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I've been several years without a truck. Here in Maine and particularly in our rural life that's a little like being several years with one hand super glued to your forehead. You get by ok but it's just.... Challenging. The BBT/Significant other and I have been talking over the convenience of having a 3rd vehicle for awhile. We're finally in a position in life to be able to do so and not fret. I figured on waiting another year but my daily driver is showing its age a bit and I really need to stop using it as a tow vehicle. We need something that can tow a few thousand lbs and carry a decent load of aggregate too. I've been wanting a 1980-86 F series with a particular drivetrain for years. As much as I love an original creampuff we need a worker. Well I found this rig and decided to pull the trigger. I got me a Truck. It's an '86 F-250 HD. 300. 4 speed manual. 4WD. Low geared. Make no mistake... it's no cream puff. It's a worker. But it's a real live two owner truck with 43,000 ORIGINAL MILES. The original 1986 truck was bought by a mason local to central New Hampshire but it was right near the end of his career and he only used it for about 30, 35,000 MI. Then it sat for quite a while. Fella I got it from bought it about 15 or 20 years ago and over the next maybe 10 years? He did a full complete frame off restoration. Frame and drivetrain are the original. Cab is a '95. Bed is a southern one from '97. Nose is 85/86 vintage. It's not by a long shot a concourse d elegance show winner. But it's damn solid and has waaaaaay too many new parts to list. The PO was forced to stop working on it due to health reasons just before he finished up the final touches. It does run and drive perfectly fine and has a current inspection. I'll be doing some work on it like most of a set of engine gaskets. One rear wheel seal. Some interior trim finishing and changes. Things I'd like to do depending on finances and time: I really liked having a flat bed on my last truck. I'm thinking about making a steel reinforced wood bed. Maybe 7 x 8.5? I'd also like to do a 4 BBL carb/better intake and exhaust swap over. Stock HP in 86 was around 100, 110. Above changes can add 30 or 40. More important... More torque. I'll be in the market for those parts if anyone has a lead on good used ones. Here's a few pics.

Got a few special ones out this afternoon... Thank you Elmer and Cecil!

Black Horse when first rebuilt. After some of the mod's.

Broke the PTO deck drive belt on my 42 inch mower on one of out Toro tractors. The 312-8 belt broke and wrapped around pto and center mower pulley. Pain to remove the residue and rubber coated belt threads! Also changed the carb on the 12 HP Magnum to one of the Kohler #26 carbs from I Save Tractors. Worked fine! Also charged up our old Honda 6522 with backhoe. This old Honda is a Fidel and a very over engineered tractor Honda made in the early 1980’s. Lots of power and four wheel drive. Not my favorite toy!

TRIED to get some rear rims done, but alas the rain kicked in just before we could do the 2nd side! Mrs tryin to dodge the camera, but i caught her anyway..even in her gettin dirty clothes! Did manage another wd40 wipedown and wiping off some more grease and dirt from areas i couldnt reach with the rears on.

“My starter went out!”

Dad’s ‘78 C-161 cleaned up after it came out of its 8 year hibernation in 2016. He was very picky with his stuff.

Broke down the C-125 for usable parts. Got alot I could save, important is the tranny works perfect other then leaks from everywhere so fresh seals got a working 8 speed. And the engine is complete other then a dipstick and turns over nice with compression so pretty sure that I can save 2. Plus I'll keep the frame and axle for my next project. So all in all I got paid to go get a plow for my 314. 👌

Our three Ponds...

Well I picked up another old machinist chest / case. This one has no label on it so I do not know the maker. I dosnt have a top lid that opens so they call this a case and not a chest. I am guessing it is from the 30's or 40's. Anyone with any knowledge of this , I am all ears. This one was full of stuff to make flies for fly fishing. It also came with this stand that I believe to be used to repair fishing rods. I bought it for the box not its contents. The last one I purchased was a Gerstner that was full of machinist tools. Cant be lucky all the time. This one I already cleaned and polished it. I will be getting some felt for it and relining the drawers. I will also replace the lock. Right now without the lock the front panel will not stay closed. I like these boxes, this is the 3rd oak one I have had. I have also refinished a couple old metal Kennedy boxes in the past. Anyone with any knowledge.. please pass it on. Thanks

Ooo that would be pretty cool. Was just looking at a jeep jr wheel horse I stumbled appon a thread with it. Pretty cool! Next project going to be a rat rod lowered build for sure. Got a working horse a lifted horse and a colorful fun horse for the fam now I want fast and low haha.

My 82? C-125... ish.

Never mow in tennis shoes! This could happen to you!

