broke my mower

[majin]

so there i am mowing the yard, when i suddenly get a metal on metal sound... i stop look and notice my entire motor is wobbling!!
3 of the 4 bolts holding the motor onto the deck have gone on to other duties. they left me..
entire engine is wobbling, which is pulling the blade UP into the deck making contact.
fml..
yards gonna get tall on me while i look for replacement bolts. not really a huge deal, but at the same time its pretty bs imo. you buy something and expect it to last on its own for more than 3 weeks.
seriously how do 3 bolts just disapear????
wait... its me.... how tf did i manage to save 1 bolt??? thats probably phrased more accurately now lol.
I'm positive even tho I'm complaining that its my fault I'm sure. i drag the mower behind the mule, bouncing it and popping it up n over mounds like its a rally track. I'm kinda surprised i havent broken anything worse.
i gave 80 for the mower, i have gotten the value out of it vs the price of it.

but at the same time.. cmon bro its not like I'm hauling it with a basher, not exceeding a walking speed by very much.
i have no clue on how to repair a mower.. i had no clue how to repair a crawler, but now I'm mconfident enough to just throw stuff together in the hopes it works out and it TYPICALLY does lol.
hopefully its just the motor mounts gone and i didnt cause other issues. time will tell i spose

 

[Alwaysonauto]

Pull the plug wire off if you're going to be working on it underneath, just so it doesn't fire up 'accidentally' on you and take a hand off.

Flip it on it's side and look at the bottom of the deck. I'll bet you'll see empty bolt holes surrounding the hole where the shaft comes down thru the deck.
Take the one out that's still there and go buy three more like it and you're back in biz.
If you were closer I'd sell you my old mower.

It'd vacuum the leaves up for ya too, if you have any of those.

 

[rhill]

You are lucky! Now you have an excuse not to mow your lawn......mowing the lawn sucks, I hate it. And I have a tractor too, I guess I am just lazy.

 

[Doom!]

Don't forget to Locktite the new bolts!

 

[James A. Doty]

You are lucky! Now you have an excuse not to mow your lawn......mowing the lawn sucks, I hate it. And I have a tractor too, I guess I am just lazy.

I love mowing. I'm on my third riding mower since I bought my house in 2005.

My first riding mower ate the deck belt all the time, every spring I'd have to have someone come out and change it.

My second riding mower had a plastic transmission. The first time we went to use it the transmission melted, it was new out of the crate. It took all summer to get it fixed. The third time it's transmission melted down I was mowing the front yard. I had to call 911 to get help pushing it back to my wheelchair in the carport.

My current riding mower is electric, and on its third season of mowing. The only issue I've had with it was a flat tire the first season. I love that mower, it's powered by a pair of 80 volt lithium suitcase style battery packs wired in parallel. I keep the battery packs in my house over the winter.

 

[Alwaysonauto]

I loved mowing my lawn too, @James A. Doty , until I had a heart attack doing it in July, 2020. I hired the neighbors gardener to hide the fact I couldn't push the mower any more from my wife. That worked out until I had another one in Dec that sent me into the hospital in the middle of the night. I had my wife drive me. Came out four days later after having a quad bypass operation. She still won't let me mow the lawns now.

 

[James A. Doty]

I loved mowing my lawn too, @James A. Doty , until I had a heart attack doing it in July, 2020. I hired the neighbors gardener to hide the fact I couldn't push the mower any more from my wife. That worked out until I had another one in Dec that sent me into the hospital in the middle of the night. I had my wife drive me. Came out four days later after having a quad bypass operation. She still won't let me mow the lawns now.

There's no same in using a riding mower if you can afford one. I'm happy you survived your two heart attacks, I can't imagine how horrible they must have been.

My house is on an 85 foot deep, 55 foot wide lot, so pretty small. I like to imagine strangers as they drive by seeing me using my riding mower in the front yard thinking about how lazy I must be. My wheelchair isn't visible in my carport from the street.

