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I've been married 27 years... known her for over 30... I used one of my 9 lives and simply said "I'm buying this..." no discussion. Lol... Maybe I used 2 lives...

Putting it away this morning and shutting off the gas. It is my sun shine tractor only. Hope you enjoy the video! IMG_1082.mov

Here ya go mounted on the 417-A hood.

Hello all, A little birdy was nagging me to go get a coffee at our local Xtra-Mart / Dunkin. Well I went, behind the Xtra-Mart is a junkyard / auto recycling place. I know the owner. When I pulled in I saw "it" and said... thats mine... period no discussion. I called up Joey (yes thats his real name) and said "listen... its mine... gimme a price and don't kill me on it" He goes "man... everybody wants that thing" I said I bet... but gimme the price. He says "$$$$" as is and get it out of my face. I say "SOLD"... I'll be down with the cash. I paid an extra $100 and they flat bedded it too my house. I gave it a pressure wash and vac jobbed and threw in a used battery. Got it running (well they had did me a favor and cleaned out bad gas and threw in some fresh) Brakes junk... power steering pump junk... other misc stuff to fix. But it has been sitting for 12 years!!!! It's a 1995 4x4 5 speed 305, 3.42 gears... I am tickled pink Tony 20230926_171653.mp4

Finally got the diesel working in the RJ. Still have a few minor adjustments to do but less than I expected. Need to set up the thumb throttle so I dont have to reach down on engine to control throttle. Want to drive it around a bit to be sure all is good. Over winter need to find a complete hood hopefully with a fuel tank. Then I can remove the existing tank which will allow an original hood to fit. I will make a mini stack that will clear hood. Unfortunately I had to trim hood a bit more but seeing that it was already cut I wasn't as reluctant.

A day or three ago I was perusing the interwebs. I found a video that caught my attention because it was about non-ethanol gasoline. From what I understand there are gasoline pumps that leave non-ethanol in the same pumping system as the regular alcohol infested gasolines and you just choose it at time of purchase as you would with a differing octane rating, for instance. Odds are pretty high that the person who pumped gas just before you did NOT get non ethanol. Depending on how the pumps are set up that means somewhere between 1 and 4 gallons of the wrong fluid could be in the system. If you are using a setup such as this be sure to purge 4 gallons first.... Easiest way would be to pump a few into your road vehicle.

So, you pull in and pump 1.5 gallon of high priced non E which is actually cheap 10-15% E. Then you pump 5 gallon of high priced non E into your can. Then you reset the same pump and pump in 1.5 gallon of cheap E-10 which is actually high priced non E. I'll have to post this on Mrs.Ks sun visor.

Well I think it's done. Going to try mowing with it this week then I'll break it down and paint it at some point. I widened the vee in return arm about 3/8" at the opening by cutting the reverse slope on the return arm. This made for a more gentle angle on the reverse slope. Seems to have evened out the pedal pressure and total deflection of the return arm from forward to reverse. One minor detail I'd ike to mention for anyone thinking of copying my design; there is a nylock nut on the pivot bolt inside the hood stand (fun to install ). This effectively double nuts the pivot bolt to prevent it from loosening in the hood stand The best part about this design is that it required no drilling or cutting to install. Just thread the prepunched hole in the hood stand for the pivot bolt.

This is an illness that usually occurs in Feb., but five days of rain gave me a mild case. Not complaining about the rain, we need it, but I'm running out of indoor projects. Cleaned the oil boiler and the woodstove. Cleaned the work shops. Cleaned the weapons arsenal. Making new striper tube lures.

That sounds like it should be part of the @SylvanLakeWH train

Unlike the picture, mine has the external resistor. So it should work. Thanks Richard.

I get mine from the local hardware and they have their own above ground tank they take from. 👍

Oh, the humanity!!!! Don, 87 is for the wife's car!!!!!!!

