I have a neighbor and like clockwork every 3 years, throws out his self propelled mower, blower, weed eater, etc ( usually Toro bought new, small yard, garage kept) . I missed the fist 2 but saw the 3rd on the curb. I asked him what’s wrong with it? Said won’t start and the blade is dull . Did a Mustie, cleaned the carb and sharpen the blade. Had it for 8 years now 👍🏼. Was throwing out another years later and told him I could fix it for him, said no just easier to go buy a new $400 mower ! So I always look at his curb on garbage day. 😆
Guys like us keeping this stuff from going to scrap. I do the same with computers. So many throw them out after a couple of years and they have plenty of life left. (Well, a lot of Macs aren't included, they are designed to fail).. I've donated a bunch of machines to people who need them and to non-profits.
@@ngtflyer nice 👍🏼 in years past if I had an older mower, weed eater etc. that is passed it prime and needs a little work ,I donate them to the local high school shop class for them to work on .
@@ngtflyer I will say that I do like my I Mac 🖥 computers. Never had any software issues and in 20 years I’m only in my second one ! But I do agree you can really only upgrade the RAM. Edit; Apple doesn’t want you modifying their product and unfortunately other companies are like this now Tesla and I own a BMW. It doesn’t even have a dipstick! And special tools needed just to replace the air filter.
Appreciate the video. Sunday wouldn't be Sunday without Mustie1 trying to bring a tired machine back to life. Watching you methodically go through diagnosing and fixing whatever is inspiring. Makes me want to get up and do same. However, if I sit here long enough the thought will pass.😀 Looking forward to Part 2.
That's an '80's vintage mower. All the Snapper units of that era use the drive disc arrangement including the machine you are working on, the Rear Engine Rider and the self-propelled walk behind, of which i have one. Excellent machines...doesn't need to be scrapped.
I work at a Transfer Station and work on a lot of mowers thrown away. Made a lot of people happy. thanks to Mustie your awesome. Good job... Sense of adventure is the way to learn... I answer your questions some times when you ask. What do Think? LOL. Also make Hardware Stores seam like CANDYLAND...
You know you have a great channel when viewers like me start to predict what's wrong and you later confirm it. I wish I had all that experience locked in your brain, but the parts you do share are well worth the watch!
Darn it Darren that is not fair!!! 😆😆😆. Can't wait to see what's inside to axle assembly and what's causing the chaos. That was a major surprise the motor started that easy.
YOU ARE ABSOLUTELY RIGHT.... why look up how to disassemble the tractor with instructions...????? Then you take away the mystery and adventure of fixing it by figuring out how it works without instructions....!!!!!! Great video...
I just want to say I appreciate the fact that mustie still uses pneumatic tools. I think it is still a very viable and efficient technology for powering tools. I also think it's great he uses electric m20 stuff.
The better you get at these repairs, the worse condition you'll accept to start the project. Thus, the "throw" (i.e start to finish condition) keeps increasing. Excellent video Mustie!
Some years back my son found a Snapper 2000GX(?) that a local guy had left at the curb. Hauled it home and we were able to get the motor started, which was a Kohler V-twin, but the trans had gone out (an Eaton hydrostatic). It was my first foray into one of those and eventually we were able to source a part to fix it. He mowed lawns in the neighborhood with it for a few years, eventually trading up to a similar size Gravely. The biggest failing I recall with that model Snapper was the steering gear arrangement. If you turned hard enough on the wheel the gears would click loudly and disengage. I believe the fix entailed replacing that assembly, but he had traded it off before we figured that out. It was mounted up in a tight spot and the cause was not evident. Enjoying the video, I think you're working with a better model than we did.
Also have a LT12 that is 30+ years old. Mows about 2 acres of lawn all summer and runs a 38 inch blower in the winter in Michigan. Replaced belts, driven disc and starter a couple of times. Just keeps going.
It looks like the parts from a snapper rear engine rider are interchangeable with this larger tractor. The mower deck, the holder bars for the bagger attachment and the transmission-friction disk set up is very similar to those rear engine riders. Those older Briggs opposed twins were pretty decent motors. I like how they sound when they are running.
This was a great project! Free plus 60.00 in parts and it works! Ya know they don't make em like this nowadays. Alittle work alittle money and a lot of fun, can't beat that! 😊 thanks
I know how your dog feels. I'm 74, dealing with the effects of agent orange from 2 tours in Vietnam...but I still wrench a little and continue to be educated thru what you do. Thanks,. Mustie. Tom Boyte, GySgt. USMC, retired
I like how you do your videos, you start with the basics and then talk your way through figuring at the particulars of a machine, very informative and fun to watch you turn trash into treasure!
