Tom S 0 #1 Posted May 16, 2018 (edited) Hi everyone! I found you here doing research because in my search for a riding mower I was presented with this WH 416H at a dealer here in the Hudson Valley of NY. The details as I can gather: it has 920 hours, it's visual condition is fair to good - especially considering its 28 years old, he claims it has a 48" mower, but I suspect it might be 46" ( as I have seen almost no 48" decks in my research) The dealer guy told me it was about 10 years old and had a Kohler motor but when I called Toro and gave them all the ID info they said it was a1990 and had an Onan motor. Up to this point I was looking at Lowe's for a riding Mower - in the $2k or less range. This dealer is asking $1000. I'm predisposed toward this guy, though I feel it's about $200-300 more than similar offerings I've seen across the web. What generally speaking is the best argument to convince me that its more worthwhile to pursue this over a brand new Husqvarna or other similar type mower from the big box. Is this really going to be a lifetime purchase? (if I take care of it of course) ... as I said I'm predisposed towards quality, I'm just not sure what I'm getting into here. Thanks for schooling the newby here! Edited May 16, 2018 by Tom S Needed to add photos Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
gwest_ca-(File Mod) 10,444 #2 Posted May 16, 2018 Click on the pictures Garry 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Ed Kennell 35,146 #3 Posted May 16, 2018 Hi Tom, to the . A 1990 416H with less than 1K hours and a good 48" deck is a good tractor capable of turning the deck, a snow blower or tiller. The $1k price is a tad high for my area, but may not be too bad in NY. The dealer does not sound too informed and when you inform him it is a 28 YO tractor instead of the 10 and it does not have a Kohler, you have some bargaining chips. The P216 Onan and the Eaton 1100 transmission should serve you well. I test all hydros I buy by attaching them to a tree and make sure they will spin the wheels without any hesitation. The tractor and deck appear to be in good condition, but I wonder about the maintenance when I see a bird nest of grass under the seat. Does the dealer have any info on the owner or the tractor maintenance? My guess is the $2K big box tractor will die long before the 28 YO 416. 3 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
953 nut 51,018 #4 Posted May 16, 2018 (edited) 10 hours ago, Tom S said: Is this really going to be a lifetime purchase? (if I take care of it of course) Yes a will live forever if properly maintained. It appears the dealer knows little about them if he didn't know an Onan from a Kohler! I did notice a significant accumulation of grass on top of the transmission which will impact cooling, that needs to be addressed regularly. The heads of the engine also require inspection from time to time for a build up of grass clippings. Cooling flow on Onans is the primary problem. It can result in expensive valve problems. Before considering buying this I would ask the dealer to perform a compression test on both cylinders with you present, they should be within 10% or less of each other. Edited May 16, 2018 by 953 nut 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Skipper 1,788 #5 Posted May 16, 2018 Deck looks to be a 48". No such thing as a 46" In my book it is a bit (a lot) steep in price, but nevertheless as said, if it checks out OK and you maintain it good, you will have machine in it for many many years to come. Welcome to the forum 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
JoeM 7,443 #6 Posted May 16, 2018 Tom, looks like a decent machine. We have a couple hydro machines here with more than 1300 hours running strong. Like Ed says, see if you can test that hydro. Also, one thing I do is start the engine cold. I don't care much when I show up and the thing is warmed up or running. A cold start can tell you a lot about the engine cause they tend to smoke. Of course pull the dip sticks and check oil quality. See if there is excess grease around the steering gears, that might tell if the last owner greased and serviced. Almost anything you need for that machine is available. The price is to high, don't be afraid to walk away. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites