chris hall

The third and final part of my 3 point build...
 
Enjoy
 

The rear hitch with lower arms bolted in place.. Yep the roll bar will certainly need a bit of trimming!
 

 
 
Just to see how it would look I dug my 3 point towing frame thingy out to see how it would look... Good me thinks
 

 
 
Before chopping any bit's off the roll bar I quickly welded on this bit of bracing to stop the RB from twanging out of shape.
 

 
 
Off came the RB for a bit of surgery, first a bit of marking out..
 

 
 
Chopped..  All the opening will be plated over in time
 

 
 
That's better, the top arm "fits" now
 

 
 
It was at this point that I had had enough of trying to see what I was doing through the GT's fenders etc.. So off it all came
 

 
 
More to come in a bit, I need to get started on dinner..

 
Thanks Paul, there's plenty more to come.

Howdo all, I thought it was about time I posted up something about my small herd of Wheel Horses, so let's start with my GT-14+2
 
 
I bought this beast from Neil as a non runner last year back in the days of warmth, blue sky's and some green on the trees.
Here she is shortly after delivery..
No she wasn't delivered by Wheel Horse, but it was a handy way of getting the non running GT from the van around to my shack.
 

 

 
 
A big thank you to this chap Paul for collecting the GT from Neils place and bringing it all the way to Kent.
 

 
 
The GT at home in the shack.
 

 
 
The first job on the list was to get the GT's engine running. As it was producing no spark my first port of call was the points.. I got a bit of a shock to find new points that hadn't been set up!
 

 
 
I should point out that Neil had bought it for spares for his other GT and other than unloading it at his place hadn't touched it at all. I'm just so Glad Neil offered to sell it to me.. I love the GT
 
 
With the engine now running she could be driven about and tested out.. The hydro trans works well as did the hydraulic side of things.
 
Here's Mark (Meadowfield) a fellow GT owner giving my GT a test drive round the garden.
 

 

 
 
Although the GT's engine ran it was showing signs of it's age which after almost 43 years it has every right to..  Burning oil was one problem but the one that worried me the most was the engine was getting very hot very fast!
It was getting so hot that my 1st planned long drive only lasted about 3 min's before I decided to turn back.. At least it was a nice day for it
 

 
 
Some quick thinking was needed to get the GT in usable condition again, which resulted in a bid on Fleabay and I became the proud owner of this Wheel Horse Raider 10 that had been fitted with a big Kohler Magnum 16hp engine
 

 

 
 
So out came the GT's original 14hp engine..
 

 
 
And and in went the 16hp Kohler Magnum lump.
 

 
 
 
One slight problem as you can see was the bonnet wouldn't close due the size of the engine..
 
Not a problem
 

 
 
Filling the hole.
 

 
 
Now the bonnet closes
 

Morning chaps, with the arrival a of a big delivery of new steel, I could start working out where the outriggers should go.
 

 
 
Which meant more lathe time to finish the widened rear wheel hubs..
A length of steel bar in the lathe taking shape.
 

 
 
More key-way cutting..
 

 

 
 
And the final part, shrink fitting the bit's of bar and the rest of the hubs together.
 

 
 
Time to cut some holes in the outriggers.. Two different jigs were used..   One to make the bearing block bolt holes.
 

 
 
And one jig to make a rather bigger hole.
 

 
 
A steel crop circle
 

 
 
Hole cut out and finished off with with one of these strange sanding wheels in a drill.
 

 

 

You sent me this shot Kevin, remember seeing it an a Calendar....?
 
I think it was this one.. either way, all brilliance I say!

Before and after..
 

 

 

 
 

Another update
Part of the rear fender, also the 3 point top link mount

How it mounts

Finalising the front tranny mount

Making the intermediate drive from the mid tach point.

Checking position

Ok, I may be cheating a little bit here as I bought the gas bottle wood burner already made..
But when I arrived we had to do a lot of work on it to make it usable..
 
As it arrived..
 

 
 
The legs came off with only a light tug!!    As modled by Garry.
 

 
 
New stronger legs were made from "hidden toilet cistern" legs.
 

 
 
A new chimney was made from part of a metal lamp shade..
 

 
 
A length of flu pipe..
 

 
 
A bit of "boy racer" style car exhaust.
 

 
 
And half a Wheel Horse front wheel..
 

 
 
Weld all those bits together and you end up with something looking like this.
 

 
 
The badly fitting door was replaced with an "Uncle Bens" wok which came free with a packet of rice
 

 

 
 
A cowl for the chimney was made for yet another wok. seen here smoking on a white winters day.
 

 
 
Pete lighting the gas bottle wood burner for the first time..
 

