guitardude 6 #1 Posted May 28, 2014 The other day while mowing my mother's yard I unfortunately caught my father's 1974 B100 Wheel Horse on fire, it toasted most of the electrical, battery and melted the gas tank. As many of you may know, the tractor has a tendancy to collect dead grass and leaves up underneath the muffler and catching them on fire. Well that's NOT what started the fire, I stopped to knock the debri out and away from the muffler and then got back on the mower to start it. I had JUST ordered a new ingition switch for the tractor as it was going bad, I always wondered why my father kept a long screwdriver under the seat of the tractor, well it's just long enough to use it to jump from the + side of the battery to the starter. So I got the trusty screwdriver out and proceeded to jump start it with the screw driver. On about the third attempt a spark must have started the tractor on fire. It took two small fire extenquishers to put the fire out. By then I realized I cooked the elelctrical wires and almost melted the entire front off the gas tank. Anyway, what I discovered was that when I pulled the tank to remove the old starter switch (of which I re-installed until the new one would arrive) aparently the fuel line was so old I don't think it was fitting as tightly as it should have and dripped gas onto the battery which inturn cause the fire. So now the delima is do I sell the Wheel Horse and buy a new mower or do I rebuild it and keep using it? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
VinsRJ 723 #2 Posted May 28, 2014 IMO its all up to you.... if its only some wiring, battery and a tank... doesn't sound as bad as it could have been. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
rexman72 210 #3 Posted May 28, 2014 I would keep it as its already payed for Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Lane Ranger 11,125 #4 Posted May 28, 2014 Rebuild it! The parts are out there and you now know more about it then you did before! It was your dad's and you might just like it (or you grandkids will) a few years from now! Just start a list of what you need parts wise and info for the electrical rebuild! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Fordiesel69 267 #5 Posted May 28, 2014 Kinda funny....on the forum front page, your topic preview showed as "should I sell my father" Anyways, I know the feeling of setting things on fire. With the damage done, and the amount of spare parts floating around, I would fix it. It will outlast most of the junk out there today. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jdleach 525 #6 Posted May 28, 2014 Kinda funny....on the forum front page, your topic preview showed as "should I sell my father" That is what I thought. Didn't think you could get much for one, as they tend to be old and crotchety. Keep the tractor. I would rather purchase a burned out Horse and rebuild it, than get anything new nowadays. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Desko 610 #7 Posted May 28, 2014 Keep it! It was your dads even if it doesn't look good or start well it still has value. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Wishin4a416 2,191 #8 Posted May 28, 2014 I would keep it even if you do by another one to mow with. It will make a nice project when time allows. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
AMC RULES 37,146 #9 Posted May 28, 2014 No, father's day is coming... and you only get one Dad. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Jrblanke 885 #10 Posted May 28, 2014 I tend to be more sentimental, so I would keep it. There is only 1 mower that was your dad's. That makes it pretty rare. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
papaglide 542 #11 Posted May 29, 2014 Craig and Jrblanke pretty much summed it up. 'Nuff said. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
stevebo-(Moderator) 8,398 #12 Posted May 29, 2014 Sounds like your dad passed and if that is the case you should keep it. Even if you do nothing with it right now you will eventually want it. Like others have said to repair is short money as those parts are pretty easy to find for short money. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
guitardude 6 #13 Posted May 29, 2014 Thanks so much for the GREAT responses. And "YES!" it has a huge semimental value to me as my father was a Service Engineer for Caterpiller Tractor so by default and osmosis I QUICKLY learned the value of taking care and working on your own machinery. When I was in Jr High or early HS I tore apart his spare engine for his Toro push mower, so he made me rebuild it. What a GREAT learning experience, and the things my father taught me are really priceless when it comes to machinery. I'm also now privvy to using his Atlas Metal Lathe, what a GREAT piece of machinery. OK, OK, I'm rebuilding it, but I sort of wanted to do it anyway for the challange and knowing that my father would be proud of me for doing so. Besides as many of you have stated I only have ONE Wheel Horse that was my fathers, and they SURE don't make them like they used to. You guys are GREAT, now I'm off to see if I can dig up the manual somewhere around the house and hope it has a wiring diagram it it. Thanks again guys, David 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Tankman 3,520 #14 Posted May 29, 2014 Keep the Horse but, new fuel lines and whatever else are in order. My neighbor has an El Cheapo Murray, he should trash that one! I saw him havin' trouble last week, fire out the exhaust then the intake. The air cleaner caught fire. The Stallion'll be fine after some fixin'. Better than a big box store thingy! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
guitardude 6 #15 Posted May 29, 2014 Tankman, that's funny about your neighbor, I just pulled my crappy Murray out of my brother-in-laws barn to use until I get the Wheel Horse back running. Well of course after sitting for a couple of years I've been fighting to get it started, finally got it running but he starter is shot, so I'll either need to rebuild that stupid starter or replace it but it will be less time consuming than getting the WH back running for now. Once the Murry is good it will DEFINITELY be up for sale. Stevebo, you are correct, my father passed in March of 2011 and after a job loss and then loosing my home I reluctanly move back to Illinois and am my mother's caregiver. She wants me to just get a new mower, but man, you'd probably have to drop well over $2000 to get ANYTHING as good as the Whell Horse. So once I get the junky Murray running I will give the WH some TLC and rebuild it. Besides, what a great project and I'm sure my father of whom was SUPER conservitive would be proud of me rebuilding it. Thanks again to all! David Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
scWHhauler 96 #16 Posted June 1, 2014 Keep it and restore it I am restoring my Dads C-141. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
km3h 543 #17 Posted June 1, 2014 Just think. Forty year old Wheel Horse still cutting grass. Can you think of anything made today being around that long. You have lost nothing that can't be gotten on EBay including a wiring harness. Get it running for the summer and then take the time to completely rebuild it over the winter. Your Great, Great Grandchildren could be using this tractor and thinking of the many generations before them who had used this tractor. It's a legacy. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
guitardude 6 #18 Posted June 7, 2014 Well gentlemen, I have reluctantly decided to sell my father's 1974 B100 Wheel Horse, mower deck and plow attachment. Unfortunately I don't have a place to work on it to restore it and I've been out of work for serveral years, I've lost job and then my home in 2011, so I just don't have the funds or a place to restore it. However I REFUSE to sell it to someone that is NOT going to restore it, so I'm hoping to find a good home for it. I haven't poked around enough on this forum, but I'm assuming there's a "For Sale" section. Thank you all for your advice and comments. Have a GREAT weekend. David Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
