Another Case of Production Design not Communicating with Mainenance Design

[Lionelgee]

Hello All,

A couple of days ago I broke the transmission belt on my ride-on mower. The V-belt runs between three pulleys. When I bought the new belt I was informed by the salesperson that I would have to loosen the differential/transmission bolts that hold it to the chassis. Well, I tried that technique and I had to take it one step further. The diff had to come off and the mower chassis jacked-up. By twisting the diff one way and the chassis the other enough room became available to fit the V-belt to the large pulley that connects to the transmission.

It is obvious that on the production line the V-belt is fitted to the pulley that has already been mounted to the transmission. The transmission with the belt fitted is then bolted to the chassis. Away it goes to the next stage of the line.

When the belt breaks there is not enough room between the outside diameter of the pulley and the vertical side of the chassis to fit the new belt. Neither is there an access slot cut into the side of the chassis. No, the undercarriage has to be disassembled and twisted to fit a new belt in. Another great example of a lack of communication between the production and the maintenance design people. I suppose by the time the belt breaks it is someone else's problem and the sales money is already in the company's bank.

Kind regards
Lionel

[Tins]

Hello All,

A couple of days ago I broke the transmission belt on my ride-on mower. The V-belt runs between three pulleys. When I bought the new belt I was informed by the salesperson that I would have to loosen the differential/transmission bolts that hold it to the chassis. Well, I tried that technique and I had to take it one step further. The diff had to come off and the mower chassis jacked-up. By twisting the diff one way and the chassis the other enough room became available to fit the V-belt to the large pulley that connects to the transmission.

It is obvious that on the production line the V-belt is fitted to the pulley that has already been mounted to the transmission. The transmission with the belt fitted is then bolted to the chassis. Away it goes to the next stage of the line.

When the belt breaks there is not enough room between the outside diameter of the pulley and the vertical side of the chassis to fit the new belt. Neither is there an access slot cut into the side of the chassis. No, the undercarriage has to be disassembled and twisted to fit a new belt in. Another great example of a lack of communication between the production and the maintenance design people. I suppose by the time the belt breaks it is someone else's problem and the sales money is already in the company's bank.

Kind regards
Lionel
I didn’t know LR made garden equipment.

[V8Ian]

I doubt any manufacturer has a maintenance design department. They do have engineers design the product life, that if the engineers get it right, fail just out of warranty.

[scarry]

I didn’t know LR made garden equipment.

I am sure many on here would be glad they dont[wink11]

[vnx205]

Wasn't there an equally complicated problem if the clutch cable broke in a VW Beetle?

[Saitch]

In the 70s, my accommodation was a government caravan. These were built like the proverbial outhouse, by a company who had never made 'vans previously, but won the tender. Ahem!

Anyway, whilst working out the back of Woop, the 'van fridge decided to cease operation. On contacting my boss, the bloke that shared the van with me and I were instructed to remove the fridge, for return to Brissie for repairs.
We went to the exterior side of the 'van, only to find a small air vent. No removal there. After a bit of fiddling around, we managed to get the fridge out of its hole in the cupboard and free standing. Tried getting it out the door, to no avail. We took vital dimensions and realised it was a futile battle. Next option was the roof hatch. Nuh, same issue as the door.
On relaying this to our boss, after some research, he found out that the 'vans were built with everything internal in situ and then the walls and roof shell lowered into position from the top!
There was no way that fridge was coming out until we could get the van back to the manufacturers. Which we did, but it meant life in a tent for my mate and I for quite a while.

[DazzaTD5]

Hello All,

A couple of days ago I broke the transmission belt on my ride-on mower. The V-belt runs between three pulleys. When I bought the new belt I was informed by the salesperson that I would have to loosen the differential/transmission bolts that hold it to the chassis. Well, I tried that technique and I had to take it one step further. The diff had to come off and the mower chassis jacked-up. By twisting the diff one way and the chassis the other enough room became available to fit the V-belt to the large pulley that connects to the transmission.

It is obvious that on the production line the V-belt is fitted to the pulley that has already been mounted to the transmission. The transmission with the belt fitted is then bolted to the chassis. Away it goes to the next stage of the line.

When the belt breaks there is not enough room between the outside diameter of the pulley and the vertical side of the chassis to fit the new belt. Neither is there an access slot cut into the side of the chassis. No, the undercarriage has to be disassembled and twisted to fit a new belt in. Another great example of a lack of communication between the production and the maintenance design people. I suppose by the time the belt breaks it is someone else's problem and the sales money is already in the company's bank.

Kind regards
Lionel

Let me guess... its a John Deere ?

[Lionelgee]

Let me guess... its a John Deere ?

G'day Dazza,

Sorry Dazza no coconut for you - It is an MTD.

Kind regards
Lionel

[scarry]

Back in the day,changing the fan belt on a Series 1 with a Capstan winch wasnt the greatest job either....

[Lionelgee]

Hello All,

Well after getting a time consuming task out of the way I was able to return to the mower. I had taken the mower's model and serial number to the specialist mower parts place and they handed over a replacement belt.

After I dropped the transmission/differential from the chassis so I could fit the new belt and reassembled everything I thought that the belt looked very slack. The reassembly to the point of the mower being able to run and drive - without completing all the aesthetic parts had an underwhelming result - the belt slipped.

So, I went online and typed in the brand of the mower and its model and serial number. I found the part number for the replacement belt. I checked the pack that the replacement belt came in. The replacement belt had a different number to the parts book. I checked to see if the number from the parts manual had been superseded with a new parts number - nope. I was given the wrong sized replacement belt.

Did I mention how I took a printed page with the model and serial number on it to a specialist mower parts place?

Now I have to take the damn transmission/diff off just to retrieve the belt so I can take it back and get the right sized one - bugger! I have already added the right part number to a new copy of the page with the model and serial numbers I had previously given them. Not like I will be paid anything for doing the job that they are paid to do properly - you know the word 'professional'


Kind regards
Lionel

[spudfan]

I think cars and other stuff are designed to be assembled as quickly as possible. The ease of future maintenance or replacing parts is a minor consideration. Future labour charges don't generally enter customer's minds when making a purchase. How many people ask how easy it is to change a headlight bulb or how much time would be involved in changing a starter motor? Not many.

[1950landy]

A guy I know needed a new H/L bulb in his newer VW was quoted 2hr's so decided to do it him self , never again he told me had to take whole front off the car & working by him self took him 4hr's .
My brother buys bulbs for the front running lights on his 5 year old VW by the carton & he recently had to make up some bulb holders because the plastic ones had melted & shorted out, burning some of the wiring.

[JDNSW]

I think cars and other stuff are designed to be assembled as quickly as possible. The ease of future maintenance or replacing parts is a minor consideration. Future labour charges don't generally enter customer's minds when making a purchase. How many people ask how easy it is to change a headlight bulb or how much time would be involved in changing a starter motor? Not many.

Probably the largest single cost in building a car is assembly. And this means it is the fruitful place to reduce costs, enabling the manufacturer to compete better. Henry Ford realised this before WW1, and from then on the most successful manufacturers were those who found ways to reduce assembly (as well as part manufacturing) costs.

A large part of this is achieved by designing for assembly - and this means the design is tailored to the assembly machinery and processes (and worker skills) that the factory already has. Unless it is planned to build a new, more modern or better designed factory for the new design. This has been done repeatedly through automotive history.

But this does not necessarily mean that the vehicle has to be hard to maintain or repair. This usually comes about either because the design process simply has not worried maintenance or repair, perhaps because it was rushed, or the designers/manufacturers were inexperienced, nut possibly more commonly, when there is strong pressure to put together parts that were not originally designed to fit with each other. A good example would be the puma engined Defenders, but there are lots of others I could have picked.

[4bee]

I am sure many on here would be glad they dont[wink11]



Hhhmmmmm, that is alright for some but my Mower is a ROVER (MTD) already. Sometimes it is possible to fit an awkward V Belt by turning it on it's side while trying to pass it through close tolerances, but I guess Lionel has tried that.


These days my (neighbour up the back not the Frog one [bighmmm]) usually does any work on my 38" cut machine 'cos he seems to have all the right gear
ie. Ratchet gun.

In my Fridgie days you could buy a belt composed of many sections & joined by one Metal connector (all clip on stuff) because some Units were a bastard to fit a conventional Rubber V belt in situ. Maybe you still can? I think it was called a Something xxxxxx Link Belt.

Gates Link V Belt Suppliers | AIMS Industrial (https://www.aimsindustrial.com.au/bearings-power-transmission/belts/industrial-v-belts/link-belts/)





I purchase the required bits from The Bay & he removes & fits the new.
Seems to only take him not so long to fit new cutter disk pedestals once the deck is out & that doesn't seem to take him long.


The thing that really ****es me off is the design of the Vinyl Seat. The more use it gets the smoother it gets & sliding on a bit of a slope becomes unsafe. Tried a New Loose seat cover from online but that is more than useless & it bags out so no gain. Any suggestions on this would be appreciated.

