Need an obsolete part (AYP 135227 - left front axle spindle)...

[Bruce]

Speaking of obsolete, I have an old WeedEater (WE-50) 20hp rider, almost identical to a Craftsman rider of that year (late nineties). The parts manual even referenced Craftsman parts. Most wre made by AYP.

Since I lost the manual, I can't locate parts for it. Any suggestions on how to find the comparable Craftsman rider so as to find parts numbers?

Bruce

 

[cottom]

megg_104 on EBay. She has an Ebay Store of small tractor parts. Interesting life story too.

Thanks, Noma.

That would have been a last resort - you never know what the quality of the work is going to be (I just moved to the area) and if you'll have continual problems with a part that is "almost right". And - yes - I have to wonder the cost. I'm an engineer and tend to like things exact (and demanding of detail that some craftsmen don't see the value in - can create problems). :confused2: :laughing:

Similar to what you suggested, one clean option I did consider was having the wear areas of my original spindle welded up and turned down to the right dimension (like they used to do with crankshafts). But I guess that could have been expensive too - but less risk of not fitting/tracking right due to inaccurate angles and dimensions.

Anyway - I don't know why I didn't think of this before, but I did a search on ebay about 20 minutes ago, and dang if there wasn't a set of both spindles (used, but appear to be in great (low wear) condition based on the description and photo): 50-7 Craftsman Steering Spindles 135227 135228 - eBay (item 270694885056 end time Feb-10-11 03:38:59 PST) - oh - and yes - I'm the one that bought it. Glad I checked when I did - the auction was due to close in 2 hours.

I figure those are in 90% better shape than the heavily used parts I have - haven't taken it apart yet, but the original axle is about to collapse - literally. Too bad I ordered a brand new spindle for the other side, but it was only $12-13 - anyway - it will be new, and now I'll have a used spare (that I probably will never need/use).

I bought the ball bearing equivalent of the standard bushings for the wheels, which is one of the reasons I wanted new spindles - but I'll settle for used/low wear on the one at this point.

Anyway - problem solved.

BTW - it looks like that guy sells used parts on ebay regularly. I have no connection with him - didn't know he existed until literally minutes ago - but it might be a good future source for others here looking for obsolete parts in good used condition.

Thanks again.

 

[Peva]

Bruce - In addition to cottom's ebay suggestion, you could just Google 'weedeater' and the model number and 'parts', and you'll probably get a few pages of hits - most of which will be garbage or multiple dupicates of legitimate hits, but likely a handful of legitimate sources for parts. Going to the few legitimate sites will quickly clue you in on which are the best for parts availability, ease of use, and pricing.

I haven't searched for Weedeater parts, but for both my '93/'94 Wizard (AKA Craftsman, AKA AYP) rider and my early 90's Toro self-propelled walk-behind, I found parts-selling sites that have the original parts lists with sketches for parts identification (sometimes in downloadable pdf format, in other cases it will be an online database). From there it's a matter of plugging in the parts to the search lines on the same and other legitimate selling sites. It also works to simply put the manufacturer name and the part number into Google search, and also on ebay search. It can be time consuming, and you have to sometimes be creative/clever to verify you're looking up the right thing (part numbers change and get superceded), but it's fun to find the real bargains.

Getting back to ebay: I have found brand new - in original unopened bag parts - obsolete or hard to find. Just yesterday I bought a Toro cable for under $10 + $3.50 shipping (new in unopened bag) - cheapest I found from the on-line distributors was over $25. I suspect a lot of the ebay bargains are brick and mortar dealers getting rid of older inventory at true bargain prices (or closing up shop due to economy or retirement).

 

[Bruce]

Bruce - In addition to cottom's ebay suggestion, you could just Google 'weedeater' and the model number and 'parts', and you'll probably get a few pages of hits - most of which will be garbage or multiple dupicates of legitimate hits, but likely a handful of legitimate sources for parts. Going to the few legitimate sites will quickly clue you in on which are the best for parts availability, ease of use, and pricing.

I haven't searched for Weedeater parts, but for both my '93/'94 Wizard (AKA Craftsman, AKA AYP) rider and my early 90's Toro self-propelled walk-behind, I found parts-selling sites that have the original parts lists with sketches for parts identification (sometimes in downloadable pdf format, in other cases it will be an online database). From there it's a matter of plugging in the parts to the search lines on the same and other legitimate selling sites. It also works to simply put the manufacturer name and the part number into Google search, and also on ebay search. It can be time consuming, and you have to sometimes be creative/clever to verify you're looking up the right thing (part numbers change and get superceded), but it's fun to find the real bargains.

Getting back to ebay: I have found brand new - in original unopened bag parts - obsolete or hard to find. Just yesterday I bought a Toro cable for under $10 + $3.50 shipping (new in unopened bag) - cheapest I found from the on-line distributors was over $25. I suspect a lot of the ebay bargains are brick and mortar dealers getting rid of older inventory at true bargain prices (or closing up shop due to economy or retirement).

Thanks, Peva.
Don't know why I didn't think of that myself. I'll give it a try. Wish me luck!
Bruce