I’m not completely sure but I think I recall that style mower being sold in the mid/late 1980s. Those old Snapper were pretty tough, unlike the Chinese Briggs and Stratton made junk sold as Snappers now. That double disk style transmission appears to be the same as what they used on their old rear engine riders, just flipped sideways since the motor was in the front. They worked fine on flat lawns, but hills could wear the rubber off the wheel prematurely; especially in the hands of a teenage kid (like I was back when I was melting them). I have one of the last of the old rear engine Snapper “classics”. They have their weird issue (front tires going flat, front wheel bearing fall apart if you forget to grease them and the front wheels fall off), but if you keep up with them, they can last forever! Snapper were made in GA for decades and owned by Simplicity for many years. They had one of those business relationships that hardly exist today; as long as Snapper was profitable, Simplicity just left them alone to run their business as they saw fit. It worked out well for a long time.
With a driveshaft instead of a belt, I was expecting a robust transmission, only to find a friction drive. Those 30 inch single blade mower decks, were very effective. They could take tall grass and weeds easily.
Those friction drives are quite robust, I have a push mower that was used commercially for overgrown areas that large mowers couldn't get to. It has thousands of hours on it with no breakdowns or adjustments.
Mustie1, Surprisingly lucky on that engine. Especially the carb. Thanks for taking that back end off and later giving us a peek into the transmission! Gonna be interesting and I know you enjoyed it.
@Ben T. it’s a combination of consumerism and the fact that no one under the age of 40 knows how to do anything with their hands anymore. The things I was taught how to do and took for granted at age 10 are considered black magic to people now.
@@KSMike1 absolutely,none of the kids have any interest in keeping this trash out of the landfill but they will stand on a soap box and virtue signal any chance they get.........i hate modern society and all the shit that goes with it.
Will it run?? LOL it's a must-see special he will get it running 99.9% of the time he always does. Just another reason why he's one of my top RU-vidrs that watch. Keep up the hard work oh and let you know my stepsons been watching your videos and it's been helping him a lot learning about small engines. I want to send a huge thank you to you you really do inspire a lot of people keep up the hard work!
Musti1 you have inspired many kids i know to get into things. Like this video. Again I appreciate it very much. You are an amazing person I've been following you for years tell everybody know about you just keep on keeping up and thank you again and bottom of my heart.
watching this in 2024 is really great, beardy Mustie in his workshop which now really looks so different right now. Really missing these kind of videos at the moment with a part 2 or more.
Mustie I didn't see you point this out in the video but these mowers have an adjustable steering column like a car. The plastic piece on the bottom of the wheel above the dash pushes down, and you can slide the wheel further or closer to you. then you release that part you pushed down and it locks in place. Very cool for such an old machine to have that feature! Also I have the deck eject cover for this mower if you want it, in perfect shape. I could drop it off to you. let me know!
Mustie, for mowers like that, i'd invest in a small winch to go on the front of your lift. you're gettin up there. and it'll kick your ass (if it hasn't already) later down the road.
Already mentioned it a couple of times in some comments. Best way to get the heavier stuff with wheels that don't turn on top of it. Forklift would also work.
Reminds me of an older version of my old, but rebuilt Snapper 1550LX Hydro 41in! Saved it from the scrap yard from the previous owner. I love Snappers!
Just cannot fathom throwing away something like this over an obviously repairable issue. Like not even offering it up for sale to someone for a hundred bucks or something. That's a well built machine and obviously repairable in the right hands, to throw it away as scrap is crazy.
To a certain extent, agree with you, however, when parts are hard to come by, or are now considered, obsolete, now what are ya gonna do? Shame, however, that's the way things are these days, and it's discusting.
@Ben T. I do watch a German youtuber who repairs stuff he gets from the dump, it's called "The Post-Apocalyptic Inventor" and it's really good. I like that he's able to do this as well, in my country you're not really allowed to dig through dumps like he does. He salvages a lot of good quality industrial equipment at scrap prices.
Well the average person is not going to have the time, tools or knowledge/experience to fix an issue like this. The mower is no good to them broken and they would have a hard time selling a broken mower so I guess they just decide to throw it away because its already very old and the easiest and quickest option in their eyes is buy a newer and working mower and junk this one.
If a guy doesn’t know how to work on his own stuff he’s gotta hire another guy who can. Let’s say $50 per hour.... a guy could buy a new one for this fix.
Luckily there was an unsung hero that grabbed it and donated it for out viewing pleasers, in a way, had it not been abandoned lol none of use would have had the pleasures of enjoying this Snapper
Just figured out how to comment but I owe it all to my daughter Sarah. I got hooked on your channel when you worked on the early 70's Yamaha 175 enduro because I had one in high school in Talladega. And now I'm confident enough to work on my lawn mowers just by watching you do it. Thanks a bunch man. Keep it up and I'll be watching.