[Lionelgee]

Hhhmmmmm, that is alright for some but my Mower is a ROVER (MTD) already. Sometimes it is possible to fit an awkward v Belt by turning it on it's side while trying pass it through close tolerances, but I guess Lionel has tried that.


these days.
My (neighbour up the back not the Frog one [bighmmm]) usually does any work on my 38" cut machine 'cos he seems to have all the right gear
ie. Ratchet gun.

I purchase the required bits from The Bay & he removes & fits the new.
Seems to only take him not so long to fit new cutter disk pedestals once the deck is out & that doesn't seem to take him long.


The thing that really ****es me off is the design of the Vinyl Seat. The more use it gets the smoother it gets & sliding on a bit of a slope becomes unsafe. Tried a New Loose seat cover from online but that is more than useless & it bags out so no gain. Any suggestions on this would be appreciated.


G'day 4Bee,

I have a rattle gun. They are too big for access to where I need to get to for the variable drive pulleys and what things hold them on. I worked out with the access restrictions that a 1/2 drive ratchet and deep impact sockets work out best in the space. All my extension bars - even the shortest one is still too long. However, just fitting a standard socket does not give you enough clearance over rods and other obstructions to work on the bolts. If the 1/2 option fails I go to a 1/4 inch drive set of ratchets and sockets.

I even took the whole body cover off so I could get better access. I suppose I could have gained even better access by taking the cutter deck off too. However, where do you stop. I drew the line at removing the cutter deck as it is only recently rebuilt. Been there done that.

Oh well, by the time I drop the diff/tranny so I can reclaim the incorrect belt that I was given at the mower place, I will be able to dismantle and reassemble the mower in record time. Hmm, although this is not a skill I had wanted to add to my repertoire.

Meanwhile ... the grass grows even longer....

Kind regards
Lionel

[V8Ian]

Hhhmmmmm, that is alright for some but my Mower is a ROVER (MTD) already. Sometimes it is possible to fit an awkward V Belt by turning it on it's side while trying to pass it through close tolerances, but I guess Lionel has tried that.


These days my (neighbour up the back not the Frog one [bighmmm]) usually does any work on my 38" cut machine 'cos he seems to have all the right gear
ie. Ratchet gun.

In my Fridgie days you could buy a belt composed of many sections & joined by one Metal connector (all clip on stuff) because some Units were a bastard to fit a conventional Rubber V belt in situ. Maybe you still can? I think it was called a Something xxxxxx Link Belt.

Gates Link V Belt Suppliers | AIMS Industrial (https://www.aimsindustrial.com.au/bearings-power-transmission/belts/industrial-v-belts/link-belts/)





I purchase the required bits from The Bay & he removes & fits the new.
Seems to only take him not so long to fit new cutter disk pedestals once the deck is out & that doesn't seem to take him long.


The thing that really ****es me off is the design of the Vinyl Seat. The more use it gets the smoother it gets & sliding on a bit of a slope becomes unsafe. Tried a New Loose seat cover from online but that is more than useless & it bags out so no gain. Any suggestions on this would be appreciated.
Lino tacks in ya jocks, Bee. [bigwhistle]

[4bee]

G'day 4Bee,

I have a rattle gun. They are too big for access to where I need to get to for the variable drive pulleys and what things hold them on. I worked out with the access restrictions that a 1/2 drive ratchet and deep impact sockets work out best in the space. All my extension bars - even the shortest one is still too long. However, just fitting a standard socket does not give you enough clearance over rods and other obstructions to work on the bolts. If the 1/2 option fails I go to a 1/4 inch drive set of ratchets and sockets.

I even took the whole body cover off so I could get better access. I suppose I could have gained even better access by taking the cutter deck off too. However, where do you stop. I drew the line at removing the cutter deck as it is only recently rebuilt. Been there done that.

Oh well, by the time I drop the diff/tranny so I can reclaim the incorrect belt that I was given at the mower place, I will be able to dismantle and reassemble the mower in record time. Hmm, although this is not a skill I had wanted to add to my repertoire.

Kind regards
Lionel


Sorry. The rattle gun is used mainly for the pedestals & blades & any other tight buggers.


Rolf has never had to "demolish" the Mower, but he has had it with the 4 wheels up on blocks to give access below. One time in the early days of ownership it was chain hoisted by the front to a near vertical position Fuel was removed just in case & oil was allowed to establish once it was back on the floor. Seemed to be worth the trouble.

[4bee]

Lino tacks in ya jocks, Bee. [bigwhistle]



Great idea Ian, but in reality it doesn't bear thinking about. 2 hours on the mower there'd be nuthin left of my undercarriage let alone put it away for the night.

