Above 1200 Sq/FT 86's 20HP shop

[83VillageRepair]

Where are you finding THAT? Pretty much nothing (legal) but heat kills those things. They are everywhere now.

I am just kidding. When I was stationed in Italy they used DDT for everything

 

[86turbodsl]

Gotcha. I'd love to have the stuff, but c'est la vie.

My main work pc at home died this morning. dragged out the laptop to get some work done, it was a struggle with it. Glad some of the supply chain **** has eased a bit, i was able to find a replacement motherboard that won't break the bank. Super bummed about it though. Dragged half my stash out of the basement to confirm which part was bad. What a waste of time. I got about 2yrs out of the thing.

Tonight still waiting on deliveries of parts, so i'll work on cleaning up the shop. It needs it for sure.

 

[86turbodsl]

Went to a swap meet on Saturday, picked up some tools. A oil drain / caddy for under the lift, and an AC charging cylinder. Should add to my repertoire. Now we're working on mowers, my kid's truck and whatever else shows up. Busy time of year.

 

[Strouty]

My game plan hasn't been viable for a few weeks, instead just running by the seat of my pants, sounds like I am not alone.

 

[86turbodsl]

Nope, you are not alone. Last night i put the engine and ****** together. Still got an issue or two to work out, but almost there.

 

[bimmer1980]

What's the latest status on your kid's truck and the mower? I seem to recall a mower project involving an engine, but the details are a bit murky...

I used to want a large lot with grass, but after my b-in-law's escapades with mowing four acres, that desire has been squashed..... seeing as I'm the one that does the mower fixing.... Crapsman engine rebuild.... Then finally got him into a Kubota F2400 and had to rebuild the entire mower deck with new bearings, etc, then rebuild the rear axle drive spindles, electrical issues, etc.... But overall, the Kubota get's the job done way better than the 48" crapsman mower....

 

[86turbodsl]

This year, i'm trying to get the M&W zero turn going. It's got a Kohler Magnum18 in it, but when we bought it, the carb was fubar and i can't find a rebuild kit. So i bought an aftermarket carb off amazon. Fits fine, but the governor spring is missing and that's obsolete too, so i bought some spring stock and hoping to get that spring made in house. The kid's got a John deere mower, but it's too small for the yard, and he wants to sell it, so he's not been very enthusiastic about getting it out. I do have 2 other mowers, not counting the big tractor. Both have engine issues. And i really want to stick with the zero turn anyway. So that's the focus. Oil is changed, need an air filter and the governor fixed as mentioned. The deck used will be off the white that blew up. 52" cut instead of 60" but it'll be fine. anything is better than a 38" cut. So it's a flip flop race between mower work and kid's truck. He's getting really tired of buying diesel for my big truck though, so he's pushing a little harder now. Would be nice if he helped more, but i guess if he's mowing i'm not going to complain much.

 

[86turbodsl]

What's the latest status on your kid's truck and the mower? I seem to recall a mower project involving an engine, but the details are a bit murky...

I used to want a large lot with grass, but after my b-in-law's escapades with mowing four acres, that desire has been squashed..... seeing as I'm the one that does the mower fixing.... Crapsman engine rebuild.... Then finally got him into a Kubota F2400 and had to rebuild the entire mower deck with new bearings, etc, then rebuild the rear axle drive spindles, electrical issues, etc.... But overall, the Kubota get's the job done way better than the 48" crapsman mower....

