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Grizzlymi

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About 10 years ago I bought a riding mower from a guy a few blocks away from me. I noticed it for years just sitting in his back yard. One day I just walked up and knocked on his door. Asked about it and asked if he wanted to sell. He said "you want that old piece of junk?". I asked how much and he said $20. It was from the 60's and the coolest looking engine cover and grill. I went back and put some gas in it and it started up after about 5 mins of pulling the pull start. I ended driving it home to my house! lol. My plan was to make a racing mower out of it but it just sat for years in my garage and never got around to making it a racing mower. I ended up selling it to a guy who was going to do the same with it. I regret ever selling it.

I say go for it Kartorbust!!
 

Kartorbust

Inmate #627
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Utica, NE
About 10 years ago I bought a riding mower from a guy a few blocks away from me. I noticed it for years just sitting in his back yard. One day I just walked up and knocked on his door. Asked about it and asked if he wanted to sell. He said "you want that old piece of junk?". I asked how much and he said $20. It was from the 60's and the coolest looking engine cover and grill. I went back and put some gas in it and it started up after about 5 mins of pulling the pull start. I ended driving it home to my house! lol. My plan was to make a racing mower out of it but it just sat for years in my garage and never got around to making it a racing mower. I ended up selling it to a guy who was going to do the same with it. I regret ever selling it.

I say go for it Kartorbust!!

I've got a soft spot for classics. However, if I find a newer offering with a plastic hood, I would not bat an eye chopping it up.
 

Whitetrashrocker

Inmate #952016
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I have recently been studying up on lawn tractors. We are in such a desert environment that lawns are rare. So mowers are too. Mostly full sized tractors and brush hogs to clear out weed filled areas.
I want one to pull a small back blade or harrow to flatten out where my karts tear up and make ruts and banks.
I was offered a husqvarna hydrostatic for a good price but declined. And the more I learn I'm glad I did.
Hydrostatic isnt good for ground engagement.
What would really work would be a Kubota with a front bucket and a back hoe attachment and a 3 point.
I cant afford a 5 digit, use once in a while piece of equipment.
So Ive been looking for a 5 lug wheel with a manual transmission.
Seems there lots of information on all the accessories and which engine and cup holders but no one talks about the most important part. The trans axle. Never a mention of what kind it has.
It also seems that jumping from a 4 lug wheel to the 5 lug adds a 0 to the price tag.
I see all the mower racing and mud mowers out there but no one seems to talk about the transaxles.
Wish I could find something like a craftsman suburban or the likes.
All the ones like that are yard art and not worth the time.
Anything for sale around here is beat up plastic hoods.
 

Kartorbust

Inmate #627
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Unfortunately all you can get these days is hydrostatic because people are too incompetent to shift gears. If you had to get a hydro drive, you would have to get something of the same size of a John Deere 318. But you'll be paying a pretty penny for one. Heat kills hydraulics, which is why not all hydrostatic drives are created equal.
 

Grizzlymi

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Was just at my wifes cousins house yesterday and her husband just bought a Kioti front loader. I didn't get nosy about money but looked it up when I got home. About 13,000 new which seemed real reasonable for what it was. Way more then he would need but used it to level out his property and do some driveway work. Must have financed it.

Craftsman Suburban tractors and similar style advanced lawn tractors around here go for sub par $500 or so depending on condition. Usually can find one that "doesn't run" and just needs some carb work so people sell them cheap. I made a few mud mowers in the past, and they are fun but take up to much space on my property to keep them around. lol.
 

Whitetrashrocker

Inmate #952016
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Yeah. I look on the sale pages and there's just junk.
My grass is about 2000 sqft and I have a self propelled walk behind that does just fine. Dont need the mower part. Just a little mule.
 

Kartorbust

Inmate #627
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Welp got a lawn tractor and engine lined up for the project. It's a late 90s early 2000s Cub Cadet, can't remember the model off the top of my head. But has the 16hp variant of the Briggs Vanguard 479cc V-twin. Has pressured oil and not splash, which is what I'd prefer. I know they make a remote oil filter location kit which would be ideal so I can put in an oil cooler on it and use that as a mock radiator.

Race mowers are not allowed to be liquid cooled for the record. They mention nothing of oil coolers.
 

Kartorbust

Inmate #627
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Kind of surprised that 3d Motorsport Engineering still exists. I know there was a brief moment where the company was going out of business, then got acquired if I recall correctly. They're still doing those manual disc clutches.

 
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