Riding Mower schenanagins

[Dirtman]

Ok, turns out the picture of the ATM (all terrain mower) was on the puter, just hidden with different naming structure... The pic only shows one tire changed, but both were changed...

Then there's the GT up on ramps and one jack stand, looks sad but easier to work on... I didn't have it in me to work on that thing in the rain today.

The other two pics are the new mower and the other stuff I forget about that's in my way... The old David Bradley is set up with a sickle mower and I put the little Predator 79cc on it that I got new for $38? Then the two Snapper's I need to get working, and the brush mower... That JD trailer was $20 at an auction, the floor is rusted out pretty good but still works ok for most stuff.

Oh, and the GT18 in the back there, I got that guy for $50 without an engine, the briggs under the hood is just sitting there, gotta get a pulley in there somehow

The last pic is just for fun, got that old Craftsman II from a buddy, the engine didn't run too good and the governor didn't work well either so you kinda had to dump the clutch and sometimes that would happen.. I think I rode that wheelie for 100' losing the two bags, but didn't spill my (empty) drink! That engine a couple months later threw the rod...

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You need jesus.

 

[scotts90ranger]

I do need to pair the mess of junk down, but I have this garbage that grows in part of my lawn called Reed Canary grass, it's stupid... Here's the old Series 2000 while I was trying to mow some when the ground was finally not liquid... The seed heads are about 6' tall, there's no structure under it and where I'm at the ground water is usually 1' below surface, on average I get my tractor stuck once a year when I try to get that one more row in... The tractor is too heavy, riding mowers have blades that are too small and too low to cut it, and animals won't eat it, and I don't want to give up the space... so I've been trying to find out what I can use to cut it, I have some ideas, but need something light that will drive slow...

 

[scotts90ranger]

Here's another part of the problem... This garbage grass has the audacity to start growing now... you can see the issue with mowing that... mower blades don't work under water... sicle bar's might...

That's a 5 year old weeping willow, it's happy as heck... you should see the other one behind me in that picture, it's almost twice as big and the same age... I accidently mowed over the one pictured when it was young, but willows are a weed tree which works in a swamp

 

[lil_Blue_Ford]

We’ve been pretty happy with our Craftsman tractors. Dad runs a red DLT-2000 I think it is, foot pedal hydrostatic with a 48” deck. We’ve put different motors on it as it’s ate them, the original blew a rod and it’s replacement started puking oil. See how long the one on it now makes it. Tractor has about 500 hours at least on it, probably a lot more.

I picked up a green GT that had like 40 hours on it when I got it, tires were flat and the guy said the transaxle was blown. Had to replace the rear tires, I got a set of AG tires on rims from Sears and filled them with 5-6 gals of
RV antifreeze. Put a new belt, fluid and filter on the transaxle and away we went. I ended up changing the deck from a 50” to a 54”, Oregon gator mulching blades, 55# wheel weights… it’s a beast.

Theres a red GT here that dad wants to sell and I’d like to have because it has a hi-lo transaxle. Then I have an old Craftsman II 42“ tractor and an a really old GT-16 I think it is. That one won’t drive, I think a pulley split somewhere and never got to tearing into it. Motor ran up until it started burning the wiring harness. Something else that needs fixed. I have the deck for it but it’s in rough shape. Also have an old Montgomery Wards tractor that’s rusted to junk and a junk Craftsman that I’ve been stripping for parts

 

[Shran]

Scott you need a sickle bar mower. Look up Jari walk behind mowers. They are light enough that they may not sink there. I have an old Toro (I think) from the early 40's and it is a frickin brute. It would eat through that tall grass and not even bat an eye. It just cuts it off at the bottom though so you end up with a lot of tall grass laying on the ground - not sure if you care - but it doesn't make nice chopped up mulch like a normal mower.

I'm kinda picky about riding mowers. I think most of the ones you can get at Lowe's or where ever are junk...their lifespan is 5-10 years, less if you run them hard. If your budget allows, it's really worth looking into a small Kubota or something like that instead of spending $1500+ every few years on a crappy lawn tractor.

My dad has an old Case rider - if you can find one of those, or a Cub Cadet or Ford rider from the early 80's or earlier, you will be set. They are tanks.

 

[racsan]

or a older wheel horse. the ones with a cast-iron kohler. I have a 79 C 101 10 hp with the 8-speed and a tiller, fluid filled rear ag tires and skinny wheelbarrow fronts. can move loaded trailers with it, wish it had a mower deck. My lawn deere is just that. A cheap throwaway rider.

 

[dvdswan]

Ok, turns out the picture of the ATM (all terrain mower) was on the puter, just hidden with different naming structure... The pic only shows one tire changed, but both were changed...

Then there's the GT up on ramps and one jack stand, looks sad but easier to work on... I didn't have it in me to work on that thing in the rain today.

The other two pics are the new mower and the other stuff I forget about that's in my way... The old David Bradley is set up with a sickle mower and I put the little Predator 79cc on it that I got new for $38? Then the two Snapper's I need to get working, and the brush mower... That JD trailer was $20 at an auction, the floor is rusted out pretty good but still works ok for most stuff.

Oh, and the GT18 in the back there, I got that guy for $50 without an engine, the briggs under the hood is just sitting there, gotta get a pulley in there somehow

The last pic is just for fun, got that old Craftsman II from a buddy, the engine didn't run too good and the governor didn't work well either so you kinda had to dump the clutch and sometimes that would happen.. I think I rode that wheelie for 100' losing the two bags, but didn't spill my (empty) drink! That engine a couple months later threw the rod...

