I bought a 1961 used Wheelhorse lawn tractor when I was 15 years old. It came with the mower deck, a snow blower, , snow plow and those round disks used to turn soil. I loved working on it, years later I took my children for rides on it, cleared the sidewalks of snow for all my neighbors, and just made great memories. The tractor and I are both 62 years old and, it still runs.
I'm from the UK and this is a very nostalgic tractor for me! I grew up in a small cottage in the woods, and my dad used to coppice the woodland around the house. We used exactly the same tractor with a trailer to get the logs out and I used to drive it in and out. My Dad would set me off (I couldn't reach the clutch 😂) and my Mum would stop me at the other end and help get the logs out! I loved my childhood!
Sadly, I know nothing about the workings of engines, but I think its great that you take these older vehicles and give them a new life, and I am all in with that. Keep upthe good work
The round sticker on the battery is your manufacture date. E is the 5th month. 6 is three last digit of the year. Yours is either May of 2016 or 2006. Probably '16
Hi matt I've been a subscriber from.near on day one and diesel creek has brought me so much joy over the years and helped me with my mental health alot just the other day my little girl who has ASD and adhd watched one of your videos and went calm and silent I asked her what was the matter she replied nothing daddy I like his voice and how he repairs things like you and that warmed my heart to no end she finds it so hard to calm down and relax due to her needs she goes quiet and very inquisitive when she helps me with my mechanical and electrical repair work thank you for all the hard work you put into your videos and the joy and comfort it brings us all keep em coming matt god bless you mate
Sounds like you have identified something that can turn some of her energy/anxiety into productivity. I hope you have a garage and necessities to get her a project tractor / go cart or something of the sort maybe....
My 8years old son also has ADHD and he love to help me when i working on my workshop, tbh quite challenging handling child with ADHD.. i hope you and your family doing well and always in a good health 😊
21:40 Love it! That's what you get from properly draining the fuel system before storage! No varnish or gum to block things up, no crap left in the tank.. +1 to previous owner 👍
When I was 12 years old (1968), I had the job of cutting our 3/4 acre yard with a 19” 3 hp Briggs and Stratton push mower. What a dreaded weekly summer chore! One Saturday Dad took me out to our local Wheel Horse dealer and bought one. I will never forget that day of liberation. Thanks for the memory!
You lucky Dog....lol. When I was a kid I had to wrestle an ancient walk behind "Suffolk Punch" cylinder mower around the Lawn. Thing must have weighed twice what I did! It was self propelled, but never had a split roller so it had the turning circle of an Oil Tanker.......
That is a great tractor! I am a wheelhorse guy and own 7 of them at this time. I was thrilled to see you working on this one. These tractors are timeless and I plow my driveway out each year and mow with mine. I live in the snowbelt of Western New York state and that tractor has no problem dealing with all the snow we get. I get replacement seats for mine at Northern Tool, if you are thinking about replacing that one.
My dad bought a 1975 automatic years ago and is selling it despite my best efforts to convince him it’s a good little tractor to keep. They’re great tractors for their size, built sturdy, easily repairable. If you’re wanting a tractor to wrench on and get your moneys worth out of. It’s the tractor to cut your teeth on!
@@StrikerV3 wheel horse tractors were at one time a direct competitor to cub cadet ,, i still have my grandfather's D-160 wheel horse tractor ,and there's no mistaking it for anything else it's a big square tractor slightly bigger than a 430 JD garden tractor,,, i own 3 D series WH tractors ,,the old D160 and i have acquired a D180 and a D200 ,,,,,my D200 has been repowered with a Kubota D722 3 cylinger diesel
I bought a used one very similar to this one 17 years ago. Excellent piece of equipment, always starts right up and I love the “thump” of the Kohler engine. I believe given the opportunity it would climb a tree !
Hey Matt, it’s been great watching the channel progress. Here’s a thing that you may have not considered re cleaning stuff before working on it, it’s clear that you like any good pro, can deal with it as you find it so no real gain in wasting time blasting it off. From a watchers perspective however, it sometimes makes it difficult to see what is what when things are covered in oil and mud and …. Know what I mean. Time is precious, do what you’ve got to do, I’m looking forward to you getting the overhead crane installed in the shop.
