Powering riding mower

CCWKen · Jul 11, 2017

The hydros only use a few horsepower. All the rest in a lawn tractor is for spinning blades to cut grass. He's not doing that and probably not going to race it.

jenkinsph · Jul 11, 2017

texasranger556 said:
IMO 5.5hp would be pretty gutless through a hydro transmission in a tractor that heavy unless your land is completely flat and you plan on towing feathers. Your call though.

With a top speed of 5.2 mph it should handle a 400 lb. cart just fine. Figure wife mower and cart total 1100 lbs. that equates to 200 lbs./hp. using this 5.5hp engine. That is a reasonable weight / hp.

CCWKen · Jul 11, 2017

I bought my 6.75 last year. I don't recall who I bought it from but the same engines were all over eBay, Amazon and pretty much all the re-power sellers like Jacks Small Engines, etc. Even Surplus Center had them. Their version was a few bucks cheaper but didn't include freight. Mine has a green Weed-Eater sticker on the top and came in a plain brown box (not a Briggs box). I would guess they were over-stock or discontinued engines. BUT... They were brand new with an alternator and starter. Look around. They're out there. Or similar deals.

Mine is still running great.

EDIT
Here's an 8.75 for $144 with starter at SC. I don't know where you guys are finding the $500 engines but look harder.

8.75 Torque Briggs & Stratton Engine ES/RS | Vertical Shaft Engines | Gas & Diesel Engines | Engines | www.surpluscenter.com

texasranger556 · Jul 11, 2017

jenkinsph said:
With a top speed of 5.2 mph it should handle a 400 lb. cart just fine. Figure wife mower and cart total 1100 lbs. that equates to 200 lbs./hp. using this 5.5hp engine. That is a reasonable weight / hp.

I suppose. However it's very easy to find 10-20 HP vertical shaft mowers with rotted out decks or bad transmissions. At least around here. Post pics of you build OP!

GLyford · Jul 11, 2017

A mower engine needs the weight of the blade to act as a flywheel, without it they are hard to start and vibrate a lot.

For tractor use (pulley instead of a blade) you want a "heavy flywheel" engine. One common source for these is pressure washers, I have picked up a couple from a small engine guy with bad pumps for $20 to $40 apiece for similar projects. I picked up the whole washer, that way I could drill holes in the mounting plate of the pressure washer to match the larger riding mower bolt holes.

farm boy00 · Jul 14, 2017

GLyford said:
A mower engine needs the weight of the blade to act as a flywheel, without it they are hard to start and vibrate a lot.

For tractor use (pulley instead of a blade) you want a "heavy flywheel" engine. One common source for these is pressure washers, I have picked up a couple from a small engine guy with bad pumps for $20 to $40 apiece for similar projects. I picked up the whole washer, that way I could drill holes in the mounting plate of the pressure washer to match the larger riding mower bolt holes.

View attachment 515025 View attachment 515026

What are you talking about the weight of the blade??? Ive never heard of such nonsense and when you start and drive a mower around without the blades engaged they work just fine. If they needed heavy flywheels on them im sure it would have been figured out after 50+ years.....

texasranger556 · Jul 14, 2017

He's talking about push mowers.

4570Man · Jul 14, 2017

I've only started one push mower without a blade, but it ran perfectly. I'm really doubting they redesigned the whole motor just to put on a push mower.

oldnslo · Jul 14, 2017

4570Man said:
I've only started one push mower without a blade, but it ran perfectly. I'm really doubting they redesigned the whole motor just to put on a push mower.

Some of the newer push mowers with the blade clutch will run the same but a lot of the older push mowers wouldn't run worth crap without the blade or some type of extra fly wheel weight. And no the just put heavier flywheels on the same motor for other duties.

jenkinsph · Jul 15, 2017

oldnslo said:
Some of the newer push mowers with the blade clutch will run the same but a lot of the older push mowers wouldn't run worth crap without the blade or some type of extra fly wheel weight. And no the just put heavier flywheels on the same motor for other duties.

I would agree with this ^^^
And would note that when shopping for an engine that I often see some with heavy fly wheels listed. Some motors with light fly wheels depend on the mass of the mower blade to run smoothly and that has been true for the last 50 years or so that I know of.