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Let the fun begin! Loaded up at home @Blasterdad and I having sammiches at the Somerset service “Plaza” Snacks while we wait for tractor friends @squonk trying to run over @rjg854 @stevebo pulling in My brother @Tractorhead, all the way from Bavaria! Norman sitting at the Quality Inn, waiting for tractor friends to come by… A sweet set of RJs, I missed who’s. Dinner plans got a little messed up. A big group of blue hairs took our Italian Village table, so we had to scramble a bit. Right down the road @buckrancher, Mrs. Buckrancher, Bryon, Stephan and @Handy Don and I found some good hearty home cookin’ at Hickory Ridge. TWINNING! Fellowshipping with the friends

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So here we are safe and sound at the Quality Inn Wednesday night… let the fun begin!! More IMG_7028.mov IMG_7028.mov pics and videos to come…

I can see someone's show dress hasn't changed... Yer wife still dresses you funny Kev! Photo bombing Dan... BS 2018

swapped seat out on 857 thx rjg854 for the seat before and after pics

Go ahead and kiss that big ape you know you want to

Absolutely! It was great to meet @Handy Don, @Pullstart, @squonk, and @wallfish today (thanks to Pullstart's nifty flag). This is a truly fantastic event, with acres of Wheel Horse everything! I started the day out wandering in the wilderness from tent to tent - "Excuse me kind sir, but I'm looking for a transaxle for a '75 C-120 Hydro?" Most common answer: "Oh, I've got one of those back at home, but I didn't bring any transaxles today." (Variant: "we brought a bunch of those last year, but no one looked at them, so we left them home.") In one of the barns at the back, I came across a vendor with a pile of stuff on the ground marked "FREE." Lo and behold, there was my transaxle (with hydro assembly as well). At least I'm 99% sure its a match, but the price was right and the hubs turn! I plan to start the transplant this weekend. Thanks to @Achto for initially pointing me to this event, and to everyone else for their encouragement. I could not have imagined that there was such a treasure trove of parts available -- in addition, I have collected a number of business cards for future reference, and from a couple of those folks who "have one at home" just in case there's any issues with the one I got. Will keep you posted with updates to this topic.

For the French Toast set, the Chambersburg Family Diner is now the Sunrise Diner. Ownership is the same. They just changed it to confuse us " Blue hairs!"

I should have given you one of my cards . They come in handy at the BBQ joint if you need to floss! Best of luck with the transplant!

The owner of the cracked gear case stopped by where @wallfish and I are set up and explained he’d found a spanking good deal on a complete transaxle so he is in a good, good mood!

More indications as to who was in charge when the tractor was built. '79 - 81 serial plate will say International Harvester - Chicago IL '82 - '85 serial plate will say Cub Cadet - Brownsville or Cleveland IH used iron for the tranny cases, MTD apparently switched to using aluminum. Nuff learning for me today.

One looks at the belt guard and you have to appreciate the picture in one's mind of a grey haired grampa sitting at his work bench making it.

Got for a song... might win a award for the filthiest tractor ever. Stripped down for a bath & a real pain getting engine tins off. I had looked at this tractor a couple years ago as having a donor motor for a ailing C-195. Super C since moved on. KT17 series 1 with some hours on the clock but runs good. Always operated on flat ground. Kohler must be embarrassed with series 1 as they won't even give a IPL! This one will get flipped after full maintenance. Any one care to guess it's worth? Has a 44" deck in nice shape and a brand new electric clutch.

Any idea what year? Steering wheel l, motor, homemade belt guard are not original. Thanks guys

I think @stevebo was out in his truck at 2:30 AM revving his engine!

Wandered around the BS trying not to buy stuff I thought was cool but really, really, really don’t need or have space for! I saw a LOT of tires and wheels being hauled away and I saw a couple of tractors change hands. Not quite as many sellers today but maybe there will be more tomorrow. Admired (and should have grabbed a picture of) a very large squirrel cage blower running off a 10 hp motor cooling off one group of sellers!

Looks great, glad you're happy.

I drove. I dropped stuff off. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat.

Thanks guys! What a day to have a birthday! First day of summer, the longest day of the year, and best of all I spent all day at the Big Show!

Definitely go Friday morning. The earlier, the better and plan to make a day of it. There is a lot to see and many people to talk to. There is a lot of knowledge available.

I see that they were sampling the Carolina Jungle juice again this year. Appears that sir Skunky and Randy wore matching outfits and the flip flop kid got out the house before Mrs. P could disapprove of his outfit.

Not sure so frickin dirty not a bare piece of metal showing! Pump is AL but they all were. Will find out at bath 🛁 Yeah Thanks.. I had a hard time just finding manuals. Tractor Data wasn't real helpful. Will call it a '83 MTD. Me thinks MTD may have paid IH to use their badging & trademarks for awhile. Sales & marketing don't ya know. Thing sure does have the customary Cub hydro road gear tho. Skiing anyone!?!?

