Outdoor Power Equipment (Lawn Mowers, Snow Blowers, Chain Saws and more) Discussions

   A guy a few streets away works on OPE out of his garage and occasionally leaves stuff out on the street for rubbish pickup, unless I can get there first.  I've picked up a few nice mowers which he dumped for some reason. ?  There was a riding mower out there but I diddn't have a way to transport it.  But after thinking about I went back intending to push it home and if I got stuck call my buddy with a truck.  When I got back it two guys were loading it in a van. 

   A few days later there was a Husquvarna out on his lawn.  I stopped by just in case he was thinking about dumping it.  He said it was screwed up and going to sell it.  He said it would not run right.  He showed me a new carb he bought but the probabem was still there so he took off the carb and put the old one back on.  It also had a starting problem.  Sometimes the starter gear would just spin.  I picked it up for $125 just for yucks.  After several spins the gear caught, it started and I drove it home.

   The teeth on the starter were chewed away so I replaced the gear and it started fine.  It ran rough but ran well enough to use.  I was busy and did not get around to cleaning the carb but after a few outings it cleared up, ran fine and has been ever since.   It going on it's fifth season and I've never touched the carb.  It fires right up every year.  

   It looked crappy though with lots of faded milky white splotches all over the thing.  Since the thing has treated me so well this year I picked up a cheap variable speed buffer at HF and buffed it out.  To my surprise it came out fairly well.  The key start has been a pain in the neck over the years but that was becaue its hold down nut was missing.   This year I sprang for a nut.  Other than the nut and gear the only other problem has bee a flat tire.    

   The engine is nice, a Briggs industrial 12 hp with a cast bore and roller bearings on the crank.  I put on a gas line filter and change oil every year and that's been it for work required.  Plenty of power, never changes sound or sag when going mowing or going up a very sharp hill here.  So far I have not even had to replace a belt.  Not bad for $125.

Trouts, What do you do for a living?  You have all this free time and goodies!

What year is the engine?....  That model had a weird float bowl carb that would leak badly if neglected... don't tear into it unless you need too. (I think Marvel made or designed that carb..)

---Friiy

Bill_H,

   The deck should be done over.  I’ve never worked on one of these things but I think the deck probably comes off.  It would be nice to get it on saw horses and go through it.  The blade edges are probably round.  The warm weather is back so it should go on the work list.

    I don’t think it can take attachments.  It would be fun to hook up a snowblower and see what it could do.

 

Paul7,

   The parts manual for it is dated 1994-07. 

   $3000 on a lawn tractor and that many problems.  I’d give it back to them through the showroom window.   My car did not cost that much and it’s on it’s 10^th year.  I’ve put about 600 into it but cheap enough over the years.

 

Friiy,

   The engine is probably close to the machine age so around 1994.  

   The carb has a cylinder at the back which I’ve never seen before.  The manual for it does not show a carb similar to mine.  I can’t find the crank bearings in the drawing.  I think an I/C is supposed to be roller bearings but I don’t see rollers or flanges in the drawing.  It’s a model 281707, type 013701, code 89021611.  May be the code 89 is the year. ??

   What ever the carb is it works fine.  Each year I run the carb and tank dry and each year it fires right up, no extended cranking, instant fire-up with choke.  No additives, no Mechanic in a Can.  Interesting that it’s is impossible to cold start without choke no matter what the temp is.  

    It’s got a generator but no lights on this model.  Even the bat is still working fine on this thing.

trouts2 wrote:

hey trouts.

 ALL briggs engines use first two numbers in the code to indicate the year.  and by the way NICE find...those 12hp i/c motors work really well.

Niper99 or Friiy,

   Any idea what rpm the engine should run at in riding mower service? 

   The machine works great as a leaf chopper and blower.  I can make a few passes to make a long line pile and the run over the pile.  It saves me oddles of time over using a leaf blower.  

Hey Trouts, That tractor came with a aluminum bore 11hp engine, someone must have blew it up and put that 12 hp I/C on ... ( I/C made in 89. The tractor was made in 94-97 ) Their loss your gain. The blades for those are cheap, you can get the number off them and buy them at Lowe's or Sears for $20.00 pair... Always nice to have spares, Friiy

That's a nice ride, especially for $ 125.00! It's amazing what a little spit and polish will do for a somewhat neglected piece of OPE. I see all kinds of equipment left out in the elements in my travels and wonder why the owners don't at least put a breathable cover over it to protect it from the UV rays and foul weather.

Friiy,

   You're right.  The engine that should be in there was a 1995 11hp.  No problem, the 12 I/C is nice.  I think it runs at 2200 rpm.  I'll have to stick a tach on it and see what it doing loaded.  

    OK on the blades, cheap enough.  The exploded view of the deck looks complicated but I should deal with it, clean it up and either sharpen or get new blades.

l deck is actually pretty simply u see when u get er off....l've welded/repaired quite a few decks for customers over the years and of course painted aswell. it can be money well spent if the deck in resonable shape... by the look of the tractor itself its in pretty good shape...and what i find usually happens is the decks rott out and the tractors are in good working order still.  

No experience with that engine Trouts but 2200 rpm sounds low. 

I know most push mowers are limited to 3000 rpm or less but on a belt driven system, the engine can run at higher rpms because blade speed is controlled by the pulley gearing.   You might want to look further into what the correct operation speed is.

By the way, nice find and nice clean up. 

I have a 2002 Husqvarna with a 15 h.p. Kawasaki twin in it.  Fantastic machine.  Not one problem with it.  Blow grass off the important parts,  keep everything greased and change the oil annually, it will last a long time.

   It runs at 2700 rpm when rolling along on flat ground, 2640 up slight hills, 2580 with the mower on and 2520 cutting grass.  The Kawasaki twin is nice.  I worked on one last year.  It was a 14 or 15 hp on a Scag mower.  Quite a powerhouse. 

 

  Niper99, glad you mentioned the deck rot.  It’s got a couple of small through holes in the front but no problem to take care of.   It looks like it has 5 attachment points and they are all ok as is the rest of the deck.  I keep it covered and occasionally spray it with rust inhibitor so the rot has probably been stable since I got it.  It can probably stay as is but it would be nice to pull it off and give it a makeover.

 

  Friiy, the engine swap must be the reason the throttle control operates backwards. 

  A friend stopped over today and said he came across a riding mower.  The owner was not around but we checked it out.  It’s a Mastercraft by MTD and probably as old as mine.  It looks like it’s in ok shape but the guy told my friend it needs a $100 part.  Nothing special about it but it also has a Briggs I/C 12 hp.  The dipstick oil was very black and probably has not been changed for years or has wicked blowby. The guy is looking to dump it and would probably give it away.