Wife Destroyed Brand New S240 Sport -- What to Do?

[JDL130]

In April, I bought a new S240 Sport. A week or so ago my wife mowed the lawn with it, hit a root in a place she shouldn't have been mowing (muddy grassless spot under a tree; she was done mowing and on her way back to the garage).

It stalled the mower and I got it restarted and put it away. Took it out Friday evening to mow since it was the first sunny day in awhile and it's digging holes on the side that hit the root.

Got new blades and put them on and cut is still low on that side. I brought it in and started the deck leveling procedure. Front to back, the blade is hanging 1/2" below the deck!

I pulled the deck off and took the belt guard off when I noticed damage to the plastic belt guard. My heart sinks as I see that the deck itself is bent; it looks like someone took the spindle and tried to remove it from below the deck -- front is popped up a good 1/4" and the back spindle mounting bolts have big divots where they pulled downward.

A new deck is $750. I just made the first payment on this sucker ON FRIDAY.

I'm thinking about putting it in the back of the garage and keeping it as a parts tractor, replacing it with a new S240 that will be off-limits to anyone else but me. I have a huge mental block with spending another $800 (with tax) on something I just bought.

Any other thoughts as to how I could get this thing right otherwise? Sick to my stomach over the waste of a perfectly good machine with 4.2 hours on it.

 

[zzvyb6]

Divorce. She gets the mower.

 

[bcp]

I would be hammering that deck back into shape. Probably loudly.

Bruce

 

[Ed of all trades]

Slide it under your truck and use a jack and blocks of wood to get it straight. Take the wheels off first. Ed

 

[mrmikey]

I bent the deck on my Toro ZT. I had to take it off, remove the spindles, tun it upside down and use a piece of tubing across the deck from side to side and measure down to the deck surface. I used a big 'C' clamp thru the spindle holes to pull the deck up past where it had to be and started hammering with a dead blow hammer to bend it back into shape. It took a good couple of hours t get it back, not perfect but it works, I chalked it up to experience, that and being a dumba$$.......Mike

 

[JDL130]

I'm worried about the potential for other long-term damage from such a massive shock-load. It starts and runs...now...but is there anything else to look for?

 

[mrmikey]

I'm worried about the potential for other long-term damage from such a massive shock-load. It starts and runs...now...but is there anything else to look for?

Can't see it damaging anything more than the actual deck, blades or maybe bent spindle/s. Any shock load would be isolated to the deck because of the belt drive. I'd straighten it out best you can, have a gander at the spindles, blades, check for cracked paint which there will probably be some areas of......Mike

 

[buickanddeere]

In April, I bought a new S240 Sport. A week or so ago my wife mowed the lawn with it, hit a root in a place she shouldn't have been mowing (muddy grassless spot under a tree; she was done mowing and on her way back to the garage).

It stalled the mower and I got it restarted and put it away. Took it out Friday evening to mow since it was the first sunny day in awhile and it's digging holes on the side that hit the root.

Got new blades and put them on and cut is still low on that side. I brought it in and started the deck leveling procedure. Front to back, the blade is hanging 1/2" below the deck!

I pulled the deck off and took the belt guard off when I noticed damage to the plastic belt guard. My heart sinks as I see that the deck itself is bent; it looks like someone took the spindle and tried to remove it from below the deck -- front is popped up a good 1/4" and the back spindle mounting bolts have big divots where they pulled downward.

A new deck is $750. I just made the first payment on this sucker ON FRIDAY.

I'm thinking about putting it in the back of the garage and keeping it as a parts tractor, replacing it with a new S240 that will be off-limits to anyone else but me. I have a huge mental block with spending another $800 (with tax) on something I just bought.

Any other thoughts as to how I could get this thing right otherwise? Sick to my stomach over the waste of a perfectly good machine with 4.2 hours on it.

I would get ride of the machine and obtain an old stock 2015 or older X310 or higher. Or the new 2016 line with the X370 or higher. All the lower machines use the scrawny K46 transaxle which will bite you in the behind shortly after warranty expires.

 

[Deere Dude]

That story is making me go out and chop off two roots that I constantly hit with my mower. Another plus for TBN.

Like a couple mentioned already, I would try pressuring or beating it back into place and see what happens.

 

[Travelover]

If I was your spouse, I'd be ticked that you bought such a fragile piece of equipment. :laughing: