GT1800 Hydro refresh for our friends!

[Horse Newbie 7,069]

6 hours ago, cleat said:

My next project is my GT1600

Is that a Work Horse @cleat ?

[cleat 5,977]

5 hours ago, Horse Newbie said:

Is that a Work Horse @cleat ?

 

Yes, my poor old Work Horse that I bought back last year.

 

It has donated the parts to make my 520H into a 520-8 so it will get switched into a hydro with an Eaton 1100 and all the associated hydraulics from the 520.

 

That will be next winters project.

 

 

Don't worry, the yellow wheels are already off and I sold the deck for more than I paid for everything so it's a freebie until I start throwing parts at it.

 

[OoPEZoO 524]

Nice.......that looks like a fun winter project that will make an excellent tractor when its done.  

[Horse Newbie 7,069]

26 minutes ago, cleat said:

That will be next winters project

Please post comments and pics next winter when you build it… I know you will.

 

I really enjoy, and know others do as well, reading about, and following your projects. You do some real nice work !

[SylvanLakeWH 25,558]

[ebinmaine 67,498]

 

 

@cleat

I'll be very much looking forward to seeing that one. 

 

[Greentored 3,210]

You guys are correct on being able to just replace the stator with the higher amperage one. Never tried vanny parts but rumor has it they do share some things. 

Only thing I can add is you MAY have to look for a different flywheel, I THINK the big charging option had more magnets on the wheel, and the low/middle amperage system shared the wheel with less.

I think......

[ebinmaine 67,498]

Got the chain and tensioner in the post. 

The old chain is worn so badly it'll stretch and compact about a half inch in a 22.5" length span.  

Wow.  

 

I cut the new chain to the same length as the old one figuring with the looseness vs this new chain I'd be fine. We'll see.  

 

 

@JCM here's the chain breaker I meant to show you the other day.  

 

 

[Wayne0 457]

On 12/20/2023 at 1:12 PM, ebinmaine said:

I'd love to hear from folks that have these B & S beasts. 

@Greentored

@c-series don

@cschannuth I think?

 

Who else has a Workhorse with the flat 18 HP twin?

 

Add my name. I have a 1800 GT Hydro. It's a beast. I haul 12" oaks out of the woods with no issues. Not topped. The only problem is when you loose traction in soft soil such as peat. As Eric can confirm, there is a lot around here in the woods.

Edited December 26, 2023 by Wayne0

[Wayne0 457]

On 12/23/2023 at 11:32 AM, ebinmaine said:

Got the chain and tensioner in the post. 

The old chain is worn so badly it'll stretch and compact about a half inch in a 22.5" length span.  

Wow.  

 

I cut the new chain to the same length as the old one figuring with the looseness vs this new chain I'd be fine. We'll see.  

 

 

@JCM here's the chain breaker I meant to show you the other day.  

 

LOL! Mine would go a full inch! Had to count the links for the new one.

 

[cschannuth 3,816]

On 12/20/2023 at 12:12 PM, ebinmaine said:

I'd love to hear from folks that have these B & S beasts. 

@Greentored

@c-series don

@cschannuth I think?

 

Who else has a Workhorse with the flat 18 HP twin?

 

Sorry, Eric, I just saw this but on my dad‘s C-161, I keep it on a trickle charger all the time since it doesn’t get used often. When I start it cold, I usually give it quarter throttle, start by turning the key to the start position, and then lift the choke all the way up and put it back down, and if it has fuel, it starts right up. If it has been sitting for a long time, I might need to do that a couple of times until fuel gets to the carburetor. After using it and the engine is warmed up it always starts right up with no choke with just a quick turn of the key. Hope that helps. If you need more specific information, just let me know.

[ebinmaine 67,498]

18 minutes ago, cschannuth said:

just let me know

Excellent. Thanks. This confirms the above mentioned info even more. 

 

 

[c-series don 8,707]

