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Junk mower? Really?

#1

S

SamB

My Husqvarna Turf Care CZ42175 is a 2005 and things do break or wear out on it from time to time. Overall,it's a solidly built well-designed mower that is easy to work on,if I need to fix something. This week,while I was mowing full steam ahead, one of the deck idler pulleys that tension the back side of the deck belt, locked up and the mower (and me) was enveloped in a huge cloud of blue smoke. My wife,who was string-trimming the edges of the yard saw it all and said "I tired of that mower breaking down every you get it out, we need a NEW mower!"! My response was, Hey,it's a 2005 so things will wear out. Besides,blades,belts and even idler pulleys are to be considered "wear items". My thoughts are,no matter how new the mower is,these items are all going to need attention, sooner or later. If you're lucky,the idler pulley is under warranty,belts and blades,not so much. I love my wife and I also love my ZTR, (although not as much as my Snapper XT) But am I wrong here?
p.s. we did NOT get in any sort of a fight over this,just good-natured running down my ZTR. LOL!


#2

3

350Rocket

I agree with just fixing things as they break. We've become too much of a throw away society. People will use minor breakdowns like this as an excuse to upgrade but it doesn't make financial sense usually.
I just keep a second running mower so I can always mow the lawn with one or the other if one breaks.
I have a 2007 MTD Cub Cadet lt1050 that's in good shape. I had to have the valves adjusted and replace the starter plus do a tune up but it seems to have been taken care of. 311 hours.
My backup is a 1981 MTD lawnflite 11hp/38". Takes longer to mow the lawn but I like the nostalgia as I mowed lawns with several mowers like this one as a kid.
My fiance has already figured out that I am always going to be tinkering with either the lawnmowers, my truck or my car. She doesn't care if they break down as long as I can fix them cheaply enough. She's not into wasting money on stuff like new lawnmowers.


#3

O

olgeezershonda

If it's truly breaking down that frequently then she's got a good point. OTOH preventative maintenance might be in order rather than wait for things to break.


#4

PTmowerMech

PTmowerMech

SamB said:
My Husqvarna Turf Care CZ42175 is a 2005 and things do break or wear out on it from time to time. Overall,it's a solidly built well-designed mower that is easy to work on,if I need to fix something. This week,while I was mowing full steam ahead, one of the deck idler pulleys that tension the back side of the deck belt, locked up and the mower (and me) was enveloped in a huge cloud of blue smoke. My wife,who was string-trimming the edges of the yard saw it all and said "I tired of that mower breaking down every you get it out, we need a NEW mower!"! My response was, Hey,it's a 2005 so things will wear out. Besides,blades,belts and even idler pulleys are to be considered "wear items". My thoughts are,no matter how new the mower is,these items are all going to need attention, sooner or later. If you're lucky,the idler pulley is under warranty,belts and blades,not so much. I love my wife and I also love my ZTR, (although not as much as my Snapper XT) But am I wrong here?
p.s. we did NOT get in any sort of a fight over this,just good-natured running down my ZTR. LOL!
Click to expand...

Does the ZTR make coffee? Does it cook supper? Does it make you feel better when you're sick? My dad told me something a long time ago that for some reason, I forget when it's the right time to remember. (3 marriages, 3 divorces)
"It's better to be happy, than right."

The trick to all this is when you have to repair it, regardless of how hard it is, or how much it cost, when you're done just tell her "Wow, that was an easy and inexpensive fix. If I had bought that _________ mower, I would have had to take it to shop to fix, and it would've been 100X that amount, just in parts." Or something to that effect.
Never let'm see you sweat, unless you trying to fold a fitted sheet. (that way she won't ask you to do it next time) lol :rolleyes: :p :D


#5

PTmowerMech

PTmowerMech

350Rocket said:
I agree with just fixing things as they break. We've become too much of a throw away society. People will use minor breakdowns like this as an excuse to upgrade but it doesn't make financial sense usually.
I just keep a second running mower so I can always mow the lawn with one or the other if one breaks.
I have a 2007 MTD Cub Cadet lt1050 that's in good shape. I had to have the valves adjusted and replace the starter plus do a tune up but it seems to have been taken care of. 311 hours.
My backup is a 1981 MTD lawnflite 11hp/38". Takes longer to mow the lawn but I like the nostalgia as I mowed lawns with several mowers like this one as a kid.
My fiance has already figured out that I am always going to be tinkering with either the lawnmowers, my truck or my car. She doesn't care if they break down as long as I can fix them cheaply enough. She's not into wasting money on stuff like new lawnmowers.
Click to expand...

I have a 2001 Dodge ram, 1/2 ton pick up. I can afford a new (or newer) vehicle. Payment of about $500 per month. But I get to thinking, all the stuff that's wrong with my pick up now, if I put that same $500 per month into this truck for even just 6 months, it would be in awesome condition. So why spend 5 to 7 years at $500 per month on something else?

