What have you done to your Wheel Horse today?

[RandyLittrell 3,877]

15 minutes ago, ebinmaine said:

Randy if you don't want those extended length front spindles let me know

 

Sorry Eric, I like them, and have no intention of putting a deck back on it. I like the little bit of extra clearance. Thinking about some OTR 24" tires in the back to level it out. 

 

 

Randy

[RandyLittrell 3,877]

22 minutes ago, ebinmaine said:

Folks on that bike cable to release lever idea, any threads on that? Been thinking of doing that to our plows here for ease of changeover.

 

I agree, seems like a good idea to me!!

 

 

Randy

[ebinmaine 67,472]

1 minute ago, RandyLittrell said:

 

Sorry Eric, I like them, and have no intention of putting a deck back on it. I like the little bit of extra clearance. Thinking about some OTR 24" tires in the back to level it out. 

 

 

Randy

Very nice very nice very nice.

Exactly why I like them. That little extra bit of clearance comes in handy on our forest trails.

 

[Handy Don 12,217]

14 minutes ago, ebinmaine said:

Folks on that bike cable to release lever idea, any threads on that? Been thinking of doing that to our plows here for ease of changeover.

 

I did search this a couple weeks ago and found a couple of mentions of this as an idea but no pictures or "done that" posts.

However, Toro did this as a factory job on at least one blade. I found the manual in the files (link below) and since I have a LOT of spare bike parts, I'll model my conversion on their design.

 

 

[ebinmaine 67,472]

32 minutes ago, Handy Don said:

Toro did this as a factory job on at least one blade. I found the manual in the files (link below)

Excellent. Thank you.  

[peter lena 8,625]

 @RandyLittrell  like the look of the 8"  front  , my 3 horses have those , just think the 6"  don't have the look , go big or go home , pete

[ebinmaine 67,472]

3 minutes ago, peter lena said:

 @RandyLittrell  like the look of the 8"  front  , my 3 horses have those , just think the 6"  don't have the look , GO BIG OR GO HOME , pete

 

Pete. You want go big or go home you ought to see the tires I have on a couple of the fronts of mine...

😂😂

[Ed Kennell 38,170]

1 hour ago, RandyLittrell said:

 

Sorry Eric, I like them, and have no intention of putting a deck back on it. I like the little bit of extra clearance. Thinking about some OTR 24" tires in the back to level it out. 

 

 

Randy

I also changed out the fronts on my 312 and left the long spindles on.      The extra plow lift height is a plus for stacking snow.    I run a 42"SD deck and don't have any trouble with clearance or leveling the deck.

[ebinmaine 67,472]

2 hours ago, Handy Don said:

this as an idea but no pictures or "done that" posts.

However, Toro did this as a factory job on at least one blade. I found the manual in the files (link below) and since I have a LOT of spare bike parts, I'll model my conversion on their design

 

 

Looks like @pfrederi Paul and @Ed Kennell both have experience with this changeover in the past.

 

Seems like it would be a relatively straightforward transformation. I'd like to see how the barrel end of the brake cable would be attached and what end it was used on, etc.

 

 

[peter lena 8,625]

@ebinmaine   saw your rig  with the fluid filled tires , looks very imposing / ready ,  overall  look of  checked all the boxes ,  nice, pete

[AMC RULES 37,130]

Got a start on it's true patina restoration here today.

[ebinmaine 67,472]

18 minutes ago, peter lena said:

@ebinmaine   saw your rig  with the fluid filled tires , looks very imposing / ready ,  overall  look of  checked all the boxes ,  nice, pete

 

Thanks Pete. I appreciate that.

 

I have some PTO to use up at work so the next week and a half this tractor will be getting some extra attention. 

 

Biggest focal point will be an engine swap.

 

Other than that I have a list of things I want to get done including rebuilding the plow frame brackets and changing the lift cylinder for one that doesn't leak.

 

[Jeff-C175 7,202]

44 minutes ago, ebinmaine said:

some PTO to use

 

Why do you have your PTOs at work?  They should be on your manchines! 

 

(yeah, I know what you meant though! I netted $10K in PTO when I retired!)

 

 

 

 

[ebinmaine 67,472]

21 minutes ago, Jeff-C175 said:

 

Why do you have your PTOs at work?  They should be on your manchines! 

 

(yeah, I know what you meant though! I netted $10K in PTO when I retired!)

 

 

 

 

We're a "use it or lose it" company.  

They want us to go out in the world and do some things other than work. 🤪

[Jeff-C175 7,202]

7 minutes ago, ebinmaine said:

We're a "use it or lose it" company.  

They want us to go out in the world and do some things other than work. 🤪

 

They let us bank 2-1/2 years worth and for as long as I'd been there I was accruing at 5 weeks a year... I had a couple months in the 'bank'.

 

They must have known I was fixin to retire cuz they kept asking me to use it!  Unpaid PTO is a liability on their books.

