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Hi Guys, Well after 3 months of hard work here she is. I know its not all original but I made modifications to make it easy to service in the future. The Honda engine and split hood came together nicely. Every bearing and seal and bushing is new. The paint was sprayed on. Hope she cuts grass good after all this work. I was hoping to hear any opinions......

His name was Bubba, he was from Texas ... And he needed a loan, So... He walked into a bank in New York City and asked for the loan Officer. He told the loan officer that he was going to Paris for an International Redneck Festival for two weeks and needed to borrow $5,000, and that he was not a depositor of the bank. The bank officer told him that the bank would need some form of security for the loan, so the Redneck handed over the keys to a new Ferrari. The car was parked on the street in front of the bank. The Redneck produced the title and everything checked out. The loan officer agreed to hold the car as collateral for the loan and apologized for having to charge 12% interest. Later, the bank's president and its officers all enjoyed a good laugh at the Redneck from the Texas for using a $250,000 Ferrari as collateral for a $5,000 loan. An employee of the bank then drove the Ferrari into the bank's private underground garage and parked it. Two weeks later, the Redneck returned, repaid the $5,000 and the interest of 23.07. The loan officer said, "Sir, we are very happy to have had your business, and this transaction has worked out very nicely, but we are a little puzzled. While you were away, we checked you out on Dunn & Bradstreet and found that you are a distinguished alumni from Texas A & M, a highly sophisticated investor and multi-millionaire with real estate and financial interests all over the world. Your investments include a large number of wind turbines around Sweetwater, Texas. What puzzles us is, why would you bother to borrow $5,000?" The good 'ole boy replied, "Where else in New York City can I park my car for two weeks for only $23.07 and expect it to be there when I return?"

I guess a WH 4 wheel wagon is an attachment.....I will (hopefully) attach it to one of my WH tractors. Anyway, I know the drill, so here are the photos! It is going to need some work, but it isn't eating too much so I can keep it around for a while!

As the saying goes, "If I have to explain you wouldn't understand" That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

Hello all, New member here. Thought I would say hello. I have a 77 B80 which is my work tractor, a 66 JD 110 that I just finished restoring and 66 Sears Suburban that needs restoration. Would like to find an RJ. Couple pics of my toys.

If any of you fellas need a support person to talk with, feel free to pm me along with a picture,price and phone number of the addiction that is weighing on you

When I first purchased my sons wheel horse I came to the forum for help. I got more than expected. As the greetings and help poured in I started looking at some of your profiles and noticed that most of you had several wheel horses. I remember thinking , what do they do with all of them? Why so many? Are these people nuts? Well I answered all of my own questions Saturday when I picked up my 3rd trailer load. I am absolutely hooked and find myself looking in every yard I drive past. When I am gone during the week I look through every states craigslist for tractors and accessories. This is by far the most intense hobby I have been involved with. I know everybody loves pics so here are the new horses. 656-877-1277-Commando8. They all need love but they all do run and operate. I absolutely understand you guys now. Between the tractors and this forum this is really an awesome hobby! I will get more pics and info posted when I can spend some time with them.

Wow! Maybe the Ponds should have used your hood design. I'm not a rigid purist, especially when the change is a betterment and I think you found two! I really like it a lot! Would have like to have seen the hood splitting process.

I never owned a wheel horse before AUG 2015.but i needed to replace my 15 year old craftsman rider that I've used to cut grass and plow in winter. it has held up nicely because l took good care of it.i looked for other options on a good tractor. i ended up here at red square and said to myself with all this info i would buy a wheel horse 520h. i got a nice one and next thing i was hooked.but the c160 is my favorite i have a nice b80 i want to redo when weather brakes. i really enjoy working on them.

