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Rescued this bad boy out of a drafty old Connecticut barn today!

Getting there with the Commando 8. Going thru it from front to the back. I finally got it running. Waiting for the new carb to come in It has the original on it now. Thanks for looking.

I think it is the buyers of these products that got there money's worth...times ten.

Gimme about 3 1/2 more hours and I'll ponder all this at cocktail hour ... I can see you guys started a little early!

Was able to get the valves adjusted and the top of my 520's Onan reassembled today. Left all the exhaust tins loosely mounted until I got the spacing around the intake right, then tightened it down to eliminate any contact there. All that detail work will disapper once the air cleaner assembly gets mou nted. Thing has never been a show tractor, so it's no big deal. Just happy it's routine maintence is getting done. A complete fluids and filters change tomorrow, then it'll finally be ready to blow some snow.

I mentioned last week that I might be looking at a couple of tractors, a GT 14 and 1054. Well today I picked them up and plan to work on them this spring. The tractors appear to be complete except for no pto on the GT 14. The tractors have been stored inside and were caught in a flash flood a couple of years ago. I will wash and clean them up before I start working on them. I noticed today that one has a sediment bowl at the tank and I actually got a key with the 1054. The deck turns on the 1054 but is rusted. I will be hitting the files here and asking lots of questions. Can someone tell me what year are these tractors? Merry Christmas!!

Actually, I think Wheel Horse and Kohler both produced themselves nearly out of business. The Ponds were smart enough to sell at the pinnacle of the brand's reputation. Kohler "innovated", and now what they produce is disposable junk. Pot metal blocks and plastic gears with not the first bearing anywhere. That being said, the past was a fantastic thing for us consumers, and it continues to this day. Imagine if everything was manufactured with decades of service built into it!

Just using what I had I made this little plate hanger to go in my 2” receiver hitch. It weighs like 75 lbs now but I have a couple more plates I could add. didnt want to add any length to the back of the tractor and it will be a strong number if I back into anything. Those 2 plates are 10x12x 3/4 steel leftovers from flitch plates on my jobs. I could prob hang a suitcase weight off it if I came across some of them too. Also considered making a basket for a couple solid concrete blocks too because it could just bolt on but going to try this for now. Fun little project and should get some more weeight on the back tires for plowing. Want to add another plate and a 2nd set or larger set of wheel weights.

Many times Dino many.... since there was no booze on board tho I always just thought it was too much blood in my alcohol system.

Yes. I haven't had any luck with new carbs. Fix the old one.

There is a couple who live just outside of town. I am going to guess, in their 30's. She is a school teacher. He does something techy, I'm not sure. When they got married, 10 - 15 years ago, they headed east for the honeymoon. On the drive back home they stopped somewhere in Pa for gas, snacks, lottery tickets, "pit stop", whatever, and continued home. When they got home, she continued teaching school, he did techy things. Lo and behold one of those lottery tickets hit. To the tune of $47,000,000.00. That's MILLION !In the last 3 years or so, he has been buying up empty buildings up town and refurbishing them. Nicely to boot. Empty brick building are getting tuck pointed, all new windows and doors, roofs, the works. I mean a lot of buildings. Old shoe store, appliance business, TV shop, printing office, and more. The old Jr High School is now an apartment building. The old "Carnegie" library is some type of teaching academy for computers I think. Most of the buildings it seems will be used for "techy" things, again, I'm not sure. Still, 10 or so years after that honeymoon, she is still a school teacher, he still does techy things. It is quite a transformation to see buildings that have sat empty for years, not only being used, but put back to their original splendor. A lot of small towns could use an up-lift like this, but I'm sad to report, I have heard no rumors about a new hardware store. Can't have everything.

No you couldn't, because the kid behind the register wouldn't be able to find a "code" on the computer for that transaction. My very local independent car mechanic sometimes happily accepts a batch of my daughter's home-baked chocolate chip cookies as payment.

Case in point. I love my ACE Hardware but they sell bolts by the piece. TSC sells bolts by the pound. Much cheaper at TSC, but ACE has a better variety of fasteners.

But if feel so inclined please take lots of pictures!

Nope just a 2 wheel drive. 454 with 4 speed behind it. I'm pretty sure I've got it all figured out and a list of parts to order. Now just have to convince myself that the old clunker is worth sinking $1300 into Should be good to go for a while once I do though. Planning on replacing everything suspension wise from front to back. I noticed earlier in the week when I was doing U-Joints that I've got a broken leaf in one of the rear springs, so gonna go ahead and replace both rear springs, new coils in the front, new shocks, and everything else. Should ride like a new truck once I'm done.

