Working on mowers...

[allstar]

When working on your mowers(changing blades,cleaning the deck,etc.) what's the best way to gain access to the undersurface?Personally,I just jack up the front end and lie on my back but that's a real pain.Where would you purchase some sort of rack to use for this purpose?Or is this something I could make?Thanks for the help. Jim

[hole in one lco]

All i do is lock my brakes and tip the mower back and put the cacher under the point of the deck.

[SCAPEASAURUSREX]

on belt drives I just physically lift up the deck and put a jack stand under the edge of deck and reach under with hand, on the stand on units I have I use a floor jack to jack them up as High as possible and then use the jack stand to support it and do what I gotta do... I have seen some jungle jack thing, not sure what it was called but its' like some sort of fulcrum lever that you hook under deck and pivot and it lifts and supports the deck in the air. Looks pretty simple to use, but havent used one yet...... I have heard some people pull the machine up onto the ramp of the trailer hanging off the edge ?? but I cant do that on my trailer cause there are cables supporting the ramp.....

[gimpyrobb]

I built my mower stand out of pieces of L steel. I made the box just big enough to go inbetween the deck and the wheels, that way if I need to rotate the cutting blade while cleaning things up I have no obstructions.

[Buzzman]

I use 10 cinder blocks, 2, 2"x8" 8 feet long, the 2x8 ramp I use to load it into the truck, and my creeper... but I'm getting too old and gimpy to physically lift the thing up by myself. :(

[cbelawn]

I put the front wheels on my car lift and hit the switch and up it goes. then under with the creeper and air wrench..........going into lawn care from auto repair is a hoot.

[Buzzman]

Sounds good to me... :drinkup:

[beransfixitinc]

If you can afford it and would need it often enough, there is like a small lift for a lawnmower that I saw in the June Power Equipment Trade, it has a website listed as www.ustool.bz and shows a price in the publication of $2,395.00.


Maybe a little pricey..

[Buzzman]

Wow! That's a nice one, but I can't afford it right now...
I wonder if ALLSTAR has seen this? Maybe he can?
Thanks for the link, Beransfixitinc!
If he's seen this, I'm sure he appreciates it too.

[Green Pastures]

Z-Stand works well for me.

[allstar]

The lift shown on the USTOOL website definitely creates the access I'm looking for but it would be hard for me to justify spending that much...at this time.Thanks anyway.I'm more interested in some sort of rack that you can drive the mower up on and have good access to the undersurface.A few people have desribed making their own.What's a "creeper"?Z-stand?Thanks for the help.

[southerngroundscare]

Take a look at www.junglejimsap.com they make a really neat jack. It's called the Jungle Jack. Not too expensive.

[Green Pastures]

http://www.toro.com/professional/images/tlc_s_z_74244_34r_zstand_lg.jpg

http://www.toro.com/professional/lce/zmaster/z500/feature_zstand.html

[fixer67]

We were using a chain fall and laying on the shop floor. Then last summer my boss found a Heftee 4000 that was used at a good price. It has cut jobs that took 2 hours down to half an hour. And NO, I do not work for Heftee

http://www.heftee.com/dealers/dealers_frame.html

[Mikes Machines]

Hey fixer I just gotta know, what's a used lift go for?

[fixer67]

I have no idea. We got ours from a man who was going out of bussiness because of heath reasons that is all I know about it.

[JHE]

You all had me thinking about the best way to work on these machines. The Jungle Jack was nice but I thought the price was high for as much as I was going to use it. Also, I wanted something that was going to get the machine off the ground a little higher if I had to and I wanted an all purpose jack that could do the mower, trailer, truck and because I surf fish get me out of trouble in the sand. I got on e-bay and purchased an all cast 60" hi-lift jack with the bumper attachment, lift-mate (an attachment that jacks off of the rim) and sand foot. All of this for $144. This thing will act as a come along and a clamp also. One of these on your truck and you have one heavy duty do everything jack - it will get you out of all kinds of binds. In retrospect, the 60" is probably too big.

[Itsgottobegreen]

If you own a stander, a jungle jack is a must have tool. I love my jungle jack. It got placed in the tool pile marked best money spent. I love it. It saves my back, since I used to lift up the front of the machine and kick a stand under the deck.

JHE there are so many things you can do with a high lift. When I took a fire rescue class. I learned how to cut and pry a car apart with nothing but a high lift,a hack saw and a few hand tools. It can pull, push, clamp, lift, etc. A great little tool.

[Four C. Landscaping]

I have a Gravley pro 150 36" and I use a car jack that is extended all the way up and just rest the deck on the top.

[Powell_Landscape]

I'm lucky enough to also work at a outdoor power equipment sales and service store that has a very nice Hefty lift. Drive on and lift up its great

[txlawnking]

Aluminum racing jack for me:D Works great on mowers and my truck.. and was cheaper than the Jungle jack

[robertbick]

Where would you place the jack on an Exmark Lazer? Under one of the front wheel arms or under the front edge of the deck?

[mudpie]

I use a two ton chain hoist on a ten foot swing pole mounted to the side wall of the shop. I just swing it out and use a strap around the front axle mower deck or what ever works well and if you take off the battery you can left it high enough you can nearly stand a mower straight up