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Put the new horse to work. The 310-8 ran great but the 42" SD did leave a small streak. May need a new set of blades. I had a little trouble using the clutch and brake pedals. I'm a hydro guy used to pushing one pedal to go forward and releasing the pedal to go backwards. But I didn't run over anyone or thing. Then used the 312H to till the bean patch and put up a rabbit fence.

Vaughn Flex-Tred Elbert Vaughan was an enterprising young man who from 1901 until about 1908 experimented with drag saw equipment, gradually working out several improvements. He then began building his own steam powered drag saws with his first machines being built in job shops. Patent no. 1,165,298: Portable drag saw machine. Patent granted to Elbert Vaughan, Portland, Ore., Dec. 21, 1915. In 1913 he opened his own shop as Vaughan Motor Works, producing ice machines, drag saws of his own design and manufacturing parts as needed for other companies, he employed three to four people in the beginning. In 1922 the business expanded moving to a larger facility and additional equipment was installed, including an electric steel furnace for casting steel parts, now employing from 60 to 80 men. Besides drag saws, Vaughan Motor Works made gasoline engines which were incorporated into their drag saws as well as general jobbing, including gear and sprocket cutting. Vaughan Motor Works, Inc. became the “largest manufacturer of light-weight drag saws in the world.” As the sales drag saws declined Mr. Vaughan designed a small garden tractor under the trade-mark FLEX-TRED powered by his own engine in 1921. The Model “K” utilized a 5 hp, water-cooled Vaughan engine with an open flywheel and a hand crank starter. It had a simple forward and reverse transmission and manual tool lift. Front drive wheel extensions were advisable as the tractor seemed a bit top-heavy. The company began producing air-cooled models in 1932, with the letter designation “S.” The basic tractor was unchanged except for the Vaughn air cooled engine replacing the water-cooled engine. The WS went into production in 1936 having two clutch levers. Each track had its own forward and reverse clutch allowing the tractor to be maneuvered with little effort. In addition to forward and reverse the Model WS can drive one track forward and the other in reverse for tight turns. That should only be done at slow speed and on smooth ground to prevent tip over or operator injury, watch out for those handlebars! The Vaughn Flex-Track served as an inspiration for several manufacturers of very similar track driven garden tractors.

I’m restoring a black hood to bring to the Big Show this year. It’s nice to see that the C-175 is being featured this year. Hopefully lots of other black hoods show up this year. I picked up this one in February and tore it down to the bare frame. I’m sandblasting all the parts and putting automotive paint back on them. The tractor runs great and now it will look great too.

Ready set mow! I wish my place was flat like that, hopping from side to side and hanging on while cutting here is like a Jane Fonda workout! I did test run the gear-drive that I have up for sale and I am going to say on this hilly terrain the hydro is much better.

That's a beast Bob. When you get her spinning, just be sure is doesn't peel up a slab of sidewalk and flatten the neighbors pet cat.

Fitted a new engine in my commando 7 race mower.

Eric gets a high voltage shock (DC) whenever a new post appears on RS!

Pins should be straight and have cotter pins to hold the brake band on. Pull off the band then straighten the pins best you can (you may need a deep socket with an extension or use an adjustable wrench. You can straighten the brake band by hand if required, it is very thin steel.

Wish it was time to mow here. Although I don’t get much seat time at home with @WheelHorse_Kid around. Which is fine by me. Some times after mowing for 8 plus hours a day at work I just won’t want to at home. But here’s a picture of my 416 laying down some stripes a few years ago.

I’d like to add a place for more air tools that don’t have hoses, and I ordered a 8 piece 176 socket organizer kit. It’ll hold shallow and deep well, metric and standard, 1/4”, 3/8”, and 1/2” drives. I hope they will fit in the little shelf behind the bench. Current status of the new work bench:

I cut a little extension wing for adding drop in tools, and built a little pliers rack.

Excellent work Ed. Lest you forget what the white stuff looks like: This was just this past Saturday!!

I'm done with radiation!!! My oncologist said my blood work looks good as well. I will start chemo in about four weeks.

@ebinmaine all ours just melted here in western NY. Hopefully won't see anymore until next year. But you never know. Grass hasn't woke up yet. Soon though. I have 5 garden tractors but mow the lawn with a push mower..... go figure. At least the push mower is Red.

