Mending the Ride on Mower

We have a Countax Ride On Mower, it was hideously expensive an as it is now 15 years old , bits of it have a tendency to break.

Parts are also expensive (when available) so sometimes you have to improvise.

Fortunately, as I have spent my entire adult life as a Marine Engineer, I am more than able to "bodge" things together (as at sea you often have to make the incorrect part fit)

Drill and holesaw

Jigsaw

Circular Saw

Nuts and bolts

Tape measure

As you can see the Fibreglass top of the grass catcher is damaged, it has become brittle with age and its latest "coming together" with a hedge has rendered it inoperable.

I took the catcher off of the mower and dismantled it (this is fairly simple to do as it is held together with 4 bolts and the tilt arms are push on)

The 3rd picture was taken post dismantling just to show the damage.

It still catches grass but the tilt emptying mechanism will not work as the mounts for all the bolts are broken.

It is also Easter Sunday, so no shops open, plus I am terminally mean so spending money on a new one is just not going to happen. I just looked it up and the Powered grass collector is 999 Pounds (or over $2000 NZ) Picture 4 shows a new one on their website.

So let's see what we have around the place to try and fix it.

This is the "bucket" of an old tow behind wheelbarrow, I have had it for maybe 15 years and the frame has long rusted out. My wife has been telling me to get rid of this for at least 4 years, ha! a small victory for me.

it is slightly larger than the red fibreglass top but only by about 20mm, I can bodge that I'm sure.

First, get all the rusty metal off, the bolts were seized solid, so I ground the off with a cutting disc in my angle grinder.

I measured the depth of the old top (75mm) and marked this out on the barrow (I actually marked it slightly larger (80mm) as you can always cut some more off but can't stick it back on)

I then cut all around using a circular saw

I put the old top onto the barrow part and marked the location of the Tilt Emptying Handle, this was then drilled with a Holesaw.

The First picture shows the slight extra width of the piece, I will now trial fit and cut to length.

The top was trial fitted. and it was obvious that the inner end would need shaping, however it did fit, it just "snagged when trying to tilt upwards

The end was cut to the correct length and a small curve cut out to clear the front brackets on the mower.

The catcher was then reassembled with new slightly longer bolts (due to the slightly bigger crossways dimension of the new top) Once bolted together the extra threads on the bolts were cut off with the angle grinder as one of them fouled the tilt handle.

The catcher was then lifted back onto the mower pivot points and the push on arms reattached.

Of course it does, you slide the handle up (for better leverage) and pull it forward and the grass catcher pivots and empties, you let it go and the catcher swings down, clips under the grass "exit flap" and you can push the handle down.

In fact, because it is slightly heavier than the original, it seems to locate in the down position more positively than the original. Very happy bunny here.

RESULT!

TOTAL COST ABSOLUTELY ZILCH! TOOK ABOUT 2 HOURS AND SAVED OVER 2 THOUSAND DOLLARS