How to curb the addiction

[PaulC 341]

Ok I have now been into wheel horse for close to 3 years it all started with a physically beat up 312-8 which was originally my grampas. I now have an 87 312A and a 90 312H both with mower decks and blower attachments, and the 312-8 is still in my dads possesion. As im sure some of you have seen my recent thread I just redid my 312 H and am

 

trying to sell my 312 A because I don't have the room. Im completely thrilled with the outcome of my H. It looks great, runs great, and performs great but here I am still searching CL and thinking about more tractors. A guy I work with has a neighbor who just did similar to what I did in redoing 1 horse and selling his other, so the guy I work with came in

 

this morning to ask me jokingly if I want another horse and wouldn't ya know I already looked over the CL add haha. And here I sit very intrigued about this tractor. Not sure of the year but my guess its late 80's and its a 416H with 525 hrs on it, looks decent from the 1 picture that's posted. There is also a 520H which I believe to be in the 90's that has

 

been sitting in the middle of someones yard nearby for over a year and I am always keeping my eye out on that one thinking it will go for sale for cheap someday and maybe I could save it, it would need a lot of work though as I assume something is wrong with it and its been sitting outside for who knows how long.

 

So my main question is how do you curb this insane addiction? I just put a ton of time and decent money into my tractor and its all I probably need and is now just how I always wanted it.

 

Next question haha is what is the "IDEAL" tractor in the 3,4,500 series, hydro is a must. I mow 3/4 of an acre and blow a decent sized driveway. The 12hp is sometimes not enough but manageable and that is only a few times a year.

 

Maybe you guys will tell me my 312H is the ideal machine for me and that will kill these two birds with the same stone

[stevasaurus 22,527]

Paul...sorry...there is no cure at this time.    I don't think anybody is even working on a cure.

[AMC RULES 37,102]

Accept it, once bitten...

you're on the  for life.    

[bmsgaffer 2,043]

my ideal tractor in that series would be a 520 with a new kohler 24+hp EFI engine in it. Curbs fuel usage by up to 30% on a big twin.

 

Actually, it would be a black hood with the reduction steering and same engine because I like the look better

[546cowboy 301]

Seems like you are in the early stages of the disease but from the sound of your post it could be progressing rapidly.   Soon you will be watching CL and the infamous Ebay ( you know when you can't find them close to you ) through out the day. It will be the first thing you do in the morning and the last  thing you do at night. "LOOKING FOR" deals and the next project. It won't matter how sorry the tractor looks because " I can save that"! Everyone here has gone through that and it seems to be a never ending process.

 

Of course life can throw road blocks in the way to slow it down or (heaven forbid ) bring it to a sudden halt. You know like divorce, flood, fire, loss of storage space, acts of nature   but I believe DEATH is really the only sure cure. What is a guy to do.

 

On the bright side, look at all the fun you have, the satisfaction of a job well done, to say nothing about the envy of your peers and neighbors. A happy man is a man with enough Wheel Horses in his barn, shed , garage and life.

Edited May 19, 2014 by 546cowboy

[papaglide 542]

It is a good question though. Sometimes this situation becomes too much for me. I have come up with a dozen "final tractor plans" that always get crunched up and tossed because some tractor that's cooler, newer, better, comes along. Right now I am going through this and it gets a little annoying: annoying only because I want to limit myself to 3 or 4 tractors because that is the number that I can comfortably store in my barn and still have room. I would love to be satisfied with only 2 or 3 but that isn't the case with the many different models WH had to offer.

Currently, I have dibs on a beautiful 1998 314 BUT that means that something will have to go. Which one is it now and when I find another beauty, which one will it be then? 

[PaulC 341]

I like these replies guys. I see the word "barn" tossed around a lot and even though my property isn't the barn type maybe that's what I need to get next so I can then get more horses haha. does seem very fitting for horses to be in a barn not my vinyl sided automatic door two car garage

 

mike it seems like you act on your addiction quite frequently haha I noticed you just picked up a nice 416 H like the one that made me start this post, yours looks much nicer and has the rear discharge deck which is what I like. If you don't work something out with that 314 clue me in on it unless its not a hydro I don't think id own a manual shift again. check out my 312 now that its done too if you haven't already. its under the restoration category.

