OK Tell us about the last 1970 or older Wheel Horse you got from the original owner

[Wild Bill in VA 1,451]

Now I know it is not as easy as it used to be to buy a 1970 or older Wheel Horse from the original owner but I would like to hear the story's y'all have to tell. Not Wheel Horses from another collector or the guy who picked up an old Wheel Horse from some estate sale then sold it to you or the dealer who sold you a one owner trade in but a Wheel Horse that you got from the original owner, and it was a 1970 or older Wheel Horse.

 My story was over decade ago, it is about a Model 1075. An elderly couple had talked to a local Toro dealer, and they gave her my phone number about selling their 1965 Model 1075. So, I get a phone call from this nice lady, and they want to sell their tractor. A trip to the southside of Richmond was made and a nice for the age Model 1057 was sitting in the driveway. I did all the usual checks being that it was hydro by driving it around to see if the transmission was slipping, then checking the starter generator and steering, well everything seems good. Now the elderly couple was quite firm on the price of $500 and would NOT back down, they bought the tractor brand new, and that original purchased price still stuck in their heads. Yes, it was an expensive item for them back in 1965. So, there was no reason try and negotiate a better price on my behalf, I wanted the Model 1075 and 500 bucks was the price!  Well, I like to talk so the three of us sat on lawn chairs in the driveway and talked about the state of the union, it was a delightful chat. All the sudden the little old lady gets up from her chair and says we have something for you, then she walks into the house. The old man and I continue our talk and then she walked back out of the house with a large envelope in her hands, now my first thought is "great they have all the original manuals and sales papers" but I opened the envelope and almost went into tears. This was a FEDEX envelope from a Senator here in Virginia with the United States Flag inside that hung over the US capitol in Washington DC in this women's honor with a letter from the Senator! I was shaking and told the couple that I could not except this and they should give the flag to their grandchildren. It seems after our driveway chat that they liked the way I think, and they insisted it be mine now. Both the 1075 and US Flag will always be treasured at my house.

 I have had other dealings Wheel Horse owners that wanted to sell me their tractor they got brand new but the 1075 was in the best shape ran well and to get that kind of gift WOW!.

Wild Bill in Richmond VA

[Sparky-(Admin) 21,313]

  Sheesh…my story won’t be anywhere near as cool as yours Bill.

   But September of 2021 I messaged on an 867 that had been up for sale for well over a week (so I assumed it was gone). Message came back that it was still available so I made arrangements to go see it. Was less than an hours drive one way.

  Turned out that the 40+ year old guy I thought was the seller was actually the son selling it on Facebook Marketplace for his 80+ year old dad who HAD BOUGHT IT BRAND NEW in 1967. 
  There it was in a garage, mower deck installed, had never been left outside and came with original owners manuals. To say I was thrilled is an understatement! 
  It ran ok…a little carb tweaking when I got it home and it was perfect. 
  Price: well the asking price was $500…I offered $450 and the old guy countered with $460 …
  These are pics of it the day I hauled it home.

 

 

 

  

[Retired Wrencher 5,444]

Mike, I have always like that six speed. Like you said nice survivor. 

[Retired Wrencher 5,444]

Bill, nice post and story. I have been only third party on these tractors. Mabe someday.

[Wild Bill in VA 1,451]

Sparky, Dang that's a great find. A Wheel Horse model that people have traveled far to get one for their collection. I've been on the look out for a 867 and 875. And folks here's the schoolin' part .... The 867 was the only six speed built on the short frame. The 1267 and 1067 were long frame models.

Wild Bill in Richmond VA

[953 nut 55,129]

Well, don't know if this will qualify since there was a third party intermediator, but here goes. While I was living in Florida I attended the Florida Flywheelers February show with a friend David who is into hit and miss engines. At the time I was looking for a rugged garden tractor to keep up a piece of vacant property we owned. At the show I purchased a 1055 and David knew I was hooked on .

A few week later David was in Ohio dropping off a load of furniture and household goods for one of his family members. After unloading the stuff he and his cousin went to an estate sale. The wife had passed away and the husband was moving to a smaller place. While they were investigating the barn and sheds they found a few interesting items including a 953, he called me and said he had an empty trailer and would bring it back for me. The owner of the 953 came onto the phone and said that it hadn't ever given him any problems but hadn't run in about twenty years. He said he wanted $ 250 and the deal was done, David paid the man (plus several interesting things he bought) and loaded it up.

