OT What's this worth. Trying to help a friend

John B.

Well-known Member
A young man at work that's mentally challenged asked me to look at this Zero Turn he bought. It ran but only on one cylinder. Well it turns out it needs an engine. A new engine is $2500 It had a 25hp air cooled Kohler engine on it. I'm gonna try and help him out by selling it to get his $1800 back out of it or try and find some used heads and pistons for it just to get it running and he may have better luck selling it then. It has a little over 1200 hrs on it. He can't comprehend what I tell him what it needs and I'm off work now for the past two months and one month to go so I can't afford to buy the parts needed for it. The gasket kit alone is a little over $100. If you know of any one that's interested give me a text or call. Thanks, John B. in Illinois.
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You need to contact IL Legal AID. Here's a number to call for one area in IL. They can tell you the number for the area where this person lives. That mower should've been junked. Hal


1-217-529-8400
 
I'll keep that in mind Hal, Thanks! But the mower is in good shape it's not ready for the scrap yard yet. I'm afraid he'll be lucky to get $1200 out of it but I believe he would take it...
 
I'm afraid that unit was rode hard and put up wet. Not very well taken care of. Somebody saw a chance to take advantage of another and did so. What goes around WILL come around one day.
 
we've got 3 of 'em just like that where I work. We replace 'em with new ones every 3 years. No trade value and we have a hard time getting $1000 for them and that's waiting until spring when the market for used mowers is at its best.
 
Can"t say what its worth, but I bought a Dixon industrial zero turn that runs and works great for $500 at auction. Don"t see how you"ll get any more than scrap price out of one needing a $2,500 engine.
 
No one will put that much money in that mower. You or someone else needs to contact that Legal Aid in your area and don't delay. The state of IL probably has laws for someone taking advantage
of your friend. Hal
 
cant say on that one but i can buy a weedeater brand one with less than thirty hours on it, and less than a year old, for 1200. and its been sitting for quite a while now unsold.could you try around mower shops and things in your area and find piston and heads used?if the rod/cyl is good,you might get by pretty cheap.even if it smoked a little ,the young man would be better off trying to run his money out of it,in my opinion.
 
That's what I'm checking in for a set of used heads and pistons for him. This is what my feelings are also, get it running and use it for a year and sell it or trade it.
 

you can't fix the world Bro....... sick in the head or not, he made a deal on his own. Shoulda asked you to look at it before he bought it...... If someone intentionally took advantage of him, you may help him with a claim, but you aren't under any obligation...... Your heart is in the right place tho....
 
You're so right Dave. The boy is married, works full time, but he has big ideas and that's as far as it goes. There's only so much I can do. I have to watch my step cause I feel I'm gonna be the bad guy in the end. That's what usually happens when you try to help someone.
 
That is a shame! If you can't get him help with legal aid let us know. I would be willing to chip in a few bucks. If the front casters are 10 inch I would pop for a pair that I manufacture with ball bearings instead of bushings.

In any case it wouldn't take but ten bucks a piece for a small number of the total people on the board to cover the repair cost.

Like what my grandfather said many times about some one like the guy that sold it to him. He should be set on a stump and have a spike drove thru his bag and then pushed over backwards.
 
It is worth about $12/hundredweight, in the shape it's in now. To someone who has the parts/knowhow to put it back together, maybe $200. He was taken, and now that it's apart, I doubt he has any legal recourse, against the guy who took him. It's a shame, but live and learn.
 
(quoted from post at 10:37:42 11/15/12) You're so right Dave. The boy is married, works full time, but he has big ideas and that's as far as it goes. There's only so much I can do. I have to watch my step cause I feel I'm gonna be the bad guy in the end. That's what usually happens when you try to help someone.

you gotta know...... Good luck...
 
As El Toro suggested, I would check into legal aid, or small claims court. The Sweet Old Boy who took advantage of him needs a lesson in "salesmanship".
 
New engine 25 horse Kohler pro series at www.surpluscenter.com is 600. Dont know if it would work but..
 
I appreciate your offer Dick, but when the boy brought it to me to diagnose the engine he told me a new engine is $2500. So he must of asked somebody but he must not of gave it any thought. I'm just going to box the engine up and keep it dry until he knows what he wants to do.
 
Real story here about 40 years ago over a land dispute the judge told one of the fellows that he sympathized with him but the law could only go so far in protecting Stupidity so he was going to have to rule against him.
 
You don't have to be not right to buy one of those Kohlers that's only hitting on one cylinder as
they sound fine until you put a load on them.I'd say its going to go under the heading of 'Live and Learn' as he has no written guarantee and the deal is between two private parties it becomes a He said,He said situation.
Some days you da pigeon and some days you da statue.Tell him to check with you BEFORE he buys
next time.
 
I agree with those who feel the buyer was taken advantage of. I would just add that you might try talking civily with the seller to see what can be worked out before sueing.
I also agree with you about possiably winding up the bad guy here because the next buyer isn't gonna like it when the patched up engine craters.
I do hope it turns out well for both of you.
Hey Dick,my Grandpaw advocated the same treatment for the worst offenders except instead of pushing him off the stump it was set fire and the perp could decide when to depart. Lesser offenders like the one in this conversation was to be hoisted up,hung by the heels and pecked on said bag with a wood spoon. Sorta grandpaw's version of probation on the first offense.
 
when you say running only on one cylinder was it cause of electrical or was it actually have connect rod issues. if its just ignition related simple fix. what exact model engine was in it. the way it sets it simply not worth much other than parts for somebody to try resell. i see this quite abit in the used mower market.
 
What parts are needed to repair the engine? Reason I ask is that I've got quite a few junk engines lying around with plenty of good parts on them. Wether I've got the engine, or parts need is another story, but I'll be glad to look if you'll post more information on the engine such as the model and serial number.
 
How and why could you sue. On what basis, if the guy bought the mower running on one cylinder he knew what he was getting. Even if the other guy was a dealer there is not basis for a law suit IF the purchaser agreed to the purchase.. The law just can,t protect stupid . Buyer beware is where this goes. I am sorry the young man got shamed but I sure can,t see anything for a court to get involved or any chance of him getting relief in court.
 
Boy 1,800 bucks is a lot ot lose for someone who probably doesn't have a lot to start with. The seller should have realized the guy must have a problem when selling a machine with a bad engine, and the buyer didn't notice it. Sometimes things don't work out. stan
 
Just remember the old saw: "No good deed goes unpunished." That said, too bad someone can"t "punish" the seller, maybe he"ll have to wait for judgement day.
 
What's wrong with the heads? Its unlikely you'll find a used set in much better shape, same with the pistons. If the pistons aren't broke, reuse them. You can get piston rings cheaper from a piston ring supplier than from Kohler (in some cases). Check with your local automotive machine shop. Don't buy a gasket set. The crankcase cover gasket is a fat shim that can be reused, as are the rocker cover gaskets (O-rings). Just buy the gaskets you really need, like head gaskets. Regarding the heads, if all you're concerned about is sealing, get some valve grinding compound and lap them. Don't worry about the width of the valve face or the looseness in the guides, just lap them and snap on some new valve stem seals, it'll run, believe me.
 
The engine had a burnt valve and the piston in the same cylinder has started to melt. I have gotten prices for him on a whole engine, short block, parts only, and he never says what he's going to do. So I called him today and asked what he has decided and he said he is picking it up this weekend. I told him that would probably be the best thing to do. I'm afraid he feels that one guy took advantage of him and now I'm trying to. At least the other guys at work are on my side. He either has to poop or get off the pot. The other guys tell me he's not mentally challenged, they say you just can't fix stupidity. I called him mentally challenged to be nice.
 

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