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Mower is 4 years old. Frame is broke on both sides in the same place. Best to just buy a new frame for approximately $200 or strip it down and pay someone to weld it?

Try welding it first. You can always resort to Plan B if that doesn't work.

Have your welder strengthen it with a gusset.

if the welder isnt charging you anything then try welding it, but if you have to pay a welder you may as well just skip it and buy the new frame instead of paying a welder then have the welds break on you later and you still have to buy the new frame. fix it right the first time so you dont have to refix it later

keakar said:

if the welder isnt charging you anything then try welding it, but if you have to pay a welder you may as well just skip it and buy the new frame instead of paying a welder then have the welds break on you later and you still have to buy the new frame. fix it right the first time so you dont have to refix it later

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This is what I'm thinking. By the time I pay someone to drive out here and weld it,looking at close to the price of a new frame.

Not an easy weld on that thin metal. I wouldn't do it.

Hammermechanicman said:

Not an easy weld on that thin metal. I wouldn't do it.

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Actually it is not that hard if you know what your are doing. It is a wire welder type and not stick weld. And as said a re-enforcement plates may be needed along with some drilling and tapping if necessary. But of course I learned how to gas weld first with coat hangers then wire welding for sheet metals.

As I said you got to know what your are doings beside tearing the mower down to base frame a major projectand can take several days.

I am a fair to middleing welder. Dad was a millwright and taught me how to use a buzz box in grade school. I have a Lincoln 210MP DC stick/MIG welder and a Century 230Amp AC/DC buzz box with an arc stabilizer for the big stuff. An oxy/acetylene rig for gas welding and i switch to oxy/propane for doing brazing. One of my son's friends teaches welding at the Hobart school. I fixed his mower and truck and got a bunch of free welding lessons.

If you mig weld that stress cracked frame the metal next to the welds will become brittle and crack next to the welds. If you go to the trouble to sister on reinforcement plates and they are thicker than the base matal to get the penetration the thinner base metal will compromised. It would be best to braze it with reinforcement plates. The cost to have it welded or brazed up with reinforcement will be more than the cost of the new frame that will break too.

cjben said:

Mower is 4 years old. Frame is broke on both sides in the same place. Best to just buy a new frame for approximately $200 or strip it down and pay someone to weld it?

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Had this same problem with my mower in Aug 23. Frame broke in half at the same location as CJBEN. Found a second rip in the frame about 6" behind the break. After a bunch of research, I decided it would be better to replace the frame than try to weld it. Since I was already at the end of the mowing season, I figured I had all winter to replace the frame and was in no hurry. I ordered a new from from Partselect.com. It cost me $275 (including $85 shipping). Took about two weeks for delivery but in the mean time I began stripping components from the old frame. Stripped it down to the two axles and engine by the time the new frame was delivered. Made sure to take pictures of each step of the disassembly to aid with re-assembly later. After the new frame was delivered, it was very easy to swap remaining components (engine and axles) from the old frame to the new side-by-side. Then followed up with re-assembly of other components that were removed prior to receiving the new frame. The two most difficult parts of the project was removal and reinstallation of the steering gear/pedal assembly and the wiring harnesses, I had to refer to my disassembly pictures several times to make sure these components were re-attached the same way they were before disassembly. I completed re-assembly by the end of the day on 31 Dec, with the exception that I did not re-attach the mower deck to conserve room for storage for the remainder of winter. All-in-all, I found the job very easy which could easily have been completed in one 8 hour day.

That usually happens when the front transaxle bracket comes loose or the bolts break in the case. Make sure to check that before repairing.