Station I use close by for non E gas has 1 pump for 87 and a separate pump for non E. It's near Lake Lanier so plenty of stations around here sell non E for the boaters. Most have a dedicated pump.

It's unlikely I'll keep using this particular station. I like the value of things to be more accurate.

It is a 1998 model. Switch the first two numbers of the serial number around to get the model year. -JD-

I never thought of that. It's good you mention it now. I've been buying my no booze at a station with a dedicated pump. A couple weeks ago I saw a Murphy station in Michigan City with it and it was cheaper but it was a combo pump. Pumping a few gallons in my truck is a great idea but would negate the savings so I'll keep going to my usual. If I do end up at a combo pump I'll keep this in mind.

Thanks Glen. I enjoy these old Start/Gen`s. It is the start up that get`s me.

Living in Central Texas you could say we have three growing seasons. The spring growing season is Easter to Halloween, maybe even Thanksgiving. But it really is late March to late June. July and August it’s to hot for most things except Okra. The Fall season is September to Thanksgiving is a second window with a growing risk of frost after Halloween. Then for a third “Cold season” crops such as broccoli, cauliflower, lettuce, spinach, cabbage, onions and garlic for Thanksgiving to Easter crops. We. Corer these crops on nights there is a risk of frost or hard freeze.

If you have to grind take your time and take a little and recheck several times it's easy to take off more than you intend.

That a sweet truck worth of using 2 lives! That being said I could feel one of my lives leaving my body just by reading your comment!

Nice! I’m on my way to pick up a 5 speed transmission and clutch accessories for @Lil’ Pullstart’s project truck!

Awesome find and good on you for making it happen! I grew up on this era truck. Favorite truck to date I owned was a 92 Chevy half ton 350 5 speed 4wd. Just a great truck and fun to drive. Looking forward to seeing your progress on this one.

It also keeps people who shouldn't ride it, from asking to ride it

I messed around with my 854 with a slightly smaller pulley on the input shaft and a bit bigger on the engine. Just had to tweak the guard a bit. It wasn't a race tractor but it sure brought some grins to the grandkids faces pulling them down the road. Now that the tractor is dedicated to a sickle bar it's back to stock. A good place to find the pulleys is Surplus Center.

Went out back and got the garden tiller out and got the garden ready for spring planting next year.

With the proper springs, you can easily cancel out 70-90% of the blower weight greatly reducing the strain on the lifting components...man and machine.

Back door got paint today. Trina just needs tape to finish up the corners.

I love it how that hit and miss Engine sounds... Have to look for an Engine.....😎

Hello All, can anyone help me with the year of this 520 xi I just bought model number 73540 serial number 8901379 thank you in advance. Mike

An article popped up in my phone news feed this morning about when us folks here in Maine needed to start watching for frost. Having grown up in north central Massachusetts near the Vermont and New Hampshire border we were pretty much always told that it was mid May to mid September, give or take. Her in southwestern Maine at the beginning of the foothills of the White mountains we are told, Memorial Day to Labor Day. As many of you are aware there are several things that can be planted in early and stay late. Below are some screenshots including where we live, circled in red. Where are you and what is your growing season?

That lack of value was one of my bigger concerns too.

All very interesting, including the $$$ each station is making on that 1-3 gallons of standard low octane e-gas in the line each time...

Looks great, sounds great. Nice job.

From my years in Maine, I know, around Acadia National Park, Me. is was on the same line as Green Bay, Wisconsin. That said, me being 300 miles south of that here in the Chicago area, the growing season is mid-March to late October (depending on what you have planted). On a side note, I stopped growing some 50 years ago. It was painful at times, as you can imagine...but I seemed to have lived through it. If you keep dumping manure on me, I might make another 20 to 30 years. Just drip a little Rock & Rye on the manure once in a while.

