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BANDITFARMER

Well-known Member
After spending part of my day fixing my old mower it got me to thinking how many of you guys out there still run an old mower? Mine is an early 70's Bob-Cat commercial mower with a 6 foot deck. I like this mower because I can cut 1 1/2 acres in about 50 min's and I am done. After 14 years that engine gave up last year and I found a 18hp Kohler and dropped in it and now runs quieter and cuts better than ever too. The old B&S 20hp must have really been shot because it never run and cut this good. Its built like a Sherman tank and weighs about as much too. The guy next door has had 3 new MTD's and the 4th is not to far off since I bought this one. I have to ask if you still run an old mower just because you think the new ones are just to cheep made or if you just like the stuff? Bandit
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I do most of my mowing with an older commercial zero turn for
the speed and ease.
I still run a 1976 JD 212 as well, and it cuts just as well as the ZTR,
just slower.
I keep the JD partially because I like the older stuff, but I have never
seen a newer mower cut as well as the old JD/Wheel Horse/Cub Cadet club.
The new ones to me are junk. I don't think many will last 35+ years.
And parts for my '76 are sitting on the shelf at the local JD dealer.
 
I have a couple of really old Lawnboy push mowers if I need them. One is mid 70's and the other is late 50's. Those things never die. I use an old Snapper rear engine rider around the barns and the ditches in front of the house. I've got a new cub cadet that does the majority of the main yard but I am not allowed to do that part! If I have something to cut quick and need a tractor size I have a Farmall A with a Woods belly mower. It cuts just as good as any new mower.

I love that old Snapper. It doesn't have any safety stuff on it and makes mowing the steep ditch a dream. I can just stand on the uphill side of the deck and away she goes. I hate the high lift blades on the cub. When it is dry those things kick up so much dust and I spend all of my time reading air elements.

Someday soon I will find a good Deines mower (Marty J). Those ZTR mowers look a lot like yours and sound about as well built.
 
I've got a Woods RM59 I bought used 20 years ago.
Does the trick for me, use it with my 1955 TO35 I got about 30 years ago. No need to buy new stuff when the old stuff keeps working.
 
I finally gave up my 40 year old Deere 140 garden tractor this past year, however it is still being used by the guy that purchased it. I replaced it with a 318 Deere that is a whole 10 years newer but the powersteering is NICE!

I wouldnt have an MTD if it was given to me. My 40 year old 140 has less slop in the steering after all those years of mowing than an MTD has after a year of use... I noted to the buyer of my 140 that the steering had some slop. He noted that it sure had a lot less than the Murray that it was replacing! He was in total awe of the hydraulic deck and individual turning brakes on the 140.

Those old Deeres and Cub Cadets are like your bobcat.... Built like a brick house. About the only folks left building a nice tractor style mower is Deere and Kubota. There are a few good zero turns out there but they sure arent all they are cracked up to be. They are pitiful on a hillside and most ditiches have magnetism so it seems when a zero turn is nearby...
 
Dad has an old Wheel Horse that he's had forever that he bought when it was 3 years old or so. It needs to have the engine rebuilt now. He went to price a rebuild (he knows I can do the rebuild) and he liked to died when they told him $800 to rebuild it. He looked at a new one sitting there at the dealer (don't know what kind or size) and he said they have a sale on now and they could let it go for $2300 delivered, Dad said he told them I think I'll just rebuild mine. Dad is just set in his ways I guess. Bandit
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I just had to show off the 1980's JD hubcaps on my old 318... Yeah, I know they are ugly but they sure are a converstation piece.... The caps even have John Deere stamped in each one.

[http://forums.yesterdaystractors.com/photos/16987.jpg[/img]

and now my picture is no longer active! This modern veiw stuff is for the birds :?
 
(quoted from post at 21:27:54 04/23/13) he said they have a sale on now and they could let it go for $2300 delivered, Dad said he told them I think I'll just rebuild mine.
Click to expand...
For $800 it would outlast the new one.
 
We've had a Deere 140 since the early '70s. Few years back the old Kohler gave up. Repowered it with a Briggs 18hp V-Twin. Tractor, mower, snowblower still going strong. Had to add new edge to the auger on the blower. Old chain drive tiller finally gave up.. Parts not available, gearbox so welded shut I gave up on it and bought a new hydraulic drive tiller. Rigged it up and made it fit. Works great. Have practically worn the tines off it. Yeah, have done some major repairs, but the basic machine far better than what's available today. Wife has inherited her dad's Woods skid steer - diesel. Have to go get it in a few weeks. We'll see how much it'll take to put it in action.
 
For some reason my text was deleted from my origianl picture. I'm not so fond of the quirks in "modern view" For some reason it didnt put my reply in the right place either.....

I just had to show off my factory Deere hubcaps on the 318! They are so ugly but yet so fitting for nostalgic reasons... :)
 
this is one of my Case compact tractors this is the only one I have that is gear drive and manual lift all the others are hydraulic drive and lift, they too are built very heavy duty and made to last, this one is a 1976 model cnt
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X485 for me, it replaced a LX188. I like the Kawasaki V twin EFI engine, 8 years old and still running the original spark plugs.
 
wilamayb, when I saw your first post, I only saw text, no picture.
When I checked back, the picture was there.
Now I don't see it anymore?
Not sure what happened to the picture in between, so I'm trying to post it again.
Nice looking JD by the way!

16987.jpg
 
Oldest is a 1967 Massey ferguson 10, my favorite is a 1974 allis chalmers 410, we have about 5 that are under 10 years old.
Here's a picture of my allis
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Thanks!! I'm replying to this post in classic view. I seem to have better luck with it... BTW how were you able to get my pic back? I thought it was lost forever in internet land...
 
I have 4 wheel horses and a 110 JD from 1966 to 1988, mow an acre and a half with a 1969 48" deck. Got a nice like new deck but I can't wear out the old one.
I think people are missing the boat on the Wheel Horses, you can buy them cheap, easy to work on and last forever with a little oil and grease. last one I bought was $495, a 520 with nice 4 ft mower, a blade and a nice snowblower. It needed head gaskets.
c141139.jpg
 
It wasn't gone, it was missing a tag.
I changed "[http://forums.yesterdaystractors.com/photos/16987.jpg[/img]"
by adding on the front of http://....
I removed that first [ on the quote as well.
It takes some practice, and I still swap between modern and classic.
Some things are just not available on modern view.
 
Still use a jd 112 for part of my lawn.It has ag tire's, good on the hill's.Just won't quit.Need 40 acres to turn though!
 
My 140 recieved a new K321 longblock sometime in the mid 90's. The original chunked a rod out the side of the block. The replacement longblock had started to use some oil as well which is why I decided to update with powersteering. I saw my 318 for sale locally on Craigslist for $600 so I went and purchased it. The old Onan in the 318 uses a bit of oil (it should after 30 years) but the chassis is worthy of a repower. I think I'll go for the Honda when the Onan finally gives out.

I really like the 318. I also have a newer 345 Deere with the same features as the 318 but the 345 doesnt handle as nicely and doesnt have the individual turning brakes which I use often on a hillside. You may need an 80's 300 series to go with your 140 :)Maybe a 322 or even a 332 if you like a diesel. The powersteering is great and the 318 turns much sharper than my old 140.
 
Not completely missing the boat on those old Horses Gab.
I mentioned them in my post too.
I really like the rear discharge decks.
Makes it real easy to get around houses and plants without damage.
 
Been needin a new one for awhile now, happened on a fellow needing to sell a 08 model Dixie chopper, 74 inch cut, 33hp engine, 28 hours on it. Got it for what I thought was a steal. Gonna try it out this weekend.
 
I don't have a picture of it but out in my garage I have a 1054 Bolens that I need to get running again. I have the deck, front blade a plow and the tiller that goes on the back. I bought it at a sale in 94 for $50, Dads F150 was squatting when we got it all loaded. They sure don't build them like that anymore. Bandit
 
I started with a Sears and then a Simplicity rear engine rider. Then a Craftsman 14 h.p. I like the older ones because they're built better and last longer than what's available now...and I have a serious Ford addiction, so this helps feed it. I bought 5 of these tube-frame LGT's (4 and a parts machine), none running. This one (LGT 145)is the only one working now, but the LGT 165 and the older, open-side LGT145 are both repairable...once I get around to them. After selling off the parts machine, one project tractor, and various attachments, I have about $300 tied up the the 3 that are still here.
Photo05181420.jpg
 
It'll cut grass fast but it'll beat your brains out the entire time. Dont drive it near a ditch. It'll suck your right in :) I cant count the times I've pulled our Dixie Chopper at work out of the ditch. I have put it in one a couple times myself. Our machine is smaller than yours. It has a 27 horse Generac engine with a 60" deck. The rigid frontend is the largest problem with ours. If it ocilated it would be a totally different machine and I might not have quite as much hatred for it :)

They dont perform very well on hillsides especially if the grass is damp. They shine on smooth flat surfaces. I've been on all kinds but I still prefer a front deck first then tractor style and zero turn last. The frontdeck cuts just as fast as the zero turn and is much much much easier on the operator and the turf if your ZTR operator is in a hurry.
 
I have a few around the place. An old Mitt hammer knife one and a D/B with a sickle bar mower up front and another one that I can not remember the brand but it is an old golf course one and an old Yazoo and a 1967 Murry and the list could go on
 
FordFarmer, I think my LGT is older than those, but its a great machine too.
Its a hydrostat drive, and the pedal is hard to run with boots on.
Its a 1974 LGT 125. It has the original cab, snow blower and I think its a
50 inch mower deck.

16991.jpg
 
I got a JD 525 my wife bought when she hit a jackpot at Reno one spring in the early eighties.
Use it to cut my place, 1-1/2 acres and my Sons placed, another 1.2 acres.
Mower deck literally rusted off two years ag and my son found a Deere dealer that was wanting to get rid of a new one he had in stock for almost 20 yrs. Bought it with blades for $450.00 and we got another 20 years to go!
 
Yep, the 145 I use and the 165 are newer...the open
side 145 I have is like your 125. I have a pair of
42" decks and a 50", and a dozer blade that may or
may not work with my LGT's.
 
The 525s are handy. They are great till that darn engine/transaxle combo gives up then it's to the scrap pile. Dad actually had one years ago and loved it but it too chunked a rod which trashed the whole composite unit.

I saw a super clean F510 in my local craigslist with only 300 hours on it for $1000 which I thought was well worth the money. I'm mower poor so I left it alone. I knew if I ever went to look at the thing it would follow me home so I just ignored it. It looks brand new!

Dad now uses an F735 frontdeck which uses a baby yanmar diesel. It sounds like a rattle trap at idle but is smooth as silk and quiet while under load. The 735 has a slight advantage over the 525 by being able to lift and carry the deck in the raised position. Dad hates to mow the yard but you couldnt pry the 735 out of his cold dead hands. He says if you're gonna have to endure mowing the yard, you might as well be comfortable. The blade tip speed on the 735 with the 7 iron deck must be 8 kinds of fast. His blades are usually about as sharp as a pice of black iron water pipe on the broad side but somehow it can still mow grass cleanly just as fast as the 735 can travel across the yard. Deere has the commercial deck figured out! It's heavy and has incredible suck for a clean cut.
 
The Ford's are rebadged Jacobsen's. Probably some of the best ever made. I think the MM listed above is made by Jake too.
 
Ford, MM, Oliver, and I think one other brand were Jacobsens. I remember seeing the LGT's with side covers at the local Ford dealer when they were new... WAY more $$$ than my parents would have ever spent to cut grass!
 
