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Parts to keep before junking nearly identical riding mower?
#1
C
cmw
C
cmw
The Kohler Courage engine on my Husqvarna LGT 2554 took a dump about 2 years ago. Just as I was considering dumping the thing because I couldn't find a used engine, an entire LGT 2654 came along. The transmission was bad on this and had been removed but the rest was still good. I got the entire thing, wheels deck and all, for $50. I considered using this as my mower and moving my transmission over but it used the foot pedal type operation. Mine is lever operated which I prefer so swapped the engine and now have this mower running again. I gave the engine and transmission some TLC including fluid/oil changes and a good carb cleaning.
Anyway, I am now left with the hulk of the LGT 2654 sitting in my yard. I know this has a lot of worthwhile parts but what should I keep? Here are some options I thought of.
1. Move the thing somewhere out of sight and keep the entire thing. It is easy to drag around as the front wheels are still on it and it doesn't weight all that much.
2. Keep small parts like deck brackets and such then junk the frame/fenders, etc. I would keep all the wiring as it is the same.
3. Keep small parts as well as the fuel tank. I have had to replace these in the past and this one is form fitted to this unit so figure it would be at least a $100 part.
The front of my LGT 2554 got pretty burned/melted in places when the old Kohler decided to burn oil and runaway like a diesel so plan to swap these parts as well.
Any other suggestions on what to keep and what to dump? I have several loads of scrap to take in and can put this one at the back of the list while I deal with the rest.
Anyway, I am now left with the hulk of the LGT 2654 sitting in my yard. I know this has a lot of worthwhile parts but what should I keep? Here are some options I thought of.
1. Move the thing somewhere out of sight and keep the entire thing. It is easy to drag around as the front wheels are still on it and it doesn't weight all that much.
2. Keep small parts like deck brackets and such then junk the frame/fenders, etc. I would keep all the wiring as it is the same.
3. Keep small parts as well as the fuel tank. I have had to replace these in the past and this one is form fitted to this unit so figure it would be at least a $100 part.
The front of my LGT 2554 got pretty burned/melted in places when the old Kohler decided to burn oil and runaway like a diesel so plan to swap these parts as well.
Any other suggestions on what to keep and what to dump? I have several loads of scrap to take in and can put this one at the back of the list while I deal with the rest.
#2
Boobala
Boobala
Well, 2 years looking for that engine ..?? HMmmm , why not try looking for what you plan to dump , see how long that takes, and what it will cost ( don't forget S&H ) then decide what to do . !!
#3
B
bertsmobile1
B
bertsmobile1
The only other part that requires regular repalcement is the steering gear because no one ever lubes it so the bush gets ovalled then the ends of the teeth break off.
A wheel with a good tyre is always handy because as sure as poo is brown, you will get a flat the day before the mother in law is about to make a royal visitation.
So much easier to swap a wheel complete, finish the mowing then forget about the flat till the above mentioned visit is eminent.
Tyres are very expensive so some spares never go astray and the electrics,pto switches , ignition switch, solenoid will fit in a box small enough to get lost till after you have to buy replacements.
A wheel with a good tyre is always handy because as sure as poo is brown, you will get a flat the day before the mother in law is about to make a royal visitation.
So much easier to swap a wheel complete, finish the mowing then forget about the flat till the above mentioned visit is eminent.
Tyres are very expensive so some spares never go astray and the electrics,pto switches , ignition switch, solenoid will fit in a box small enough to get lost till after you have to buy replacements.
#4
C
cmw
C
cmw
The steering gear is a good suggestion as I didn't think of that. This is also quite the heavy mower being a 54 inch and doesn't like to turn well because of its size. I have found that turning at slow speeds is best. I suspect the size of this tractor might make mine worse off than most so will definitely keep that.
I am planning to keep the tires for sure as they hold air and are overall in good shape without dry rot and have good tread.. The rear wheels have already been removed with the bad transmission. I left the fronts on so I can lift up the back end and drag the thing around.
The reason it took so long to find and engine is because a new one of the same model that was on the mower cost as much as an entire mower with that same engine already installed! I found a couple replacements and then ended up with a 50 or 52 inch zero turn so pretty much gave up on messing with this one. I started hauling in scrap loads of junk and the mower got on the "maybe" list for taking it in as well. I can find smaller used mower engines for a decent price all day long but find something in the 25 HP range isn't easy. They just aren't out there. I basically dropped everything and sped over to the place when I found out about an entire mower with a running engine for $50. It was just a bonus that ended up being similar to mine.
I have cats so end up with plenty of cat litter buckets. These make great storage containers for parts. I think my plan is to keep most of the parts that fit in there. Deck brackets, springs, bolts, etc. will be saved. I plan to keep the gas tank. The seat on the parts unit is in better shape so will take that for sure.
I can't see anything besides the engine and transmission being super expensive. I can't see a good reason to keep the entire frame and fenders as mine are in comparable condition (overall good). I have broken a couple deck hangers and such. These cost me $10-20 and my local shop can get them to me next day. That being said, these should pass the test of fitting into a cat litter bucket so plan to keep them.
Thanks.
I am planning to keep the tires for sure as they hold air and are overall in good shape without dry rot and have good tread.. The rear wheels have already been removed with the bad transmission. I left the fronts on so I can lift up the back end and drag the thing around.
The reason it took so long to find and engine is because a new one of the same model that was on the mower cost as much as an entire mower with that same engine already installed! I found a couple replacements and then ended up with a 50 or 52 inch zero turn so pretty much gave up on messing with this one. I started hauling in scrap loads of junk and the mower got on the "maybe" list for taking it in as well. I can find smaller used mower engines for a decent price all day long but find something in the 25 HP range isn't easy. They just aren't out there. I basically dropped everything and sped over to the place when I found out about an entire mower with a running engine for $50. It was just a bonus that ended up being similar to mine.
I have cats so end up with plenty of cat litter buckets. These make great storage containers for parts. I think my plan is to keep most of the parts that fit in there. Deck brackets, springs, bolts, etc. will be saved. I plan to keep the gas tank. The seat on the parts unit is in better shape so will take that for sure.
I can't see anything besides the engine and transmission being super expensive. I can't see a good reason to keep the entire frame and fenders as mine are in comparable condition (overall good). I have broken a couple deck hangers and such. These cost me $10-20 and my local shop can get them to me next day. That being said, these should pass the test of fitting into a cat litter bucket so plan to keep them.
Thanks.
#5
B
bertsmobile1
B
bertsmobile1
Unless you are selling your scrap.
Stick an add in the freebies section of Craigs list.
Some one will always have a mower that rolled over , got reversed into etc and will be happy to pick up free bits.
Stick an add in the freebies section of Craigs list.
Some one will always have a mower that rolled over , got reversed into etc and will be happy to pick up free bits.
#6
C
cdestuck
C
cdestuck
Keep all but the frame, maybe front axle or some other heavy metal parts that don't usually rust. I had the same deal with two Deere 325. Stripped that baby completely and boxed up the parts, even had the space so saved the old bad engine. So far I've had to go pull at least 3 items from the stripped tractor. Just the other day the one lift arm for the deck left loose. So neat to go to the box, find the part and had tractor back working in no time
#7
C
Captain Belly
C
Captain Belly
glad I read this. I have 2 crappy mowers that I'm soooooooooo DONE with. I may just burn them for the joy of it. At some point a guy needs to just "let go".
#8
B
bertsmobile1
A chap down the road a bit was done with his Toro 244-5 so he popped it on the side of the road with a "free" sign on it.
Four minutes latter it had found a new home & now it sits in my yard waiting for a quote.
IT requires a new carburettor & a gearbox overhaul, not bad for a mower that is pushing 30 with 1500 hours on the clock.
Despite the mower side being in a perfectly functional condition the new owner is going to convert it into a fun cart for his grand daughter.
B
bertsmobile1
glad I read this. I have 2 crappy mowers that I'm soooooooooo DONE with. I may just burn them for the joy of it. At some point a guy needs to just "let go".