I have found all of my 42" and 48" deck height levers to be worn where they engage the quadrant. I cut the rod off flush on the longer side where it is welded in then punched out the 3/8" rod. Cut new rod to 2" and welded on longer side. Wheel Horse deck height lever.pdf Cleat

My 520's are all liquid filled. Tires really aren't that hard to move around. Installing studs on the wheel hubs will save a lot of grief when mounting wheels. I would think they may actually be easier than wheel weights because you don't need to mess with the weights. Just bolt them on and go. I like the added traction in the summer when mowing ditches, tilling, or moving trailers around. Cleat

That is not funny....that is smart.

When I was young, I can remember the tricycle "Spirit of America" being displayed at the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago. My brother and I were obsessed with the Bonneville Salt Flats back then. I wish my ex hadn't gotten rid of my tricolor AMC jacket!

This is crazy all you grown men buying these horses like they were candy in a candy store.as for me I only have 5 .the crazy part is there is nothing like the enjoyment of taking a machine and totally restoring it to a thing of beauty .this is what I did to my c160 hydro. the wheel horse is a great and well built machine. I love to work on something that will give me back what I put into it. Love my c160 ,its a beast. And this is a crazy hobby to have. So I'm crazy like a fox. my wife posted this pic on fb. First plow with his restored WHEEL HORSE !! Picked up a really nice 77 b80 with deck and plow last month, and I will restore it to be a beauty also.

I started with 4 (my Dad's)...found this place and got up to 8. I did not have enough room at that point so now I am down to 5 horses. What I do have room for is transmissions...Wheel Horse transmissions of course. Talk about fun to tinker with. I now have a couple of good spares and just had 3 more dropped off yesterday. It is going to be a great spring. 2 RJ and 1 Suburban tranny Need to put this one together yet. Some of the herd waiting for snow.

Quite simply, because I too am just...

Very good discussion on the bearings and axle strength. I been running over 500 pound on my FEL for a couple years now. Worked the dog snot out her many times. About half the weight is on the wheels and the other half is in suitcase weight on the rear. My yard is sloped and it makes for an interesting trip when I have a full bucket. The over hung suit case weights made the biggest difference on the hills. The wheel weights seem to add more tractive effort. No science, just seems that way. I know I started out with less weight on the wheels and the tractor had more zip. The heavier wheel weights seem to kill horse power. The only axle issue was when I had a leaking seal. When I went to replace the seal, found the hub was moving on the axle and wore the axle shaft enough that a new hub was to loose. Odd, the axle key was okay. I had a 1" hub bored out to 1 1/8" .002 under size at a local shop. It was tight enough that I had to heat it a little to in order to tap it on shaft. 1 1/8" axle is a pretty stout axle size, the axles are slow speed and I figure they can good bit of abuse. my thoughts and a buck 75 get a get you a coffee at Sheetz!

I have run into this issue in the past. I used an aquarium heater. It is submersible and it is not affected by anything in the tank since it is made out of glass and "chemical proof" plastic. It is also adjustable the better ones pretty much going to the boiling point. One will be sufficient for up to about 15 gallons. After that if it is real cold you may need more.

Thank you, I appreciate that! Thank you very much!

Cool mods, nice job.

That is a very nice looking unit.

That's a great looking job you did there. You should be ecstatic about what you accomplished.

I tell everyone my wife has a problem and all do is try and counsel her when she buys another one. I think she has around 20 and I just have a 401. I do enjoy keeping them going for her and picking them up. She enjoys keeping me busy and out of trouble this way. I will have take count again and see what she has. It has been better this last year she has been after attachments like a dual gang disk, front reel mower for her 704, plow for the 702, lawn vac and a few other items.

Find one, or get that farm tractor. There are deals out there but you need to be persistent and diligent. Most sell for more than a $1000. There's no way you can build one for less than $1000 unless you don't have to buy the hydraulic parts. A pump. spool valve, cylinders, hoses, fittings, ect will cost that. PF Engineering plans are top notch with a proven design and will tell you exactly what to buy. $1200 is a bit low even though that's what's on their website. I built their backhoe in 08 and was in it over $2000 plus I got 90% of the steel for free. One thing about building one is you don't have to put out all the cash at once. Build it over time and buy parts as you progress.

