DEMONSTRATOR

[scott willey 34]

does anybody have any info on wheel horse demonstrator model? I took over an old wheel horse dealership twelve years ago and I found in inventory three hood decals that say wheel horse demonstrator I have never seen them on any tractors. thanks

[AMC RULES 37,143]

I've never seen 'em before.

Looks like they are the same size decal used on the mid 60's long hood tractors. 

[JimmyJam 542]

Hmmm. ???? Must have been decals that were offered only to dealers to use; maybe on showroom models or sumptin' . Very cool! 

[c-series don 9,157]

I have been around Wheel Horses for 35 years and like most of us here have an addiction to these little tractors. I've never seen those decals before and really hope someone can chime in with information on them. One thing I can say is if they are factory produced, they are very rare. 

[Shynon 7,474]

Wow those are cool, Thanks for sharing 

@CasualObserver maybe Jason would know

 

[scott willey 34]

they must be factory these came from a dealership in ny that closed it doors in the mid seventy's it was run by a husband and wife when he passed she locked the doors and I didn't purchase till 2005.

 

[AMC RULES 37,143]

 That's what I was thinking, based on your "sellers other items" ebay sales. 

You should try to get your items listed in the vendor section here on 

 

@Vinylguy

@nylyon

 

[scott willey 34]

1 minute ago, AMC RULES said:

 That's what I was thinking, based on your "sellers other items" ebay sales. 

You should try to get your items listed in the vendor section here on 

 

@Vinylguy

@nylyon

 

well I am not to clever with that sort of thing but I will poke around to see if I can learn the ropes.

[SylvanLakeWH 26,250]

 

Just thinking...Like Jimmyjam says Maybe these were put on 's that were demo units at dealers? Perhaps provided by WH for demo purposes of new model roll-outs?

 

Very cool!

 

[scott willey 34]

13 minutes ago, SylvanLakeWH said:

 

Just thinking...Like Jimmyjam says Maybe these were put on 's that were demo units at dealers? Perhaps provided by WH for demo purposes of new model roll-outs?

 

Very cool!

 

that has been my thoughts all along I hated to ask anyone because with all the literature and dealer updates with letters from the wheel horse company I thought I might find some info but that hasn't worked out.

[SPINJIM 1,981]

Looks like a marketing tactic, to get new dealers to show a new WH model, and to keep it as a demonstrator rather than sell their only model in stock.  May have been sold to the dealer at cost, or loaned free as an incentive with the understanding that it would not be sold.    I sometimes used that approach in my marketing (medical equipment) to get dealers to better promote my product.    Anyway, very rare item, but who knows what the value might be???   Based on the shape, I'd guess it came on a B or C model from the 70's.  

    Jim

[Chris G 3,296]

I would agree with the previous. I would say it looks to be a decal for dealers to put on a the newer model coming out. So folks could try out and maybe preorder or something along those lines. But regardless  it is a cool find and please keep us updated to what ya find out.

[rmaynard 15,744]

Marketing. You're in a Wheel Horse dealership.  You are trying to get a discount. Salesman says "I can't give you any more discount on this model, but wait a minute, I can make you a deal on this "demonstrator".  Remember when car dealers did that?

 

It's a cool decal, and you can be sure that it there is a demand, @Vinylguy can make it.

[KC9KAS 4,741]

@scott willey  to 

[scott willey 34]

4 minutes ago, KC9KAS said:

@scott willey  to 

I belonged to the group years ago then all of a sudden I couldn't gat on.

[19richie66 17,537]

Case had demonstrator models that each dealer could get and let customers try at the dealership. They were painted black with gold decals. They were called "The Black Knights".  As far as I know they were never documented as to how many were made. I had a 444 demonstrator. They are rare but anyone could make a demonstrator if they could get the decals, paint it black and no one could prove otherwise. The wheelhorse decals look cool. I have never seen them. 

[Vinylguy 4,690]

I have never seen any images or info on the Demonstrator decals.

Wondering if you have the right side decals or just the left side pictured?

 

Just on the slight chance someone has a need I do have them ready for production.

[19richie66 17,537]

Dang Terry, you are fast. Those look cool.

[C-85 709]

Hi Scott,

 

I never saw these either, and have no idea where they came from, I don't ever remember seeing them while I was there. 

 

Best,

 

C-85 (Dennis) - from the dealer you purchased

 

[scott willey 34]

1 hour ago, C-85 said:

Hi Scott,

 

I never saw these either, and have no idea where they came from, I don't ever remember seeing them while I was there. 

 

Best,

 

C-85 (Dennis) - from the dealer you purchased

 

bought these from a dealer in ny the women closed the doors in the mid 70s I came back with a truck and cab full of red iron.

 

 

Edited December 18, 2017 by scott willey

[Retired Wrencher 5,546]

Scott. Welcome back to the site. It is good to see more people from Vt. joining up. When I go back home I only see green up there Not much red. Or . Take Care.

Edited December 19, 2017 by Retierd Wrencher

[CasualObserver 3,409]

@Shynon Thanks for the mention, but I've never seen that either. I have always thought it was curious that there were never demonstrator models... but then again figured why? If they wanted to demo one, they took it out of stock, and let the customer try it, intending for them to keep it. Much like the way car sales work these days.... they send you home with it over night, or over the weekend for an extended "test" drive.... expecting you to get comfortable in it and just finish the transaction.

 

They are very cool decals... and I would expect they were probably a custom request from a dealer who was breaking into a new market or something. I do have an old family friend who ran a dealership from 1959-2007, I'll try to remember to ask next time I see him. 

 

 

 

 

@evanloock @wh500special @whlpny @Wheelhorsestory

[Lee1977 6,890]

The demo decals might have been made for when they first came out with Hydro's.

[wh500special 2,244]

This is interesting.  I've not seen these before either.

 

Jason, you think Ed C. might know something about this?

 

We all tend to think of selling garden tractors as being analogous to selling new cars, but I've never actually been in a dealership that worked that way.  Shoot, last spring I bought a new mower at a local Deere dealership and I didn't see anybody other than me take the thing outside for a test run.  I don't think it occurred to most people that it was an option.

 

Sure, most of them had some kind of display area where a setup tractor or two was sitting and could order you what you wanted but I think the bulk of them just displayed what they had put together and had pre-ordered their inventory over the winter.

 

If i had to guess, this dealership had these decals made - probably by Wheel Horse on Ireland Rd who seemed to have their Gutenberg pumping out all kinds of things - for use at a fair or something.  I'm sure they're old and original, but I don't expect to see many more of them since friends who have bought out a dozen closed dealerships haven't run across them before.

 

I'm wrong all the time, so maybe this was some kind of promotional plan.  But it certainly wasn't wide spread.

 

Neat find.

 

Merry Christmas,

Steve