A chap down the road a bit was done with his Toro 244-5 so he popped it on the side of the road with a "free" sign on it.
Four minutes latter it had found a new home & now it sits in my yard waiting for a quote.
IT requires a new carburettor & a gearbox overhaul, not bad for a mower that is pushing 30 with 1500 hours on the clock.
Despite the mower side being in a perfectly functional condition the new owner is going to convert it into a fun cart for his grand daughter.
#9
C
cmw
C
cmw
It is funny that this came up as I hauled in a big load of scrap two days ago. I ended up planning to basically junk the entire deal but then I got extremely busy with work and it just sat there for a while looking ugly. I am glad it did though.
Anyway, I actually used the frame and chassis from this old mower. I got a good deal on a similar unit with a good 24HP Kawasaki. I really didn't need another mower but it was $50 so couldn't pass up something like that. The frame had busted because the bolts holding one of the brackets onto the front of the transmission came loose and the owner didn't realize it, so just kept mowing this way. It put more stress on the frame and busted it cleanly on one side of the transmission and was nearly broken on the other side. The transmission was basically about to fall off the mower.
I transplanted the engine back to the one with the good frame, among the other parts. The leftover junk that I didn't see a use for went in as scrap as well as another old junker that I had no need for and was overall pretty worse for wear.
I kept the hood and fenders for now along with the front-end and a few other parts like the seat. I plan to keep the better of the seats and send the ones I swap out down the road with my next load of junk. I work on computers for a living so there were a few dozen or more in the load of scrap. There was also a nice 1980's era top-load VHS player that was like 30 inches wide that went bye bye. There will always be another scrap load for me.
Conor
Anyway, I actually used the frame and chassis from this old mower. I got a good deal on a similar unit with a good 24HP Kawasaki. I really didn't need another mower but it was $50 so couldn't pass up something like that. The frame had busted because the bolts holding one of the brackets onto the front of the transmission came loose and the owner didn't realize it, so just kept mowing this way. It put more stress on the frame and busted it cleanly on one side of the transmission and was nearly broken on the other side. The transmission was basically about to fall off the mower.
I transplanted the engine back to the one with the good frame, among the other parts. The leftover junk that I didn't see a use for went in as scrap as well as another old junker that I had no need for and was overall pretty worse for wear.
I kept the hood and fenders for now along with the front-end and a few other parts like the seat. I plan to keep the better of the seats and send the ones I swap out down the road with my next load of junk. I work on computers for a living so there were a few dozen or more in the load of scrap. There was also a nice 1980's era top-load VHS player that was like 30 inches wide that went bye bye. There will always be another scrap load for me.
Conor
#10
turbofiat124
turbofiat124
I would definitely save the deck, tires and seat, maybe the front steering components like the spindles if they interchange. The front kingpins are made of cast iron which are supposed to be stronger than stamped steel but cast iron is brittle so I'd think they would be susceptible to breaking if you hit something really hard. But so far I have not cracked any on mine.
I'm really surprised these Husqvarna riding mowers didn't hold up any better than that did. My Sears Craftsman was made by Husqvarna in 2009 and it has held up well compared to my Snapper which literally fell apart by 10 years. Those mowers got cheap as hell around 2000. Stamped steel decks and wheels, etc.
My only complaint is the welds on the deck are weak. They only put one bead on one side of the brackets. It doesn't take much to crack the welds on the deck hangers and wheel brackets. Some of that is probably my fault trying to squeeze a 46" deck through a 48" hole in my yard barn.
Someone mentioned the steering gear wearing out. I noticed mine didn't have any grease on it at all when I got it. Maybe that was one of the 100 point checks that Sears missed when they put the thing together. So I've smeared some wheel bearing grease on it a couple of times. Next time I change the oil I'm going to grease everything on the mower.
After I had a three year old 14 B&S engine on a Snapper 33" rear engine that threw a rod and busted a hole in the engine block. I said I would never buy a mower with a B&S engine on it again. I thought that was just unacceptable for a three year engine to through a rod. Kind of looked like the nuts on the rod bearing vibrated loose from not being torqued properly and no Locktite.
