Lawn Mower Deck Cleaning:Is it okay to clean with water?

When you are finished mowing, you may think that you are done with your lawn tractor and you just go put it away, however this is not proper lawn care maintenance. Before you put your mower away you need to clean out the cutting area of your deck, whether by a scraper or with water. I have heard many legends over the years on how you can't clean a deck with water, it will ruin the bearings, but that is not the case.

Many manufacturers John Deere, MTD, Cub Cadet and several others offer a hose hookup for your lawn tractor. All you need to do is screw the hose into the adapter and turn on the water. Then start the PTO on your lawnmower and let it clean the deck out for you. This eliminates rust from the acid in the grass and also helps to make a better cut on your yard. These adapters can be retro fit to older lawn and garden equipment as well.

John Deere offers a GX22425 adapter for $3.24, a GX22426 port plate for $2.96 and a metric self tapping screw (37M7089) for $.34. For less than the cost of a decent meal you can have a easy way to save your investment that is your lawn tractor. You will need to drill a hole for the adapter to fit in the deck. Click the following link

LA105 John Deere Power Clean Instructional Video

Do it yourself Idea: Take some PVC 1/2" Pipe and cut it to length to fit your deck (i.e.: if you areg going for 54" then 54" of pipe should be cut. Cap off one end and put a hose connector on the other. Then you drill holes facing upward on it to create a multi-fountain that will spray. Drive your tractor over the piece of pvc and turn it on and then you have a clean deck.

Any other ideas that you have? Tell me about them.

Foreign Fridays: County Commercial Cars - England

Country Commercial Cars of England made tractors from 1950 to 1990. They specialized in 4x4 configurations and often used or re-purposed Ford tractors. They often left the Ford blue and just replace the Ford insignia with some County insignia. Many of these tractors are still in use but many have been scrapped or turned back into the Ford model they began in. The following is all the County Tractors and the years they were produced.

County Four-Drive, 55 hp, 1954

County Hi-Drive, 40 hp, 1958

County Super 4, 65 hp, 1961

County Super 6, 95 hp, 1962

Retro Mondays: Massey Ferguson 1150

The Massey Ferguson company began with a merger of then Massey Harris and Harry Ferguson Company. The name given was the Massey Harris Ferguson Company in 1953, but in 1958 the name was shortened to Massey Ferguson. The company is still in existence under the umbrella of AGCO Corporation out of Duluth, Ga and is still a major player in the agricultural equipment market around the world.

Massey Ferguson 1150:

In 1967 all the major agricultural players in the United States were making a push for a 2wd tractor with over 100 hp. John Deere had the 4020, Allis had the D21, IH had the 1206, but Massey didn't have one until the 1150. The 1150 was Massey's answer as a large row crop tractor. Produced for 6 years from 67' to 72', the tractor sold over 21,000 units, 21,958 to be exact. This tractor was modeled after the model in the Massey line, with the red hood and the silver belly and wheels. The distinct body lines were shared in all the equipment from Massey including the lawn and garden tractors of the time. 

What makes this tractor unique is the motor, it was a Perkins V-8. This motor made 146 hp and put out 135 hp at PTO and 120 HP at the draw bar. The motor had a cubic displacement of 503 and was a 16 valve motor. 1150 had a transmission called Mulit-Power. This transmission was a common place among Massey tractors of the day and gave you an added High Low option to your transmission, but only offered engine breaking on the High side of the Multi-Power and free wheeling on the Low side. Which this feature was great for hauling loads down a hill, but you would burn the transmission out if you tried to switch going down the hill. 

MF 1150 Stats: 

Years Produced: 1967-1972

Engine: 8.3L 8 Cyl Perkins Diesel

Engine HP: 146

PTO HP: 135

Draw bar HP: 120

PTO: Independent

PTO Type: 540/1000

Weight: 13,370# to 22625#

Chassis: 2wd

Steering: Hydro-static

Brakes: Differential Hydraulic Disc

Cab: Optional

Fuel Capacity: 50 Gal

Serial Numbers:

1967: 9B10001

1968: 9B14693
1969: 9B18673
1970: 9B23486
1971: 9B28238
1972: 9B31959

Foreign Friday: Chamberlain 4490

In order to cover tractors that come from across the world, I am going to take Friday's post and focus on foreign tractors and companies. Today I am going to focus on the Australian tractor company Chamberlain and in specific the 4490

Background:
Chamberlain Tractor Company was founded by A.W. (Bob) Chamberlain in the 1940's, with encouragement from the Western Australian Government the tractors were produced in a former munitions warehouse in Welshpool. The first tractor to roll off the assembly line was the 40K in 1949. In 1955, the company went from producing tractors that ran on kerosene to those that ran on diesel fuel. To promote this change in the Chamberlain line, they entered a converted tractor in the Redex around Australia rally. They called this tractor "Tail End Charlie."
In 1970, Deere and Co purchased a controlling share in the company. In the 80's Deere bough the remaining shares and thus formed the Chamberlain John Deere Company. By 1986, demand had dwindled and John Deere built the last tractor with the Chamberlain name that year. After that Deere started to import models from the U.S. to Australia and started manufacturing tractors under the John Deere name in the old plant.

Chamberlain 4490:
In a last ditch effort in 1985, the John Deere owned Chamberlain company decided to release a new line of tractors, but this time instead of the standard yellow in the past, they had a familiar paint job of John Deere Green and stickers that resembled the Deere brand in the US.

Chamberlain 4490

You will notice in the picture above that the 4490 shares some of the features of a 4450, like the fenders, decals and the pressurizer roof used on the Sound Gard Body. If you look closely at the engine that is indeed a John Deere 466 c.i. motor also used on the 4450. 

Chamberlain 4490 4x2 Chassis

One of the distinct Chamberlain characteristics that you notice at first is the wider than normal rear tires which are also fairly short for the width, at least compared to those in the United States. Also, the front end sticks out quite far from the front axle, which is different from John Deere's of that era, well unless you have an auxiliary fuel tank on your John Deere. Chamberlains look much like the old Ford TW's of the 80's on how the front end sticks out over the front axle.

Chamberlain 4490 4x4 Chassis

4490 Stats:

MFG: 1985-1986

Location: Welshpool, Australia

Total Built: 250

Weight: 13,779 to 14,319 lbs

Engine: Deere 7.6L (466 c.i) 6 Cyl Diesel

Engine HP: 137

PTO HP: 129

Chassis: 4x2, 4x4

Similar John Deere: 4450

Retro Mondays: 1206 International

As many that read this blog can tell I am first and foremost a fan of John Deere Green, but I do like tractors in general and one tractor that I like from the enemy camp is the 1206 International. This tractor, which debuted in 1965 to combat Deere's "New Generation of Power" was International's first attempt at a Row Crop tractor with over 100 hp.

IH Farmall 1206 Row Crop

This tractor was sold in three variations: IH 1206 (Standard), IH Farmall 1206 (Row-Crop/Pictured Above) and the IH 1206 Wheatland (Pictured Below). The IH 1206 Standard was much like the RC and the Wheatland version, in that it had the same motor and power qualities, but this tractor sat closer to the ground and was used for utility applications and the front axle is fixed. 1,289 were produced.

The IH Farmall 1206 was the most common of the variations with 8,400 built in three years. Row Crop tractors allow the owner to adjust the width of the front and rear axle to different row widths. The Wheatland version was intended for areas where row crop farming wasn't a big deal. Know for their big swooping fenders and larger platforms, these tractors have a distinct look all on their own.

IH 1206 Wheatland

What stands out to me is the fact that this tractor has white wheels and the white grill, which really makes this tractor stand out. If I could own one I would but with them bringing nearly $25,000 at auctions I may have to stick to Ertl toys for the time being.

1206 Stats:
Mfg: 1965-1967
List Price: $9,450 (1967)
Drawbar HP: 99
PTO HP: 110
PTO: 1000 rpm
Engine: 5.9L Inline Six Diesel
Chasis: 4x2 or 4x4

Serial #s IH1206
1965: 7501
1966: 7772
1967: 8492

Serial #'s Farmall 1206
1965: 7501
1966: 8626
1967: 12731

Are Home Maintenance Kits worth it?

In the past few years, companies like John Deere have been making what they call a Home Maintenance Kits that bundle all the filters, oil and sparks plugs into a convenient little package for your lawn mower. The biggest question we get here at Sydenstrickers is "Do I really save money on this by buying it instead of every individual filter? Well lets break it down.

For example, I am going to use the John Deere 425, made from 1992 to 2001 and is one of the more popular large lawn tractors John Deere has ever sold.

The Home Maintenance Kit for a 425 with a serial number less than 090419. The kit for that serial number is  Part Number LG187. This kit cost $49.96. Now let's break down the contents of this kit.

• Air Filter(Paper) MIU11376 - $19.54
• Air Filter(Foam) M76076 - $4.27
• Oil Filter AM107423 - $7.10
• Fuel Filter AM116304 - $4.55
• Spark Plugs AM101194 - $2.40 x 2 = $4.80
• Turf Gard 10w30 TY22029 - $4.95 x 2= $9.90

These parts purchased individually cost $50.16. So you don't really save that much by buying this kit. Let's take a look at a more popular consumer mower the LA125.

The LA125 uses the Home Maintenance Kit with the Part Number LG253. This kit runs for $40.76. Let's break this kit down and see it is actually worth it.