@ebinmaine Sorry I’m late to respond also. I’ve had my Work Horse GT-1800 since new in 1984.I would love to know the true hours on the 18 hp Briggs. I used it commercially for about eight years to cut grass. During that time one of my customers who was a summer resident would wait until they came out in June to have me cut the grass. Maybe it was a half acre. By then it was as tall as the top of the hood. That tractor would slowly and steadily march through that thick tall grass and never miss a beat. I remember thinking this tractor is bad ass every time I would do it. I also drove it from job to job because I was not old enough to drive for the first two years. Most lawns were in the same neighborhood but my dads office was 3/4 of a mile away and that was part of the deal with him getting me a bank loan to buy the tractor. You see at age twelve I started using my dads new B-115 five speed to mow some of my neighbors lawns. I saved up enough money, I think around 800 bucks to let him know I wanted my own BIGGER Wheel Horse. So since the bank doesn’t give loans to 14 year old kids my dad got me the loan. I remember going to the bank with him and the bank manager couldn’t believe I wanted a loan to buy a tractor!! My payments were 177 dollars a month and because grass doesn’t grow in the winter my dad warned me that the payments were still due and he wasn’t making them. Again I learned to save money. To help me with this, my parents bought me a snowplow for it for Christmas. I plowed some of my lawn customers driveways. I remember bundling up and going out in the middle of the night to keep up with the storms, my mother worried sick! 
 My uncle and my step grandfather were the true Wheel Horse guys, they were the reason my dad bought one. Whenever I would see them they would ask me when I changed my oil last? Being kinda scared of them I changed it OFTEN. I think this is another reason it’s lasted so long. 
 Even though I have around 18 ready to go to work Wheel Horses my trusty Work Horse would be the last one I would part with. My guess is that it has a few thousand hours on it over the years. So many stories go with me and my Work Horse. I just stopped working with an after I gave it a well deserved restoration about five years ago. Still the same untouched original engine. Now I just take it to a few shows occasionally, but other than that I just look at it and think “Damn that is a nice tractor and I’m very proud of it “ In August I will have owned it for 40 years and I’m going to throw a birthday party for it. I told my wife this and she just shakes her head and thinks I’m crazy. 
 Anyway, thank you for reading a part of my Work Horse story. From a true Wheel Horse believer, fanatic, collector or whatever you want to call me. Thank you all, god bless. Now go get some seat time!!! Don 
 

Edited December 31, 2023 by c-series don

[cleat 5,977]

I did a quick internet search for money equivalents for today VS 1984 and it is almost exactly 3x

Your same tractor that you paid $4450.00 for in 1984 would equate to $13350 today.

 

Very impressive that you were able to come up with that much money at such a young age.

 

[ebinmaine 67,498]

This morning we delivered the mowing deck and Two Stage Tall Chute snowblower to our friends. 

What with the impending snowstorm Tom wanted to try out the snowblower. 

Trina and I swapped over from the 42" plow to the 44" blower. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tom. Is. Stoked.  

 

 

 

[Wayne0 457]

On 12/20/2023 at 1:12 PM, ebinmaine said:

I'd love to hear from folks that have these B & S beasts. 

@Greentored

@c-series don

@cschannuth I think?

 

Who else has a Workhorse with the flat 18 HP twin?

 

 

Edited January 6 by Wayne0
Mods, please delete, double post.

[bds1984 1,429]

On 12/21/2023 at 10:49 PM, cleat said:

 

Yes, my poor old Work Horse that I bought back last year.

 

It has donated the parts to make my 520H into a 520-8 so it will get switched into a hydro with an Eaton 1100 and all the associated hydraulics from the 520.

 

That will be next winters project.

 

 

Don't worry, the yellow wheels are already off and I sold the deck for more than I paid for everything so it's a freebie until I start throwing parts at it.

 

I bet it is already in the process of being converted over!

[cleat 5,977]

3 hours ago, bds1984 said:

I bet it is already in the process of being converted over!

Sort of, I am starting to amass the required parts.

[mrc 812]

c series don,

 

GREAT story!     

[ebinmaine 67,498]

Tom put his new toy to work today! 

 

 

 

 

 

[Wayne0 457]

I'm sure he LOVES it Eric! I worked my 520H today too. 14" of white stuff.

[ebinmaine 67,498]

Tom has been thoroughly enjoying his new ride. 

When it snows he's been known to drive around outside plowing for 3 hours or more.  

 

When it's not snowing he's been known to use the tractor to fetch the mail.  

😂

 

 

This afternoon Trina and I went over to visit and added the last piece of the puzzle.  

 

A cab.  

Tom's pretty tall so  I added about 3 1/2" to the height by putting spacers in the front frame below the hinges.  

 

Thanks to @c-series don for sending up a couple good door hinges.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tom's gonna figure out how to attach the loose cloth at the front. With the "lift kit" those sections don't fit right. 

 

 

He's pretty stoked to have the can for a bunch of reasons.  Not the least of which is that his tractor now says Wheelhorse!!

 

 

 

[Handy Don 12,227]

22 minutes ago, ebinmaine said:

Tom's gonna figure out how to attach the loose cloth at the front

Strong magnets sewn onto thin webbing sewn to the cab fabric.

[c-series don 8,707]

15 hours ago, Handy Don said:

Strong magnets sewn onto thin webbing sewn to the cab fabric.

That is a great idea 👍🏻

[ebinmaine 67,498]

The BBT and I stopped by Ali and Tom's to help him reinstall the tire chains for the upcoming huge storm. 

While there I noticed a fair sized puddle under the lift mechanism.  

I finished up getting the chains in while my Lead Mechanic tore into the leakage. 

Turns out there was one hose nearing disconnected. 

I've ordered a pair of replacements from @76c12091520h Brian which we'll pop on next week sometime. 

 

Meantime the Lead Mechanic took it upon herself to go over today and swap the bad hose for a spare we had from the C160 Automatic build. 

 

 

 

 

 

Back up n running!!