So gang, it's Christmas time and my company has extended its forced vacation to two weeks, sucking 7 days of FTO from me. I've got all kinds of things to do for the wifey-poo but what the heck can I do for me? I've got two K301s so may as well get out the surgical tools and do a b-gearectomy. The C-125 goes first. Restored that back in '17 and so she's got maybe 75 hours on her. It'll be rather painless and the youngster is visiting so can assist in getting that b-itch up onto the bench. She's already been moved to the garage and the old Kawi and its carb parts moved back to the shed while I search for tiny o-rings. Wish me luck and pics to come. Oh, there is no rattle BUT she's always had a minor knock I chalk-up to excessive end play (didn't measure it back then 'cause I'm bad but, dang!, will now).

It was 12-21-2012 when we all survived the end of the world. Who could forget? So now 9 years later on this day of the winter solitice I took a couple scientific notations. I marked my flag's shadow on the ground to show where the sun was in the sky and I measured a 11'5 shadow from my 5'8 frame at high noon. So what went wrong with that crazy Mayan prediction or more correctly their calculation? Nothing! Their 26,000 year measure was right on target when the earth crossed the plane of our MilkyWay galaxy. Earth does not have a stable position, instead it wobbels as if it bounces up and down on it's 240 million year journey around the galaxy. It was only the end of a cycle. The Mayan civilization was about a 1000 years ago and their observations so precise their 3 part calendar measured astrological events. And today the 5126 year section cycled out. I'm so impressed that these two dates and Appllo 11 occured in my lifetime. As I wrote this I discovered the precise time the sun was directly over the Tropic of Cancer was 10:29am. That ruins my calendar project. https://hhsancientmaya.weebly.com/calendar.html

I just drove the pin out on the top gear on a K321, then drove the pin back in after. Moves surprisingly easy! I didn't want to introduce broken shards of cast iron into an engine that was going right back together.

I envy you being in places where you can look up and see that, Jim. I had that stationed in Maine in the 70's, but I can't get away from the light anymore around here. Sometimes, up in the UP, Michigan we could do that. Fishing trips to Canada- Lac Soul was great for star viewing. New Mexico, Philmont Scout Ranch was top notch also.

Lots cheaper this way but you do have to lift the engine to do it

Fascinating things going on there. Without looking it up...that passing of the Earth through the plane of the galaxy happens every so often. Looking back, that event matches up with many significant changes...like the dinos passing, the ice age, and others.

Looks good! What wrong with original carb?

This is with all safety switches are operating correctly. Brake/clutch pedal depressed. PTO off.

Despite many of us being retired, you will find you are conversing mostly with little kids.

Been drooling over this thing since the first time I ever laid eyes on it. Plus, to have all of the original paperwork, bill of sale, and factory sales brochure from 1953 is priceless to me. What a friggin score, this is the stuff that rarely survives. Now, ol' buddy, we just gotta find that original post from back when you first found it to complete it's RedSquare provinance. 🤞 Thanks so much Steve! I still can't believe I now own this super rare piece of our Wheel-Horse history. 1953!

If your eaton is faster forward than your sunstrand you sunny must be getting tired. The eaton should be faster in reverse... From WH Owners manuals Charger Electro (and I assume sunstrand C series) forward 7mph rev 3.5 Eaton 300/400 (excl 418C) 7 mph and 4.5 mph GT14 7.5 Mph and 3.5 8 speed 400 series 5.5 and 2.6 300 series 5.3 and 2.5 856 3 speed 3.0 and 2.5

I decided to part with my 1953 pond walk behind. I knew who the right guy would be to be the next caretaker. Enjoy it buddy!!

The lumber yard in my village is like that, selling by the piece, so we always made the extra stop at the local TSC or the Farm and Home because they sell by the pound. When you're building houses by the piece that can get expensive.

Used to do that all the time when I worked at a Napa. Many times I would leave the store if a shop had a problem fixing something. "Hey Louie, you're putting the muffler on backwards" that sort of stuff. One time a good customer had to cut off a caliper from a car it was so seized. It was a $175 core and being cut it wasn't a good core. He paid me$ 20 to go to a local yard to get him a core off of another car. (I was going there anyway.) Later on when I worked at our local hospital, generator batteries had to be swapped out every 2 years. So we ended up with a lot of good batteries. We bought the new ones from the store I worked at so we would bring in junk batteries from home for cores and take the good generator batteries home. For years I had a group 31 battery on a cart as my "jump pack"

It is my impression, that a hydro has a faster reverse speed than a gear-jammer. I may be wrong about that, but since I've been using hydros, my time in the saddle is markedly less. Whether that's just not having to shift constantly or improved speed is debatable. I also do quite a bit of backing because of my situation and the areas I have to pile and push snow.

