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My kids came up with old school ways same as I did, they turned out ok, wish more people would do the same, the world would be a better place, with more respect.

Took the Rowcrop out to a local show today, after being in the shed all winter, just a quick polish and a set of hubcaps which I had under the bench

[After cleaning leaves in November thought I would start a winter project. Had the old Kohler rebuilt and started to clean up the rest. After getting the engine back decided a little chrome would add a litte Bling. Then Christmas came and a sandblast cabinet from the wife. Then it was down to the frame every thing off cleaned and sandblasted. Oh but wait New years weekend snow and ice slip and fall broken ankel 3 months later back to the project. All cleaned and ready for painter 6 weeks later I 'm ready to put it back together. It goes together as good as the first time and here it is. Want to thank Terry for the graphics and Kelly for the fenders rest is all original

The garden is starting to produce some good vegetables. The potatoes are still not ready but should be soon. Lots of green tomatoes and peppers are starting to form good. Pests have been kept under controll so far with the Neem Oil and DE Earth... Last nights harvest

Glad to here its up and going again Ian! Notice, no "L". Matt :flags-texas:

I think if you mount a verticle shaft engine on the left and right spindles of the deck the Suburban should be able to tote it around. Its funny as that deck probably weighs close to what that Suburban weighs if not more lol.

Post of the year! agreed! Thats pretty amazing.

Post of the year!

The tractor pictured is a Toro-Wheel Horse 600 series. Probably a 616Z with a twin cylinder Onan vertical shaft engine. A 12 hp (612Z) was also offered and I think a 620 20-horse version. SD and RD decks ranging from 38" to 52" were offered on these. These are every bit a Toro-Wheel Horse product. The 42" decks were shared with our tractors although the hangers are different. The 52" was also used - with different hangers - on the 260 and 5xi series. I think the 52" deck has its roots in some older Toro equipment like small Groundsmasters. They appeared in 1990 and lasted a few years. They were a consumer/semi-pro type of thing, but were not el cheapos. As mentioned, the weak link tends to be the integrated twin hydrostat transmission mounted to an aluminum lawn tractor type transaxle. The whole thing is one unit and contains two transmissions (Eaton 7's as mentioned above) and the final drive. It was really an innovative package and brought zero turn capability into a more reasonably priced range. They were primarilly a mower, but WH did offer snow blades for these as well. They share nothing with the larger 700 series which were developed with (perhaps by?) Dixie Chopper. The 700 series started around 1985/6/7 with the 5018 (50" deck, 18-hp Briggs vert shaft) and eventually evolved into the 718, 720, and 724 models (horiz shaft engines from Kohler and Onan). All were chain drive crude machines with Eaton 7 units. Completely different chassis than the 600 series. All of this stuff worked quite well when new, but time has a way of showing the weaknesses of a design. In the case of both zero turn series the weakest link ends up being the hydro transmissions. Can't say any of them were junk since they did what they needed to do. But with use and abuse does come some revealing of character traits. If it's cheap and operable, I'd buy it. But I like wierd stuff. Steve

Humm... you don't hear that everyday of the week. :happy-bouncyredfire:

Can't see why it can't be fixed. I could understand a car doing 65 on the highway, but top speed 7mph...I'd say go for it. Nothing to loose anyway.

Success! The fundamental problem that I was having was the quick connects were not seating all the way. That was the whole of it. A round on me for all who helped (and even spectated)! The last no-go issue was due to the feed line quick connect not seating properly. The pump was not getting any oil. That was why the pump was turning, but there was not flow. I got that seated properly, and as soon as I engaged the pto, the pressure side quick connect popped off. Apparently, I did not have that one seated correctly either. I finally got that one seated properly, and I was shocked to see the tilt cylinder arms move. I ran them out and back in half way before the pump started making noise. I fed it some more oil, and it got quiet again. They were uneven (one has a slow internal leak), and I ran them back and forth the get them flushed out and even. I hit the valve for the lift cylinders, and it took a couple of seconds, but they started lifting. I ran them all the way up to see if they hit my stack mufflers. There was a little rubbing, but I was able to move the stack a little inboard to give it enough clearance. Once I had the lift cylinders all the way up, I figured that it would be low on oil, so I added another quart. These are 2500psi cylinders, and they are a little slow, and have a much larger body. I started to run them down, and oil started squirting out of the reservoir vent. What a mess. I had to siphon some out. Took out about half a quart and started moving them down again. More leakage from the reservoir vent. I was running low on paper towels, and decided to stop for the night and let the drippings drain into a canister I placed under it. Tomorrow, I'll try to get the oil level right. Next step is I have to dig out the bucket and see about getting the in shape.

Byron is a good friend of mine, that comes over, and gives me a hand in the shop quite often. I think he's trying to say I've been a little preoccupied here lately with Danny's tractor! You guys wouldn't know anything about that, would you? You guys see his little emociacon of the guy putting out a fire, well that's kind of an inside joke. He burned my shop down about 8 or 9 years ago, while using the torch, and yes we are still friends! Somethings are more important than biuldings, tools, and equipment. Not many, but friends are one. I'm always giving him a hard time, and telling him he burned everything, including my fire extinguisher. But hey, what are friend for. We rebuilt bigger, and better! Matt :flags-texas:

My how times have changed. Back in the day, when you tried that and Daddy stopped the car...you did not win. :teasing-poke:

LOL funny Lan...Latt's probably gettin' pissed. :ROTF:

I beleive Dixie Chopper located in Fillmore, Indiana (about 5 miles east of Greencastle) contracted with Toro to make the 616 model and you will see a lot of early Dixie Shopper parts on that zero turn.