Leaderboard

I bought a used JD 300 and it had the blade lock-out in reverse. I called the local JD dealer and he said there was no way to override it. Now that was my challenge. A quick look at the wiring diagram and I had a removable jumper in place, and I was mowing in reverse in less than 10 minutes. I have always mowed in reverse. There are parts of my lawn that can't be mowed any other way. Such an idiotic "safety" feature. Just my 2 cents worth.

Last year we cut down a huge White Pine in the back yard and had the stump ground out. Well we have some sun back there now, so we have a little room for a Victory Garden again. The problem was, it is not a huge space, and is hard to maneuver garden tractors around with in the confines, but I wanted to give it a shot. With the help of a mold board plow, disk, and a blade, we got the ground leveled out and ready for some grass seed and some garden stuff. I should have taken more pictures. This picture is right after the stump grinding. This is about 80% wood chips that needed to get raked out...and this is last year. So...today was the day... Took the snow blower off of the 876 and put the mower deck on. I left the snow blade on the 702. The 857 became the do everything experiment. I used the mold board plow to break things up...that worked great. I then used the disk to further break the soil down. A little raking and the lawn and garden is ready for planting.

The Muppets have just introduced their newest characters.

I do almost everything backwards, including falling down.....Both my 88 and 95 520H could care less if they are going forward or backward with the mower deck pto engaged. I do turn around in the seat and look behind me before I back up. Maybe the next mod. will be adding rear view mirrors however. You ever seen an old man back out of his driveway? We don't or can't turn our heads around like an owl any more....

That is one of the dumbest safety features ever invented...the yard I mowed last Sunday I had my 1277 in reverse almost as much as it was in forward lol...sure glad my machines were built before people started losing common sense to the point we had to begin installing pointless safety features

Now that there sounds like a challenge........ A bit off topic but isn't it great how some of the safety devices on tools actually are a hazard in themselves. I had a workshop full of old school tools up north. Since moving here in 2000 I've build my power tools back up with newer models. A well designed safety device is fine (I guess) but I could write a book on the silly design of many of them I've come across

Well I thought i would share some pics of my tractor I built for plowing (moldboard not snow). I just got my first putt around the yard tonight. I still have some minor things to add especially my wheel weights. It started it's life as a 1056, I replaced the 3 speed with an 8 speed trans, tightened up the steering shafts, replaced the front axle pin and beefed up the tierods with a set of adjustables from @wheelhorseman1000 . I pulled the 10hp starter/Gen motor and put on a rebuilt k341 16hp. Modified the tower to meet up with the lawn ranger toolbox/fenders. And put on a hood I had laying out back. She's sporting firestone flotation 23x10.5-12 in the rear and firestone 16-6.5x8 tri ribs on the front.

Hope everyone had a great day!

I agree, but nowadays so many people are sue crazy that the manufactures go overboard to protect themselves. Always remember YOU CAN`T TEACH COMMON SENSE....

Here is the Sundstrand version. Do NOT lube this when assembled.

Seems she's run before...

I think the reverse blade disengage was to keep you from chopping up a kid or a pet when going backwards. You just crush them under the tractor. That must be better? My green lawn tractor has the switch if you lift it just before you go backwards, it wont disengage the blades. My dad put a small piece of foam under it while mowing. Works great.

this is great i cant believe so many people think like i do!!!!

I am with Bob -- And what is the "safety feature" protecting -- This is a garden tractor -- What are the tort lawyers (working for the manufactures) thinking we are going to run over????

I have heard about the chips doing that, but I needed to get the yard squared away (keep the wife happy). I have been turning and raking the chips now for almost a year. It is kind of going to be a raised bed thingy...so I hope for some success this year. Even thought the space is cramped for garden tractor attachments, I managed to turn the dirt with the plow and disk it up...I ended up raking some more wood chips out. She is going to plant tomatoes and a few other things no matter what I say...and this fall...I will get to say I told you so. That and a dime...well you know...so I have that going for me. At least I got to try some attachments, that I would not have been able to try. It was some great horse time...can't wait to plow it all under this fall.

5-5-1961 The first American in space From Cape Canaveral, Florida, Navy Commander Alan Bartlett Shepard Jr. is launched into space aboard the Freedom 7 space capsule, becoming the first American astronaut to travel into space. The suborbital flight, which lasted 15 minutes and reached a height of 116 miles into the atmosphere, was a major triumph for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). NASA was established in 1958 to keep U.S. space efforts abreast of recent Soviet achievements, such as the launching of the world’s first artificial satellite–Sputnik 1–in 1957. In the late 1950s and early 1960s, the two superpowers raced to become the first country to put a man in space and return him to Earth. On April 12, 1961, the Soviet space program won the race when cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin was launched into space, put in orbit around the planet, and safely returned to Earth. One month later, Shepard’s suborbital flight restored faith in the U.S. space program. NASA continued to trail the Soviets closely until the late 1960s and the successes of the Apollo lunar program. In July 1969, the Americans took a giant leap forward with Apollo 11, a three-stage spacecraft that took U.S. astronauts to the surface of the moon and returned them to Earth. On February 5, 1971, Alan Shepard, the first American in space, became the fifth astronaut to walk on the moon as part of the Apollo 14 lunar landing mission.

.... yeah I suppose yours looks like mine

Hmmm quite a resemblance you have there.

Miss Piggy vs Nervous now.

Im trying That pic does no justice its dark out and i just got home with it That pic does no justice its dark out and i just got home with it Is that a barn find?