Once again I'll have my spark plug wire making kit in attendance. For Kohler and Onan twins please measure the length and take pictures of the ends. Better yet, Bring them 2 me and I can match them up. K singles $ 8.00 Ea. Kohler Twins $14.00 Set Onan Twins $ 20.00 Set Also I will have some hood anti-rattle stripping $2.00 a tractor or $2.00 a foot

I should have room to bring this 855 If any one is interested. Set up with 42" blade and concrete wheel weights and a concrete weight on a sleeve hitch. It starts and drives as it should, but does smoke a little on throttle up. It has been painted and a new low amp ign. switch with a solenoid was added. And no extra charge for the custom color matching flip boat seat, the wheel spinner, or the mounting step. ( look closely at the first pic. right below the lift lever) As shown delivered to the show $550 W/O plow, axle brkt.,weights $425 Send me a PM if interested in any of it.

Absolutely in the plans. I've always found a straight six split the right way to be a very entertaining sound.

Quite possibly that one may be user made. Beautiful box the Gertsner.There are some interesting and unusual ones.I also like these boxes. This one I found many years ago here in town in a long closed small factory.Clearly user made . Drawer bottoms made from metal sheets that were used to make the power actuated fasteners in the facility individual worked at here in town. I also bought it for the box. However it was totally loaded with all kinds of special tools. So much that in order to move box tools had to be removed. Box is unusually large for this type.

Here you go!

So ok got the new Key switch yesterday ,So I was able to get to the C120 today and She fired rite up and runs like a top , let her idle and warm up ,then shut her down to do a oil change and get the air cleaner back on with a new air filter ,checked the hydro , tranny fluid ? ok did not expect to see that but it was like it was just put in , nice clean looking and good smelling transmission fluid , aired up the tires and took if for a good 20 minute ride ,at different throttle positions, up and around my gravel roads ,did not even miss a beat up my steep hill , drove back home and did another oil change just to be on the safe side , then I decided to give the mower deck a once over to see if I could get her spinning got the lube gun out and greased every fitting I could find ,then turning by hand all till everything on the deck felt free , made a adjustment to the PTO engagement arm and and eased it in and out a few time till I felt everything was running smooth . got my deck height adjusted and mowed the grass ,even though I do not plan on using it as a mower , this thing is a beast holy-cow my 212-5 with a 38 inch deck has nothing on this deck ,I believe it somewhere about 50 inches . I also was able to stop by my friends place and pick-up a few more things for the c120, I got a pair of wheel weights that fit the rim pretty good and they are 50 to 60 lbs each ,I also picked up some hydraulic stuff with a pully driven pump that I think I can work with . I saw a real nice WH mower deck has to be at least 42 inches and it is in excellent condition . told him not to cut it up , I will come back for it. So again a big thanks for all the help .

All I ever got to do was pull weeds and pick rocks

Cranked up Old Grandad...... Then gave him a shot of oil.

Saw this Economy #2786 sitting in the "yard" of a now-defunct plant nursery not far from home. The place has been out of business for a couple of years now and while I'd seen the machine sitting there, it didn't register for me until a week ago that it might be a real machine and not some cobbled up yard art (other things near it are faux Greek statues and fountains). Engine cowl is missing and the unique anti-theft (?) device is a signpost planted between the axle and the (bent) front tie rod. What caught my eye up close are the two levers for independent rear wheel brakes. To stop straight I guess you steer with your feet while pulling on the brake levers. Thought it might be of interest. If someone wanted to pursue acquiring it, PM me and I'll let you know where it is.

It’s bucket loads of fun 👍

I'd stack it like I did should take care of any exhaust burns. Just make sure u get it far enough away from hood that you don't burn the other side. I hardly even smell engine fumes with mine works mint

Gutted my bathroom on the 18th of May, and here's what I have now. It's nice to be retired, and finally have the time to work my own house.

Man gotta go visit Ed's Part Emporium at the show!

Other members here think that it is safer to fix the interlocks than to bypass them. Just sayin'.

Any body heve any ? Should be 3-4 weeks here. The early corn that was planted under plastic is in tassel. He plants a pair of rows with a soaker water/fertilizer line in each pair. Then leaves a space between the pairs wide enough for a horse dragging a produce box used when picking. A couple acres are planted each week so he has corn ripening all summer. Every 40' he leaves a space wide enough for a two horse team pulling the sprayer. Mowed the wide sprayer spaces today.

Maybe you can use it as Brick for your next construction project...😂

What I would say about your very nice truck has already been said, but I'll throw in -- looks knee deep in rubber too!! but that mileage...... SIGH!!