Cheaper to keeper.


#6

bkeller500

bkeller500

16 years is long enough to have enjoyed that CZ42175. Trade it in and let someone else enjoy it. Even if you can fix it this time, parts are surely going to become a problem. No dealer is going to stock parts for a machine that old and Husqvarna isn't going to provide parts much longer. You got your money's worth and it led to that Snapper XT ( I have the Simplicity version of that XT) and its time to get your wife a new machine. I know it's EZ for me to spend your money but don't you deep down want a new unit? Most mfg's are offering 0% financing. And this time of years you might catch a great end-of year deal. Next spring prices will be higher. Just sayin! :cool:


#7

S

SamB

PTmowerMech said:
Does the ZTR make coffee? Does it cook supper? Does it make you feel better when you're sick? My dad told me something a long time ago that for some reason, I forget when it's the right time to remember. (3 marriages, 3 divorces)
"It's better to be happy, than right."

The trick to all this is when you have to repair it, regardless of how hard it is, or how much it cost, when you're done just tell her "Wow, that was an easy and inexpensive fix. If I had bought that _________ mower, I would have had to take it to shop to fix, and it would've been 100X that amount, just in parts." Or something to that effect.
Never let'm see you sweat, unless you trying to fold a fitted sheet. (that way she won't ask you to do it next time) lol :rolleyes: :p :D
Click to expand...
Actually, SHE is the one that purchased the ZTR, as we needed something a bit bigger than my 33" Snapper rer to mow our 1,5 acres out of town.
She is just a bit disappointed that things wear out! The pulley in question cost me $14.5 total. Took 15 minutes to put it on, only one bolt.
She says, "Every time you mow with that mower, SOMETHING breaks!" and I counter with "Not every time. Look at it this way. It's slowly turning into a NEW mower!" She's ok with that. I'm a retired class 8 truck body repair tech,thus,I have more than enough tools to repair a lawnmower.
The young couple that bought the home next door did buy a new mower and financed a Skag Patriot ZTR that they paid $8600.00 for! I don't know what the interest rates were, the time it's paid off,the cost will be more than the $8600.00! For a lawnmower!?! This makes a 15 dollar pulley look pretty good in my book!
p.s. since I'm retired and my wife is a full time commercial artist, I make the coffee,and I make the meals. LOL!


#8

S

slomo

$8600 for a lawn mower is totally ridiculous in my book. Buy his and hers push mowers. Great exercise and a whole lot cheaper. That's 42" worth of deck action for those missing a calculator. They are also zero turns LOL.


#9

S

SamB

PTmowerMech said:
Does the ZTR make coffee? Does it cook supper? Does it make you feel better when you're sick? My dad told me something a long time ago that for some reason, I forget when it's the right time to remember. (3 marriages, 3 divorces)
"It's better to be happy, than right."

The trick to all this is when you have to repair it, regardless of how hard it is, or how much it cost, when you're done just tell her "Wow, that was an easy and inexpensive fix. If I had bought that _________ mower, I would have had to take it to shop to fix, and it would've been 100X that amount, just in parts." Or something to that effect.
Never let'm see you sweat, unless you trying to fold a fitted sheet. (that way she won't ask you to do it next time) lol :rolleyes: :p :D
Click to expand...
My wife is still working full time, graphic artist book illustrator. I'm retired. As such, I do most of the household stuff now. I cook, clean, make the coffee, do the grocery shopping, etc. I seldom try to be :right", having her happy is MUCH more important. (married 26 yrs)


#10

sgkent

sgkent

you did a good job. Now go tell your wife she is right.


#11

S

SamB

sgkent said:
you did a good job. Now go tell your wife she is right.
Click to expand...
Tis' done! :-D


#12

7394

7394

:ROFLMAO:


#13

StarTech

StarTech

With the way things are going right now with parts availability it might be time a newer mower; not necessarily brand new. Here I have seeing some mowers that are in good having to be put to pasture due to the lack of parts. I got a customer right now that has a 20 yr old Yazoo ZTR (Husqvarna in drag) that the parts are very hard to get as most are NLA from Husqvarna. Couldn't get a deck belt tension spring and had to modify a JD spring to get it working this time around. I have suggested her to just sell it while see can and get a newer mower.


