Lawn Mowers - what do you have?

[hydramatic]

Oh, and a few gravely`s..oldest is a 57 model L...

 

[jwitt]

Here is a 1957 Craftsman that I picked up last year. It has a 110v electric start.

This is what the racer in my avatar started life as

Jim

 

[jwh]

Thanks everyone for your stories. The Craftsman will live to cut another day, carb had some junk in it that Gumout and an overhaul kit cured, running great now.

Wife said "go buy a new mower and you can fix this one", hmmmm.... if it stays running you think maybe she'll let me buy the new camera I've got my eye on????

Keep smiling and mowing all,

John in Rochester NY

Greetings all. My 10+ yr old Craftsman power mower (22" Rotary self propelled) looks like it's bitten the dust.

What do you guys have? What are your likes and dislikes???

Thanks all.

John in Rochester NY

 

[tazzio]

My neighbor had this mower sitting in back of his house. When I was growing up my dad had the same exact mower, and thats what I used on our lawn. I asked the neighbor what he was going to do with it, and he gave it to me. I cleaned the carb. and had to put a new handle on the rope. I runs like a charm. waiting for a catcher I ordered so I can mow my lawn. I a mid 50s Eclipse Rocket with a 1 3/4 horse briggs motor.

 

[csp]

For the lawn I use a Honda Harmony mulcher.

Rough cut on the acreage is a Cub Cadet 7275 CUT with a Rhino 5' brush hog behind it. An old push Murray gets into the tight spots where the brush hog won't fit.

I also have my dad's old '72 Lawn Boy that won't turn over any longer and a '63 IH Cub Cadet 70 that runs great, but needs work on the mower deck. I also have a box scraper and snow blade for this old IH.

 

[autoclassicnut]

Just found this one on Craigslist... I'm picking it up this weekend!

1962 Toro professional reel mower. I can't wait...

 

[autoclassicnut]

Here's another angle... steers by leaning on the seat... I will find out more soon.

 

[Heavy Metal Doctor]

I have and assortment of old IH Cub Cadet stuff. My primary one for keeping the grass short is this

I think by serial number it's a 67 or 68 -- all original and cuts a nicer finish than any mower Ive ever owned. The deck on my 1250 doesn't do as well, so that's used for snow plowing the driveway and work around the property. I also have a 105, but the hydro drive makes me nuts conantly readjusting speed for our hills, so I don't use it for mowing.

 

[banzaitoyota]

Kubota G1800
DR Walk Behind Brush Mower

 

[s_morrison57]

I went Green, not JD , got a battery powered mower so the wife could use it too, its great, totally impressed with it don't know the name but got it at homo depot for about 550 2 years ago. Lawn isn't big with the 2 garages and the large concrete pad for ball hockey and hoops but for us its the cats ***. If I ever buy a gasser again it will be a Honda, buddy has one that is close to 25 years old and still works like it was new

 

[s_morrison57]

really liked that bike mower, kudo's to whoever built that

 

[babzog]

I have two old P'sOS. An old Lawnchief 39" rider I bought second (or third+) hand that's been welded and rewelded numerous times but still runs (engine surges though). I also have an old Sears 20" mower I just rewelded last weekend (deck was cracked in several places). They run, but I'd really like a larger, ZT mower for the bulk of the grass cutting.

 

[BetterDays]

Craftsman 22" Self Propel - 6.75 hp (rated) - normal use
Craftsman 22" Push - 6.0 hp (rated) - picked up for $20 to use across the city (city property - WEEDS - and to use as a dethatcher)
Toro Riding Mower - new project - no details on it.

 

[slopecarver]

My sweet *** mower, 4hp Briggs and Stratton, JCPenny model 0272A. After a long cold winter it took 2 pulls to start it, thats double what it normally takes

 

[biker]

I don't know if I should show pictures of my mower I built here or not. Here it is. I made everything my self. It cuts 62In and i'm useing an old 19HP engine. I haven't finished it competely yet. I made the spindles myself so I could make them short as possiable so I could fit the deck under the ATV and have room to adajust the cut hight like I want to cut. The thing cuts good. It's fast and it will not come close to a Zero turn but the ride is smooth. I can unhook and hook it back to the atv in about 30 min. I took my PTO clutch from my craftsman 54In cut mower and fitted to my new deck. I cut my mowing time down an hour and a half from useing my craftsman 54 mower. Here are some pictures.

 

[biker]

More pictures.

 

[usa89gt]

I don't know if I should show pictures of my mower I built here or not. Here it is. I made everything my self. It cuts 62In and i'm useing an old 19HP engine. I haven't finished it competely yet. I made the spindles myself so I could make them short as possiable so I could fit the deck under the ATV and have room to adajust the cut hight like I want to cut. The thing cuts good. It's fast and it will not come close to a Zero turn but the ride is smooth. I can unhook and hook it back to the atv in about 30 min. I took my PTO clutch from my craftsman 54In cut mower and fitted to my new deck. I cut my mowing time down an hour and a half from useing my craftsman 54 mower. Here are some pictures.

That is pretty neat.

 

[wafrederick]

Another John Deere,nothing but good and never breaks down

 

[Indy_500]

I just picked up a john deere self propelled push mower that's only somewhere from 6-10 years old from my neighbor the other day. The recoil was shot and he bent a few things in the recoil housing, a wheel was shot, the carb was poop, he gave it to me with no oil in it either. I think he was trying to challenge me anyways i got it running perfect! I think i'm going to sell it maybe? idk i got so many lawn mowers. That's my 5th push mower at my house and i got 2 more at my grandpas plus my 1 rider.

 

[jake wade]

'94 Craftsman 42" cut with a 15.5 HP Kohler. Bought it brand new in '94 and just this year it started using oil/smoking.

Tore the engine down,bore/piston looked good so I installed a new set of rings and a head gasket and it is good to go now.

Went ahead and bought a new '09 Craftsman "46 cut with a 24HP Briggs so now I have two mowers.

 

[cglasgow]

Here is a 1957 Craftsman that I picked up last year. It has a 110v electric start.

Jim

Man! That brings back memories! My Granddad had a deck like that that I used to cut the lawn with. It had a succession of engines on it -- at least three that I remember. All B&S, one of them even had wind-up start. (You folded out a handle, cranked it around to wind up a big spring, then pressed a button to release the spring and spin the motor.)

Current mower is a 1984 JD318 with a 50" deck and Kohler 20hp repower -- the Onan had a bent crank and couldn't be saved. Glad to see so many 318s represented here! Wish I had some of the implements for mine that I see in these photos. ;-)

 

[kc-steve]

I have a Binford.

Ha-ha-ha! I have a 1979 Snapper (22") with a Briggs and Stratten purchased NEW in 1979. The Snapper has belt-driven blade so that is partly why it is still alive. And a 2007 Craftsman 22hp Intek B-S 42" lawn tractor. The front axle is cast iron.

I hope all you guys with Deere's know that most lawn tractors are made by the same manufacturer, with different labels.

These days I try to make sure at least the engine is made in the US. I've heard too many stories about low-quality engine castings from China.

Steve

 

[mrholeshot]

I have a 1967 Cub Cadet that I used for moving cars in and out of the shop. Mower deck went south years ago and tossed it (wish I still had the deck) but now the grandkids ride it around the yard. The original engine is still going strong. I made a 4 inch Big rig exhaust with no muffler. I never really used it to cut grass but used it as a garden tractor as the deck was about gone when I bought it.

1971 Snapper 11/30 with the handlebars (puchached new). Used it for 29 years with the same engine and deck. (my son is mowing his grass with it as I type)

2000 Snapper 15/33 15.5 Kohler single blade 33 inch cut. been using it steady without problems (other than noraml wear items).

I got a new Snapper Zero Turn 48 last summer. It's fast but the 15/33 makes a better cut.

I have this thing for the rear engine Snappers. Best mowers I've ever used. The Zero turn is nice but the jury is still out on the durability.

My next door neighbor has been through 3 murrys, Troy Built and a John Deere since I bought my 15/33 in 2000. I had to loan him my Snapper until his new Snapper gets here next week. I tried to tell him but he wouldn't listen.

When I was a kid I use to cut grass on the weekends with my dads Snapper mower (don't remember the year of the mower) that had a 8hp B&S and a 26 inch cut. I know I used that one for a good 10 years.

Basicly I've used 2 mowers for 40 years. neither has ever had the head off the engine. Both have the original decks. It's hard to beat mowers like that

 

[Indy_500]

Ha-ha-ha! I have a 1979 Snapper (22") with a Briggs and Stratten purchased NEW in 1979. The Snapper has belt-driven blade so that is partly why it is still alive. And a 2007 Craftsman 22hp Intek B-S 42" lawn tractor. The front axle is cast iron.

I hope all you guys with Deere's know that most lawn tractors are made by the same manufacturer, with different labels.

These days I try to make sure at least the engine is made in the US. I've heard too many stories about low-quality engine castings from China.

Steve

A real John Deere from real John Deere Dealer is made in the USA. Unlike the Home Depot ****.

 

[logical]

Cub Cadet Enforcer Commercial Zero-Turn, it stripes pretty good.

 

[bindernut]

I hope all you guys with Deere's know that most lawn tractors are made by the same manufacturer, with different labels.

Deere still makes their own riding mowers. The push mowers are a different story, they're made by Briggs/Murray(yes, briggs owns murray).

A real John Deere from real John Deere Dealer is made in the USA. Unlike the Home Depot ****.

Actually, the exact same John Deere sold at lowes/home depot can be bought for the same price from a dealer, unless the box store has a sale going on. And if you take a deere back to home depot or lowes, they call a john deere dealer to come pick it up & service it.

As for you guys w/ Onan powered deeres, take good care of the engine. Onan parts(except for come stuff like filters, carb kits, etc) are a ***** to get, and EXPENSIVE. They have to be bought through an onan dealer, as deere doesn't carry them anymore.

Mark, (I've worked for deere dealers for almost 6.5 years, been exclusively lawn & garden for over 5. )

 

[Indy_500]

Actually, the exact same John Deere sold at lowes/home depot can be bought for the same price from a dealer, unless the box store has a sale going on. And if you take a deere back to home depot or lowes, they call a john deere dealer to come pick it up & service it.

Since when?

 

[peterbilr98]

I spent about 5 hours of my weekend brush clearing some acres with my sweet rig...

Kubota B2620 4wd cut.

As you can see it does a lot more than just cut grass. Great tool!

thats a great machine mine is a b3030 for the lawn i use a JD lx277 17hp kawsaki works great have a craftsman 4000 sieries with briggs bends the aluminum push rods all the time found some steel ones out of a older briggs havent had eny problems

 

[tyreguy25]

I own one mower at the moment and it is a six or seven year old Husqvarna 6.5hp 22" self propelled pusher that I cut the drive belt to the self propel system as it did not go fast enough. I am shopping for an older IH Cub to pull with and a Cub to cut with...

 

[Wrecked Em]

Cub Cadet 52", 27hp Kohler

 

[Eric Commarato]

I have 2 Snappers. One is about 15 years old, the other I bought last year. Both are the old traditional type hi-vac deck, unlike some of the other cheaper mowers branded as Snapper. My older one was repowered with a honda motor salvaged from a Huskvarna I bought at Lowes 3 years ago. The motor outlasted the Husky chassis. The honda mower fit right on the old
Snapper deck, and I use it in my yard were I don't want to run my newer one. If I were a rich man though I would buy a Exmark self propelled model with the Kawasaki engine. In my opinion, the finest walk behind on the market. Check it out at http://exmark.com. I am not affialiated with exmark. It just looks like a fine machine.

 

[NUTTSGT]

Since when?

That's what the dealer told me too when I bought mine.



7 year old JD LX266 42" cut with a 16hp Kohler and for the trimiming I have a MTD 20" with a 5hp B&S that's about 12 years old, bought it for $25.

 

[bindernut]

I got into the lawn & garden side in march of 2005, and it was that way then already.

 

[TCJ1981]

08 Grasshopper 931D, 61 inch powerfold deck. Not mine (no way I could afford to have 16k in a mower), FIL's, but it sees the most action at my house. 2+ acres to mow. I hope she doesn't think about breakin anytime soon.