 

[dustyroller]

Make your own and pull with a crawler

 

[Tallbump]

My wife killed ours last week (push mower) mowing while I was at work.

The blade fell out the bottom, she couldn't get it to stay in. I ran home on lunch to check it out. The shaft it threads into completely cracked, and it was a wide crack, no fixing it.

I did some online research and it appears ALL new gas, self-propellers mowers are junk. At least, all the ones they sell locally. Seriously, we checked Home Depot, Lowes, Tractor Supply and Family Farm & Home (like Tractor Supply) and not a single one had good reviews

After an hour at Home Depot, we came home with a Ryobi 18V, self propelled mower. It actually uses 2, 6A.o batteries at the same time. Has enough run time to do all whole yard (about a 1/10 of an acre).

I haven't had a chance to use it yet, my wife insists on mowing for the exercise. So far so good, except for a little mishap the first time. The old mowers were FWD and the new one is Rear. She had an interesting time turning it being RWD and it took her for a little ride. She also insists on mowing one handed so her watch tracks her steps properly.

 

[CertifiedMike]

My wife killed ours last week (push mower) mowing while I was at work.

The blade fell out the bottom, she couldn't get it to stay in. I ran home on lunch to check it out. The shaft it threads into completely cracked, and it was a wide crack, no fixing it.

I did some online research and it appears ALL new gas, self-propellers mowers are junk. At least, all the ones they sell locally. Seriously, we checked Home Depot, Lowes, Tractor Supply and Family Farm & Home (like Tractor Supply) and not a single one had good reviews

After an hour at Home Depot, we came home with a Ryobi 18V, self propelled mower. It actually uses 2, 6A.o batteries at the same time. Has enough run time to do all whole yard (about a 1/10 of an acre).

I haven't had a chance to use it yet, my wife insists on mowing for the exercise. So far so good, except for a little mishap the first time. The old mowers were FWD and the new one is Rear. She had an interesting time turning it being RWD and it took her for a little ride. She also insists on mowing one handed so her watch tracks her steps properly.

I was a hardcore, petrol only... With all my yard equipment.

A few years ago, I used my neighbor's Toro 60v mower and I loved it!
I have the mower, string trimmer and a 16" chainsaw now. All 60v Toro and they all work great!

 

[Tallbump]

I was a hardcore, petrol only... With all my yard equipment.

A few years ago, I used my neighbor's Toro 60v mower and I loved it!
I have the mower, string trimmer and a 16" chainsaw now. All 60v Toro and they all work great!

I am an occasional DIYer, so i have all Ryobi Tools (drills, saws, etc..). We have the trimmer and leaf blower (got a killer deal a few years ago) and they have held up fine,

If I didn't already have Ryobi I definitely would have looked at others. Glad to hear you're happy with the Toro stuff, makes me feel better about going battery

 

[CertifiedMike]

I am an occasional DIYer, so i have all Ryobi Tools (drills, saws, etc..). We have the trimmer and leaf blower (got a killer deal a few years ago) and they have held up fine,

If I didn't already have Ryobi I definitely would have looked at others. Glad to hear you're happy with the Toro stuff, makes me feel better about going battery

Used to be I was worried about the battery dying before the lawn was done.

Now I am more worried about me dying before the battery! Lol!

With the other tools I bought, I got a spare pack that can push the mower if I ever need it.

So far the pack runs out of juice just about the same time as I do. I get most of my lawn finished in 1, 6a charge. Its a big lawn.

Battery packs are expensive. Other than that, no regrets at all about going electric.

I still have a gas snow blower for Maine winters and a gas leaf blower that can blow a leaf about 1/4 mile away from here! Lol!
I live in the woods. I have a LOT of trees, leaves.

I think there are still uses for both gas and electric.

 

[9x19]

I went all electric last year but went back to gas for the mower. My grass was just too thick for the electric's blade speed.

My son has the electric and it works great for his lawn which is regular old bermuda. They (EGO) have a new model out with more torque and blade tip speed, but I'll wait until my Toro dies before trying another. I do like my leaf blower and trimmer as they both do a great job.

