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Did some trading with my buddy Ken b. He ended up with a really clean/mint 417-8 that I got from him a while back and I got a really clean, low hour 523dxi. I have not had much more than a little while this afternoon to start to mess around with it but I did manage to swap out the stock rear meats with a set of trails I had from another xi I had. So far this thing is strong. I have a nice 60” deck she will spin next summer and maybe back up snow machine this winter. As always great doing some trading with Ken!

Building the she shed……

Me n BBT and several friends spent a long weekend up in Andover Maine to celebrate Trina 🥳 🎉 🎊 turning 50! She and our friend climbed Puzzle Mountian in Grafton Notch State Park ME on Friday. All 5 of us hiked a loop around the incredibly beautiful Dunn's Falls trail Saturday.

Hey guys. New here and just bought my first ever tractor: a Wheel Horse 312-8. No idea on year or hours, as there is no hours meter, but she seems to run very well and I'm excited to learn how to maintain this! I have a ton of questions and I'm hoping I can get some help here, as google researching isn't turning up much for me, and obviously Wheel Horse is no longer in business. I bought the tractor today but didn't have a way to get it to me, so will have it later this week and can get some photos/details if needed. Anyone know how I can get a parts manual? I'd like to have one in case I run into issues later on, and also just to get the basics sorted out: Spark Plug, Air Filter, Tire size, Light Bulb size, belt(s) etc... I like to keep spare parts on hand and would like to get some now! Likewise, I'd like to have a service manual too if there exists one, or just a general owners manual. Need to know oil capacity, how to remove the deck (won't be mowing with this so removing the 42" deck), how to replace a tire, etc Speaking of manuals, I found a few online but they seem to be for the newer Toro Wheel Horse models. Not sure how much they align with the older models Anything I should know specifically about this model or Wheel Horses in general? I will be using it primarily for hauling carts of firewood to and from the house during the heating season, and maybe for moving dirt and mulch in the summer I know I need a new seat for the tractor and am overwhelmed and confused when googling online. Any idea how I can figure out what seat would fit this model? I'm thinking I could maybe sell the 42" deck if there is a market for it. Anyone know if they are worth selling? That's all I can come up with now. I'm sure I'll come up with more! Unfortunately I'm busy with work the next week or so but plan on taking off a day next week to give this thing some TLC: wash her down, clean up any rusty spots, oil change, clean the air filter, check the tires, etc. Thanks all for your advice and I'm excited to be here!

He never would have went off the cliff if he had been riding a TOUGH Wheel Horse!

You gonna put any sheathing on? Might be breezy and leaky if you don't.......

More work on the 308 after work. It’s a good 10 foot IH Red paint job, The tractor is a worker and was pretty rough to start with. I’m going to take off the panel on the side with the lift lever to paint as it has small stuff to mask off.

I actually met Don Knotts on more than one occasion back in the mid eighties. My friends dad was the caretaker and pilot for the owner of a small private island nearby here. The owner of the island was friends with Don and he was there on several occasions when I was there with the caretakers sons. As I remember he was a very nice guy. The funny thing was that where I grew up it actually was a bit like Mayberry and a touch of the movie On Golden Pond!! Although I wasn’t old enough to drive a car, (there was a one lane bridge to access it) I could go to this little island by taking my 15’ boat there. I miss those days…..

Well, Just got home from a road trip to pick up this 1980 C-145 with a deck & snow blade. The guy said he paid $100 to have a shop diagnose it & it needs a tuneup.... points & condenser,,,the P.O. was really sad to see it go & funny thing was, he actually said this, " send me pictures as you get it going again & I will probably by it back from ya..." little does he know that's probably Never gonna happen because 1 I really do Not want to sell 1 of these to someone who has No Idea how to take care of & or repair it. These are a piece of History much like classic cars but another realm.... 2 I doubt he will like the new Price when I am done nursing it back to health & the amount of time & labor involved to do anything like this weather it's a '69 Mustang or a 45 year old lawn mower.... & to those of us who Know, this aint just some old lawnmower. ok.... stepping off the soapbox now.... The Tune Up Should be easy enough as I was raised on that system. Gonna order that & a few other things tonight, The 257-H will get attention tomorrow. I am super stoked to have found this smokin' deal... the blade needs a few pieces of the necessary hardware but that won't hold Moo-Wah back.... The fender & seat are in the back of the truck. I didn't know the fender was plastic but ok maybe I can find a steel 1 somewhere.... the seat yeah that's gonna get replaced with a really nice 1 at some point. Just super happy to have another & a start on my "herd". Here are some pictures for All enjoy as well. More tomorrow....