• Air Filter(Paper) MIU11511 - $13.52
• Air Filter(Foam) MIU11513 - $3.19
• Oil Filter AM125424 - $8.64
• Fuel Filter AM116304 - $4.55
• Spark Plug M78543 - $3.89
• Turf Gard 10w30 TY22029 - $4.95 x 2= $9.90

These parts sold individually cost $43.69. So you can save a little, but maybe not as much as you could if you would wait and purchase filters during the filters sales that your local John Deere dealer has twice each year. My suggestion would be to wait for that sale and then go purchase your Home Maintenance kit then. Many dealers will give you the discount that they give the filters at this time.


If you need a breakdown of your mower or the Home Maintenance Kit please feel free to comment and I will respond.

What kind of blade should I use on my mower?

That is a common question among folks who mow there yards everyday. In short, it depends on your equipment and the desired thatch that you want in your yard. (Thatch: the remaining dead grass left over along the ground next to the base of the grass plants, aka: dead grass) Well good news for you, there are many different choices for lawn mower blades and equipment setups. There are so many that you can find the correct one for your yard. Let's take a look at four of the most common blade setups available currently.

Standard Blade: 

Standard blade for a JD 54" deck. 

This blade is used in side discharge applications. Using only a straight cutting edge on opposite sides of the ends of the blade, this blade just lops off the blade of grass and creates air flow to move the grass out of the discharge chute, usually on the RH side of the mower. This blade is perfect when mulching or bagging is unnecessary or you are looking to move the mowing debris quickly from under the deck. This is the most common style of blade and is standard on about every riding mower from the factory (excluding ones with mulching decks). The best benefit of these blades are that they are easier to resharpen than the other blades because the cutting edge is straight, so these blades may last longer for the operator than other blades. They are also cheaper than the other types of blades we will be discussing today.

Mulching Blade:

Bend in the cutting edge.

Mulching Blade for a JD 54" deck.

This blade can either be used in mulching or side discharge applications. This blade uses the strait cutting edge just like the Standard blade but also has a bend in the middle of the blade to create suction so the clippings get chopped up more than once. Many times to get the full benefits of mulching your mower needs to be equipped with a mulching kit. This kit blocks off the discharge chute and forces the blade to chop the clippings up many times. When these clippings are chopped up "finer" they will decompose faster and thus they aren't as visible for long times and release nutrients back to the grass faster. This is much shorter that the clippings left over by the standard blade. Many push mowers come with mulching blades, because they are many times a "2 in 1" or a "3 in 1." This means that the mower can discharge or mulch and a "3 in 1" adds the option to bag up the clippings. One positive of this blade is that you can mow next to sidewalks with limited debris getting blown on the surface, making for a quicker clean up later on.

High Lift Blade: (Bagging)

Notice the lifted edge.

High Lift for JD 54" deck.

This blade is intended for use with a bagging system, because the blade is designed is such a way to create a great amount of lift to pickup all the grass clippings. It is designed to work with a material collection system (fancy term for a bagging system) and you don't see them on push mowers because the mulching blade creates adequate lift for that particular application. An issue with this blade is that the suction is so great that it tends to pull up debris like rocks and sticks. This is why it is not recommended to use on side discharge, well unless you like replacing glass on your home or vehicles. Some might get away with using this blade on a side discharge but you would need to keep your yard picked up in order to avoid those accidents. These blades equipped with a material collections system do an excellent job removing grass clippings, but you will have to dispose of the left over clippings. Many make compost piles and add the grass clippings to it to make fertilizer to put back on your yard. This is the best setup for a golf coarse like lawn and those really concerned with grass clippings.

Gator Blade:

Gator for a JD 21" Push Mower.

Notice the notches in the blade.

The last blade that I am aware of on the market is the Gator blade.(Also called a Predator blade) This odd looking blade gets it's name from the scale like projections made in the lifted part of the blade. This blade is designed to chop the clippings even more finely than a mulching blade but able to remove the clippings like a standard blade. These blades are made just like a mulching blade but with a noticeable difference and that is the notches that are in the lift portion of the blade. I am personally not sold on these blades and haven't heard good things from people I know that have used them. However, I have heard stories of some people that like them and swear by them so I guess it all depends on the grass and the speed of your blades.

In the end it all depends on your needs and your mower's setup on which blade you can run on your mower. Honestly, many people who mow can use the standard blade and see the results that they desire and the good news is that these blades are the cheapest. Mulching blades are a next followed by the High Lift and then the Gator blades are generally more expensive. Unless you really pay attention to your yard and the level of thatch (most people don't) the standard blade is for you. If you want to manage your yard with a little more attention the Gator blade and the Mulch blade is what you need to run on your mower.  Lastly if you are a big time neat freak and have to have the type of lawn show up in Better Homes and Garnens then the High Lift is for you. All in all, like many things in life, "To each his own."