So after work today I decided to shuffle the horses around in the garage. I wanted to move the snowblower and my 875 tractor with the plow to the back of the garage. So that ment I had to move them all. Even the bike. They all fired right up. Took each one for a zip around the yard and repositioned them. If only I had a bigger garage ! Not seen in the photo is the fake black hood that I keep outside. BTW.. I'm pretty sure @Pullstart stole my idea of hanging a Wheel Horse upside-down from the ceiling. I even took the bike for a cruise down the street. I think spring is here. Next project is to remove the sandbags from the back of my truck bed.

Quite envious. Looking great so far !!

Thanks. It’s nice to be able to use a booth. The paint dries faster and has less dirt in it.

Bob - those being sintered bronze, the oil from above will "Wick" thruout the bearing just fine. Speaking of wick - is there any type of felt wick or pad in the bottom of the oil cups?? A lot had them to slow the downward progression of the oil - only had to oil them every 3 months or so. @peter lena can probably give you his take on these..... Due to the large mass there that you would be bringing from zero to 1800 RPM, I hope the tractor has a manual PTO clutch you can ease into engagement, and NOT an electric "all-or-nothing" instant total engagement clutch.....

Don't throw them away, send them to I'm think he'd appreciate it. @prondzy PM him or maybe he'll message you

No problem Bob pics when you get it mounted. You need parts I just couldn't throw them out but prolly never use them. Some still in package!

I have read lots of in depth thoughts recorded here for all eternity, unselfishly shared by the “bear”. The all knowing guru regularly motivates, calms, and shares wisdom and with all who wish to be enlightened… Or he just asks SWMBO…

Sorry I’m late at saying this, but, Welcome we are glad you are here. Bring all of your problems to EB Just kidding

hoping to see that green look sometime soon here in the Hudson River Valley

It should they didn't make many changes once they designed something.

I've got several hours in this week cleaning and working on the organ. I've replaced most of the felt seals and leather parts. I taped the bellows where they had small air leaks and they are holding air much better. Without removing the bellows covering. I couldn't replace a piece of leather valving inside the exhauster bellows so some air leaks into the main vacuum reservoir . I cleaned all 122 brass reeds. One was broken but I managed to glue a small piece of aluminum to the tongue and it's closer to being in tune than before. Several reeds were stuck and gently washing got them back to functioning. Almost all of the felt was in pretty bad shape due to being eaten by an insect or it's larvae. The picture below shows the section that holds the reeds. The line of holes down the center is were small dowel rods, when pressed upon by the keys, open a wooden and leather valve below allowing air to be drawn over the reeds. Basically, the mechanical part of then organ is 4 components. The top one contains the stops. (the knobs one would pull to change the sound) next are the keys, the next level down is the one pictured and on the botton are the bellows. I'm using hyde glue. Fortunately, I as able to order modern hyde glue from Ace Hardware made by Titebond that doesn't require mixing and a warming pot. Hyde glue is used because it is water soluble and parts can be be separated for repairs. If the craftsmen some 130 years ago used wood glue, this thing would be in the trash. I have this section of the organ clamped down to the top of then billows that are located below. I am gluing the leather gasket to the billows section and the air box is holding the leather tight against the billows. It would be nice of I or my wife could play this thing but I can barely play a radio.

My son has a commando 8 and my other son has a 856. There is not a whole lot different between them. They are short frame tractors. What is wrong with the belt guard you bought? If it’s too long it could be from a long frame tractor. If it’s took short you could in fact have a long frame tractor that someone put a 8hp on.

the pin looks like the one used to connect the lift cylinder to the rock-shaft on a hydro.

(It feels like) I’m moving. Moving in… finally… after 7 years being here! I have felt like I haven’t used the potential of the walls, due to the previous owner being family, and them never really moving out it feels. I have finally decided if it isn’t needed by now, it’s as good as useless to them. So, I’ve got a good pile in the scrap hopper, I’ve been filling my dumpster, and I’m making it count. I’ve been decorating. There’s lots of signage that I’ve had to hang up, just in piles. Tonka toys, race memorabilia, deer heads, tractors, etc. probably more to come there. I’ve hung a good handful of lights, and now believe I could use even more in certain areas. I have finally replaced every standard shop bulb with LED. Now, I’m getting into tool organization. Since being here, I have not had a shop vice. Can you believe that? I had this bench buried out back, and decided it needed to get into the shop. The racking I’ve stuffed stuff on for 3-4 years was emptied and moved out. Yesterday, the bench moved in. Not without issue, of course! I tried to skid it with the snowmobile sled (an old S10 hood), but it sunk a caster wheel into the drive and dumped over. Standing it back up on the concrete, I felt like I ripped my right peck a little. We happened to go bowling last night. It’s feeling ok today.