First thing i learned when i moved to the country was that normal homeowner stuff didn't hold up. It's been commercial or industrial equipment since then. We had a Murray we bought from my Grandmother when we moved here. Little thing, as they had a little yard. Lasted about a year. I sold it to somebody for $50 that fall. I was buying deck spindles in bulk. Then i used the bushog for a while. Finally found a 6' finish mower for my big tractor, but that thing takes a TON of power to run, so the tractor at 30hp is a little on the light side. It's probably just too tired for that mower. So that sits now. I bought a diesel Yanmar GT14 thinking it would fit the bill with a 48" cut, but once i tore into it, i found the pto clutch was bad, got that rebuilt, then found the end of the crankshaft is bent from when the clutch went bad. It threw a ujoint. New cranks are unavailable, and i can't find a crank grinder that will grind on a taper. I suspect if i want that fixed, i will need to weld it up and turn in the lathe myself. So it sits. Three years ago, we bought a White FR12 zero turn mower. That thing was great for a summer, until my kid was mowing in a rough patch, hit a bump, the machine bounced and stopped dead. I worked on that thing for days. Swapped starters, batteries, did all kinds of stuff. It was locked up solid. So dragged it over to the shop, hoisted the engine out, full teardown to find it completely fine. What had happened, was a chunk of connecting rod had bounced up and wedged itself between the crank counterweight and the block. What was interesting was that both con rods were INTACT. The chunk of rod must have been from a previous engine disaster. Thing is, you can't do an in-frame in that mower. So who would pull an engine, rebuild it and LEAVE THE CHUNKS OF ROD IN IT??? I have no idea. Then we bought an M&W zero turn couple years ago, it's basically same as the White, but with bigger engine, 60" deck and MUCH nicer hydraulics. The White had the integrated pump motors like Grasshopper/Woods. The M&W is a more advanced/expensive model that has discrete pumps and wheel motors. No chain drives, just all hydro. That thing, if i get it going, will be SWEET. I also have the Woods zero turn that i bought with a blown engine, that has the rear engine, and will get the 2cyl Yanmar when i get to it, if ever. I suspect that rising fuel prices will force me into it at some point, since diesel equipment gets about 3X the fuel economy of anything gasoline.

 

[83VillageRepair]

I have mowed at least 5 acres for the last 30 odd years, except for blissful 3 years I lived in AmSam on the beach. I went through about same progression of worn out consumer grade stuff as you. I have been using a Gravely ZT52hd zero turn for the last 4 years. I love it but it dropped a valve this winter on the Kawi 23hp vtwin so I am in the process of replacing a head. My own fault, I let the air cooled head fins plug up with dirt.

 

[Strouty]

I feel like half of all our problems are created as a result of "my fault", someone needs to take this "my fault" person out back and beat them......

 

[bimmer1980]

Strouty makes a great point!!!!

I know that some of the **** that I have bought, turns into a **** show when I see how much time it will take to get it running.... Hence, I've been trying to buy less stuff..... Remember the total cost of ownership: Purchase price plus parts & repair time and your opportunity cost. What do you really want to do with your time????

 

[86turbodsl]

I know a lot is my fault, but the reality is, i can't afford to buy new all the time. You'd think it would be easy to just drop 10K on a mower, but no, not easy at all. Is my goal for my off hours to be riding my mower? Nope. I can't let it just go, because the ticks get so bad they crawl all over us in the night. So i have to mow. But i don't want a manicured lawn and all the **** that comes with that, and the time investment, and i can't afford to have somebody else do it, so it is what it is. I purchase the toughest equipment that i can and try to minimize my time invested. I have neighbors on both sides, that have no hobbies except lawn care. They have spent the cash on mowers. One a new grasshopper, one a big boy. But that's literally all they do with their free time. pass.

 

[rattle_snake]

86, sounds like you have the parts and ability to create a custom mowing machine like the one in 'Moving'

Maybe not that you should, but you could. But of course with FORD V-8.

 

[86turbodsl]

How have i never seen this movie??? Awesome scene! Yes, i could do that, but sounds like a lot of work lol.

For a while when i couldn't find a mower i liked, i had a pipe dream about building a zero turn power unit out of a Tempo diesel engine and attaching it to my 6' finish mower. Complete with cab and a/c of course. Life is just too short....

 

[bimmer1980]

Trust me, I wasn't advocating only buying new. I rarely do that. However, I think the key is having a realistic understanding of the time and money to repair a "great" deal..... In many cases, spending a little more money upfront will actually save a lot down the road. Especially if it frees up your time to do something more profitable (whether that means actual cash into your pocket, or simply more mentally satisfying...)

I will say too, having a wide array of interests, spreads the money availability a bit thin.....