Save it . These are bulletproof. Tough as nails tractors. We had four of these at our local school district. I will tell you they did not go out for an hour or two once a week. They went out five days a week eight hours for years mowing at our schools. They were used in areas that were too small for our larger equipment to mow. And trust me they held up extremely well. Not only that but the cut was top notch. Because the deck is tall, they gave you a wonderful finished lawn even when mowing in early morning wet conditions. No clumps. Look at all of the cast iron construction all of the grease fittings. Even on the pivot points of the clutch and brake pedals unlike what you will find at Lowes or Home Depot today. They made a rear discharge deck that was used by many cemeterys because they did not blow grass onto headstones instead the grass came out the back or the tractor between the rear tires. a brilliant idea to keep grass out or homeowners flower beds as well. Please save it and treat it well and it will reward you with years of service.
Love old garden tractors, became a hobby of mine about 2-3 years ago now. Moved to a neighborhood but I still have my 69 John Deere 140 and my 420. 🤙 Don't want to ever get rid of them lol.
Matt for me there’s nothing more cathartic than mowing grass on a riding mower be it a zero turn Cub Cadet or your Wheel Horse it’s just a relaxing time. Your channel is number one in my book.
Maybe a blade sharpening, a check of the belts and idler pulleys before dad gets it? A suicide knob for the steering wheel too 🙂 Enjoyed the video as always! I buy and sell commercial mowing equipment as a side hustle so I enjoyed this one extra 😎
Hey Matt, another great video! For batteries one thing I learned in auto parts is how to read date codes. That battery you have there has an 'E6' label on the top. This would translate to May 2016 which would be just on par for how long you said it was sitting. They basically go with the alphabet being the month; A=1, B=2,etc and the 2nd character is the year using the last digit, making this one 2016. Hope this helps someone out there.
Growing up, Wheel Horse was the go-to garden tractor. I grew up about five blocks from Elmer Pond's place and knew both he and his wife, The house in which I grew up had been purchased from him by my grandparents in about 1930. For awhile his grandkids lived a block away. The first machines that I recall were the ones with a four horse Kohler. Rather overworked with the mower deck. There was a gentleman by the name of Yates that lived a couple of blocks away. He worked for Wheel Horse and seemed to always be upgrading to the newest and best.
Brings back a lot of memories my grandfather work for Wheelhorse plant in South Bend Indiana. I grew up with one at home. That mower was a real workhorse. We did everything with it from clearing the land to build a house to raise gardens, or hauling things around.
The Wheel Horse tractors with Kohler horizontal crankshaft engines are lifetime machines. I have 5 of them. Changed the engine oils to synthetic as well as the trans/diff fluid. to synthetic. That one you had given to you is really in quite nice condition. Take care of it
Matt great video , I been watching you for a long time now. You are the big reason I am doing small engine school. I'm in bad health and recently lost my leg but im able to do online school for now. I hope you see this. I have learned alot from you. Thank you and Mrs Diesel creek for everything. Much love and respect from here in Kentucky ❤
Me and my son pulled a wheelhorse b-60 from 1977 out of a barn a few months ago. We got it running with very little effort and he drove it in our local harvest festival parade last weekend!
Before my uncle sold his house and moved, he had a 3 wheel horses laying around. Only one working, but he was parting out the other two. You'd be surprised at how much you can get off the parts alone. Really worth holding onto imo, they're great machines.
As a wheelhorse fanboy and collector I’m looking forward to watching this. The 4 is for the 400 series. They had a 200-500 series. The lawn tractor video you did was one of my favorites. It was my exact first mower when I was 8 years old. My dad had a 312-8 growing up, my grandfather had several different horses throughout the years. I currently have a 520 hydro and a newer 520 lxi which are both beast in the garden tractor world.
My favorite was my 1972 Commander with the Kholer 18 horse S belt drive takeoff. Simply couldn't kill it if I tried. Slow as F but always reliable once I got done fixing the various issues it had from the lawyer I bought it from up in Coral Gables. Paid 200 hundred bucks in 2010 body mint condition. It was originally his dad's. Unfortunately he gave all the accessories away or scrapped them.
Wow, nice little unit you've got there, Matt! Once again, I admire your mechanical skill and know how. I'm sure your Dad will be so grateful to have the mower to keep things neat and well-kept. Thanks for showing us your new aquisition!
Hey Matt, I noticed the mini-splits wrapped in the background ... one thing I've wanted to mention, heating the shop with the radiant floor alone is a slow process. Consider adding unitary heaters as well. The floor will do a great job if the bay doors are kept closed, but as soon as you open one all the warm air is going to blow out and the floor alone will take a long time to warm the space back up again. A unit heater or two by the doors will help break the chill and give the floor time to re-heat the space again. Also a big ass fan will help push the warm air back down to the floor.