Well my Craftsman came with a 21 hp Intek engine but I got the mower at a discount. The whole mower may have about 300 hours on it by now and when I start the engine after it's been sitting for 2 weeks, it starts up and leaves me in a cloud of glory. I guess the valve seals/guides may be worn. But I only have to add less than a quart of oil between oil/filter changes every 50 hours so I'm not worried about it.
Also those older Kohler OHV engines 14/15 HP made 15 years old seem to be bullet proof. I don't know about those Courage engines. "Taryl fixes all" on YouTube has a bunch of videos on these engines and they must be a POS.
I'm really surprised these Husqvarna riding mowers didn't hold up any better than that did. My Sears Craftsman was made by Husqvarna in 2009 and it has held up well compared to my Snapper which literally fell apart by 10 years. Those mowers got cheap as hell around 2000. Stamped steel decks and wheels, etc.
My only complaint is the welds on the deck are weak. They only put one bead on one side of the brackets. It doesn't take much to crack the welds on the deck hangers and wheel brackets. Some of that is probably my fault trying to squeeze a 46" deck through a 48" hole in my yard barn.
Someone mentioned the steering gear wearing out. I noticed mine didn't have any grease on it at all when I got it. Maybe that was one of the 100 point checks that Sears missed when they put the thing together. So I've smeared some wheel bearing grease on it a couple of times. Next time I change the oil I'm going to grease everything on the mower.
After I had a three year old 14 B&S engine on a Snapper 33" rear engine that threw a rod and busted a hole in the engine block. I said I would never buy a mower with a B&S engine on it again. I thought that was just unacceptable for a three year engine to through a rod. Kind of looked like the nuts on the rod bearing vibrated loose from not being torqued properly and no Locktite.
Well my Craftsman came with a 21 hp Intek engine but I got the mower at a discount. The whole mower may have about 300 hours on it by now and when I start the engine after it's been sitting for 2 weeks, it starts up and leaves me in a cloud of glory. I guess the valve seals/guides may be worn. But I only have to add less than a quart of oil between oil/filter changes every 50 hours so I'm not worried about it.
Also those older Kohler OHV engines 14/15 HP made 15 years old seem to be bullet proof. I don't know about those Courage engines. "Taryl fixes all" on YouTube has a bunch of videos on these engines and they must be a POS.
#11
C
cmw
I have several mowers and am consolidating down to a few now that I have a nicer zero turn that mowers at 3x the speed. I have a couple junkers for hard use such as brush cutting and one I use for logging. I have a 9hp Kohler Command powered Craftsman that has no problem pulling trees out of the woods so I can use them for firewood. The Kohler Command is a GREAT ENGINE and you cannot destroy them. The Courage is JUNK as you mention. These never last when I get ahold of them. One of them would smoke like mad until it got hot enough to ignite all the oil it was burning and run like a diesel. Sometimes this made shutting that unit down difficult on hot days as it was running on the oil.
I agree that many of the current Briggs engines are junk. It seems BS really cut corners and now Snapper is sadly sold at places like Wal-Mart. I had a friend consider buying a Wal-Mart Snapper as he has a small yard but is getting older and just wanted a basic rider. He declined when he realized there were no real provisions for changing the oil. He would have had to suck it out. I have not had any Briggs engine in recent years throw rods. The plastic camshaft rounded off in one and it was burning quite a bit of oil at that time so it was junked. Then I have had a few others let go of a valve or valve seat and knock holes in the heads and pistons. You pretty much need a Vanguard if you want a decent Briggs these days.
I have scrapped this mower and several others but did keep all the parts you suggest. Tires/wheels are not cheap. The decks are not cheap. I have never work out the steering gear but a buddy said to never throw that away if it fit my existing mower.
I tried selling some of them on Craigslist and FB Marketplace but seemed to attract every entitled sociopath within a 3 county radius. Busting them apart with my impact wrench and hauling them in as scrap seemed to be a better use of my time.
