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Growing up in the city of London was great as a young pup but give me the countryside any day. This Picture was taken thirty seconds ago from the balcony of my home overlooking the quatock hills in Somerset UK Congratulations on your move to the country Scott , I'm sure you are gonna have some wonderful times creating family memories in the countryside .

As some of you know my family has purchased my parents property out in the country. For just over a month we have been packing, unpacking, organizing, and trying to get settled. Had some time today to take a couple of Horses out. I am really digging the country life and don't miss the subdivision one bit!

Congratulations on the new digs Scott... those 's look right at home there on your new green acres.

Went and did a little more exploring today!

This story starts a couple of months ago.... In addition to the 312-8 and Raider 12 I have, I had a 1950 Shaw Du-All R5 tractor that I restored. Not being able to find implements to fit it (for a decent price), I decided to sell it to fund more Wheel Horse fun. The Shaw was on Craigslist for a total of two hours before I got the call from a gentleman who wanted it worse than I did. After using a bit of the money to help finish up the Raider, a friend called me to say that a neighbor of his had a 1979 C81 sitting in his yard for $275. I went over there, and after some haggling, I came home with a running C81 with 36" RD deck for $250. At this point, I had another resto project, and I thought I was done buying horses for a good long while. How wrong I was! My parents were helping a lady from their church clean up her yard/house after her husband (who was a bit of a packrat) passed away. Tucked in among the junk, they found a 1964 1045 and a 1972 Bronco 14. My dad called me immediately. The lady's son-in-law told her the pair of them were only worth $40 (his estimated scrap value). I told her I'd give her $100 for the 1045 and $50 for the Bronco, which was completely overgrown with vines and not rolling, even with the relief valve open. She was absolutely thrilled, and when I realized the only money I had on my person was a 100 and two 20's, she thanked me and said that the extra $10 was quite unnecessary. Oh, and there were two gear-drive RD decks and a short-frame snowplow in the woods, too After assessing the 1045's condition, I thought it should run with a little help. I pulled the head, found a stuck exhaust valve, and with some lapping, cleaning, and adjustment, I had the tractor running within a few hours. Restoration began immediately. It took a lot of work, but she went for her maiden voyage last night, and ran pretty well. I am still missing the starter/generator belt guard, so if anyone has one for sale at a reasonable price, I'm in the market. Here are the pics. I'll try to post more detailed restoration pics in the resto/mod forum.

Yes I talked to David this am. We should be able to get over on Saturday! Thanks for the encouragement guys!

From my limited knowledge of the RJ I bought last week I know the engine is either Kohler K-90 or Clinton 1200. But which one is mine? I've uploaded some pics but is there an identifier stamped anywhere on the engine? Also, how do I determine whether to start looking for parts or just start looking for a whole new engine - either Kohler or Clinton? John

What a MESS...

Awesome, thanks guys. The pulley turns freely with the plug in it but there is nothing like actually seeing the piston and valves moving up and down. Oil is the great unknown at this point as I had trouble getting the steering wheel / hood off it to easily pull out engine. Ya I've got the original carb and oil filled air filter. Jake, noticed you've got a couple of "stamped frame" RJ35s What does that mean, and what the significance? I lifted mine up the other day and believe I saw 4 numbers stamped on the underside of the frame. John

I have a friend with a yellow c-series used at the highway dept. There wasn't a drop of red paint ever on it.

You can't beat living in the country. Hardly a day goes by when I don't miss our old place up there. We talk about moving back quite often but the odds against it seem to increase along with our age. Having seen your new home last fall Scott I know it's beautiful and in a great area.

I'm 55 and have wanted to live in the country for 56 years. It has never worked out. Hey Craig, great "Home Movie! "

yes, hope to see you there, Lane..... that brother of yours too? this is a really nice show, great on a hot day, plenty of shade and nice surroundings........

Ok we spent the last day checking her over and waxing her up, I could not take it any longer so I took her for an evening cruise:

I guess I'm missing something with the tube thing. I always thought if I sold a new tire and put a tube in it also it was redundent and cost the customer more for no reason. If the rim is clean and looks good where the bead seats there would be no leaks. I also thought if someone runs over something that punctures the new tire it would get the tube as well. If there was no tube and the tire was fine until punctured (if it was in the tread), it could simply be plugged without the wheel or tire removal. On the down side, if the tire and tube are punctured the tire must be removed to patch the tube which is 10 times the work and cost to the customer. Can anyone tell me the need for or the benefit of a tube in a new tire on a good rim?

