DKCDKC
Platinum Member
I bought an old Howse C360 Finish Mower for about junk value a few years ago. It had been sitting under a tree for about 15 years I think. But it didn't look rusty. I greased it up, changed the oil in the gearbox, replaced a few tires that had dry-rotted, and actually used it for a full season and most of another - on a 5 acre area near my driveway. It cut the heavy stuff easily and the result looked so much better than mowing with a rotary cutter. But then the spindles began to go... Rapidly. I disassembled the mower and, after some financial soul-searching, ordered new spindles. I simply don't have the equipment to rebuild them. I will now have about $600 to $700 in the mower. But I think I made a good decision. This Howse unit is solid as the dickens. It may be about 20 years old, but it has really heavy sheet metal and components - much heavier than my more contemporary rotary cutter - and it has almost no rust issue. Since I have replaced the spindles, I have almost a new machine and really think I'll get years more out of it. Searching the internet shows a few Howse Finish Mowers in really good shape for sale for from $1500 to $2000. And, when I look through Facebook Marketplace and Craigslist in this area, any finish mower that looks to be in decent shape is more than $1000 - usually a lot more. There are sometimes cheaper ones, but I have a feeling I'd be putting new spindles or other components in those and ending up with something like I have.
For someone raised on a farm with a farmer's focus on keeping costs down, buying old and used implements is always preferable. And making a decision sometimes to invest in what you know to be a solid old piece of equipment, even when the cost mounts, just sometimes makes sense.
I'm pleased with the way this old mower has turned out, and how it works. I've cleaned it up some and will probably paint it this summer. I may invest in a better guard for the PTO shaft, but otherwise may just let it be.
For someone raised on a farm with a farmer's focus on keeping costs down, buying old and used implements is always preferable. And making a decision sometimes to invest in what you know to be a solid old piece of equipment, even when the cost mounts, just sometimes makes sense.
I'm pleased with the way this old mower has turned out, and how it works. I've cleaned it up some and will probably paint it this summer. I may invest in a better guard for the PTO shaft, but otherwise may just let it be.
