What have you done to your Wheel Horse today?

[squonk 41,136]

Electric fuel pump on the 953.

 

[adsm08 2,064]

I almost have a functional PTO back on the 800 Special.

 

There is a bit of a lip on the inside of the pulley that I need to file down, but I can't find the bracket that keeps the wires from getting stressed. Had it last week, can't find it now.

 

Also, I can't actually get the pulley on the crank. I think the lip is from trying to tap it on while it isn't lined up right, but of course it uses a fine thread, so it's not common.

[Tuneup 1,433]

I'll toss this out there. I took the saw horse out yesterday and was just starting to grab the deck for top painting, and the rain came down. Today - work ... and rain. Maybe tomorrow? Rain in the forecast.

[D_Mac 8,619]

Installed the mowing deck on the 500 Special. Good news is that is really quiet, bad news is the big hole up front. Will have to get that patched.

[ranger 1,750]

Amazing what 12 horses will do😃 Just think, in places like, India, Pakistan and China, a set up like this would probably be classed as “Road Legal”!!! 🤪 113 bales of hay on trailer.s

Edited July 20, 2021 by ranger

[WheelHorse520H 708]

13 minutes ago, ranger said:

Amazing what 12 horses will do😃 Just think, in places like, India, Pakistan and China, a set up like this would probably be classed as “Road Legal”!!! 🤪 113 bales of hay on trailer.s

Wow. The hay makes the tractor look so tiny. That must be helpful for you. Looks nice by the way.

[balconio 606]

Gave my mud mower a 3/8" body lift with some steel plate I had leftover. That's about the most I could go without buying new bolts, but it gives the 25x10 ATV tires just a little more clearance.

 

While I had the fender off I gave it new LED taillights and wired a 4pin trailer plug (only wired the ground and running lights since I don't have a brake switch, yet). Looks pretty cool with my recently completed harbor freight trailer in tow.

[Dan.gerous 2,696]

2 hours ago, ranger said:

Amazing what 12 horses will do😃 Just think, in places like, India, Pakistan and China, a set up like this would probably be classed as “Road Legal”!!! 🤪 113 bales of hay on trailer.s

I hope you have no downhill sections to negotiate! Impressive load for the horse though.

[balconio 606]

3 hours ago, ranger said:

Amazing what 12 horses will do😃 Just think, in places like, India, Pakistan and China, a set up like this would probably be classed as “Road Legal”!!! 🤪 113 bales of hay on trailer.

Love this! When I first decided I needed a wheel horse I was between 2 deals around the same price. One was a 417A and the other was a pair of 312-8s with similar hours. I went with the pair of gear drive Kohler singles and never had a regret over passing on the hydro Onan twin.

[ZXT 2,401]

3 hours ago, ranger said:

Amazing what 12 horses will do😃 Just think, in places like, India, Pakistan and China, a set up like this would probably be classed as “Road Legal”!!! 🤪 113 bales of hay on trailer.s

Wow! I see that there are blocks under the tongue.. Did you actually put the weight on the Horse and pull it around? I feel like the tongue weight would probably lift the nose of the tractor off of the ground!

Edited July 20, 2021 by ZXT

[balconio 606]

3 hours ago, ZXT said:

Wow! I see that there are blocks under the tongue.. Did you actually put the weight on the Horse and pull it around? I feel like the tongue weight would probably lift the nose of the tractor off of the ground!

I'll bet if it was a 4 wheel hay wagon with a front axle and no tongue weight the horse could pull it. My 312-8 was a wheelie machine with a 3500lb camper on the hitch but pulled a 2400lb sterndrive boat ok. Which reminds me I need to build a weight rack for the front receiver.

[ranger 1,750]

@ZXT 😁 I wondered how long before someone spotted those! 🤗 I couldn’t resist the temptation to take a couple of photos, knowing how much folks like to see them.  I have too much respect for the Wheelhorse to put that amount of tongue weight on the poor thing, but it has moved, (Just to see if it would), a loaded twin axle close coupled hay trailer 12’ x 6’, (this one is 16’ x 7’) with a couple of 56lb weights sitting on the hood to stop it lifting. The three point lets me put as much tongue weight (for traction) as I need. As I live in the Cambridgeshire “Fens”, “Hills” are few and far between.

p.s. No Horses were harmed during this post!