 

[RudyF6]

Used to be I was worried about the battery dying before the lawn was done.

Now I am more worried about me dying before the battery! Lol!

With the other tools I bought, I got a spare pack that can push the mower if I ever need it.

So far the pack runs out of juice just about the same time as I do. I get most of my lawn finished in 1, 6a charge. Its a big lawn.

Battery packs are expensive. Other than that, no regrets at all about going electric.

I still have a gas snow blower for Maine winters and a gas leaf blower that can blow a leaf about 1/4 mile away from here! Lol!
I live in the woods. I have a LOT of trees, leaves.

I think there are still uses for both gas and electric.

Right with you, Mike.
I was always a naysayer with a big smoke belching gas weedeater, but as electrics improved I tried a neighbor's Kobalt 40v Max. I now have a string trimmer, leaf blower and a pole saw from them that all work very well. I've had them for over 5 years and all still run well and last as long on a charge as they ever did.
When I do have to replace a battery, I'll use the money I didn't spend on gas and oil all that time!
I still have the heavy gas powered stuff too, but I use the electric more often than not.

 

[HPIguy]

Same here, upgraded this year to the Kobalt 48v mower, weedeater, and leaf blower. Already had the 24v chainsaw and weedeater. Have a Husky 36 pertrol saw if needed for bigger stuff. But man, I love the convenience of the electric stuff. Had to put a new carb and air filter in the Husky last night.

 

[majin]

man.. all the reviews on the electrics has me willing to check them out myself!
I've always laughed at the electric mowers, assuming they wouldnt do as good as the gas powered mowers.
i tend to buy that type of item off marketplace. I'm not sure id trust a used mower again. the guy i got the one i currently need to repair, was an old timer and i trusted his sale, still do other than the motor mounts bouncing out, I'm on th efence if thats due to my misuse or him not securing them properly, regardless ill be locktiting them down.

 

[James A. Doty]

I am an occasional DIYer, so i have all Ryobi Tools (drills, saws, etc..). We have the trimmer and leaf blower (got a killer deal a few years ago) and they have held up fine,

If I didn't already have Ryobi I definitely would have looked at others. Glad to hear you're happy with the Toro stuff, makes me feel better about going battery

Wow, me too. I have a lot of Ryobi 18 volt tools, a line trimmer, brush trimmer, chemical sprayer, and a hand held broadcaster. My 80 volt riding mower is made by Hart. Hart and Ryobi are both owned by the same company.

I also have a bunch of Ryobi 18 volt tools, but they're for another thread.

 

[Doom!]

My last mower was electric, corded, not battery. Mowing with an extension cord is a nuisance to say the least. Fortunately my yard was not too big.

 

[James A. Doty]

man.. all the reviews on the electrics has me willing to check them out myself!
I've always laughed at the electric mowers, assuming they wouldnt do as good as the gas powered mowers.
i tend to buy that type of item off marketplace. I'm not sure id trust a used mower again. the guy i got the one i currently need to repair, was an old timer and i trusted his sale, still do other than the motor mounts bouncing out, I'm on th efence if thats due to my misuse or him not securing them properly, regardless ill be locktiting them down.

My backyard grows a lot in the late winter, early spring when it's too wet to mow. By the time I can actually mow the backyard becomes overgrown and I end up with a lot of weeds and grass some two feet high in places. My Hart 80 volt riding mower works well in cutting the backyard down to two inches, though I do have to take it slow so I don't cause the two brushless blade motors to shut off due to excessive heat. Boring mowing video

 

[CertifiedMike]

My backyard grows a lot in the late winter, early spring when it's too wet to mow. By the time I can actually mow the backyard becomes overgrown and I end up with a lot of weeds and grass some two feet high in places. My Hart 80 volt riding mower works well in cutting the backyard down to two inches, though I do have to take it slow so I don't cause the two brushless blade motors to shut off due to excessive heat. Boring mowing video

Power steering would be handy in that yard! Nice job getting it all done!

I need to mow soon too.