankful a few times per year. It’s a hard argument to make when you spend hundreds of dollars in time / materials on your paint job on that same tractor !! If a cheaper alternative is needed, I have also personally used Chevron Techron fuel additive in everything from Porches to Dodge Caravans without issue. “Didn’t clean up my carbon deposits†– you don’t want to clean a cylinder area with heavy deposits by chemical action alone. Wrong tool for the job. You don’t want flaked off carbon “chips†down around the piston ring area. Best to remove major carbon buildup by mechanical scraping and then followup with regular addition of the additive. “Not recommended in the manufacturer’s manualâ€. I haven’t checked later model engine manuals but the K series wouldn’t be updated since it is no longer manufactured. Manufacturers typically don’t recommend any additives but I have yet to see any manufacturers specifically stating not to use SeaFoam or like products. Most manufacturers don’t care as long as the product makes it through the warranty period. As far as the composition of the product, MSDS sheets are not required to list any manufacturer’s “secret ingredientsâ€. The only time they disclose those secrets is if someone presents at a hospital ER having swallowed their product. The physician will then contact the manufacturer and then be informed of any additional ingredients not listed on the MSDS.