Jealous! Not fond of snow removal but I really enjoy mowing.

Yup! Same here!

Just my opinion but I wouldn't put duals on one of those 3 piece transmissions like a RJ or Suburban. They have enough trouble with those little axle tubes bending up just with the normal tires and the rider's weight. Adding more length and more leverage to bend them could result in trans issues. Leave the outside tires at 0 air pressure. And yeah, just pinching 2 rims together won't hold them steady.

Thank you for the offer but I have both of them. I went to the Randall website and found this. There's the felt you mentioned @ri702bill and that I see looking down the hole.

@Racinbob the rotational mass is what you want to improve on , a pillow block bearing , with a clean out and re grease , will have a very solid smooth / easy spin up . regularly , check out build set up for , easy movement , have also gotten after , my MULE DRIVE BEARINGS , clean out re grease , lucas marine grease , hi stress / heat . also detail the PTO ,inner needle bearing lucas , outer bearing is sealed , available at napa , have also added a HEIM JOINT on my pto lever end , for smoother / easier engagement . verify as you go , in assembly , thats where you find the dragging faults . pete

If you were to become a supporter, then you be able to post all the pictures and videos you wanted to. I should have known I wouldn't beat EB with this post

These posts have been so great to see,

That is effective for 3 weeks, the preventer is once and done each year. Since my new neighbor is using his front yard for a chicken pen and mule pasture, I may as well give up on appearance. I should mention the manure piles and puppy mill but it might sound like I am piling on.

That half looks like a broken wheel bushing, My tub trailer had bushings. Never seen one broken, I hammered them back in worn wheels with some shim stock for use on my wagon, and they didn't break. Must be some of that junk used on other brand Lawn Tractors.

Having a 1" shaft and the wide wheel that was out of some kind of commercial application. Normally the shaft would only be 1/2 or 5/8ths. 1 & 3/4 was more for high test blowers. Those cross hatch marks are to carry oil to the bearing from the oil soaked pad. These blowers were not designed to run at high speeds but you should be able to run around 1800 rpm. Note the large pully. The drive pully would have been a 4 in max. adjustable one on a 3/4 or 1hp motor. When I closed up shop I found a boat load of these blower parts in a box long since used. They were quite common in the day.

the other day talking to a guy just about aeration. Every spring I would roll my yard to knock down the those winter humps. I was told it was not a good idea because it seals off the night crawler worm holes that naturally aerates the ground. I am going to see what the difference this year without rolling.

It will fit fine.

The images in day light are shocking. The front of the bow looks like it was cut with a laser, clean as a whistle and it was the concrete support that did this. I said in a previous post the bridge looked flimsy, that's an ignorant comment as the only images I'd seen were from a long ways off. Up close the whole thing is colossal, steel beams that now look like paper. The size of the Container ship is breath taking, just a huge lump of metal. The pilots did their best to try and deal.with the situation, but their efforts only seem to have made things worse. That's not their fault, they were doing all they could think of to try and stop the boat. But as some have already said, with no power the sea is in complete control, and it doesn't care about you. Prayers for the poor guys mending the blacktop who now seem lost, and hope that not too many vehicles were on the bridge when it went down, but only time will tell. We are only tiny creatures on a huge planet, when it bites back we should not be surprised that we aren't as clever as we think we are.

We need more pictures.

The brarings can be relaced, it's not an easy job on the vee idlers they are also welded in the groove. The flat idlers are a lot easer most are now spot welded together, just drill out the spot welds. I drill a smal reference betweeh the spot welds first as the holes are going to be a little off.

Keep up the fight. I told you before it's a journey. My life is going to doctor appointments, some kind of lab test or procedure, and picking up prescriptions at the pharmacy. All these things need to be done. Focus on the positive. Don't look to far ahead. Some things will change but go back to normal, some things will change and be your new normal. Keep taking whatever they dish out. Fight through it all and keep on punching !

Old bent and broken Duramax push rods, some scrap steel, some paint, viola! An air tool holder!

I watch YouTube… then I can really hone-in what type of political spin I want to poison my brain with…

Still looks like a bomb went off...

Thanks so much for your thoughtful response! You sure hit the "nail on the head" when you talked about ""It can be a challenge to set an owner appreciable price on a tractor that's had long-term ownership. The level of emotional attachment means infinitely more than the actual value of a lot of items."" I just joined this Red Square forum and glad I did! Seems like a great group of guys with a common interest!

Moved a bit of snow....