nyquil junkie 225 #1 Posted October 2, 2019 (edited) I haven't been around for a while, life got busy and ya know how that goes. I thought I'd post a life update and I also see Photobucket no longer links so maybe some pics too. Anywhoo... If you go back in my posts you will see we have the old 953 which was happily chugging away in a ravine clearing off trails and hauling out wood and cow manure. Well we bought a small overgrown farm last yr or so, and The first machine to move was the old WH. The place was 6 or 7 feet under iron weeds and brush so other than a topo map and some guessing, alot of it was just follow the fences and hope you don't die. The old WH with the dozer blade went to work. I sharped the bottom of the blade so it was like a big razor, scrape/slicing off weeds as it went. We ran it along the fences, which was fine until the day I discovered there was a drop off on one end of the property and but for the trees that stopped my plummeting I'd have ended up in the creek far below with the WH. It was in 1st gear so it slid down the slope at a gentle pace, nosed into the creek and gracefully flopped butt over tin cups on its back. No worry... I flipped it onto its wheels and it puttered back to work. After I changed my underwear and patched a few cuts. Once we got the fields all mapped out, I hooked up a 44" tow behind brush hog/trail cutter to the WH, and mowed about 7 acres of slopes and fields off. The cows all helped with that too, they took out the hedgerows and alot of brush along the creek. Last yr it rained for months so the whole place was awash in mud... which mean I had to add more wheels and come chains and weights. Also a wide plywood bench seat and some other comforts. Even so it got stuck in one of the low spots along the creek and being cold and wet I tarped it and abandoned it for the time being.... which turned out to be all winter plus. During that time the creek flooded, and it hit the plow face on, shoved the little guy a couple yards down the hollow and it was actually under water for a few days. I figured it was at best now... parts. So one sunny semi dry summer day, I took the old 4x4 and pulled the old thing up to a level spot and gave it a checkup. The Harbor Freight 301cc engine was full of water, case and cylinder. The gearbox was full of water. The tires were full of water.... don't ask me how. But to the credit of harbor freight, after I drained the water and flushed the oil, it coughed back to life, and I very slowly chugged it back to the barns along paths it cleared off before. After a lot of cleaning, draining, and new oils.... some slime for the tires and a new plywood seat deck it went right back into working. For now its job is to keep the trails scraped clean, pull the trail cutter around when needed and to scrap the barn yard clear now and then.... and to serve as an all terrain farm taxi and fence maintenance truck. Recently the rear axle seals started to leak... it still works. I learned that the rear bolt pattern is the same as a ford ranger 5 bolt.... and old brake rotors make fine wheel weights as they bolt right on the outer wheel on the dual wheels. Also, green sch40 sewer pipe makes a fine wheel spacer for a standard 12" 5 bolt tractor rim. Here are some recent pics... after a wet day of clearing mud off the cow trails. My brother recently traded me a mower for his old 88' 520H but I don't think it'll take the beating this one has lived thru. But it might make a better field mower as it rides a lot nicer. I plan to bolt a 22" push mower on each side of the trail cutter, and make a functional 88" tow behind mowing deck for meadow maintenance. I'll try not to drive it off a cliff. Maybe a roll bar would be a good idea. But they gutted all the wires and gauged out and its scabbed up to run without them.... not the best idea on a hydro but I'll stick some gauges on it one way or the other. I'd have preferred an older WH with a gearbox and less to go wrong but... you can't argue with free stuff right? Edited October 2, 2019 by nyquil junkie 4 4 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ebinmaine 70,130 #2 Posted October 2, 2019 Welcome back! Great story. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
stevasaurus 23,010 #3 Posted October 2, 2019 Right, Welcome back and thanks for sharing that story with us. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Mikey the Monkey 700 #4 Posted October 2, 2019 Wow you spin quite a yarn, a real roller coaster you took me on. I laughed and I cried, then I napped, then had dinner. Glad you're back, and don't take too much NyQuil now 1 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
WHX?? 50,213 #5 Posted October 3, 2019 Thank you Junkie ... I take you are a jack of all trades and master of none? Nonetheless thanks for the entertainment. Hope to see you around! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
953 nut 57,203 #6 Posted October 3, 2019 Welcome back! I always knew Wheel Horses were tough as nails. you have just confirmed that! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
