What's the story with this Toro WHEELHORSE?

[Piston]

My father picked up a Toro Wheelhorse mower, it's a model 16-38. I don't know how old it is, probably about 5-8 yrs old, but it is literally brand new condition!

When I say brand new, I mean it has never been used. When I say never, I mean not once, has it ever mowed a lawn. There isn't a speck of dirt or dust underneath the thing. The mower is brand new, and actually has never even been mounted, let alone used.
It came with a snowblower, which again, has never been used, the paint is all perfect on it, and you can tell no snow has gone through it, not even any 'swirls' in the paint.
All the little nubs on the tires are still in tact. I should have looked at the hour meter but I didn't.

My question is, why are these so sought after? How much did they go for new?
He posted it on craigslist for 2 grand, I thought he was absolutely NUTS because he was asking so much money for it. He got an email that day from a guy that would give him 1600 for it.

I wouldn't have paid him 500 bucks for the thing!

Whats the story with these things?

[Piston]

Here's a pic.

[MiserableOldFart]

Don't know diddly about that particular model, but I can tell you that my father's old Wheelhorse C-125 eight speed is still going strong after almost 30 years of hard work. It's had repairs and gone through multiple decks, but the engine, tranny, and most body parts are original. The tires were replaced after about 24 years. These machines were built like tanks and, if taken care of, plus parts being available, should probably last 100 years or more. Dad's tractor doesn't get as much use now, since I bought a CUT 5 years ago, but still goes places where the bigger tractor can't, like under the apple tree and hills too steep to negotiate with the bigger machine.

Comparing the wheel horse tractors (at least the old ones) to anything built today, with the possible exception of the top-of-the-line Deeres and Simplicities is an absurdity. And, Dad did pay $4000 in the early '80's, which you basically have to compare to about ten or twelve grand - or more- today.

I thought the old machine was about to give up the ghost this summer but I got a new carb for her, and it's running like the day it was delivered here in 1982, I think.

[greasemonkeyok]

Ditto Miserableoldfart, from the owner of a couple of '70s Wheelhorse tractors.

[greasemonkeyok]

Ditto Miserableoldfart, from the owner of a couple of '70s-'80s Wheelhorse tractors.

[MiserableOldFart]

Should have mentioned too that Toro has ended the run of the Wheelhorse and descendent high quality tractors, and any of those in pristine shape are probably on the way to being highly prized collectors' items, and likely are being snapped up by speculators/collectors.

[psdx]

This Wheel Horse is way different than the older models. Soon after the merger with Toro they changed to the vertical shaft engines with electric PTOs. Give me one of the 312-8 or 314-8 or a 520 models any day. They had heavier frames, horizontal shaft engines, and a simple PTO clutch. This model in new condition won't outlast one of the older models that's been used for 10 years already.

[murphy1244]

On the old wheel horse the electric start was also the generator,The tractor was built on a I beam.

[psdx]

The bottom line is.....I don't know what is up with this vintage of Wheel Horse. I agree with the OP valuation. The older ones are simple and durable. Not so with this one. I think the 300, 400 and 500 series will be sought after and collectible some day.

[546cowboy]

Obviously there aren't many die hard Wheel Horse fans here. The last true Wheel Horses were built into the 90's. They didn't have plastic body panels and had a real frame. There were some of the C series with a plastic seat pan. There was never a better garden tractor made for the price.

The one you have is a TORO and was meant to be a lawn mower and maybe use a snow plow attachment. Since that one your dad has is brand new and never used the price would be higher than normal. But it will never last like the originals and they are a nightmare to work on.

I know as I recently picked up a 1996 Toro/Wheel Horse 269H. It needed a new drive belt and when I went to get one at my Toro dealer, they were glad I was going to do it and let me use their service manual. They told me it took them 2+ hrs. to change one and they were sure right about that. I had to take what seemed like half the tractor apart to change the darned thing. It took me three hours and much cussing to do it.

The 269H was missing the hood when I got it and you can't find a good one anywhere. New is about $800. I bought a replacement that a guy in Ohio makes with fibreglass for 1/4 of that.