Last summer, I'd about had enough of big box store riders. So, I bought a '76 C-120 off of FB Marketplace. The old K series Kohler runs great, and it mows incredibly well. It will likely outlive me. I've had it dealing with poorly built and engineered modern junk. Great find, wonderful video as always, Matt.
Apparently the previous owner ran all the fuel out before they stored it. I've gotten a few that sat for years started right up. And if you use good gas it helps also. Thanks for the video 👍🇺🇸
Hey Matt, Enjoy each of your shows. Love watching your trucks, tractors and you name it run over your cameras! Its always very entertaining, to say the least. Best wishes to you and your lovely and patient wife. Nice to see you bringing the family pets back into the pictures too! Great job...
You must be living right Matt with this find being as good as it is, although I think you’ve developed a pretty keen eye for “ stuff “ that has potential. I feel ya regarding just how good it feels to bring an old critter back to life, not much better to declare “ it’s alive “. Well done once again - pretty cool little machine 👍👍
That is a cool rider! Don't know if Slime is the same as Fix-A-Flat, but I could hear the voice of Chicanic ranting about "This "QUICK FIX" will destroy your mower! DON'T FALL FOR IT or it will cost you BIG later!" in the second half of the video.
Rotella T5 is the best. I use it in all my small engines (Honda, Briggs Vanguard, etc). Works fantastic and they don't burn oil at all. Great video, enjoyed watching you bring this good old mower back to life.
I bought my house Jan 2022 and there was an 1987 Deutz Allis 1918 series tractor sunk in the ground in my back yard from the previous owner. He said it had been there for at least 8 years. The engine was seized, tires flat and the mowing deck had too many holes to be saved but through watching videos like yours I decided to try to get it running. I unseized the motor with some Kroil in the cylinder and after a tune up of plugs, oil, filters, ect, it is the best running, sounding and starting mower I own. It is the oldest of my three and I will never get rid of it. Hydraulic steer, trans, deck height, ect. Front and rear driveshafts for implements. Really nice unit. I would post a picture if I knew how. Love the old stuff.
I bought my parents the identical tractor new in 88. Dad used it up until about 2017 when it got difficult for him to get on. The wheel horse still runs great. Good to see you get this one running for your Dad, Matt.
My first garden machine was a mid-70s WH garden tractor, that my dad bought so he’d be able to off-load the mowing and snow-blowing of our 1 acre property, to his 8 yr old son lol - besides the coolness of being the only one of my peers whose family had color TVs, in-ground pool, garage door openers and other “new for the time tech”, he sold me on it b/c I could use it to make bank mowing lawns and plowing/snow-blowing neighbor’s driveways during the winters, wherein we averaged 200” of snow each calendar year (late Oct through late March)…he had that tractor until the day he died, in 1988….
Yes you’re back great to see you again mate love your videos they are great videos mate can’t wait to the next one it amazes me how much you know with all these old machines.
With the engine running that good wouldn't dare tear into the carb. Just spray some carb cleaner to get the gunk off the outside. That thing is running absolutely perfect.
Hey Matt, I loved the video on the Wheelhorse mainly because when I was a kid, my Dad owned a couple of them he added three-point hitches (manually operated) that he used to plow, cultivate, and harrow our and several friends', family's, and neighbors' gardens. Although both of ours had Wisconsin engines on them, I remember my Dad showing me that when starting them {especially cold} if they kicked back {ours had rope starters} it was generally a sign that the valve lash needed adjustment. Since then, I've remedied this issue with Wisconsins, Kohlers, Briggs and Strattons, Tecumsehs, and Hondas as well as a couple of Chinese engines. If the valve lash is too great, the intake valve is closing too soon causing excessive compression upon starting and the exhaust opens too late causing more heat buildup in the cylinder. I've encountered many instances where people have replaced perfectly good batteries and starter motors. This could possibly account for the overheated/melted/defective starter solenoid on your unit.
Matt, great save from the trash heap. The shot of you on the mower cutting the grass reminded me of the movie clip from Forrest Gump. Anyway, great save and I enjoy how you explain your method of trouble shooting an "unknown" engine, whether a 1 cylinder like this one or a big Detroit. Thanks for sharing.
I owned a 1987 418c hydro for many years, but had to sell it when I downsized. They are great tractors! I had the plow with wheel weights and chains…what a beast pushing snow!! Used it for grading dirt as well. Tough tractors to kill. Btw, the date code on that battery was that sticker ready got on top. E-6 was May of 16 or 06. Pretty clean, so probably 2016. New shop looks great!
