Wheel Horse
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Wheel Horse was a manufacturer of lawn and garden tractors. The business was started in the two-car garage of Elmer Pond in 1946. He began building two-wheel, self-propelled "Walk-Away" garden tractors that were sold under the Pond name. The framework was typically simple angle or channel iron and various surplus motorcycle and automotive parts were used. In 1947, a four-wheel tractor, the "Ride-Away" model was introduced for garden use. It was also made from crude parts and without a hood for easy service access.
The demand for garden tractors was rapidly increasing as households with small gardens found them rather inexpensive, practical to use for a variety of chores, and they were economical to maintain. By 1956, the business had become very successful. The company began to build a range of small to large lawn and garden tractors, in addition to a line of riding lawn mowers. A characteristic of the products was their standardization through the years.
The company's headquarters were in South Bend, Indiana. The business was acquired by American Motors (AMC) in the 1970s as it expanded into non- automotive markets. However, in 1986, Wheel Horse was spun off from AMC and purchased by Toro.[1]
[edit] References
- Martino, Michael A.. Straight from the Horse's Mouth: The Wheel Horse Story. Stemgas Publishing. ISBN 0970666802.
- ^ Toro company history — 1980s, retrieved on: July 29, 2007.
[edit] External links
- Wheel Horse Collectors Club home page, retrieved on July 29, 2007.
- Wheel Horse Garden Tractors Group, retrieved on July 29, 2007.
- RED Square Wheel Horse forum (www.WheelHorseForum.com), retrieved on November 9, 2007
- For a detailed early history of the company see: www.angelfire.com/al2/wheelhorse/wheelhorsehistory.html