[jackhammer 546]

PaulC

 

I can only speak for myself and as you can see I oonly have 3  ,,   But I AM NOT an addict 

 

I can walk away from mine in a minute and go help my friend with his,,

[jdleach 525]

Suicide comes to mind.

[papaglide 542]

Paul, I will check out the 312 post for sure. The 314 that I am probably going to pick up is an 8 speed. And this is where this addiction(?) is getting stupid. A tractor should leave because I got the 416 (which is sweet!). One should leave when I pick up the 314 also.

My wife has decisions like "what should I wear." 

I have decisions like, " what should I drink" or "which tractor do I replace?!"  

[Wheel-N-It 2,968]

1.How to cure a John deere addiction? Thats easy, buy a couple of John Deere lawn and garden tractors. I'm down to one of those now.

2.How to cure a International Harvester Cub Cadet addiction? Thats easy, buy a couple of IHCC lawn and garden tractors. I'm down to one of those too,   and too upside down in the one I have to sell it.

3.How to cure a Wheel Horse addiction? As Steve put it, "There is no cure". My own personal thoughts are there will never be a cure. Paul, you have been addicted for three years now and already are short on space for your tractors. Thats natural. Soon you will be building a storage building or buying a ready made storeage building. My advice is to roll with the addiction and enjoy the journey. See you in June.

[stevasaurus 22,527]

from Papa...

My wife has decisions like "what should I wear." 

I have decisions like, " what should I drink" or "which tractor do I replace?!" 

 

Hey Mike...does this 702 make me look fat???  Does my 857 make my butt look big???

[Tankman 3,516]

Lost a lot of mowin' time 'cause of WHA (Wheel Horse Addiction).

 

Sittin' in the barn sippin' suds thinking, "Which Stallion needs the most excercise?"

 

I often map out the lawns; i.e.: 520 here, 416 there, 414 and a grandson over there, son with the Auto12 there, Ms. peeved, "When are you going to trim the hedges?"

 

Anyone have an overhead WH sickel mower?

 

Oh myself? Raider 12 and mo' suds. 

[stevasaurus 22,527]

Actually Tank...I seem to remember a video a few years ago, where they suspended a garden tractor from a crane with a sickle bar attached and trimmed the top of some huge bushes. 

[55rj35jr 623]

Hi my name is Mike & I am a tractorholic  

[stratostar250 919]

 buy an MTD based machine  

 

 

 

I think that's one of the most offensive things I've ever said

[stratostar250 919]

Please don't ban me for that sarcastic remark.

Sent from my Nokia Lumia 920 using Tapatalk

[Martin 2,131]

who was it that said it needs curbing?

maybe sell some and buy some more......

[Tankman 3,516]

 buy an MTD based machine  

 

 

 

I think that's one of the most offensive things I've ever said

Sudden death, castrate your Horse!

 

Ok, at least you apologized. Now we won't send you out to the BIG pasture in the sky....for now!

[Kelly 1,029]

I have over 100 WH's here, now lets talk, when you get close

[papaglide 542]

Kelly...ooh, I couldn't even imagine! More power to you brother!

Stevasauraus, you look FANTASTIC on whatever tractor you are on!

Edited May 20, 2014 by papaglide

[AMC RULES 37,102]

I have over 100 WH's here, now lets talk, when you get close

OK, that's it...   

I'm putting up a fence. 

[Kelly 1,029]

in the 7 years or so I've been buying them, I bet I've had 300+ here

[PaulC 341]

yea like I expected no real cures here just some others with the same problem helping me feel better and making me think im somewhat normal.

 

and Kelly don't worry if I get anywhere near 100 tractors I will have plenty time to talk because my wife would probly not hang around for that, she gives me hell when I jokingly(even though im not truly joking) about a third

[papaglide 542]

6 or 7 years back when I first started getting garden tractors I was into yellow and white cubs. About 3 or 4 years ago I transitioned into Horses. The hardest part of collecting these tractors was having a mix a yellow and red.....my wife was actually noticing HOW MANY tractors that I had and she was pretty rough.

It was a reverse I love Lucy moment except in my case it was "Ricky you got lot a splainin ta do!!!"

 

Now with an all red fleet the tractors all blend in and I could have a dozen out there in the barn and if I only brought 1 tractor out at a time, she prolly would think that I had just 1!!!!   Come to think of it, I don't even think that she realizes that I have a beer fridge in the barn either........

Edited May 20, 2014 by papaglide