I'll keep that in mind though.:Rolling::TakeABow:

[Lionelgee]

Sorry. The rattle gun is used mainly for the pedestals & blades & any other tight buggers.


Rolf has never had to "demolish" the Mower, but he has had it with the 4 wheels up on blocks to give access below. One time in the early days of ownership it was chain hoisted by the front to a near vertical position Fuel was removed just in case & oil was allowed to establish once it was back on the floor. Seemed to be worth the trouble.

G'day 4Bee,

I have used D shackles and lengths of chain hooked to the current and previous mower's chassis and lifted them up with my mobile crane so I can get better clearance and access. However, these mowers were driven into the big shed. Mower is currently in the small shed. To get it to the big shed I would have to push it quite a long way.

I just used some of the time I have to wait until the mower shop opens tomorrow. I did some maintenance. I gave the variable sliding pulley a couple of sprays of lanolin penetrating spray because the pulley was not sliding on the shaft that freely. It was 'sticky' not smooth flowing. I also removed the four bolts that hold the bearing housing onto the bottom of the variable speed pulley assembly. I repacked the two bearings with some high temperature grease and wiped some grease around the casing. There was a bit of play in the bearings - mostly due to not having been greased since they were fitted back in 2013, I suppose.

When I get the right-sized V-belt and get the variable speed part all reassembled again I will have to get ready to hit the brakes as the speed part now is all spinning freely the mower might want to bolt away.

As long as they give me the right belt on my upcoming trip to the mower place! I have the correct part number - this time I looked it up myself.

Kind regards
Lionel

[Saitch]

About 12 months ago, i had to replace the generator belt on my tractor. I went to a very popular tractor brand dealer with the old belt. On showing it to them, I was told that they couldn't give me a belt going by the size, but needed the part number.

[4bee]

About 12 months ago, i had to replace the generator belt on my tractor. I went to a very popular tractor brand dealer with the old belt. On showing it to them, I was told that they couldn't give me a belt going by the size, but needed the part number.


In fairness I think that would be ok. a. The belt has stretched (they never seem to shrink)[bighmmm] By how much, who could say?

b. The part No is usually on the belt but gets degraded with wear & crap & is difficult to locate, even if it was there in the first instance.


They don't usually respond by giving you 3 belts for you to try & return the ones that it ain't.


Now back in the Fridgie days the bloke behind the counter being a practical Bloke realised the problem & you were trusted to return the unused belts. They normally did bill you for them all & issue a credit on their return & that usually happened the same day if possible.

[scarry]

Most good bearing places will either have or can get the correct belt.

[Lionelgee]

Hello All,

I had dinner. I got bored. I went into the shed and dropped the ride-on's differential/transmission. I jacked the chassis up. Bent the chassis one way and the diff the other and finagled the wrong-sized V-belt out. The belt has been reunited with its packaging and is all ready to be returned and replaced with the correct sized belt tomorrow morning.

Realistically, I will have to tame a couple of acres with the tractor slasher first. Then wait a day or so and go over the lot with the ride-on to make area look good again. The slasher is definitely not 'finishing mower' grade. The trouble is the ride-on is being worked just near the front doors of the shed and the tractor is parked behind the ride-on. The ride-on has to come out before the tractor can come out of.shed, when it does so the ride-on will be moving under its own power.

The grass is still growing longer ... We have had a dab of rain up here over the past month or so. This time last year we were losing drought tolerant plants because it was so dry. Now we are losing plants because their toes are too wet.

Kind regards
Lionel

[4bee]

Hello All,

I had dinner. I got bored. I went into the shed and dropped the ride-on's differential/transmission. I jacked the chassis up. Bent the chassis one way and the diff the other and finagled the wrong-sized V-belt out. The belt has been reunited with its packaging and is all ready to be returned and replaced with the correct sized belt tomorrow morning.

Realistically, I will have to tame a couple of acres with the tractor slasher first. Then wait a day or so and go over the lot with the ride-on to make area look good again. The slasher is definitely not 'finishing mower' grade. The trouble is the ride-on is being worked just near the front doors of the shed and the tractor is parked behind the ride-on. The ride-on has to come out before the tractor can come out of.shed, when it does so the ride-on will be moving under its own power.

The grass is still growing longer ... We have had a dab of rain up here over the past month or so. This time last year we were losing drought tolerant plants because it was so dry. Now we are losing plants because their toes are too wet.

Kind regards
Lionel


Meant to add.

The pedestals I fitted do have std grease Nipples (1 each) but are not made for routine Maint being so difficult to get a Small grease gun onto. Ok when doing new blades & stuff around there. A gun with a flexible tube might be ok at a pinch. Unlike my first replacement Pedestals that didn't even have sealed race bearings [bawl] these are much better.

[4bee]

Hello All,

I had dinner. I got bored. I went into the shed and dropped the ride-on's differential/transmission. I jacked the chassis up. Bent the chassis one way and the diff the other and finagled the wrong-sized V-belt out. The belt has been reunited with its packaging and is all ready to be returned and replaced with the correct sized belt tomorrow morning.

Realistically, I will have to tame a couple of acres with the tractor slasher first. Then wait a day or so and go over the lot with the ride-on to make area look good again. The slasher is definitely not 'finishing mower' grade. The trouble is the ride-on is being worked just near the front doors of the shed and the tractor is parked behind the ride-on. The ride-on has to come out before the tractor can come out of.shed, when it does so the ride-on will be moving under its own power.

The grass is still growing longer ... We have had a dab of rain up here over the past month or so. This time last year we were losing drought tolerant plants because it was so dry. Now we are losing plants because their toes are too wet.

Kind regards
Lionel


It has often been said "When things like that arise take 10 mins & have a cuppa tea". Things seem to go a bit easier afterwards & I suppose it is because we get bogged down & following the same routine each time you try. Anyway, it works for me. :BigThumb::Rolling:

[DoubleChevron]

Good Grief ..... I just purchased a "new" mower .......... Well new to me. The only decent mowers I could see looked to start at lots of $$$ .... nothing decent seemed to exist until I hit commercial type zero turns with fabricated decks.

175664


a 20 year old "new" mower from a deceased estate. looks to be fabricated from 3mm plate steel .... made in horsham from what appears to be readily available industrial parts. All the belts are swinging in the breeze underneath. Its like they said "what would make everything simple to get too" .... by having a front deck, there is no restrictions underneath. To get to the blades, you just throw a jack under the deck and it'll lift up until it touches the body of the mower.

[spudfan]

In 1990 we bought our first car, it was a 90 turbo diesel. Before I bought it I phoned up a maindealer and asked for the price of various parts. The reason I did this was that at the time my work van was a little Daihatsu Charade and I knew from the company how unhappy they were with the price of parts. The price for the Land Rover 90 parts were cheaper than the parts for the Daihatsu Charade.
People always eulogise over Japanese cars and engines, but the Daihatsu charade were the last Japanese vehicles the company ever bought. Basic parts even for servicing were astronomically expensive.
My speedometer cable went and no one had it in stock as it was so expensive..Now they lease everything but it is always European like Renault, Peugeot or Citroen etc. They have some LDV vans which were/are an unmitigated disaster. They are from China.. They come over here flat packed and are assembled here.LDV - Harris Group - Light commercial vehicles and mini-buses (https://harrisgroup.ie/brands/ldv/)

[4bee]

Good Grief ..... I just purchased a "new" mower .......... Well new to me. The only decent mowers I could see looked to start at lots of $$$ .... nothing decent seemed to exist until I hit commercial type zero turns with fabricated decks.

175664


a 20 year old "new" mower from a deceased estate. looks to be fabricated from 3mm plate steel .... made in horsham from what appears to be readily available industrial parts. All the belts are swinging in the breeze underneath. Its like they said "what would make everything simple to get too" .... by having a front deck, there is no restrictions underneath. To get to the blades, you just throw a jack under the deck and it'll lift up until it touches the body of the mower.


Nice, I can see you will be adding that to your long Signature.[bighmmm][bigrolf]

[Saitch]

Most good bearing places will either have or can get the correct belt.

Yep, that's what I did. Easy as.

[4bee]

Good Grief ..... I just purchased a "new" mower .......... Well new to me. The only decent mowers I could see looked to start at lots of $$$ .... nothing decent seemed to exist until I hit commercial type zero turns with fabricated decks.

175664


a 20 year old "new" mower from a deceased estate. looks to be fabricated from 3mm plate steel .... made in horsham from what appears to be readily available industrial parts. All the belts are swinging in the breeze underneath. Its like they said "what would make everything simple to get too" .... by having a front deck, there is no restrictions underneath. To get to the blades, you just throw a jack under the deck and it'll lift up until it touches the body of the mower.


Just noticed the seat is contoured/sculpted to suit one's arris so no sliding across for you.


Is there a name on the seat & if I fail to find a similar one could you tell me the Mower's makers name. It could be worth a try if they still exist.

[DoubleChevron]

Just noticed the seat is contoured/sculpted to suit one's arris so no sliding across for you.


