[TAKerry]

2019-07-19_02-21-26 by Kerry Grubb, on Flickr
Heres what I cut with now. Poor old thing is abused, but still keeps going.
2019-07-19_02-21-17 by Kerry Grubb, on Flickr
2019-07-19_02-21-09 by Kerry Grubb, on Flickr
Heres my cub. Its a 1971, Pop bought it brand new. When I was in second or third grade I decided to take it for a spin and ran head on into mom's brand new Grand Ville, broke the hood off the mower and smashed the fiberglass nose on the car!!

[dataway]

That Cadet has another 30 years left in it. They go for a decent buck if you ever decide to sell it too. People in the know realize they'd have to spend $5000 to get a new mower that tough.

[TAKerry]

My plan is to restore it. I would like to start on it this fall. I quit using it because the deck started to rust away. That was the only problem, that and the fact that it is LOUD!!!

[Elarson]

Kubota zero turn with welded "Pro" deck is bulletproof.

I have a tractor with front loader, also. The front loader is awesome to have, but there's NO WAY I'd want one on the lawn mower. They really complicate maneuvering around obstacles, fences, walls, etc. (unless it's easily removable)

FWIW:
Eric

[Greg Reid]

Originally Posted by TAKerry

2019-07-19_02-21-26 by Kerry Grubb, on Flickr
Heres what I cut with now. Poor old thing is abused, but still keeps going.

I just got rid of one of those Craftsman riders. I had to do some type of repair on it every single year. Front axle housing broke on it. Gas tank split..that was tough to figure out why I was running out of gas. It never leaked to the floor. Long story. Hood fell off at the hinges, etc., etc.
The last thing that happened was the engine seized (Tecumpseh I think). I gave it away to a guy that fixes up old mowers and resells them.
Thanks for the end user report on the JD by the way.
I've been using a push mower this year until I can find the right one with a loader. I can still use that if the shovel turns out to be a problem. I need the loader more than the mower as even though I have a lot of grass to cut, I have not been unhappy pushing for a change. I just split the cutting up between different areas. Part this week, another part next week, so on.

[Jack Gifford]

I like the Kohlers in my old Wheelhorses. I'm still using the '58 RJ (4 HP K91) a lot every summer. Yeah, I've rebuilt the engine twice, but that's since I got it in 1968. The '63 753 (7 HP Kohler) is now relegated to just sickle bar mowing (nasty to mount/unmount the mower). Both the Kohlers don't crank easily with their Total Seal ZGS rings, but they run great.

[dataway]

The old Wheel Horse and Gravleys were also tractors that would last a lifetime. What the heck has happened to quality? I just don't understand the logic of buying 3 $1500 tractors instead of one $4000 tractor.

[Mr Anonymous]

I have a glut of old Cadets, and will be thinning the herd. Dad's estate and all. If any of you have yellow fever, bring a trailer.

$1500? bah!

I got a non-running 1650 cadet from 1980 and snow blade for $100. Sold the blade on ebay for $91. My $9 cadet has been mowing my yard for 12 years now. Cost of ownership, $0.75/yr! In actuality, its about dead now, and I'm going hunting for a good Kubota 60" zero turn.

The other thing I mow with (for the rest of the 5 acres) is an 1950 8N Ford with a 60", gear-driven, rear-discharge Woods mower. I suspect both to last another 50 years.

[dataway]

Yep, bought my first Cadet, 1450 I think, for $300 used, mowed three acres with it for ten years.

[goatmanmitch]

I did not read every comment but do yourself a favor and get one with a hydrostatic transmission. No selecting gears, the accelerator is basically just like having a gas pedal.

[Jack Gifford]

I suggest you try driving a hydrostatic before buying. Some years ago I had one- holding the pedal at the desired speed drove me crazy.

[Sirrotica]

My last lawn tractor had a stick that you just moved with your hand same as a regular gear shift, You increased hydraulic flow by moving the stick further forward or reverse. Take your hand off the stick and it stays put at the flow you set it for, and keeps a constant flow/speed until you move it. Ariens brand mower, from the little I've read about it the same hyrostatic unit is used in many different brands of mowers.

[SRR]

Used to have this old tractor, it ran great but was missing the mower deck. Wish I had kept it now.

[fyrffytr1]

Originally Posted by Jack Gifford

I suggest you try driving a hydrostatic before buying. Some years ago I had one- holding the pedal at the desired speed drove me crazy.

My JD x300 with the hydrostatic has cruise control. But, I rarely use it.

[Murf]

Originally Posted by fyrffytr1

My JD x300 with the hydrostatic has cruise control. But, I rarely use it.

Yeah, the JD twin pedal style hydrostatic seems just like driving a car.
I bought my LT155 in 98. I am trying to hold of till fall for a new one.



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[madokie]

a friend of mine has a backyard half full of riding mowers , he fixes them up and sells them , and does repair , and he wont touch a hydrostatic trans,,,takes too much time, and some parts are trans specific, takes a month to get the parts in and not cheap..he only swaps the trans out ..so if u get or have a riding mower w hydro trans get a extended warrenty,, or be ready for a big repair bill if it goes bad..anyone have 10 years or more on a hydro trans ???seems like Murf from the last post has about 20 on his..am i reading that right Murf?

[dataway]

Originally Posted by SRR

Used to have this old tractor, it ran great but was missing the mower deck. Wish I had kept it now.

Looks like it might be an old Montgomery Ward, someone like Wheel Horse or another good brand use to make them for Wards.

[Sidponcho]

Originally Posted by dataway

Looks like it might be an old Montgomery Ward, someone like Wheel Horse or another good brand use to make them for Wards.

Gilson (WI) made most of the M Ward machines.

[Sidponcho]

Originally Posted by Sirrotica

My last lawn tractor had a stick that you just moved with your hand same as a regular gear shift, You increased hydraulic flow by moving the stick further forward or reverse. Take your hand off the stick and it stays put at the flow you set it for, and keeps a constant flow/speed until you move it. Ariens brand mower, from the little I've read about it the same hyrostatic unit is used in many different brands of mowers.

The same brand is used in many mowers, but the models vary greatly. Less expensive tractors use a sealed unit that is non serviceable. Better models have dip sticks, drain plugs and filters. Tuff Torq is common. Their K46 is low end.

[Sirrotica]

Originally Posted by Sidponcho

The same brand is used in many mowers, but the models vary greatly. Less expensive tractors use a sealed unit that is non serviceable. Better models have dip sticks, drain plugs and filters. Tuff Torq is common. Their K46 is low end.

I'm fully aware it's a non serviceable unit and it's at the low end of lawn tractors. 12 years old and have abused the crap out of it pulling trailers around my yard pushing and pulling dead cars in and out of the garage with it. It owes me nothing. the deck is rotted on it and it will be relegated to just pushing and pulling stuff around here. I'll keep it until it won't be able to move stuff around any longer.

If I'm correct it's rated for a 300# trailer and has been able to pull a loaded 2000# enclosed trailer loaded with all kinds of stuff. Second gen T/As weigh nearly 4000# and a 2003 GP I would guess weighs 32-3500#. I had to fab a sturdier 2 inch trailer hitch for it as the sheet metal factory one wasn't up to the job...………………