old timers look here must be 50+ years only
03-27-2018, 08:38 PM
#5777
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: Measnes, La Creuse, France.
Posts: 2,133
Received 146 Likes
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123 Posts
I finally got my old mower finished. It needs a few days for the primer to dry then gets a top coat. I purchased the mower new 27 years ago. With this rebuild, it will outlast me. I have grass 30" high in areas. Good for hay but not good for areas I want clear. But first I'll cut the runway, it looks really bad.
Now, time to get back on my Kaos build. A little more work and It will be very close to the covering phase.
03-28-2018, 02:43 AM
#5778
Thanks, Telemaster.
03-28-2018, 06:55 AM
#5779
I have a 6' King Kutter finish mower that I stored outside one too many times and started getting rust. I powerwashed it to get the flakes off, hit it with rust stop paint, then a nice thick coat of tractor and implement paint to match my Kubota. Only other thing in 16 years was a bad hub. I also have a KK 5 foot tiller of the same age, still works great. Woods makes really good long lasting products and I have their backhoe for the Bota, has done an excellent job and doesn't take much to attach or detach it either.
03-28-2018, 10:03 AM
#5781
Thread Starter
ETPILOT
That bushhog looks strong enough to whack down red woods -well done! mine is sitting in the rain right now and it needs welding, something I am not to good at but I enjoy trying. been looking at a Husqvarna 52 in. cut riding mower for my lawn and driveway, the old monkey ward rider is on the fritz after thirty years and a couple of rebuilds.
Momma is out of the hospital and things are slowly returning to normal, but we are haveing some noisey storms right now and I can't get outside to put my mowers to use
which ain't all bad.
That bushhog looks strong enough to whack down red woods -well done! mine is sitting in the rain right now and it needs welding, something I am not to good at but I enjoy trying. been looking at a Husqvarna 52 in. cut riding mower for my lawn and driveway, the old monkey ward rider is on the fritz after thirty years and a couple of rebuilds.
Momma is out of the hospital and things are slowly returning to normal, but we are haveing some noisey storms right now and I can't get outside to put my mowers to use
which ain't all bad.
03-28-2018, 10:04 AM
#5782
Still need to be careful of what is out there. I found some really cheap cutters that wont last more than a few seasons. Considering how infrequent they are used each season, that is not a lot of ROI.
03-28-2018, 10:53 AM
#5783
Thread Starter
Do you read and believe the online review of products? .......................... maybe I am a old fuss budget but the reviews seem too short and bogus. how can I believe what someone says when I know most folk don't know how to maintain equiptment.
that said, I am also concerned with the fact much (American) products are made in third world countries to cut down on cost of manufacturing with a corresponding decline in quality. It has truly become a pay you money and take you chance society, .......then throw it away and get another. .............. pitiful!
that said, I am also concerned with the fact much (American) products are made in third world countries to cut down on cost of manufacturing with a corresponding decline in quality. It has truly become a pay you money and take you chance society, .......then throw it away and get another. .............. pitiful!
03-28-2018, 11:02 AM
#5784
I believe what I see, not what I read. It's like car forums. If you go to any car site, you would think there were major problems, until you read between the lines, and it is usually the same person complaining (like me). I have a 2016 F150 that I started litigation on due to all the issues I have had with it, yet my previous F150 was almost perfect (and I really miss that truck). There are 3 others with new F150's here where I work and none have any issues. It happens.
This is the problem I find with online shopping. You can't see it, touch it, feel it or inspect it, so you never know just what you are getting until it arrives, and half the time, or more it is not what you were expecting. I was considering getting a rough cut mower last year from Tractor Supply, but the one near me didn't stock them, the nearest was 120 miles away. Needless to say, I did not get one. There is a Kubota shop near me that sells Woods so I have seen it, felt it, and inspected it, and good quality as expected, but nearly $500 more than the TS one.
This is the problem I find with online shopping. You can't see it, touch it, feel it or inspect it, so you never know just what you are getting until it arrives, and half the time, or more it is not what you were expecting. I was considering getting a rough cut mower last year from Tractor Supply, but the one near me didn't stock them, the nearest was 120 miles away. Needless to say, I did not get one. There is a Kubota shop near me that sells Woods so I have seen it, felt it, and inspected it, and good quality as expected, but nearly $500 more than the TS one.
