Lawn rehab - seeding & watering - who else is doing it this fall?


 
I think the Honda manual says to have the rear part of the more deck a bit lower than the front for better leaf mulching/bagging but I'm not 100% sure. As in Monty Python's Holy Grail, I'll need to consult the book of Armaments. I believe it's in alphabetical order with lawnmowers coming somewhere after holy hand grenades.
 
Just came in from mulching the mess in my yard after that hellacious storm yesterday. Leaves were still a bit damp so the mulch did not get as fine as usual, but it powered right through. Told the wife. Next tractor I get is gonna have a mulching deck. My lot is just too damn big to cut/mulch 20" at a time. Or if I find someone selling a mulching kit or deck for my current Honda 4514 tractor I would snap that up
 
My lot is only 1/3 acre, and on a hillside where the best we can do is a 21" deck due to fences and retaining walls. We're in a old neighborhood with lots of mature oaks and hickory trees. We probably fill 30 to 40 bags a year..... Planning to downsize in the next 10 years. Maybe in the same neighborhood, but with a flatter lot. Maybe a bigger one if a tractor will work on it. Might move south but that'll probably depend on what our kids are doing when we downsize. How the heck did I get from bagging leaves to planning the rest of my life???!!!! :oops:
 
Judging by the looks of that lawn unless you get some kind of polar vortex I think you'll be mowing again. I recall years where I was mowing past Christmas due to warmer early winter/late fall
 
LMichaels said:
Judging by the looks of that lawn unless you get some kind of polar vortex I think you'll be mowing again. I recall years where I was mowing past Christmas due to warmer early winter/late fall
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Unfortunately I fear you might be right Larry. Where it did snow up here in Massachusetts on Halloween it's been rather nice besides a couple 30 degree days.

Jeff
 
Well I am afraid by reason of a sick or dying Honda tractor. Sad, I had such high hopes for that thing. It was running perfect last week, mulching leaves and everything like a champ. Went out today started it, and runs a little next thing is it's blowing raw fuel out of the exhaust, running on one cylinder, sputtering away. Then as if that wasn't enough the throttle cable breaks. Ugh. I think maybe it's time to go back to American iron. Simplicity machines never let me down like this
 
LMichaels said:
Well I am afraid by reason of a sick or dying Honda tractor. Sad, I had such high hopes for that thing. It was running perfect last week, mulching leaves and everything like a champ. Went out today started it, and runs a little next thing is it's blowing raw fuel out of the exhaust, running on one cylinder, sputtering away.
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A big "Type R" decal will fix you right up... ;)

My first guess would be an exhaust valve problem.
 
Maybe or a dead ignition coil which I found out AFTER I bought this thing that they're famous for. Would not be so bad but gotta pull the engine for that. And I pull it than I might as well, do timing belt, water pump, tensioner, alternator coils, drive shaft couplers and so on. Which means I would be into it for LOTS of $$$$ and LOTS of hours with only a 21" walk behind to mow 1/2 acre of grass. I have done it but, good night. Start in AM and work til evening LOL. Not my cup o' tea
Wat is a Type R decal anyway?
 
Sounds like you have a winter project on your hands. Hopefully you were looking for one. ;)

That's nuts that you have to pull the engine just to replace a coil. Lawn tractors shouldn't be ridiculously complex; I vote that you get a vintage model that you can keep running with spit and baling wire.

And that walk behind is good for you...it keeps you in shape for those all-day, where-are-we wanderings down by the river.;)

I'll let you do your own search for "Type R". ;)
 
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I would rather wander down by the river. Much more interesting and in the summer oh boy there are some VERY attractive women out there. Some are VERY friendly as well (not in the way you're thinking get your head outta the gutter LOL).
I can't work on it in the winter either as I cannot give up my garage for it. My back garage is not set up with air compressor and tools either and it's a long walk back and forth for a wrench LOL
 
Brad Olson said:
Sounds like you have a winter project on your hands. Hopefully you were looking for one. ;)

That's nuts that you have to pull the engine just to replace a coil. Lawn tractors shouldn't be ridiculously complex; I vote that you get a vintage model that you can keep running with spit and baling wire.

