Sounds like my 4 yr old " Toy Built" rider. A few different problems though. Already installed 2 starters, at least a dozen spindles, deck pulleys 2X, deck drive belt 2X a season, and about 6 sets of blades. Transaxle has been crying for 2 years now. Picked up a new one on Flea Bay for pretty cheap. So far, so good on the Briggs & Scrapem engine though. The machine is a piece of junk. I'll get around to changing the transaxle one of these days.
I have two on the deck/blade spindles, two on front tire shafts, two on the steering pins. I'll look for the one I'm missing unless you have a diagram.
Meanwile I have an eleven year old John Deere D140 with 340 hours on it. I've gone through two batteries but the belts, blades and spindles are all original. Go figure.
The blades and spindles are all my fault for running over stuff I shouldn't have. All the rest is normal wear. It’s outlasted two hour meters but my best guess is that it’s over 700 hours now. I think the average homeowner who has to pay someone for repairs would have scrapped it in 2020 when the original transaxle went, or in 2022 when the sump gasket was leaking so badly it was dripping onto the muffler and smoking.
My " Toy Built" rider doesn't have an hour meter, but I figure it has around 200 on it. It PROUDLY displays " Made in America",, with at least 3 of those stickers plastered on it. Meanwhile, all the original parts I've replaced on it were stamped " Made In China" .. I did find some spindles with zerk fittings. They last a bit longer,,but are made in China also. Also found out that Murray makes Troy Built, when I was looking for parts. Murray parts are made in China. They just don't make riders like they use to. Before my Grandmother passed, she was still running a 30yr old Craftsman rider. I use to maintain it for her. Just needed belts, batteries, and blade sharpening every now and again. Seasonal oil changes with plugs & air filter every 2 seasons. She was cutting 3 acres with it. I'm cutting a measly 3/4 acre. Stay away from Troy Built.
. My zero turns electric clutch is slipping and I had to mow it all on a Deere rider. This week the wife mowed so I had it pretty easy and worked on the garden.
The next time I buy spindles I'm going to take the seals off the bearings so they can actually get grease in them. I never understood having grease fittings with sealed bearings.
Oof !! 5 acres is a full time job. I would turn a few acres into dirt too. Sorry to hear about the clutch, but at least you had the rider to cut it. You're lucky that the wife mowed it. My wife won't even WALK on grass, let alone cut it. She says " ILL, yuck !! With all the bugs, ticks, deer droppings,,,not me !! " Typical city girl from The Bronx. Grew up on asphalt and concrete. I grew up on the same, but the grass gotta get cut. I get back at her though. Make her do all the windows, clean the hardwood floors, do all the food shopping, etc. -)5 acres to mow every week. I'm thinking about just spraying grass killer on it all and having a dirt yard
I did the same before I retired. If my mower broke down I gave it away free and bought another one. Unfortunately today's prices for new and used exceed my ability to afford that lifestyle. I didn't plan for 4x price increases on everything.
I agree. Prices are ridiculous. No way would I find a slightly used zero turn in New York for $1650. The hundreds of landscapers around here would have already scooped them up. They have the inside info on stuff like that. I'll keep fixing my " Toy Built" rider. Parts are cheap, since their all made in China anyway. It's only 4 yrs old with 200hrs. When the Briggs and Scrapem engine blows, then I'll upgrade.
When both my mowers are down I borrow a 30 or 40 year old rider from a friend and it still runs like new. I can't remember the brand but I would love to have one just like it. It has gears not the automatic transmissions like today.
