Lawn Tractor Lift, Why Did I Wait So Long

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  • leehljp
    Just me
    • Dec 2002
    • 8429
    • Tunica, MS
    • BT3000/3100

    Lawn Tractor Lift, Why Did I Wait So Long

    I bought one of these earlier this week:
    https://www.harborfreight.com/300-lb...awn+mower+lift

    I was a little aggravated with HF. The Lift is $99, on sale for $79. I made up my mind that I was going to get one. Then HF came out with the 10% and 20% off "NO EXCLUSIONS" coupon. In big bold letters and no fine print that I could find. SO that would mean that I could get almost another $16 off. BUT No Deal. They said it did not apply to things already on sale. I replied "No Exclusions" means NO EXCLUSIONS!. They argued otherwise.

    Well, I was happy initially to get it at $79, so I bought it. Then when outside, I called HF headquarters and asked for customer service. They said the same thing. NO EXCLUSIONS does not apply to sale items .

    THAT ASIDE:

    WOW, this thing sure helps when working on the lawn tractor. It was a little difficult to get started with the assembly as the first two or three steps are left off - leaving orientation to be figured out as "understood" - and the drawings were on the small side. Once that was done (and it only took about 15 minutes - two disassemblies because of 4 possible orientations on the first two parts) then it went together well after those steps.

    I drove my 42 inch lawn tractor on it, lifted it up and replaced a spindle MUCH easier than when doing it on the ground. Took blades off and sharpened them too. WOW, it was much easier. AND Being 74, it is a necessity now. I don't know how I did without it. It raises it up much higher than the blocks that I normally use.

    I'm getting old:
    And I learned another thing. In assembling it, I picked up one of those folding stools that is about 9 inches high. I sat on it initially when assembling parts of the lift. The step stool was too low, and I could not rise up from sitting 9 inches off the ground. I had to lay over on the ground, roll over, get up on my knees and then stand. Next I went and got my 12 inch high hand made wooded stool and sat on it. I use that one all the time when working on ground level tools such as the mower or brakes, etc. 12 inches is just right, I could rise from a sitting position easily on the 12 inch high stool, but not the 9 inch. Aging affects us in strange ways.
    Last edited by leehljp; 03-05-2021, 03:26 PM.
    Hank Lee

    Experience is what you get when you don't get what you wanted!
  • Jim Frye
    Veteran Member
    • Dec 2002
    • 1051
    • Maumee, OH, USA.
    • Ryobi BT3000 & BT3100

    #2
    Never thought about needing such a tool until I bought a riding mower two plus years ago. Being an electric rider, there is really no maintenance to do except clean the underside of the deck and change blades once a year. For serious cleaning and blade changing, It's disconnect two electrical connectors and four clevis pins to slide the deck out and flip it over. For after mowing clean out, I use my automotive ramps. The neighbors likely think I've gone round the bend and wondering why I'm changing the oil on an electric mower , but it's quick and does the trick. My outside work stool is a seat that fits into a 5 gal. bucket. I can still rise from that one. This winter, I stumbled in the 14.5" snowfall we had and could not get up until I rolled around and got positioned with my body prone so I could get my feeble knees under me properly. It is a booger getting old.
    Click image for larger version

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    Jim Frye
    The Nut in the Cellar.
    ”Sawdust Is Man Glitter”

    Comment

    • leehljp
      Just me
      • Dec 2002
      • 8429
      • Tunica, MS
      • BT3000/3100

      #3
      . . . Seat that fits a 5 gallon bucket. THAT is what I need. Gotta get me one!

      I just looked, lots of stores with them, including Bass Pro with options. I’ll check it out when I go to Springfield MO in a few weeks.

      BTW: I have ramps similar to what you show, but they get in the way of getting under the mower on my lawn tractor.
      Last edited by leehljp; 03-05-2021, 06:36 PM.
      Hank Lee

      Experience is what you get when you don't get what you wanted!

      Comment

      • atgcpaul
        Veteran Member
        • Aug 2003
        • 4055
        • Maryland
        • Grizzly 1023SLX

        #4
        Hank, I'm 29 years your junior and I've done the same roll technique a time or two.

        Jim, that's a beautiful lawn. I am green with envy.

        Paul

        Comment

        • Jim Frye
          Veteran Member
          • Dec 2002
          • 1051
          • Maumee, OH, USA.
          • Ryobi BT3000 & BT3100

          #5
          Paul: It's been a challenge. The soil here is called "bedrock clay". It literally has no nutritional value and when it dries out, it shrinks and opens fissures that can be 2 - 3 feet deep. An edger will actually throw sparks from the soil in the fall. The grass in the picture is the product of specialty seed, monthly feeding, and irrigation. The mower's cutting quality also adds to the look.
          Jim Frye
          The Nut in the Cellar.
          ”Sawdust Is Man Glitter”

          Comment

          • capncarl
            Veteran Member
            • Jan 2007
            • 3564
            • Leesburg Georgia USA
            • SawStop CTS

            #6
            That is a fine looking lawn! What type grass is it?

            I am amazed at some of the useful equipment sold at HF, and their prices beat most competitors. Some of my neighbors try to service their mowers with all matter of junk, some bordering on death traps. When I purchased my first zero turn 15 years ago, I had intentions of using my hydraulic shop crane to lift up the front of the mower for service work. The mower was too wide to fit between the legs on the crane so I fabricated an adapter for a floor jack. It worked well and was reasonably safe. I was glad the crane didn’t work for my mower because digging out the crane from its cluttered corner was a pia.

            My replacement mower has a “fixture”? That accepts a Bulldog tongue jack. I doubt it will pick the mower up as high as the wheel lift though, It stores good though.

            Not my mower.
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            Comment

            • Jim Frye
              Veteran Member
              • Dec 2002
              • 1051
              • Maumee, OH, USA.
              • Ryobi BT3000 & BT3100

              #7
              The grass is a species called Crossfire II. I get it at the local nursery and garden store.
              Jim Frye
              The Nut in the Cellar.
              ”Sawdust Is Man Glitter”

              Comment

              • capncarl
                Veteran Member
                • Jan 2007
                • 3564
                • Leesburg Georgia USA
                • SawStop CTS

                #8
                One of my work friends talked about using his farm jack to lift his mower. I don’t remember if it was a tractor style or zero turn style, he just grabbed the front end and lifted it up. One day he had it jacked up for maintenance and it fell with him..... luckily not on him, he didn’t have the back wheels chocked well enough. I would discourage anyone from using this kind of jack to lift up a lawnmower.

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                • atgcpaul
                  Veteran Member
                  • Aug 2003
                  • 4055
                  • Maryland
                  • Grizzly 1023SLX

                  #9
                  Originally posted by capncarl
                  I would discourage anyone from using this kind of jack to lift up a lawnmower.
                  I don't understand why this is even an option. Maybe it saves space on the landscaping truck instead of ramps but I've seen those crews at work at our house and time is money. I don't think they'd take the time to chock it or find a level spot.

                  Comment

                  • capncarl
                    Veteran Member
                    • Jan 2007
                    • 3564
                    • Leesburg Georgia USA
                    • SawStop CTS

                    #10
                    I’ve never seen a landscape truck with this kind of jack on it, I think they know better! Most of the landscape services I know don’t work on their own equipment, especially on the job site. My comment about the farm jack being so dangerous is because jacking up a lawnmower by the front center with a very small base bumper type jack allows the machine to easily roll backwards or to either side and turn the jack over. A 1000 lb lawnmower falling on your face would make for a bad day!

                    Comment

                    • leehljp
                      Just me
                      • Dec 2002
                      • 8429
                      • Tunica, MS
                      • BT3000/3100

                      #11
                      Even though we know the stupidity of such, there are enough people who cannot understand that “nesessity being the mother of invention” can easily turn into “the instrument of torment”. “They walk among us”
                      Hank Lee

                      Experience is what you get when you don't get what you wanted!

                      Comment

                      • Jim Frye
                        Veteran Member
                        • Dec 2002
                        • 1051
                        • Maumee, OH, USA.
                        • Ryobi BT3000 & BT3100

                        #12
                        I've always espoused that "If necessity is the mother of invention, then surely poverty is the father".
                        Jim Frye
                        The Nut in the Cellar.
                        ”Sawdust Is Man Glitter”

                        Comment

                        • capncarl
                          Veteran Member
                          • Jan 2007
                          • 3564
                          • Leesburg Georgia USA
                          • SawStop CTS

                          #13
                          I’m still amazed at the amount of machinery and engineering that you can get for $79. With such equipment you can safely maintain you mower. I have several sets of sharp ,blades that I swap out every couple of mowings and keep a nicely cut lawn. Blades seem to never wear out if you rotate them often.

                          Comment

                          • LCHIEN
                            Internet Fact Checker
                            • Dec 2002
                            • 20920
                            • Katy, TX, USA.
                            • BT3000 vintage 1999

                            #14
                            Well, I can see the frustration of expecting another discount that seems really nice and promised and then not getting it despite the NO EXCLUSIONS promise.

                            But really, that thing is a real bargain for $80 bucks and if you never saw the coupon you'd be a pretty happy camper.
                            Enjoy life and relax, man.


                            Loring in Katy, TX USA
                            If your only tool is a hammer, you tend to treat all problems as if they were nails.
                            BT3 FAQ - https://www.sawdustzone.org/forum/di...sked-questions

                            Comment

                            • leehljp
                              Just me
                              • Dec 2002
                              • 8429
                              • Tunica, MS
                              • BT3000/3100

                              #15
                              It is a great bargain for $80! And I was ready to buy it at that price, then saw the No Exclusions coupons and got real excited. Even the new check out guy at the cash register was taken aback. It was his first No Exclusions coupon. It would not go through. He called the manager and the manager said No exclusions don’t apply to items on sale. The check out guy was as shocked as I was.

                              I did figure the “semantics” of it later.
                              • “20% coupon” applies to even normal "on sale" items, but it had LOTS of exclusions such as - air compressors and other specific things.

                              • “No Exclusions” applies to everything NOT on sale, but nothing that is listed as “on sale.”

                              • “SPECIAL Coupon” for individual items are not included in either of the above.
                              Last edited by leehljp; 03-08-2021, 09:10 PM.
                              Hank Lee

                              Experience is what you get when you don't get what you wanted!

                              Comment

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