Wheels Date Stamped?

[MikeES]

Last summer I picked up a 7119, the engine did not have a serial number, but a couple of clues like hood decals, the steering wheel style and the way it mounts along with the side spin on hydro filter, lead me to guess about a 1983.Today I demounted the rear tires and started to clean up the wheels for painting and I found this:

I have not seen this before on any wheels...is this a mfg. date?

[RayS]

It is the mfg. date of the rim. I noticed that on several of mine when they were sandblasted. I believe mine also had Firestone symbol or written on it as well.

[TimJr]

It would be a fair assumption that the wheels would be easily a few months older than the tractor. By the time they were made, warehoused, shipped to Simplicity and installed, a couple months would easily go by. Back then, things didn't happen as fast as they do now in regards to manufacture of a component by an outside supplier to the OEM for final assembly with the just-in-time manufacturing that exists today.

[Brettw]

quote:It would be a fair assumption that the wheels would be easily a few months older than the tractor.id="quote">

id="quote">

Ahhhh not necessarily. Might have a boatload of wheels sitting in the warehouse waiting for tractors to bolt onto. I would doubt that tractors waited for wheels, but I can see wheels waiting for tractors. My 7119 / 7118 had 1983 stamped wheels. I assume it was a 1983 ish tractor but ya never know.........}

[TimJr]

True. Still a good relative guide for a machine.

[Brettw]

quote:True. Still a good relative guide for a machine.id="quote">

id="quote">

Absolutely.

Unless a bunch of guys like us have been horse tradin' swappin', trading, parting out, etc. )

[TimJr]

I was thinking that if as an example you were looking at say a 7116, and if you know the mfg number, the engine number and if the wheels have a date code, then you can correlate those to be within a given date range and then assume the machine to be "correct" or at least make sense component wise. As a poor example, if you have a 7116, with an engine date code of 1993, and wheels dated 1990, you know it is a mutt. Tim