I bought the smallest AMC I've seen IRL.

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REDONE
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I bought the smallest AMC I've seen IRL.

Post by REDONE »

This probably belongs in "general discussion", since it's not technically a "Jeep" at all, but it is an AMC product intended for solely off-road use! :D

For those that don't know, for a brief stint in the mid 70s to early 80s, AMC made little tractors!

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This one is a 16hp 2cyl 4 stroke. It's in their B chassis and came with a 40" mower deck and has the brackets for a plow blade or snow thrower, but didn't come with the actual attachment.

One thing I really like about it (I'll post pics of it tomorrow) is the mower deck is pure mulch only: no provision for bagging or collected discharge. Three blades that cut like mad and then distributes the clippings evenly across the width of the deck.

During the AMC era of Wheel Horse, there were 4 different chassis. The A chassis was mower only and they didn't sell well and aren't that collectable. The B chassis (what I got) is the smallest of the "garden tractors". It was meant as a mower that could do more, which is why I wanted it but I'll get into that more later. The C chassis is the most common and most sought after. If you youtube "Wheel Horse", the vast majority of videos you'll see of Wheel Horse tractors making stuff happen are C chassis tractors.
The D chassis is now extremely collectable, but wasn't very popular in it's lifetime. It was bigger and more capable than the C chassis, but at the same time, if you needed more than a C chassis, you were looking at a farm tractor, not a garden tractor. You were more likely to wind up with something even bigger, so it was a real niche market. The logic follows to my purchase motivation as well.

The last three weeks, I've really been busting my butt around the house. I felled a 30ft ash that was growing into the powerlines, I put in another 50ft of horizontal plank fence, I've completely tilled the front yard and then scraped it with a shovel to fill a massive raised garden. I also dug out a 4ft wide path next to the driveway because we're extending it with flagstone. The second time the wheel barrow fell over (it had already cracked, and the first time it fell over one of the legs got all jacked up) I thought to myself that I was working WAY to dang hard!
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The pics don't do justice to how crooked the trunk was, so I'm really proud that I trimmed it and cut it to fall exactly where I wanted! :-bd
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I've resisted getting a riding mower ever since we bought this house in 2014. I called my father-in-law some unsavory things when he said that I needed to "bite the bullet and get a snowblower". We're on a corner lot in suburbia, I have a fart-ton of sidewalk that I am legally required to clear, but even when we get feet instead of inches, I've been out there hacking at it with a big aluminum scrape shovel. I came to realize, it's not about the exercise, it's about the time!

I first heard of Wheel Horse tractors about 5 years ago and always thought that I'd like to have one if it fell into my lap. After my recent epiphany I looked at modern "yard tractors" from Husky/Poulan and John Deere and DANG! They are awfully proud of their products! More importantly, they don't fit. They don't fit through my gates, they don't fit on my sidewalks,they don't fit in my garage, and most of all, they don't fit anywhere NEAR my budget! :P

I jumped on the Craigslist, and about 20 ads down there's this wheelhorse. I was ready to spend twice as much for a tractor in twice the condition, but the price was right for what it is. I need to mow grass and pull a cart full of sand this summer and this tractor will do that. This winter, I need to find the snowblower that fits the tractor, AND my sidewalk (where do you find 44" sidewalks? Why is that the smallest tractor snowblower?!?!). The snowblower that was made for this tractor was 36" wide (perfect if I can find one!). This little pony looks to fit the bill! :)
79 J-10 (Honcho Mucho) KE0LSU
304/Performance Fuel Injection TBI/MTA1/SP2P/Magnum rockers
T18/D20/D44s&4.10s/33" Mud Claws
Grizzly Locker Rear
4" front spring drop, 5" rear shackle flip
Chevy style HEI (ECM controlled)
Dolphin "Shark" gauges in a fancy homemade oak bezel
3/4 resto, rotting faster than I've been fixing it.
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tedlovesjeeps71
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Re: I bought the smallest AMC I've seen IRL.

Post by tedlovesjeeps71 »

That's awesome!
How long before it gets a motor swap (401?) or at least fuel injection!?!?



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swampedge
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Re: I bought the smallest AMC I've seen IRL.

Post by swampedge »

Very good little tractors. Ive always liked them and the little Gravelys and Cubs.


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Stuka
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Re: I bought the smallest AMC I've seen IRL.

Post by Stuka »

No clue AMC made those. Little disappointed its not red white and blue :P
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fulsizjeep
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Re: I bought the smallest AMC I've seen IRL.

Post by fulsizjeep »

Does it have a flat head? ;)
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jsinajeep
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Re: I bought the smallest AMC I've seen IRL.

Post by jsinajeep »

fulsizjeep wrote:Does it have a flat head? ;)
I am pretty sure it not a jackhead. :D
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Re: I bought the smallest AMC I've seen IRL.

Post by fulsizjeep »

:funnypost:

Does it have low range? ;)
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az chip
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Re: I bought the smallest AMC I've seen IRL.

Post by az chip »

Oh hell yeah! Used to run one in Missouri. No snow in my part of Arizona. Put a nice JD seat on and get to work.
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Re: I bought the smallest AMC I've seen IRL.

Post by tgreese »

Woohoo! I like it.
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REDONE
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Re: I bought the smallest AMC I've seen IRL.

Post by REDONE »

I was about to start a new thread titled "Rhinestone Cowboy Urban Farming Spaghetti Squash", but then realized that a word-salad title like that would probably get flagged as a spam bot, haha!

