Got a riding mower.

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RickN

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Bought a used Troy Bilt Pony today for a good price. Once I get use to the thing I can start mowing the lawn again instead of the wife having to fight with the push mower since the docs would not let me even try to start it. I have not used a riding mower in about 40 years and the one I had then was a tiny little thing designed for a nice flat lawn without many weeds. It had 8" solid tires all the way around if that tells you anything.

Makes me happy knowing one more thing I can be useful at until I am all the way healed. About 4 more months if there are no problems. I also bought a cheap backpack for my oxygen tank. Holds it firmly on my back instead of the old bag swinging around and hitting my screwed up ribs. I hope to get back to hunting brass soon.

So feeling good today as I start to get my life back. I still can not breathe if I bend over but I am making progress. :D
 

John6185

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The wife is going to try and talk you out of using the mower, count on it! They try to take care of us but in doing so, they make us a bit lazy and dependent-kinda like a Democrat!
 

RickN

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The wife is going to try and talk you out of using the mower, count on it! They try to take care of us but in doing so, they make us a bit lazy and dependent-kinda like a Democrat!

She has already tried. I just counter with "I have to keep moving and doing things to help me heal and get my strength back." I hope by next year to be able to use the push mower.
 

John6185

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I have a 4514 Honda water cooled riding mower and I think it was manufactured in 1992-94. I in recent years have replaced the timing belt and water pump. To do the work, I had to pull the engine with a come-along but it was with it because the machine runs better than ever. I bought it at a garage sale for $2400 and t the time it was a lot of $$$ but well worth it. They don't make them anymore I guess because they were so expensive at around $4,000 or over when new and sales fell due to the cost. The mower is well over 25+ years old and starts at the first turn off the key.
 

MacFromOK

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I have not used a riding mower in about 40 years and the one I had then was a tiny little thing designed for a nice flat lawn without many weeds. It had 8" solid tires all the way around if that tells you anything.
Lol, that sounds like our first rider. It had solid tires and a 3.5 hp pull-start Briggs & Stratton, with a single blade on the crankshaft. I think it was $40 at a garage sale.

It would either pull me or cut grass, but not both (I weighed around 185 at the time). So sweetie got to mow the yard, and fortunately she loved doing it. A year or so later, I found a new 5 hp for $105 at an unclaimed freight warehouse and she mowed with it for probably 12-15 more years, but the front wheel hubs finally got so worn they wouldn't hold bushings, so I welded a steel pipe in each one to run on the axles. I also replaced the sprocket-driven rear axle and mounted it on pillow-block bearings. The re-done front wheels finally wallowed out a good bit as well (in spite of being greased), but she still used it until I bought an old MTD.

Good times. I actually still have the thing (and the MTD) in my shop.

Congrats btw. Riding beats pushing any day.
 

RickN

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That sounds a whole lot like my first rider. I would love to see a pic of it to see if they are the same.

Got on the Pony this evening and that puppy is fast, evening hauling my large and lovely self. Took me a few to adjust the throttle and trans to mowing speed instead of death grip on the wheel speed. I just wish it had a higher back seat with armrest to help keep you in since my back yard has some slope to it.
 

dirtrider73068

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Troy built pony is a good decent rider, parts should be easy to get as its made by mtd, lowes can get parts for them to a point just make sure you have the model number with you so it can be looked up. If you or anybody here needs info on how to work them or just info on mowers period I can tell you all about them and how to fix or repair them.

Pretty much anything with a gas motor I can work on it, for me love working on lawn mowers push or riders, I can work on vehicles to up to a certain point before all the dang stupid computers make it to complicated but I still try to diagnosis it to see what it needs to be fixed.
 

Cowcatcher

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That sounds a whole lot like my first rider. I would love to see a pic of it to see if they are the same.

Got on the Pony this evening and that puppy is fast, evening hauling my large and lovely self. Took me a few to adjust the throttle and trans to mowing speed instead of death grip on the wheel speed. I just wish it had a higher back seat with armrest to help keep you in since my back yard has some slope to it.
If ya get a lil extra coin you could upgrade that seat. Shouldn't be much to it.
 

MacFromOK

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That sounds a whole lot like my first rider. I would love to see a pic of it to see if they are the same.
I'll see what I can do. My nephew is coming up tomorrow and he has a "real" cell phone that actually does stuff. Maybe he can take a pic and email it to me, then I can post it here.

Assuming I can remember to ask him...
 

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