Leaderboard

We attended the 56th annual Oklahoma Steam and Gas Engine Show in Pawnee OK this weekend. One of the fun things about this show is the steam engine games and tractor games. Tasha participated in the garden tractor slow race Saturday afternoon and took second place with her C125. Gonna do some tuning on it before next year and we are gonna beat that pesky Deere pretty proud of her and her tractor though for a second place finish in an event that neither of them has ever participated in.

Finally made it to Ct for the show. Weather was above perfect. One of the main reasons for attending was the sand pit demonstration to rekindle my childhood some. Back in 1972 I was able to get up on a shovel to feel what is was like, something I have never let go thanks to my dad. That heavy equipment was his life. I was able to climb aboard and probably for the last time in my life to experience that at Zagray. Because of a low oil condition I approached the operator and after explaining my childhood I was able to get that feeling back. Once the shovel was back up and running I was invited aboard. Awesome, a much smoother process digging sand/ loam than blasted ledge which I remember as very jarring. Can't ever Thank you enough Gene. @c-series don Will be sending you a PM with some info regarding my experience. Some pictures as well for RS guys who enjoy seeing the old way. Will try to add more pics this week of the show. Thanks Guys.

The 414 that didn't get to participate in today tractor/machinery show..

After almost 5 months without a truck, and without the use of my right hand, we're finally back in the Horse hauling business. Ordered a new truck back in December after my accident, and had surgery to repair my right hand. Got the cast off 3 weeks ago and the truck came in the same week. After a 500 mile break-in period, we got to try it out : brought home a 250 hour anniversary edition 520 with a Kwik Way loader and a 48" deck. Didn't even know it was back there. Hopefully this will be as trouble free as my last Toyota. Did gain a new found respect for those of us that are permanently without the use of a hand / arm / limb , it's not fun......

My dads friend told us we could use his sand blaster to get the paint off of the parts. It saved us a lot of time.We are trying to get it ready for a show in Bernardston may 27 to the may 28.

Got the front of the deck done. It's 3/16 across the front, so it'll serve as a decent bumper for light brush. With it completely open, none of the brush and high grass will get bent down before the blades make contact. This thing will be dangerous as can be. It'll only get used in the pasture, well away from home and family. Gonna build the carrier tomorrow.

@peter lena Look familiar?

Excellent story Jim and I'm really happy you got to experience that. Here's the video Trina posted to her YT channel a bit ago. She has a BUNCH more pics for me.

Momma mowing. Stormy the 1056, 36” RD, Brinly lawn sweeper.

Definitely wasnt looking for yet another tractor..but it popped up on marketplace for $200 and i was on my way in 10 minutes. 1996 Deere 445 EFI. 22HP Liquid cooled kawasaki with fuel injection. Guy had picked it up as scrap and figured it was worth more as a tractor. Got it home and the engine was free, put a battery in, replaced a couple fuses, cleaned some terminals and it spun, had compression. Put fuel down the throttle body and it kicked off. No fuel..popped off the injection feed line..key on, nothing. Had 12v to the in-tank pump but it didn't work. Pulled the tank..full of 8-10 year old gas, water, and rust off the sender. Tank was an easy clean but the sender was tough...but it cleaned up...rheostat even worked for the gauge. Fuel pump was destroyed, so i replaced that, new tank sock and new inline filter...it fired right up, no smoke. Leaked water like a seive out the water pump so i replaced the water pump and a bad thermostat...now it works perfectly. The 60" deck is next up, all 3 spindles are quiet, but the 2 idlers are shot..thankfully they are the rebuildable type. New belt and blades ready to go on and change the gearbox oil.

@TonyToro Jr. and I had out first of the season tractor pull today. The WheelHorses did very well. Little man’s newest tractor is really coming along! We came home and got ready for the Zagray show.

My two horses in the barn.

Wasn’t planning on dragging home any more projects from the show this weekend, but as I was walking through looking for some tractor parts I needed I stumbled across these 3 David Bradley walk behinds…$75 each or $200 if you took all three…I couldn’t resist so they came home with us. Good thing one of our friends was camped out in the spot next to us, he ended up hauling two of them back to the Historical Society for me to pick up once we got there and dropped off my H, as there was no more room on my trailer for them when we left the show this morning. I either need to make sure to have a friend with an extra truck every time I attend a swap meet, either that or attend the @Pullstart school of tractor stacking before the next swap meet. The one in the last pic has clearly been repowered with an engine much too large, and they cut the hood the other two are missing engines, anyone here know anything about these? I’ve seen them at shows but never really looked at one that close before. My plan is to fix two of them up as a matched pair with a matching sulky for each one for Tasha and I to ride around on at shows and such

Sadly no…I was in hopes that there would be…I saw maybe two or three that I didn’t recognize from years past, but not near the turnout I was hoping for. There was a nice looking Lawn Ranger for sale in the swap meet, spotted it when we were pulling in, by the time we got unloaded and set up it was already sold. Probably just as well as I had to have a good friend of mine haul about half the crap I bought home for me anyway

Just the securing method to sort and new bolts. The red plates you can see are just temporary till I can obtain something thicker, that will be bolted to the outside of the trailer tub, to stop the sides getting pushed outward. BTW. I must confess that the frame is not quite true by 1/4". I'll never make a carpenter.

Stay at a Friend in Berlin and helping him to bring this 2 Shed founds back on the Road. found condition with unshure History. At first both Machines gets a pressure Wash to remove gunk and dirt. Than firstly we have to find few electronic Troubles... no Ignition at all odometer dead and so on.... after that has be solved, the First machine gets an Oil Change, fuel change an we tried a First Start. boy, nice sound out of that Muffler. No1 was a disaster in found condition, lots of corrosion but after few hours TLC it runns again. 103cui Engine (my favorite of both ).... The bad condition after 2 years close to a Chicken shed sattled without cover can not be completely reworked. Chrome flitters from both Rims, a shame keep a Motocycle in such envoirement. Rain and cickpoop over 2 years does it‘s work... The second Bike was little newer but She has not the charme to catch me.... her condition was much better, but als few Problems to solve.... but also she runs now again... Electrical check without running Engine shows, all system work again now. Now it‘s Time to bring them both to Tüv to be Road Legal again and than back on the Road with the Ladies.

700 does not have a filter so it has to be an 1100.

It was a good time . The weather was perfect.

Looks like a bunch of Redsquare Guys looking at 'a at a tractor show...

We cleaned the old hay out of the goat barn today with the 876 and the GT-14 FEL

Admins : is " Something Shorter " still available?

Thanks everybody, it's been a good day. Weather was beautiful, finally back to pretty good health after my accident back in December (cast is off my right arm finally, but the screw stays with me for the duration ) and the new truck is finally ready to tow its first Horse tomorrow

Maybe some flightless bird, but not a Dodo… Dodos are extinct, Wheel Horses don’t die…

Took the diesel horsey and family down to the park today!

I always put a tank return tee and valve to reduce pressure to the doesy tops if needed and also agitate the mix in the tank .Just drill a tight fitting hole for the return hose

Here is my garden set up currently. On the left side you can see I have my compost pile which has horse poop and bedding, and any other organic material we throw in there and at the end of the year I push that pile over the garden and plow it in. Well this year it is the richest I have seen. And absolutely full of worms. I am trying something new and put straw down in the walkways to keep weeds down. I was going to use wood chips but so far none of the tree company's have dumped any. But straw may end up being better. And at the end of the year that straw will be mostly decomposed and plowed in as well. Eventually I would like to do a green house but I have about a hundred things to do before that haha.

Intriguing machines you got there! I still kick myself for not buying one at auction in Portage, WI a few years back, it had great tires and wheel weights on it! I recall it went for $100 or less. I would have valued the weights at that!

Some pictures from Friday night…mostly gas tractors and some of the Rumelys that were there for the expo. I spent most of the day Friday in the tractor show area and most of Saturday in the engine show and swap meet area

As far as I know from 1985 - 89 all had maroon. In 1990 the black Toro decals started. This is a pic of a 1989 purchased new.

I’m missed you guys but me and @TonyToro Jr. had a great time. We met @Bens vintage tractors. Little man bought us a new project and we rode around on the WheelHorses. Great weather for sure. IMG_3624.MOV

Yes there is a ramp on the cam that opens the valve at low RPM. Held open by a tiny spring. Centrifugal force over comes the spring and allows the valve to act normal over 600 RPM.

Bill D says.............Personally I wouldn't use a fuel tank valve without a screen. Too much risk of debris in the tank clogging the valve. And after this incident neither will I, what looked like a stem from a small leaf was sitting right in the opening of the valve. I never really gave it much thought before now, just figured any debris would pass through the valve and the filter would catch it. I guess that was enough to collapse the bulb but not starve the engine until the low flow couldn't make the slight uphill flow in the line and sustain the engine when tilted right side down. Rotary #8675 is a valve that has the screen on it. About $10 on A-Z should be here in a few days Thanks your comments and help guys....

I had a 445 with a 60 inch deck and a 54 front blade. The 4X5 series from Deere were arguably the best garden tractors made in that era, 1993 to 2001. The only downside to the pre-1998s was the plastic cam gear issue in the Kawasaki engines. Solid drive shaft to the transmission and to the deck. Power steering, liquid cooled engines, fuel injection on the 445 and 455 (diesel), differential lock on the 445 and 455, hydraulics. They really up the ante in the garden tractor category. Not as heavily built as the 420 and 430 tractors they replaced, but somewhat more ergonomic in design and comfort. And AWS (all wheel steer) models were available.

Let the people at the front entrance know you have a display and they'll guide you from there. 4+ hour drive back to Maine so we're heading out early this morning. We won't get to see the Sunday folks. Looking forward to the show in Orange MA!!

Haven’t updated in a while but I tore down the motor. The piston had small dents in the top, intake valve is rusted, and there seems to be an issue with the ignition system. So I went and picked up another K91 for her that will work great. I also picked up some front tires and rims that aren’t rusted through. I should be able to start the process of sanding and paint prepping this week!

Do I sign in as a vendor/display to park down there with you guys? I’ll have my truck and trailer. With a few WheelHorses.

Calendar Shots!

Great show with great weather! Nice to see you all again. Other than a breakfast sandwich and the usual sausage/peppers/onions at lunch the only thing I bought was another pair of IH/Cub cast wheel weights. What I DID NOT buy today was a coffee as Eric @ebinmaine had a fresh vat of his cowboy coffee..good stuff!!

Zach has a skill set that may not show up in academics but may be his ticket to a great future. With so many college kids getting useless degrees and working at Starbucks, the kids who have tradesman skills will always have work and many will go on to start and run their own companies!

The whole tractor without the body, looks like an auto engine compartment. Lots of stuff going on under that hood!

This should probably be in Bumps and Bruises just for its gruesomeness! I apologize if this puts you off your dinner