Recent content by packardv8

Interesting. What physics/material properties do we attribute this effect? The parts are all plastic and don't absorb any moisture. jack vines

Shouldn't have believed the hype: This Shakespeare the most expensive trimmer line I've ever bought and probably the worst for durability. It wears down every three feet, if it doesn't break off first. What's your go-to these days? jack vines

Agree, ZTs are great uphill and tractors are mediocre. However on sidehills or close to fences and ditches, the tractors were precise to to the inch, where ZTs are as likely to tangle one into the fence or slide down into the ditch. FWIW, when I first got the Toro, I was complaining about not...

Since I added more front weight for mowing uphill, it started me thinking about removing the weights for flat ground and sidehills. FWIW, I bought my machine with the bagger and wasn't aware the front suitcase weights were part of the package. The manual which comes with the bagger cautions...

FWIW, I've been mowing the same acre of ground for fifty years, so I know it pretty well. The all-around best mower for the money was a Simplicity 30" 8hp tractor style. The little B&S ran for thirty years and was still running when I sold it. Two Cub Cadet tractors, a 12hp and a 16hp Kohler...

Thanks, Tom. Looking it over, I realized all I really needed to do was keep the cushion from falling off when I tilted the seat pan. In the Room of Requirements was a 1" x 6" strip of 3/16" thick plastic. I drilled a 1/4" hole through the middle of it, placed it in the middle of the seat...

The bad news is all the bearings go bad. The good news is that spindles and idler pulleys are inexpensive and easy to replace. When I did mine, the bolts which hold the spindles all came free. Thus, I just replaced the bearings. Don't go with cheapest Chicom; spend a bit more for Timken...

Choke hard on, throttle full on. If still doesn't start, disconnect both ends of both battery cables and clean them. If it still doesn't start, spray with starter fluid. If it then starts immediately, most likely needs a fuel pump. jack vines

Agree, more juice is a good thing. Same but different, the OEM wiring on most homeowner mowers began as cheap garbage and then lived a hard life out in the elements. Often, they are corroded where the wire goes into the terminal. I've solved many hard-starting problems by replacing the tiny...

The yards are full of quads with blown engines/trannies. Start with a chassis designed for some speed and adapt your sickle motor to that. jack vines

Yeah, I know the cheap replacements are only a couple of hundred dollars, but can it be fixed? The seat on our Toro ZT has a hard plastic molded base and a soft foam covered by flexible vinyl. Both parts are still sound, but the circumferential bead of adhesive which bonded the two together...

Hey Tiger, RTF what Jack Vines actually said:

FWIW, I've never been able to keep a riding mower running with the OEM wiring harness and switches functioning. The switches are questionable quality and the circuitry, with all the lawyer interlocks, something is always corroded, loose or broken. Usually, the spark for the engine goes...

Agree, the trash can is the best place for anything Ryobi, other than the batteries. Please properly dispose of the batteries; they're very toxic and should not go in the trash. jack vines

Good luck with the Ryobi push mower and 40-volt batteries; neither are especially durable. Lesson learned the hard way; bring the batteries inside in the winter, store them around 50% charged and then put them on the charger come spring.