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You have too many riding mowers, you need to share. lol

You should think about doing this to one of them...

 

[scotts90ranger]

Funny you should mention the Jari's, I have two, my brother and I fixed up one of them a month or so ago and he has it for now, I also have a David Bradley with a sickle mower, it just needs a bracket to hold thrust on the outer wobble box bushing that wanders out... that and I think I have one or two of the newer style Troy Built sickle mowers that just need the engines fixed up and cleaned up... they're on the list... after I get power to the shop and the permits done my stress level will go down and I can actually use power tools and welders in the shop... I also have a 3 point sickle mower for the tractor that needs some love that's on the list...

I think I just need a Swisher or whatever they're called to pull behind the 4 wheeler, and to get rid of the beaver dam...

The 3 speed high/low sears tractors seem to be good, or at least the green one I have, just little stuff to go wrong for the most part, it had some electrical problems last summer... Anything I get or even look at if I'm paying money is big rear wheel, they're heavier duty, I know anymore it doesn't always mean everything but I like the older heavier duty stuff, I can keep mechanical stuff going, haven't played with a hydro mower yet...

As for the grey tractors I posted in the beginning of this, I haven't touched them in a while, got busy with more important things... and since then I've ended up with a free John Deere 130? mower that needs hydrostat help... I don't need anything new really, if I could fix up a few to have some set up for different uses and flip a few.

 

[superj]

i have an old mtd that my dad bought used in 96-97. its got a honda motor and a 42 or 46 inch deck, i cannot remember which, which is terrible since i had it on the ramps sunday with the deck off to finally replace the lower drive belt.

when my parent's moved up to the hill country, i would go cut their 3/4 acre yard with it and then put it on the trailer and come cut my 1/2. my dad finally sold their house here and asked if i wanted the mower since he bought one of those zero turns for the two acres they have now. i said sure. its key switch went bad so i used a ford solenoid and a push button for a starter system and the battery went out about 15 years ago so i just jump start it with one of the cars but its a solid runner. some day i will get a key switch for it and a new battery but who knows when that will be.

and the headlights even work so i can cut after dark

 

[racsan]

I wont be able to use it until the ground firms up, but this is my big mower, 1942 allis-c. 6’ woods deck. 20 hp. 3 speed gearbox. Thinking of getting a 3-point finish mower for the ford 2000 as its easier to get on & off, plus its got over twice the engine. But its not a priority, can’t hardly walk across the yard right now let alone drive a 3,000# tractor. The lawn deere leaves tracks no more than it weighs, I would of stuck it but I still have the snow chains on. I may never take them off. The lawn deere was a decent deal, had only 250 hours on it and came with a snow blade, rear weights, tire chains and a steel yard cart- for $800. I paid $1400 for the allis. I have over 2 acres of yard now, our other place was only 1/4 acre. Need a building for my tractors, garage is quite crowded. The wheel horse is now stored in my 6x10 box trailer.

 

[superj]

the wife wants us to buy 10 acres up in goliad. its on the river so there is a bunch of water access but i never thought about how to keep the rest of it under control. it sounds like a tractor would be needed and those never seem to be cheap used. i think maybe just keep the area where the RVs would be cut and along the water cut to keep down snakes.

 

[scotts90ranger]

I got my old Kubota like 8 years ago for $3500, it has a loader and came with the 5' brush hog... if you don't care and can work on stuff things are out there, heck the older Ford tractors no one wants for some reason and they're simple beasts... at some point if I see a good deal on a Ford 3000 I might pick one up...

 

[racsan]

I passed on a NAA last spring (series after the 8N) went for 2K at a auction, ran good but really had my eye on the 2000 I have now. Funny thing is a non - running deere (720 diesel) brought twice the $ as the NAA. Id like to find a 3-point sickle mower just for the ditch line, drive along side it and just cut the grass at the level of the yard/road. I rolled the yard last night with the lawn deere, took 2-1/2 hours and didn’t really go over all of it. theres a septic mound system that youre only supposed to push mow over and a few wet spots I couldn’t do. Its really a mess where deer have been walking in the wet areas along the mound. It will be nice when the ground is firm enough to support the allis and I will be able to mow at 6 ft per pass instead of the 3-1/2 ft the deere mower will do.

 

[mikkelstuff]

Mow? Grass? What's that? Now xeriscaping in Colorado.

BUT I pick up free lawn mowers left at the curb, fix'em and donate to those in need. Usually the only thing wrong is those stupid safety handle bar activated on/off switches. Yes I know this is so they cannot be started with hands under the mower but people that dumb shouldn't be allowed around machinery.

 

[scotts90ranger]

The grass is stupid at the moment, and the ground is liquid... last Saturday I mowed for a couple hours until the riding mower killed another belt, ordered one on Amazon that was here Sunday but didn't get a chance until tonight to look into it... I think I know the problem, the lift arm on the non exit side was bent and broken... turns out all the kicking to unjam it took it's toll... They're like $13 on Amazon or $9 from Sears parts (plus shipping...) but I'm more stubborn than that so I just took both sides off, straightened until I'm pretty sure it's the right shape (and both the same dimensions). Gonna take them to work tomorrow to weld back together, will add some strap metal to the sides to add more structure... was wondering why one side was so dang low...

One of these days I'll get on to the other mowers, don't know if I'd added that I got a Deere 130 or whatever for free that needs some hydrostat love

As for Schenanagins, when I was mowing I tried to move the parts Mountaineer over a bit with the riding mower pushing with the front bumper but it wouldn't do it... not enough traction with the turf savers...