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I have 4 runners and one yard art. Here's my preferred algorithm:

Thin the herd? Is that a thing people do??

In my case storage room is not a problem and I use non-E gas with Sta-Bil on everything jus in case it may be (and has been) a year or so since they have been used. I have been seeking new homes for projects that I will never get to. I would hate to think of them being sold as scrap metal after I'm gone so finding people who appreciate them while I can. The new to me A-60 Electric Wheel Horse is a keeper for sure, It gets used just about every day. @WHX??, @Achto, @Mike'sHorseBarn The 310-8 keeps the lawn looking good, 418-C plows the snow and the 953s put a smile on my face so they stay. Guess I'm not good at the "THINNING THING" am I.

I have an easy solution to herd thinning and getting rid of the cr*pola that I have gotten over the years. Load up the truck and drop it off at my son's house. He loves it but my daughter in law, not so much. My granddaughter's love the 312-8 and can't wait to drive it. At 7 and 9 years old they have to grow some.

My "Secrets" to thinning the herd and other hoarded stuff. Having restored a few, built a couple customs, bought and sold over 50 in the past 30 years, I have accumulated a few buckets of parts and have had about 15 tractors at one point. All the above mentioned reasons, storage (I never left any out side), battery and fuel maintenance prompted me to only keep the ones I use. A 312H that mows, plows snow, tills, hauls firewood, and hauls me to my deer stand. A 310-8 that mows and hauls me to my tree stand. A 520H with a Dual stage blower with heated cab that will probably never get used to blow snow, but can haul me to my deer stand on cold days. A custom two seater that hauls me around shows and to my deer stand. Recently liquidating my Mothers and MIL's estates and my friend's Wheel Horse collection has prompted me to instruct my family to call the auctioneer when my time comes.

Well this is how I thin the herd. ”I am thinning the herd.” ”Dangit another one’s for sale and I can’t see my life going on without it.” ”I am thinning the herd.” repeat.

I am like the rest of you! To many and no room. I have six now getting a little tight but I will be selling one with in six months need a winter project to keep my sanity in the winter. I do not know what I would do if I did not have a tractor to work on. This just sits in the garage with a cover on it most of the year on a rug. I have three in the works should last me a few years?

I told myself if I don't use it on a regular basis it was going.. All round hoods stay tho. Problem... I just sold a nice no name 8 I set up for a house plow tractor & nobody used it. Yah it went to a good home but as soon as one goes I regret it and cry like a school girl. Inside storage is always an issue. I hate to have anything outside ... even the log splitter.& parts tractors. I have acreage so could always build another shed but for what??? More crap for her to get rid of when I'm dirt napping? BTW I would build a shed for that 1257 @Retired Wrencher......

Could this be our resident @squonk?

There's so much truth to this! My dad is getting older and he keeps saying he's getting rid of tractors, but he also sends me marketplace ads all the time lol I am getting rid of most of my non-horse tractors though, but once one of them leaves it gets replaced by a horse so I never really gain any space.

It's easier when your blue hair starts thinning as well!

My goal was to get 8 - 854's, one for each grandchild and keeping the round hood custom 12 with hydraulic lift for me to use. My oldest grandson said he would rather have the custom because it was unique and built by me. So I bought the custom 953 for me to use. 2 grandkids picked the 854's and the smallest grandchild picked the lawn ranger. After the big show two years ago I unloaded 4 tractors at their house. The other grandkids said they just wanted to ride when they visited. So now I only have 2. When the dump truck is finished that will be three for someone to deal with when I'm gone + whatever other horse I may bring home or build.

Kind of side shot. Love this thing, its a worker, moved a dump truck or dirt

The way I thinned the herd, was by only keeping the tractors that actually have a purpose. The horses have to earn their keep, so to speak. I'm comfortable with the 5 that I have. So that helps to limit battery purchases and upkeep and maintenance.

Ah the most difficult decision to make for an addict is to wean off the addiction! I know my brother and I had about thirty at one time six or seven years ago. Maybe thirty or more attachments of all kinds. Located in three buildings (one shed, one horse barn, one garage and a 8 x 24 enclosed truck bed that one housed an experimental aircraft. We liked the round hoods . We started with the RJ's as kids in 1961. Wore one out changing motors and rebuilding transmissions. In about 2006 we decided to take one of my dad;s old 1054's ad redo five years later we have five or six 1054's and two 953's. We were given tractors . We bought tractors from$60 to $1200 or so. We modified tractors like Lawn Rangers, 704's, etc We had almost every type of cart Wheel Horse sold. We had every type of cutter bar or sickle bar. Mowers galore, parts, parts, parts. Electric clutches, hitches , unicorn log splitter, etc. We made social parts -drawbar hitches, extended brake rods, reel mower lift parts, etc. We still have twenty plus and I am hard pressed to name them all. I have three RJ.s in my garage, one outside that is a project with a newly rebuilt transmission I hope to redo (I have five grandchildren and hope some of them may be able to convince their fathers to let them keep one). I have a 701, 702, 854, 1974 B-80, 1997 314-8 in my garage. My brother has three 314's. (two hydros), a 312-8, three 1054s, a 1965 Lawn Ranger, a C 160-8, a B-80, a C-100, a nice 633 , an 800 Special, etc Our thinning plans are probably not very well implemented at this point! It would just be like loosing your spouse!