I never had any luck with green slime, or any other liquid plug short cut. Tubes are the same price and are permanent, also you can patch them. Great gift for you :)
Lol. That is why I love working on small engines. It is my passion, because they are just so simple to work on. My mom's tiller started acting up the other day. I removed, disassembled, cleaned, and reinstalled the carburetor in 14 minutes. Small engines are just cheap and easy. You don't have to be rich to pursue it as a hobby. I have enough projects right now to last a year or so, and I got all of them for free. It's a great way to spend your spare time.
That looks to be an exceptionally good little tractor. With 16hp, I imagine it would make a useful yard shunter for trailers up to a certain size too. The tow bar on it looks sturdier than what I normally see on little tractors of this kind.
I bought a 1961 used Wheelhorse lawn tractor when I was 15 years old. It came with the mower deck, a snow blower, , snow plow and those round disks used to turn soil. I loved working on it, years later I took my children for rides on it, cleared the sidewalks of snow for all my neighbors, and just made great memories. The tractor and I are both 62 years old and, it still runs.
Thanks for sharing!
That's the year I was born, don't make things to last like they used to.
That’s a Great Story, God Bless You.
Is there a Chance You would like to Sell that Thing & just How Much do You need for it??🤣
Dang! Free!! I don't think I've ever said this in over 6 decades on earth, I'm jealous!
What a sweet memories you have,and thanks for sharing 👍
I have a lot of respect for people like you, who fix up these beautiful machines instead of letting them rot in a junkyard. Thank you!
I'm from the UK and this is a very nostalgic tractor for me! I grew up in a small cottage in the woods, and my dad used to coppice the woodland around the house. We used exactly the same tractor with a trailer to get the logs out and I used to drive it in and out. My Dad would set me off (I couldn't reach the clutch 😂) and my Mum would stop me at the other end and help get the logs out! I loved my childhood!
what does coppice mean , mow?
@@stevewhyte8476 basically thinning the trees down strategically so it can grow in a healthy way. It was just the tractor without the deck on it.
Thanks and have a good day.
My family had a qualcast push mower in Uk mind u I’m on my second ride on now can only manage the 28 inch wide I’m all posh now with lithium powered
@@danielpowell8416sp basically pruning?
Bought my 520H WheelHorse in 1990...still going strong! 3/4 arce lawn, 48" snowblower.
That cleaned up nicely.
Sadly, I know nothing about the workings of engines, but I think its great that you take these older vehicles and give them a new life, and I am all in with that. Keep upthe good work
The round sticker on the battery is your manufacture date. E is the 5th month. 6 is three last digit of the year. Yours is either May of 2016 or 2006. Probably '16
I still think it's beautiful.
Hi matt I've been a subscriber from.near on day one and diesel creek has brought me so much joy over the years and helped me with my mental health alot just the other day my little girl who has ASD and adhd watched one of your videos and went calm and silent I asked her what was the matter she replied nothing daddy I like his voice and how he repairs things like you and that warmed my heart to no end she finds it so hard to calm down and relax due to her needs she goes quiet and very inquisitive when she helps me with my mechanical and electrical repair work thank you for all the hard work you put into your videos and the joy and comfort it brings us all keep em coming matt god bless you mate
Sounds like you have identified something that can turn some of her energy/anxiety into productivity. I hope you have a garage and necessities to get her a project tractor / go cart or something of the sort maybe....
My 8years old son also has ADHD and he love to help me when i working on my workshop, tbh quite challenging handling child with ADHD.. i hope you and your family doing well and always in a good health 😊
Congratulations mat.......New saying at DIESAL CREEK ".... "Well its going to run"😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊❤❤❤❤❤❤...
21:40 Love it!
That's what you get from properly draining the fuel system before storage!
No varnish or gum to block things up, no crap left in the tank..
+1 to previous owner 👍
I agree, I was thinking that the previous owner “ran it dry” for storage. I try to do that at the end of the season also.
When I was 12 years old (1968), I had the job of cutting our 3/4 acre yard with a 19” 3 hp Briggs and Stratton push mower. What a dreaded weekly summer chore! One Saturday Dad took me out to our local Wheel Horse dealer and bought one. I will never forget that day of liberation. Thanks for the memory!
You lucky Dog....lol. When I was a kid I had to wrestle an ancient walk behind "Suffolk Punch" cylinder mower around the Lawn. Thing must have weighed twice what I did! It was self propelled, but never had a split roller so it had the turning circle of an Oil Tanker.......
