Redneck repair of the day

[turbofiat124]

My father gave me this old Yardman mower. He said the belt came off. It sat in the barn for about five years. I fixed the belt and had to clean the carburetor where it had sat for so long but it starts on the first pull and runs great. So I used it a couple of times until this happened after years of dad hitting fence posts:

The mower has a clever method of setting the deck height using a single lever on the rear wheel. However the piece that holds the front axle to the deck is made of plastic. This piece is $70+!!!

So I decided to weld the axle to the deck. I removed the leveling arm and leveled the deck using a 2X4 and some flat washers measuring the height from the rear and front of the deck to the floor using the last setting before the plastic support piece broke.

Then carefully centered the axle and welded it to the deck.

The mower tracks great and doesn't scalp the yard.

 

[Pumper54]

Nothing redneck about that. Looks like an great repair to keep the mower doing what it was made to do: Mow. I think a lot of folks would have set it out on the curb for the trash guys.
Tom

 

[jakesmurray]

Looks nice, great work :thumbsup:

 

[okiepc]

Bet it wont break now, good job, it will last a long time. :thumbsup:

 

[turbofiat124]

Thanks guys. It seems like my weld held up. I mowed with it the other day and it did OK.

Most of my welds are not pretty but I am using a 110 volt flux coated wire welder.

I've got a 110 volt stick welder which makes a better weld but it doesn't like thick rods. It makes it hard to strike and I am out of them.