Wheel Horse Tractors

Wheel Horse Tractors

Not many small businesses have been as profitable as Wheel Horse, and even fewer machines as productive as this conventional line of hardworking garden tractors. It started in the 1920s, when a few good men decided to pool their talents and make a go at the garden tractor business.The 1920s encouraged the daring and inventive to experiment, and so it all began with a little group of talented handymen. Working hard with spare motorcycle and automobile parts, the group cleverly joined forces to put together a garden tractor that would take America by storm. In just a few short years, Wheel Horse founder Elmer Pond and his cohorts started a venture that assembly-line built these powerful tractors. Reaching a point in sales of .5 million, the Wheel Horse tractor was courted and obtained by Toro, a industry leader in garden tractors since the 1980s.And so, the little Wheel Horse tractor that could continued to pull, plow, and blow past the competition through the better part of the 21st Century.

In the 1950s, Wheel Horse tractors adopted an innovative engine mount located between the driver’s legs, and coupled that with a belt-driven, variable-speed transmission that opened up a whole new world to property owners.At the onset of the ’60s, consumers enjoyed additional attachments and engine developments, as Wheel Horse manufactured the GT-14, their first 14-horsepower, large-frame tractor.The 27 X 9.50-15-rear tires eligible the Wheel Horse tractor to dig in its heels and carry its vertical shaft engine and input transaxle with ease.Nobody could deny that the Wheel Horse tractor was the real McCoy; its easy handling and advanced engineering put it tops in the market of garden tractors.

Wheel Horse tractors are as competitive in price as they are in quality.Purchasing a Wheel Horse tractor is more like an investment than an expenditure because the longer you own one the more you realize its value.When Founder Elmer Pond first created the Wheel Horse tractor in the mid ’40s, people soon realized the strength and maneuverability of these garden tractors, and they’ve been collecting them ever since.

Even though the Wheel Horse tractor experienced outstanding improvements in power and maneuverability over the years, this has not interfered with the machines reputation as being easy to assemble and maintain. Whether you’re renovating your yard, planting a garden, grading a drive, or removing snow, there is a Wheel Horse tractor attachment that meets your needs. For many years, the Wheel Horse tractor name has been synonymous with “speed, sport, and spirit,” and those same beliefs are alive and well today. Because Wheel Horse tractors have maintained their quality, ease, and comfort, they have been recognized as the best of the best in garden variety tractors-they’re the true American workhorse.

I made a homemade Fairbanks Morse Garden Tractor. As you can see it works great for plowing. It has hydraulics and a sleeve hitch. There is an easy way to build this kind of tractor and the hard way. The easy way is to get an existing garden tractor and swap engines. That would’ve satisfy me, so I did it the hard way: I bought a welder and learned how to weld on this tractor. The frame is hand built from angle iron. Be sure to use truss ideas and gussets to make the frame strong. The rear cast iron transaxle is from a 60s Gilson, its a Peerless 4 speed with a tillage gear. Those peerless 4 speeds were made for many many years and are extremely common, used on JD, Case, etc. Do not use a aluminum transmission. The torque from the Fairbanks will tear it apart. The steering column & sector is from a JD but it is the same kind used on many garden tractors, like Cub Cadet, etc… The front end is from a Case and is cast iron. The tie rods and linkage is from a Allis Chalmers. The rear wheels are from a JD pull behind plow. You may think the 2hp engine is only “2hp”. But it has tons of torque. My 2hp dishpan has the same torque as a 12hp Kohler (Cub Cadet) garden tractor. When plowing new soil and snagging a tree root, I’ve broken plows with my “vintage” garden tractor.
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