My "Holy Grail" Kohler K301 Find
 

Well, it is not yellow, but, I know you guys like seeing surprise finds.

I went to look at a tractor at a recycling yard I had heard about. I brought it home. $250.

http://i1104.photobucket.com/albums/...ps228f13e1.jpg

After tinkering with the points, the Kohler K301 runs! :bigthink:

The surprise was the hour meter works!

The machine only had 61.1 hours on it! :bigeyes:

http://i1104.photobucket.com/albums/...psd050fad9.jpg

I never heard such a "young" engine before, all of my K engines have been "tired" by the time they came to me.

The tractor has brakes. I believe the brakes locked up, and the machine was just parked, for 28 years! :bigthink:

http://i1104.photobucket.com/albums/...ps74a47a13.jpg

MAN, that is a sweet running engine. :beer2:

WOW! :bigeyes: Great find CADplans

All those Gravelys have good M18 and K motors for repowers...

61 hours? are you kidding me? what a deal!:beerchug:

Nice score CAD!:beerchug:

Nice score, now the ?
What are you going to do with it fix it, put it to work , sell, or other ?:bigthink:

WOW! Awesome find!! :beerchug:

Awesome score, CAD!

I am going to "bring it back" to usable condition. I got a 10HP in June, and I have been really enjoying that one.

http://i1104.photobucket.com/albums/...ps55b6dbbc.jpg

The steering brakes make this "new to me" 12HP kind of unique.

:drool2:

Now see if you can find the " sulky" & make a rider out of it!:biggrin2:

The 5665 came with a sulky!! :bigeyes:

http://i1104.photobucket.com/albums/...psc016fbe9.jpg

I probably will never use the sulky, I bought these as exercise machines;

they are my inspiration to walk!! :biggrin2:

I think I will use the sulky as a mobile shop chair.

Use with Caution!
 

That machine will take you to exercise class! I had one a long time ago and an ol' boy down the road from me told me that "that gravely will do 3/5ths the work, you'll do the other 2/5ths". He was SO RIGHT! I sold it for a hundred bucks and bought a cub cadet with a steering wheel and a seat. I was mowing the side of hill between christmas trees constantly fighting to keep it streight. (it will take a tree right off at the stump or anything else that gets infront of it!) Be Careful!

That is exactly why I like them, I only have to do 2/5 of the work! :biggrin2:

The one I just got has steering brakes, from what I understand, you hit that third handlebar, and it goes where you want it to go, not where it wants to go!!
:bigthink:

Understood, We like having you around! Just becareful, K?

That IS my primary concern! Exercise next, actual work done, last! :bigeyes:

We ain't in no rush!

It came with a snowdozer (that is what Gravely calls it), the wife hopes she will not have to shovel the sidewalk anymore!! :biggrin2:

The power broom attachment works nice in snow. It don't mess around and really cleans the walkways. If you ever happen to run across one, get it.

Nice find, people just don't appreciate the old iron.That's why we scoop them up.!

Nice save Cad. It amazes me what people will scrap. Looks like your turning into a regular "gearhead". That thing is in nice shape too.:beerchug:

I slapped some paint on it today! I used exactly one pint of paint.

http://i1104.photobucket.com/albums/...ps9e70bcbe.jpg

http://i1104.photobucket.com/albums/...psbcb187ee.jpg

Looks like it will be Reddy :HeeHee:to go in no time.

It is pretty amazing what a half quart of paint will do! :bigthink:

Before;
http://i1104.photobucket.com/albums/...ps3d9981f0.jpg

After;
http://i1104.photobucket.com/albums/...psb3c14cf0.jpg

That blade has easily double the surface area of a Cub 42" blade, man, it took a lot of paint! :bigeyes:

Looks good. Nice job CAD!

Nice find and Nice Job! The SRO I work with introduced me to the Gravelys a couple of weeks ago. I must say they are interesting machines. He was using his rotary plow last week and what a show that was!

Looking nice, CAD!

WOW!! Now it "looks" like a machine with 61hrs! That rally was a great find! Congrats again! :beerchug:

Nice Job Cad! Great job on overspray control! Most guys would have ended up with a red driveway and matching red jackstands. :biggrin2:

Nice find CAD!!
Also nice looking paint job! I just got done rebuilding the motor in my buddy's 812 Gravely 4 wheel tractor. One thing about the Gravely's are that they are very different than any other GT on the market then and they are second favorite tractor next to cubs.

Thanks guys!

Gratuitous "mountain in the background" pic! :bigeyes:

http://i1104.photobucket.com/albums/...psa895f408.jpg

The new paint and mountain look great, CAD!

Turned out sweet looking Cad:beerchug:
You aren't doing anything with the tins are you?

The hood has a dent, the PO unloaded it by rolling it sideways off the truck, I think.

The blade is 1/4" thick, he could not hurt that.

We will see if I have sheetmetal skills next!! :bigthink:

It ain't horrible, the rubber mallet should fix most of it!!

Looking good Big John. :beerchug:

Well, I cleaned the wiring, choke, and throttle cables, and re-installed them.

http://i1104.photobucket.com/albums/...psc7eddf02.jpg

Somebody had "wire-nutted" the fuse holder into the harness, I soldered it and put heat shrink over the joints.

http://i1104.photobucket.com/albums/...ps03384a8d.jpg

Did Cub Cadet ever use an external regulator like this? :bigthink:

Looking good, CAD!

Well Cad, where is the finished product? & what is next?:bigthink:

I got another round of paint (hood, spindles acc's etc...) , that should be next week.

I ain't as fast as Sam Mac!! :bigthink:

:biggrin2:

Well cad , i'm no jack rabbit either, so when i get moving on some project i don't stop till .... I run out of , supplies, money or energy , but you know
What runs out first!:American Flag 1:

I am getting a little closer

http://i1104.photobucket.com/albums/...psa997caaf.jpg

It took two days to bolt on all the stuff I took off during painting.

I only used new or previously perfect hardware, no rust went back on.

I ran the engine for an hour on jackstands, who knows when the last time it was run.

http://i1104.photobucket.com/albums/...ps0a31c2a5.jpg

I have never had a Kohler that starts as easy, and NEVER produces a wisp of anything out of the exhaust.

:bigthink:

Good to know I'm not the only one that runs out of that particular "supply"! LOL!

Looking good CAD! Now, are you going to use that painted up machine? Or keep the hour meter low? :bigthink:

It is definitely a user. I have the 2 wheel machines for the exercise they offer.

This one is different than the others I have because of the steering brakes.