BOB-CAT by Ransomes, self propelled!

[slumlord]

Look familiar? I'm about to tear into this old warrior - everything is there, but can anyone tell me more about the dual shaft Briggs motors? This has a horizontal power take off shaft just above the deck, coming out of the aluminum crankcase, that powers the drive contraption. I've never seen this before and would like to know what I'm getting into before I break it...

I think this was from the late 1970s - perhaps early 80s. It belonged to my late father in law, who was as crusty and frugal as they come, but who also knew his industrial equipment. He would opt for simple, unadorned and high quality every time.

I have one of these mowers,bought new. Mine is the same color-the pumpkin orange or whatever it is. I bet the deck is almost a quarter inch thick
Where mine differs is that it is not self-propelled. It has probably 10 " rear wheels and really is not difficult for me to push. The beastie just flat pushes the grass a mile out that rear chute and never thinks about clogging up. Tough as a box of hammers.
You have quite a range of vertical adjustment with this mower. If you want to mow some 6" high grass,it can happen with the thing set at high setting. Let it dry out a day or so and mow it off some more. I have used this beast to mow grass and leaves into windrows for disposal. Cuts raking by half or more.

The engine is tired ,and I am thinking about replacing it with a 6 HP Harbor Freight to see how it goes.

I do have a Toro Personal Pace,just a pleasure to use.... but the old Bobcat still has its place in life.

 

[combatcarl]

Got bored tonight, working graveyard, took advantage of an empty maintenance shop and got to work. No pictures, but tore all four wheels off and hosed out the old grease and DIRT in the bearings with solvent, hand packed, and then greased via the zerk fittings. Dude. I should have done that forever ago. Rolls with one finger pushing it now. Night and day difference.

 

[TheCaffeinatedOne]

Dude. I should have done that forever ago. Rolls with one finger pushing it now. Night and day difference.

I'll file that one away for when its my turn later this summer...

 

[combatcarl]

Found a blade hub/adapter on a frankenmower that matches the Sensation/Bob-cat design. Mine was missing one side of the flange. Came from a mower that was a Craftsman deck, 3.5hp from a Snapper, (by the crank key ways on it) and a hub adapter from a different mower. No key at all on the hub to crank interface... The blade rotated about 1" or so beneath the lip of the deck. But I digress. Now I'll match up one of my many blades, and be back cuttin grass!

 

[TheCaffeinatedOne]

I started tearing my Bob Cat mower down today and find that even though it looked pretty rough, everything seems to be there and is intact. The wheel bearings were dry and the rear two bearings probably need replacing; half a tube of grease later they are rolling nicely. One drive unit bearing is gritty and needs replacing; the other looks ok. The hardware on this thing is great - a little penetrating oil and everything loosened right up. When I removed the grass chute I could see the label on the mower itself - built by Wisconsin Engine Company; the last digits of the stamped number are 12615, the first few destroyed by where the chute wore through the id tag. I didn't know Wisconsin made these things!

The Briggs motor numbers are 110988 0401-01 78042104. This engine has an auxiliary PTO shaft perpendicular to the main drive shaft. Looks like it dates from 1978, but the Wisconsin Engine label confuses me a little. Any numbers wizards want to weigh in and help me track this down to ground?

 

[combatcarl]

http://www.jackssmallengines.com/briggs_and_stratton_model_locator.cfm
That should help a little. Also, from my research, I think they were built by Wisconsin Marine in the later years. I think I found that thru Wikipedia, looking up Ransomes. Mine is a Ransomes Bob-Cat.

 

[bobcat21]

I started tearing my Bob Cat mower down today and find that even though it looked pretty rough, everything seems to be there and is intact. The wheel bearings were dry and the rear two bearings probably need replacing; half a tube of grease later they are rolling nicely. One drive unit bearing is gritty and needs replacing; the other looks ok. The hardware on this thing is great - a little penetrating oil and everything loosened right up. When I removed the grass chute I could see the label on the mower itself - built by Wisconsin Engine Company; the last digits of the stamped number are 12615, the first few destroyed by where the chute wore through the id tag. I didn't know Wisconsin made these things!

The Briggs motor numbers are 110988 0401-01 78042104. This engine has an auxiliary PTO shaft perpendicular to the main drive shaft. Looks like it dates from 1978, but the Wisconsin Engine label confuses me a little. Any numbers wizards want to weigh in and help me track this down to ground?

I have the same mower , in mint shape for year, was my grandfathers scene new , i need a new coil for it, thanks to jacks small engines.com i gave hime engine # and they have all the parts ,, if you need a coil the part # 298502 and new carb is 395957 its a great site, people on phone super friendly .

 

[TheCaffeinatedOne]

Starting to clean stuff up. The intake valve is stuck open; everything else seems functional. Lots of parts went through an evap o rust or apple cider vinegar bath and came out pretty sharp looking; when the time comes I'll polish up some of the cast aluminum pieces and hit them with a clearcoat. The recoil starter mechanism woke up after I sprayed PB lube in there and worked it a bit, so I haven't had to tear into any of that stuff. Need to change the rear wheel bearings - did you know that Bob Cats have roller bearings in the wheels? Roller bearings! I knew this little guy would be worth the effort.

 

[combatcarl]

The front should have roller bearings as well. At least mine does. I disassembled the wheels, was able to clean out the grease caked in there in a solvent tank. Then hand packed and reassembled, then greased via zerk fittings in front axle shafts, and on rears via zerks on inside of wheel.

 

[TheCaffeinatedOne]

The front should have roller bearings as well. At least mine does. I disassembled the wheels, was able to clean out the grease caked in there in a solvent tank. Then hand packed and reassembled, then greased via zerk fittings in front axle shafts, and on rears via zerks on inside of wheel.

They do. The front wheel bearings are in pretty good shape. The rear wheels pretty much let me pump as much grease through as I wanted - the seals are shot. Whether that means the bearing is shot as well, I just don't know. I assume it does. I've found replacement bearings for about five bucks per wheel on ebay, so I may spring for a pair and use them to learn how to press bearings.

The solid rear tires are split as well, but seem otherwise intact. For now I'll simply run four quarter inch bolts through each sidewall and bolt 'em back together. It's a three dollar fix. Hope to fiddle with the intake valve this weekend. It would be a hoot to get this little guy running without doing major surgery; my respect for it grows a little each time I mess with the thing.