Hi all!! I went up to camp and picked up what I believe to be a trailer. We've always had it and it is definitely the same color as the . Here's a side view pic. There aren't any stickers or part number on it. Let me know your thoughts. There red is a little work to be done on the back edge of the trailer as it is bent in and out a little with a 2" crack on the back edge. This trailer worked hard when we were using it for garden and yard work. Here is is the first picture. I'll add some more later today and or tomorrow when I get back out to the barn. It needs some love, but is still solid. The tires treads are cracked. We'll see if we need new tires when we put more air in to see if the tubes are good. The tires are original.

Deck hitch is complete. I made up 2. Cleat

Just finished watching a documentary on Prohibition. It was very interesting, and made me realize (if I didn't already know) that corrupt government started long before I can remember!

We are building a ALL new car, I might sneak a pieces of a WH in someplace, Please vote everyday till the end

For cylinders like the kwikways (2" diameter) you're going to want a pump that does 5-6 gpm at 3/4 to near full throttle rpm. The pressure the pump needs to put out to run a small kwikway style loader is under 1250 psi. In fact, I believe that the relief valve built into my control valve is set around 750psi. if you spec a pump that displaces significantly more gpm, the loader becomes jerky and difficult to control (bucking bronco). Too little gpm and it takes too long to lift the boom from ground level to max height. 5-6 gpm is well documented as the sweet spot for these small loaders.

Gonna hafta pony up and support rs, won't allow me to upload any more pics

@TDF5G All I can say is You can fill in the blanks!

Way cool. Good to see that you get the recognition you deserve. (I like the hood ornament) Like Russ said, don't forget about the Rat-rod. That thing was way cool, and stupid fast. (had some cool rear meats on it as well.) Oh...and this little short as well. http:// Very creative and talented indeed. Good for you John.

dullie ?

I use to fill my rear tires with liquid and it works great - but I used inner tubes and over time got thorns and flats. Pain in the buttox to fix. Further, liquid filled tires were heavy to mount. Lastly, I felt it made my tires soft - maybe it didn't but that was my preceptition. Changed to tubeless tires and bolt on weights. Easier to mount and handle when doing so, tubeless tires - easy to fix a flat with a plug or even with tube as the tire/wheel without the weights bolted on are easier for me to handle. Good luck, Bill

the pre 65 engines retarded the timing for ease of starting hence the two flyweights on the cam they were hooked to the point cam lobe and moved independent of the cam to a point at cranking speed the weights stayed in after the engine started the faster rpm slung the weights out and turned the point lobe to advance the timing to normal position Brian

all the early kohlers thru 1964 that I have taken apart were pre acr engines in the k141-181 block size Brian

I just bought a what Im told is a very RARE Wheel Horse side mount Sickle Bar Mower that came off a C140 and putting it on one of my C160 so this is going to be fun.

Hi I use to own a small engine repair business and of all the machines I worked on in the 15 yrs in business the Wheel Horse units were my all time favorites to repair and test drive. Iv owned several over the years but now that Im retired Iv bought 8 of them in different sizes just this past summer alone... My favorites are the four 16 HP tractors and a couple 8 HP. Im picking up a C140 this coming weekend and plan on buying more to use on my mini farm. I'm not into restoration to make them look show room but rather using them without having to change out all the implements I have for them. Jim

Last fall at a local antique/steam show, a fellow picked up one of my cards. During our conversation, he asked, "do you work on Wheel Horses"? My comment was, "I have 11 of them....I work on them all the time"! Nice find on your trailer.

Nice load.....and it doesn't take long to figure out the madness. Once it sets in, good luck trying to shake it!