I just retired my 4 wheel gravely 8123 from mowing duty,Just not nimble enough. Will spend the rest of her days as a towing and pulling machine.
 
here's what i mow with,bought my last lawn rider 4 years ago, never again, what a pos! this is way better, 1949 cub
cubforyt.jpg
 
I have a JD 120, same as 140, but 12 hp and single hydro. The steering is keeping me from putting it back into service. Does anybody know if the steering gear can be repaired on those, or do you have to replace the entire shaft?

Bruce
 
Nothing like a commercial diesel mower. This is a 1988. I bought it used 8 years ago. Other than deck belts and blades and one tie rod end, just oil changes and filters. Uses less than 1/2 the fuel my Case 446 (which was a great machine) did.
a112909.jpg
 
MY primary mower is a KUBOTA F 3060 diesel engine with a 72 inch deck. Four wheel drive with over 3,000 hrs and nothing but blades and one deck belt. Real tough machine.
 
I"m still using an old 1965 Wheel Horse 1055 on about 3 acres that I inherited from my brother in law who inherited from my wifes grandfather. My bil quit using it sometime in the late 90"s when the voltage regulator quit working. With a new battery, voltage regulator, carb cleaning, points and spark plug, and all fluids changed it fired up last spring like it had just been put away. I don"t think its ever spent a night outside in it"s life. The paint is a little weathered but the old Kohler K241 still runs great with minimun oil usage. I figure that with a little care it"ll outlast me. I feel that the couple of hundred dollars that I put into it were better spent than getting something new that I"d be replacing in a few years.
 
I mow four + acres of rough, bumpy lawn with a 1950 Minn. Moline 'R'tractor that has a 6' Woods hyd. lift belly mower. When mowing in the small areas ,I use one of several of our M-M lawn tractors that were built in the 1960 s.
Many thanks to Cliff Nelson who helps me keep the M-M s running. clint
 
I started with a Cub Cadet 127 used it for hauling logs and firewood. When I thought I had worn it out and went looking for a replacement,they were 3 times what I paid for the 127. So I bought a Farmall A and put a Woods L59 on it. It worked great. Then I downsized and got a John Deere 112 which I still use, matter of fact I mowed with it yesterday, after I cleaned the carb. Also have a Power King Jim Dandy 1967 that I use to mow with for fun once in awhile.
a112926.jpg

a112927.jpg
 
I wish I had the pictures from my old computer in the new one, There is a lot of pic's of old mowers from the tractor shows over the years. Panzers, Bush Hog, Oliver, Ford, Cub Cadet, Wheel Horse, Massey's, A-C, Economy, Jim Dandy, Yazoo, Wizzard, JD, IH, MM, and more I cant remember. The old ones were really built and not to bad to work on when you had to. Dads neighbor has a newer MTD and could not get it started and asked if I could come over and look at it, 3 Hours and 7 safety switches later I had it running with a jumper wire around the gear shift micro switch. They just don't build them like they use to. Bandit
 
Those gearboxes were used on more than just the 120. All the parts catalogs are available at jdparts.com if you want to compare parts between different models. I'm betting the 110, 112, 120, 140 all used the same gearbox. The major part worn on my 140 was the pitman arm where it pivots on its boss. It needed to be machined and bushed to take up the slack. The front axle could have stood to be bushed. It had quite a bit of rocking slack.
 

Not real old, bought one of the MTD brands in '02 at TSC..., 46" cut, 2 cyl OHV B&S engine. Never had problems with the mower itself, only the engine. Starter was mis-aligned and was breaking gears and a valve guide was coming out of the head and causing a bent pushrod. Haven't had issues with it since fixing it, other than front tires need replaced. Mow about 2 acres and I'm pretty careful with it, don't have lots of spare cash to replace it, although I've been hoping it will break down for good so I can replace it, but it keeps humming along.
 
This is one of our 60 s M- M mower tractors , made by Jacobsen, Racine , Wi.
Second pic is our 1950 "R" with a "Woods" 6 " deck. Tires on backwards chew up less sod when turning.
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