And that walk behind is good for you...it keeps you in shape for those all-day, where-are-we wanderings down by the river.;)

I'll let you do your own search for "Type R". ;)
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Well as luck would have it I found the trouble. I pulled both spark plugs and found #1 wet with fuel and pretty carboned up. Fearing the worst I did a compression check on it (a cold engine BTW) Within 4 strokes on each cylinder 210 PSI, Definitely not a dead cylinder as far as that goes. On a whim I found an old spark plug laying in the garage in one of my drawers. Size was OK so I threw it in. Engine fired right up but still knocking and sounding like a DOA cylinder. Then boom, it lit off and was ok. So off to the Advance Auto, found a Champion equivalent plug to the NGKs slapped them in and the engine was purring away like nothing ever happened. I think the plugs were the originals from back in the mid 90s when the machine was built. Anyway, finished a bunch of yard cleanup and mulching what I could not get burned and all was well in Honda Land. The photos are the number 1 plug. Given how much smother and quieter the engine is now I guess both plugs were not doing all their share20201121_091657.jpg20201121_091705.jpg
 
LMichaels said:
Well as luck would have it I found the trouble. I pulled both spark plugs and found #1 wet with fuel and pretty carboned up. Fearing the worst I did a compression check on it (a cold engine BTW) Within 4 strokes on each cylinder 210 PSI, Definitely not a dead cylinder as far as that goes. On a whim I found an old spark plug laying in the garage in one of my drawers. Size was OK so I threw it in. Engine fired right up but still knocking and sounding like a DOA cylinder. Then boom, it lit off and was ok. So off to the Advance Auto, found a Champion equivalent plug to the NGKs slapped them in and the engine was purring away like nothing ever happened. I think the plugs were the originals from back in the mid 90s when the machine was built. Anyway, finished a bunch of yard cleanup and mulching what I could not get burned and all was well in Honda Land. The photos are the number 1 plug. Given how much smother and quieter the engine is now I guess both plugs were not doing all their shareView attachment 18295View attachment 18296
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I love it when a big problem has an easy solution - clean livin' on that one for sure!
 
I'll say. I think I will be looking for a different machine. One with not so scarce parts. Noted someone selling a Kubota 1860 diesel not far away. We have a dealer only a couple miles away so parts/accessories should be easier to find. Always wanted a little diesel as well. Plus it may be easier to convert to a mulcher
 
Woke up to this, this AM so who knows. I did a lot of work yesterday. Mulched and burned what I think will be the last of it LOL. We shall see........20201124_064528.jpg20201124_064540.jpg
 
Larry - you've got a a winter wonder land going already! On the topic of Kubota - We had a kubota in the family when I was a kid/teenager. It was a 4 WD beast of a little tractor. The only thing we had issues with was the electrical system - we couldn't seem to keep the battery charged. I'm sure the technology is better/more reliable now. I seem to recall a mechanic saying it had a stator system to charge the battery instead of the alternator and it was an expensive thing to fix.

30 to 35 years ago their little tractors were mechanically indestructible. Ours had a PTO and rear-tine tiller and 30" mower deck. I would guess dad's lawn was 6500 sq ft or so and I could mow it in about an hour unless I let it get too tall. A little 4WD tractor with the right tires could probably do a pretty decent job plowing snow too, but you probably have a snow blower for that. The Kubota we had looked sort a like this one.... i spent a lot of time in the saddle of that little tractor! This one has a bar on the front to hang weights on the front, but no weights! I liked having them on when I was pulling a wagon full of firewood out of the back 40 and playing log skidder ;) . As I said, that thing was a beast!!

kubota tractor.png
 
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