[AT] New little tractor bargain.

[Larry D. Goss]

When I read Farmer's story, my thought was that there are an awful lot
of customers at the Big Box stores who have no business owning
mechanical devices.  I ran into them all the time when I was doing
warrantee service for a local dealership a few years ago.  I was making
regular rounds to one of those stores twice a week and I convinced the
"people in the back room" to set some of their "bad" products out by the
back door rather than to throw them in the dumpster.  They went back to
the dealership with me.  I collected a chipper-shredder, a 22-ton log
splitter, a gear-driven rear tine tiller, a banquet table...  The only
thing that no one was willing to do anything with was a tractor-style
riding mower that the owner had let a mouse build its nest in and the
overheating because of lack of air circulation caused it to break a rod.
The owner thought somebody should cover the damage because it was only
about six months old.

Larry

-----Original Message-----
From: at-bounces at lists.antique-tractor.com
[mailto:at-bounces at lists.antique-tractor.com] On Behalf Of Chuck
Saunders
Sent: Tuesday, October 03, 2006 7:49 AM
To: Antique tractor email discussion group
Subject: Re: [AT] New little tractor bargain.

Mattias, they don't always happen to someone else. They always happen to
that Robinson fella. ;>). Good deal farmer!
Chuck

On 10/3/06, Mattias Kessén <davidbrown950 at gmail.com> wrote:
>
> Why do those things always happen to someone else :-( Congratulations
> to your bargain anyway!
>
> Mattias
>
> 2006/10/3, Francis Robinson <robinson at svs.net>:
> >        Three years ago I bought a 20 HP 42" cut Yard-Man lawn
tractor
> from Wally
> > World. We have used it to mow about a zillion acres (actually we mow
> about 8
> > acres) and at times I have used it to hog stuff down that was taller
> than it
> > was... After 3 very hard years we have been really pleased with it.
I
> have
> > worn out about 4 sets of blades on it. Not just worn back a little
but
> worn
> > to a nub...   :)  I also wore out a couple of deck drive belts. This
> summer
> > I put a pair of tie rod ends on it and a little bearing at the
bottom of
> the
> > steering wheel shaft. Considering that I also use it to mow steep
road
> > ditches and several rough lots with it the durability has been
> excellent. I
> > did decide that maybe I should replace it this winter and had been
> looking
> > around. Wally World had one of the next model up sitting in their
L&G
> dept.
> > that had sat for quite some time. I kept watching it because it was
> getting
> > a little old for a new mower. They had not however cut the price
much at
> all
> > on it. Some time back I noticed that it was gone but a couple of
weeks
> ago
> > they had brought in one that was a return, maybe even that same
mower.
> It
> > had a sticker on the hood that said, "does not run". It was a 22 HP
46"
> cut
> > and had been cut from $1500 (was once almost $1700) down to $800. I
> looked
> > it over and it could have not been run an hour or so. The black
coating
> was
> > still on the blades except at the leading edge. I asked the clerk if
> they
> > had any idea why it did not run. She said she would check and I
asked
> her to
> > see if I could talk to the manager because I wondered if they would
> consider
> > cutting the price a bit more. I thought another $50 to $100 might
buy
> ant
> > parts I might need. She came back and said that they didn't know
what
> the
> > problem was but that the dept. manager said if I wanted it I could
have
> it
> > for $500... I about sprained my shoulder getting my wallet out...
:)
> I
> > went back with a trailer and brought it home and started looking at
it.
> When
> > they gave me the manual the plastic bag was marked "will not run for
> very
> > long at a time". I filled the tank, double checked the very clear
oil
> and
> > installed the battery, which was just sitting in its hole (backward)
and
> was
> > not connected. I used a jumper pack and it started right up. We have
> been
> > mowing with it all week and it has yet to misfire even once... Runs
> perfect,
> > cuts perfect. I have no idea what its problem was before. Since I
got it
> so
> > cheap I am keeping the old one instead of selling it. We now have
almost
> > matching his and hers mowers.   :)
> >        Between those two, the Yanmar 1500 and 5' finish mower and
the
> #$%& CUB and
> > its Woods mower and the 6' bush hog maybe we can keep the grass
mowed.
> >
> >
> >
> > Francis Robinson quote: "People that throw out trash while driving
are
> > trash..."
> >
> > "farmer"
> >
> > Francis Robinson
> > Central Indiana, USA
> > robinson at svs.net
> >
> >
> >
> > _______________________________________________
> > AT mailing list
> > Remembering Our Friend Cecil Monson 11-4-2005
> > http://www.antique-tractor.com/mailman/listinfo/at
> >
> _______________________________________________
> AT mailing list
> Remembering Our Friend Cecil Monson 11-4-2005
> http://www.antique-tractor.com/mailman/listinfo/at
>

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