Regardless, I'm only suggesting to pick your projects carefully. I get the backlog.......

 

[ClappedOutBport]

First thing i learned when i moved to the country was that normal homeowner stuff didn't hold up. It's been commercial or industrial equipment since then. We had a Murray we bought from my Grandmother when we moved here. Little thing, as they had a little yard. Lasted about a year. I sold it to somebody for $50 that fall. I was buying deck spindles in bulk. Then i used the bushog for a while. Finally found a 6' finish mower for my big tractor, but that thing takes a TON of power to run, so the tractor at 30hp is a little on the light side. It's probably just too tired for that mower. So that sits now. I bought a diesel Yanmar GT14 thinking it would fit the bill with a 48" cut, but once i tore into it, i found the pto clutch was bad, got that rebuilt, then found the end of the crankshaft is bent from when the clutch went bad. It threw a ujoint. New cranks are unavailable, and i can't find a crank grinder that will grind on a taper. I suspect if i want that fixed, i will need to weld it up and turn in the lathe myself. So it sits. Three years ago, we bought a White FR12 zero turn mower. That thing was great for a summer, until my kid was mowing in a rough patch, hit a bump, the machine bounced and stopped dead. I worked on that thing for days. Swapped starters, batteries, did all kinds of stuff. It was locked up solid. So dragged it over to the shop, hoisted the engine out, full teardown to find it completely fine. What had happened, was a chunk of connecting rod had bounced up and wedged itself between the crank counterweight and the block. What was interesting was that both con rods were INTACT. The chunk of rod must have been from a previous engine disaster. Thing is, you can't do an in-frame in that mower. So who would pull an engine, rebuild it and LEAVE THE CHUNKS OF ROD IN IT??? I have no idea. Then we bought an M&W zero turn couple years ago, it's basically same as the White, but with bigger engine, 60" deck and MUCH nicer hydraulics. The White had the integrated pump motors like Grasshopper/Woods. The M&W is a more advanced/expensive model that has discrete pumps and wheel motors. No chain drives, just all hydro. That thing, if i get it going, will be SWEET. I also have the Woods zero turn that i bought with a blown engine, that has the rear engine, and will get the 2cyl Yanmar when i get to it, if ever. I suspect that rising fuel prices will force me into it at some point, since diesel equipment gets about 3X the fuel economy of anything gasoline.

How have i never seen this movie??? Awesome scene! Yes, i could do that, but sounds like a lot of work lol.

For a while when i couldn't find a mower i liked, i had a pipe dream about building a zero turn power unit out of a Tempo diesel engine and attaching it to my 6' finish mower. Complete with cab and a/c of course. Life is just too short....

That might be a better area to buy not build. Dad's been mowing with a 7 foot Liliston bush/finish mower. Other than a new set of blades, the occasional oil and grease, I don't think he's ever worked on it. MF65 has been nearly as reliable as well.

Don't buy lottery tickets. You must be one of the most unlucky guys I've ever heard from lol.

 

[OldSoldier]

Trust me, I wasn't advocating only buying new. I rarely do that. However, I think the key is having a realistic understanding of the time and money to repair a "great" deal..... In many cases, spending a little more money upfront will actually save a lot down the road. Especially if it frees up your time to do something more profitable (whether that means actual cash into your pocket, or simply more mentally satisfying...)

I will say too, having a wide array of interests, spreads the money availability a bit thin.....

Regardless, I'm only suggesting to pick your projects carefully. I get the backlog.......

I'm in this camp.

 

[bulletpruf]

Nope, you are not alone. Last night i put the engine and ****** together. Still got an issue or two to work out, but almost there.

ZF5, right? What motor is that?

 

[86turbodsl]

it's a zf5. 5.0 EFI. We got it in last night. Switched over to the forklift, it was a little light in the rear, but i had the missus stand on it for more counterweight. harrumph. The kid bitched the whole time. He's not cut out for this. I just work through things. Now i'm stuck at the crossmember, which is different, so i'm going to steal one from one of the parts trucks.

As far as projects go, i really really like zero turns. But i don't have the cash for a new one. Now things have gotten considerably better in cashflow the last few years, and i've built some nest egg, but i don't have much desire to blow it all on a new mower, especially since i don't have any desire at all to have a manicured lawn like the neighbors. Those guys are nuts. They even mow into my yard if i let it go too long. I've told them to stop, but they are so nuts about it that they don't listen to me. I get the thing where it makes sense to pick projects carefully, and i'm trying to get to that point. BUT the issues don't go away in the meantime. If the lawn gets too long, the insects get out of control, and they start moving into the house. All of these issues are why we have been mowing with the bushog for years. But it's not a very good mower frankly.

Probably, if my wife hadn't been into horses, i would be living in a much smaller lot somewhere with a much smaller backlog of projects. We're essentially a mini-farm. And i work in the city, 62 miles away. And salaried, where they expect overtime a lot of the time. So i am spread pretty thin. My goals for my life do not include a manicured lawn, making neighbors happy, or anything beyond staying out of trouble and putting away a little cash to be able to fund my hobbies. I'm getting older, and there's only so much time left. So i am working towards cherry picking jobs. Just not there yet.

And no, i do not play the lottery. There would be no point right?? lol.

 

[86turbodsl]

Trust me, I wasn't advocating only buying new. I rarely do that. However, I think the key is having a realistic understanding of the time and money to repair a "great" deal..... In many cases, spending a little more money upfront will actually save a lot down the road. Especially if it frees up your time to do something more profitable (whether that means actual cash into your pocket, or simply more mentally satisfying...)

I will say too, having a wide array of interests, spreads the money availability a bit thin.....

Regardless, I'm only suggesting to pick your projects carefully. I get the backlog.......

Well, there's typically 2 types of sales in this area:

1. Almost new, with almost new pricing.
2. Near dead / Dead with 1billion hours hard life and cheap.

There is a middle ground, with very few candidates, and a half life of about 20 minutes.
Unless you get lucky, which i rarely do, or you sit on FB marketplace and just troll for deals all day, you take #1 or #2.

The genesis of my shop is really about being able to deal with #2 above. If i had no other interests, perhaps #1 and a much smaller shed for parking would make sense. But then i'd be your typical american homeowner, who's hobbies consist of watching a ball game and drinking beer in his easy chair. That is not me.

 

[bulletpruf]

it's a zf5. 5.0 EFI. We got it in last night. Switched over to the forklift, it was a little light in the rear, but i had the missus stand on it for more counterweight. harrumph. The kid bitched the whole time. He's not cut out for this. I just work through things. Now i'm stuck at the crossmember, which is different, so i'm going to steal one from one of the parts trucks.

As far as projects go, i really really like zero turns. But i don't have the cash for a new one. Now things have gotten considerably better in cashflow the last few years, and i've built some nest egg, but i don't have much desire to blow it all on a new mower, especially since i don't have any desire at all to have a manicured lawn like the neighbors. Those guys are nuts. They even mow into my yard if i let it go too long. I've told them to stop, but they are so nuts about it that they don't listen to me. I get the thing where it makes sense to pick projects carefully, and i'm trying to get to that point. BUT the issues don't go away in the meantime. If the lawn gets too long, the insects get out of control, and they start moving into the house. All of these issues are why we have been mowing with the bushog for years. But it's not a very good mower frankly.

Probably, if my wife hadn't been into horses, i would be living in a much smaller lot somewhere with a much smaller backlog of projects. We're essentially a mini-farm. And i work in the city, 62 miles away. And salaried, where they expect overtime a lot of the time. So i am spread pretty thin. My goals for my life do not include a manicured lawn, making neighbors happy, or anything beyond staying out of trouble and putting away a little cash to be able to fund my hobbies. I'm getting older, and there's only so much time left. So i am working towards cherry picking jobs. Just not there yet.

And no, i do not play the lottery. There would be no point right?? lol.

ZF5 with transfer case ain't no joke! I bought one a week ago and showed up to pick it up in my SUV. That wasn't happening! Going back with a trailer so they can load it on a pallet with a forklift.

