Is anyone else being driven insane by mowers that don't cut ?

[309B6D]

Soaking chains in warmed/hot grease was a method used for motorcycles before the more modern chains with sealed links were developed.
I suppose once the grease was right inside the rollers it would tend to squeeze out when used thereby pushing the dirt and grit that clung on the surface away from the inner bearing surfaces.
The process was a bit tedious and could be rather messy though.
Oil will be too thin and can be flung out, or just drip off.

Some of the chain lubes that come in convenient spray cans have good anti-throw qualities to prevent a big thick greasy line of muck getting thrown up inside the motorcycles rear wheel guard and all over the side of the tyre.

 

[simca1100]

I use spray on chain lube - I think it is a WD40 brand product.
Yours must be the earlier model with more room underneath. Sounds good.

 

[Roger Wilkinson]

I lubricate drive chains with chain saw bar oil.

Roger

 

[DoubleChevron]

I lubricate drive chains with chain saw bar oil.

Roger

I'm thinking, that will be exactly what chain oil is I'm surprised the don't attract lots of dirt and grit

 

[Whippet]

Thanks for that. does your manual detail how to set the clutch packs. The cork looks quite thick, so I don't think they need replacing (though it is online for about $40 for a pair of replacement corks).

Hi Shane. Let me know if you need any assistance drinking the bottles of wine to obtain enough corks to re-cork your clutches. Happy to assist.

 

[gsmack]

I use push bike dry wax products as my preferred product, all the dry grass dust doesn’t get stuck to it.

 

[bob]

Then again, it turns so well, he probably never went backward

don't reckon I've ever seen a zero turn going backwards...
Checked the Greenfield book on the chain lube, doesn't look to have anything to say. Inox is good stuff for the old treadlie - it's main feature though is being light I'd reckon, fantastic for Bowden cables. Mower chains are big ugly brutes in the worst operating conditions imaginable, I just use ordinary engine oil on 'em, whatever is in the can - never seen one "service worn", old static ones just seize up from the plates rusting together...
Bob

 

[DoubleChevron]

don't reckon I've ever seen a zero turn going backwards...
Checked the Greenfield book on the chain lube, doesn't look to have anything to say. Inox is good stuff for the old treadlie - it's main feature though is being light I'd reckon, fantastic for Bowden cables. Mower chains are big ugly brutes in the worst operating conditions imaginable, I just use ordinary engine oil on 'em, whatever is in the can - never seen one "service worn", old static ones just seize up from the plates rusting together...
Bob

I found the out front deck brilliant as I can cut around the trees along our fence line, you can spin around the tree until the deck touches the fence. But then must reverse out (obviously). This isn't zero turn, very close, but no cigar its all swings and round-a-bouts, I'm sure I'll figure out pretty quickly reasons why outfront decks aren't great..... and reasons why rear steer is aggravating

The mower is still sitting in the shed waiting on the caster wheel bearings. They only had one in stock when I whipped upto ballart bearings yesterday. They have ordered four in .... and will hopefully be here today. A whopping $6.00 each.

 

[citroenut]

A Deutscher .... I've always wanted one of them ... made right here in Ballarat. I don't think they make ride-on mowers any longer.

Deutscher mowers & walk behinds were the great grass cutters of our time & I new that when i got the opportunity to demonstrate one on
difficult grass [ Parramatta Grass ] it was a guaranteed sale. Deutscher were great to deal with too, unlike AMC who had a basically well designed rear engined ride on that needed sorting & they were very unhelpful. Peter & Eric Deutscher ended by giving up trying to compete with the imported American cheap rubbish that flooded in to our market & when I last heard, they were making hospital beds ! All Deutscher machines were rebuildable, even the very earliest variable pulley drive models, with affordable parts. I have been out of the industry now for over ten years, don't know if they have continued to make & supply parts.
Good luck,
Richard

 

[309B6D]

Thanks for the background info, Richard.

