The Infamous "Black Horse" 25th Anniversary edition (picture)
-
Are you passionate about Tractors? Would you like to write about topics that interest you and get paid for it? Read all about it here!
1 - 20 of 48 Posts
Joined
·
7,945 Posts
I will have to go look at it again, but, off hand I remember it has stainless steel guide rods for the engine raise/lower belt tightening mechanism, hourmeter, hard surfaced tines (I bought spares, but, I am still running the originals).
It has grease fittings on the guide rods, other Horse machines may have had that.
Joined
·
3,205 Posts
The case hardened tines are hard to beat for sure, i'm going to see about tapping/fitting grease fittings to my 'ol Horse, i like that idea.
Ronnie
Joined
·
5 Posts
I also have one of the black Anniversary Edition tillers. A couple of years ago I answered a CraigsList ad that read "Tiller, Doesn't Run, Needs Work $175.00". There were two very blurry pictures with the ad and I could barely make out that it had the shape of a Troy-Bilt. When I showed up, much to my surpise was the tiller below. The battery was dead, the tires were flat and with the beads off their rims but it had obviously been stored inside. The gas smelled old but not too old so after checking to make sure it had oil I pulled it through by hand a couple of times and it briefly hit. I bought (gave $300.00) the tiller, hauled it home and after a complete maintenance service I've been using it every since. The hour meter shows 102 hours.
![]()
![]()
![]()
Joined
·
5 Posts
Good question. The story.... I found out this tiller was part of a larger estate sale. Between the time I originally contacted the seller and the day we finally got together, almost 2 weeks elapsed and she had lined up two other potential buyers to come look at it. One guy was coming later that same afternoon and a second was coming the next day from out of town. The out of town guy had given her indications that he was willing to pay more. She told me that after i had driven 45 miles to look at it. She was going to let me walk if I stood my ground at her original ad price of $175.00 especially after it almost started when I pulled it through a couple of times.
I had cash in my pocket and offered it to her. She went off in the corner and consulted with her male friend and they accepted the offer.
After seeing the tiller, verifying it's general overall condition, knowing that it had good compression and then having it nearly start after just a couple of pulls I would probably have gone higher if she had pushed. This is the 8hp Kohler, electric start, tires are in solid shape, tines are in excellent shape and the tiller was stored out of the weather. I bought a battery, a new ignition switch, a new drive belt, changed the fluids, replaced the air filter, reseated the tires on their beads, cleaned the float bowl and added fuel. That was over a year ago and it has been running fine ever since.
Joined
·
876 Posts
can't find a horse for under $500 here. Good score.
Joined
·
5 Posts
...good catch. I had just drained the oil, realized I didn't have the correct oil and didn't want to risk the chance of getting distracted and then starting it without oil. That would have been a bad thing!
Was really hoping there were other members here than owned one of theses so I could see some more pics and ask some detailed questions. I am closing a deal on one that is totally apart but I am hoping to restore it as close to original as I can
Cheers
HI Mike
Even though all apart this is the only one I have even heard about up this way and if all goes as planned next weekend it will be home with me
I know it sounds crazy but I have a horse 1 and 3 working now. A couple of parts machines that I can make a horse 2 so add the u-haul I intend to do and the black horse and I will have a complete set
A couple of weeks ago I was talking to one of the Troy tech team on the old gl-4 gl-5 issue and he told me he has been there almost 40 years so I asked him about the u-haul and black horse. I was suprised but he knew a lot about both but told me by far the black horse should be done if I could as stock since it is truely a collectors piece by troy collectots with only 500 being made and said I would be suprised just how many have a stash of old troy tillers today
Cheers
Even though all apart this is the only one I have even heard about up this way and if all goes as planned next weekend it will be home with me
I know it sounds crazy but I have a horse 1 and 3 working now. A couple of parts machines that I can make a horse 2 so add the u-haul I intend to do and the black horse and I will have a complete set
A couple of weeks ago I was talking to one of the Troy tech team on the old gl-4 gl-5 issue and he told me he has been there almost 40 years so I asked him about the u-haul and black horse. I was suprised but he knew a lot about both but told me by far the black horse should be done if I could as stock since it is truely a collectors piece by troy collectots with only 500 being made and said I would be suprised just how many have a stash of old troy tillers today
Cheers
Well I will try my best to share this experience which it was IMO
Ok first contact was with Troy support in canada who basically gave me the standard response
What lubricant should be used in the tiller transmission case?
In the past the rule was: For partial fill-ups (a few ounces or less) use SAE 140, SAE 85W-140 or SAE 80W-90 weight gear oil with an API rating of GL-4 or GL-5. For full replacement use SAE 140 or SAE 85W-140 gear oil with an API rating of GL-4 only.
We have also found that 80W-90 oil with an API rating of GL-1 is acceptable for both partial and full replacement of tiller gear oils.
I told them this was at least 15 year old and today it is impossible for me to find any gl-4 in canada plus why do you suppy your new machines with 85w140 gl5
They had no clue what I was talking about even after an escallation to a supervisor
So I said thank you I will call the US. Which was an issue for me since they will only talk to US customers. So my work around for that was to ask my brother for his cell phone and WV zip since he was here for xmas
First lady I spoke to was not 100% sure other than pretty much the same response I got in canada and said if you hold on I will transfer you to one of our sr. staff
The guy on the phone this time like me loved to talk troy tillers especially old ones and when I told him I was trying to fix an old u-haul model with the robin engine and hoped to buy a black horse it was like I hit a soft spot
Ok what he said was yes the new troy were coming with 85w140gl5 but syn
Most gl-5 made today are yellow metal safe and would be fine but be sure the gl5 used says that
I told him about the tillers I sold last year and was now worried that the lucus gl5 would damage them
He said I and the people would be dead before any significant break down would be experienced since it mainly will effect synchros,clutches and wet brakes none of which a troy tiller has
Also the tiller doesn't run fast enough or hot enough to really see any immediate break down but it could over many many years
He said if it was him overhauling that black horse he would source some gl4 somewhere since that machine has a chance of being around for another 40 years with a lot of non use
Also said the gl-1 people buy is not really a gl-1 any more since it is never tested now and most are just gl-4 which is fine
So I ended up ordering two gallons of crc sl24238 gl-4 for the u-haul and black horse and will keep using gl5 for the rest of the tillers
Why because it cost me $70.00 a gallon to get that gl-4 from the us
Not sure if I helped here or just made it more confusing
Cheers
1 - 20 of 48 Posts
Join the discussion
Join now to ask and comment!