I have used the xp but not enough to really have an pinion

Jakethesnake86 wrote:

Last story about the 2003 Cub Cadet 1515 riding mower...

So got it back from the shop. Guy got it running great. Lots of new, much needed, parts.

Took it out for it's first run about a week ago. Hooked the cart to it and used it to haul wood and brush that the power company cut, to keep the power lines clear.

Well within the first hour the other 22 yr old ball joint broke. Lol (Already replaced the other one last year)

Couldn't find an OEM part this time, so bought a 2 pack, aftermarket, from some place in Florida. Noticed on the packaging they claim this aftermarket part is 2x stronger than OEM. So, will this new ball joint last 44 years??:-k Doubt it.

As I was wrenching on the machine this morning, I thought about that old Johnny Cash song "One Piece at a Time". If you haven't heard the song it's about a guy that works on the GM assembly line (building Cadillac's?) The guy cant afford one so he sneaks parts out for an entire car "one piece at a time".

RobertHively wrote:

^

I don't like payments. So I paid cash for a new Cub Cadet XT1 LT50. It's got a 24 HP Kohler engine and the 50 inch mowing deck is fabricated steel, not stamped.

Got 118 hrs on it so far without any problems. Yeah it's an MTD but I own it; which, to me, is better than renting a Scag or a Stihl from the bank.

I think Kohler makes good engines. Have a 15 hp on my other rider that still runs great after 520 hrs, and the 5 HP on my push mower doesn't bog down in tall / wet grass.

RobertHively wrote:

Man. i actually miss cutting my own grass... i just have a little troy built poney but its perfect for my 3/4 acre. takes exactly the amount of time to cut the yard as it does to smoke a toro. Sadly after my car accident a year and a half ago we had to start paying someone else to do the yard but they do a great job and trim and all that as well which i usually neglected and only did if we expected company lol. we were one of the first regular/shceduled customers for a new buisness so they gave us a great deal and i also got them hooked up with my neighbor with almost 5 acres so they hooked us up. almost 1/2 of what other companies in the area charge and he has barely raised our rate since the begining. aslo does all the much in our flower beds each year for just the cost of the mulch. hard to complain but now i wanna go cut the grass lol. oh well.

drglnc wrote:

That is why I have been running the old machine all these years. It was paid for. I wouldn't even consider financing a machine if I didn't use it to earn extra cash in the summer when I'm not plowing snow.

jrau wrote: