And now...the Back Stories

[PeacemakerJack 10,738]

Inspired by the latest pictures from @Al C. and those who showed interest in my 875 “Iron Horse” thread, I’m starting a thread that can house pictures and backstories or your horses that have been with you for a long time.  Maybe it is a tractor that a parent or grandparent bought new and you now have. Maybe it is a tractor that you bought new and never relinquished. Maybe like @Racinbob it is tractor that you bought then sold then bought back.  Also remember that it isn’t just tractors from the 1950’s and 60’s that fit this thread. I hate to tell you guys this but a 2000 model xi is already nearly an antique!  I love looking at the vintage photos and so dig into your archives and see what you have...

like this one here—Dad and I on the 875 (circa 1978).  It is amazing how just sitting on that tractor and starting it takes me back to relive a lifetime of memories with it and the ones that I love...

 

[JPWH 6,033]

My custom 12 build is a product of my childhood memories and long time desire to build a tractor to meet my needs. It all started in 1967 when we bought a farm in Colorado. We had 65 acres under cultivation and 900 acres of prairie with 3 water holes for cows. All the field work was done with a little MF 35.

When I purchased 2.5 acres in 1990  near Augusta, Ga. I needed a small tractor for gardening and other chores I kept thinking if I could only have a mini MF35.

While searching for a small tractor Ia friend bought some land and said there was a wheel horse lawn mower in from woods that I could have. It took me four hours to dig out a 73 no name 8hp. that had been there for 10 years. It had a blown engine and looked rough on four flat tires. I pulled the engine and took it to my brother to repair it. All the parts and machine work cost me 250.00 and I had a little tractor. A year later I was working in S.C. and found a plow, cultivate, and disks for 125.00. I mowed, gardened and abused that little fellow for years and taught my sons how to drive with it. Then I found out there was a 6 speed and started another search. My oldest son was in high school working for a small engine repair shop and was able to obtain a parts tractor with a 6 speed buried in the salvage area. This was the 69 raider 12. with no motor. 

The 73 no name and the 69 raider 6 speed became Old Faithful. In 1998 I had a Hermes repaired and could no longer use the manual lift with the implements so I started another search for a hydraulic lift. I could not justify the cost for a new tractor so I hatched the idea to build my own hydraulic lift. Now I had this ugly tractor that had become the child no-one could love but me. It could do everything I wanted it to do and one day the motor just quit. I decided to shelf this motor that my brother built for me because we lost him 2 years ago. 

That started another search for a new motor. I found the 12hp and decided it was time for old faithful to have a new look and a new name.

Custom 12 six speed.

 

Before

 

Edited November 9, 2017 by JPWH

[PeacemakerJack 10,738]

Thank you for that awesome story I enjoyed reading every line of it.  I’ll go back and read it again later when I’m not freezing up on the roof of the project home that I’m framing.  It’s amazing how owning, fabricating, and building a little tractor like that worms it’s way into a persons heart.  Maybe someone else can’t see the beauty until they see it through the owners eyes.  I can tell by the picture and now your post, that every piece on that tractor probably holds a story/memory!  Thank you for sharing...

[Racinbob 11,058]

Cool thread.Here's me pulling our oldest daughter (now 38) and a friends son around with my 76. It was still a B-80 at that time. Geez! I forgot that I once had brown hair.

Same daughter on a 953 I had. Probably around 83.

Both daughters driving. The 76 was now 'converted'.

I hauled two of mine over to my parents place to pose with three of his. 83

I really wish I had some earlier shots but they just weren't taken.

[PeacemakerJack 10,738]

These are great! so cool to see the time capsule with the kids in the pics...I can’t wait to share this thread with Dad on Saturday when he comes over!

[953 nut 55,195]

I don't have a long history with this 953 but look forward to a life long future with it.

After numerous delays I am beginning the restoration of the early production 953 I purchased from @Ed Kennell nearly two and a half years ago. We don't know a lot about it's early history but I will let Ed tell you how he came by it in his own words.

I saw the 953 on a Maryland CL ad in Dec. 2014. 

The location was farther than I would travel for a non runner...about a five hour round trip.

But, I was going to Charlestown W Va. on Jan 3, 2015 for our annual family Christmas party.

The 953 was within 50 mile of my route, so I made arrangements to pick up the tractor on my way to the party Saturday morning.

About two hours into the trip, I got a call that the party was cancelled due to heavy sleet in the mountains in western Pa. where most of my family lives.          It was raining where I was but the temp was 33F, so we decided to continue on to pick up the tractor.  When we got there, I saw the 953 sitting in an overgrown  ditch and by now  the rain was turning to sleet.

I was really concerned how I would get it to my trailer.  Turns out the owner was a contractor and had an excavator. If I did the rigging, he agreed to pick it out of the ditch and put it on the trailer.   No problem... it was on the trailer in a few minutes and we were on our way East trying to stay ahead of the cold and freezing ice  approaching  from the West.   

I really regret not having  pictures of it being plucked out of that ditch and dangling from the excavator over my trailer.

I think I posted a pic on Red Square and that's where you and I crossed paths.  You probably have more details of the delivery involving Van and Jay than I have.  So, Now you know the rest of the story.

 

Best Regards,

Ed

Here is Ed's "Whats in your Mirror" post from the day the pulled it out of the gully.

 

Nuther one jumped on the trailer this morning.     Any guesses?

 

 

Man, that's not much of a clue.

 

Maybe this'll help.

 

 

 

Edited January 3, 2015 by ekennell

A couple of months later Ed and I struck a deal on the 953 and I was to pick it up at the 2015 "Big Show". Well, the best laid plans of mice and men often go awry and this was a case in point! I severely injured my back and at the time of the show I was on the operating table having spinal fusion surgery.

I put out a request for "Hauling Help" on RedSquare and Van @Wheel-N-It responded saying he would get it back to North Carolina and store it till I was able to come get it. James @Jrblanke loaded it in his truck and took it to Van's from the show. A few months went by and I was finally able to retrieve it from Van.         Many thanks to James and Van for going out of their way to help a fellow Wheel Horse fanatic.

Once it was home I cleaned up the carburetor and replaced the ignition coil and the old horse ran, no smoke, no knocks! Just for grins I turned on the lights and both head lights and the tail light worked.

Over the past couple of years life has gotten in the way of making any further progress. Now I have cleared the decks and will begin the restoration.

This will be a total restoration including the engine and transaxle being rebuilt

To Be Continued.

[squonk 41,073]

This is the only vintage pic I have. Me on our 604. Taken the first time I was allowed to drive the tractor by myself. I think it was in 68 or 69.

.

[elcamino/wheelhorse 9,297]

@squonk You were a nice looking kid , what happened ? In 68 or 69 I was driving Big Boy toys.

[squonk 41,073]

@elcamino/wheelhorse  somehow picturing you naked in suspenders driving a big-block Chevelle is just wrong! 

[Ed Kennell 38,149]

21 minutes ago, squonk said:

 

.

I always wondered what a Baby Squonk looked like.   

[ebinmaine 67,443]

This is such an excellent thread !!!

Love the stories, the tractors, the memories... everything.

My own "history" with  is only a couple years + . I too am hoping for a good long future with them.

 

[PeacemakerJack 10,738]

That is the cool thing about this journey, no matter where you start, memories can be made.  I love that fact with Red Square, it is a way to preserve the memories being made every week and in some cases everyday with our little red tractors. On top of that, we get to share in others journeys from all across the US and even around the world as a result of RS!  My youngest Zach started on his journey about a year and a half ago with his own tractor, “Blackbeard”...

 

It needs an engine rebuild, some hydro work, and a fresh coat of paint—but that will all be part of the journey for us.  I plan to have that be the primary tractor that he uses all through his childhood. He is welcome to and will drive my tractors and his siblings tractors I’m sure but that old GT-14 is HIS. A fact that he reminds me of often... RS enables us to catalog this journey for others to enjoy and even for him to reflect upon years from now...

 

 

Thanks guys for these great pics and stories—keep them coming—I love it!

[Ed Kennell 38,149]

Well, it's not red, but this was one of my first rides on a horse circa 1946.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

That's me on the left...eyeballing the last bite of  my buddy Freeman's SUGAR DADDY.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[PeacemakerJack 10,738]

Now that is a true “VINTAGE” photo!  Your love for “horses” goes waaaaay back

[elcamino/wheelhorse 9,297]

3 hours ago, squonk said:

@elcamino/wheelhorse  somehow picturing you naked in suspenders driving a big-block Chevelle is just wrong! 

It was a 63 Cheby Impala SS/327/375hp ( not factory) get your story straight. 

[Eric Friedrichsen 111]

The family "857" purchased new in 1967 (I think) in Olivebridge N.Y..  It worked faithfully with us till 2 years ago when I rebuilt a 414/8.

The 857 soldiers on with my neighbor.  It is always a joy to hear that K-181s chugging along.  Wonderful memories.

1st picture - July 1969

2nd picture - September 1971

[PeacemakerJack 10,738]

 that first picture looks like it could’ve been used for  promotional material!  The scenery in the background is awesome, the tractor and tub look like new, and the people in the picture are enjoying it all. Do you mind telling us who the folks in the pictures are?  Thank you for sharing...

 

Chevy had a slogan a few years back “Chevy—runs deep!”  As I look at these pictures and observe the decades of impact that these little red machines have had on generations of families, I can honestly say “Wheel Horse—runs deep!”

[Retired Wrencher 5,451]

These are all great pictures. I hope we see more. 

[Eric Friedrichsen 111]

Jack, Thank you for asking. I am not a photographer. That picture is just shear luck. The pictures were taken on my father-in-laws land in Olivebridge NY. The large lake is Ashoken reservoir at the base of the Catskil Mountains.

1st picture, my brother Don is on the tractor and my son Ken (now 52) is first in the trailer. His friend Eric (now deceased) is behind him.

2nd picture, my father-in-law, Charles Vik, is on the tractor (died 1986), my son Ken with the two Davis children (neighbors) in the trailer.

When my father-in-law died the land was sold and I gave the 857 to my parents who lived on a lake (Swartswood Lake) in NW New Jersey. When they passed away I kept

the land in NJ as a summer home and used the tractor for mowing and general maintenance until 2 years ago when I rebuilt an abused 414-8 for my CT house. I moved my Commado 800 from my CT home over to my summer house in NJ and gave the 857 to a nice neighbor who always liked and appreciated the old WH 857. The neighbor keeps it in his garage and uses it for mowing and maintenance (hauling rocks and wood). The tractor is unrestored, still looks good (for 50 years old) and was well maintained by my dad and me and I know my neighbor is likewise taking good care of it. It is so bullet proof that I expect it will still be chugging on when we are gone.

 

[AMC RULES 37,130]

Looks like the Hudson river back there.  

 

 

Edited November 10, 2017 by AMC RULES

[Eric Friedrichsen 111]

Close, It is Ashoken Reservoir near the village of Olivebridge.

[Eric Friedrichsen 111]

Retired Wrencher,

 

Here is the last picture I have of the 857 at Olivebridge, NY taken in the late 1970's.  The boy driving is my oldest son Ken. He is the little blond guy sitting in the trailer in the first picture.

His younger brother Garrett is sitting in the front of the trailer with no shirt and a big smile. The others are neighbor children.

 

You might notice that the 857 has a different hood.  A few years before this picture was taken my father-in-law parked the tractor in the back of his property where he was working.  This was on a hill. and evidently the tractor was not in gear nor was the parking brake set because the tractor started rolling down the hill. It stopped when it crashed into the corner of the pump house resulting in damage to the house and a bent hood and air cleaner. He repaired the pump house and put on a new air cleaner and hood.  That is how the tractor is operating today.

 

Eric

[PeacemakerJack 10,738]

Another  and interesting story. It is amazing how those accidents happen.  There are various things that I have recorded in the “Iron Horse” thread that happened over the years while using dad’s 875.  Nothing quite as fantastic as your story that required a new hood but there were dents, dings, a broken frame, and a demolished Schwinn bike! 

 

By the look of him in this picture, I’m only a couple of years younger than Garrett.  Do either of your boys have an interest in  tractors today?  I know that the paths of life take us all in different directions with regards to interests, hobby’s, etc.  Just curious.  for adding even more interest to this thread by sharing yet another memory and picture from the past with us!

[AMC RULES 37,130]

 What...a demolished Schwinn bike?  

 

[PeacemakerJack 10,738]

I need you guys to teach me if there is a way to link a single post from a different thread. As those of you who have read it know, the “875–Iron Horse” thread in Restorations is a long detailed history of that tractor with our family. On page three about 2/3rds of the way down, I have a post with pics of the Schwinn and the story an accident that could’ve cost me my legs but God was looking out for me in spite of my foolishness...