Look what I snagged for 500 bucks

[kayvonmansouri 10]

Hey all,  look what I grabbed for 500 bucks!  I'm out in SLC Utah and these just don't exist out here, in fact its the only one that I've ever seen.  It came with a 42 inch rear discharge, and a 2 stage snow thrower.  I have one other garden tractor a JD 317, and several throw-aways.  My wife thinks I'm crazy, maybe a mid-life crisis or something, but I'm in love .  It had been stored outside for years, the paint is bubbled, the deck spindles were frozen.  I lubed them up, took a wrench to them, and presto they freed up.   I drained the gas, changed the oil which smelled like gas btw, and it fired right up.  The engine sounds more like a Harley than a mower which doesn't suck.  I'll be going through the carb, changing plugs, and adjusting valves.  It's low and mid range seem to be a bit rough.  I'm also going to clean around the shrouds make sure there aren't any rats living in there.  So to commemorate the 4th and wheelhorse, I put it in our neighborhood parade, and dragged the wife, kids and neighbors kids around in it.  The float sign says "oh say can you see" in case it is tough to read on the pictures.  I also did something I now regret, which was hook a power inverter on it and powered a smoke machine.  I think I may have damage the stator.  It doesn't seem to charge anymore.  So I could use some help on where to start with that one.  I have it on a battery tender charging it and can mow just fine, but each time I try and restart it cranks slower.  I know this should be in the electrical section but I wanted to show it off here.  Also, does anyone else's throttle creep down when they mow?  If there is an easy fix for that it would be much appreciated.  I'm planning a repaint, in fact purchased the Earlex HVLP that I saw someone mention on Red Square.  Any bits of knowledge that are obvious to long term WH owners but maybe not to me are appreciated. Anyway thanks for the great community, hope you like the pics.

 

Edit- found the forum post on how to fix the throttle

Edited July 8, 2014 by kayvonmansouri

[KC9KAS 4,741]

   Nice tractor.

[Molon_Labe 731]

Nice Horse! Welcome to Red Square.

[AMC RULES 37,125]

By the look on it's face...    

seems the new likes you too. 

    

[Ed Kennell 37,998]

    Now that looks like one "HAPPY HORSE".      You should start a thread in the electrical forum for help on the charging issue.  Detailed info will come on how to locate the problem.  Hopefully it is a bad regulator .....  a $20 five minute replacement.

[SPINJIM 1,981]

Looks like you're having fun with the tractor.   Tell your wife it's cheaper than a classic car, and takes up less room in the garage.   Also, it takes time away from drinking and gambling (not that they have that in Salt Lake City).   Enjoy the tractor, and welcome to Red Square.

   Jim

[CasualObserver 3,408]

 Nice to see another member out west... Especially from Salt Lake City.  (I've been waiting for someone from SLC to join!)  It is curious that we don't have more.... I'll elaborate in a minute, but first, a question.... is your climate out there hard on equipment (i.e. garden tractors?)  I just honestly don't know if the "Salt Lake City" air is corrosive to metal like the winter salt roads are to people where it snows.

 

I ask because I've always had a theory that there should be more early Wheel Horses (Rjs and Suburbans) found out west.... and there haven't been.  From lots of searching over the years, I found this ad some time ago....

 

 

This was a late 1957 or early 1958 ad for Boyd Martin Co, who was one of the early distributors for Wheel Horse.  Looking on Google Earth at the address you can easily tell the building at that address was a large distribution/sales facility... Surely they must have actually sold some... so where did they go?  I can't tell when they stopped being a distributor, or when they went out of business.  As a local to SLC, do you have any insight?

[JC 1965 1,530]

Great lookin tractor !!   

[glgrumpy 35]

I want a grill like that on mine!   Was that an option?   Just a note on whatever your sign says, the light colors don't show and I can't seem to make out what it says. Next one needs at least a black outline to see from distance. I find the Horses easiest to use slow and turn tighter and easier than most other brands, good for shows and parades then.

[kayvonmansouri 10]

On 7/8/2014 at 9:05 AM, CasualObserver said:

Nice to see another member out west... Especially from Salt Lake City. (I've been waiting for someone from SLC to join!) It is curious that we don't have more.... I'll elaborate in a minute, but first, a question.... is your climate out there hard on equipment (i.e. garden tractors?) I just honestly don't know if the "Salt Lake City" air is corrosive to metal like the winter salt roads are to people where it snows.

I ask because I've always had a theory that there should be more early Wheel Horses (Rjs and Suburbans) found out west.... and there haven't been. From lots of searching over the years, I found this ad some time ago....

 

This was a late 1957 or early 1958 ad for Boyd Martin Co, who was one of the early distributors for Wheel Horse. Looking on Google Earth at the address you can easily tell the building at that address was a large distribution/sales facility... Surely they must have actually sold some... so where did they go? I can't tell when they stopped being a distributor, or when they went out of business. As a local to SLC, do you have any insight?

[kayvonmansouri 10]

Hey Casual, I don't think SLC harsh on equipment it's hot and dry in the summer. People complain about their cars rusting out early, but that's because the roads get salted a ton on the winter.

I assumed that there weren't many Wh out here because farming isn't huge here like back east. But I honestly don't know. I picked this one up in a town called Midway which is more of a rural area. I have looked at our version of Craigslist (KSL) pretty much every day for 3 years and never seen a wheel horse. When I saw this one I jumped on it. It was Thursday and I couldn't get to midway till Sunday. I asked if she had much interest and she said not a ton. She called me back 15 min later and said that someone was coming to look. Long story short I offered to buy it sight unseen and I deposited the 500 in her bank without looking. Big gamble but it paid off.

That's something about the Wh dealer on Beck. I know of several John Deer dealers in Utah, maybe they squashed them out. There isn't a large market for quality JD Garden Tractors but they do exist. Maybe just not enough room for both.

Hey just a quick shout out to the moderators of this site. I've been on the other side IE green tractor forums, and this one is hands down better than any of theirs. It's much prettier nd easier to navigate. Thanks for the warm welcome all.

[kayvonmansouri 10]

I want a grill like that on mine! Was that an option? Just a note on whatever your sign says, the light colors don't show and I can't seem to make out what it says. Next one needs at least a black outline to see from distance. I find the Horses easiest to use slow and turn tighter and easier than most other brands, good for shows and parades then.

The sign says oh say can you see. It was a mad dash to get it into the parade and my wife and girls insisted that you could read it. I personally thought it was too light too.

Looks like you're having fun with the tractor. Tell your wife it's cheaper than a classic car, and takes up less room in the garage. Also, it takes time away from drinking and gambling (not that they have that in Salt Lake City). Enjoy the tractor, and welcome to Red Square.

Jim

[papaglide 542]

Welcome to Red Square and good luck to you with your good looking horse. It WILL lead to more!

[kayvonmansouri 10]

Sooooo much cheaper than a car. It's funny how you can't quite explain the tractor disease. I don't even quite understand it.

Edited July 9, 2014 by kayvonmansouri

[Tankman 3,518]

Welcome to Red Square!

 

Nice Horse and you are showing early signs of WHA (Wheel Horse Addiction)!