Great video. Such a shame Snapper is not the company they were. They really did make high quality equipment back in the day. Their older snowblowers are the best built snowblowers I've ever seen, worked on, and used.
Well, he was kind of guessing. That's half the fun for him and us. Plus, the thing is just freaking old. Not as corroded as I thought. Could have been worse.
Thank you for your videos. I have learned so much in such a short amount of time. Your narrative is helpful telling us what your thinking, feeling dispensed with your experience. Thumbs up!
Well the understanding that I had was that Snapper bought out the MF lawn tractor business but doubt if this is one of those, I remember running a 12 hp MF during my time mowing cemeteries with our local township trustees and that bad boy was awesome,had a variable speed control on the side with speeds from 1 up to 7(as I remember, this was 40+years ago)
I came in from a day of clearing floodwater after heavy rain last night (East Sussex U.K.). Cold, wet and fed up. Amazing how restorative a Mustie video and a cup of coffee can be, hey? Really enjoyed that- and, as someone once said; real men don’t need instructions. Have a good week all.
What surprises me about the eccentric bearing locks is they are designed to be used to lock a shaft that goes in one direction since you lock the collar by first mating the bearing and collar. Then turn the locking collar in the direction of rotation and finally hitting the blind hole a few times to lock the collar in the same direction. Then you lock the set screw. Since this shaft can and does turn theoretically both directions that kind of defeats the locking part. But since you are having such a hard time disassembling the bearings I guess it really does not matter that much, since they did lock. Nice work fella for sure.
it all looks good on the computer as it is drawn up, in their sorry little cubical so far away from the assembly area they can't even smell it and don't have any idea that someone might someday take it apart.
My parents have one of those. They bought it new in the fall of 1987. Still runs. We had the snowblower attachment for it. It was a nightmare to put on and take off. I can't wait too see what is inside that drive selector. That was about the only thing on that mower that I didn't have the courage to disassemble. Good luck.
Years back i had a side business repairing small engines and outdoor power equipment, once a week i would take a ride through a couple of rich neighborhoods and people would put mowers, tillers, lawn tractors and mowers, even chainsaws to the curb for the garbage man, i would take them, and the problems would range any where from a spark plug to needing an overhaul, i would repair then flip them, offering a 30 day warranty. Did very well!, but all good things come to an end and other people would beat me to it because of my work hours, so i became a locksmith, and i only repaired chainsaws. I was in the Military, when i retired i went full time in my business and did great until i got a good offer to sell it, which i did. Retired now!
Best opening ever! I think all of us were "helping" you get the mower up onto the lift table! Always great to see Ms. Lily... waiting patiently for part II! Thanks for posting!
that is 1 of the best designs & reliable drive systems made! if properly maintained! You Tube works both ways there is a site called Jim fix it shop! this guy knows the ends & outs of Snapper mowers even though he deals mostly with rear engine riders the disc drive is pretty much the same.Also a part supplier called Peach Tree should have all the parts you need if you decide to fix it. I know I would have been quite happy if somebody had dropped this mower in my lap.Thanks 4 the video.
those old snappers were really good mowers. Back when I was 14 we had a yard business. and Snapper, toro, jacobsen and Honda just came out with a mower and the honda ruled the earth at that point. But all were good.
It is sure great to see Lilly. At 15+ she sure has had a good life. She's a good pup. This has been a ton of fun. Sure is a cool old rider. It sure would be fun to see it run again. I hope that engine still has some hours on her that oil was nasty.
My uncle had a snapped dealership in the 70s. Briggs started I/C series in 1979. We sold alot of push mowers with them. Land scappers could run the shit out of them all day and not wear them out in a year like cheap mowers. They was pricey tho. 3-5 times the price of reg mower pending on self propelled or not. Bagger or not. One step higher was Lawnboy. 2 stroke can run on angles for doing hilly land. Needle bearings on crank made them a pain to work on.
I dont know why but I really found this episode to be compelling. Maybe because it was discarded, maybe because of its age, maybe because of the cool old opposed twin? What ever the reason, I can't wait for the next part.
I really enjoyed this video. I started collecting old Snapper lawn mowers about 4 months ago. Currently, I am recovering from a complete bicep tendon rupture. After watching this video, I can't wait to get back to tinkering with my mowers or any other junk I can find. Thumbs up from Kingsport, Tennessee!
Another great Mustie1 video. 👍👌👏 What a nice and stable machine (great donation by the way). It simply couldn't be easy going with the transmission after starting the engine was so easy. I'm eagerly waiting to see the next part. Best regards luck and health to all of you (including Lilly of course).
That's a really robust tractor with a shit transmission. Strong engine, strong frame, thick steel on the deck, but literally the worst option for a trans. I just don't get it.
