a little bit about my horse and some videos

[callum12 256]

Hi all,
it suddenly occurred to me that i haven't actually posted anything in this section of the forum, so I though i would share my horse with you as i have only done so on the restorations modifications and customisations board. 
The is my first horse and its a 1972 A-800 ranger, I am currently in the process of customisation called 'project agri-800', what I'm doing here is turning a lawn tractor into a garden tractor. lights, stack, Uni-drive, front spindle to 4 lug hub and agri style rear tyres are some of the modifications I have either done or doing to get there. the main modification is obviously getting rid of the peerless tranny and fitting a Uni-drive i and in the process of doing that now.
once i have finished this project I will have a one-of-a-kind heavy duty garden tractor that I will make various implements for such as a harrow, reel mower and various other bits. anyway, here are some videos from my youtube channel, i was only driving around the small garden here but the tractor will be used at the allotment.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j2mjMdbKd3U&spfreload=10

haha, opening line in this video "bet you didn't know i had one of these", it was one of my first videos of a wheel horse on my previously stationary engine and workshop related channel, I would hope being a red square member would suggest i own a WH!!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fpqluu0pfY0&spfreload=10 

and some pictures for you all:




thanks for looking, I hope I might have let some of you see the A series in a different light,
callum

[AMC RULES 37,127]

Keep up the nice work... 
love what you've done so far.   

[callum12 256]

thanks for the kind words,
i would get on with the front hub mod but i would like cast iron chunky looking hubs not machined steel ones, search stub axles only seems to get you those and all pictures are from the front. 
I've also got to track down a pair 4" PCD 8" rims without the tyres, all the wheels so far come with road tyres which i don't want, I've got tri ribs in mind.
do you think 3.5" is a bit on the narrow side? vintage tractors do have narrow front wheels by nature.
callum

[Jparkes43 329]

hello, really cool there i like the people who make there tractor unique and customise/modify there horses.

james

[Jparkes43 329]

p.s i also commented and liked both your videos on and i subscribed aswell : )

james

Edited May 20, 2015 by Jparkes43

[callum12 256]

hi,
thanks, I subscribed to you too, I actually found your channel about a week ago and an enjoying your videos since.
I noticed your in leighton buzzard, i'm in bucks in a village out side aylesbury, do you go to any of the local steam rallies with your horse?
callum

[Jparkes43 329]

hi,
thanks, I subscribed to you too, I actually found your channel about a week ago and an enjoying your videos since.
I noticed your in leighton buzzard, i'm in bucks in a village out side aylesbury, do you go to any of the local steam rallies with your horse?
callum

​hey callum.

thanks i really appreciate it. oh really thats cool! im making some more soon so keep an eye close hey ; ) 

yes i am and really thats cool not to far away then. i haven't i didn't even know they were accepted/you could do that but i would love to! do you then? pm me if you want and we can discuss it because its something i would be interested doing in.

james

[Wheel-N-It 2,968]

Callum, I am happy to see someone restoring and modifying a verticle shaft driven wheel horse. Looks to me like you are on the right track to make this a nice little worker!

[callum12 256]

hi james, PM sent about rallies, I will definitely keep an eye out for those new videos!

Wheel-n-it, thanks for the encouragement, I've had many people say why not just by and 8 speed? well, i love modding stuff (i don't think i own anything that isn't!), 8 speeds in the UK are pretty pricey usually about £500 plus and and its just a nice tractor (soon to be even nicer!!) i've got a colwood motor hoe 1940's ish, I am going to make an attachment so I can use those implements with the clevis hitch I've got.
thanks again,
callum
 

[Wheel-N-It 2,968]

hi james, PM sent about rallies, I will definitely keep an eye out for those new videos!

Wheel-n-it, thanks for the encouragement, I've had many people say why not just by and 8 speed? well, i love modding stuff (i don't think i own anything that isn't!), 8 speeds in the UK are pretty pricey usually about £500 plus and and its just a nice tractor (soon to be even nicer!!) i've got a colwood motor hoe 1940's ish, I am going to make an attachment so I can use those implements with the clevis hitch I've got.
thanks again,
callum
 

​I have two verticle engine tractors, they are Simplicity 728's from about the year 1970. They are completely stock and original, however I do plan to someday put  AG tyres  on the rear and tri ribs on the front. BTW, you did a very nice work on the exhaust system. The extra bracket on the cylinder head was a very professional touch.

[callum12 256]

thank you very much, though i must confess, i only did the planning, i did not do the welding. a friend of mine who has been mig welding for many years did it as i have only mig welded thick bits of metal. the exhaust is super solid though, you can rock the whole tractor by the very tip of the stack where the most leverage is.
I have ordered some 8" by 4" wheels for the front with some trip rib tyres, I finally found some nice heavy duty cast iron hubs!
is your simplicity classed as a garden tractor or lawn tractor? 
thanks again for the kind words,
callum

[Wheel-N-It 2,968]

Actually I think they were classified as lawn tractors although several attachments were available such as a rear mounted tiller and a front mounted push blade. I think the main thing that seperated the 728 from garden tractors was the lack of a low range transmission or an ultra low first gear for ground engaging duty. They are very heavy for their size. The only plastic on them is the steering wheel and shifter knob. Everything else is heavy guage steel.

[Jparkes43 329]

I agree wheel-n-it its nice to see the vertical shaft ones get some love (as you can tell i am a owner of one too) i think they deserve some love too and its great others agree, and your tractor is so niceS, Simplicitys can be nice too! its why i was attracted to the wheel horse style tractors big heavy and built to last.

p.s i also have a 1968 lawn ranger i am currently restoring (very rare in the uk!)

james

Edited May 21, 2015 by Jparkes43

[Wheel-N-It 2,968]

Lawn Rangers are nice little tractors too, there are not many of them here where I live. Keep us posted on your progress with the Wheel Horse!

[callum12 256]

lawn rangers are very nice tractors very lucky to have one!
james, yes it is nice to see the verts getting some love, after all they are still very good lawn tractors. my tecumseh TVXL220 10hp runs really well, nice slow idle with a mellow exhaust beat. I gave carb a really good clean out and preset all the mixture screws to 1.5 turns open and she fired right up after a 6 months of sitting outside and goodness knows how long before that! (enough to get a garden growing in the seat and moss on the wheel that's for sure).  

callum 

[Jparkes43 329]

they are lovely little tractors and very rare so i am very lucky to have one (i will post some updates soon quite a bit has happened), they are i mean i think it doesn't matter what position the engine is in its still a wheel horse, (i got a 17hp kawaski 535cc ; ) ) i love a single cylinder sound especially when i put the straight pipe on : ) you cant beat that reliability i cleaned mine last summer so it might be due a clean some time soon but it still goes strong. ha ha ha 

james

[Jparkes43 329]

ok as you cant do pictures in messages callum i will put them here.

so the day i got her


and this is what she looks like of today

still got to finish painting a few bits, buy a new drive belt and put it back together but it has had a full resto


this is when i started to put it together after painting (i also made my self some new thumb screws for the bonnet as you cant buy them anymore. 





i have more pictures just ask

james




 

[callum12 256]

looking really good james, so do you have a lathe? I've got one too, so useful.
are you spray painting or using a brush paint?
keep up the good work!  
callum

[Jparkes43 329]

hello, no i don't but its on my list to get one (i saw from your video). we have a machine shop at school and they let you come in any time to use all the machines so i do the work there. i am using spray painting and i use a car paint that is a very good match to the original colour but at a fraction of the price (i think its like mini chilli red) or something like that. and then i have used matte black for a few of the other bits, and just a silver for the grille. and i have been allowed to take my tractors to shows aswell so thats a definite happening this year!! im so happy now i just need to go to them

thanks i will do 

james

Edited May 22, 2015 by Jparkes43

[Jparkes43 329]

just ordered a new drive belt and choke cable. Now i just need some more paint, possibly a few others bits

james

[callum12 256]

nice  
where did you get the drive belt from? 
good to hear you can get to the rallies,  hopefully see you there! put my horse to shame with your nice shiny one(s) haha!
callum

[Jparkes43 329]

hello, i bought it off ebay as i knew the sizes i needed. yes very good news, i do hope so too, ha ha ha no yours is nice it has a sort of patina which is nice in my mind.

james

[callum12 256]

haha, ebay is basically my go to place, 99% of everything i get is from there!
yes it does have a nice patina (even if i say so my self), all my stationary engines have a patina about them too. its nice not worrying about scratching the paint, when i work on it i put the tool box on the bonnet and spanners on the seat pan!   if i get another horse (i will!!) i think i might restore that to the same high standard yours are. 
callum

[Jparkes43 329]

it is a very good place, i love it it does look very nice, there you go it all matches so no need to make one look good etc. ha ha i know what you mean, ok i mean thats ok i don't do the same i must say. ok are you thinking of any particular model? that will be fun aswell for you. but thanks. 

james

Edited May 23, 2015 by Jparkes43

[callum12 256]

I think a lawn ranger or any other round bonnet is out of the question really (never know though) so i think a c-series or early B series maybe, i do like the commandos as well.