Not to hijack this thread but.....
98% of the people on here are cheap a$$es..me being one of the biggest, just look at my China Freight tool collection.
This group isn't going to spend $5k on a mower...period and I'm one of them. I looked at a used GSX with 50 hours and a 54" fab deck for something around $3k. I tried trading a Kubota G1800 but they still wanted somewhere around 17-1800 difference. I backed out of the deal because I didn't want to spend that much on a machine. Now I think, maybe I should have because there is something I like about the looks of them.
Somewhere around 2010 I found this basket case 3205 on CL for $400.
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It was on there for a week or two, so I contacted the owner and hauled it home. It didn't have a deck, didn't run and was missing a bunch of parts. I wanted it for the engine to put in my 1811. I got it running and really liked the foot pedal drive system. I purchased a bunch of parts from Rich Patton (awesome sponsor) and made it into a complete tractor.
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Then I found the deck, added some decals and then a NOS cat 0 hitch to make it complete.
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Bottom line is this. I found out that this machine was a factory lemon because the liquid cooled Kawi engine had overheating problems and was hauled back to the dealer several times but never repaired. The original owners got so pissed at the dealer and ran it until the valve covers melted and started leaking oil then Cub refunded their money. I repaired the cooling issue and it has been pretty trouble free except I do have an oil leak up under the fender pan somewhere but I guess it's time to change the original 20 year old oil in the transmission anyhow.
Yes, the engine was ran so hot it melted the valve covers and it still to this day has the original transmission oil in it so I'm thinking that is pretty darn good.
All I'm saying is I didn't care for the new stuff until I sat my cheap fat a$$ on this machine and now I like them. Yes, I still have a bunch of narrow frames, 1X9's, QL's, a ton of 82 series and a few Cyclops tractors today.
I don't mean to offend anyone but that is my story and I'm sticking to it.