03-28-2018, 11:58 AM
#5785
I have a 1959 Allis-Chalrmers D17 and a 6' King Cutter that I used for 25 years. The 2 speed clutch got so week it would not pull the tractor and I can't by parts for it and It is real hard to fix. I mowed the runway and rest of my stuff with my DR walk behind for 2 years that took 12 hours a week . I bought the Cub Cadet GT (garden tractor). It takes a 50" cut then I bought the two pull behind DR mowers. This system cuts 11' swath. I learned that the LT (lawn tractors) are equipped with 6.5Hp transitions even tho the engine might be 25 hp. The Garden tractors transitions match the engine hp. So the lawn tractors should not be used to pull.
03-29-2018, 04:53 AM
#5786
I have a 1996 Dodge Ram Diesel. My first diesel truck so lots to learn. I do my own maintenance after the warranty period. Best truck I have owned. It is now at 355,700 miles. No major problems. You won't believe my next sentence. It is still on the original clutch. Amazing. It still pulls like new. Just before my mower repair I pulled a trailer load of metal to the metal recycle. Still looks decent but not new. I priced a new one a while back $45,000 to $50.000. I'll keep my old one.
Here is my before mower picture. Really bad up front. I'll keep the pieces from the rear for any project that may come along. Will sell the old metal.
The problem today is we are a throw away society. It gets harder and harder to do repairs. Finding the repair parts can be a challenge.
It has been rainy 2 days now. I will work on my Kaos all day today. Just a little fun down time.
03-29-2018, 05:22 AM
#5787
I had a young neighbor last year that got the idea of buying a diesel Chevy/GMC pickup at auction to repair himself and drive. He is a good import mechanic (Toyota) and hadn't work on a diesel before. He is known to make nice side money by buying older imports hop them up into street racers and then flip them. He found one truck body was sound but nowhere near perfect but it was cheap. The truck would try to run but not for long and eventually wouldn't do that. So he bought it and started tearing into the engine. His first discovery was every glowplug had impact damage, that should have told him something. He eventually had to pull the engine completely out so he could tear it down. Then things got really ugly, he discovered the engine was pretty much toast and cost of parts alone was out of his price range. He eventually after toying with installing a used diesel engine or finding a way to amte an gasoline engine to the tranny he sold the truck for parts. He never said but I'm pretty sure he took it in the shorts without including his labor. I think if he had more experience working on diesels he would have bypassed this truck and saved himself a lot of grief, education can sure get expensive fast!
Last edited by FlyerInOKC; 03-29-2018 at 05:35 AM.
03-29-2018, 05:37 AM
#5788
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: Measnes, La Creuse, France.
Posts: 2,133
Received 146 Likes
on
123 Posts
Like anything else a diesel car, van or small truck is pretty reliable if it's properly maintained. They are much more common in Europe. I have only driven diesel engined vehicles for the last twenty years, that's not counting my 1974 Rover Classic Car or Triumph motorcycle!
03-29-2018, 05:54 AM
#5790
Well, first mistake was buying a GMC. There are really only 3 diesels worth working on since 99, the Ford/International 7.3, any Dodge Cummins, and the Ford 6.7. The International 6.0 and 6.4 are not very good, and the Duramax is extremely hit and miss. I always said the best truck would be an F350 with a Cummins and Allison. Second mistake is not knowing anything about Diesels. Huge difference between a gas engine and a Diesel.
The 99 I had, the engine was in very good condition, the trans needed a new torque converter as the lockup clutch was worn thanks to poor Ford programing to soften the shifts, and rust got into thing that would get costly down the road, such as the oil pan and brake lines. I did all my own repairs to the truck, replaced the glow plugs, upgrade the exhaust, added gauges to keep track of boost, trans temp and EGT, the last being the most important, and probably what destroyed your neighbors engine. I also added coolant filtration, and heater core shutoffs for summer driving. Getting back into diesel now is costly, and you really have to have a need for it, or you just waste a lot of money. Between the higher fuel costs, shorter intervals for oil changes, and fuel filters, the extra cost of the oil and quantities, along with the need for DEF (urea), what used to be an economical power plant, is now the most expensive. Add to that all the emissions crap they put on reduces the fuel efficiency.
