What was the best wheel horse, in your opinion?

[AMC RULES 37,130]

 

I always like to reference this old video I made Eric, doing driveway snow clean up.

It serves to illustrate my "seamless operation" point. 

 

[JCM 9,177]

Been trying to stay out of this very controversial subject. You know how I feel about my first WH the 89   312-8, and all of the 400 series including the 420 along with the C-series but for comfort, steering with heavy front attachments and super ride when mowing with the 48'' SD I have to go with the 91   520-H. The first time I got on that it had 420 or so hours. Now ready to hit 1000 hours it still handles, performs and feels the same as it did in 2002 when I bought it. I could go on and on about this tractor, it has not cost me much besides preventative maintenance supplies. You would swear it had a power steering pump on it if you were not familiar with the 520 when the 2 stage blower is off.

[Handy Don 12,235]

22 hours ago, Lee1977 said:

Those spindles are rated at 3500 lbs. the back bearing is 1 3/8" ID don't remember the size of the front one.

What is the weakest element? A ¾ axle with good bearings can handle more than any but the most intensive stress a user would put on a WH. But a shock load will still bend the spindle for either of these setups, wouldn't it?

[RJR49 129]

Anyone that recommends something other than a C-160 has never owned one!

 

[ebinmaine 67,596]

2 hours ago, AMC RULES said:

 

I always like to reference this old video I made Eric, doing driveway snow clean up.

It serves to illustrate my "seamless operation" point. 

 

 

I've seen that. Thanks for posting it. 

 

This video is one of the reasons I wanted to try a hydro.  

 

[Lee1977 6,666]

2 hours ago, Handy Don said:

What is the weakest element? A ¾ axle with good bearings can handle more than any but the most intensive stress a user would put on a WH. But a shock load will still bend the spindle for either of these setups, wouldn't it?

I didn't put them on to make the spindle stronger. I had a front wheel that would not hold the bearing a it destroyed the spindle. This was long before Redsquare, used Wheel Horse parts were nonexistent. The trailer spindles ,hubs; wheels and tires cost me less then new WH spindle, wheel. I for got to say the front tires would not hold air, so that fixed all three.  The only thing every mounted on the front is a mule drive.

I went with the heavy spindles for ease of installation. I sawed of the back of the trailer spindle drilled a 3/4" hole in it cut some off the WH spindle slid it on and welded it. That was 33 years ago the only thing I have done to them is tighten one

nut to the next slot.

Edited December 26, 2021 by Lee1977

[C-85 685]

I think it depends on the time period!

While growing up in my family's equipment business in Vermont in the '60s we started out selling Jacobsen Chief tractors and back then 12hp was as big as they got. There was a lot of 7, 8 and 10hp tractors sold back then.  Later on we gave up Jacobsen and had Ariens tractors (after they bought from New Holland), and W/H and the C-125 was the most popular one we sold.  We only sold a very few D series, because most folks favored the Ariens GT over the D.  The C-85 was an amazing unit and that's one of the ones I still have, it's incredible all the work that little machine has done. Back in the early '80s the C series was basically the same tractor, except the engine, so even the smaller 8 and 10s had the same transmission and such. The 10hp ones just seemed in between, but for most folks the 12 was just right.  As we know things have escalated and I'm pretty sure it would be hard to find a tractor under 20hp today.

 

So I think the 12hp or maybe the 14hp may have been the best overall tractors, 16hp seemed over kill for most jobs.  This would be before 300, 400 and 500 series were introduced! 

 

 

C-85