I bought a Deutscher H26 about 20 years ago. A company called AMC was selling them here in NZ. Auckland Mower Centre, though.
As a standard pre-sale modification he would weld a length of steel rod around the bottom of the front shield. It prevented it buckling inward if a stump or fence post was hit.
I cut the front lip about 25mm higher to stop tall grass folding under and not being cut very cleanly. The angled shield still covered the blade tips plenty in a vertical line.

The only problem I have had was with a strange surge that was found to be a worn diff. gear.
Uneven hardening had about a third of the crown wheel worn back to concave the teeth. ( variable speed gearing every revolution!)
Peter or Eric assured me it was a unique fault and a new part was here in Northland very quickly.
It was easy to work on the neat little transaxle.

They said imported cheap ride-ons were starting to knock their sales. The main developing market was South Africa. Once saturation was reached there sales would have really slowed.
It is sad to see such a good product fade away from lack of demand.
There is obviously more demand for hospital beds than walk behind mowers.
My guess is that a Deutscher hospital bed is well designed and extremely reliable.

Cheers,
Bryan

 

[DoubleChevron]

The guy I bought the AMC from. In the shed was a ratty zero turn mower ..... The AMC above and what looked to be a VERY low hour Deutscher walk behind mower in the back corner..... The deutscher and amc covered in "barn dust". Obviously I spotted the deutscher instantly .... "Not for sale" was the instant answer :roflmao: ... I'm betting his father retired 15->20 years ago. Walked into the local mower store and said "show me the best ride on mower and slasher you have" ..... and he walked out with the AMC and Deutscher. They are both build like commercial mowers but wouldn't have the price tag.

 

[simca1100]

unlike AMC who had a basically well designed rear engined ride on that needed sorting & they were very unhelpful.

A mower repairman I went to in the early years of my AMC ownership said pretty much the same - " we gave them heaps of suggestions of how to fix problems with their mowers, they weren't interested."

 

[309B6D]

Deutscher H26 walk behind was NZ$4500 20 years ago. OMC Power Equipment in Christchurch have them listed at $8000 (both pull start Honda) GST increase from 10% to 15% over that time hasn't helped with prices.
Not cheap, but they last. And there is not much else like them. Certainly built like a commercial/professional mower.

I see the Deutscher site is still selling what is now 660mm rather than 26". Same width.
The deck has changed to a more simple design.
The H660 I looked at had lifted tips on the blades to help raise the grass during cutting, and to improve the throw.

The earlier models had flat blades that slashed cleanly (once the front skirt had been raised).
The curved chute under the deck would deliver a tidy row that would dry like hay. Lifting blades can leave a fine bruised chopped grass that goes a dry rusty brown. The chickens don't like that in their laying boxes too much.

For anyone unfamiliar with the Deutscher, you can view it at this link:

https://www.deutschermowers.com.au/products/display/3-deutscher-he660-deutscher-mower

 

[DoubleChevron]

I'm glad all you guys told me what the go with this mower is, or right about now I'd be tearing my hair out, trying to "fix" it. New caster wheels transformed it. It very nearly spins on the spot. The neighbours must have thought I was being even nuttier than usual, laughing like a crazy person everytime I turned ..... and the damn thing actually bloody turned you don't understand how much its driven me crazy trying to cut around the house with a mower that doesn't turn.

the thing is a tank. The nose fits under all the trees and along the fence lines that were previously uncut. Big dog bones and branches just explode and get shredded and thrown out the side across the yard. The blades are quite battered ... but it actually cuts the grass.... The grass has never looked so good .... not ever. Not only are all the trees cut around, the thing actually does an incredibly nice job of cutting. It has heaps of power to drive plough through anything without any signs of slipping cutter belts etc.... ie: its a proper aussie mower, not an american thing. How will I manage without headlights and cup holders though

 

[DoubleChevron]

Ok, one last post. I've attached the piccies as promised that show the access. The chain tensioner mentioned, I can wrap my whole hand around it easily from underneath. Everything short of the actual drive unit is swinging in open air.... Even the deck pivots up high if you put a jack under its nose giving huge access to the blades. Can you pick what the tools wired to the foot rest are for? I'm guessing I'll work it out the day I need them.

