MTD poor

[parsonroy]

]I have 2 old (1996 & 2000) MTD garden tractors and am trying to keep them running and dependable. The newer one has an electric lift and several pieces of gardening equipment.
I have about 1/4 acre for garden and 3/4 acre of yard.
Due to retirement from Church work, I have to make frugal use of funds and thus am looking for advice and any other assistance available.
I was raised on a hog/rowcrop farm in eastern NC and still get a kick out of farm shows and old equipment.

[Muhammad]

Welcome to TBN.

[creekbend]

Good to have you aboard.

[creekbend]

Good to have you aboard.

There is a specific forum in regards to the MTD brand in the "Lawn and Garden" section here on TBN. Go to the Main Index section at the top of this page, scroll down to the Lawn and Garden section and look for MTD. Best wishes.

[Briana03]

WELCOME to TBN

I moved your thread to the MTD Forum.

[rgs03833]

]I have 2 old (1996 & 2000) MTD garden tractors and am trying to keep them running and dependable. The newer one has an electric lift and several pieces of gardening equipment.
I have about 1/4 acre for garden and 3/4 acre of yard.
Due to retirement from Church work, I have to make frugal use of funds and thus am looking for advice and any other assistance available.
I was raised on a hog/rowcrop farm in eastern NC and still get a kick out of farm shows and old equipment.

Hi, Welcome

Nothing wrong with being POOR , someone gotta do it, LOL

I was POOR growing up, but that didn't stop me from point A to Z... The best of being POOR was I had to make good used out of my Eyes, Ears and Hands... Now, I've gained so much knowledge from it and I wouldn't go back if you pay me Millions... Although I wouldn't mind the Million$... But most of the knowledge was FREE and still is...

Anyway, the best thing to do is use Gear Lube 80W-90 or even the 15w-45 Motor Oil. Just LUBE everything you see moving... Clean it after each usage, store it in a dry area and keep in mind Dust and Rain are your Enemies...

I have two MTD Tractors and it's 1996, 1998? and it's Running like NEW... Maintenance is the BIG thing, and parts was NOT needed as long you keep it up with the Maintenance, you would be AOK, well Belt(s) is the only thing that is worn...

I always said " Try NOT washing your Mouth and your Arse and see what happen ".

[TroyBalunder]

Parsonroy, can you be a bit more specific about which "MTD'S"-they come dressed in many brand-name "tractor" skins. And has past use alerted you to any kinds of problems you're looking forward to not looking forward to?

As you might have guessed, I, too, wandered in here hoping to save an MTD-Troy-Bilt-Gardenway-Bolens machine (and myself) from the replacement-parts speculation phase of its life cycle; ...my coinage for the age at which resellers and some mfr's sometimes cash in with a vengeance on replacement parts (or on replacement tractors when perfectly okay ones have to be abandoned for lack of available parts.)

My rider, a relatively little used 1992 model seems to be getting to that age (in years but nowhere near in wear and tear) and the prospect of mothballing or replacing it (hundreds of hours short of life expectancy) for lack of available parts irks me a lot.

One strategy I'm considering--is to search for, acquire, and stockpile short list of critical parts that are more and more likely to be unavailable as time goes on. (The kinds of things, also, that would allow me to sell or trade, the machine (along with its proprietary-design implements) at fair value; or donate with a clear conscience.)

I agree whole-heartedly with 03833's advise about maintenance and stepped up lubrication. Although I'm uncertain whether gear lube would have applicability, the same kind of thing could be said about monitoring hydraulic motor (so called hydrostatic transmission/axle) fluid. As for wheels, inflation monitoring is very important because running low or flat (its hard to tell with some tires) can lead to wheel and steering component damage. If yours are plain (bushing) wheel bearings, upgrading to EP-grade (lithium soap) grease is a plus.

But, again, we don't yet know your models in order to be able offer much besides "generic" pointers. That said, there is still no guarantee that recommended or even excess maintenance will always work. In my case, I would not even have known of a "parts crisis" with my MTD if failures due to mfr design flaws and dealer prep screw-ups had not cropped up. So, sometimes a strategy in addition to maintain-at-all-cost can be easier, even cheaper, in the long run. Now, as for me and my peers, it boils down to figuring just how long the "long run" might be.

[Zork]

Isn't this the MTD section in which he posted?

[The kid]

Welcome to TBN Parson Roy. MTD's are known to be more susceptible to rust issues and throwing belts. Other than that they are good mowers. I have a Pro model zero turn I've had for over 7 years and no major problems. The small garden tractors are ideal for maintaining a small gardens. I've found the best way to keep a MTD running is to store them inside when not in use.

[murphy1244]