Redneckcomputergeek ?MTD?

mtds are perfectly fine if you got a general idea what your doing, mine has no belt slippage by adding more spring tension to the clutch itself and the spring belt tensioner. As for the fnrs ive never blew one up and ive did anywhere from stock speed to 25mph with them and anywhere from stock tires to 27" tires with 1" lugs. As for the front axles being weak I don't think they are in my opinion I can wheelie mine and slam it back to the ground, hit and run over trees with it also the only problem ive had so far is my steering gears stripping because im running 22" tires on the front with rims welded to rims. Heres my current mtd

greener179 wrote:

mtds are perfectly fine if you got a general idea what your doing, mine has no belt slippage by adding more spring tension to the clutch itself and the spring belt tensioner. As for the fnrs ive never blew one up and ive did anywhere from stock speed to 25mph with them and anywhere from stock tires to 27" tires with 1" lugs. As for the front axles being weak I don't think they are in my opinion I can wheelie mine and slam it back to the ground, hit and run over trees with it also the only problem ive had so far is my steering gears stripping because im running 22" tires on the front with rims welded to rims. Heres my current mtd

AYUMEN MY BRUTHA, PREACH IT

richie thomas wrote:

greener179 wrote:

mtds are perfectly fine if you got a general idea what your doing, mine has no belt slippage by adding more spring tension to the clutch itself and the spring belt tensioner. As for the fnrs ive never blew one up and ive did anywhere from stock speed to 25mph with them and anywhere from stock tires to 27" tires with 1" lugs. As for the front axles being weak I don't think they are in my opinion I can wheelie mine and slam it back to the ground, hit and run over trees with it also the only problem ive had so far is my steering gears stripping because im running 22" tires on the front with rims welded to rims. Heres my current mtd

 
AYUMEN MY BRUTHA, PREACH IT

agreed. Mtd frames do require more bracing

ya depending on the frame style mtd you got some need more bracing then others my current one is the gt version so frames thicker so it doesn't need it.

I have mtd with the vari drive i run 22in tires in the back with a 12 hp engine and a pully swap have had no problems with it

Hi guys,
Forgive me for throwing two cents in, even though Im new here, but I think things have drifted a bit off course from the OP's question.

I haven't seen one of these MTD's being discussed, but if the real question is "What can we share with someone who is new to this hobby to help get them started?", then that's the place to start.

What if you took this idea and broke it into bite size chunks for someone totally new to the hobby? For example, "Here are the simplest things you can do to almost any mower and go trail riding?" This list would include things like changing tires out that would fit on stock rims, better exhaust routing, pulley swaps; things of that nature. The kind of stuff a socket set, some screw drivers, and a hammer and vice-grips could do. No welding, gearbox swaps or modding; just the absolute basics. Throw in some tips and tricks for driving and things to avoid doing.

I can tell you that as someone absolutely new to this hobby, that would be a VERY appealing thing to read. As most of the traffic this and other sites like this will get; it will be those who are curious. You want to set a very low barrier for entry for them to get them involved and to move from curious to excited to get started. The second you start telling them that have to crack open gearboxes to mod them or to start welding stuff; you've lost them. However, if you've got a doc that says "Hey, its easy to get started on nearly any old mower, and here is a basic list to get started with.." you'll likely hook them.

After that, they need to find people in their neck of the woods to go out riding with. These forums can be a great place for making those connections. The first time they take out their machine with even one other person, they're hooked, and you've got them. They will gradually be drawn to make some of the mods they see others doing. Then comes the next step.

THAT'S when you start getting nitty gritty with mods requiring opening gearboxes, welding things, Machines to look for, engines to use, etc; always take it from the simplest selection of tools the average guy might have and scale up slowly. That will help keep the cost down and limit it as a barrier to entry.

With any hobby, you're going to have %80-%90 of your population as casual participants. Your "Basics" document will be the thing that lures the people in and gets them involved. THEY provide the momentum for the hobby to grow and preserve it during the slow times.

