Don Terrill’s Speed-Talk

What is good out there?

It really suck's getting old!

pdq67

How much do you mow? Go green! JD

Cub Cadet and Probably 90% of the $1500 and under models are made by MTD and rebadged. Pick a color.
Need something for a lot of yard JD wins.

For a lawnmower, you want front wheel drive..............

You don't have to disconnect the drive to have it stop pulling, just push down on the handle to slightly raise the front end.

Find an OLD John Deere - parts are readily available - NOT the home center MTD versions. Should have a Kawasaki, Kohler, or Onan(?) engine and a Peerless transaxle if hydrostatic. Our '94 LX188 is still going strong.

AND, my OLD 1988 John Deere STX 38 lawn tractor is still going strong with almost no maintenance. Of course, it runs on BradPen oil.

Thread going sideways as usual.
I needed a real garden tractor as I will be tearing up, grading and reseeding the lawn. I bought a 1987 JD 420 last year as a fixer upper.
Good thing I realized that going in as the previous owners could not spell maintenance much less do it.
I spent a fair amount of money fixing it up but it was kind of fun. I did have to do things like bore and sleeve the front axle pivot.
I got stubborn and even sleeved the pivot pin itself.
I now have most of the mechanical stuff updated and upgraded. Some Cosmetic work is in the future.
I found and restored a snowblower and a tiller for it. I added a front end loader. Only JD attachment I am missing is a broom.
Sadly, I did not get to try out the snowblower due to our non winter this year.
This deal has worked out well and kicks butt.

The nice thing about JD is you can still get most parts for this old stuff. If not, there is ebay or make it.
Don't bother buying a front pivot pin or axle off of ebay. They ALL are worn out and need sleeved.
There is also plenty of forums of JD users that can walk you through some of the idiosyncrasies.

My grown daughter questioned the feasibility of doing all this.
I just laughed. You ask this after watching me build race cars? Besides, this is your inheritance.
Oh, then OK, go hog wild she said.

PDQ, If you want to drive to ILLinois I have a decent Cub Cadet 2185 lawn tractor going up for sale. Just rebuilt the deck last month. $1000.00

we have a deere x728 with blade, loaded, snowblower, cab ect.. 4wd 27hp kawasaki. The thing is awesome but may be overkill for you.

For a 21" walk behind, the toro personal pace is a very nice mower. Very easy to use and steer. Push on the handle and it goes, stop pushing and it stops. It goes faster/slower in response to you. It doesn't feel like a typical self propelled, more like an effortless push mower.

The aluminum deck is the nicer machine. Don't be afraid of a used one, they last a long time.

I have a Husqvarna, I believe a 44 inch cut. Purchased it from Lowes about 15 yrs. ago. It's been good to me. I did rework the air filter configuration for a lot better seal from the elements.

My Buddy Bob before he died bought a, "red", painted rider that he said was the easiest one to change the belt on.

He said all he had to do was loosen a lever and install the new belt.

I forget what brand it was?? Toro? He bought it at Home Depot.

He had two identical. A couple of years apart is all....

Damn I miss Bob!! We went back to the late fall/early winter of '66/'67 working on the N&W RR Steel Gang together up at Runnels, IA!

I kick myself for not bringing him down to the UMC Med Center here in Columbia, MO the Sunday before he died. I just didn't know what the f** was happening to him?? He would zonk out from, I think a blood clot from his leg phebitus(Sp?)..

Stay away from small town hospitals because they will f** kill you!!

pdq67