Specifications Length Overall...................................................................61 inches Wheelbase...................................................................41 1/4 inches Width Overall.....................................................................34 inches Width of Front Wheels.................................................32 1/2 inches Height...........................................................................37 1/2 inches Height to Top of Hood..................................................33 1/2 inches Approx. Shipping Weight.......................................................450 lbs. Crop Clearance.............................................................7 1/4 inches Frame Clearance.........................................................13 1/2 inches Engine Horsepower (Engine Mfgr's Rating).............................6 H.P. Engine Crankcase Oil Capacity...............................................25 oz. Fuel Capacity.......................................................................1 gallon Tires (front) 4.00-8 Pneumatic (16" wheel dia.) Tires (rear) 6.00 x 12" Pneumatic (22 1/2" wheel dia.) Speeds - 3 Forward to 6 mph. 1 Reverse to 2 1/2 mph. Turning radius (to outside wheel)..................................................6' Wheel Horse pioneers Elmer and Cecil Pond realized the benefits of marketing early and capitalized on the publicity brought to their home region by the world famous Indianapolis 500 race. Beginning in 1961, Wheel Horse loaned approximately 40 new tractors to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway for use by race teams to tow their cars around the pits for the testing and racing activities during the month of May. A promotion dubbed the Indy 2 ½ was even created as the kickoff event, where the tractors were paraded from flagship distributor Radio Equipment Co. in Indianapolis to the speedway and then raced one lap around the famed 2.5 mile Brickyard piloted by dealers and other local media personalities. The publicity stunt was a huge success for Wheel Horse, and later advertising would tout Wheel Horse tractors as The Official Work Horse of the “500.” The promotional value of the Indy 500 reached new heights in 1968 when Wheel Horse came out with a new model, the “500” Special. This tractor was a no frills model, powered by a basic 6 hp recoil-start Tecumseh H60 engine backed by the standard 3-speed Uni-Drive transmission. What the “500” Special lacked in power, it made up for in looks with racing stripe decals on the hood and checkered flag decals on either side of the dash tower. Similar to previous Wheel Horse “Special” models, production of the “500” Special utilized different leftover parts which created some variances on the assembly line. Common known variances include the use of at least two different styles of hoods, mufflers, dash panels, steering wheels, seats, fender pans and checkered flag decals. Sale ads from May 1968 offer $200 off the “500” Special tractors, which were listed at a sale price of $529.95 and were advertised with a 32” rotary mower included. The "500" Special differed very little from the Commando 6 offered that same year, except the Commando 6 had an electric starter and did not feature the extra racing inspired decals. Much of what is known about these tractors is merely conjecture, as factory records were limited and were never formally released to the public. Based on known serial numbers it seems that there were at least 5 or 6 production runs of these tractors; however, the total production number for this model is unknown. One common belief is that these tractors were primarily sold at dealerships in Indiana, Illinois and Ohio (presumably due to their close proximity to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway); however, a few collectors have reported these tractors being sold new in other states as well. Since the tractors were relatively plain aside from the racing inspired graphics, it is believed that they did not sell as well as intended by the company. Several collectors have found “500” Special models equipped with electric starters or even 8 hp Kohler replacement engines believed to have been modified or upgraded by individual dealers to help sell the tractors when they were new. While the “500” Special models proudly represented the manufacturer’s racing ties, these tractors were never actually used for the big race. The larger 10 hp hydrostatic drive Charger 10 model, equipped with extra racing decals similar to those found on the “500” Special, was the tractor chosen by Wheel Horse to be utilized by teams at the 1968 Indy 500. There has been at least one seemingly staged press photo that has surfaced showing a "500" Special towing a race car at the speedway. The “500” Special was replaced in 1969 by the Work Horse 700 model, which featured a very similar decal package and was upgraded to a 7 hp electric start Tecumseh H70 