Thomasfouraker 10 #1 Posted November 5, 2021 Hi, My name is Thomas and I live in NE Florida. While I am no stranger to Garden Tractors, I just purchased my very first Wheel Horse yesterday. I have had exclusively John Deeres for quite a while but what I found yesterday I couldn't pass up and had enough familiarity that I felt comfortable pursing it given that and its proximity to me. It appears to be a 1973 18 Automatic, has an Ark 550 Loader, Three Point, Rear PTO and mid 90s K582 short block replacement. I own a John Deere 400 so when I seen the Kohler K series it was something I knew I have worked on and felt comfortable with. The tractor is complete from what I can tell and looks to have just been neglected for years.....many years. Motor turns over by hand but haven't been able to get the starter to engage. It throws out the bendix but that's it. The starter mounts appear cracked so it may need repaired or a new oil pan. Plan to pull the starter (replace/rebuild) and perhaps the motor and proceed to get the motor running to see what works and what doesn't. Its a daunting project, a much larger scale than any I have pursued before. It needs a long list of replacement hoses that may bust my budget before it gets going but I will cross that road when I get there. Next few days are quite busy but I hope I can get it cleaned up and start making some progress! Any help, education and guidance would be great and appreciated. If I left out any important information regarding the components or tractor let me know and I will get an answer posted. Thanks! Thomas 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Thomasfouraker 10 #2 Posted November 5, 2021 Here is the only picture I have currently after unloading it yesterday evening. My JD 400 TLB was sizing it up and felt a lil inferior next to the Wheel Horse! 6 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Retired Wrencher 5,465 #3 Posted November 5, 2021 Thomas You will an endless information here. Enjoy the site. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Retired Wrencher 5,465 #4 Posted November 5, 2021 2 minutes ago, Thomasfouraker said: Here is the only picture I have currently after unloading it yesterday evening. My JD 400 TLB was sizing it up and felt a lil inferior next to the Wheel Horse! Sorry we are not GREEN fans here. Go Red. 1 1 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
JCM 9,177 #5 Posted November 5, 2021 to Plenty of help here. JD 400 one of my favorite series Garden Tractor. Good Luck with your WH tractor. You chose a good brand to work with. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ebinmaine 67,596 #6 Posted November 5, 2021 What you have there is the predecessor to the tractor Known as the D series thereafter. Once up and running you'll see just what kind of excellent rig you have there. There are plenty of folks here on the site who are very generous with their knowledge. Some hydraulic hoses can be purchased from Lowell at Wheelhorse Parts and More. Others can be made locally. Other parts can be had from site members, many online sources, and/or Lincoln at A to Z Tractor in PA. Good luck. Keep asking questions. And post pics. We likes our pics. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Achto 27,601 #7 Posted November 5, 2021 Good luck with your new beast. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
PeacemakerJack 10,738 #8 Posted November 5, 2021 Welcome🎉. Looks like a fun project for sure! Plenty O info on this site to help you out along the way! Good Luck putting your horse back into service🙌🏻 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
pfrederi 17,741 #9 Posted November 5, 2021 They area very strong tractor...(but kinda ugly) They are useful . You have a very strong engine 23hp That is bigger than any WH used... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
pacer 3,173 #10 Posted November 5, 2021 Oh yeah, you got a beast there! Heh, as @pfrederi hinted at there is sorta a love/hate with the D series. Since I have 4 of them guess which category I'm in? Since you already have that green guy, you will probably really enjoy the horse. As mentioned earlier, the 18 auto was the first of the "Big D" tractors - D160, D180, and D200 (the numerals signifing HP) so when you are parts searching there will be a good chance that a part off one of the others will work for you. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Lee1977 6,666 #12 Posted November 5, 2021 (edited) What did you buy. you bought a loader and they threw in a tractor. Edited November 5, 2021 by Lee1977 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Thomasfouraker 10 #13 Posted November 5, 2021 (edited) I appreciate everyones replies so far. I don't know how long it will be before I can dedicate some real time into this project. So far the starter mount is definitely cracked and will need to be addressed and one of the spark plugs broke off in the head. PB Blaster will be showcased much of this project I am sure. The engine turns over so I am hopeful once I can get it spinning I should be able to get it running as long as it has compression. Thank you for all the feedback and information. What is the value range for a project tractor like this? I know a similar green one would be a $1750-2200 depending on model from my experience. This is my first venture into the WH realm so wasn't sure what prices these were getting. It may dictate how much I invest into this project. Edited November 6, 2021 by Thomasfouraker Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Pullstart 62,906 #14 Posted November 6, 2021 The FEL is probably valued at as much or more than the tractor 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