Since I started this obsession 2 months ago all I have been thinking about is the Winter stuff. This Winter I'll be concentrating on the Spring stuff. Yeah, I'm one of those who buys the Summer clothes in the Fall on clearance and the Winter clothes in the Spring also on clearance.

Decals are on...... so very much for all your efforts Terry......

Lane..are you thinking of coming to the show?? Hope to see you there .

Well it has been forever that I have wanted to build a nice barn to store my horses and work on them. Yesterday was the day that I started this long project. I will use this thread to document the progression. I anticipate this will be a several month build. Here is the start !

https://fbcdn-sphotos-d-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-xpf1/t1.0-9/10403502_693489444077331_9045047675434337821_n.jpg https://fbcdn-sphotos-f-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-xap1/t31.0-8/10494918_693489400744002_7330726659391616959_o.jpg https://scontent-b-iad.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xap1/t31.0-8/10386910_693489464077329_6782150305147529377_o.jpg These are what he sent me.

Boomer asked me to forward his email address to you so here it is. Once you get your parts, he will be there to talk you through any problems you might have, which is also a plus. Get stuck in the middle of installing something just call him and he will guide you through it. I use the interned all the time to research things. There is a series of videos up there on rebuilding this motor. About 7 or 8 different ones from the same guy. Do a Google search and I am sure you will find it. boomers_influence@yahoo.com Nick

Your front deck wheels will never touch the ground on level hard flat ground. The purpose of the front wheels is to stop scalping when mowing on uneven ground. Their name is an anti-scalp roller. The deck height is set by the back wheels on the deck. These are called your gauge wheels as they set the "gauge" or length of the grass after cutting. Its sounding to me like its fine and you're just worried over nothing. Now if 1 anti scalp roller hits and the other side doesn't on level ground, then your deck is tweaked and needs to be bent back and reinforced. I have heard of some of the side discharge decks doing this because the discharge side is wide open and not tied together. Some guys bend them back and weld round stock across the opening for support.

I do not plan on insulating this barn as it will lose the look I want. I plan on overheating the work area using wood. I do plan on installing the plumbing in the slab for radiant heat so I have that option at a later time. Here are some more pics of what I was able to get done after work today. Used the tiller to cut down the high end and the grader to level it out after. Had some mechanical issues with the terramite. I think it needs a carb cleaning. The C195 may have a clogged screen in the tank so i will take that apart and check it out but I want ot make sure that I have a new gromet before I do.

Who is Mehlberg? Does he want to sell some? Well on second thought don't tell me. I'm going out for more tommorrow. I can't stop!

Thanks Nick, yes it was actually made for a Harley Davidson with a dual coil twin cylinder. I bought a new old stock Kohler K582 that was made in 1995 and added some of the parts from my 18 Automatic's K482 along with some new parts. The chrome air cleaner cover is from a Kohler 17 HP series 2. I put a metal bodied mechanical fuel pump on and have a new old stock oil pressure sending unit and gauge to add.

Does the dual coil on a Kohler K482 deliver the voltage to the two plug wires simultaneously or sequentially? Thanks, Mark. P.S. Would this arrangement {note reverse mounting of ignition coil} work if the spark is delivered simultaneously?

Know what I like best about country living; More Seat Time!

