rjwerth
Gold Member
Ok I'm just venting to the choir here...but hopefully somebody someday will do a search and find this rant.
A couple years ago my grandpa decided to venture out on his own and buy a Huskee Rider from TSC. I wish he would have asked me, but he didn't. I knew it was cheap but didn't appreciate how cheap it was until today. He was mowing his lawn and took a break. Went to go start it again, but no go. I tested his battery (that already had to be replaced once) but that wasn't it. So I started to look for the solenoid. It is basically under the seat and in between the fenders and the frame. Who puts a solenoid there when there is gobs of empty space near the engine? You know.....by the key? Well, I got this nearly new solenoid replaced after grinding down unneeded wings from the universal replacement and gave it a test drive. OMG. The steering is ridiculously stiff...way stiffer than my x304 and that has to move front and back wheels for heaven's sake! And then there is the turning radius that is measured in kilometers. How does the average guy get around a yard with obstacles? And the icing on all of this....you have to disengage the PTO to go backwards. No special key position or anything. Oh, and if you think committing such a sinful act would simply turn off the PTO you would be dead wrong. The whole @^#$ machine shuts off! Wow. I'd trade the thing in and get him a real mower...but he's 91. I'm just happy he's still able to mow his own lawn.
Well, thanks for listening
A couple years ago my grandpa decided to venture out on his own and buy a Huskee Rider from TSC. I wish he would have asked me, but he didn't. I knew it was cheap but didn't appreciate how cheap it was until today. He was mowing his lawn and took a break. Went to go start it again, but no go. I tested his battery (that already had to be replaced once) but that wasn't it. So I started to look for the solenoid. It is basically under the seat and in between the fenders and the frame. Who puts a solenoid there when there is gobs of empty space near the engine? You know.....by the key? Well, I got this nearly new solenoid replaced after grinding down unneeded wings from the universal replacement and gave it a test drive. OMG. The steering is ridiculously stiff...way stiffer than my x304 and that has to move front and back wheels for heaven's sake! And then there is the turning radius that is measured in kilometers. How does the average guy get around a yard with obstacles? And the icing on all of this....you have to disengage the PTO to go backwards. No special key position or anything. Oh, and if you think committing such a sinful act would simply turn off the PTO you would be dead wrong. The whole @^#$ machine shuts off! Wow. I'd trade the thing in and get him a real mower...but he's 91. I'm just happy he's still able to mow his own lawn.
Well, thanks for listening