I fabbed up a sleeve hitch so I could drag a box scraper/grader blade to level out the front yard and gather enough dirt to finish filling my garden boxes.
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We've tried growing a little kitchen garden every spring, but had very little success. Nothing produces except tomatoes and squash, but man, can we grow squash! This year's bumper crop was kind of a fluke, too. I bought a spaghetti squash, "organic product of Mexico" and when I cut it open, the seeds had already sprouted. Just for snickers and grins, I planted exactly 3 of the sprouted seeds and BAM! All three took root and exploded! I now have 32 gourds ripening and the plants are still flowering. I've started looking for a local crop share where I can unload all these squash. I really don't want it all to go to waste, but don't have the time or inclination to open a booth at a farmers market just to unload a bunch of squash I grew on accident, haha!
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With my luck, all these tomatoes will ripen at the same time and I'll have to eat nothing but tomatoes for a three days straight, haha!
Image
79 J-10 (Honcho Mucho) KE0LSU
304/Performance Fuel Injection TBI/MTA1/SP2P/Magnum rockers
T18/D20/D44s&4.10s/33" Mud Claws
Grizzly Locker Rear
4" front spring drop, 5" rear shackle flip
Chevy style HEI (ECM controlled)
Dolphin "Shark" gauges in a fancy homemade oak bezel
3/4 resto, rotting faster than I've been fixing it.

ShagWagon
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Re: I bought the smallest AMC I've seen IRL.

Post by ShagWagon »

How did you get that tree to fall that way with that cut I'll never know lol.... Hope you used a rope.

Pretty tough looking tractor for what year is yours?
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REDONE
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Re: I bought the smallest AMC I've seen IRL.

Post by REDONE »

ShagWagon wrote:How did you get that tree to fall that way with that cut I'll never know lol.... Hope you used a rope.

Pretty tough looking tractor for what year is yours?
It's a 1980 model, one year newer than my truck, haha!

I had a rope as a safety to keep it out of the powerlines, but I cut it with a simple hinge cut. I've felled dozens of trees, but they've all been fir or cedar that was straight up, this is my first ash felling.

In other news, I've been watching the interwebs hoping the correct 37" snowblower would pop up, but had no luck finding any that were serviceable, let alone anywhere near me. So, I pulled the trigger on this 42" MTD unit. :)
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It's complete with all the doodads and bippies, but quite a few parts that need some service or repair/replace. For the price I paid it's worth it, considering all I'll have to do and make to get it to fit.

Should make one more chore that much more enjoyable, haha!
79 J-10 (Honcho Mucho) KE0LSU
304/Performance Fuel Injection TBI/MTA1/SP2P/Magnum rockers
T18/D20/D44s&4.10s/33" Mud Claws
Grizzly Locker Rear
4" front spring drop, 5" rear shackle flip
Chevy style HEI (ECM controlled)
Dolphin "Shark" gauges in a fancy homemade oak bezel
3/4 resto, rotting faster than I've been fixing it.

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Re: I bought the smallest AMC I've seen IRL.

Post by SJTD »

What variety are the tomatoes?

Next year if you want a continuous supply plant an indeterminate variety. If you want them to ripen all at once for canning get a determinate variety.
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Re: I bought the smallest AMC I've seen IRL.

Post by candymancan »

Man AMC made alot of cool stuff... From duece ina half military trucks... to mail man Jeeps. to milk trucks.. to tow trucks.. to Jeeps... and cars and muscle cars and pickups...

My friend reslly wants one of those AMC 2 door cars i forgot the name off hand but it looks like a big fidh bowel with the bowed rear glass
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REDONE
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Re: I bought the smallest AMC I've seen IRL.

Post by REDONE »

Pacer? The Mirthmobile from Wayne's World?
79 J-10 (Honcho Mucho) KE0LSU
304/Performance Fuel Injection TBI/MTA1/SP2P/Magnum rockers
T18/D20/D44s&4.10s/33" Mud Claws
Grizzly Locker Rear
4" front spring drop, 5" rear shackle flip
Chevy style HEI (ECM controlled)
Dolphin "Shark" gauges in a fancy homemade oak bezel
3/4 resto, rotting faster than I've been fixing it.
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fulsizjeep
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Re: I bought the smallest AMC I've seen IRL.

Post by fulsizjeep »

HaHa! How many people knew the passenger door on the Pacer was longer than the driver door? ;)
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Re: I bought the smallest AMC I've seen IRL.

Post by runfast »

I thought it was a lawn mower.
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mjdriver
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Re: I bought the smallest AMC I've seen IRL.

Post by mjdriver »

Nice wheel horse, didn't know they were made by AMC. My 68 lawn ranger, getting restored and diesel swap whenever i finish the j2000.Image

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REDONE
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Re: I bought the smallest AMC I've seen IRL.

Post by REDONE »

mjdriver wrote:Nice wheel horse,
Nice horse yourself! :-bd

AMC only had them for a few years from the late 70s to mid 80s. Toro made them after that but killed off the name when they went all-in on zero turn platforms. Oh well, just makes our old horses that much more special. :)
79 J-10 (Honcho Mucho) KE0LSU
304/Performance Fuel Injection TBI/MTA1/SP2P/Magnum rockers
T18/D20/D44s&4.10s/33" Mud Claws
Grizzly Locker Rear
4" front spring drop, 5" rear shackle flip
Chevy style HEI (ECM controlled)
Dolphin "Shark" gauges in a fancy homemade oak bezel
3/4 resto, rotting faster than I've been fixing it.
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