4wd ... 3/4 ton ... straight six ... stick ... locking hubs ... supah ! two thumbs up - nice find EB !

Very nice truck! Looks like it was cared for and not abused. I love cab lights, my Tundra would look silly with em, but one of my past trucks was a 2500 Dodge and the cab lights looked so cool at night

Nice!! and congrats EB. A repaint but surprisingly nice for it age. I love ford trucks!!!!

Nice looking rig. 300 six cylinders were tanks and it’s just broke in. Should more than get the job done.

I've two of those. Toolmakers cabinets we call them. One belonged to my late father. Made for him by a brother of my mother, sometime in the 1940s at a guess. He was a joiner/cabinet maker. The other is mine bought when serving my apprenticeship as a toolmaker about 1965.

I just noticed mine is just sprouting today, I wanted to get it in a little earlier than I did. I have got away with planting it a few weeks before Memorial day the last few years. That's always a gamble in the Berkshires, be mid August before I get corn. Knee high by the forth of July, is the saying around these parts also. Bailing the first cut of hay tomorrow and Saturday weather permitting. Crop looks a lot better this year than last.

Here is the Gertsner I picked up a while back. It was loaded with tools.

Hey, I had some up from SC this week (courtesy of my local supermarket) and it was fine.

Last time I ran the pressure washer, it was not drawing soap from the soap bucket, and the carb seemed to be drooling gas out of the throttle bore. Today, I got the washer up on the bench to check those items out. Not drawing soap was an easy fix - the hose was not connected to the pump. Ended up pulling the carb and opening it up. Suspected the float valve because the carb drooled even with the engine not running. Checked out the float and float valve and found them to be OK. Cleanedthe bowl and reassembled everything. Washed the car as a test. No gas leak, soap draw good. Not sure what I did to the carb, but it seems to be fixed. As I was starting to put the machine away, my wife comes out and comments on how dirty the sideing and windows are in that (inside) corner of the house. Put the hose back on the washer, get a bucket of soapy water and brushes, scrub & spray the sideing two or three times before all is acceptable. At least I was playing, I mean working, with water on this rather warm afternoon. Wend down to the lake and shoveled another wheelbarrow load of decomposing leaves from under the dock. That pretty much finishes up the lakeshore winter gunk cleanup for this year.

About to put my beauties to bed in the shop! Too hot to mow!!!

I didn't put a full plate on mine but I could draw one up if no one can come up with one. I'll have to check a few dimations to add to the one I have. I used two 1/4" x 1 1/2" top and bottom as my transmission plate was not broken. I'll have to take a picture of the drawing and post it here I have around 95% of what's needed on my drawing for a full plate. Here is a picture of my tractor.

Not sure how to word this exactly but I’ve recently figured I’ve got myself a semi bastardized tractor, a week or so ago I went an picked up what was believed to be a raider 12 wheel horse that came with an owners manual for an 800 special! But with the help of Bob and a photo list of model numbers with description of said tractor, I found the placard on my wheel horse with the model an serial numbers and come to find that mine is a 1968 raider 9! With that being said the tractor 🚜 I’ve got was supposed to have the Tecumseh engine an mine has the Kohler motor an it’s got the raider 12 hood!! With all that being said I’ve got a rototiller implement that I would like to use for my garden but I was told I’m missing the correct pulley setup under the belly plus my lift cable is broken!

New to this forum, Let’s see what other wheelhorse’s are in the UK, I’m in South Wales. RJ-58 Lawn Ranger Commando 8 C-120 C-101 C-160 Auto

And I agree with that ---- but, oddly enough one of my early buys when getting the Horse bite was a 1054 out back in the weeds (which of course had the 10hp) was from an elderly gentleman who had bought it new --- with a 48" deck! I got her all slicked up and running good and used the deck .... briefly, and pretty quickly felt it was struggling a bit. I didnt need another tractor and ran a quick CL ad and a fella with lake front property with a pretty steep climb from lake to house and he was using a -- unknown -- with turf tires and they just wasnt getting it. I had added new ags to the horse and that convinced him. Have often wondered how that worked out. I seldom regret selling one, but I kinda wish I'd have hung on to that one

Busy day up at the farm. Repairing cubicle barriers. Hanging gates and assembling a new water trough. Finally collected the Santa Fe from the garage where it has been for M.O.T. and full service. Wallet took a bit of a hit, but not as hard as a main stealer would have done.

This is the new bus.... Classed as an MPV or multi purpose vehicle. I've paid more for lawn mowers lol