Riding mower takes a dump

[WebMonkey]

I know, i know.
no pictures so it didn't happen

m
so take this as a decrepit ol' man's senile rant.

yesterday i fired up the john deere l120 mower.
air filter, check.
oil level and 'color', check
tires, check.
linkage greased, check.
deck and blades, check.

alrighty then. sounds fine, i know.
thing is, when we moved out to this property, i said no more finish mowing or weed eating.
yet here i am, finish mowing a dog patch (literally), garden area, chicken coops, fruit trees etc.
yes, poor me

so i get the dog patch knocked out and i'm off to the coops.
left turn, light a million times before.
mower physically nose dives.
blades off, look down.
left front tires is on the ground sideways.
did it fall off due to a cotter pin failure?

NOPE
front axle, i call it a dog bone, snapped off with the wheel assembly.

great.
pickup the front end with the kubota and haul it to the garage.
looking over front end, i notice the drag link on that side has the pivot stud thing snapped in half also.
harsh.

fast forward.
must drop muffler to pull dog bone bolt, went better than i hoped.

wheels off the dog bone, inspect said dog bone.
yep cast iron, proudly spelled out in the cast itself.

i find some high nickle wire for the mig and weld the parts back together (angle grinder a bevel on each 'half').
the dog bone snapped off center and a seemingly random section.

reassemble everything and weld the drag link up.

take off to return to mowing.

i know, you've already guessed it, SNAP.

but NO, dog bone is holding.

THE BLADES WONT ENGAGE NOW!

must have banged the stupid electric clutch and broke it.

so here i am, staring out the window at the stupid grass that mocks me as it grows taller and taller while i wait on parts.

--rant paused, never ended--

'monkey

 

[Dmack]

Did you check that the wire to the electric clutch didn't get unplugged when you were dealing with everything else? I had one spit completely out from under the mower on a JD320. Ripped the connector off.

 

[Rumbledawg]

did you say a JD 120?
i just inherited a 2012 120.
looks minty and runs perfect.
me and the boy used to fight over who was going to cut the grass, now we fight over who gets to cut the grass....i let him win...

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came with this little trailer too. i don't garden so it will most likely end up behind one of our atv's

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[AuroraGirl]

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Started ours first time today since last fall, put the battery charger on (was a little low) and gonna grease spindles and suspension, put a little slime in the tire thats low up front, air the rest good, and gotta get the maintenance kit too but yeah.

 

[89Suburban]

I know, i know.
no pictures so it didn't happen

m
so take this as a decrepit ol' man's senile rant.

yesterday i fired up the john deere l120 mower.
air filter, check.
oil level and 'color', check
tires, check.
linkage greased, check.
deck and blades, check.

alrighty then. sounds fine, i know.
thing is, when we moved out to this property, i said no more finish mowing or weed eating.
yet here i am, finish mowing a dog patch (literally), garden area, chicken coops, fruit trees etc.
yes, poor me

so i get the dog patch knocked out and i'm off to the coops.
left turn, light a million times before.
mower physically nose dives.
blades off, look down.
left front tires is on the ground sideways.
did it fall off due to a cotter pin failure?

NOPE
front axle, i call it a dog bone, snapped off with the wheel assembly.

great.
pickup the front end with the kubota and haul it to the garage.
looking over front end, i notice the drag link on that side has the pivot stud thing snapped in half also.
harsh.

fast forward.
must drop muffler to pull dog bone bolt, went better than i hoped.

wheels off the dog bone, inspect said dog bone.
yep cast iron, proudly spelled out in the cast itself.

i find some high nickle wire for the mig and weld the parts back together (angle grinder a bevel on each 'half').
the dog bone snapped off center and a seemingly random section.

reassemble everything and weld the drag link up.

take off to return to mowing.

i know, you've already guessed it, SNAP.

but NO, dog bone is holding.

THE BLADES WONT ENGAGE NOW!

must have banged the stupid electric clutch and broke it.

so here i am, staring out the window at the stupid grass that mocks me as it grows taller and taller while i wait on parts.

--rant paused, never ended--

'monkey

No pics!?

 

[donnieray]

Im sorry about the mower shitting the bed, your thread title made me laugh like hell.

 

[WebMonkey]

replaced axle, still waiting on drag/steering link to arrive.

as most of you already knew, welding cast iron is almost guaranteed waste of time.
certainly was with my hobby/light duty welder.

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drag link 'pivot' snapped

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remove shields and drop muffler to get axle bolt

 

[AuroraGirl]

I know, i know.
no pictures so it didn't happen

m
so take this as a decrepit ol' man's senile rant.

yesterday i fired up the john deere l120 mower.
air filter, check.
oil level and 'color', check
tires, check.
linkage greased, check.
deck and blades, check.

alrighty then. sounds fine, i know.
thing is, when we moved out to this property, i said no more finish mowing or weed eating.
yet here i am, finish mowing a dog patch (literally), garden area, chicken coops, fruit trees etc.
yes, poor me

so i get the dog patch knocked out and i'm off to the coops.
left turn, light a million times before.
mower physically nose dives.
blades off, look down.
left front tires is on the ground sideways.
did it fall off due to a cotter pin failure?

NOPE
front axle, i call it a dog bone, snapped off with the wheel assembly.

great.
pickup the front end with the kubota and haul it to the garage.
looking over front end, i notice the drag link on that side has the pivot stud thing snapped in half also.
harsh.

fast forward.
must drop muffler to pull dog bone bolt, went better than i hoped.

wheels off the dog bone, inspect said dog bone.
yep cast iron, proudly spelled out in the cast itself.

i find some high nickle wire for the mig and weld the parts back together (angle grinder a bevel on each 'half').
the dog bone snapped off center and a seemingly random section.

reassemble everything and weld the drag link up.

take off to return to mowing.

i know, you've already guessed it, SNAP.

but NO, dog bone is holding.

THE BLADES WONT ENGAGE NOW!

must have banged the stupid electric clutch and broke it.

so here i am, staring out the window at the stupid grass that mocks me as it grows taller and taller while i wait on parts.

--rant paused, never ended--

'monkey

My 20034 GX325 ( or 235 i dont remember) has broken welds on the frame to the platform you stand on, and its where the pedals attach.. so it moves like a slug and rattles a lot.. lol.

 

[Nasty-LSX]

replaced axle, still waiting on drag/steering link to arrive.

as most of you already knew, welding cast iron is almost guaranteed waste of time.
certainly was with my hobby/light duty welder.

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drag link 'pivot' snapped

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remove shields and drop muffler to get axle bolt

DAMN!! .. At least you got parts coming.