TRy mowing about 1 1/2 acres with a 3 hp cheapo push mower. I could only dream of a riding mower. 🙃@@nickmaclachlan5178
Ha, you were lucky! My parents bought a lawn tractor the summer I moved from home and they had to cut the farm yard themselves! :)
At least it was quiet
Just when I needed something to watch for breakfast, our man provides.
I'm the same, but with lunch
Wait you ate the video?
A man has to have dessert, don't he?
Moose milk best breakfest
@TiffanySmith-ed2lj Probably the best compliment I've ever received
Small projects are the best!
That is a great tractor! I am a wheelhorse guy and own 7 of them at this time. I was thrilled to see you working on this one. These tractors are timeless and I plow my driveway out each year and mow with mine. I live in the snowbelt of Western New York state and that tractor has no problem dealing with all the snow we get. I get replacement seats for mine at Northern Tool, if you are thinking about replacing that one.
My dad bought a 1975 automatic years ago and is selling it despite my best efforts to convince him it’s a good little tractor to keep. They’re great tractors for their size, built sturdy, easily repairable. If you’re wanting a tractor to wrench on and get your moneys worth out of. It’s the tractor to cut your teeth on!
your right that horse will out plow my 25 hp deere and the ponds had a superior snow plow design
@@StrikerV3 wheel horse tractors were at one time a direct competitor to cub cadet ,, i still have my grandfather's D-160 wheel horse tractor ,and there's no mistaking it for anything else it's a big square tractor slightly bigger than a 430 JD garden tractor,,, i own 3 D series WH tractors ,,the old D160 and i have acquired a D180 and a D200 ,,,,,my D200 has been repowered with a Kubota D722 3 cylinger diesel
Love ‘em I got 5 3 different 312-8 and two c160s
I'm in Western NY too..Lewiston NY actually don't get all that much snow here..where abouts are you southern tier?
Matt cracks me up with his child like enthusiasm when he gets things going. I look forward to it every time.
What a machine! Very nice! Ag tires, 16hp, good seat, nice paint. Deck even look good.
You've got good friends Matt.😊
Right. It’s like the guy got it dirty and gave it to him.
(Edit. My comment sounded crappy. Guy probably didn’t need or care about it. That’s fair.)
Nice job, Matt. Now for the Gravely in the shipping container!
Awesome fix great lawnmower
Technically, it's a garden tractor. It's designed to do all the same work as a farm tractor, but on a smaller scale.
17:36 The oxidation between 2 different metals is called Galvanic Corrosion...
It's a MASSIVE Pain in the Assets when it happens...
😄😁😆😅😂🤣
CONGRATULATIONS, Matt! Once again, you've saved a piece of equipment from destruction!
A DC video and a Mustie 1 on the same day, Happy Days!
Man I love when you just work on some small garden tractors!
Add some gumout to gas
"Another 'WIN' ... good for you Buddy!"
I enjoy when you work on the “simpler” items. This is something I may find myself working on someday.
Cadillac of lawn tractors back in the Day. I have 3 myself 1960,1958,1964. That 8spd trans is bullet proof
That's a nice machine, and it's in great condition for it's age. She's got some life left in her, and deserves a spit shine and a poor man's refresh.
Very kool. Im jealous. Dandahermit
Yeeeeeyyy !!!! Is time to sit down and just see what Matt is doing Good morning ☀️
I would totally choose a Wheel Horse over a Cadet. Dandahermit
Hope you, Roscoe, meatball and the gang are doing well
I'm really glad you saved that from getting scrapped. soo mint not worth throwing out for sure. didn't even need a starter
I bought a used one very similar to this one 17 years ago. Excellent piece of equipment, always starts right up and I love the “thump” of the Kohler engine. I believe given the opportunity it would climb a tree !
Howdyyawl from the land down under.Well Matt, youve got a real little gem there Your Dad will like it. Keep him busy. 😊
I LOVE your energy and excitement when an engine fires off!! It's part of why I like watching your channel.
Great deal for sure! Check the blades or blade for sharpness or replacement. Thanks for taking us along! J.R.
We need more Rosco! It was great to see him close up and your interaction with him.
Thanks for sharing my friend! Praying sent for you and your family! 👌🏻👍🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸
I remember the early videos with lawn mower tractors and small engines in an auto garage, I'm glad Matt hasn't forgotten them either, a hug ,brother!
Love the old tractors, built to last. Miss my old sears suburban, swapped one of those China diesels in it and plowed snow like a champ.
Hey Matt, it’s been great watching the channel progress.
