Dumb mower

[mr.mindless]

Fully buggered. Going to have to waste half the day mowing with the Mowzer one day this weekend.

The motor I got is supposed to be from the same model tractor. Textron dealer I contacted said the motor comes with the tractor, not the deck, so i figured by application should be safe.

This motor had 2 different size ports, and was a shade shorter in height than the motor being replaced. I went up to PowerDrives today and got the needed fittings and got everything put back together. It spins the blades fast as fuck! To the point the mower engine is loaded up a bit and hazing under moderate load as i take a test pass. Blades sound like they’re really flying but cut quality doesn’t look great… could it be backwards?
I had to change fittings after all…

Sure enough, blades are spinning backwards.

Flipped the hoses and it just puked fluid through the seal. Probably blew that seal out in that quick test.

So back to hunting. And hopefully find a seal and a proper application for this motor to sell it.

I wish hydraulic motor part numbers weren’t just made up out of nowhere to intentionally make cross reference difficult. Fuck.

[M4wdFab]

i can run out tomorrow with my ferris if you need help im free let me know. 

[mr.mindless]

I spent 4hr on the little Deere yesterday getting it done.

That machine isn’t meant for the duty cycle. That’s 2 full tanks of gas and one stiff back!

[mr.mindless]

Brought some parts machines home today. Also found a maybe perfect machine roadside “for sale” on my way to the second machine.

I have a groundskeeper to call tomorrow and may part out everything I have now and buy a ready to run big boy. AWD low ground pressure 50 horse. I need to read up on it. I hope the price I was told today is right…

[mr.mindless]

Swapped the deck drive motor from the spare identical mower I brought home last weekend. Mowed no issues. Yay!

Same blade speed I had before and lots of windrowing still there. Meh!

The spare mower came with a super fancy articulating deck. It's a bit incomplete but I'm going to try and use it. Seems to be in reasonable shape. Should give a much better cut, following terrain which is a bit of an issue with some spots with the 72" deck, and more importantly should bounce a lot less too the way the casters and rollers are set up. Looking forward to that. Bearings all good, needed all rollers and casters and belts. I have new rollers on the way and should be able to move casters and blades to it from other things here. Belts might be OK for a test run, TBD.

Now that grass is mowed, going to swap starter onto the new to me mower and see if it'll start. It cranked once or twice and then wouldn't, but compression got better while cranking... I have my doubts. I should have beat him up a little harder on the price but I think it'll be OK. Need to get the other one I brought home brought in to start parting out too. Greens reel mower that didn't work out for the previous owner, and he harvested the Kubota out of it. Didn't want to part it for some reason and sold the whole machine for the price of the hydraulic pump.

[mr.mindless]

found a maybe perfect machine roadside “for sale” on my way to the second machine.

Superintendent got back to me and said "it should be sold"
¯\_(?)_/¯

I'll call again next week and if it's not gone I'd still pick it up.

[mr.mindless]

Oh I wish I had both earplugs in for that. Tire slice too long for tube. Ouch

[mr.mindless]

I layered up the popped tube over a new one and didn't bother to seat the beads. Holding. good enough for maneuvering.

engine runs well once I got it fired. air filter housing was FULL of water, mud, rust and maybe seeds and shit? That was probably the firing fail before the started failed: it was choked. no idea how, housing is complete.

hydraulic pump is good, engine bogs with the lines plugged if I tickle the PTO.
Travel is super slow. will check linkage adjustment closer in daylight but it looks OK-ish. goes backwards way better than forwards so maybe it's linkage.

Should be good parts, hoping that transmission is good and not just the transaxle, but so far so good, really.

[mr.mindless]

[M4wdFab]

im confused

you bought another of the same mower semi broken/fixable other than the fancy deck, or is it bigger/more power?

[mr.mindless]

Another of same with the fancy deck, it got me the hydraulic motor i needed. Part out the spare bits.

I was hoping to get to part both turfcats if I could get the big one but that’s looking not good. I’ll follow up on that next week.

[etk300ex]

That’s a sweet turf cat!

[mr.mindless]

Was worried the hydrostat was shot on the new to me turfcat. Wasted hub and axle shaft, was taken apart and brake was gutted once. Shaft spinning in the hub.

See the wear in the bottom bracket from the back of the drum too. Someone did a lot of hours in oops mode.

Hub is totally wasted. About 20% of the shaft is broken out.

That and a bad starter is all that’s really WRONG
Time to put it all on the shelf and get it on eBay.

Came with a full tank of diesel too.

[mr.mindless]

When I can’t find the Mowzer later, I left it in the stable

[mr.mindless]

Have had a hard start on this unit for the last 2-4 mows. Seemed like low volts, was expecting a charging issue. Needed to move it last night, battery charger on START didn't help. Figured battery must be shorted, but it tested good. New battery that also tested good didn't help. Booster box hooked directly to starter didn't help either.

Figured it must be the starter, then. Pulled it and found the bushing in the snout of the starter is just about gone.
May be able to get away with just replacing that bushing but I'm unsure. Presently intend to check with that alternator/starter place. not sure I'll make it there before closing today.