I have a nicely restored RJ 58 that I have been working on for a couple of years and finally got it together this spring. I have a K90 for it that jut refuses to run. I did a project over the winter and put a Predator engine from Harbor Freight on a Lawn Ranger, and it worked out pretty well. So I picked up the small 79cc engine and put it on my RJ58. It fit perfectly and runs and the tractor drives nicely. I want my grand kids to be able to use this, as well as my other WH's so I wanted the put the belt guard on. I had a repro that I bought on the internet and found that it fit perfectly. Bolts to the engine and the transmission side plate as designed. No big deal I guess, I just wanted to pass it along. Thanks, ted jb4249

I know that, but my presumption was that he isn't a mold maker with a forge!

Hope this helps.

OK Cleat...we need a video of you backing that rig into the barn.

I miss the good old days, with all the live variety shows. Loved the Muppets, Carol Burnett show , Smoother Brothers, Barbara Mandrell , Hee Haw . I know I'm missing some others. Some this reality TV is just is to much. I have enough drama in my life, let alone watching someone else's.

Hitched trailer to wagon and drove around the yard. Just like a little train.

I hear you loud and clear.. The younger generation don't know how to fix anything. Hell the schools don't even have welding or shop classes anymore. I sort of pride myself in having some knowledge and the equipment to repair things. Seems like no matter what I'm working on I am always learning and that's what keeps things fun and exciting for me. For you gentleman that are nearby (mid MI.) I have the tooling to cut valve seats and valves if needed. I also have a Bridgeport mill, metal lathe, capability to broach keyways, mig and tig weld, so if you need help give me a shout. I doubt you can find anyone else more reasonable. He has only done a couple for me, but they were done well and he was cheaper than anyone around. Good luck Bob?

Strange how the silliest things stay in your memory. It reminds me of the old adolescent joke at that time. "Did you know there are sheep in space?" "No, I didn't." "That is why they sent 'Shepard' into space."

Looks good. If the engine runs nice, and the hours aren't too bad, I would jump on it for $900! The board under the seat will twist the crap out of your seat pan. If you are a fat old man like me, I would get the seat mounted the right way before you and gravity do more damage!

I'm not sure what else you plan on doing with it , but that machine is capable of doing many different tasks well. Like it was said earlier be careful these things can become addicting. Next thing you know you'll be driving around looking in people's back yards,sheds and garages for another one!! When we go away my wife prefers to drive because she says I'm going to crash looking for "those damn tractors!"

Now those are true statements. Welcome to my club. Marvin

Sorry Bob....... Photo opportunity knocked and I had to take it. I hope I can make it up to you.

Very true and it's not very COMMON either

You should be able to mow reverse. I believe that wasn't invented till late 1990's Now don't back over your hoobie doo when mowing Bob!

The old Muppet Show was great. Good clean funny stuff. I gave up on the new version after watching it about 3 times. It's too contemporary for me.

Good looking Horse you have there! Welcome aboard. Wheel Horses are like Lays potato chips, you can't have just one!

Reminds me of the time a boot lieutenant picked up my BAR by the barrel on the firing line at Camp Lejeune. I did see him run and later in the day, all the sick bay gauze wrapped his hand. Guess his hand was cold? I second that "OUCH!"

I had a rather long piece of black iron pipe running from the engine to the muffler on my GT-14. It was nice until one day we had to do a little mechanical work on the motor. It started and ran a little, so we attempted to try it out. It moved about 10 feet and died. Nothing to do but push it back in to the garage and try a new approach. Except that the fellow who was helping push it used the black iron pipe as a hand hold. Didn't take him long to look at it, as they say. And I even said "OUCH!!" for him. Ever since then, I've wanted an exhaust system that was out of the way as much as feasible.

Those coil springs are just for the seat switch. If you remove it or it does not work then you can take those off and just leave on the rubber pads. As for the gas spring that holds the seat up, use a Strong arm F4673. You can get it for much less than the Toro one and it works as good if not better.

LOVE BEAKER!

Well I work 2nd shift so I would snowblow the driveway at night so the wife could get out in the morning or I would get up early and clean the driveway up before she left. So I was in the dark alot. The stock headlights where not cutting it. The main problem besides not being that bright was that they where not sealed that well so the snow from snow blowing would find its way on to the hot bulb and the bulb would break. That and the light that the head lights put out was blocked by the snowblower. I bought some l.e.d. lights from northern tool and used some scrap metal I had laying and made a couple brackets. One for each side. I also didn't want to drill any holes any holes on the xi so I tapped into the 3 bolts that hold the mid attach-a-matic bracket on. I didn't take any pics of the build part but here it is finished up. I just unplugged the original head lights and ran wires to the new lights. I did it that way because I was planning on taking them off in the summer so I could just unbolt the brackets and unplug the lights and then plug the old lights. Here is a shot with the light on lol pretty bright One thing you can't see on the picture that just happend to work out perfect was the clearance between the bracket and the handle crank for the snowblower. Fit perfectly if I would have made it like .5 inch the other way it would have hit the handle They worked so well that I just leave them on year around. They are close enough to the frame that they really aren't in the way for anything and if I need light just turn the key. Here was the test. This picture was taken at night pitch black with the flash turned off on the camera. Not bad lol The green eyes in the background are lily Then only problem is now when I look behind me backing up its pretty dark lol.

Very cool! Nice job! I solved the back-up problem with a simple utility light...Works like a charm!

Awesome custom... here's hoping it makes it to the big show this year. http://www.wheelhorsecc.com/

When Bill Murray stops by to shoot the sh@t and talk about groundhogs and gophers he always tells me mowing at the highest level is not golf course regulation height. Then he grabs his shotgun and whispers........ I got this...... Shhhhhh.....

I love everything about it, design, colors stance etc etc etc.... Cannot wait to see it!

Much better to go through the hood rather than around it!

BIG typo is right ... you might get drummed out around here you start telling guys they can only have one!!!

I love the look! It's just flat out fantastic