Here’s a thing that you may have not considered re cleaning stuff before working on it, it’s clear that you like any good pro, can deal with it as you find it so no real gain in wasting time blasting it off. From a watchers perspective however, it sometimes makes it difficult to see what is what when things are covered in oil and mud and ….
Know what I mean.
Time is precious, do what you’ve got to do, I’m looking forward to you getting the overhead crane installed in the shop.
Save it . These are bulletproof. Tough as nails tractors. We had four of these at our local school district. I will tell you they did not go out for an hour or two once a week. They went out five days a week eight hours for years mowing at our schools. They were used in areas that were too small for our larger equipment to mow. And trust me they held up extremely well. Not only that but the cut was top notch. Because the deck is tall, they gave you a wonderful finished lawn even when mowing in early morning wet conditions. No clumps. Look at all of the cast iron construction all of the grease fittings. Even on the pivot points of the clutch and brake pedals unlike what you will find at Lowes or Home Depot today. They made a rear discharge deck that was used by many cemeterys because they did not blow grass onto headstones instead the grass came out the back or the tractor between the rear tires. a brilliant idea to keep grass out or homeowners flower beds as well. Please save it and treat it well and it will reward you with years of service.
Well done. Nice that you’re helping out your dad.
Love old garden tractors, became a hobby of mine about 2-3 years ago now. Moved to a neighborhood but I still have my 69 John Deere 140 and my 420. 🤙 Don't want to ever get rid of them lol.
Matt for me there’s nothing more cathartic than mowing grass on a riding mower be it a zero turn Cub Cadet or your Wheel Horse it’s just a relaxing time.
Your channel is number one in my book.
Love those Kohler engines. My grandpa's tractor that I learned to drive on had one. Beautiful sound.
Maybe a blade sharpening, a check of the belts and idler pulleys before dad gets it? A suicide knob for the steering wheel too 🙂 Enjoyed the video as always! I buy and sell commercial mowing equipment as a side hustle so I enjoyed this one extra 😎
Looks like the guy mowed his lawn put it back into the shed!!!!great condition nice score!!!
It's too cute how excited you get when the engines actually start!! You're like a kid at Christmas!! God bless you and your family! ❤️🙏👍
When he claps his hands like a Seal at Marine Land lol It is funny.. A Matt thing for sure [part of the shtick]. :-) Key to his thang!
thats just how us guys are wired, we take something thats broke, and bring it back to life. we get excited
Yes sir! Don’t cheap out on engines oil the most expensive part of your vehicle depends on it
You made out good on this little tractor
Hey Matt, another great video! For batteries one thing I learned in auto parts is how to read date codes. That battery you have there has an 'E6' label on the top. This would translate to May 2016 which would be just on par for how long you said it was sitting. They basically go with the alphabet being the month; A=1, B=2,etc and the 2nd character is the year using the last digit, making this one 2016. Hope this helps someone out there.
maybe it was 2006 then ?
@@rmee5165 I don't believe that they used that date code system in 2006.
Rivnut that solenoid hole! You'll never have to wrestle with that solenoid again. Sorry if it's already been said. Great video!
Growing up, Wheel Horse was the go-to garden tractor. I grew up about five blocks from Elmer Pond's place and knew both he and his wife, The house in which I grew up had been purchased from him by my grandparents in about 1930. For awhile his grandkids lived a block away. The first machines that I recall were the ones with a four horse Kohler. Rather overworked with the mower deck. There was a gentleman by the name of Yates that lived a couple of blocks away. He worked for Wheel Horse and seemed to always be upgrading to the newest and best.
Matt what I like about the older units is that you can still get the parts you need for them Jim Swanson Oregon Ohio
Brings back a lot of memories my grandfather work for Wheelhorse plant in South Bend Indiana. I grew up with one at home. That mower was a real workhorse. We did everything with it from clearing the land to build a house to raise gardens, or hauling things around.
Well... that "find" scrubbed up real pretty, AND sound like a new one too!
Way to be a good son Matt. Im sure your Dad is gonna love it!
The Wheel Horse tractors with Kohler horizontal crankshaft engines are lifetime machines. I have 5 of them. Changed the engine oils to synthetic as well as the trans/diff fluid. to synthetic. That one you had given to you is really in quite nice condition. Take care of it
Matt great video , I been watching you for a long time now. You are the big reason I am doing small engine school. I'm in bad health and recently lost my leg but im able to do online school for now. I hope you see this. I have learned alot from you. Thank you and Mrs Diesel creek for everything. Much love and respect from here in Kentucky ❤
Me and my son pulled a wheelhorse b-60 from 1977 out of a barn a few months ago. We got it running with very little effort and he drove it in our local harvest festival parade last weekend!