Here is an example of another machine they used from the Chicago Tribune last year! Illinois Tollway's robotic mower like a Roomba for embankments $42,000 machine mows grassy slopes while reducing costs, safety risks, agency says August 12, 2013|Jon Hilkevitch | Getting Around 956 Illinois Tollway worker Paul Borkowski drives a Spider ILD02 remote-control lawnmower near Interstate 90 and the Tri-State Tollway intersection last week in Rosemont. Illinois Tollway worker Paul Borkowski drives a Spider ILD02 remote-control lawnmower near Interstate 90 and the Tri-State Tollway intersection last week in Rosemont. (Armando L. Sanchez, Photo for the Chicago Tribune) Drivers on the Illinois Tollway this summer may have seen what look like yellow disk-shaped robots roaming steep, grassy embankments on the sides of the highway, not far from workers wearing safety vests and just standing around. Neither is exactly what it might appear to be. The four-wheel-drive machines, which from a distance look a little like giant versions of a robotic vacuum cleaner that sweeps floors and carpets in homes (and drives pets crazy), are actually remote-controlled slope mowers. The mower is driven and steered using a control panel that can be hung around the neck of an operator standing on flat ground as far as a football field away. Called the Spider ILDO2, the slope mower is manufactured by Dvorak Ltd. of the Czech Republic. Tollway crews responsible for mowing the grass and chopping down thick invasive brush along the rights of way have nicknamed the $42,000 machine Spider-Man, because to them it's a superhero. The Spider won't climb walls, but it ventures up slopes and down into ditches at a pitch of up to 40 degrees, where tractors are at risk of tipping over, where riding or walk-behind mowers may not be able to ascend from deep gullies, and where weed wackers simply can't cut it, according to toll authority maintenance officials. "I like it a lot because it goes where tractors can't go and keeps us safely on top of steep slopes so you don't have to worry about slipping down,'' Paul Borkowski, a tollway equipment operator, said Friday while directing the Spider up and down a hill and around trees in the infield adjacent to the ramp from northbound I-294 to westbound I-90 near O'Hare International Airport. The slope mower has four blades and four wheels that pivot 360 degrees and it runs at two speeds, "turtle'' and "jack rabbit.'' The Spider cuts a 50-inch-wide swath on each swipe. "It pretty much mulches the daylights out of the grass,'' Borkowski said. The tollway owns four Spiders, which were purchased in late 2012 and are getting their first full season of use now, said Michael Zadel, roadway maintenance manager at the toll authority. "When drivers see it, they are curious and often stop and ask,'' Zadel said. The machines have performed well and so far have been low-maintenance, said Kerry Brown, a tollway roadway maintenance section manager. While the Spider has been cost-effective compared with traditional landscaping, the big advantage has been reducing the risk of accidents and injuries, Brown said. The Spiders have proven to be an especially valuable tool for getting into hard-to-reach spots to trim the brush that grows up against noise walls that separate toll roads from residential neighborhoods, and retaining walls and other areas difficult to access with traditional grass-cutting equipment, Zadel said. "After we constructed the noise walls we were starting to get complaints from neighbors about the appearance of high grasses because these areas had been mowed before, typically to the fence line," Zadel said. Now, homeowners are "ecstatic" about the cleaned-up appearance, Brown said. "We satisfied all of our complaints,'' which were received from municipalities including Rosemont, Schiller Park, Northbrook, Glenview and Des Plaines, he said. "A lot of our good equipment is born of frustration,'' Zadel said. The tollway usually assigns two equipment operators to each Spider. Besides the control operator, a second worker scouts the area before the Spider goes in to look for large rocks, fallen tree limbs and anything else in the deep grass that could damage the Spider's blades. In especially steep terrain, the accomplice hooks a cable winch on the Spider to a highway guardrail or a tollway truck, to help pull the mower back up to the top after making the plunge. "The Spider is a lifesaver in these tight areas,'' said Nick Petrecca, a tollway equipment operator working with Borkowski on Friday. The Illinois Department of Transportation does not use any remote-controlled mowers, officials said, but IDOT may do so in the future. "Steep slopes are always risky, and if there are ever any safety concerns, the work is delayed until the ground is dry,'' said IDOT spokeswoman Jae Miller. Your Getting Around reporter took the Spider for a spin trimming grass around a stand of trees and, despite my low aptitude for playing video games, I pretty quickly got the hang of working the two main toggles — one to turn the wheels and the other to go forward or backward — as well as buttons to engage and disengage the blades, raise and lower the cutting length and control the engine speed. Borkowski joked that, after growing accustomed to using the Spider, he finds it hard to mow the grass outside his home the old-fashioned way. "I wish I had one of these. I showed a video of Spider-Man to my daughter and she thinks it's awesome,'' he said. Dvorak sells a residential version, called the Spider Mini, for about $8,000. Contact Getting Around at jhilkevitch@tribune.com or c/o the Chicago Tribune, 435 N. Michigan Ave., Chicago, IL 60611; on Twitter @jhilkevitch; and at facebook.com/jhilkevitch. Read recent columns at chicagotribune.com/gettingaround.

I have one too! My grandfather used it begins a Sears suburban. Had some GM guys fab a sleeve hitch with a slot option on it. Good luck finding a new share for that Brinley 8 if you ever wear it out.

looks like we are evenly divided on tubes/no tubes. i don't want and can't stand slow leaks , so i ordered tubes too. i'm getting Carlisle. i will try without tubes first , but if i get a leak the tubes are going in thanks to all for the advice

Craig, I think you got me off the fence as far as what to use when I get to the tires on my Suburban. Also with the paint. I'm liking some things about the Valspar and I was just looking at it yesterday at Walmart. Yes, the antique white.