#14

S

SamB

StarTech said:
With the way things are going right now with parts availability it might be time a newer mower; not necessarily brand new. Here I have seeing some mowers that are in good having to be put to pasture due to the lack of parts. I got a customer right now that has a 20 yr old Yazoo ZTR (Husqvarna in drag) that the parts are very hard to get as most are NLA from Husqvarna. Couldn't get a deck belt tension spring and had to modify a JD spring to get it working this time around. I have suggested her to just sell it while see can and get a newer mower.
Click to expand...
The more I have looked over the new mowers, the less I want to part with my USA made Husqvarna. The fact is that most of the mower parts are from outside parts suppliers and readily available. It has a Briggs engine, HydroGear drive transmissions, etc. Husqvarna made the main chassis that is 14 gauge steel and the front caster wheel mounts are cast iron blocks with zerks, not a thin box tube. The last part I needed that was NLA was a deck mount rod,539110306 . After no success finding one, I looked at the rod and thought, I can simply make one. How hard can that be. It wasn't, so I did.

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#15

PTmowerMech

PTmowerMech

StarTech said:
With the way things are going right now with parts availability it might be time a newer mower; not necessarily brand new. Here I have seeing some mowers that are in good having to be put to pasture due to the lack of parts. I got a customer right now that has a 20 yr old Yazoo ZTR (Husqvarna in drag) that the parts are very hard to get as most are NLA from Husqvarna. Couldn't get a deck belt tension spring and had to modify a JD spring to get it working this time around. I have suggested her to just sell it while see can and get a newer mower.
Click to expand...

Selling it 5 years ago would've been a good idea, considering the cost of new ones today.


#16

Tiger Small Engine

Tiger Small Engine

PTmowerMech said:
Selling it 5 years ago would've been a good idea, considering the cost of new ones today.
Click to expand...
$8600 for a zero turn is middle of the road on pricing. A new loaded out 60” EFI zero turn is $16,000 grand. As long as your mower is in decent shape, you can get parts, and it is doing the job for you and can fix it, keep it running.


#17

PTmowerMech

PTmowerMech

Tiger Small Engine said:
$8600 for a zero turn is middle of the road on pricing. A new loaded out 60” EFI zero turn is $16,000 grand. As long as your mower is in decent shape, you can get parts, and it is doing the job for you and can fix it, keep it running.
Click to expand...

Every time I start thinking about upgrading my pick up, I start thinking about how much it would cost to fix mine back up.
$40,000 for a new pick up???? Well, if I were to put only $10,000 into mine, it would be like brand new. And I'd save $30,000.


#18

B

bertsmobile1

I spend about $ 3000 a year on fixing up my 32 year old van
But a replacement is $ 42,000 and I see a lot more of them dead on the side of the road than mine.
Eventually the rust will committ it to the car shredder but every day one of my group is bitching that their nice new car is in the shop for some astronomical priced repair or a computer failure has rendered it scrap metal , or they are 100 miles from nowhere and the engine goes into limp mode or the killer was $ 4500 to fit a tow bar because all of the suspension & brake sensors had to be changed and the ABS system had to be reset plus the engine remapped then when we were away & he had to tow the trailer home it went into limp mode because the computer registered a lights failure when he hit the brakes with the headlights on
os another $ 1500 for a relay box & discreet power supply for the trailer . I just put 8 bolts into existing holes and joined 6 wires .


#19

S

SamB

bertsmobile1 said:
I spend about $ 3000 a year on fixing up my 32 year old van
But a replacement is $ 42,000 and I see a lot more of them dead on the side of the road than mine.
Eventually the rust will committ it to the car shredder but every day one of my group is bitching that their nice new car is in the shop for some astronomical priced repair or a computer failure has rendered it scrap metal , or they are 100 miles from nowhere and the engine goes into limp mode or the killer was $ 4500 to fit a tow bar because all of the suspension & brake sensors had to be changed and the ABS system had to be reset plus the engine remapped then when we were away & he had to tow the trailer home it went into limp mode because the computer registered a lights failure when he hit the brakes with the headlights on
os another $ 1500 for a relay box & discreet power supply for the trailer . I just put 8 bolts into existing holes and joined 6 wires .
Click to expand...
This just makes good economic sense. Maintaining and repairing useable and repairable objects, be they mowers or vehicles, keeps them out of the waste stream and saves the resources and energy used to produce a usually less durable replacement. Personally, I get a bit of satisfaction keeping my stuff in like new condition and working perfectly. Of course, on the other hand, if I didn't like it in the first place, it'd be gone.


#20

PTmowerMech

PTmowerMech

SamB said:
This just makes good economic sense. Maintaining and repairing useable and repairable objects, be they mowers or vehicles, keeps them out of the waste stream and saves the resources and energy used to produce a usually less durable replacement. Personally, I get a bit of satisfaction keeping my stuff in like new condition and working perfectly. Of course, on the other hand, if I didn't like it in the first place, it'd be gone.
Click to expand...

That old John Deere a customer gave me a month or so ago has taken some money & effort to get back up to working condition. But not near as much as a new one, or a good used one would cost. But now that everything is back up to working order, I'm about to buy a new hood for it. ($500). By the end of summer, I'll probably have about $800 in it. But there's nothing for sale for less than that, that's worth a hoot.


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