The 99 I had, the engine was in very good condition, the trans needed a new torque converter as the lockup clutch was worn thanks to poor Ford programing to soften the shifts, and rust got into thing that would get costly down the road, such as the oil pan and brake lines. I did all my own repairs to the truck, replaced the glow plugs, upgrade the exhaust, added gauges to keep track of boost, trans temp and EGT, the last being the most important, and probably what destroyed your neighbors engine. I also added coolant filtration, and heater core shutoffs for summer driving. Getting back into diesel now is costly, and you really have to have a need for it, or you just waste a lot of money. Between the higher fuel costs, shorter intervals for oil changes, and fuel filters, the extra cost of the oil and quantities, along with the need for DEF (urea), what used to be an economical power plant, is now the most expensive. Add to that all the emissions crap they put on reduces the fuel efficiency.
03-29-2018, 07:08 AM
#5791
Thread Starter
I found a 52" cut 24 horse power mower, new, zero hrs. at about half the price of all the on line sellers. it is at a small hardware store near me and temptation is gnawing at my wallet.. actually he has three new mowers all at reduced prices, very good looking units. If i get into town I will get the cash and do some bargaining these look to good to pass up. it has a solid metal assembled cutting deck that is real solid.
ETpilot
Your old mower looks about what my right now mower looks like. but I can't complain it was a gift from my neighbor. I have two but the other is beyond use and is on it's way to the the scrap yard. I can no longer do as you have my back and ankles won't permit it.
I will be attacking termites in and hour or so, they have returned, but I have a pesticide that is non intrusive, is supposed to kill without disturbing them and is carried back to the nest for a thorough kill....we will see.
ETpilot
Your old mower looks about what my right now mower looks like. but I can't complain it was a gift from my neighbor. I have two but the other is beyond use and is on it's way to the the scrap yard. I can no longer do as you have my back and ankles won't permit it.
I will be attacking termites in and hour or so, they have returned, but I have a pesticide that is non intrusive, is supposed to kill without disturbing them and is carried back to the nest for a thorough kill....we will see.
03-29-2018, 07:15 AM
#5792
No argument from me Acdii. A friend of mine up in Sumner, OK knew a guy that had a mechanic/machine shop in the area years ago. The type of shop that literally could work on anything. I should say this was back in the day when you didn't see diesel pickups sitting on the dealer's lot. So the shop owner had a fairly well to do rancher/farmer bring in a brand new Silverado pickup he had just bought with a small Cummings in the crate sitting in the bed. The customer paid him to pull the Chevy engine out and install the new Cummings diesel crate motor. The mechanic got the new Chevy engine to keep and a nice little chunk of change and the truck owner got a pickup with an engine that probably out lasted several pick ups!
Donny, why is he selling them so cheap?
Donny, why is he selling them so cheap?
03-29-2018, 07:56 AM
#5793
Yes, Diesels are a totally different animal. The one big problem my truck had was the KDP= Killer Dowel Pin. That is what it is called. It is a dowel pin pressed into the engine block to align the gear case. The problem is that over time with vibration and heat-cold cycles the pin would work its way forward. And yes, drop into the gear case and breaking things. Lots of damage.
The fix is to remove many parts from the front end, remove the gear cover to access the pin. Then you fabricate a stop cover that you bolt over the pin. Not hard but a time consuming job. This and the ball joint replacement were my worst jobs on this truck. BTW 21MPH normal 18MPH towing a trailer. Been like that since new.
Donny, get the zero turn if you can. They are great and save time. I have a Kubota 6' diesel and it is a mean machine. As for the termites try diesel fuel. I spray their tunnels and after a while they disappear.
Doing a preliminary balance check on my Kaos. Balance was ½” short of the 30% mark. Looking good.
03-29-2018, 09:12 AM
#5794
Thread Starter
I have little idea why the price of that mower is so low, And that was my first concern as I researched it. It is as much as 1800 bucks below many advertisers, It has me at a very cautious state of mind, if I pursue it I will try it out before putting my money down or he will have to cut the price further. it could have come from one of the flood areas. just no way of knowing. I have to be honest, it has me hooked.
We currently own a "Snapper" we call zero turn, it has hydraulically driven wheels, and the single hand control is easy for the wife to use, and it turns very sharply. I had to replace the engine, the rod let go and blew a hole through the block. (no oil) My wife complained it would not start after it blew! (no sh-t!) I got it from a acquaintance that knew nothing of the proper care for it. and it has been very reliable short of the batteries.
The idea of using diesel on the termites maybe good but The stuff I got is supposed to be carried back to the nest by the termites and kill the nest and queen, so theres no returning somewhere else in the house. ( hopefully)
We currently own a "Snapper" we call zero turn, it has hydraulically driven wheels, and the single hand control is easy for the wife to use, and it turns very sharply. I had to replace the engine, the rod let go and blew a hole through the block. (no oil) My wife complained it would not start after it blew! (no sh-t!) I got it from a acquaintance that knew nothing of the proper care for it. and it has been very reliable short of the batteries.
The idea of using diesel on the termites maybe good but The stuff I got is supposed to be carried back to the nest by the termites and kill the nest and queen, so theres no returning somewhere else in the house. ( hopefully)
Last edited by donnyman; 03-29-2018 at 09:20 AM.
03-29-2018, 09:40 AM
#5795
21 MPH? My horse walks faster than that! LOL
If I still had my mechanics tools, and my back and joints weren't so messed up, I would get me an 99-02 F350 7.3 and rebuild it from the ground up. That dually was a good truck, but dumb me let it sit too long with winter road crap on it through spring and it got into things it shouldn't have.
If I still had my mechanics tools, and my back and joints weren't so messed up, I would get me an 99-02 F350 7.3 and rebuild it from the ground up. That dually was a good truck, but dumb me let it sit too long with winter road crap on it through spring and it got into things it shouldn't have.
03-29-2018, 10:14 AM
#5796
You got me. A very Senior Moment. LOL. Of course you are correct. MPG
During this 2 day rainy period I got 4 3/4" of rain. My pastures are total wet. All I could do was move my leftover steel to the shed. Doing this I found grass areas packed down as if animals rested there. Not caused by heavy rain nor wind. Only thing I can think that may have caused it is Deer. I have 6-7 that visit every few days. I can see them with binoculars if the night is not too dark.
03-30-2018, 05:17 AM
#5797
Thread Starter
ETpilot
the pictures you post are huge and very detailed they must take a long time to load. maybe the device you take pictures with has a pixel size menu in it, if so the pixel count can be reduced to the 300 range and you will be able to not only take more pics but download more on the net.
your fields look like mine except mine is full of bluebonnets and all sort of flowering weeds. I have seen a few deer here also but not often, a couple were feeding in front of my house not to long ago. I have noticed those tamped down areas also but my thoughts were of coyotes, we have a local pack here. they feed on the rabbits that stay beneath my storage shed.
I have some farm implements you maybe interested in if you wish I will send pics.
the pictures you post are huge and very detailed they must take a long time to load. maybe the device you take pictures with has a pixel size menu in it, if so the pixel count can be reduced to the 300 range and you will be able to not only take more pics but download more on the net.
your fields look like mine except mine is full of bluebonnets and all sort of flowering weeds. I have seen a few deer here also but not often, a couple were feeding in front of my house not to long ago. I have noticed those tamped down areas also but my thoughts were of coyotes, we have a local pack here. they feed on the rabbits that stay beneath my storage shed.
I have some farm implements you maybe interested in if you wish I will send pics.
03-30-2018, 05:41 AM
#5798
Hey Donny go ahead and post the photos of your farm implements some of us like seeing them. I only go to the state fair occasionally for two reasons to eat the Indian Tacos and BBQ and look at the farm implement and the livestock. My wife thinks I'm nuts and stays home but my daughter in-law and grandson enjoyed coming along the last time I went. Unfortunately I don't think my back and knees can take the walking anymore.
03-30-2018, 06:08 AM
#5799
Why is it that most oldsters that I know of that are associated with this hobby suffer from back and or knees aches and pains. Does this really come with the territory or is it just simply a case of sheer coincidence.