Edited July 27, 2021 by ranger

[Wheelhorse#1 1,666]

On 7/18/2021 at 2:51 PM, OldWorkHorse said:

Putting the final little touches on B80-FLOWAHPOWAH. Added a rear LED Safety light. So other then a good cleaning sometime this week she is 100% done and ready for the Owls Head show this weekend!

 

 

Edited July 21, 2021 by Wheelhorse#1

[adsm08 2,064]

Finally got the PTO back on the 800SP.

 

All that's left is wiring (original connector on the tractor was gone when I bought it) and the belt.

[Lee1977 6,663]

Mowed the back yard with the 312 with 42" deck. Got the 520 with 48 " deck out made one lap around the front yard and the deck spring broke. Went back got the C-120/180 with old 48" deck and finished to front yard.

Pays to have backup equipment. Ordered a new spring should be here before I need to mow again.

[Tuneup 1,433]

They're old machines that we try to stay ahead of but sometimes, yes!, it pays to have another on standby. I pumped the tires on the old '77 C120 with the 42 RD to finish when the 42 SD started scalping the lawn and again when the Onan decided to starve for fuel. Heck, I'd be bored with a machine that just runs and runs.

 

In other WH news, the 48" deck rebuild got its top coat of Sunrise Red in between raindrops. We had to get it back into the shed almost immediately as the wife felt a drop. Typical in the GA mountains 2021. Right now, we're in a cloud - can't see the road.

Edited July 22, 2021 by Tuneup
Added a pic

[squonk 41,136]

On 7/19/2021 at 6:30 AM, ebinmaine said:

Gotta have a horn for a parade!!!

My horn is LOUDER than your horn! 

 

 

[D_Mac 8,619]

I need one of those to get my dog to move out of the way !

[Lee1977 6,663]

I thought I had a deck spring in my parts bin, found it this morning. I managed to get it installed with out removing the deck after a couple of tries.

Had to make a new spring puller as it straighten the hook on my old one. Had an1/8" piece with eyes on each end saw the eye to make a hook.

The worst part after that was getting the hook loose after installing the spring. I managed to knock it loose from the spring and it went through the

hole on the slide. Had to bend the rod by 90 degrees to get it back out. I ordered a new spring last night that I put back in the parts bin.

[ebinmaine 67,553]

27 minutes ago, squonk said:

horn

I love it I love it I love it

[adsm08 2,064]

After buying my 800 Special for a back up mower, and owning it for almost two years this happened for the first time today.

 

https://imgur.com/In8QyHx

 

Then this happened:

 

https://imgur.com/m8jbM23

Edited July 23, 2021 by adsm08

[balconio 606]

16 hours ago, Tuneup said:

Heck, I'd be bored with a machine that just runs and runs.

Lol ain't this the truth. It's super satisfying to keep a decades old machine in good working order and then use it! Because they're so simple to work on keeping them in shape is pretty doable with common tools and common sense (and this forum of course).

 

I really appreciate the straightforward design and engineering that went into these machines, and the honest hard-working materials they're made of. I don't think there's much plastic at all on mine, as opposed to my neighbor's brand new Cub which is very nice looking but I doubt it will be in service 35 years and 1600 engine hours from now... That's why I bought 2 wheel horses for less than the price of one big box special when I moved to this property.

[tom2p 2,394]

actually - a machine that just runs and runs is a fitting description of a Wheel Horse tractor

 

this is the number one reason I am a Wheel Horse owner 

 

around 1974 we got a 704 and later added a 312-8 and 416-H ... 

 

used the 704 for 20+ years - 800+ hours on the 312 and around 1000 hours on the 416 - and basically problem free ... almost zero issues 

 

I can basically name the issues - the pull start spring / mechanism on the 704 began to act wonky - and broke a short lift rod on the deck of the 416-H 

 

never touched the engines - the 704 still has the original points 

little bit of maintenance and TLC and you are good to go !

 

Edited July 23, 2021 by tom2p

[Ed Kennell 38,196]

On 7/20/2021 at 5:59 PM, balconio said:

the same price. One was a 417A and the other was a pair of 312-8s with similar hours. I went with the pair of gear drive Kohler singles and never had a regret over passing on the hydro Onan twin.

The 417A should have been a Kohler KT17 with the Eaton 1100 hydro.   A beast of a machine.     You shouda,coulda bought all 3.  

[OutdoorEnvy 1,522]

Wouldn't you know it...I was able to pickup a plow locally here in Oklahoma...needs some surface rust cleaned off and paint but it'll get the job done...