Before my uncle sold his house and moved, he had a 3 wheel horses laying around. Only one working, but he was parting out the other two. You'd be surprised at how much you can get off the parts alone. Really worth holding onto imo, they're great machines.
Wow the paint is Amazing after that bath Just wow super shiny didnt exspect it to look thst good after the cleaning Matt 5:17 @Diesel Creek
As a wheelhorse fanboy and collector I’m looking forward to watching this. The 4 is for the 400 series. They had a 200-500 series. The lawn tractor video you did was one of my favorites. It was my exact first mower when I was 8 years old. My dad had a 312-8 growing up, my grandfather had several different horses throughout the years. I currently have a 520 hydro and a newer 520 lxi which are both beast in the garden tractor world.
I have the 312-8 also and use it all the time
ive got a rj59 its great its getting a 212 put in
My favorite was my 1972 Commander with the Kholer 18 horse S belt drive takeoff.
Simply couldn't kill it if I tried.
Slow as F but always reliable once I got done fixing the various issues it had from the lawyer I bought it from up in Coral Gables.
Paid 200 hundred bucks in 2010 body mint condition.
It was originally his dad's.
Unfortunately he gave all the accessories away or scrapped them.
These older mowers are brutes, great find. 😊😊😊😊😊
I had a 416-8 with the Onan twin and a plow. What a great tractor that was. Towed trailers with the wheel weights and chains like a beast.
your dad is going to love it. your a good son.
Wow, nice little unit you've got there, Matt! Once again, I admire your mechanical skill and know how. I'm sure your Dad will be so grateful to have the mower to keep things neat and well-kept. Thanks for showing us your new aquisition!
I demand Roscoe video!
Another great save Matt. When you started mowing I couldn’t help but see the new lights on the workshop, they look really cool mate.
What a lovely wee tractor your a lucky man for getting it for nothing please keep the great videos coming friend from Scotland 😊
Hey Matt, I noticed the mini-splits wrapped in the background ... one thing I've wanted to mention, heating the shop with the radiant floor alone is a slow process. Consider adding unitary heaters as well. The floor will do a great job if the bay doors are kept closed, but as soon as you open one all the warm air is going to blow out and the floor alone will take a long time to warm the space back up again. A unit heater or two by the doors will help break the chill and give the floor time to re-heat the space again. Also a big ass fan will help push the warm air back down to the floor.
The branch county jail uses one of these. Not to mow the lawn, but it does basically any other job they want it to.
Last summer, I'd about had enough of big box store riders. So, I bought a '76 C-120 off of FB Marketplace. The old K series Kohler runs great, and it mows incredibly well. It will likely outlive me. I've had it dealing with poorly built and engineered modern junk. Great find, wonderful video as always, Matt.
Not bad at all for free she just a moving Along And the deck works Nice 38:49 @Diesel Creek
Apparently the previous owner ran all the fuel out before they stored it. I've gotten a few that sat for years started right up. And if you use good gas it helps also. Thanks for the video 👍🇺🇸
or more likely they sucked/drained the fuel out of it
You always seem to get sooooooo lucky!!!! I'm a Bolens man myself, I have a beautiful 1455.
That unit looks really nice, and seems to be great at moving grass. That thing is worth those parts you bought!
Those wheel horse tractors was classy looking especially with big chrome hub caps
Hey Matt, Enjoy each of your shows. Love watching your trucks, tractors and you name it run over your cameras! Its always very entertaining, to say the least. Best wishes to you and your lovely and patient wife. Nice to see you bringing the family pets back into the pictures too! Great job...
Excellent. Find. Those. Machines. Are. Beasts
You must be living right Matt with this find being as good as it is, although I think you’ve developed a pretty keen eye for “ stuff “ that has potential. I feel ya regarding just how good it feels to bring an old critter back to life, not much better to declare “ it’s alive “. Well done once again - pretty cool little machine 👍👍
Pretty good shape for being free. I'm sure your dad will enjoy it.
Hello from Australia. Love the vids Matt
That is a cool rider! Don't know if Slime is the same as Fix-A-Flat, but I could hear the voice of Chicanic ranting about "This "QUICK FIX" will destroy your mower! DON'T FALL FOR IT or it will cost you BIG later!" in the second half of the video.
Rotella T5 is the best. I use it in all my small engines (Honda, Briggs Vanguard, etc). Works fantastic and they don't burn oil at all. Great video, enjoyed watching you bring this good old mower back to life.
But this oil are not for diesel engine? I don’t understand how work?
I bought my house Jan 2022 and there was an 1987 Deutz Allis 1918 series tractor sunk in the ground in my back yard from the previous owner. He said it had been there for at least 8 years. The engine was seized, tires flat and the mowing deck had too many holes to be saved but through watching videos like yours I decided to try to get it running. I unseized the motor with some Kroil in the cylinder and after a tune up of plugs, oil, filters, ect, it is the best running, sounding and starting mower I own. It is the oldest of my three and I will never get rid of it. Hydraulic steer, trans, deck height, ect. Front and rear driveshafts for implements. Really nice unit. I would post a picture if I knew how. Love the old stuff.
I bought my parents the identical tractor new in 88. Dad used it up until about 2017 when it got difficult for him to get on. The wheel horse still runs great. Good to see you get this one running for your Dad, Matt.
My first garden machine was a mid-70s WH garden tractor, that my dad bought so he’d be able to off-load the mowing and snow-blowing of our 1 acre property, to his 8 yr old son lol - besides the coolness of being the only one of my peers whose family had color TVs, in-ground pool, garage door openers and other “new for the time tech”, he sold me on it b/c I could use it to make bank mowing lawns and plowing/snow-blowing neighbor’s driveways during the winters, wherein we averaged 200” of snow each calendar year (late Oct through late March)…he had that tractor until the day he died, in 1988….
Yes you’re back great to see you again mate love your videos they are great videos mate can’t wait to the next one it amazes me how much you know with all these old machines.
I really hope you and your family are all doing well my friend and god bless you and your family.
With the engine running that good wouldn't dare tear into the carb. Just spray some carb cleaner to get the gunk off the outside. That thing is running absolutely perfect.
It a lovely little machine, I am sure your dad will love it.
Hey Matt, I loved the video on the Wheelhorse mainly because when I was a kid, my Dad owned a couple of them he added three-point hitches (manually operated) that he used to plow, cultivate, and harrow our and several friends', family's, and neighbors' gardens. Although both of ours had Wisconsin engines on them, I remember my Dad showing me that when starting them {especially cold} if they kicked back {ours had rope starters} it was generally a sign that the valve lash needed adjustment. Since then, I've remedied this issue with Wisconsins, Kohlers, Briggs and Strattons, Tecumsehs, and Hondas as well as a couple of Chinese engines. If the valve lash is too great, the intake valve is closing too soon causing excessive compression upon starting and the exhaust opens too late causing more heat buildup in the cylinder. I've encountered many instances where people have replaced perfectly good batteries and starter motors. This could possibly account for the overheated/melted/defective starter solenoid on your unit.
I've just been doing the manual 3 point lift myself. Don't suppose you have any pictures of your dad's version?
Matt, great save from the trash heap. The shot of you on the mower cutting the grass reminded me of the movie clip from Forrest Gump. Anyway, great save and I enjoy how you explain your method of trouble shooting an "unknown" engine, whether a 1 cylinder like this one or a big Detroit. Thanks for sharing.
I owned a 1987 418c hydro for many years, but had to sell it when I downsized. They are great tractors! I had the plow with wheel weights and chains…what a beast pushing snow!! Used it for grading dirt as well. Tough tractors to kill. Btw, the date code on that battery was that sticker ready got on top. E-6 was May of 16 or 06. Pretty clean, so probably 2016. New shop looks great!
I never had any luck with green slime, or any other liquid plug short cut. Tubes are the same price and are permanent, also you can patch them. Great gift for you :)
Looks simpler to fix than a newer hydro-static Cub! Good to see the old iron moving so nicely.
Lol. That is why I love working on small engines. It is my passion, because they are just so simple to work on. My mom's tiller started acting up the other day. I removed, disassembled, cleaned, and reinstalled the carburetor in 14 minutes. Small engines are just cheap and easy. You don't have to be rich to pursue it as a hobby. I have enough projects right now to last a year or so, and I got all of them for free. It's a great way to spend your spare time.
That looks to be an exceptionally good little tractor. With 16hp, I imagine it would make a useful yard shunter for trailers up to a certain size too. The tow bar on it looks sturdier than what I normally see on little tractors of this kind.
Bought my 520H Toro WheelHorse in August 1990.. running it hard every since- grass in the summer- snow in the winter!❤
Hey man I just want to say I love your videos and keep up the great work