Fiddled with my 608 today. New photos of an old tractor.

3194 Views 18 Replies 11 Participants Last post by Mike 604, Feb 12, 2012

attorney_barnabas_collins

Discussion Starter · Feb 7, 2012

I got tired of having a half a tractor sitting in the fence row next to a mess of a 1267 scattered, so I got around to swapping the 8 speed. I had actually bought a great 8 speed earlier from a guy but it had all the exterior stuff stripped off it, and the 1267 was only $35, and I already nabbed the 12hp Briggs out of it that someone apparently was going to swap into it for my HB212 Allis..everything was basicly free. Which turns out to be a good thing since the 8 speed in the 1267 was full of water and zero oil which contributed to it not going into the lower gears and being extremely hard to turn.
After removing two hubs which decided they liked being on their axles so much they had to be pressed out very hard, I got them swapped on and stuck on a set of skinny wheels & tires from God only knows what. Hey, they were $2.
The shift levers will actually work as is, but I'll have to open a new "window" in the dash/console plate. The engine ran fine last Spring but my shiney clean gas tank was swimming in rusty water because I never kept the cap covered and now I'll have to pay for that with some free labor.
This isn't a priority at all right now, but now that it is together, I'll keep it in the lean to and out of the weather until its turn comes. I'll rob the rest of the stuff off the 1267 transmission and be ready. I like the looks with the skinny tires on the back. Probably keep it that way, it will go with my similar condition 953 whenever its turn comes.
You know, maybe the PO had a sense of humor, but a harbor freight diesel would be a cool swap.

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Merrie

· #2 · Feb 8, 2012

That is a sweet little tractor :thThumbsU

But your title says 608 and on the side of the tractor it says 604, am I
missing something or is it just a misprint by you???

Thanks,

Merrie

Merrie

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attorney_barnabas_collins

Discussion Starter · #3 · Feb 8, 2012

Well, the 604 means a 6hp with a 4 speed. Since I swapped in an 8 speed...

glenn27

· #4 · Feb 9, 2012

Those taller , skinny rear tires were on a lot of older model "horses.....:fing32:

glenn

LilysDad

· #5 · Feb 9, 2012

Are those car tires? How sure are you about the 604 answer?

C-Series14

· #6 · Feb 10, 2012

attorney_barnabas_collins said:
Well, the 604 means a 6hp with a 4 speed. Since I swapped in an 8 speed...

the "4" is actually the year, 1964. :hide:

attorney_barnabas_collins

Discussion Starter · #7 · Feb 10, 2012

I guess its a 605.5 then.

attorney_barnabas_collins

Discussion Starter · #8 · Feb 10, 2012

I think those are old snow car tires. They don't look like any tractor tires I've seen. I have another 2 sets of those with the turf tractor tread, but one set is on my Root avitar, and the other set is on the trailer for it. I'll keep an eye out for a set of 5x12 ags. they are pretty common on old two wheel tractors, but the operating word is old.
Not sure if this tractor will get semi-restored and ignore the fact that they never made a 6hp 8speed round hood, or keep my eyes out for a diesel and electrify it and put my 48" deck on it from the 1267. I don't know why it never sunk in that my 953 is a '63, and the next year was a 1054. I thought they had a 4 speed, never thinking that of course they were all 4 speeds counting reverse. The last number is the year, and the middle is electric start or not?
If you don't learn something every day, you wasted a day.

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rydogg

· #9 · Feb 10, 2012

Those tires are correct for a wheel horse, I have several pairs on my old tractors that actually have the wheel horse name on them from the factory. I have included a picture of my 604 to compare to yours but I believe you have a 603 due to the shape of the dash tower go to the following link to see some pictures of a 603 http://www.wheelhorseforum.com/index.php/topic/1994-1963-603/

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gwest_ca

· #10 · Feb 10, 2012

Most hoodstands are bolted to the tractor frame but the 603 I believe is the only model to have it welded to the frame.

Garry

attorney_barnabas_collins

Discussion Starter · #11 · Feb 11, 2012

Well, I haven't touched the decals, but who knows where it has been. The 603 doesn't have the plate with the shift decal and the choke & throttle on it that I had to remove temporarily to clear the 2 shift levers. You can barely see a corner of it middle bottom of the second photo on the ground. The tires & wheels I just nabbed loose at an auction. I better check the sidewalls just out of curiosity to see what brand they are.

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Kelly H

· #12 · Feb 11, 2012

That is a 64 tractor, and from here looks like it probably is a 604 but has the wrong engine, that is a Kohler it would have had a tecumseh in it, 604 breaks down, first number is HP so 6hp, second no is pull start or elect. start a 0 is pull start a 5 would be elect. start, the last no. is the year they only did this in the 60's so it's a 1964 and yes there are exceptions to these rules but they cover most tractors.
And the tires they used 3 styles of tires like that with minor tread design differences in the brands BF goodrich, General, and Firestone I think are the brands

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attorney_barnabas_collins

Discussion Starter · #13 · Feb 11, 2012

Not putting down tecumsehs, but if it had had a tecumseh in it at the auction, I probably wouldn't have gone the $65. I have a few of the smaller Kohlers now and so I have a lot of Kohler donors.

Kelly H

· #14 · Feb 11, 2012

I didn't say I liked them, I have a nice 604 that I'm swaping out the tucky for a 7hp pull start Kohler, changing a few other things a then it will be a 704 and I'm sure no one will be able to tell, they did make a 704, in fact I have a parts one to use for the correct parts to do the swap.

hm12460

· #15 · Feb 12, 2012

That style of tire is not a car snow tire. They were popular back in the 60's and came on a lot of John Deere's, Cubs, Wheel horse, Sears, etc... They are commonly referred to as "saw tooth" tread style. I have a couple pair in my garage.

attorney_barnabas_collins

Discussion Starter · #16 · Feb 12, 2012

I do have some experience with saw tooth tires. I have a couple pairs on the back of my old Craftsman RER.
I'm seriously thinking of seeing how feasible putting a generic diesel in it would be and using the 48" deck that 1267 came with would be. I have all the attaching parts. Might look goofy though.

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attorney_barnabas_collins

Discussion Starter · #17 · Feb 12, 2012

The 604, not the Craftsman. It already looks goofy.

gerryw

· #18 · Feb 12, 2012

Kelly H said:
I didn't say I liked them, I have a nice 604 that I'm swaping out the tucky for a 7hp pull start Kohler, changing a few other things a then it will be a 704 and I'm sure no one will be able to tell, they did make a 704, in fact I have a parts one to use for the correct parts to do the swap.

I'd LOVE to swap out the tucky for a Kohler in my wifes Ranger! Don't blame anyone there! And mine is rebuilt!

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Mike 604

· #19 · Feb 12, 2012

Kelly H said:
That is a 64 tractor, and from here looks like it probably is a 604 but has the wrong engine, that is a Kohler it would have had a tecumseh in it, 604 breaks down, first number is HP so 6hp, second no is pull start or elect. start a 0 is pull start a 5 would be elect. start, the last no. is the year they only did this in the 60's so it's a 1964 and yes there are exceptions to these rules but they cover most tractors.
And the tires they used 3 styles of tires like that with minor tread design differences in the brands BF goodrich, General, and Firestone I think are the brands

My 64 604 had General "Garden Tractor SS " tires on it. I have no idea how I remember that 35 + years later!

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