I tried everything Geno, including a dip in the pool (when the wife was at work of course) . I even tried pumping it up to about 30psi and it still wouldn't come out of hiding. I just gave up and tubed it.

Good point Geno. With good rims and tires I wouldn't tube them but I don't hesitate if questionable. With the low pressures rim seepage is more likely but if done right it shouldn't be a problem. I recently tubed one of my rears due to a slow leak that just couldn't be found.

A dollar a pound for generic steel. $150-$200 for steel rears.and $150-$250 for fronts because they are more rare. I got lucky and got my fronts for $60 all painted up but I had to drive through a blizzard to get them.

Country life is the best..... this proves it. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6rRaUSwUNbQ

Scott. What a great place. My country life is 2 acres in new jersey. Lol Best of luck. Glenn

Martin, I am so jealous. What a masterpiece. It is a work of art and should be kept under glass in a museum. You are a master craftsman.

Martin. I am running out of complimentary words. WOW!!!!! A+ Glenn

I had my sidekick with me today after work. He likes to take his shoes off and play in the dirt.... I submitted all paperwork for the building permit and got a verbal ok to start.... (that only cost $925) The foundation contractor is stopping by this week to check out my work and give me pointers of what I need to do for him to be able to build his forms.

I've been in the country most of my life, never going back to the city. Now the Horses can run free!

Perfect place to raise a family. Very happy for you Scott. Very jealous of your country home and Wheel Horse stable

So the other day i was riding Juliette and i went to change from neutral to 5th gear and thats when the gear shifter broke of the turning bit on the gearbox, so i did a temporary fix to get it going again and it worked, but the other day i was thinking about it and then it came to me when shifting into neutral and reverse there are no problems but when you put the lever up to change into forward gears that is when it breaks, so this got me thinking if the gears are easy to change when the lever is in the down position then why not make it so that you don't have to put the lever up to change into the forward gears. And then i went into thinking mode and thought of a solution. Why not cute out the section that meant you had to push the lever up to change gears. And then i got thinking some more of my idea and liked it so i woke up the next day and set about to fix it, so i took of the inspection panel and cute out the offending section, filed it down, and painted it, and i'm pleased to say it not only means the gear selector wont break it makes it so much easier to change gears. below is a video i made with more information and a more detailed step by step guide on how to do it. James

I would at least pull the spool out and inspect it. Any scratches or marks in the outer diameters would let fluid leak past and cause all kinds of weird problems. If it were me I would replace the entire valve unit although it costs more then rebuilding you still wind up with a worn valve body with new internals. BTW how does the fluid look? Is it clean or dirty in appearance? Any particulates floating in it? Is it milky from water? Is it foamy from sucking air? Most times the oil will tell the story of how the system is running. Lots of metal flakes and dirt will kill valves quickly. Water in the oil will also cause problems and premature wear.

Ed, You can goggle HARVEST MOON TIMBER FRAME. The company is out if Morris ct which is about 25 min ride from my house. It will be 24'x36' with 16' x 24 up top and 12 x 24 down below. The main area below will be wide open floor to ceiling 24x24 except a 24' x5' tractor shelf. I plan on installing a shed off the back side about 12' x 36 and put a roof over it then maybe fully enclose it.. I should have the final stamped drawings back from engineer tomorrow. I am spending more than it would cost for typical stick built construction but in my opinion it will be well worth the money when done.

My plow is made the same way. I was at a plowing get-together and the seasoned plow-masters told me to get some metal to fill in the sides so the plow DIDN'T have as much slop. Too much slop will let the plow follow the previous furrow. After I made some 1/4" spacers (1 for each side) it worked much better. My plow "tongue" is 1 1/2" wide, and the slot on the tractor is 2" wide. The 1/4" spacer on each side made the "tongue" 2" wide and no slop.

I think Stratostar250 got one of the best shots I have seen. Maybe he can post it in this thread. here is the link to his pictures.

My C101 has no problem with my old cars or the same trailer loaded high with logs.As most of the towing is done on a sloping grass site I keep the wheelhorse in low ratio and have the trailer over run brake engaged and it has not "got away" from me yet.I also use it to pull dinghys up the slipway at the end of the garden but sometimes it starts to spin it`s wheels and I have to resort to a winch powered by the wheelhorse battery with the tractor fastened to a tree with a rope sling!.