does anyone think that parts will ever become unavialable for our machines?

[ad356]

does anyone think that parts for the older generation of garden tractors we work will ever become unavialable? i always wondered about it? if we cant get the parts at some point, these machines would disappear. i kind of think that as long as there is a market (there certainlly is) people will eventually make replacement parts when the OEM stuff becomes impossible to get. what do you guys thing?

[aagitch]

Parts are definitely already starting to go NLA. I think only the ones that are constantly ordered will remain available. That's why I appreciate the used parts vendors so much and people like xtrememotorworks. This coming year I'm going to start ordering new 82 series parts that I foresee going NLA to prepare for the future. Just some parts a little at a time.

[Ray]

Yep, they will. That's why instead of cutting up an OEM snowblade subframe to fit my new style snowblade I'm going to build one from scratch.

[Matt G.]

It's inevitable, and has already happened with other brands. The good news is that because these tractors are so popular, aftermarket suppliers will step in and make whatever parts there is a demand for. Anything that has ever been made can be made again.

It may take awhile though...we can still get parts for my dad's 1920's Farmall Regular...

[steve59]

These things aren't box copy tractors like you buy at Lowe's or Home Depot. There are so many folks that collect, part them out and restore them, that parts will be around for a long time.

[william1041200]

cast iron parts , frames, sheetmetal parts are the only ones id be worried about. the cast parts, such as front axles and trans cases I meant. Brake/clutch Rockshaft levers can easily be made. I know. had to make a new one for my 104. Most everything else can already be found. Depends on if you are a die hard original part guy or if you are fine with a hardworking 40 year old running machine with some new parts.

[ad356]

many years ago i had a 1961 bolens ride-a-matic. it was a very early garden tractor. literally NO parts were available for it at all. the only thing that was availiable was was hardware store available items like nuts and bolts. several times my stepfather and i would have to make things. i also spent allot of time going to a bearing store. it was a real pain in the ***. if parts become unavailable for my john deere 112 and my cub cadet 147, it will make them unusuable. this would really suck. i enjoy my machines and the strenght and durability they offer, even 40 years later they are still durable peices of equipment. there is very little offered today that could replace the niche that these machines occupy. in my price range the only thing i could afford is that box store crap offered at places like home depot and lowes, and we all know how bad that crap sucks. to buy a machine that is in the same category as my 112 i would have to spend $4000 and up for a jd x500 series, which is mostly made of plastic. i also dont think that these newer machines have the same durability offered as older models, the engine are alumium. cast iron or go home i say.

i think it would take even more money to equal a cub cadet 147. a modern shaft drive, hydro garden tractor is NOT CHEAP.

i also would never buy a tractor that does NOT have ground engaging abilites. i want to run a tiller.

i hope we dont have to let our machines go.... ever. i dont really care too much about orginal parts, i just want to continue to keep them functional

[ad356]

i will also add that what led to the end of the old ride-a-matic was when our garage collapsed on it. i had just finished rebuilding the k161. the k161 was only 7hp, but you would be surprised what that little engine could do. it was kind of a "pop-corn-popper" compared to my k301's but it would run a single stage snowblower attachment, a roto tiller attachment, a single bottom plow, and a mower deck. it was surprisingly versitale, it even had a belt system similar to the jd gear drive "variator", with the verible speed pulley system. it was an interesing machine. of course it was built well before the MTD takeover, which mtd has succesfully turned that brand to crap. seems like mtd buys up all of the brands that used to produce serous duty garden tractors and have replaced them with lawn tractor models only. they dont want anything to compete with cub cadet, which im not a fan of the MTD produced cubs either. when it comes to cubs, i am an IH man only..... maybe ccc machines as well. once mtd intergrated it to their line and started sharing parts with everything else i dislike them.

when that bolens was destroyed they had full value replacement on my tractor... they got brand new, and i got NOTHING even though i wanted an IH cub, they wouldnt listen to me. that new cub cadet was a 2135. i know that some of you have had good luck with that model, but trust me it was/is horrid junk. its barely 10 years old and its ready for the junk pile. it has less than 300 hours on it. the pain fell off of it and the metal was so cheap that it rusted right through on the fenders. many of our machines lost their paint before restoration(due to really old age), but the metal still held up in most cases. my 147 is over 40 years old but it is in much, much bettER condition than what my parents own.

what happened to my bolens ticked me off for a long time. i was a 15 year old kid and i rebuilt it with my own 2 hands. i rebuilt it myself because i was sick and tired of having to shovel the driveway. i also did NOT want to spend 3 hours mowing the lawn with a cheap push mower any more. my parents made me spend my money to make my life easier and then when my machine got destroyed i got nothing. now that cub cadet is a POS, isnt justice sweet. i dont feel badly about the cub falling apart, becuase i got screwed. i didnt mind spending the money or working on it, it led to my current passion. what i did mind was not getting something else to tinker with. they should have bought me my 147 14 years ago and given it to me simply becuase i had already spent my money on something that got ruined through no fault of my own.

sorry about the long post, lol