Actually, that's @Pullstart on a 23 and Me meet and greet... Uncle Cornelius... long lost... drives a green thing...

Did some more research. MTD switched to using the model number to indicate the year of the tractor. Model number staring with - 142 = 1982 143 = 1983 144 = 1984 145 = 1985

The IH serial numbers 1979 2050594U643507 1980 2050594U667400 1981 2050594U685776 IH sold the line to MTD in May of '81. The last recorded SN was at the beginning of April & ended in 693143. I can not find a list for the MTD models 1982 - '85 Looks like yours may be an '82 or newer.

We used a similar grease in the perfect binder at work called Ossigol. The German service techs called it "flow grease". Unfortunately, I can't get it now as I've retired.

" Blue hairs " Your day is coming Whipper Snapper!

Been on the road all day coming to the Big Show so this is a bit late. About 1000 BC a young shepherd who would grow up to be King David is credited with having written the 23rd Psalm, the inspired word of God. Dear Lord please forgive me but the Wheel Horse Garden Tractor had not yet been created. However, if it had then the Psalmist might have written this: The Wheel Horse is my garden tractor; I shall not want. It moweth my green pastures: it leadeth me beside the still waters. It restoreth my soul: The Wheel Horse plowith the snow on the paths of righteousness. Yea, though I drive through the valley of the green tractors, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy Unidrive and thy Kohler, they comfort me. Thou preparest a Wheel Horse Collectors’ Club show before me: thou anointest my engine with oil; my cup runneth over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will drive a Wheel Horse forever. 23 The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. 2 He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters. 3 He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake. 4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. 5 Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over. 6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever. A while back @ebin main replied to a post with his version of the Wheel Horse psalm.

Great taste in modifications there! I love those front wheels!

We freeze them the same way. I love my wife’s blackberry custard pie all year long.

@RoadScholar I’ll be around, look for @Tractorhead’s beautiful flag! This will be in our EZ Up!

Have you checked the trailer?

I truly admire both the rides in your picture....( your passenger is cute too ) ; my 67 :

Ok, never mind! Wow, it stays like a grease in normal temperatures, but moves to an oil once spun.

I just told the boy to work on clearing the trailer the next two days. Not sure if I'm bringing a tractor this year, but I'm equally not sure I'm not trying to buy one, so.... trailer. I'll roll out of bed about 5:30 Saturday, eat breakfast, then head down.

Is this a 3 piece or 2 piece transmission? If it has been sitting for quite a while, I'll speculate Water in the oil rusted some things Flushing it and running it broke rusted things up (possible needle bearing needles. Now these "loose items are moving around getting caught in places that should move. If you push it around by hand do you 'feel" any tight spots? It it was me, i would flush it with something thin like diesel or kerosene. Probable twice. (if nothing else, this will be a prewash before teardown) With the diesel/kerosene in it, rotate the input pulley by hand and have the tractor jacked up so you can also rotate the rear wheels by hand. after draining, pass a magnet through the drained fluid and see what you find.

I took my granddaughter on her first WheelHorse ride. She loved it.

Got in a quick test today. I'm not changing anything! It works great, though there will be a bit of a learning curve. Hardest thing so far was making my brain work out the foot control on the hydro vs "feathering" the hydraulic lift. Practice should fix all of that. Two things I've figured out so far: big difference in moving gravel vs smoothing it. How anyone could use one of these on a manual lift is beyond me. I guess the extra weight of my blade has its drawbacks. I fixed two places today in my driveway. The entrance at the road was the worst, but after basically transferring one side of the driveway to the other, it's good now. The other was the stutter bumps in the curve behind the tractor below. All good now! Only complaint I have is the gravel accumulates on top of the pivot, so you have to knock it off to keep rocks out of the garage! And the 523-H is now officially a worker!

Happy Birthday Mike! Hopefully Ally got you something real nice! See you at the show!

@RoadScholar, Enjoyed talking with you and hope everything works out for you.

Is your C-125 a Blackhood ? If it is there would not be a release if it's an Eaton hydro. @chorusguy

I will say, I'm the ONLY one using this tractor. I'd leave the brake switch out, but knowing ME something bad will happen! I'm going to fill the oil back up and run it for a while before changing. The old oil was a tiny bit milky, so the new fill should dilute that before a full change and filter. What are you using for a filter?

Pretty sure the 701 was only model that had the inside wheels. I had one and it got hauled off with scrap metal dang it. here is a 1960 550 mowing deck that I have without the wheels.

The battery was located directly in front of the engine. I think the original "hoodstand has been removed or modified on your tractor to make room for the newer engine. It would be at near the front of this homemade belt guard. Please post a side view from the left side of this area under the hoodd. I have a 551 in parts and will get a picture of the frame and hoodstand .

H Happy Borned on Day, Terry

Happy Borned on Day, Don

Thanks for the update. Please keep us posted.

Gotta keep this one close. By the diameter of those bases, he has some potential to be a shooter this fall. The face looks young, but the body lines and big gut put him at a 4yo.