Spent the day fixing an old brush hog

[excelagator]

I personally think it is worth it rebuilding it if he got it cheap and enjoyed doing it. Plus he knows it forward and back Much better than sitting in front of the TV or warming a bar stool!!!!!

Dan

 

[mojoinco]

I have a labor of love waiting in my pasture -- blue 5' filed mower as well. Hoepfully it just needs a drive shaft (the box seems to turn). WIll be finding out soon enough!

 

[JSharp]

I personally think it is worth it rebuilding it if he got it cheap and enjoyed doing it. Plus he knows it forward and back Much better than sitting in front of the TV or warming a bar stool!!!!!

Dan

Exactly. And it seems wrong to send so much stuff to the junk man if a few hours work will make it perfectly usable. Not everyone needs brand new items. I sure wouldn't buy a new mower for no more than I use one, but a few hours work and a few $ and I'll have one for sure. In fact, that's where mine came from too. Rebuilt from scrap...

 

[Flatheadyoungin]

yep, I have a couple of them.......that one will probably become my next little tradtionally styled hot rod!

BTW, all model A frames are essentially the same........early 28 frames were a little different.....some of the body bolt holes may be different but their over-all truck, coupes, sedans and roadster are all the same......

do you mess with ole' model A's for old Fords?

Is that a Model A frame on the blocks. I am sure that it is a 1931 maybe a sedan looks to long to be a coupe

 

[Flatheadyoungin]

Exactly!

I have always lived off of other's used things; cars, trucks, tractors, tools ATV's, whatever. I shop flea markets, ebay, craigslist.......anywhere my dollar can go farther.

I bought it for $62.50........hahaha crazy price huh. So far, I have nothing but time in it. I need to but the shim/gasket set for it. Surely they won't be more than $10 and put about a quart of 85-140 gear oil in it. So, I should come in under $75.

I put it all back together tonight, except the gear box. I'll probably have to order the gaskets. I was going to make some but I want to make sure it has the proper lash in it.

I might have 7 hours it. I guess I'm like my grandpa that grew up in the depression. You fix anything you can without buying new or paying someone else to do it. Most of the time, for us, it has saved me a fortune and allowed me to own things that I typically couldn't afford. Sure, I could get a side job but then I have to answer to, yet again, another boss- and I have plenty of them! Then I'm obligated to show up every day and act like I care. This way, I just go out in to the shop, come in when I want to, quit when I want to, play with the kids, eat with my family, etc.......

Honestly, and I'm not saying it about anyone here, but most people CAN'T, let alone, are too lazy to even try and fix things. Like grandpa always says, "Anyone can break something, now let's see if they can fix it!"

I personally think it is worth it rebuilding it if he got it cheap and enjoyed doing it. Plus he knows it forward and back Much better than sitting in front of the TV or warming a bar stool!!!!!

Dan

 

[Soundguy]

Yep.!!

soundguy

Old farm equipment is a lot like an old house. Buy something for $100 and spend $200 to fix it... and it's still worth every bit of $100 if you sell it.



The 5' Howse mower I got with my 404 didn't look a lot better than the one he's working on. But $175 for a new gearbox and now it's perfectly usable. So while I may not be able to get much $$ out of it if I sold it I'll easily get $175 worth of use out of it over time.

And given my (no)luck with finding low prices, if I had to replace it I'd have to spend $500. And that one would probably still need work.

Old stuff is fine if you buy it and fix it for use. But a get a minimum wage 2nd job instead if you think you'll turn a profit fixing it up for resale...

 

[john_bud]

"I ruined the gasket while taking apart the gear box to inspect the gears. So, I'm kind of at a stopping point until I can make a gasket. And, wouldn't you know it, I can't find my large sheet of gasket material. I'll go get some tomorrow and get her all back together."



What, you don't have a 12 pack cardboard box? They work great and the price is right.

jb

 

[SPYDERLK]

Exactly!

You fix anything you can without buying new or paying someone else to do it. Most of the time, for us, it has saved me a fortune and allowed me to own things that I typically couldn't afford.

Beyond financial necessity, the key is enjoyment and time. Iv found that I can fix anything mechanical I set my mind to, and I fix all the things I break so that they will withstand any legitimate use that they failed under. Sometimes you, at least I, find it best to pass on significant projects because you dont have the time to spend in a fashion that you would enjoy, but must rob it from a myriad of more pressing, or enjoyable, or quickly accomplished tasks.
I think it makes good sense to put $200 of time and money into a bushog that yould spend a $K buying new. It is vastly satisfying on many levels.
My putting $500 time into someones $50 bargain that could be bought for $700 new is nothing like that. Long, burgeoning projects are frustrating beyond even the satisfaction of good and sucessful work when they take from important priorities. There comes a time when you gotta watch out for that.
larry

 

[Soundguy]

Poster board, thick construction paper.. show box or cerial box material. Just choose one that was near the oem gasket.. If this sets a bearing preload.. try to hit it dead on.

Almsot all my tractors have some sort of home-made gasket on them from the materials i mentioned..

soundguy

"I ruined the gasket while taking apart the gear box to inspect the gears. So, I'm kind of at a stopping point until I can make a gasket. And, wouldn't you know it, I can't find my large sheet of gasket material. I'll go get some tomorrow and get her all back together."



What, you don't have a 12 pack cardboard box? They work great and the price is right.

jb

 

[Flatheadyoungin]

Well, the gasket was actually 3 aluminum rings sandwiched together. So, I was going to use sheet metal or just regular old gasket material. I never thought about a cereal box. I was going to drop by our local (locally owned) auto parts store that carries various thickness sheets of gasket but I was up most of the night last night with the 3 year old running a high fever. We made it through the night so we could get her in to her Dr. Well, I didn't know what my schedule would look like today so I just called King Kutter early this morning and ordered it......$7.95 + shipping. I didn't ask but I'd say the total will be about $15. When I smashed the gasket together it was right on the money 1/16" thick. So, I was hoping to find some gasket material that was slightly over 1/16", so it would crush to about 1/16". The only thing I could find was some stuff that was slightly less than 1/16" to begin with.

Well, it's on it's way so I'll button her all back up here when it comes in. Heck, if she runs good, I may even paint her New Holland blue and coat the underside with some XO rust paint.....