engine to help boost sales. This is one of the only known photos to show a "500" Special at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Print ads for the "500" Special carried a racing theme to conjure up excitement for the new model. Advertised sale prices averaged $529.95, but were as high as $599.95 (with electric start) and as low as $404.95 on clearance. A fully restored "500" Special with 32" rotary mower on display at the 2015 WHCC Show. The following photos are to show variances in some of the parts used in construction of the "500" Special models. No confirmed pattern for the use of any of the following parts during the various assembly runs has yet been identified. Photos of original tractors and the Owners Manual were referenced in putting together this list of variances. In the absence of the original parts for comparison, anyone restoring a "500" Special could theoretically choose from their preference of parts pictured below and construct a correct original appearing tractor. HOOD Hood (Part # 7231) with Escutcheon Plate (Part # 7416) Hood (Part # 5465) with Grille Decal (Part # 6998) The most obvious difference in these two hoods is the number of horizontal openings in the grille. The first has 6 rows of openings and has a large rectangular opening filled with a escutcheon plate at the top, while the second hood has 7 rows of openings and a thin decal. The tractor pictured on the cover of the owner's manual shows the first style of hood with the escutcheon plate. It has previously been suggested on this forum that the second style hood with the decal was used in the later production run. Of the original tractors referenced, the hoods with the escutcheon plates seem to be more commonly used on the "500" Special tractors. As of 2015 the escutcheon plates were still available through Toro dealers. EXHAUST Muffler (Part # 7628) with Deflector (Part # 7843) Muffler (Part # 1739), Elbow (Part # 1755), Nipple (Part # 943358-4), Locknut (Part # 1756) and Brace The tractor pictured on the cover of the owner's manual shows the first rectangular shaped muffler with a deflector. Other similar variations of the second style of exhaust do not include the brace, which seems to be a relatively harder piece to find. Of the original tractors referenced, it seems as if the first rectangular style muffler is slightly more common over the shower head muffler style exhaust systems. Both types of mufflers are still readily available on the aftermarket. DECALS Racing Flag Decal with "6" (Part # 8379) Racing Flag Decal without "6" (Part # 8379) It is unknown exactly why there were two nearly identical versions of this decal made, the only difference being that one bears the number "6" indicative of the tractor's horsepower rating. Of the original tractors referenced, it seems the the majority have decals with the "6" present. The alternate versions with just the racing flags have also been spotted on the Charger 10 tractors that were outfitted for duty at the 1968 Indianapolis 500; however, for this application they were placed on the bottom front of the grille and on the backside of the seat. Another interesting fact is that the "500" Special trim decals on each side of the hood (Part # 8376) were originally rectangular and could be applied to either side of the tractor. The rectangular shape allowed for a little variance in the placement, most likely for the sake of increasing application speed on the production line. Once applied an assembly line worker would then trim the decals along the front edge of the hood to give them the beveled shape. Reproduction decals are readily available and can be had in either configuration. DASH PANEL Dash Panel (Part # 5453) Dash Panel (Part # 7379) with Shift Pattern Decal (Part #7883) Though not pictured in the owner's manual, the parts number listed is for the first style of dash panel pictured. This style dash panel used two round hole plugs for the absent lighter and generator accessories. It also contained a diagram of the transmission shift pattern printed directly on the panel. The second style dash panel used one round hole plug for the lighter and a rectangular plug to fill the light switch hole. This style dash did not have the shift pattern printed on it, so tractors with this part also had a shift pattern decal applied to the console (partially obstructed, but visible in the reference photo). Of the original tractors referenced, the majority had the first style dash panel with two round hole plugs. Reproduction decals for restoring either style dash plate are readily available, and the chrome hole plugs can often be found at hardware stores near the bins of loose fasteners. STEERING WHEEL Steering Wheel (Part # 4983), Insert (Part # 2897) and Decal (Part # 7421) Steering Wheel (Part # 7420), Insert (Part # 7469) and Decal (Part # 7421) The first style steering wheel is easily identified by its three thin angular spokes. These steering wheels