C
cmw
I would definitely save the deck, tires and seat, maybe the front steering components like the spindles if they interchange. The front kingpins are made of cast iron which are supposed to be stronger than stamped steel but cast iron is brittle so I'd think they would be susceptible to breaking if you hit something really hard. But so far I have not cracked any on mine.
I'm really surprised these Husqvarna riding mowers didn't hold up any better than that did. My Sears Craftsman was made by Husqvarna in 2009 and it has held up well compared to my Snapper which literally fell apart by 10 years. Those mowers got cheap as hell around 2000. Stamped steel decks and wheels, etc.
My only complaint is the welds on the deck are weak. They only put one bead on one side of the brackets. It doesn't take much to crack the welds on the deck hangers and wheel brackets. Some of that is probably my fault trying to squeeze a 46" deck through a 48" hole in my yard barn.
Someone mentioned the steering gear wearing out. I noticed mine didn't have any grease on it at all when I got it. Maybe that was one of the 100 point checks that Sears missed when they put the thing together. So I've smeared some wheel bearing grease on it a couple of times. Next time I change the oil I'm going to grease everything on the mower.
After I had a three year old 14 B&S engine on a Snapper 33" rear engine that threw a rod and busted a hole in the engine block. I said I would never buy a mower with a B&S engine on it again. I thought that was just unacceptable for a three year engine to through a rod. Kind of looked like the nuts on the rod bearing vibrated loose from not being torqued properly and no Locktite.
Well my Craftsman came with a 21 hp Intek engine but I got the mower at a discount. The whole mower may have about 300 hours on it by now and when I start the engine after it's been sitting for 2 weeks, it starts up and leaves me in a cloud of glory. I guess the valve seals/guides may be worn. But I only have to add less than a quart of oil between oil/filter changes every 50 hours so I'm not worried about it.
Also those older Kohler OHV engines 14/15 HP made 15 years old seem to be bullet proof. I don't know about those Courage engines. "Taryl fixes all" on YouTube has a bunch of videos on these engines and they must be a POS.
I have several mowers and am consolidating down to a few now that I have a nicer zero turn that mowers at 3x the speed. I have a couple junkers for hard use such as brush cutting and one I use for logging. I have a 9hp Kohler Command powered Craftsman that has no problem pulling trees out of the woods so I can use them for firewood. The Kohler Command is a GREAT ENGINE and you cannot destroy them. The Courage is JUNK as you mention. These never last when I get ahold of them. One of them would smoke like mad until it got hot enough to ignite all the oil it was burning and run like a diesel. Sometimes this made shutting that unit down difficult on hot days as it was running on the oil.
I agree that many of the current Briggs engines are junk. It seems BS really cut corners and now Snapper is sadly sold at places like Wal-Mart. I had a friend consider buying a Wal-Mart Snapper as he has a small yard but is getting older and just wanted a basic rider. He declined when he realized there were no real provisions for changing the oil. He would have had to suck it out. I have not had any Briggs engine in recent years throw rods. The plastic camshaft rounded off in one and it was burning quite a bit of oil at that time so it was junked. Then I have had a few others let go of a valve or valve seat and knock holes in the heads and pistons. You pretty much need a Vanguard if you want a decent Briggs these days.
I have scrapped this mower and several others but did keep all the parts you suggest. Tires/wheels are not cheap. The decks are not cheap. I have never work out the steering gear but a buddy said to never throw that away if it fit my existing mower.
I tried selling some of them on Craigslist and FB Marketplace but seemed to attract every entitled sociopath within a 3 county radius. Busting them apart with my impact wrench and hauling them in as scrap seemed to be a better use of my time.
#12
C
cmw
C
cmw
Yes, it seems there are different grades of engines and mowers these days. Husqvarna is no longer a commercial brand. They make lots of cheap consumer grade crap as well. They are all made by AYP as is Craftsman, Poulan, etc. Poulan is aptly named because all you do is pull-on the starter rope. Poulan is a crap except for some of the yellow colored Poulan Pro chainsaws I have used. They seem decent for basic use. The other stuff is just junk.