Little wonder no 3 (pictures)

chevy_cowboy · Sep 9, 2011

At the auction yesterday a IH plow with a older restoration caught my wifes eye, she kinda talked me into buying it. Its a Little Wonder No 3 on steel wheels, with a notched coulter, no tail wheel.

The thing that I noticed strange right away was the width of the wheels. I've seen several little genius and wonder plows, but they always have really narrow steel or rubber wheels, this one has big flat steel wheels probably 6 or 7 inches wide, the left one has cleats, someone at the auction said they thought it had been a special model for plowing wet bottoms? I dunno, you know how auction experts are :lol:

There's a number stamped on the frame, I assume its a serial number, any way to identify the year of it with that?

Also how much would be involved in switching it over to rubber tires if I can track down the wheels? Are the spindles and bearings the same? We'd like to pull it in parades and that sort of thing. Obviously I'd hang on to the original wheels.

farmerjohn · Sep 9, 2011

I have seen a lot of steel wheeled equiptment with strips of rubber tire bolted on to the steel wheel to make it user friendly to pavement. I suppose this would need to drill bolt holes in the orginal wheels which you may not want to do but maybe there is another way.

IHCPloughman · Sep 9, 2011

The #4 was built 1940-1956 and I would assume that the #3 would be the same since it is essentially a 1 bottom version of the the #4. That's as close you can get with dating. I think you have an early jointer blade (44 and earlier), but that could have been swapped in it's lifetime. A better picture could confirm which jointer blade you've got.

The number stamped in the beam is not a serial number, just the part number for the beam.

Sales literature mentions the wide wheels for sandy ground. I would imagine they also apply to wet ground also.

You would need the rubber tire rims, hubs, and hub caps to make the switch. The axles are the same. The land wheel hub also includes a provision for the clutch. I cross checked with the #8: the #4 and #3 used the same rubber tire equipment as the #8, so that should open up your search quite a bit.

I know you can't parade the plow on those wheels, but they are unique and should be shown off as they are. You put rubber tires on it and it will be just another one bottom plow on rubber tires.

Bob Collins · Sep 10, 2011

I have a John Deere 802 all steel wagon with rubber
tires (cutoff) on the back but the original steel
wheels on the front. I have run it in the local
parade with a load of kids on the rack and had no
trouble and no pavement damage. The lugs are what
dig up the blacktop. Really not much noise either
at parade speed.

chevy_cowboy · Sep 11, 2011

Thanks for the info guys, yeah I 'd really prefer to keep it all original, I do like the look of the steel wheels.

I might try unbolting the cleats on the left wheel and see how it rolls down the road once. I thought about the idea of bolting rubber to the wheels too, seen that done on a lot of steel wheel tractors.

Leroy · Sep 11, 2011

If you pay atention to the spokes on the wheels you will notice that they go thru the rim and everytime a spoke hits the road it will bounce the same as if the cleats are still on. But that is not your problem with pulling it down the road, the problem is that it will want to wipp (weave) all the time due to the way the axles are mounted (all pull type plows have that problem). If you set it as low as possible it will lessen the problem. The best way to handle it is to make a small trailer that it will just fit on and load it up and pull that trailer behind the tractor and just leave the cleats on the wheel alone. I wish I knew a way to keep a plow from weaving but at 68 years and pull type plows from the first I can remember I have not yet found a way to stop that wippng motion and the faster you travel the worse it is.

FarmallBen · Sep 7, 2020

I have a three bottom little genius plow with the wide wheels just like this I am looking for a good furrow wheel As mine is in very sad shape my land wheel is very nice I have a few parts that I can trade as well if anyone is interested any help and leads are much appreciated thanks so much for your time and your help

Little wonder no 3 (pictures)

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