Well, it’s not every day one sees anything quite like that.

Actually started on the walls yesterday. Run out of steam

Blade looks to be too tall for a grader blade unless used on a tractor with much taller wheels. The rear frame looks like a tiller hitch has been added. The rusty blade at the top left looks more like a grader blade.

The Mercedes 123 and 126 are the most durable cars ever made specially if they have the legendary 5 cylinder engine. I owned a 126 which I sold with over 700,000 miles and I still see it occasionally on the road. By no means it is a fluke. I know of at least 8 of them in my area within that mileage range. An absolute tank. Still today when I stop at a light next to one I roll down the window to listen to it and ask owner how many miles on it. The sound of the 5 cylinder engine is unmistakable and an absolute pleasure to listen to. Today’s Mercedes which I also owned a couple have absolutely nothing to do with those from that time. In my opinion not even deserving of the name.

This weekend, I managed to get the second coat of black silicone on this side of the roof, and laid down the strip of river rock along the house. The upper right part that looks a bit lighter was done a few weeks ago - it seems to pick up some dust & such and isn't as black and shiny.... going to see later if a little light scrubbing can return its fresh blackness. The off-white section to the top left is a screened porch, which I'm either going to just clean up better with a pressure wash, or may coat with white silicone because it can be like an oven in there. Not pictured but also got some seeding mats laid out on the bare ground to get some new grass started, and about 1/2 of the other side of the roof second-coated. If anyone feels inclined to refresh a ribbed metal roof with silicone, I have a few tips. Get a drum-type pressure washer attachment and get the metal really clean. Buy and use the special yellow primer - otherwise the stuff may not stick well. Either invest in the expensive grooved rollers for ribbed metal (about $65 each ) or just use a 4" roller with 1/2" or deeper nap - you'll have to make 3 passes on each section to get both sides of the ribs with the roller tilted, then down the middle. Expect to throw away the roller every time you take a break longer than a few hours even if you put it in a plastic bag, because the stuff turns to rubber very fast after air exposure. Also, be extra careful walking on the coating after it cures - if it's wet, it's extremely slippery, and if it's dry, even "clean" shoes will leave footprints. I'm pretty happy with the results. Still not sure why white coating is only about $100 per 5 gallons, but the black is about $450 per 5 gallons . Still cheaper than a new roof.

When are you planning on moving She to the shed?

I an inclined to look at the exhaust system, could be something in there that works its way into the path not allowing enough air flow. Since the Magnum needs no external input for ignition for testing purposes you could disconnect the wiring plug (oil level, charging, and magneto) to the engine and then start it by jumping the solenoid. This will eliminate all external inputs that could be preventing the magneto from working.

It was castration day for my lawn today. Sixty 5gal pails full of black walnuts from one tree. I personally do not like the taste of black walnuts. The removal of these nuts from my yard has most likely upset my local squirrel population, but I hear tell that there is a colony of squirrels that live about 4 miles from me that feel that they have hit the jack pot.

Try searching 312-8 in manuals section: https://www.wheelhorseforum.com/search/?&q=312-8&type=downloads_file&nodes=31,32,33&search_and_or=or

I must admit that I had to look at a parts diagram, but I think you mean these? If so, there was/is some very minor pitting but overall things look to be in good shape (not the best picture): Your question was well timed, I didn't think I needed to do anything else on the front axle but discovered that one of the spindles was nearly frozen. I don't remember noticing this originally, but it led me to do a little more dismantling and I'm glad that I did. Water must have gotten into both sides at some point, lots of nasty gunk and grit: I got everything cleaned, reinstalled and fresh grease added - what a difference! Both sides spin completely freely now so time well spent. Jonathan

This has been a week of electrical education regarding my WH. Thank you to all for your suggestions. The problem was the loose ground wire. I started to remove the solenoid and noticed what was left of the terminal connector on the stud. So it was for the case ground. I attached a new terminal, put everything back together and she started right up.

Have you had the tins of this mint low hr. Magnum? Mice like to chew on the coil wire under the tins

Me neither, so I can’t understand why the squirrels go crazy for them!

You guys might be on to something. I've noticed that this thing is WAY louder than the 05 Command. I've got to head to Valpo right now but my next move is a muffler check.

Yes, the 520 uses the same frame as the 300 and 400 series. Some of them have a reinforcement plate where the trans bolts up but the only thing you need is the proper length bolts (just a little longer).

Now in stock : perfect reproductions of the 113445 lift bars as found on most of the Wheel Horse tractors. Replace that worn, damaged or missing lift bar with a brand new piece . These are completely manufactured in house, no wait time for a supplier to get them to us, no time lost waiting for the painter, and at a fraction of the current list price from Toro ( $110.00 or more ). Our price is $45.00 plus shipping , continental US only. Please DO NOT COMMENT ON THIS POST! If you have questions , comments , or would like to purchase , private message me here or call / text during normal business hours. Do not e-mail as they don't get checked regularly.

Thanks Eric...you know I consider Maine my Second State since we lived there for 3 years. It never fails to remind me how beautiful it is each of the 4 seasons. Most people go there for vacation, but to actually live there for a period of time, you get to experience the 4 seasons that Maine gives you. Happy Birthday Trina !! My birthday wish would be to play 10 pin a few more times and go fishing at Flander's Pond out side Winter Harbor.

Here's what I did on my 1974 C160-8 Cinnamon Horse. Note: I have NOT YET added a 90⁰ brace as some of the later model HD spindles had. Still a future plan. These front wheels are 12" trailer wheels ordered from etrailer. The hubs are 2,000 lb axle rated trailer hubs. Same bolt pattern as the rears. 5 x 4.5. I bought a pair of the least expensive trailer axle stubs I could find. Like these: As you can see I cut the "trailer side" off. Had a friend with a lathe drill 3/4" holes (3" deep??) I used JB Weld to fasten the drilled trailer stub on to the stock Wheelhorse spindle. I know this Pic is a little tough to make out. The seal rides on the plain steel part where the stub axle was cut off.

Don't need a chip... turn off the tv.

Haha yes sir I am quite excited! OK, great to know any universal will work. I'll look at a few and grab one once I see the original seat's bolt pattern in person again. Thanks guys! Stoked!

Wow, you did a nice job! Thanks for sharing. Can I ask, do you have any advice on a replacement seat? I'm no restorer or collector, and just need something functional and clean. I'm seeing a ton of universal ones online but not sure what to look for that would be able to properly mount

WELCOME to the OCD CLUB

Hauling walnuts. Gathered these today.

About 20 miles from my home is Hammon's Black Walnuts in Stockton, MO. I believe they are the country's largest walnut company. Around here, there are walnut hulling stations and folks gather walnuts, haul them to the walnut huller and get paid for the nuts. (It doesn't pay much. A fellow I worked for had walnut trees and I had to gather the walnuts from the ground. He had a small pickup and a bed full would almost pay for nice meal.) I think the shells are almost, if not more important than the meat. Hammon's website shows they have hulling stations in 13 midwest states. I use a corn sheller that I use to de-hull the walnuts that I gather--usually a 5 gallon bucket full. The corn sheller works but its not very efficient. I also have a walnut cracker in the shop that makes getting to the meat much easier. I have a wild pecan tree in my back yard. The squirrels get the bulk of the harvest. These wild pecans are small but I've managed to gather about one and one half gallons this year. (A bumper crop for me. In part because I've already trapped and relocate 4 of those rascals.)

Happy Birthday!

Happy birthday to BBT. Looks like a beautiful place to walk. We have some of those via ferrata climbs in the UK but Mrs. W is very averse to them.

Keeping in mind I'm not very familiar with the Magnums, my first thought would be to switch the coil from another one that you know runs okay? Is that a possibility?

Happy Birthday Trina, nice pictures @ebinmaine.

The metric spindle bearings are 6203 2rs - 40 mm OD, 17 mm ID and 12 mm thick. The housings for the 3/4" keyed and the metric spindles are the same. You will be missing the 17 mm spacers that go between the bearings if original are 3/4" keyed.

That should be on the outside

Get a second chain. I've seen older ones split the break-away link just from age when they get even a small load on them.

A#1... Do this in a well ventilated area. Soaking the HOT 🔥 hub with penetrating oil does a double service. It'll flow easier when hot. Also, the heat expanded hub may allow some crevices to exist that aren't there when cold. It gets down into spaces that other wise may not be reached. In addition to that there's a possibility that cooling the hub WITH the oil out of a spray can (colder) will help shrink the hub more/better.

I did complete that puller but it really should be thicker. Mine's 1/4" steel X2. 3/8" would be a game changer.

I rent mine to all my neighbors.

We met our son for breakfast this morning. Since he had today off, he came out to our 20 acre wood and helped building an 8x8 storage shed. We got the area cleared, set foundation blocks that accounted for about 8" of rise in the 'reasonably flat' spot we chose for the shed. Got the floor deck built and all 4 walls framed and erected. Hopefully, we will get it finished off this weekend. This will get us some dry and reasonably secure storage for stuff we often use when we are working on the property. It will also reduce the amount of stuff that needs to be hauled to and from the property. Yes, we took pictures, but I didn't bring the proper cables to move the pictures to the proper device.

Well, it's the end of our Portsmouth odyssey. Couple more museums ticked off and the Nelson gallery where we saw a lot more about the great man. There are many portraits of him but all quite different, some painted to make him look more physical, or more heroic etc. But they have done research and come up with a wax work that is about the best rendition of him at the time just before his death. He was tiny, well compared to me he was. 5 feet five inches and pretty skinny from all the diseases and injuries he suffered from. I'm six feet two and I wonder what Nelson would have thought of the 18" shell I'm standing in front of. Probably would not have liked the thought of killing at such long range, no honour in it. The final one is a 15 inch gun breech, my God I cannot imagine this thing being fired. It's impressive but so depressing that we drive ourselves to make bigger and better ways to kill each other. Back home tomorrow, via the model engineering fair in Warwick where I can pick up some materials and tools for my primary hobby.

Mary Rose is absolutely stunning! Archeology is hard enough on dry land, but to excavate a site under water and recover things that are 437 years old and so fragile is beyond belief. The museum itself is a marvel of engineering, to think they planned so far into the future. Raising her was only the start of it. Conserving and then displaying her to the standard they have is astonishing. There were a fair few American accents around and a guy we saw was obviously ex Navy and very proud of his experience over here while serving. Went on a harbour tour and saw HMS Queen Elizabeth, one of our new carriers. Jeez it's big! Then completely by chance the arctic survey ship Sir David Attenborough was in port. This is the one that they asked the public to name, the power if the Internet saw the stupid name Boaty McBoatface voted for. Thankfully the owners declined and gave it a roper name instead. Tomorrow it is the submarine museum and the museum of Naval explosions! Yay...

Having a great time in Portsmouth. HMS Victory is outstanding, cannot believe she fought in the American war of independence as well as Trafalgar and many others. I can't imagine the hell on earth that the gun decks would be during battle. The noise, smoke, blood and sheer terror is hard for us all to understand. The different types of shot shown here makes your hair stand on end; ball, grape, cannister, bar and chain shot, all designed to damage rigging or ships timbers, but also capable of tearing a man into pieces. The place where Lord Nelson died on the lower deck of Victory, shot by a sniper from only 15 yards away. He knew he was beyond hope as soon as he was hit, but clung on until the battle was won. I was very touched standing here, such a great man and the saviour of a nation. Tomorrow it's the Mary Rose, Henry the eigths favourite ship.

We are currently in our Mo. location. I've been playing brick layer on and off this week. Today is a milestone day. I've topped out the north column on our long running porch project. 2 more columns to go. About 120 bricks. Then it will be on to building a decorative beam between the top of the columns and the bottom of the roof, installing the porch ceiling, soffit, and facia boards.