 
 
And of course the first kettle to be boiled on it.. Yes the door normally stay's closed to stop the shack filling up with smoke..
 

 
 
You might say I like to recycle stuff

I started to build this small barn in the autumn last year 2013 , i needed somewhere  to store some of my tools & a few wheel horse tractors along with a few other Bits n Bobs, & also somewhere to do a few jobs .
I managed to use up all the left over bits of wood that i had accumilated from customers  jobs & i managed to pick up a Mahogony exterior door from the bay of E for  Ten Quid . i could buy the glass for that sort of money .
 
I have only managed to complete the front & side section so far  and i built the  barn doors  only this week end .
Hope to have the roof pitched sometime this week.
 
i would have like to use reclaimed clay roof tiles but the budget would not stretch to that ,so i am using Box profile steel roof sheets ,

Here's a few photo's of it hung together to see if it works !

I am absolutely thrilled with my Miller 140 Auto-Set. http://www.millerwelds.com/products/mig/product.php?model=M00234
I know I didn't need to spend that much, but I wanted a good reliable machine that was supported by my local welding supply store.
You can figure on an additional +/- $150 if you buy your own bottle of shielding gas. I have never welded with flux core wire. (and never will)

Thought I'd post another one of my more recent projects. This was given to me by a close friend (Gary) two days before he passed away from Cancer. He was one of the kindest, most giving individuals I have ever known, so this was a very special project for me, and made for a great memorial of him.
 I don't know if you guys have these on the other side of the pond, but they are a very well built machine. They are a true hydraulic drive, not a hydrostatic. They have a much higher pressure, and volume than a traditional hydrostat, which made them perfect for loaders, and such. Its pump is bolted directly to the back of the engine, and it has a hydraulic motor on the rear end, as well as hydraulic raise, and lower cylinder.
 Case built these tractors, almost unchanged from the 60's, and they're still being built today under the Ingersoll name. These are the only garden tractor that I know of, at least over here that remained basically unchanged from the 60's all the way to present. Here is a link to the current Ingersol site. http://www.eastmanind.com/INGERSOLL/tabid/186/Default.aspx
 
This particular Case is an 84 model, also know to the Case collectors as the Black Frame model. This was the year Case sold their garden tractor division to Ingersoll, and although they still wore the Case name, they were owned by Ingersoll. These are a somewhat collectible year, as it was the only year they came with the black frame, as well as different decals, and a white seat. Although I no longer have a white seat on mine, as it was in bad shape, as can be seen by the pictures. This GT is equipped with a Kohler K-301 12hp engine, and a 44" rear discharge mower deck.  Here are a few pics. Thanks
 
Matt
 

I had this RJ35 imported to UK in sept 2013 from Connecticut  USA ,  The previous owner was Michael Martino ,  who had the tractor quite a few years .
It has the rare stamped type chassis  and is one of the early RJ35`s
it came with a front dozer blade & also the reel mower for the front
This is my 5th import from US .







 
 
 
 
 
 

I just have some small cosmetic works to do to finish it off , i have to paint the rear wheels Black & respray the front wheels silver

before and after
before and after

beautiful tractor !!!! i would love to own a 444 on day. great work.

Thank you Neil, for both reading, and posting in this thread.
 
 
 I got the suite case weights painted, and mounted back on the 444. Now their both functional, and look good.    I'm working on adding about 150 pounds per rear wheel in the back using dumbbell weights. You can see the bracket that will be holding theme. Each side will have 2- 50lb plates, and 2- 25lb plates on them. Should give me plenty of traction.
 
Matt   

I thought it was about time for an update. I built a weight bracket for the front of the 444. I bought 5 suite case weights that weigh 22 pounds each. They are just rough cut out of a piece of 2" thick steel. They were very inexpensive. I then used the mule bracket for the mower deck, to make my weight bracket out of. I added 1/2" thick steel plate that I had laying around, to the front, and back of it, as well as other reinforcement. The bracket alone weighs over 45 pounds, so I added over 150lbs to the front. I still have some grinding to do to the weight before I can paint them. More pics soon. Thanks
 
Matt   

Thanks Nigel. 
 
 
 I got alot of it put back together today. I still have a fair amount of work left, but it won't be long.
 
 
 Started bolting it back together today, and managed to get most of the decals on, which went on beautifully. The spot on the hood where the leaf landed did leave a mark, but when the paint is fully cured, Ill wet sand, and buff it out. This thing is starting to look to good to go back to working for a living.   It will go back to work though.  Here are a few pics. Thanks
 
Matt 

A bit late to the party - thanks for the nudge Ian...
 
here's my latest toy for those who haven't seen it
 

 
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