 

 

Edited November 22, 2022 by Jeff-C175

[Handy Don 12,217]

1 minute ago, ebinmaine said:

We're a "use it or lose it" company.  

They want us to go out in the world and do some things other than work. 🤪

At one point in the past I was designing HR software that tracked PTO. Our company had a "use it or lose it" with a max 40 hour carry over. California has a "can't lose vacation" law! My team's solution was to let them keep what they had, but to stop letting them accrue more after they reached a cap.

Lots of employees were treating it like a piggy bank and wanting to be paid out at their final salary when they left the company but the vacation had been earned earlier in their career at much lower salaries. It's called generational risk in HR when actions in one year are not fully funded and fall to later "generations" of partners to fund them in future. So we also had a one-time payout for everyone over the cap using their salaries at earliest times they accrued the vacation. One woman had 180 days of accrued vacation!

[Jeff-C175 7,202]

25 minutes ago, Handy Don said:

using their salaries at earliest times they accrued the vacation

 

Ours kept track of the times of the accrual and paid out at the salary on record of the time of accrual.  Which is fair.

 

 

[Ed Kennell 38,170]

3 hours ago, ebinmaine said:

 

 

Looks like @pfrederi Paul and @Ed Kennell both have experience with this changeover in the past.

 

 

I never used a bike brake cable, but I did use a piece of garage door cable to replace the upper wire when I reworked my blade angle lever to bring it inside the warm cab.   I used small eyebolts as guides and a small turnbuckle for tension adjustment.

 

 

Edited November 22, 2022 by Ed Kennell

[Handy Don 12,217]

40 minutes ago, Ed Kennell said:

I never used a bike brake cable, but I did use a piece of garage door cable to replace the upper wire when I reworked my blade angle lever to bring it inside the warm cab.   I used small eyebolts as guides and a small turnbuckle for tension adjustment

.

Kinda snug in there! What is the gas cylinder for?

Edited November 22, 2022 by Handy Don

[Ed Kennell 38,170]

30 minutes ago, Handy Don said:

Kinda snug in there! What is the gas cylinder for?

Yep, warm and cozy. 

    The cylinder is connected to the motion control lever and pushes it back to reverse.     The lever is then connected to the right foot pedal.   Push pedal down for forward and let cylinder pull pedal up for reverse.   Push left pedal for neutral and brake. 

  I have springs on some and cylinders on some.  Both work equally well.

[SylvanLakeWH 25,557]

Added lights!!!

 

 

 

 

 

[Brockport Bill 1,661]

6 hours ago, Handy Don said:

I did search this a couple weeks ago and found a couple of mentions of this as an idea but no pictures or "done that" posts.

However, Toro did this as a factory job on at least one blade. I found the manual in the files (link below) and since I have a LOT of spare bike parts, I'll model my conversion on their design.

 

 

i have a new OEM plow blade of the model 79364 you reference in the thread  -- i removed the parts kit from the box and and plan to install plow in next couple of weeks before a first snow storm -- I am curious to see how well the "cable" design works versus the old style wire rod --- since my other plow is 06-48bc-01 for my original new 1989, 312-8 bought 33 yrs ago...... of course with the newer version lever arm handle having many twists and turns it wouldnt work very well with the old style straight wire.... thus they advanced the design to the flexibility of the cable design----- My neighbor needs a missing lever arm and squeeze handle, and wire rod, for an older 80s style plow he just got ---- and our first thought was the bike brake handle and cable as a solution rather than hunting for the traditional solution---- so it was interesting to coincidentally see this thread today about the cable --- I will be eager to experience this winter how the newer cable design works verus the old style

[Tuneup 1,433]

On 11/18/2022 at 1:59 PM, Tuneup said:

HaHa - hate taking pics and my flip phone is not a joy. The company phone can send but through Outlook which - this time - didn't work. I'll take a video of it putt-putting. That'll be fun. First, the old Ridgid drill press gets its facelift. I've pulled about 5 lbs of dirt dauber nests from it so far (was just given to me).

 

And so, it's finally time to see if this auction found '71 K241 can live! I attached it to a scrap pallet which took most of the time. Added an old muffler. Hooked it up to the 516 battery because she's not shy at helping to start a John Deere engine - as long as it's a K. Had to add about a pint of oil.

 

She started easy with a little choke and purrs.

 

So, the promised video? I hope it works . . . well, nope! Standard iPhone video MOV. Oh, well.

 

Now, what the heck to do with this thing? I'm like its former owner - sit it on a rack until needed but, considering the way these are made, I'll probably die first and some estate sale slob will get it cheaper than me. The 125's just got bored .020 and is a brute sans its balance gears. The old '77 K301 just goes and goes. Anyway, HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

 

 

Edited November 23, 2022 by Tuneup

[Sparky-(Admin) 21,315]

Got all the weights mounted up on the 308…one step closer to being a snowplow tractor. 
 

 

 

 

[ebinmaine 67,472]

15 minutes ago, Sparky said:

all the weights

Like them inner n outer...