Is there a name on the seat & if I fail to find a similar one could you tell me the Mower's makers name. It could be worth a try if they still exist.

I think its a foam seat rather than plastic coated foam (after all its 20years old and still like new). It'll be an australian made seat. The mower is an AMC (you can find it on the wayback machine). They went out of business years ago ... around the same time all the others did (deutcher, rover, etc). The seat also has drain point cast into it at the lowest point so it won't hold water.

I'll have a look tonight, but I'm sure the maker of the seat will be out of business :(

[Lionelgee]

Hello All,

I just finished mowing the footpath - well the roadside with the ride-on mower. Yes a new belt was acquired from the mower shop and I fitted it. With our block being triangular in shape the roadside is our longest side because it is the hypotenuse. It is also by far the steepest section as well. While I have mown this slope before with the tractor slasher, the ride-on is the safest option for myself and the passing traffic. The long and thick grass did choke up the cutter deck of the ride-on a couple of times, causing the motor to stall. Otherwise the mower went like a Trojan.

The ride-on is now parked in the house yard. With the ride-on out of the way of the shed doors, the big guns of the tractor and slasher are definitely coming out to tame the paddock. The ride-on can tidy things up there in a couple of days time.

Kind regards
Lionel

[DoubleChevron]

Hello All,

I just finished mowing the footpath - well the roadside with the ride-on mower. Yes a new belt was acquired from the mower shop and I fitted it. With our block being triangular in shape the roadside is our longest side because it is the hypotenuse. It is also by far the steepest section as well. While I have mown this slope before with the tractor slasher, the ride-on is the safest option for myself and the passing traffic. The long and thick grass did choke up the cutter deck of the ride-on a couple of times, causing the motor to stall. Otherwise the mower went like a Trojan.

The ride-on is now parked in the house yard. With the ride-on out of the way of the shed doors, the big guns of the tractor and slasher are definitely coming out to tame the paddock. The ride-on can tidy things up there in a couple of days time.

Kind regards
Lionel

I just do around the gardens/shed/house with the ride on and use a finishing flail mower behind the tractor for the rest. The finish *isn't* as good as a proper finishing mower like the ride-on, but its much, much safer to use around the house urban area (flails thrown down). I have a 5foot slasher, it can throw golf ball sized rocks hundreds of meters. I avoid using it at all costs, and always try to keep it pointed away from anything that can be hurt :)

I have hit a golf ball with the flail before. I stopped 'cos I wondered what the hell the hamming from the mower was. It was the ball bouncing off the mowers casing, it spat it out after a few seconds, simply dropping it behind the mower in the grass (rather than pelting it miles at the speed of sound)

[DoubleChevron]

Hello All,

I just finished mowing the footpath - well the roadside with the ride-on mower. Yes a new belt was acquired from the mower shop and I fitted it. With our block being triangular in shape the roadside is our longest side because it is the hypotenuse. It is also by far the steepest section as well. While I have mown this slope before with the tractor slasher, the ride-on is the safest option for myself and the passing traffic. The long and thick grass did choke up the cutter deck of the ride-on a couple of times, causing the motor to stall. Otherwise the mower went like a Trojan.

The ride-on is now parked in the house yard. With the ride-on out of the way of the shed doors, the big guns of the tractor and slasher are definitely coming out to tame the paddock. The ride-on can tidy things up there in a couple of days time.

Kind regards
Lionel

The only way to get cutting performance from a ride on .... if your a person that has "grass" like me rather than "lawn" .... is a big single deck mower. Just look at any australian made mower, they will all have big single decks, and will work much better as a "slasher" than amercian mowers (that will shred belts, break deck spindles, bend bar blades etc...). My rover rancher I just sold.... sold new in 2004, we owned it from new. It was still running it original drive belt whne I sold it, and it 2nd cutter belt. Only because a stick got jamned in there and chewed the cutter belt up. A well designed mower doesn't shred belts. The 18hp motor had a shortish belt back to the large single cutter deck. The entire deck pivoted forward tensioning the belt (so no tensioners). My sister inlaw uses american mowers. I think they generally have 3 of them at any one time .... and if they are lucky, one will be working (ie: not have broken belts, tensioners, deck spindles, etc). She should be using a slasher type mower, not an american "lawn" cutter..... well given the acerage they are trying to upkeep, she really should have a 60hp tractor and 10foot slasher.

[DazzaTD5]

A guy I know needed a new H/L bulb in his newer VW was quoted 2hr's so decided to do it him self , never again he told me had to take whole front off the car & working by him self took him 4hr's .
My brother buys bulbs for the front running lights on his 5 year old VW by the carton & he recently had to make up some bulb holders because the plastic ones had melted & shorted out, burning some of the wiring.

