Welcome to the forum and thanks for some very useful pointers on my Bolens. I have the front cover for the engine and a damaged petrol tank. What I am looking for is an air filter assembly if you have one spare? I am also on the lookout for a mower deck as well? I am sure I will come across a few more issues.
I got a seat but it's knackered and will need replacing at some point. I was on EBay USA last night and even my model is a bit of a rarity over there so may now consider doing a sympathetic restoration once it's up and running. I have ordered a few bits and bobs so far. I am now on my first day of my holiday (hurrah!) and just been told our electricity bill for the last quarter is just under £1400....... Fortunately our supplier will investigate this anomaly and told us to enjoy our holiday! I told my wife that this is a case in point about not running an electric car due to these expensive problems; far better to run a thirst guzzling V8 engine......
The butterfly nut on the rear wheel is supposedly a diff lock! Apparently the operator just reaches over and switches the knob from the comfort of his seat. in my case, it will need freeing up with heat and liberal spraying of WD40!
In between jobs today I had an opportunity to pressure wash the tractor and to give it a wax wash as well. are some photos of it after it has been washed. I will this evening give the tinware a wipe over withan oily rag.
Not sure why the photos are upside down?! they not
Yeah I am going to wipe the body work with an oily rag once I cleaned it off. I will find out if my brother went; I would have thought he would as it's a stone throw from his mansion.....
As I fear (and as everyone knows on the forum) this is highly contagious and I feel the urge to buy another one.....
At the moment I am concentrating on getting her up and running and mobile. A part of me like the rat look, as our cousins across the Pond would say! I will have a better idea once I cleaned her off but she certainly need some work to halt the rust. I may dismantle her and have her shot blasted but that's another day. How was Sedlescombe?
I had a very productive few hours on my Bolens. She is structurally sound as I thought she would be; they certainly made robust tractor. I freed up the hand brake lever and the gears changes with a positive feel as well as the low and high box after liberally applying WD40. I pumped up the tyres to ease moving around the garage adm greased up the front; only one grease nipple was blocked. The PTO was also greased up and now turns freely. I will pressure wash the tractor another time. So far I need a battery, an exhaust, a set of front tyres and frustratingly part of the carb is missing. Also need to rewire the tractor as the loom is completely shot. Where is the best place to buy these from? Also if any Bolens owners with a similar tractor to mine could post up some photos of their engine bay so I can see what's missing and what goes where. So far a very satisfactory into in garden tractor ownership!
Here's 2 photos of my Bolens tractor as bought. I will take better photos of it once I move it out to be pressure washed. There is surface rust but she seems solid enough and to appease the wife she will now be reprinted in appropriate colours to make her less of an 'eyesore'
It's being delivered late this evening. Will post photos of its arrival tomorrow evening. Not sure what the missus will say as I said I bought a ride on...........
Looking forward to my holiday next week and visiting the show on the Saturday or the Sunday too. Kev. Do you know if there will be any Bolens tractors there or owners there?
If the rust isn't too bad, try filling with Apple Cider Vinegar. It's cheap and eco friendly.(Regular vinegar works but it's slower). I also shake some sharp screws in them to loosen the big stuff. After soaking for 2 days, check it, if it needs more just reuse the vinegar again. After it's clean, rinse with baking soda and water to neutralize the acid and blow it dry with a compressor.
It look like a good green alternative and cost effective too.
As a professional gardener via the National Trust and now running my own gardening business, it come as no surprise that ride ons will have to be insured specifically for a number of reasons. In the wrong/ inexperienced hands they can be lethal and of course they are very desirable on the black market after pedestrian mowers, chainsaws, strimmers etc. I myself have public liability for my business but check that you're sufficiently covered to yes machinery etc as part of your work. I think if you are running a Kubota or Iseki garden tractor/ ride on costing £7/10 k then it's a small price to pay. As pointed out elsewhere, the classic/ collect able garden tractors can be insured very reasonable on a par to classic cars etc. I have seen knackered ride ons still be used by people with little experience and regards to themselves and others. I heard of an owner recently who rolled over his ride on on a slope he was attempting to cut to save time. If we could rely on everyone to be sensible with servicing/ maintaining their ride ons etc, then we wouldn't need this potential legislation.
Bolens Husky tractor
in Ride On's
Posted
Hello Iain,
Welcome to the forum and thanks for some very useful pointers on my Bolens. I have the front cover for the engine and a damaged petrol tank. What I am looking for is an air filter assembly if you have one spare? I am also on the lookout for a mower deck as well? I am sure I will come across a few more issues.
Cheers
Andrew