A couple days later I brought it home in all of it's patinaed glory and decided right then that this 953 should never be painted. Some fresh gas and a new coil and it started right up. This one has made the trip to the Big Show a couple of times. I did replace the upholstery with a Bob Ellison seat but that is the only change I've made in twenty plus years.

 

 

[pfrederi 17,686]

Maybe not what you had in mind as I didn't buy it..Inherited it.  Father bought it in May 1967.  With exception of a year or so in early 90s when he got too sick to use it she had been working ever since... year round the last 22 years...

 

 

Edited September 8, 2022 by pfrederi

[squonk 41,041]

I bought "Ezra" 73 12 8 speed from the original owner. Saw an ad on CL and with a deck he wanted $475. When I called he was thrilled that a Wheel Horse guy was coming! As we got near his house I told my wife I bet he's sitting in a lawn chair next to the tractor in the drive way. Sure enough he was. We get talking and I found out the tractor never had seen water except to wash it. It still had the original spark plug in it which he kept. Had all the manuals papers everything. He gave me a box of belts old fuel pumps ect.  He named the tractor Ezra after the Secretary of Transportation under President Eisenhower.   We talked for 2 more hours about his antique fire truck, his Beagles , and his neighbor's Cockatoo! 

 

 

[Pullstart 62,814]

Great stories, thanks y’all!

 

The only on I have, which may be iffy, is my RJ35.  I bought it from an estate sale, over the phone, about 2.5 hours from home.  It took me a week to go get it.  When I arrived, I kept shopping for other stuff at the sale.  It was a 2 part sale, so there was another wave of stuff.  I ended up running into the son of the man who purchased it, and had passed.  He told me that the day dad brought it home, he and his brother were allowed to drive it around the living room INSIDE their house until the fumes for too think and Mom hollered at ‘em to take it outside!

It came with a cool little plow, made from a well bladder tank.

 

[Rob J. 1,941]

Well the story goes with the 1965 1045 “Boss Man” I purchased recently that the guy I bought it from was the son of the original owner who lived two houses down from his son, the guy I bought it from. I’d have to do some calling around to make 100% sure. As the guy who handed it off to me worked for the guy who owned it. He apparently was his handy man with anything that ran. The owner has 3 homes, one in Monroe where the tractor was and a place up in northern Michigan as well as a winter home in Florida. I have no reason to doubt the guy as he didn’t know much about Wheel Horses that much was apparent. 😂

[rmaynard 15,432]

1965 875 Wheel-O-Matic - Purchased by original owner right off the showroom floor in 1965. He left it to his son. The son sold it to me because he wanted it to go to someone who would appreciate the tractor and the history behind it. It was bittersweet as he hated to get rid of it, but had to because of a health issue in his family. I let him drive it onto the trailer. 

 

 

 

Edited September 8, 2022 by rmaynard

[ineedanother 1,369]

8 hours ago, pfrederi said:

Maybe not what you had in mind as I didn't buy it..Inherited it.  Father bought it in May 1967.  With exception of a year or so in early 90s when he got too sick to use it she had been working ever since... year round the last 22 years...

 

 

I was only a few years old when this one was sold and don't remember a 2% sales tax or ever hearing of anyone putting down a $10 deposit on a garden tractor. Nice piece of family history right there 

[Snoopy11 5,714]

I don't know if it counts or not, and I forget about this a lot I have to admit, but my '67 L-157 has been in the family for... quite a while. I don't have any paperwork to back it up, but it was bought by my grandfather, used to death for mowing, then he blew the rod out in the H60 Techy. It sat for... I'd have to imagine 40+ years before I came along and breathed life into it. Hard to imagine that this old girl was around for 33 years before I was born'd.

 

I do wish that the old man could have lived a little longer. He passed away when I first starting working on the L-157... he never got to see it run again.

 

Having said that, the old girl is 55 years old this year... still going strong... and will as long as I am physically able to keep it that way. She is my favorite... and will always be.

 

 

 

Don