were only used on the 1968 Commando 6, Commando 8, "500" Special, and the 1969 Workhorse 700 models. Due to their thin spokes, these steering wheels seemed prone to cracking or warping. It is becoming increasingly difficult to find one of these steering wheels in good condition. The second style steering wheel is characterized by its three straight tapered spokes and was more commonly used among Wheel Horse tractors during the late 1960s. The tractor pictured on the cover of the owner's manual shows the second style of steering wheel; however, the part number given in the manual corresponds to the first style of steering wheel. Of the original tractors referenced, it seems as if the first style of steering wheel pictured is slightly more common than the second steering wheel pictured. Reproduction steering wheel inserts and decals are readily available. SEAT Fiberglass Pan Seat (Part # 7070) Three-Piece Seat (Part # 7018, 7019, 7020) The first seat bolts to the fender pan with four studs that extend out of the bottom of the fiberglass pan. Over time and exposure to the elements, these seats were very prone to cracking or having the vinyl damaged, thus making them very rare to find in good condition. The second style seat fastens to the fender pan with only two studs that extend from the metal seat base. While more rugged and able to survive the test of time somewhat better, these seats also have their wear points. Perhaps the most common area of wear includes the top edge of the back seat cushion. These seats are also becoming harder to find in good condition. The tractor pictured on the cover of the owner's manual shows the fiberglass pan style seat and lists the same part number as well. Of the original tractors referenced, there is a nearly even split of the use of each of the two styles of seats. Reproduction seat covers have been produced for the three piece style seat, although they do no include the embossed Wheel Horse logo. FENDER PAN Fender Pan (Part # 7444) Fender Pan (Part # 5661) The difference in the two fender pans is the presence of holes drilled in the rear of the pan to accommodate a light. The first style shown has three holes where a light would be added if the tractor was so equipped. The second style does not have these three holes drilled and was likely left over from earlier production runs before the rear light was an option. It is unknown which fender pan is pictured on the tractor in the owner's manual; however, it provides the part number for the first style of fender pan. Of the original tractors referenced, it seems that the vast majority have the first style fender pan with the rear light mounting holes present. ENGINE While there should not be any significant variances in the engines used for these tractors by the factory, non-original engines may have been installed to help boost sales of the tractor by the dealerships or to replace a blown motor later in the tractor's life. The correct Tecumseh engine model number used on the "500" Special models is H60-75118H. Since these engines were recoil start only, they should not have holes drilled into the block to mount a starter. This recoil start H60 engine is photographed to show the two starter mounting pedestals that remain untouched (if there was a starter there would be two holes drilled in each of the horizontal mounting pedestals to bolt the starter to the block). The owner's manual also shows the presence of a rear mounted "L" shaped oil drain pipe that would extend outward from the location where the drain plug is pictured, allowing oil to drain out over the right side of the frame when uncapped. Finding a recoil start H60 engine without the starter mounting holes seems to be more difficult than finding one equipped with an electric starter. View full wiki

I've been using Star Tron fuel additive with all gas and seems to be working so far.

Cleat , if you keep this up everybody will be shipping you decks to be repaired. I wish I had your talent. Excellent work on everything you have shared with us.

Have you learned how to back it up yet?

Now! Now! Don't be too hasty. As a last resort, there's always plan C to fall back on... you could always try getting the Mrs into the hobby too.

Cheers!

It is a Disease that only gets better with more Wheel Horses.

Worst part of my weekend was having an hour to play with the new hoses before I got ready to hit the road and discovering I didn't have a drop of gas! My wife surprisingly had nothing to say about that.She just laughed

I bought my first a Commando 8, it looked so lonely that it had to have a stable mate. So I found it a twin, I had a team of Horses now, Then I went to the Big Show in PA, and saw a model 854 I was born 8/54! Well right there is a good enough reason to have to buy one of them So now, I have the start of a herd. Over the summer I added onto the shed, and there's still some more room but that doesn't mean I'd have to fill it does it ?