What to do with 2 old riding mowers?

roadhawk · Oct 1, 2009

I've got a 20 year old Lowes hydrostatic 42" with a Vanguard 14 HP V-twin and a 15 year old Craftsman 42" with 6 speed and a Kohler 14.5 HP engine.

I also have a 1 year old JD LA135 that gets all the use now so I don't need the other 2. Those 2 both need several things (some tires, batteries, belt, maybe a deck, blades, etc) and both have some other issues, but the engines are both working ok last time I tried them (and they have stabilizer in them so I'm 'hoping' they still are ok since it's been about 6 months since I've tried them).

Can anyone think of anything "fun" or functional that I could try to make out of them or should I just give them away to my local small engine guy who could use them for parts and maybe motor swaps?

OKnewguy · Oct 1, 2009

You could always sell them for a couple of hundred on craigslist. Or make racing mowers.
Dave

DavidVT · Oct 1, 2009

I'd love the old sears if you were near by....

Have fun with them or sell them.....

Or ask churches/community centers if they know someone who could benefit from them. Retired/low/fixed income folks that could enjoy using them. Donations can be good for them and good for you if you are so inclined.

ToadHill · Oct 1, 2009

Lawn tractor pullers.

mjncad · Oct 2, 2009

Pimp them out like this one. http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/owning-operating/153793-tractor-22-rims-yep-not.html

Just kidding.

jinman · Oct 2, 2009

I would think that old mowers with well-known brands would be easy to sell in some local classified paper. You might also check with a volunteer fire department to see if you could donate them. They might resell them or use them around the station and you could have a nice charitable donation.

gbrownfiel · Oct 5, 2009

I've found that parting out on eBay can be very profitable. For the larger pieces you can post pickup only. It is time consuming but the effort can be worth it.

BungeeII · Oct 5, 2009

I seen some gal down the road pulling an old rider behind her newer mower offset in the manner you would a Swisher tow-behind.

irvingj · Oct 6, 2009

Roadhawk, you might check with your local schools-- either a high school or dedicated vo-tech school. Seems they can always use small-engine projects for students to learn on.

Jay4200 · Oct 7, 2009

roadhawk said:
Can anyone think of anything "fun" or functional that I could try to make out of them or should I just give them away to my local small engine guy who could use them for parts and maybe motor swaps?

Gut the decks and make them into racing mowers. With two, you don't even have to find someone else to race! Always wanted one of those...

JayC

Iplayfarmer · Oct 7, 2009

I'm sure there'd be a lot of benefit to donating or parting them out; but if you just want to have some fun here are some ideas.

1) You can make a ride-on dump cart by turning the rear axle around. Build a tilting dump box where the rider used to sit, and put a seat over the engine. You may have to stretch the frame to get everything to fit, and you'll have to work out the steering.

2) There are unlimited possibilities for go-carts. You have a ready-made chassis. Just build a body to fit. You can put a smaller rear pulley on that geared craftsman and have a machine that moves faster. I've wondered how hard it would be to re-position the front axle and put rear wheels on it to build a go-cart that looks like a monster truck.

3) There's always the racer/puller option.

4) A lot of guys have taken old lawn mowers and added mini loaders or backhoes. I actually have an old Johnson loader that I'm getting ready to sell, but you're probably far enough away it wouldn't be worth it to you.

5) Search TBN for a portable welder build by bobodu. If you can scrounge up the right alternator from somewhere, you have have a DC welder that is not only portable, but driveable.

6) Out of shear curiosity, I once bought an old Craftsman mower at an auction that had been converted to a monster lawn sweeper. There was a big aluminum cone out front with a rotating brush, a vacuum blower on the side, and tubing between it all going to a very large box mounted on the back. The box had a hydraulic dump on it and everything. The best part was the golden eagle hood ornament. I even still have the box.

7) There are a few Yahoo groups dedicated to Garden Tractor implements and projects with lawn and garden tractors. Some of my favorites are the guys that build replica antique tractors out of lawn mowers. One guy even took two old garden tractors and built a mid articulating tractor out of them.

8) There was a lady at a local fair one year giving rides on a "train". It was an old mower that had been fitted with a fabricted locomotive body. It was pulling a bunch of "cars" made from 55 gallon drums.

I could probably go on all week. These old lawn mowers are so easy to adapt and modify. You're only limited by your imagination.

Travelover · Oct 7, 2009

When I was a teenager, one of my friends' grandfather died and left him a little old Wheelhorse tractor. We took off the mower and reversed the little pulley and the big pulley between the engine and the transmission. That thing would do about 25 to 30 mph.

studor · Oct 7, 2009

Take one and strip everthing off it but the deck and motor, weld on an off-setable hitch and -- voila - rough cut trail mower

roadhawk · Oct 8, 2009

Dang these are some good ideas! I knew putting that question here would get me a lot of things to think about!

The dump cart is intriguing so I'll have to think that one out a bit. A fast fun go-cart big enough to fit a "real" person would be a blast. The portable generator idea is a good one but since I have a generator big enough to run mine I don't really need one although having it all in one piece that was more mobile would be nice- when I get back to my "home" computer I'll post a picture of how portable it really can be boat and all.

Side-cutter would be a winner. Small engine repair class is how I learned so would be a good use for them...but then I would want them back all fixed up

.

You got me thinking outside the box now too...since I live on a lake that has some shallow spots, maybe I could add a shaft extension and a prop and some way to steer it and end up with a Go Devil type mud motor.

I just looked again and the backhoe idea would be a handy tool to have too.

Like I said there are a ton of great ideas here. Now I need to find some more motors! Well, maybe after I get these two properly used.

Iplayfarmer · Oct 9, 2009

roadhawk said:
Dang these are some good ideas! I knew putting that question here would get me a lot of things to think about!

The dump cart is intriguing so I'll have to think that one out a bit. A fast fun go-cart big enough to fit a "real" person would be a blast. The portable generator idea is a good one but since I have a generator big enough to run mine I don't really need one although having it all in one piece that was more mobile would be nice- when I get back to my "home" computer I'll post a picture of how portable it really can be boat and all.

Boat?? I've got to see this.

Side-cutter would be a winner. Small engine repair class is how I learned so would be a good use for them...but then I would want them back all fixed up .

You got me thinking outside the box now too...since I live on a lake that has some shallow spots, maybe I could add a shaft extension and a prop and some way to steer it and end up with a Go Devil type mud motor.

Now you're talking. An amphibious go cart would be a youtube winner.

I just looked again and the backhoe idea would be a handy tool to have too.

Like I said there are a ton of great ideas here. Now I need to find some more motors! Well, maybe after I get these two properly used.

I did some more digging and found the site that sells the plans for the mini backhoes. This guy's plans are probably the best for a garden tractor attachment. His hoes are very light. There are a ton of sites out there selling plans for towable backhoes too that could likely be adapted to a garden tractor.

I'm serious about wanting to see pictures of that generator on a boat. I'll be watching for them.

roadhawk · Oct 9, 2009

The picture of the mower with the FEL is hilarious!

It'll be a few days until I get back but I'll be sure to post those shots for sure.

roadhawk · Oct 13, 2009

Boat?? I've got to see this.

I was replacing some rusted out pieces on my boathouse after a big lake draw-down and needed a way to weld them up, and since I had a welder and generator already I needed to find a way to make it work.
I bought this little plastic boat from Otasco a gazillion years ago (LOVE it and use it all the time still) and the lip on the sides were a perfect snug fit. I just dragged or pushed the boat around to where I needed it and welded a bunch of supports all over the thing.

Iplayfarmer · Oct 13, 2009

roadhawk said:
I was replacing some rusted out pieces on my boathouse after a big lake draw-down and needed a way to weld them up, and since I had a welder and generator already I needed to find a way to make it work.
I bought this little plastic boat from Otasco a gazillion years ago (LOVE it and use it all the time still) and the lip on the sides were a perfect snug fit. I just dragged or pushed the boat around to where I needed it and welded a bunch of supports all over the thing.

That just proves once again that there is always a way.