Another great example of Prestige brand = **** quality.

Back not that long ago, I used to change out globes for customers as simply part of looking after customers at a cost of the globe only. Nowdays I call the auto sparkies out to change head light globes.

[Lionelgee]

I just do around the gardens/shed/house with the ride on and use a finishing flail mower behind the tractor for the rest. The finish *isn't* as good as a proper finishing mower like the ride-on, but its much, much safer to use around the house urban area (flails thrown down). I have a 5foot slasher, it can throw golf ball sized rocks hundreds of meters. I avoid using it at all costs, and always try to keep it pointed away from anything that can be hurt :)

I have hit a golf ball with the flail before. I stopped 'cos I wondered what the hell the hamming from the mower was. It was the ball bouncing off the mowers casing, it spat it out after a few seconds, simply dropping it behind the mower in the grass (rather than pelting it miles at the speed of sound)

G'day Double Chevron,

You are right about the flail mowers. My career used to be in Local Government Parks and Gardens. A number of councils went exclusively to flail mowers for any tractor towed grass cutting implement. Their front deck ride-on mowers were also all mandatory rear exit chutes. Too many public liability claims against the council or they wanted to minimise their risks.

One summer we were working combined gangs. My crew and another one. The other supervisor was a couple of grades above me. He had just cautioned his and my staff about what way the exit chutes of their walk-behind-slashers were facing and make sure the side discharges were pointed away from cars. Everyone nodded and their supervisor turned his back to speak to a member of the public. Next second thwack - shatter - shatter. One of his crew did not follow advice and a 1950's chopped roof Chevrolet had its custom made front windscreen twinkling pieces into the sun. "Not Happy Jan"

Kind regards
Lionel

[3toes]

Another great example of Prestige brand = **** quality.

Back not that long ago, I used to change out globes for customers as simply part of looking after customers at a cost of the globe only. Nowdays I call the auto sparkies out to change head light globes.

Hand a Mercedes where to change the front bulbs you had to take off the front wheel then remove plastic trim under car then reach up and through all the bits of engine to remove another cover. Then retract bulb extract hand with bulb and then back in again with new bulb and put it all back together again. Bulbs needed regular replacement.

Had it done by the Mercedes dealer once as part of a service. When picked up noticed a bulb sitting at the bottom of the head light. Rattling around in the it would destroy the silver reflective coating. When commented that was not right they said had dropped when changing and could not fetch it out would need a new head light assembly if wanted it fixed. Think really they were hoping I would not notice. Suggested they feed a length of nylon rope in with sticky tape on end to retrieve. Would have thought I was Einstein from their reactions. In a way lucky for me they had already written up the invoice and this was done afterwards so did not end up paying for the extra hour to fix

Or design wise try adjusting the head lights of a Renault from right had drive to left hand drive. Normally you put some stickers on the lights so they do not dazzle on coming traffic. Not perfect but does the job. Now the designers thought this could be done better if there was a lever you could push to change the headlight aim from right to left. Unfortunately when implemented it was a 2 hour job to push the lever due to the amount of car that had to be dismantled to reach the lever and then the same again to put it back afterwards

[spudfan]

Another great example of Prestige brand = **** quality.

Back not that long ago, I used to change out globes for customers as simply part of looking after customers at a cost of the globe only. Nowdays I call the auto sparkies out to change head light globes.
Some European countries stipulate that when travelling there you must carry a spare bulb kit. Imagine a wet night trying to change a bulb with the amount of dismantling and reassembly needed on new cars.
The company I worked for had 11 Citroen Berlingo vans. On 6 of these the reverse gears went. It would go suddenly without warning leaving you stranded if you had parked nose in.
The fuel pumps were prone to packing up. You would be driving along and then suddenly no fuel. Happened on 5 vans including me. All leased so sorted at no cost to the company.
If the door handle on your Defender goes you replace the handle. If it went on a Citroen or Renault the whole door trim was changed!!
Seat bases were prone to wear and tear which ment a new driver's seat had to be fitted. When your seat base in the Defender goes you replace the seat base. Sometimes the simple ideas are the best.
Saw a camper van in a car park with the bonnet up. A mechanic was trying to access the battery at the back of the engine at the bulk head to remove it.Whoever designed that set up never considered how bad it could be for your back to remove a battery and fit another one.

[PhilipA]

Mate had an E46 convertible 335I. Came to me grumbling that had been told by 3places that could not change a blown HID bulb but he had to buy a whole headlight unit for AFAIR $1600.

