Brought my 1980(?) L185 home Wednesday

[Tallbald]

Orange Crush is now home after an 8 year loan to my father in law and has been basically cleaned up. I'm the third owner, and she now has accumulated about 1550 hours on the clock. In her future are new steering bushings, new rubber hoses under the hood and a repaint overall. The seat pan is cracked and I'll wire weld a mild steel plate on it for repair before painting. Her fluids and filters have been changed yearly during the life of her loan, and I am hoping all's well internally. I have no reason yet to think otherwise. Her early life was as two different physician's estate mower (both live withing a mile of me at this, her new home), however her factory contract Woods belly mower unit was oddly barely holding together when I paid $750 for her all told in 2005. I suspect I'll be asking many questions if what I can first find with searches here in the forums don't help me get on track. Thanks for looking. Don.

Here are the seat pan cracks. I'll be welding a repair plate in place rather than buying a newer replacement.

 

[85Hokie]

Don,

great looking machine.
I wish I had a seat that looked that good!!! Mine doesnt even have a bottom!

Thank for the pictures.
Fire away with you questions!

 

[Tallbald]

85Hokie thanks. Thing is, my own seat bottom (and my FIL's, and maybe one of the doctor's bottoms) made the seat look like that! Each of us has weighed likely 300 plus pounds (grins) during her ownership. I had wondered if it was a usually expected thing to crack. I can think of several more comments too about seat bottom cracks in this case .... Don

 

[D2Cat]

Don, if you have a friend with a wire welder, that seat is Duck Soup! Simple, easy fix.

The tractor looks like it's in excellent condition, especially for it's age! Keep good fluids and filters on it and it'll last another 40 years.

 

[Tallbald]

D2cat thanks. My son in law does have a wire welder I learned a little bit ago, so it's return-the-kindnesses time I hope. One of the tutorials here showed using a heat gun to remove the old stickers. Tried that last night for fun and it works like a charm. I'll raise the front end this coming week to see which steering bushings need replacement (do them all just because maybe?) and order some parts. Looking forward to the refurb process as much as the end results. Don