vintage tractors

[kaiser]

i like old stuff, really doesn't matter what it is.
when i needed a new garden tractor/lawn mower i just couldn't bring myself to buy a new poorly built big box store tractor.

my father in law really wanted me to take his restored 1948 farmall cub:


but as cool as they are they weigh 2000lbs and would destroy my soft lawn, not too mention i would have to rent and truck and trailer and go to virginia to get it.

i've been watching craigslist since we moved back in december, knowing that i needed something to mow 3 acres. i went back and forth between old allis chalmers, case/ingersoll, cub cadet and wheel horse.

i decided on a 1984 wheel horse 416-8, 400 series, 16hp v-twin, 8 speed.

anyone else like old iron? whatcha got?

this is what a 40 year old kid looks like with a new toy:

[Dirtdiver]

Nice tractor but why didn't you go Green (I'm from a Deere family with the exception of the S250 Bobcat)? I would have went with a JD 318 (gas) or JD 332 (diesel). They were the last of really solid built lawn and garden tractors from the 80's-early 90's. Anyways have fun with your new toy.

[justinspeed79]

BITD my buddies dad had a Wheel Horse. IIRC it was was a 5hp model. That thing was a wheely machine. Put it in third and sidestep the clutch and you could ride a wheely for 20-30 feet.

[Halgar]

I love old tractors, especially ones that have been well maintained/restored. I grew up on a 100 acre ranch and we had some vintage iron back then. Funny thing, one of the tractors we had we paid $1700 for, 20 years later we sold it for $1700, here it is 25 years after that, and that same tractor is still in the $1700 to $2000 range. Ford 8N, decent, lightweight tractor for light duty work, such as mowing fields or pulling small trailers. Ask it to do any real work and it was a gutless pig, that is when we pulled out the Case 400 with the 5' tall duals, now THAT sombich was a workhorse!

[kaiser]

Nice tractor but why didn't you go Green (I'm from a Deere family with the exception of the S250 Bobcat)? I would have went with a JD 318 (gas) or JD 332 (diesel). They were the last of really solid built lawn and garden tractors from the 80's-early 90's. Anyways have fun with your new toy.

my step grandad owns a deere dealership, but i couldn't find any 300 series that was worth it and the 100 series are garbage.
new 300 series are like 4k.

i did look at a case 210, case 226 and a case 446. too hard to find parts.
95% of wheel horse parts are still available new.

[kaiser]

BITD my buddies dad had a Wheel Horse. IIRC it was was a 5hp model. That thing was a wheely machine. Put it in third and sidestep the clutch and you could ride a wheely for 20-30 feet.

oh yeah, this one will do that to. 16hp really gets it going.
it's also got a creeper gear that's so slow but watch out because nothing will stop it.

[slotcarrod]

Cool, I love looking at old tractors, but I know nothing about them! I have a few diecast vintage tractor toys if that counts!

[Lowgear]

Back some odd years ago (maybe 10) I bought and restored a John Deere 111 for my father to use instead of a push mower but he ended up not liking how a riding mower cut the grass. So it was used instead to pull a cart around. He used the heck out of it and it never gave him an ounce of trouble. It was even stored outside for around 5 or so years.

[Halgar]

So when are you going to port and polish the head, bolt on the blower and headers, add nitrous, . . .

[Dirtdiver]

Or you could enter it in "Lawn Tractor Demo Derby". I heard that it was somewhat popular in the Midwest.

[longboardnj]

decided on a 1984 wheel horse 416-8, 400 series, 16hp v-twin, 8 speed.... my mom has a wheel horse snowmobile.
love old tractors..John Deere 420 High Crop

[kaiser]

next time i'm in vermont i'll have to get some pics of my step grand dads tractor collection.
he's got 2 warehouses full of old JD's, farmalls and auto car tractor trucks (all restored). it's kind of overwhelming to walk through it.

[longboardnj]

really like alot of tractors (rokon trailbreakers are 2x2 tractors) for the past few years i always get tractor calenders . classic tractors are always cool but something about steel tire tractors that i just love.. just seems like a great idea. owning alot of machines one of the big pains is always putting air in tires ,fixing flats and changing worn out or rotted tires.

[Lowgear]

So when are you going to port and polish the head, bolt on the blower and headers, add nitrous, . . .

For the longest time I was looking for a Kohler v-twin to put in it and even bought a few parts but never went through with it.

[kaiser]

those oldies are great lowgear. all they need are some huge leather belts attached to some old fashioned saw mill.
the local ag shows always have a few of these hanging around and one is always hooked up to a mill with a leather belt.

this new to me wheelhorse has a briggs v twin, most had onan's or kholer's. it's strong for a 30 year old engine.