I too try to support the local Ma & Pa small businesses nearby. I have 2 great outdoor power outlets nearby - I prefer to buy from them over online IF their price for OEM parts is competitive - usually is. I had an exceptional auto parts store 3 blocks from my house a few years ago until the death of the owner and this satellite store closed. They were a true automotive jobber - dealt mostly with area repair garages and they knew their stuff. They also had a walk in counter for retail sales at a discounted price for frequent customers, like me. Two quick stories why I miss them - I ordered some parts on a Friday for a Sunday afternoon repair - all but one part came in on Saturday and it would arrive Monday - they had the other part sent to their largest store where I picked it up Sunday morning. When my son was in his twenties he used to buy and flip $200 or so cars - each was given 30 days to sit on the edge of the lawn - if not gone by then I got rid of it!! Day 28 and I needed a battery for a sweet first year Ranger, a 1984 . Went to see these guys with a tape measure and multimeter to look over the pallet of used batteries that customers had exchanged - found one that looked like it would hold a charge and they said I could swap it with the one from the Ranger - no charge - they just need the correct count of cores. Bought them a dozen donuts for the favor. Doubt you could do that a a large chain store today... Bill

EB. You’re reading the lines… not between ‘em. He just told you HOW to make it faster! Get you a 1/2” drill bit and get to tuning!

Oh yeah. Seems to work fine. Of course it's the first Hydro I've ever driven so I don't really know for sure but it's definitely faster than the 8-speed in reverse. So don't mess with it. You're saying I should NOT get out the hammer and chisel? 😂

I always just power wash them with some degreaser. Then after I clean every nook and cranny with a toothbrush I rub it all down with boiled linseed oil. On the 500 Special I only painted the wheels and the plow. Changed the seat.. The rest of it is all elbow grease. People think the paint won't come back but it will with some work.

Started cleaning these up!

None from the muffler. All the heat from the rear cylinder on the P220 Onan. The foot control and the heated cab. = two free warm hands. Right one steers and left one operates the lift.

Kinda rough. I picked it up over the weekend. Not much online about these. What do i have??

That article says that the 301 engine allows both gears to come out without having to break them. I guess I'm gonna "just do it". I'll be ordering some gaskets soon.

Last motion control that I had apart I noticed that the lever on the trans that is engaged by the plastic cam thingy actually moves a lot farther in reverse than the cam thingy allows it to. In fact, it looked like forward is somewhat limited in the same way, but not much. I thought about jack standing the rear end to see if manually moving the lever without the cam thingy installed would speed the same in reverse but didn't try it. I bet someone could 3D print a thingy with a shape that lets the lever travel further.

Some one already posted a garbage can carrier, here is mine.

after seeing some posts yesterday about homemade leaf blower attachments I picked this up from the local junkyard. It was a bagger blower off a old husky zero turn. Y’all think it’s a good candidate for conversion into a tractor driven leaf blower? It was pretty much new and close to free to me so if the junk man needs to take it so be it.

Some progress got motor to run got some electrical done IMG_1056.3gp

I would do it with the price of trucks now and the near future cost of them. If the frame in that bad boy is solid, you can get everything else you need fairly easy. I'm assuming the motor is strong, if it's been maintained at all it should be. I'm envious, 454 with a stick, you know, pass anything but a gas station. The square bodies are very desirable, never have a problem getting your $ back. That truck around my area ready to work like you're talking, seven grand, lack of four wheel hurts it some. Enjoy

Today we put new gaskets in and painted the engine. We replaced the valves before taking the tractor apart. Made sure the adjustments were good and it ran properly first

This will come in very handy on your next Wheel Horse. And there WILL be a next! Trust me on this one. Absotutalutely !

I still have little kids and although they will come mess in the shop with me, they are usually in the house in her hair. She's not too upset.. she likes that I am enjoying learning this so much. The battery was very low so I'm charging it now.

There are just 2 safety switches on your model and they are both for the starter circuit. There are no safety switches on the ignition circuit. Click on the picture in the link. Two diagrams will come up - one for models using an electric pto clutch and one for models with a manual pto clutch. Make sure you are getting battery voltage at the coil (+) terminal when you are in START (cranking) position of the ignition switch. The ignition switch can fail and not provide power in both the RUN and Start key positions which is required. If that is OK then test the coil (-) terminal. As the engine cranks you should have power here when the points are open and no power when the points are closed. This ON-OFF-ON cycle should happen once for every two rotations of the engine crankshaft. Let us know what you find.

Looks great to me! I don’t think there is a “required” finish… I’m guessing WH used different finishes over the years… go with what you like…

Thanks buddy! That was on the obstacle course at the Top Tractor Challenge. Having SO much fun on this thing, and absolutely zero issues.

Maybe you can do what I did I've since changed things around a little bit so it doesn't stick out as far as the picture shows. This was made for an ATV which was 5 ft wide but I cut it down to the width of the tractor.