went thru 2 Ariens 48" decks yesterday, have been having issues with machines at the storage barn owner's place. so for now the snowblower and the tiller are coming off of my 2, GT19s, and mowing decks going on for the 1st time since I have owned these 2 particular machines, to buy myself some time to get various repairs done....
brought them home to grease, sharpen, free up, etc... where I have my tools at including an acetylene torch should it have been needed..... always forget to grab something to take out there with me when I know I'm going out to do something besides mow.... like work on stuff.
I took the blower off of the machine that it has been mounted to since I finished redoing said blower, and went to put the deck that came with that machine "back then", and the slip yoke for the driveshaft wouldn't extend, rust-seized. Got tired of laying in tall grass trying to get it freed after I had mounted deck to tractor, 30 miles from home and tools..... so off it came again and into the bed of the truck. this was the 1st time I have ever tried to run this particular deck, since I brought it home. I did blow out a huge mouse hotel, after I unbolted the covers.....
Blades and belt look new, as PO had told me they were when I'd gotten that machine.... got driveshaft off and freed up in vise.... lots of hammer work.
One of the blade spindles didn't want to take grease.... plunged check ball in zerk, no help. removed zerk and poked around, put back on and got my air greaser out... it still ka-chunked real slow, like it does when it is below zero out while it pumped fast on the other zerk on that deck, and both zerks on the other deck.... but still was surprised by the huge pile of grease under that side of deck with stuck zerk even still... I have no idea how long it has been, since either of these decks has been greased....
I took the other deck off of my S16 that I gotta do some motor work on.... never have had a Kohler K341 before this one that won't shut off.... key off and in my pocket you'd think this thing was a diesel. I've run that one for about 1/2 a season til the dieseling started.... it's claimed its spot in line.
then my New Holland version, IDK what's up with that one, within about 45 min it leaks enough oil out of the engine to go from "FULL" to "ADD" on the stick, cant tell yet where that's coming from. about 100 hours (at most) on a totally rebuilt 12hp Magnum.... still running that one with gritted teeth.... along with my Cub 129. Got 3 Cubs to work on, all belong to barn property owner.... a 1250 that just died, lost spark while out in the yard, and wont crank w/key.... have to jump off another battery, cables right to starter.... before it lost spark.
then a pair of 1200s, have 1 home in the garage waiting on clutch parts to arrive.... the other one mysteriously lost all of its engine mount bolts, engine is just dancing around.....need to run the old gas out of them and get them some excercise anyways.....
I have been watching another Ariens sit and sit and sit with weeds growing almost enough to hide this machine from view.... have no idea what the situation is with it other than it (was) in someone's backyard 2 blocks from my son's house.... watched that thing sit 2+ years, was there a week ago, now it is either gone or moved elsewhere on property (like possibly right along back of house where it cant be seen from road no more..... ) looks like I snoozed and lost on that one. before it got nearly grown-over it looked like it wasnt in too bad of shape.
Not necessarily crazy about that brand of tractor, just what I have happened to be able to find, so have merely "stuck with them" because of interchangeability..... and definitely better, than newer (sorry) box store garbage.
probably will need to mow with the GT19s at least 2-3 times before I can get the rest functional again, with Mother in law going in for operation and the wife and I headed out for a week or so a week after that.....
