len garden wrote:
i understand max,

we all ahve financila constaints especially at time of building a
home, but we still need to spend wisely.

greenfields not that much better than cox from this old mower
mechanics view point all friction drive and too many long belts.

the snapper is a good mower we used to sell them they are very
reliable chassis wise, the only consumables are the blade belt (if you
know the size ie.,. B36 then you can buy belts at any engineer supply
shop). the other wearing part is the driven wheel it has a rubber like
tyre on it so if you can determine that you can get them or repair the
old one then all should be ok. the b&s motor standard motor for most
machines easy to keep going and reliable if serviced well.

for me the choice with considerations would be the snapper.

when i mentioned raised root ball planting i was thinking fruit trees
etc, if you plant indemics they will grow better for you area, but you
can't ahve tall forest trees espically gum tree family on a property
that is not large enough for both tree and home etc.,.

the safe margin for one of those trees is its mature height plus 50%
for me i like to make that 100%, you don't need a storm for these
trees to fall over or drop major limbs. so you nearest gum tree to
your home and sheds will be about 80+ meters away.

you alkso have "duty of care" nowadays which means that if you have a
tree like that and it falls and damges neighbour or proerty you can
face littigation and probable heavy compensation and court costs.

if there is a rover rancher (the only model) around than grab that i
liked the old blue model with the 3 forward speed gear box think they
then came out with 5 or 6 speed gear box.

mini tractors do so much more than a mower ever will, check you local
papers people often sell them second hand, or check at tractor
dealerships get some kinowledge. buy a diesel they are pretty mush
unbreakable, ther are lots of brands and no doubt some better than
others but once you know what you are looking for you will narrow down
to a couple types.

ok they are a lot dearer than a rider mower (lot less dearer if you
buy second hand) but they just keep on keeping on. all you need do is
service them correctly (just as you need to do with a rider mower),
and they will be super reliable.

i think the smallest is around 18hp, but that hp with up to 18 gears
is far above comparing to the lowly hp of a rider mower. basic
tractor would ahve 3 point linkage set up and PTO. they come in 4x4
so if your block is mushy and slopey then 4x4 is the way to go. they
don't use belts they ahve proper gear boxes, transfer cases and
differentials. definately worth thinking about even if not now but the
near future maybe?

servicing is simply keeping the ari cleaner clean or replaced and
changing the engine oil & filter every i think 100 hours of work (most
come with an hour meter on the dash') too easy, easier n most cases
than doing a car.

keep chatting great stuff

On Sun, 06 May 2007 11:12:52 +1000, Max wrote:

snipped
With peace and brightest of blessings,

len & bev

--
"Be Content With What You Have And
May You Find Serenity and Tranquillity In
A World That You May Not Understand."

http://www.lensgarden.com.au/


Thanks for all the great advice Len.

A mini-tractor is definitely something we will look at buying when we
can afford it.

That old snapper really did need quite a bit of work. As I said, the
prices of even used mowers up here is through the roof. There are quite
a few people up here that make a good side earning from buying riders
from down south, doing them up and flogging them up here. That bloke
has had that snapper for years. He just keeps it so he can use it in
his classified adds as advertised for $500, then when you get there and
realize what a bomb it is, he tries to sell you one worth from $1200 to
$1900. It nearly worked on the misses too. g

Don't think that I haven't seriously thought about buying it anyway
though. It starts first pull, and doesn't blow smoke at all. But, the
list of thing that would need doing to it include;

Tyres, a rear one is flat (both look a little on the bald side) and
would need either a new tube, or maybe both back ones filled with
sealant. The front ones are hard rubber and look a little small for my
liking.

The clutch and brake cables are both made from that soft clothes line
wire, and are near to breaking. I thought maybe they could be replaced
with uni-cables like we used to use on motor bikes. $?

The blades have had the Richard as has the seat. He suggested replacing
the the fixed blade rotor assembly with a swinging blade type. $75?

I have done a little upholstery from my biking days, and have some foam
rubber blocks and some leather laying around some place, so I guess that
if the bass plate is sound I could do something about the seat.

I wasn't sure about the front steering linkages, as in, how much play is
acceptable. From memory it has a sort of go-cart set-up, with what
looks like push-bike handle bars.

Paint! what paint? you can tell it was once red! g

All in all it's a relic from a bygone age! :-)


Chris (the misses) has owned a blue Rover Rancher with three forward and
one reverse gear. She says it was very good. That is what we shall
keep our eyes out for I think. She said she couldn't get it into
reverse gear though it was possible.

Actually, now that I come to think about it, that bloke with the snapper
had Rover Rancher he was doing up. He had replaced the motor with a B$S
and was waiting on parts for the gearbox. He wanted $1200 for it. What
do you think Len, was it worth it?

On the topic of trees, Chris thanks you for your above ground suggestion
for fruit trees. One of the things that keeled over was a young avocado
tree.

Unfortunately we have quite a few very large iron barks not very far
from the house(s). Fortunately though, the prevailing wind is from a
direction that they would miss the house(s). But it's still a bit of a
worry. They are large enough that I wouldn't attempt to cut them down
myself, so we would need to get the tree loppers in. Maybe I could ask
John next door what he thinks. He has is both a builder/carpenter and
timber getter of more than 30 years experience, with his own portable
mill. If anyone would know what we should do it's him.

Really glad I found this newsgroup, I am enjoying chatting with everyone
here very much.

Remain in light.
-Max

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