I was comfortable with 4. The 551 I recently got was a fun little project to get going, a blast to drive and a big hit at the Steam Pageant. I have always thought, what's a WH collector without a round hood. So it's staying. I have the opportunity to build another short frame hydro for mowing duty really cheap but I need to make the room. 551 is easy to store so I can justify having that one around just to ride around the block.

My reasons have all been mentioned here. Mostly space and battery maintenance are my issues. I had 15 or so at one point. Now much less. I left two complete machines and enough parts for another to the fella I sold my previous home to. He was retired and asked if I wanted to part with any, so I did. Then I sold a couple more. I could still do well to drop even 2 or 3 more. That being said, there are a few tractors that I plan to pass onto my kids one day, or they can auction them after I'm gone. Those will be staying here.

I had 8 tractors. Moving to a smaller property by the beach forced me to sell them all. I have a 4 car garage now under the house. But a 65 x 160 ft lot, and all stone and concrete in front. Seemed silly to keep everything, snowblower plow blades dump carts. In hindsight I wish I kept the 854 deck and plowblade. That how I got into this hobby. That 854. Good luck on your decision. .

I have 5 tractors and there is no room for more. They all run well and don't need anything so they don't need attention. The 1267 I have in the classified just sits. I had all of them at the steam show and it was nice having room in the garage for other work. I'm getting older and they have to go sometime just like me.

Let these two run today....

If anyone's interested in the obituary it's here: https://www.mackfamilyfh.com/obituaries/bruce-banks

Maybe you'll need a shed to sleep in!

Curious on how you RS members come to the conclusion on letting go, for lack of a better word to downsize. Is it storage, ambition, cleaning carbs on a regular basis and other fuel related issues ? Or could it be the endless job of maintaining batteries constantly ? Do you have ones you almost never use but can't part with them ? Last but not least does sitting in the recliner with the remote at hand suddenly seem more gratifying. Like to hear your thoughts and suggestions. Thanks all.

@JCM can definitely relate to that issue , have 3 , but my physical ability to do any related grunt work is all but done , swapping ,plow , decks , also interest is not the same , of course paying someone to do yard maintenance / plow snow , has the view of taking care of your home , attached to it . years back sold off , decks , tractor , blower , emphasised the function , and condition of it , probably been sitting outside , in tall grass , trashed . rarely see any lawn anything , that is not trashed , pete

THATS in the house! That would get me on the news 100%

“Parts Pile” it’s been laying around for about 4 years and finally got to it last fall. Just about finished up now.

The other day I used a Wheelhorse to mow for the first time. Bittersweet considering I was doing it only because my father couldn't. On the HUGE plus side, he did get to see his front lawn freshly attended the day he passed. ❤️ This tractor will soon be returning to Maine where Trina has already named it.... after him.

just had my 2 month lower spine check out , spot on , healing / working as it should , gaining everyday , also found right hip joint wear issue , that was increased with the spine issue , seeing dr soon on that , possible injection to settle it down , or same day replacement , to make it equal to lower back alignment , makes most sense , my results with this center has been very thorough in its , verification of issue , and correction of it . like the idea of same day hip socket replacement , inside of a week , you are good to go , for me walking without pain , would be wonderful , my father was loaded with arthritis , back in the butcher shop days, would not even think about it , had a ruptured appendix back in the 1920,s , the surgical work looked like it was done with a shovel , horrible . eliminate the issue , just my take on chronic , problem , pete

This week on Wheelhorse corner… I took a nice picture and looked over my 312, the new decals really do finish it off. I also put a new starter in my Honda four wheeler. Did I mention I like the starter setup on the Kohler M12, as the Honda one was a huge PITA. Nothing broke but I was hours taking off three bolts.

@JCM @midpack As a reminder, I’m still looking for a nice 300 series tractor or a 252-H or 256-H. I’ll be at the Berwick M&G. I’m also considering selling my 520-H with the bucket loader. I find that I’m not using it much and I hate to see machines sit.

Pushed the 512-D out in the sun today to gain some working space in the shop. I have'nt had any time to bring it back to life but I did have a few occasions in the last couple of months where I wish I had. Sometimes prioritizing like a real adult sucks..

Nehh..... Ya gotta have a back up plan for your back up plan.

Guy I set up at the Pageant with has an 875 that was given too him that he has no use for except it fits on his trailer good so he brings it to the show. I gave him some parts for it last year and still has a few things missing. It's not a show piece and has some mods done on it and is perfect for mowing. He was going to let me just take it home and pay him whenever but I really don't have a spot to store it. I mow with my 857 but it's a lot of shifting and when I had my 1075 I loved mowing with it but it was too nice to get dirt and grass all over it. Tractor is on the far right:

Day 6: Yesterday got some stuff done. Got the fuel tank mounts painted and mounted up. Got the seat pan mount and that support piece painted. Got the steering tower sanded and painted. And painted the 2 black covers for the amp meter and all the controls for the hydro, hydraulics, brake etc. Also opened up the gas tank to find a whole bunch of rusty water! Swished around bad gas in there until it came out how I put it in. Replaced the fuel tank grommet and put the shutoff valve back in. IMG_8965.mov

We spent some time rearranging the barn workshop yesterday so we could spend some time these next few days getting back on the truck build. First task will be removing the bed and rear fuel tank for better access to the rear axle. The axle is being rebuilt with ALL new internal parts including Yukon yoke, Motive ring & pinion, and an Auburn Gear Company Limited Slip Differential. Stock 4:10 ratio. Of course all new bearings and seals. New brake shoes. The bed will be sold so I can build my own red oak & steel flatbed. The rear tank I'm not sure yet. I really don't need it more than once a year, if that. Any fuel left in it could easily go stale. Big issue there is it needs a distribution valve which I'd rather not buy. @87 416-8 horse Here's the list of performance parts i have purchased for the engine: Intake manifold. Clifford Performance single plane. Carburetor. Carter AFB (Aluminum Four Bore) 4bbl 500 CFM mechanical secondaries. Vacuum secondary carbs are easier to drive but I love having the control over exactly how much I open the venturies. I might put an extra spring on the secondary set so I can feel them detent to open. Exhaust. Ford original EFI split manifolds. Walker front pipe. 2 into 1. I went with a single exhaust partially for ease of exhaust assembly on a 4WD and also because I like the tone. Muffler to be determined. I'll go deep tone and not drag racer loud. Likely a chambered design similar to a Flowmaster 40. No catalytic converter needed here. Distributor. Custom built HEI done by Bill Ambler racing distributors specific for my engine. Camshaft. Jerry Cantrell at Schneider Cams made up a special Custom grind. Similar to: Part #13918-08. With stock rockers: Int. duration 208° at 050. .464 valve lift. Exh. duration 214° at 050. .472 valve lift. If/when I switched to a higher ratio rockers the lift would be: Int. .493 Exh. .502 Duration at .050 would also increase just a tiny smidgen. 108⁰ lobe separation angle. I kept LSA tight mostly for the raucous lumpy idle. A bonus of that is more low/midrange torque. With all the changes above this engine should pull like a train up to about 4500 RPM. Higher with a better cylinder head. I have a BUNCH of other things to put on. Some are repairs. Some are finishes I knew it needed. Some are accessories or changes specific to my desires. It'll be a constant work in progress for several years, forever really. Other changes for the future will be Four new leaf springs. Stock rears. 4"+ lift fronts to level the truck.

I'd rather deal with the holly bushes than the wrath of my wife. Much healthier. Lest she decide that a chain saw will solve her problem forever! Wait a minute- I was thinking about MY wife...

so here is my solution, I try to focus on round hoods I like them and they aren't for sale verry often in a ranger that I can go get, I would sell a square hood possibally, but with each tractor I get I try to patina restore or take to the frame clean and resseamble and fix problems, and money is part of it for me having 8 tractors and being 14 years old so I start new projects when I'm bored Wich is a bad and expensive idea for me. so not really a solution just I try to patina restore them and done have them money to get them and a round hood comes up like every 4 month maybe in iowa

We still like Mike in spit of his "Taryl Fixes All" affixion.

Mounted the motor and grill plate and a couple of tires to check actual clearances. Decided to check out the fender while I was at it. Fenders are going to need some work to look right. Real wheel clearances are going to be good.

but once one of them leaves it gets replaced by a horse so I never really gain any space. Mike I am with you on this.

Well, I'm going to have to choose which one or two of mine (5) fairly soon to keep. They're setting the foundation forms behind my camp (trailer) in Maine as we speak! Do I keep the "trailer queens" or the beasties...

Pennzoil sells SAE 30 and tractor supply has there brand of it too. I use Rotella though.

Norman has a 29 gallon transfer tank. It can gravity feed, so I have a solenoid valve draining fuel into my main tank. You could easily swap that distribution valve for a transfer pump. When I’m on a road trip, I get down to about 5/8 tank and flip the switch until it quits filling. I have no gauge on the transfer tank but I have a rough idea how many miles it’ll get me until I turn the valve off. You could keep it empty but for a few times a year to keep the whistle whet on the pump..

If we were required to have a "legit practical usage" for our herd we would each have only one.

Echoing the “keep the one that does the work” sentiment and also strongly influenced by maxed-out storage, only ½ acre to tend, and wanting to have more time for other interests.

There was a time I had 16…playing musical batteries got old. Plus some would sit so long that it was a pain to get em fired up. I won’t store them outside so storage was an issue as well. Started selling off the ones I had no love or attachment to and got down to 5 machines. It felt great! Somehow I have crept back up to 8 or 9. I ended up buying 2 machines at this years WH Show but managed to sell one 3 days after I got back home. I guess if you have a machine that just doesn’t get used it might be time to let it go.

Storage space is probably the main thing for me. I am at this moment trying to figure out if I should part out a couple or sell them so I can have more space.

Zach used Blackbeard (GT14) to set up Friday for the church car show on Saturday—then used it last night for cleanup—entered in the show and got a 3rd place trophy—all in a days work😁