The Lawnmower Thread

[jeb6294]

The Yardman rider has been a trooper.  It gets beat up pretty badly in the backyard...backing up to woods, it sees a lot of sticks and bits of stump that I don't see.  I was just about done mowing last week when there was a bit of a bang, something shot out from under the deck and then it got a very noticeable vibration going.  Since I only had a couple more passes to make I finished up figuring it had been a stick and maybe part of it was hung up on a blade.  I flipped it up on end and half my center blade is gone...not bent or twisted, just gone.

Now I've got to see if I can get the stupid thing off to replace it.  I took the outer two blades off last summer to sharpen them but the center one wouldn't budge so I used a sharpening stone on the drill for that one.  I hit the nuts for all three blades with some PB Blaster and I'll keep using that for a few days and see if it'll budge this weekend.

 

[Supe]

Impact gun!

 

[Ship Wreck PE]

Grinder!! Buy new bolt/nut

 

[Supe]

There isn't a bolt I've come across that still had flats on it, that an impact gun and some heat couldn't handle...

 

[Ship Wreck PE]

You have not seen my Taiwanese 1/2" air gun. When the tough get going, it leaves.

I have to preloosen tight bolts with pull handle and cheeter bar.

 

[Supe]

I have an 1844 ft/lbs answer for that:

 

[Ship Wreck PE]

Mine has that many.

Inch/lbs.

 

[jeb6294]

Impact gun!

That was the first thing I tried.  Then my 1/2" ratchet with a breaker bar.

I'll keep hitting it with the PB since I won't be messing with it until the weekend but if that doesn't do it then maybe I'll just go with the grinder since I don't have to worry about keeping the blade in one piece this time.

 

[Supe]

Try heat.  Even if its not enough to get any decent expansion, it will help wick the penetrant deeper into the threads.

 

[Ship Wreck PE]

Here is a question for you.

Which mower would finish first?? 100 acre field, thick, 3' tall grass.

Zero turn 25 hp diesel

Or

Small tractor 25 hp diesel

Both have 60" decks.

 

[Dleg]

Two dozen goats.  Much easier solution.

 

[knight1fox3]

Two dozen goats.  Much easier solution.

You'll have to contact @frazil for that.

 

[wilheldp_PE]

Here is a question for you.

Which mower would finish first?? 100 acre field, thick, 3' tall grass.

Zero turn 25 hp diesel

Or

Small tractor 25 hp diesel

Both have 60" decks.

Trick question...it depends on the transmission gear ratios.

 

[Ship Wreck PE]

I am leaning toward tractor because the zero turn will have heat and transfer losses due to the hydraulics.

They both only have 25 hp.

 

[jeb6294]

Two dozen goats.  Much easier solution.

Don't laugh...I'd already given that serious thought for clearing the backyard.  Mrs. Jeb's sister has a little farm up by Dayton and would let us use some of hers and they really do work great, but it'd be way too much of a PITA to fence it all in.

I'd say tractor all the way, but I'm making a bit of an assumption and thinking that the tractor has got a three point hitch and PTO with the mower behind it as opposed to the zero-turn's deck underneath.  Personally I don't see zero-turns as being made for that kind of work, I think of them being more for cutting grass but doing it really fast.  The other problem is that you didn't say what you want to end up with.  If the field's been neglected for a while and you just want to knock the grass down, then you're probably getting into bush hog territory.

 

[akwooly]

@jeb6294 you bust that nut yet?

 

[Supe]

Honda showed up yesterday.  Out of box, fold handle up (takes two seconds... nice), add oil and gas.  Very first pull out of the box, it starts.  Wasn't going to mow the lawn, but figured I'd do a test run, straight through about 18" of grass.  This mother barely even changed pitch as I mowed through it.  No bogging down, stalling, clogging or clumping.  Winner winner chicken dinner.

The only thing I don't like about it is that the blade brake has a yellow button you need to push to disengage it along with the handle bar, and then the handle bar for the self-propel overlaps it by about 80%.  It doesn't feel intuitive to release the self-propel and NOT the blade brake, which makes it weird to trim around bushes or confined areas where you have to pull the mower back frequently.  

 

[roadwreck]

Honda showed up yesterday.  Out of box, fold handle up (takes two seconds... nice), add oil and gas.  Very first pull out of the box, it starts.  Wasn't going to mow the lawn, but figured I'd do a test run, straight through about 18" of grass.  This mother barely even changed pitch as I mowed through it.  No bogging down, stalling, clogging or clumping.  Winner winner chicken dinner.

The only thing I don't like about it is that the blade brake has a yellow button you need to push to disengage it along with the handle bar, and then the handle bar for the self-propel overlaps it by about 80%.  It doesn't feel intuitive to release the self-propel and NOT the blade brake, which makes it weird to trim around bushes or confined areas where you have to pull the mower back frequently.  

Which model?  I've had the HRX217HYA for about three years now and it sounds like the blade brake setup is the same.  I guess I've gotten used to the configuration now because I don't even think about it anymore.  I think you'll be pretty happy with the mower.  Mine still starts on the first pull every time.  I bought it after having less pleasant experiences with cheaper mowers and I've been really happy with my purchase thus far.  

 

[Supe]

Same mower, RW.  

 

[Road Guy]

18 " for reals?