Thread: Time to replace the ride-on mower

Originally Posted by gromit

I purchased an old Greenfield ride-on mower about 20 years ago when we moved to a 1 acre property. I thought at the time I'd paid too much....
It had been re-powered with a Honda motor from a pressure washer (pull-start), the aluminium deck had been repaired (a chunk missing from the back) and what looks like a school chair fitted. Re-painted white and a few stickers added.

I've replaced the drive belt three times and the cutter belt once. The pressed steel idler pulleys were thrown away when the bearings failed and aluminium replacements made. The cutter pulley disintegrated and was repaired. One set of new blades fitted about 10 years ago. I've welded the front axle mount back on when the mower broke in half ! I fitted a new air filter to the Honda years ago. I repaired the cutter clutch operating mechanism when it self destructed. It's had a few oil changes, but not that many. I've never replaced the spark plug.
Someone told me early on that I'd be forever replacing the friction plates in the drive......I've never touched them.

It still cuts grass after over 20 years use but the engine smokes towards the end of the cut so......time to think about replacement.

Low & behold a Cox came up in an email from the local woodwork club. Hadn't been used for 3 years, parked up in a shed as the owner uses Jim's Mowing now. The B&S motor failed early in it's life so it was fitted with a 13HP Honda.
Flushed the fuel, gave it an oil change and fitted a new battery and it started & ran OK.

Cut the grass yesterday and it was 'luxury' compared to the old 80's Greenfield. Needs new blades and it scalped the lawn in a couple of places so maybe some adjustments needed and the drive 'groans' which may be normal ?
I wonder if I'll get 20 years out of this one ? In fact I wonder if I've got 20 years left......

Colin

Saw a AI or Automatic lawn mower when out running in QLD several weeks ago! The guys own owned it were on the porch drinking a cuppa while it mowed all by itself!

Originally Posted by NavyDiver

Saw a AI or Automatic lawn mower when out running in QLD several weeks ago! The guys own owned it were on the porch drinking a cuppa while it mowed all by itself!

Where's the fun in that?

You've got to love that. My John Deere X340 is about 14 years old now. Still looks brand new (with a JD seat cover). Just gets a home service with a JD service kit every 50 hours (oil, oil filter, air filter, spark plugs, fuel filter). At 50 hours it needed a new battery and a deck belt (no more full throttle engagements after that). Awesome machine also.

I had a Kubota G1800 that I bought from Jupps auctions, patched a few things up and used for 20 years, 3cyl water cooled 18hp diesel, 4 wheel steer, shaft drive 48" deck, hydromatic trans. It finally got too tired to keep using 2 years ago so I replaced it with a brand spanking new Cub Cadet, 2cyl air cooled 21hp petrol, wider 56" deck, cost 5 times what the Kubota cost me. It was like getting out of a clapped out old Rolls Royce and into a brand new Hyundai. Also goes through petrol like there's no tomorrow; I'm forever having to fill jerry cans. First world problems

Originally Posted by NavyDiver

Saw a AI or Automatic lawn mower when out running in QLD several weeks ago! The guys own owned it were on the porch drinking a cuppa while it mowed all by itself!

I was visiting Gardena/Husqvana and saw an automatic lawn mower.
The contact I was visiting said you need to give the lawn a good cut with a conventional mower before using it ?!
He also mentioned the number that come back under warranty because people haven't read the manual.

A quick google shows some big prices for something that won't cope with the area I need to cut.
The s/h Cox only cost $300 plus $70 for a battery.


Colin

I have a 1990 Rover Rancher Selector-Drive 12 HP... I was thinking about replacing it, while mowing waist height weeds, in my paddocks. I though "screw it, when this dies, I'm going to buy something good!"...

A little while later, while the heat off the engine was SOOO hot, I couldn't leave my feet on the footrests... I managed to run over a concrete brick... which it spun around the cutting deck for a while, broke into 3 pieces and spat out

About an hour later... it spluttered to a stop... which was when I thought I'd killed it.

Turns out, it'd run out of petrol So I filled it up, and kept going!

I've also used it as a rotary hoe, lowering the deck until it was spitting out dirt (and a terracotta pot I ran over )

I did buy another ride on though - a 1990 Rover Lawn King > Same unit, but twin blades and hydrostatic! You can't beat this old gear! They both have their original decks on - the Lawn King is galved, not sure on the Ranger - it's painted black, but may be Galv underneath.

My Neighbour is onto his 3rd brand new John Deere, and both my Rovers still work great,,, except the oil leaks from the crank seal.