Workhorse - Craigslist score!

[shootinok 15]

I usually keep a good eye on Craigslist, but have been very busy with work lately. Well - I finally get a breather and I scan the area around me and WOW – a new add!

These are so rare around here that when one does pop up it doesn’t last long. The ad was only 4 hours old.

Anywho – I scored this Workhorse for $100

When I arrived to pick it up we pushed it from his back yard where it has set outside for a couple years. I jumped it from my truck and poured a little gas in the carb just for the heck of it to see if the motor would turn over….

It started right up!

The deck is in pretty bad shape – rusted through in several areas but - I’ll get it cleaned up and see what wonders are in store !!

[Don1977 604]

Looks good for a $100. Patch up the deck and charge on.

[AMC RULES 37,132]

[can whlvr 993]

is that the bigg briggs,18 hp,nice score,i love the 50-100 dollar scores,thats all i but anymore,ya they need work but thats the whole idea for me anyway,get a cheap tractor put some time and hopefully not too much cash and get a great tractor

[speedyleedy 205]

Great find worth every bit of a 100.00 buck's !

[corn53 4]

Man I`m dying to add 1 of those to my collection. Love the paint theme on those Workhorses!!! Nice score.

[gwgdog66 23]

I usually keep a good eye on Craigslist, but have been very busy with work lately. Well - I finally get a breather and I scan the area around me and WOW – a new add!

These are so rare around here that when one does pop up it doesn’t last long. The ad was only 4 hours old.

Anywho – I scored this Workhorse for $100

When I arrived to pick it up we pushed it from his back yard where it has set outside for a couple years. I jumped it from my truck and poured a little gas in the carb just for the heck of it to see if the motor would turn over….

It started right up!

The deck is in pretty bad shape – rusted through in several areas but - I’ll get it cleaned up and see what wonders are in store !!

I'm working on a GT1642 for my buddy right now. Good score :)

[bowtiebutler956 650]

Looks like a diamond in the ruff to me. Great find!

[Wheel-N-It 2,969]

A Hundred Bucks and It Runs?!?!?! Excellant Find!

Are you repainting it back original, or going all red?

[Jake Kuhn 1,555]

Looks like a great find :handgestures-thumbup:

[546cowboy 301]

Is that an GT1848? I just picked one up like that about a month ago but not for $100. Mine sat outside for most of it's life and has a lot of surface rust. I did get a snowblower and a rear tiller with mine though. Tiller is missing some parts ( got the hitch parts but nothing to make it work ) and I didn't get a deck. Sprisingly charged the battery up and it runs good and the battery stays chaged too. Had three flat tires though.

[COMMANDO1 23]

I HAVE A GREAT DECK FOR THAT...REMEMBER I SCORED THE GT 1100 LAST WEEK, IM PARTING OUT,NEED ANYTHING?

[Sparky-(Admin) 21,350]

is that the bigg briggs,18 hp,nice score,i love the 50-100 dollar scores,thats all i but anymore,ya they need work but thats the whole idea for me anyway,get a cheap tractor put some time and hopefully not too much cash and get a great tractor

Looks like its the Briggs 16 with an 8 speed with manual lift. Nice score and agreat price!

Mike................

[dwayneGT 6]

Nice! I have a GT 1142 they're great tractors

Dwayne

[JackC 617]

That was a great deal and those look great restored.

There were two versions of paint that they used for the big work horse and the nicest was the earlier metallic.

[shootinok 15]

OK - A couple months since I found this beauty and I finally got time to get it going.

I had some electrical issues now with those worked out I moved on to cleaning it up and changing fluids etc.

The motor oil looked dark and while it ran, it sounded like it wasn't getting much lubrication. I pulled the drain cap and it looked like tar sludge

The transmission was the real shocker though -- kind of an orange sludgy mess...

I drained it yesterday and put in 1qt ATF and 1qt gear lube. Ran it around for a little while then got rained out. I drained it again today and it looked darker but still milky yellow, orangey yuck.

So tonight I drained it again and put 1qt of diesel fuel in with 1qt of new gear lube. Will try again tomorrow night to run it around and drain it again.

I did replace the boot on top of the shifter, so the water infiltration should be stopped; just need to get it cleaned out now.

[Sparky-(Admin) 21,350]

Thanks for the update. Any pics of it all cleaned up?

Mike...............

[shootinok 15]

Here's a pick after I washed it - haven't done any real cleaning up.

For now, I plan on running it like it is. going to call it "Mater" because thats what it reminds me of.

I need to rebuild the engine in "Festus" (the C-121 sitting on the right) and I want to mow with "Mater" until it's done - then it can be his turn for a restore.

[Sparky-(Admin) 21,350]

Nice. I like the Work Horse series. My GT-1642 has a Kohler Magnum 10 transplant.

Mike............

[gwgdog66 23]

OK - A couple months since I found this beauty and I finally got time to get it going.

I had some electrical issues now with those worked out I moved on to cleaning it up and changing fluids etc.

The motor oil looked dark and while it ran, it sounded like it wasn't getting much lubrication. I pulled the drain cap and it looked like tar sludge

The transmission was the real shocker though -- kind of an orange sludgy mess...

I drained it yesterday and put in 1qt ATF and 1qt gear lube. Ran it around for a little while then got rained out. I drained it again today and it looked darker but still milky yellow, orangey yuck.

So tonight I drained it again and put 1qt of diesel fuel in with 1qt of new gear lube. Will try again tomorrow night to run it around and drain it again.

I did replace the boot on top of the shifter, so the water infiltration should be stopped; just need to get it cleaned out now.

Might not hurt to run some engine flush through "Mater" to get the sludge out of the engine. I used 1 pint of it in the one I just finished working on, and I was almost shocked at how dirty the clean oil was after idling for 10 minutes.

[shootinok 15]

How about some pictures of that one gwgdog66... :banana-gotpics:

[kadetklapp 1]

Bought my 84 WorkHorse GT-1800 for $100 US last August. Seemed like a great buy for a running and working tractor. Turns out the motor needs rebuilt, but I still love it. Needs an exhaust valve, carb rebuild, four new tires, new spindles, and paint and decal work.

[Rooster 191]

is that the bigg briggs,18 hp,nice score,i love the 50-100 dollar scores,thats all i but anymore,ya they need work but thats the whole idea for me anyway,get a cheap tractor put some time and hopefully not too much cash and get a great tractor

Looks like its the Briggs 16 with an 8 speed with manual lift. Nice score and agreat price!

Mike................

Most likely the same engine.

The Briggs "16hp" could've been either a 40 cube or 42 cube engine.

If the model number starts with 42....it is the same engine as an 18 hp.

[shootinok 15]

update -

Got the diesel mixed gear lube warmed up then drained it. Then I stuck a compressed air hose in the dip stick tube and blew out all the rest.

I think I got that little problem of water in the tranny whipped.

Next task was to replace the fuel line and the cracked up little fuel filter.

I was having a tough time with the dumb little squeeze clamp on the line to the carb.....

Next thing I know the nipple on the fuel pump broke off in the end of the hose.

Well - I went ahead and put on the new seat I bought.

Now waiting on parts.

I must say though; (in my limited time of having this Workhorse actually working) It is a very capable machine!

I guess I expected it to be a kind of a "wheelhorse light" but that really isn't the case. I'd put it up against anything you can buy at the box stores today.

[AMC RULES 37,132]

I'll just betcha...that's why they're called Work Horses. :thumbs: