Bought this John Deere 175 hydro basket case for $75 on Easter Sunday.




It had some problems but nothing that I couldn't fix, PO thought it had a bad hydrostat but it was just stripped splines on one axle. Have under $200 total in it with a new battery, filters, and all new fluids. Kawasaki 422 purrs like a kitten.

 

Niiiiiiiiiiiiice!!




For the first time since I've owned it (1992), I put my old "Monkey Warts" (MTD) rider in the shop.

(My back has been killing me for over 2 months, now, and I just don't feel like messin' with it.)


My wife went to an auction last Friday night, and found a Sears rider that looked to be in good shape, and bid on it.
$275 was her winning bid. No refunds. No exchanges. (No backing out of the deal.)

She thought that she was doing me a favor.

She sent pics of it.
24 hp twin cylinder OHV B&S engine. 46" cut.

It had a 'sticker' on it that said that it runs great, but, tends to shut off after a few minutes.
(I don't need this problem!)

She and I went on Saturday and picked up the rider.
I raised the hood, and saw a 12 hp B&S 'one lunger' L-Head sitting where that 24 hp should be.
I told her somebody stole half of the engine!!!

Oh, it started, alright. Ran great!!!!!
I put the ramps on the tailgate and let the rider put itself into the F250 SD, by holding down the seat (so that the no-rider switch was fooled), running in 1st gear.

Got that rider into the truck. NO BRAKES!!!!!

The ultimate bottom line........ my darlin' wife paid $275 for a POS that needs quite a bit of work, and for a 46" deck, is VERY under-powered.

 

I had a MTD Yard Machine rider that I bought new in about 2002. It was A tinny piece of crap, terrible turning radius too. When we sold the house in Idaho the buyers wanted it thrown in on the deal.

I had already hauled it to Nebraska, but I loaded it back up and hauled it back to Idaho to get rid of it. This is a better tractor at 25 years old than that one was brand new.

 

That "Monkey Warts" mower is made by MTD.

I bought it new, in 1992.

The belts are being replaced for the FIRST time.
This is actually the first time that it's been to a shop. I've done everything (maintenance/repairs) since it was new.

I replaced the front axle last year.
Tube(s) in left-rear tire.
Bearings (plastic) on front wheels. (Twice.)
Air filters every year.
Oil changed every spring, sometimes during the cutting season.
Spark plugs are being replaced for the first time, as I type this.
"Magnatron" coil replaced about 13 years ago. (I think that's why it shut down, this past November.)
Blades replaced every 3 to 4 years.

I've run the dog mess out of this rider. It's REALLY been a good mower.
I HATE the thought of buying a new one, because everything that I'm looking at, is either twice as expensive as this old one, or is so flimsy/trashy and looks like stretched chewing gum wrapper.

 

^^^

That's where I'm at right now with my '98 model rear engine Murray. It's an 8 HP Tecumseh that has been bulletproof since new. Late last season it started to blow a little blue smoke while under load. It's been maintained to the hilt and runs fantastic.

I've decided to ignore the blue smoke and run it till it gives up. The way I take care of things, that could be years.