Longevity of Yard Machines lawn tractors?

[zuren1cs]

okay, you didnt hear it from me....

Take the middle shifter cover off, and pull the wire out of its clip...done.

The seat switch, as I recall, is the same way, just unplug it, if not, use a peice of wire to jumper the 2 terminals, and electrical tape it up.

Hear what?????? The voices, the voices are telling me to do things again!!!!!

 

[bontai_Joe]

The typical $1000 tractor will last as long or as short as the maintenance it gets. Fix the small stuff before it becomes big stuff and do a regular check over for the small stuff, and it will last a long time. Beat it like a rented mule, and it will be scrap in no time at all. The other major factor is using the machine for tasks it was designed for and not trying to grossly exceed the capabilities of the tractor. Examples: Using it as a brush cutter in a 10 acre field, repeatedly slamming the snow plow into the 4 foot high wall of ice at the end of the driveway, towing your 4,000 pound truck out of a ditch, having a teenager pop wheelies every chance he gets, bashing into trees, buildings and other immoveable objects are all ways to quickly kill a small lawn tractor (doesn't do big ones much good either).

 

[Hard]

repeatedly slamming the snow plow into the 4 foot high wall of ice at the end of the driveway.

That's great!! LOL!!!

 

[MT372HERE]

The typical $1000 tractor will last as long or as short as the maintenance it gets. Fix the small stuff before it becomes big stuff and do a regular check over for the small stuff, and it will last a long time. Beat it like a rented mule, and it will be scrap in no time at all. The other major factor is using the machine for tasks it was designed for and not trying to grossly exceed the capabilities of the tractor. Examples: Using it as a brush cutter in a 10 acre field, repeatedly slamming the snow plow into the 4 foot high wall of ice at the end of the driveway, towing your 4,000 pound truck out of a ditch, having a teenager pop wheelies every chance he gets, bashing into trees, buildings and other immoveable objects are all ways to quickly kill a small lawn tractor (doesn't do big ones much good either).

Hey, you laugh...but IVe beat the crap out of yard machines before, and not broken one..

About 18 months ago a freind gave me a MTD 14/42 rider, with no deck. He had this gargantuan hitch welded onto the front for moving his boat and stuff...

Well, you know me, I immediatly started wailing on it. I raised the 14.5hp OHV briggs governor up into the 4200 rpm territory, and took it to the driveway, and butted it up agaisnt the house, and wore the back tires BALD.

THen I took it out into the road, and in 7th gear, slammed it into REVERSE, it left a sweet skidmark. I did this through 1/4 tank of gas. Then I added a bunch of Diesel to the tank.

Then I would put it in reverse and pop wheelies into Forward.

She never gave up. This went on for a month, just basically beating it upo every chance Igot, then one day the hitch broke off and went up, into the hood, which then smached the OHV vavle cover..that shut the engine off. I took the cover off, beat it out, put it on and it worked great.

About 4 months ago, I sold the front tires, transmission, seat, and steering. But dangit, that thing was still thumpin along.

 

[Gatorboy]

... so I'm curious to know if these are cheaply made tractors that I can count on giving me problems sooner rather than later, or will it last me a while?

Cheaply made. You can be sure it will give you problems. I'm sure the guy you 'negotiated' with was smiling all the way to the bank.

 

[HomeBrew2]

Hey, you laugh....

No way I can compte with that story but, I still use a 1992 MTD 16/42 that I used to brush 3+ acres with ... splinterd hundreds of hidden rocks and tree limbs, rammed the deck into ones that didn't budge to the point of jamming the blade and setting the belt afire. Kids used to pile on and run it full bore across the rough field. Always rode hard and put up wet. Now just used for it's intended purpose ... mowing a smooth lawn. Best $1000 I ever spent!

 

[MT372HERE]

No way I can compte with that story but, I still use a 1992 MTD 16/42 that I used to brush 3+ acres with ... splinterd hundreds of hidden rocks and tree limbs, rammed the deck into ones that didn't budge to the point of jamming the blade and setting the belt afire. Kids used to pile on and run it full bore across the rough field. Always rode hard and put up wet. Now just used for it's intended purpose ... mowing a smooth lawn. Best $1000 I ever spent!

I know that the one I beat the heck out of held up better than my Aunts, that is strictly a mowing machine.

It was pretty sweet having slick tires though...

You should have seen the front end when I retired it..the tires were kicked out so far it was barely steerable..but I got 10 bucks each for the front tires, regardless!

 

[HomeBrew2]

... that is strictly a mowing machine. ...

Yeh, mine will probably fall apart now that I'm not busting rocks with it.

 

[MT372HERE]

Yeh, mine will probably fall apart now that I'm not busting rocks with it.

I worked on a Murray Select Rider the other day that some people bought to mow 5 acres with...it is only a few months old and it threw the drive belt.

I put it back on, and noticed that the Tranny pully had about 1/4" of deflection in it!!!

Talk about wearing out!!

The front wheels were about to fall off, and the spindles were kicked out...engine smoked already too...

Go out and bust rocks every so often..

 

[HomeBrew2]

... noticed that the Tranny pully had about 1/4" of deflection in it!!!...

Yeh, I rammed mine into "something" and got it hung up so bad it threw the deck belt ... because the deck got jammed into the deck drive pully and mashed the 2 halves together so it squirted the belt out. Pully rusted onto shaft. Had to crawl under with channel locks and file to get the pully to look mostly normal.
I almost wish the dang thing would die ... there was a guy on here that's in a lawn tractor demo derby club ... sounds like a fitting retirement!