I hear you on bush hogs. They don't cut grass worth a damn. Only good for cutting stuff that's gotten out of control.

 

[86turbodsl]

Yeah i figure ZF with Tcase plus engine at about 900lbs. Plus it was hanging off the END of the forks 8 ft in the air. With derating, the counterweight was coming off the floor a little. If it had been a 351 or a big block, i don't think i would have been able to do it. As it was, i had to pick and place it about 5 times to get it to drop in. Changed fulcrum points too. as of right now, the tail end is sitting on a floor jack while i figure out which crossmember to steal.

 

[83VillageRepair]

I bought a brand new zero turn 4 years when I bought my place in Texas and I just got done installing a brand new cylinder head on it. So sometimes even new doesn't keep you from working on them.

 

[86turbodsl]

Yeah that's a bummer. sorry!

 

[scooterbum46]

So I lost track - is there a running mower in that pack or do we have to send some goats your way?

When we escaped Lansing in '79 to an acre out in the country, I needed something for yard work - although not much lawn to mow the first couple of years. My dad's golfing buddy sold me a clapped out MF 8 horse hydro (!) that got the lawn planted and mowed. The problem was the deck was a timed deck and the couplers on the cross shaft to right angle gear boxes got bad enough to just cross drill and put 1/4 " bolts in.

In '85 a guy I worked with had a '74 129 IHC Cub Cadet- he said the implements were too heavy for him ( arthritis ), he sold it to me for the trade-in price on a Ford (Jacobsen built) - $800, which is the best deal I ever made. In '95 I picked up a crate motor as the 12 Horse Kohler was smoking a little - I sold the old one to a friend to replace his 10 horse - he never rebuilt the one I sold him and put lots of years on it.

I still have the 129, use it for lawn work and snow duty, but with all the trees, landscaping and buildings my elbows were getting tired, so I went looking for a Zero turn in 2005. I said I wanted something as tough as the 129, but by then MTD had designed tough, quality and value out of the Cub Cadet line (they bought CC in '83). I Finally settled on a commercial Scag 48" tiger Cub that's pretty much built like the proverbial brick outhouse. I've abused it for 17 years including wood hauling, brush hogging and even mowing the yard. The drive is discrete pumps and wheel motors, a good filtration system on the hydro and the small 19 horse Kaw has given me only one issue, the white grease in the starter bendix dried up zero cost fix on that . The deck is welded 1/4" plate and the only complaint is the upholstery is starting to wear and the damn thing doesn't have a cupholder. If I was going to buy again, I'd buy another Scag or another unit intended for commercial use.

 

[86turbodsl]

That Scag sounds like the M&W. That thing is a beast. I'm going to trick it out and use it until the diesel Woods is done.

And there's no running mower yet. Send the goats.

 

[racer-john]

Bump!

 

[86turbodsl]

Sorry, i've been terribly busy on the kids' truck and life in general. I've got the engine wiring harness apart and pulling unused circuits and rebuilding. Engine is in, headers are in, floor is cut, parts are piling up. Driveshaft looks a little short, due to it being designed for a 10.25 and the existing one is an 8.8. Either i don't worry about it, or machine a puck to make the yoke sit farther out. Right now, at rest, the yoke is sitting about halfway out. I'm a little nervous it gets a lot farther out if the axle drops.

 

[86turbodsl]

I have been cleaning the house garage. I palletized all the parts. Really really heavy. I figure since i have a forklift... Trying to get everything i think i might need ordered before the china boat sinks. Most auto parts made in china...

 

[86turbodsl]

Well that did not go well. The forklift quit halfway to the shop. Dirt in the fuel i think, and not the first time. I am going to have to pull the fuel tank and get it cleaned. I'm so sick of fuel issues with this thing. Unloaded the mess by hand, and carried into shop. Now my back is killing me today. It's always sumptin....

 

[bimmer1980]

Thats a ****** with the fuel issues. Is it dirt from the fabrication process??

Usually water in the float bowl is my aggravating problem with small engines...

