LMichaels
TVWBB 2-Star Olympian
I am kinda "cooling off" just bought a "new" garden tractor as my old one was close to 60 yo and parts have about dried up to the point I would have to buy used parts for it. So I needed a hydraulic lift cylinder only could find another 60 yo one, blades for the deck again no longer made and could not adapt others as the jack shafts were changed and new shafts did not fit old deck and new blades did not fit old shafts. So it was time to part with the long time companion. When I bought it 28 years ago I was able to ascertain through a dealer it was somewhere between a 1959 and a 1962 but he felt it was a 1961. I did put a new larger engine on it a few days after my youngest daughter was born, rebuilt a PTO and one gear box and for the last 28 years has been a faithful servant. Doing everything, plowing snow, blowing snow, rototilling, grading dirt and gravel not to mention mowing. In 28 years it only needed 1 spark plug, 1 battery, and maybe 4 new mower deck bearings and 2 jack shafts plus a few belts. Otherwise just normal oil changes and greasing.
I was going to buy a Kubota diesel Lawn Tractor from a guy but research showed there to be a fairly fatal and EXPENSIVE weak link on it the Hydrostatic Transmission on many would suffer a horrific front bearing failure requiring a $2000 repair. So I found this one
It's as near as I can tell about a 2000 Simplicity Sovereign tractor. The dealership upgraded the engine to a Kohler Command Pro 20 under warranty from an 18 HP Kohler "Triad" overhead cam which had some kind of oiling issues and tended to self destruct. This machine is very similar to my old one with much of the same very rugged technology only upgraded and bigger. Extended wheelbase, expanded track to handle larger 48" vs 42" mower deck, heavy duty Sundstrand built hydrostatic transmission. You can really feel the size difference when trying to maneuver it around, but, it steers very easily and since it's hydro the wife can give my COPD and allergies some relief and with the much larger deck that actually cuts it's full width now mowing is done in MUCH less time. So we shall see how this goes
Anyway I spent a little more moola on this than I was planning for the Kubota so grills have to be on hold I think


I was going to buy a Kubota diesel Lawn Tractor from a guy but research showed there to be a fairly fatal and EXPENSIVE weak link on it the Hydrostatic Transmission on many would suffer a horrific front bearing failure requiring a $2000 repair. So I found this one
It's as near as I can tell about a 2000 Simplicity Sovereign tractor. The dealership upgraded the engine to a Kohler Command Pro 20 under warranty from an 18 HP Kohler "Triad" overhead cam which had some kind of oiling issues and tended to self destruct. This machine is very similar to my old one with much of the same very rugged technology only upgraded and bigger. Extended wheelbase, expanded track to handle larger 48" vs 42" mower deck, heavy duty Sundstrand built hydrostatic transmission. You can really feel the size difference when trying to maneuver it around, but, it steers very easily and since it's hydro the wife can give my COPD and allergies some relief and with the much larger deck that actually cuts it's full width now mowing is done in MUCH less time. So we shall see how this goes

Anyway I spent a little more moola on this than I was planning for the Kubota so grills have to be on hold I think