Not sure if this counts as an old machine...

[WestwoodGazelle 103]

But this is Grandad's new lawn tractor. It is an AL-KO, and I have to admit I don't know anything about them really  It looks OK and it has a 12hm Briggs & Stratton with quite a bit of oomph. It seems like a decent machine and should be fine for Grandad's purposes. I think it's a shame they had to use plastic for the bonnet, I think there's way too much plastic used on lawn tractors these days, especially the kind that fades at a different rate to the painted metal, not sure if there is a way to fix that other than a complete repaint of everything. 

 

 

 

[Stormin 4,458]

 Looks OK. As to the faded plastic, you could try giving it a good polish with something like Mer or T-Cut. You would need a special kind of paint to repaint it I would think.

[expeatfarmer 591]

Sometimes sun faded plastic can be restored by using a hot air gun or old hair drier . just warm it up section by section taking care not to melt it.

[Wristpin 400]

22 hours ago, Stormin said:

 Looks OK. As to the faded plastic, you could try giving it a good polish with something like Mer or T-Cut. You would need a special kind of paint to repaint it I would think.

Interesting to read how well the hot air treatment works. I have tried to brighten up faded Flymo decks with all the usual cutting compounds and polishes but other than putting a shine on the faded plastic, no improvement. If it comes to a repaint you will need to roughen it up with 400 wet or dry and then apply a plastic specific primer as used by car bumper repairers and probably available at Halfrauds.

Al-ko, beside being a major manufacturer of caravan, motorhome and trailer chassis, make some decent garden machinery. 

Way back in the 80s they made a grass collecting ride on where the deck exited to a rectangular tube with a conveyor belt inside it carrying the grass to a big upright bin at the rear.  

[WestwoodGazelle 103]

Thanks for the replies and ideas folks! 

 

23 hours ago, Wristpin said:

Interesting to read how well the hot air treatment works. I have tried to brighten up faded Flymo decks with all the usual cutting compounds and polishes but other than putting a shine on the faded plastic, no improvement. If it comes to a repaint you will need to roughen it up with 400 wet or dry and then apply a plastic specific primer as used by car bumper repairers and probably available at Halfrauds.

Al-ko, beside being a major manufacturer of caravan, motorhome and trailer chassis, make some decent garden machinery. 

Way back in the 80s they made a grass collecting ride on where the deck exited to a rectangular tube with a conveyor belt inside it carrying the grass to a big upright bin at the rear.  

 

That is interesting, I never knew that about Al-Ko. Even their own website doesn't seem to say  much about them. I love the conveyor belt idea!

[Wristpin 400]

Managed to find just one image on line of the Alkotrac ride-on. The conveyor can just be seen on the far side and the frame for the collector on the back.

[HeadExam 1,783]

You think there is alot of plastic on garden tractors, take a good look at some of the farm tractors made today, all the "sheet metal" is plastic.

[WestwoodGazelle 103]

8 hours ago, HeadExam said:

You think there is alot of plastic on garden tractors, take a good look at some of the farm tractors made today, all the "sheet metal" is plastic.

 

Yes, it does not give the impression that these machines are built to last. I think there should be more of a focus on keeping good machines going, encouraging an industry of aftermarket parts like that of classic cars, rather than this idea of "just buy a new one".