Post by oxankle on Oct 28, 2015 21:54:19 GMT
I bought one of the Troybilt vertical tine tillers. In less than ten hours of operation the transmission started leaking oil, so I took it back to the dealer. There on the lot was a Horse. I looked it over; it appeared to be identical to the old American-made Horse, though it has a 14 horse motor and electric start. It had been returned by an unhappy customer.
The story I got was that "it was too much for the old man". I'm 84, I had a horse until I moved to Arkansas. One of TB's selling points was that old people could use them. I gave the fellow a little boot and came home with the horse. I found out that the reason the Horse was returned was that it would not go into reverse.
Fast forward; for those of you who know TB tillers, the shaft inside the spring that controls the amount of drop the engine mount has when the shift lever is lifted into the reverse position was frozen, rusted, in the casting. It was impossible to lower the reverse wheel against the drive pulley.
Fast forward again; I had to remove the battery case to get working room, and I took out the switch positioned over the reverse spring. (This new Horse has wiring all over it.) Then I took out the lock bolt on the bottom of the shaft. Next I bought a can of PB Blaster and soused the shaft bottom and top. Two days; each day I'd go out with a hammer and a rod and tap the top of the shaft. On the second day about sunset I felt the spring bounce. With each application of PB Blaster rusty oil would run out the lock-bolt hole. The reverse mechanism was working again. I felt as if I'd earned $1,500. If you have one of these, don't leave it sitting out in the rain.
Do any of you have this machine? I suspect that the outfit that bought Troy-bilt shipped the blueprints to China and told them to make some of them. The engine is a Briggs, but has no oil filter. So---the old 8 hp Kohler on my old tiller had no filter, and it was over 20 years old when I sold it, still running. I do like the fact that the Briggs has both electric start and a recoil starter.
Ox
The story I got was that "it was too much for the old man". I'm 84, I had a horse until I moved to Arkansas. One of TB's selling points was that old people could use them. I gave the fellow a little boot and came home with the horse. I found out that the reason the Horse was returned was that it would not go into reverse.
Fast forward; for those of you who know TB tillers, the shaft inside the spring that controls the amount of drop the engine mount has when the shift lever is lifted into the reverse position was frozen, rusted, in the casting. It was impossible to lower the reverse wheel against the drive pulley.
Fast forward again; I had to remove the battery case to get working room, and I took out the switch positioned over the reverse spring. (This new Horse has wiring all over it.) Then I took out the lock bolt on the bottom of the shaft. Next I bought a can of PB Blaster and soused the shaft bottom and top. Two days; each day I'd go out with a hammer and a rod and tap the top of the shaft. On the second day about sunset I felt the spring bounce. With each application of PB Blaster rusty oil would run out the lock-bolt hole. The reverse mechanism was working again. I felt as if I'd earned $1,500. If you have one of these, don't leave it sitting out in the rain.
Do any of you have this machine? I suspect that the outfit that bought Troy-bilt shipped the blueprints to China and told them to make some of them. The engine is a Briggs, but has no oil filter. So---the old 8 hp Kohler on my old tiller had no filter, and it was over 20 years old when I sold it, still running. I do like the fact that the Briggs has both electric start and a recoil starter.
Ox