I thought , that cannot be right. Took about 3 minutes to withdraw and show him the bulb, but BMW dealer charged him $200 for the (aftermarket OEM was $600) bulb of course.( he was too computer illiterate to buy one on line)

It was interesting to me that the wires entering the bulb socket were all singed, but the dealer apparently included some liquid tape in the deal.LOL
Regards PhilipA

[4bee]

The only way to get cutting performance from a ride on .... if your a person that has "grass" like me rather than "lawn" .... is a big single deck mower. Just look at any australian made mower, they will all have big single decks, and will work much better as a "slasher" than amercian mowers (that will shred belts, break deck spindles, bend bar blades etc...). My rover rancher I just sold.... sold new in 2004, we owned it from new. It was still running it original drive belt whne I sold it, and it 2nd cutter belt. Only because a stick got jamned in there and chewed the cutter belt up. A well designed mower doesn't shred belts. The 18hp motor had a shortish belt back to the large single cutter deck. The entire deck pivoted forward tensioning the belt (so no tensioners). My sister inlaw uses american mowers. I think they generally have 3 of them at any one time .... and if they are lucky, one will be working (ie: not have broken belts, tensioners, deck spindles, etc). She should be using a slasher type mower, not an american "lawn" cutter..... well given the acerage they are trying to upkeep, she really should have a 60hp tractor and 10foot slasher.


I reckon it is bad Alignment of the belt that causes that & the pulley edges /tops separate the cords.
I realise to achieve 100% belt alignment on a Ride-on is nearly impossible because of the way they work, ie. shifting transmission trains, but all you can do is the best you can & suffer the consequences when it goes norks up. Oh, And smile, especially when you realise you "squandered" your money on a hunch & a spare belt, a year ago when you had that feeling in your water that it will let go soon.[bigrolf]

[4bee]

I think its a foam seat rather than plastic coated foam (after all its 20years old and still like new). It'll be an australian made seat. The mower is an AMC (you can find it on the wayback machine). They went out of business years ago ... around the same time all the others did (deutcher, rover, etc). The seat also has drain point cast into it at the lowest point so it won't hold water.

I'll have a look tonight, but I'm sure the maker of the seat will be out of business :(


The seat also has drain point cast into it at the lowest point so it won't hold water.


Handy if one is a bit incontinent. No getting off & going inside, just do it on the move & then spend the next few weeks pondering why the lawn is dying off even though there is a long thin line of brown grass where one has been. [bigrolf]

[4bee]

Hand a Mercedes where to change the front bulbs you had to take off the front wheel then remove plastic trim under car then reach up and through all the bits of engine to remove another cover. Then retract bulb extract hand with bulb and then back in again with new bulb and put it all back together again. Bulbs needed regular replacement.

Had it done by the Mercedes dealer once as part of a service. When picked up noticed a bulb sitting at the bottom of the head light. Rattling around in the it would destroy the silver reflective coating. When commented that was not right they said had dropped when changing and could not fetch it out would need a new head light assembly if wanted it fixed. Think really they were hoping I would not notice. Suggested they feed a length of nylon rope in with sticky tape on end to retrieve. Would have thought I was Einstein from their reactions. In a way lucky for me they had already written up the invoice and this was done afterwards so did not end up paying for the extra hour to fix

Or design wise try adjusting the head lights of a Renault from right had drive to left hand drive. Normally you put some stickers on the lights so they do not dazzle on coming traffic. Not perfect but does the job. Now the designers thought this could be done better if there was a lever you could push to change the headlight aim from right to left. Unfortunately when implemented it was a 2 hour job to push the lever due to the amount of car that had to be dismantled to reach the lever and then the same again to put it back afterwards



In bloodycredible 3T.


Bloke on another UK forum posted where to replace a bulb on his near ROVER Car he had to dismantle the front end as well. I honestly thought it was a Windup until I started to read of your experiences.


No idea how MAZDA have handled it but I guess I'll find out one day. Ah GOOGLE is my friend.

[4bee]

In bloodycredible 3T.


Bloke on another UK forum posted where to replace a bulb on his near ROVER Car he had to dismantle the front end as well. I honestly thought it was a Windup until I started to read of you experiences.


No idea how MAZDA have handled it but I guess I'll find out one day. Ah GOOGLE is my friend.

https://owners-manual.mazda.com/gen/en/cx-3/cx-3_8gt4ee18d/contents/07031501.html


So far it appears to be a fairly simple job (I likes those)[bigrolf]
(https://owners-manual.mazda.com/gen/en/cx-3/cx-3_8gt4ee18d/contents/07031501.html)