I see in the picture gallery that Rob J. Has a 1046? It is not on Sparkys model list. Reason I am asking this is trying to find a hood to fit my 1056. The one I have now is too long on the tractor. If you stretch the photo you see what I am talking about. I was told that there was a short frame model that year and a long frame? Would that be the 1046 being short?

I like the simple flashing covering the door-hanger track.

Early 90’s 2wd regular cab short box. We’ve got a fresh .030” over 4.3L for it. I just got the pedals, driveshaft, transmission, crossmember, steering column etc. We need a flywheel and clutch. He scrapped the engine two days ago with that stuff on it, but new won’t be too much coin…

No... 3 season toy... drive it to Zags and such... wife and I cruising like the old days

So today I was able to get up to the antique machinery show in Kent, CT. I saw a vendor I knew who had a super original 604. He told me years ago he drove it into his barn and it has been sitting. I assume it was sitting for at least 15 plus years but did not ask. ended up buying it and after messing with cleaning the carb I got it to fire and run very well. I will spend some time making it like I want it. So surprised how well that little tecky runs! IMG_1567.mov

Back when I was young and dumb I never bothered with the lift assist spring for either the blower or tiller. I never thought about the stress on the tractor (just under the lift arm). This was the results. I would guess I did that repair in the 80's. Now I'm older, I'm still dumb but much weaker I use the spring and lifting the blower is a piece of cake. It would have prevented the need for the repair. I don't have a two stage but the results would be the same. # 4629 Spring with Eye Bolt Toro Wheel Horse Tiller and Snow thrower - Wheel Horse Parts and More

Alot of unknowns in your question Mike. You said it was restored. Did that include a rebuild on the engine? Not saying it has to be rebuilt necessarily but rather just searching for details. White smoke indicates oil burning. Most often this is the result of poor cylinder compression and blowby. Can be normal wear, broken/ stuck ring, or a damaged cylinder. If all of those are eliminated, I'd say check the reed valve assembly. Though it would likely smoke all the time if that were the case, as well as leak oil around the seals due to crankcase over pressure. Should be enough to get you started anyway. If your engine needs rebuilding, these old Kohlers are relatively easy to rebuild. Finding a machine shop that will bore the cylinder and face the valve seats correctly is the only hurdle.

Great looking tractor. As wallfish stated it should be a pull start. Wonder if someone either went through the trouble of adding all the electronics and battery both to a 604 or if someone put a 604 belt guard on a 654. Regardless the engine sounds great and the tractor has a great original paint patina.

Agreed. I can't even get the whole day through. Trina? Minutes. I'm not kidding. The girl ain't got no set down or quit in her. When it's raining snowing or ridiculous level cold we've been able to go downstairs and putter around. That workshop will now be out in the new barn. I can guarantee there'll only be a BBT trapped in the house for a matter of seconds before she installs a good heating system out there.

This afternoon my newly assembled “308” got a trans fluid swap. Nasty stuff came out (I’ve seen worse). This gear oil only has like 15-20 minutes of use! Luckily NAPA has this on sale for $5.99

Oh I agree looking at them they are charming... very cool... Operating them will remind one of why there were / are a lot of farmers with missing fingers, toes, arms, legs, jewels etc...

Welcome aboard @MackBlack99! Nice looking restoration on your 854! I can’t give you any specific answers to your question but it calls to mind a funny story from years ago that a young guy who worked with my Dad at an implement dealer had told. Seems he lost his drivers license because of too many moving violations. Still needing adequate transportation to his job, he swapped the engine & transaxle pulleys on his Wheel Horse and drove it to work. I’m not sure what model Wheel Horse he had, but most likely it would have been from the 50’s or early 60’s. I don’t know how fast he was going but he said he got a weird look and a head shake from a police officer as he drove past him on his way to work, driving much faster than garden tractors usually go! 🤣 -JD-

On the hood of course!

Mrs. 8n says no. I'd get into too much trouble with something like that.

Looks like a " Mrs. K will kill me when see sees what I put on the stove", but I could be mistaken.