Sorry to hear about the back. I strained my back this weekend as well and it just makes life miserable. I've been applying ice packs in 30 minute intervals, but so far not a lot of improvement...

 

[86turbodsl]

I think it's probably rust from condensation over 50 years in outdoor work.

Inversion table has been my best purchase, but i have to be religious about using it. I'll have it knocked down significantly by tomorrow. WFH tomorrow, so i can be on that thing every 30 mins all day if i want. I could go home and WFH today if i wanted. Boss is super easy going, but i need to be onsite quite often to keep things moving.

 

[86turbodsl]

I'm so sick of work drama.

2 years stuck at home makes me realize i just don't want an office gig anymore.

 

[OldSoldier]

I'm so sick of work drama.

2 years stuck at home makes me realize i just don't want an office gig anymore.

You and nearly everyone else.

 

[Chrisb62]

I'm so sick of work drama.

2 years stuck at home makes me realize i just don't want an office gig anymore.

Anybody close to retirement wants to stay home, including me ......no office job and worked at work the whole time.

 

[86turbodsl]

Anybody close to retirement wants to stay home, including me ......no office job and worked at work the whole time.

I'm not that close to retirement, but would sure like to. I've never been that good at office drama/interpersonal stuff.
I'm an introvert, work better alone, don't need the stress of office personalities. And we have loads of those at work.
And i've never been "one of the guys" as i don't get all the nonverbal clues that normal people do. So work from home
was a huge eye opener. I just need to figure out how to replace my income from home.

 

[86turbodsl]

I strained my back this weekend as well and it just makes life miserable. I've been applying ice packs in 30 minute intervals, but so far not a lot of improvement...

How's your back doing today?

 

[bimmer1980]

candidly, not that much better..... the lidocaine lotion helped some this morning, but I will admit, it's a struggle.

Is your back better?

I think a lot of people have realized that the work from home is great. In many cases, there has been an increase in productivity and less drama. Personally, I find that about four days at home and one day in the office is decent. It really does depend on who all is in the office as to how much drama there is. Luckily, I only have tangential interaction with local office people, so I can pick and chose who I want to talk to.....

The challenge can be some of the "old-school" managers who feel the need to "see" their people in order to manage...

One tip that I will suggest on dealing with people, is that in general, they love to talk about themselves. So, when in doubt, lead with a question and let them carry the conversation. I will say, then you have to listen to the BS, which pending the person, can be a deluge of........ I also have come to terms with not being "one of guys" and I have no qualms about it. In fact it helps to avoid some of the BS by not being part of the "in-crowd"....

Regardless, good luck with the forklift, hopefully you get the fuel issues resolved.

 

[bulletpruf]

The challenge can be some of the "old-school" managers who feel the need to "see" their people in order to manage...

That's my boss. He's a great guy, but he has us in the office as much as the current protocols allow, which is 4 days a week at this point. He's well within his right to do so, but it can be a bit frustrating because the rest of the office takes an opposite approach - they're in the office only as much as required, which is 1 day per week.

 

[86turbodsl]

Unfortunately, my company is 100% old school, so they only went as far as 60% minimum in office time. And they were pretty much forced to, because our industry competition is mainly offsite now, and it's permanent. If they don't allow it, the building will empty out.
The old boss just added mandatory morning meetings M,W,F for his staff, and included myself and my team mate, who are working for a different director now. Luckily it coincides with my planned work @ office days, or i'd be a no-show. Downside is i have to interact with the drama queens. How it is tolerated in a professional environment is beyond me, but it's been this way for years and is unlikely to change. So i either replace my income with something else, put up with it, or quit and drive further into the city. Only the former is appealing really.

As for my back, it's doing pretty well today, thank you. I should go invert for a while...

The forklift, took the tank out this morning, it's all plugged up. Called a radiator shop about cleaning it out, guy told me he'd save me the money and use dawn dish soap and go to the carwash. It's all he would do. The rust appears to be from the remains of the gas sender. It was a rusty stump when it came out. I also have a new delco 10SI to put on it also. The generator doesn't start charging until i hit about 2000rpm. No bueno.