The very first thing I'd did was drive it to the top of the yard, and face it downhill into a blind spot behind a tree to cut the grass..... Yep, reverse sure wouldn't pull me back out. If I pressed hard, the squeal as you stated is the belt slipping.

I'm so glad you gave me the overview, otherwise I'd have it in bits now trying to sort the weak reverse. Because it turns so easily (I'd say a 40cm turning circle) ... All I need to do it plan to go backward across hills (so its level) or nose into areas and back out downhill. Flat level ground is fine, but not backing uphill. Reverse is best used for slowing the mower downhill (after the first couple of times of feeling it tilt over onto 3wheels, I sure did slow down before turning ).

forward clutch is very strong and it will easily spin one of the wheels (infact, the mower would be hopeless of slippery ground, even with those big drive wheels). I'm thinking I need to drop them down to maybe 10psi so they grab the ground better. Other than that, the thing is a beast. I cut around the shipping container (waist high thick green grass where the tractor doesn't fit) and it just plowed through it no problems. Now to give the rover a bath and throw it on the moarket.

Oh, I'm thinking its not super ancient due to the sheer number of warning stickers on it. The first 4digits of the serial number are 0902 ... So Im guessing its build 9month of 2002 or 2nd month of 2009

seeya
Shane L.

 

[Roger Wilkinson]

You might find 6 or 8 psi is enough in the drive tyres.

That's a fairly rough access hole in the side of the seat box!

Roger

 

[DoubleChevron]

access piccies

You might find 6 or 8 psi is enough in the drive tyres.

That's a fairly rough access hole in the side of the seat box!

Roger

It must be something to do with releasing the tension on the drive belt. There is a tool wired beside it the must pull the tensioner back. The rusty metal bolted to the side I reckon is to tilt it from. I think he must have hooked an endless chain to that and tilted it to clean after each use. It took using it once and filling everywhere with grass to make me realise the thing was spotless (other than the barn dust). I doubt I'll hose all the grass out of all the decks areas and everywhere it can accumulate after each use. I still have no idea what the "hook" wired to the foot rest is. Maybe it clips to the front somewhere and you can lift the mower vertical with a block and tackle to get under it.

 

[Kenfuego]

Love your guts and gumption Double Chevron, and particularly when you have what looks to be a great find that will be truly tested and enjoyed.

Love that it is a product of local production at Horsham, Vic. The hub of a thriving Farm ag driven industry (sad they don't make them any more but that is much like what is left, with the price dominance of China, closing out smaller assembly operations in Australia) Fortunate we still have places that support good machinery like that link earlier Sparks Ag AMC spares: http://www.sparksag.com.au/our-products/amc-mower--chipp-parts I like their family style personalized advertisement, I wonder how long they will survive ? Buy up while the spares are there!! Even if parts may still be supplied by China, at the very least we are also supporting fellow Australians

Looking forward to seeing your ongoing challenges and solutions and the fact that A/F at least in these threads are as helpful and friendly as has been the most frequent experience, that keeps us coming back to a good read and solutions.

I have always wondered about buying from the Facebook Marketplace, that looks to be a good example of doing o.k. worth the effort.

Good to see this, almost a community project..

Ken

 

[DoubleChevron]

You have to laugh .... I chucked a battery in the rover ride on and chucked it on facebook marketplace. In less than an hour someone has said "I'll be there at 9:00am tomorrow, don't sell it until I see it" ....... And I thought I put top $$ on it too ...hmm... Obviously I was just out cutting aroudn the tree along the fenceline and the deck bearing died in the new mower .... Fun right? I guess I get to learn now what deck bearings an AMC mower uses At least I'm not cramped under the mower trying to get to the deck I guess. The bearings in it weren't even noisy!

 

[DoubleChevron]

This is just amazing its so simple to work on .... I spent 5minutes looking at it ... undid 3 bolts, lifted the frame up and rolled the mower backwards. Deck removed

I thought there would be a big nut on top of the pulley. There this, that must clamp the pulley down onto the shaft...

see the pulley is slotted. I just used a puller right? I thought I'd check with you guys as you all seem to have been here before (my experience with using a puller on pulleys ... is bending and breaking the pulleys