Ariens junk/stamped mower decks

My 2014 Ariens 46” riding mower just keeps limping on but tonight the main deck bracket weld broke.

This will be the 3rd different deck weld I’ll have had to get repaired in 5 yrs of mowing our 1 1/2 acres. Both main deck mounts and one front guide wheel bracket.

I don’t ride the thing but I do get to deal with all the repairs. Had to use a ratchet strap tonight just to rig it so the kid could finish the lawn.

I know it’s time, even if the reliable Briggs motor is still holding up. These stamped decks are just garbage.

I’m gonna start looking for a commercial grade zero turn with a Briggs or Kawasaki motor. Hope to find one with some suspension and a wider welded deck too. Our yard is anything but smooth or level. Any recommendations ? Any close out deals going on ?

I moved onto 5+ acres this summer and bought the Toro TimeCutter HD with MyRide. I’d call it a high end residential mower or lower end commercial mower. The MyRide suspension is fantastic because our back yard stays fairly wet which means it ends up with slight ruts and this suspension takes away the jarring impacts.

I think there are a lot of good mowers out there, I picked between Toro and Exmark because I have a dealer that has both within 3 miles of me.

I have a Husqvarna 42″ welded deck on my rider. W/a 24 horse 4 stroke Kawasaki. Couldn’t be happier. Nice rig.

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Check out Ferris mowers, I have been happy with mine. The suspension makes a noticeable difference. The ISX 800 would be a nice machine for your size yard.

Have you tried taking it to a welding shop and get the deck reinforced?

It’d kill me to give up on a 5 year old mower.

BTW, totally agree on Kawasaki motors. I’ve got a 1988 Deere with a Kawasaki motor. Purrs like a kitten. Doesn’t use a drop of oil between changes.

Had to do the coil this year, first thing on the motor I’ve ever done. On a 30-year-old motor! Granted the coil cost me $120, but that’s Deere parts for you. Good news is you can always get them, bad news is they are always 2x the cost of competitors. The new coil wasn’t even painted green! What a rippoff.

Grouse

Took the thing to my favorite neighbor and he welded it all up again. Put new blades on it and now it’s waiting for new front wheel spacers (washers) and grease cups. He says I should just keep using it and keep the welder (him) from getting too thirsty. I was surprised it was returned to running condition so easily. New mowers are so darn expensive I’d have to consider adopting some goats and putting up a fence. Just don’t know if goats will eat crab grass and that’s all we have.

TheFamousGrouse wrote:

I’ve got a 1988 Deere with a Kawasaki motor. Purrs like a kitten.

Got a 1985 180. We’ve beaten the doors off the thing and it won’t quite. The Kawasaki motors are pretty incredible.

Deleted wrote:

My 2014 Ariens 46” riding mower just keeps limping on but tonight the main deck bracket weld broke.

This will be the 3rd different deck weld I’ll have had to get repaired in 5 yrs of mowing our 1 1/2 acres. Both main deck mounts and one front guide wheel bracket.

I don’t ride the thing but I do get to deal with all the repairs. Had to use a ratchet strap tonight just to rig it so the kid could finish the lawn.

I know it’s time, even if the reliable Briggs motor is still holding up. These stamped decks are just garbage.

I’m gonna start looking for a commercial grade zero turn with a Briggs or Kawasaki motor. Hope to find one with some suspension and a wider welded deck too. Our yard is anything but smooth or level. Any recommendations ? Any close out deals going on ?

Might want to watch the kid mow. Lots of people mow one speed……….fast. On uneven terrain that can be hard on the mower. I mow twice as much grass as you are doing. I got 12 years out of a Craftsman and 10 years out of a Simplicity. I bought another Simplicity and gave the old one to the kid. All the mowers need the blades kept sharpened and the oil and grease maintained. Beyond that they mow grass. But when I mow it’s not a race.

Dutchboy – you nailed it. The kid goes like banshee and chops whatever is in his way. Too lazy to check oil or blow the grass off the deck when he’s done. It used to take me 2 1/2 – 3 hrs when I used to do the mowing. It takes him a little over an hour.

Deleted wrote:

Dutchboy – you nailed it. The kid goes like banshee and chops whatever is in his way. Too lazy to check oil or blow the grass off the deck when he’s done. It used to take me 2 1/2 – 3 hrs when I used to do the mowing. It takes him a little over an hour.

Sounds like a teaching moment. “You break it, you fix it”