6 replies to this topic

[hydriv]

I read somewhere that Wheel Horse made one tractor using hydraulic drive.  

No..... I don't mean hydrostatic.   I mean hydraulic as in using a fixed displacement gear pump.

So... here are my questions.

1.  Does anyone know what year they did this and what the model number was?

2. Does anyone have written information about this tractor such as advertising brochures, parts manuals and a service manual for the hydraulic system?

[rustyoldjunk]

i dont believe there was ever a hydraulic drive wheel horse unless it was a prototype.

[olcowhand]

I'm no WH expert by any means, but never heard of a hydraulic drive WH.

[hydriv]

As it turns out, both of you are right.  The person who is wrong is none other than Oscar H. Wills, the author of the latest book on old Garden Tractors. Those of you who subscribe to LAGC should have seen this book advertised there.  No disrespect but when I could not get a definitive answer on this forum, I took the question to Red Square.  The Wills book mentions two models that came out in 1965 called the Wheel - A-Matics.  Wills claimed that they were both hydraulic drive and was quite emphatic with his statements on that issue.  According to member TT of Red Square, these were the first hydrostatic drive Horses and that was confirmed by another member.

I could have given you guys more info but I thought this might be a fun test for one of the Wheel Horse guys so I withheld the year and model on purpose.  All the same, I'd like to thank those who responded to what was a tough question.

As for the Wills book, I am not sorry I bought it.  I found it to be an interesting read all the same.  I'm just disappointed about the innacuracy of some of the info.  There are glaring errors with the Colt and Case stuff too so it makes one wonder about the reliability of the rest he has written.

[mjodrey]

hydriv said:

As it turns out, both of you are right.  The person who is wrong is none other than Oscar H. Wills, the author of the latest book on old Garden Tractors. Those of you who subscribe to LAGC should have seen this book advertised there.  No disrespect but when I could not get a definitive answer on this forum, I took the question to Red Square.  The Wills book mentions two models that came out in 1965 called the Wheel - A-Matics.  Wills claimed that they were both hydraulic drive and was quite emphatic with his statements on that issue.  According to member TT of Red Square, these were the first hydrostatic drive Horses and that was confirmed by another member.

I could have given you guys more info but I thought this might be a fun test for one of the Wheel Horse guys so I withheld the year and model on purpose.  All the same, I'd like to thank those who responded to what was a tough question.

As for the Wills book, I am not sorry I bought it.  I found it to be an interesting read all the same.  I'm just disappointed about the innacuracy of some of the info.  There are glaring errors with the Colt and Case stuff too so it makes one wonder about the reliability of the rest he has written.

Yes I also bought that book and am not sorry I got it  either,But as hydriv stated,there is quite a few errors in the information but it is still a good book.

[wh71]

Wheel horse made a few different tractors with the wheel a matic but they made many more after toro bought them out in 1986

[Blown331]

I have a 1965 875 Wheel-A-Matic.