slf-uk

With a big thanks to Ian the D-160 now is fitted with this It works great and now I just need someone to paint the rest of the tractor to match. I quickly fitted a tow hitch to it over the weekend and was using it to pull a trailer around. I have no idea if it was fun to drive because my 7 year old lad decided he would do all the driving. It is a very easy machine for him to drive because he can get by without using the peddle. Iain

Just a quick reply and I'm in headless chicken mode at the moment and likely to be so until the end of October. Ian's post got me thinking about what is MOM, what is the purpose and what made me join. It is not to get Bolens or WH detailed assistance because other forums with much larger numbers offer that very well. In my opinion it works best as a small friendly forum, who as the title suggests have a general interest in old equipment. I think it starts not to work if the forum becomes too big or focuses on one brand. The people who are able to post the most tend to have a leaning towards the red brand, which I think may be a risk to the success and may put some people off. Just my 2p worth Iain

Andrew, In the US it is officially called the Bolens bug. I am getting excited about seeing some detailed pictures of your 800, they are great machines. BTW. two in not enough Iain

Most of the finger bar mowers on garden tractors appear to be made by Haban. Looking at this one it has some of the styling of a Haban but the frame looks much smaller and lighter duty. Anyone know if it was made by WH or someone else? Iain

It is a cool looking truck bit I do think it would benefit from some weight up front. Iain

I find having kids is a good reason to blame someone else for not being able to find tools. I picked that one up from my dad. Iain

I have had one for of these for years and got to use it a couple of months ago as nothing else would work. They don't inspire confidence but they do work. The only drawback is you need plenty of space to get it to fit. A handy addition to have in the toolbox Iain

Nigel, I love it. I thought of doing something similar as a base for a forklift mast, but I know I would never get around to making it happen. In my case to much thinking and not enough doing. I am looking forward to seeing this progress. Iain

It helps to know someone who you trust who owns one of the best companies specialising in machinery transport and moving. His guys made it look so easy. It will need to be moved if I build a new workshop Iain

I believe it is EP80 or EP90 for a WH but the specification for a Bolens is EP90, 2.5QTS if I remember correctly. I am unsure if a WH leaks more than a Land Rover, probably a draw ;-) Iain

I have added a picture of the HT23 with it's cutting deck on as my forum picture to remind me to take even more care of it in the future. A Bolens HT is an incredible machine for grass cutting, it is mind boggling just how much grass you can cut is such a short time. They are a fast machine so it might just be me insisting on grass cutting flat out most of the time. Iain

Ian, This looks almost perfect. I can't remember mine having a slight overhang with the bracket on the drive end. I will check tonight and get back to you. Thanks Iain

I have five container size temporary buildings with a sixth about to go up. The wife thinks I am trying to turn the place into a 3rd world shanty town. As I am getting older I would like to build something bigger and permanent where I can also put up my wheel free four post lift. Chris, the HT23 has been on top for a short period of time while I was waiting for parts. Now that was scary. Iain

I am thinking about making a grass collector for it because when the wind catches the grass coming from the collector it goes everywhere on the engine, which at the very least does not help with cooling. Iain

Ian, I believe it is the same and the key bit is getting a starter with the side facing fixing bracket. Thanks Iain

I had last week off work and had a very busy weekend getting the last of the jobs done before returning to work. The last job on Sunday was to cut the grass on our 3.5 acre field. The grass was very long and dry. It took about an hour and half to cut and for the last five minutes I thought I saw smoke coming out of the hood. When I finished cutting I stopped and lots of smoke was coming from under the hood. I lifted the hood to find that grass has wedged between the inlet and exhaust manifolds and was on fire. Grass that was on fire had dropped onto the drive shaft and grass between the engine and dash tower was also on fire. I jumped back on a drove flat out to outside the workshop. As a split second decision I decided to use the air gun on the compressor to blow the grass out rather than hit a very hot engine with CO2 or water. The compressed air made the fire much worse for a few seconds but blew the grass that was on fire off the tractor. A full inspection followed and no damage done, phew. It does smell a little funky though. I have never had this happen before. I am not sure if I have just been lucky in the past or this is a one off. It was fun but not to be repeated. No pictures as I was a bit busy. Iain

I'm a bit late to the party on this one. I have a Colchester Master lathe and a Cincinnati mill. The fun bit was having them craned over the workshop roof. Iain

I don't suppose anyone has a starter motor they want to sell? The magnets have broken up on the D-160 starter. I have glues the bits back together and it works most of the time, however a replacement would be great. Iain

Diggerjames, Do you have any attachments with your D200? Both of mine have even have the PTO's missing from the front of the engine. My D200 does have a PTO shaft running front to back and 3pt linkage. Iain

From a distance I will suggest the kitchen and then run. Ideally I would like to have a new steel frame barn but I have not had the chance to see where is the best place to buy one from. I don't have the time to build it myself so I need to find someone to do the job at the right price. In this part of the world they tend to be built for big companies or large farms and the companies that do it price accordingly. Any tips or ideas would be welcome Iain

Back in 2008 I was beginning to run out of space for storing my garden tractors so I built a storage rack for 10 tractors, with five being stored on the top. This is the start of the build Now testing to see if it can take the weight Starting to load Since then I have filled every undercover space I have so if anyone has any better ideas for storage they would be welcomed. This does not include selling some equipment because my wife has already suggested that one. Iain

Two here now. My D-200 came from Durham and the D-160 from near Luton. Iain

I have a D-200 too, currently waiting it's turn for some love. Iain

I have this week off work with lots of outside jobs to do. This morning it was raining and as I was not feeling great I decided not to get wet. Instead I went into the workshop looking for a small job to do and I decided to look at the D-160. I rebuilt most of the mechanics about two years ago and then dumped it in the corner, so I decided to re-commission it. By the time I had it running the sun was out so I took it for a run. The exhaust stack from a full size tractor (can't remember which one) makes it sounds great with no fumes for taking the boy for rides. After taking it for a run it went back in the workshop and I got a Bolens out to do some real work The real reason was the D-160 does not currently have a hitch fitted and I can't remember where I put it. Iain

Looking good Ian. I use my HT23 all the time for moving trailers. My Ifor would look good on your 6x6, it has the right number of wheels. Iain