The other %10-%20 are the more hardcore people. They make the videos, organize events, experiment with different things, and generally push the hobby into new directions. They find new and better(and sometimes cheaper) ways of doing things that the casual people eventually adopt. That %20ish  does %80 of the work. This has been borne out time and time again.

To bring this back on point from the OP; I stumbled on all of this stuff a few months ago. I watched the videos, read around, and decided it was something I could do. THEN, I spent another couple of months looking around for the entry level things I knew I could do with the tools I had and my limited skills; and the Tractor I have on hand (an old Craftsman 2, 12.5 hp B&S, 5 speed 38inch model, spicer GB). If I had a simple doc with the kind of information I had to hunt for, I would probably be riding right now, as opposed to still putting it together.  Well, ok, Winter would have slowed me down anyway. I don't have room in my garage to work on it, so Im building it outside by the garage door, a little every night. Argh, I digress again. Please forgive me.

Give us newbs something simple first, and put it somewhere on this and other sites for this hobby. Make it easy to understand, easy to read, and using the most common tools a suburbanite would have.

Apologies for the wall of text.

I can say, for certain, that this is the OP's intent. As with all of his builds and vids, he has the beginner in mind. I share this attitude, though my present build doesn't show that.

RCTankboy wrote:

Give us newbs something simple first, and put it somewhere on this and other sites for this hobby. Make it easy to understand, easy to read, and using the most common tools a suburbanite would have.

Apologies for the wall of text.

Very Well Written wall of words!!! I wish I could write half as good as you do but I think that's a 20% thing lol

But back to topic
The lack of Welder is were things like my Zinc locker were born. But the problem with the sport is with out a welder you spend money you could have bought a welder with. Now im not talking about doing this build with my Hobart 140. I plan to out right buy the 80.00 harbor freight stick welder. A single grinder with cut off disks and wire wheel brush. basic benzo torch. and basic wrench set. Maybe a few pick it up as you go type tools.

Basic goal say 250.00 in tools? How would that do for a beginner?

90 Amp Flux Wire Welder : $111.99
http://www.harborfreight.com/90-amp-flux-wire-welder-68887-8494.html


4-1/2" Heavy Duty Angle Grinder: $21.99
http://www.harborfreight.com/heavy-duty-4-1-2-half-inch-angle-grinder-91223.html


Adjustable Shade Auto-Darkening Welding Helmet: $44.99
http://www.harborfreight.com/adjustable-shade-auto-darkening-welding-helmet-46092.html


14 in. Premium Leather Welding Gloves: $4.99
http://www.harborfreight.com/welding-gloves-39664.html


4 Piece Wire Brush Set: $2.99
http://www.harborfreight.com/4-piece-wire-brush-set-2938.html


Sign up for their email promotions and wait for the 20% off coupon. You'll still have to pay shipping and possibly taxes, but all of the above can be had for just about $200. This will allow anyone to make a decent, safe and fun off-roader.

B440 wrote:

90 Amp Flux Wire Welder : $111.99
http://www.harborfreight.com/90-amp-flux-wire-welder-68887-8494.html


4-1/2" Heavy Duty Angle Grinder: $21.99
http://www.harborfreight.com/heavy-duty-4-1-2-half-inch-angle-grinder-91223.html


Adjustable Shade Auto-Darkening Welding Helmet: $44.99
http://www.harborfreight.com/adjustable-shade-auto-darkening-welding-helmet-46092.html


14 in. Premium Leather Welding Gloves: $4.99
http://www.harborfreight.com/welding-gloves-39664.html


4 Piece Wire Brush Set: $2.99
http://www.harborfreight.com/4-piece-wire-brush-set-2938.html


Sign up for their email promotions and wait for the 20% off coupon. You'll still have to pay shipping and possibly taxes, but all of the above can be had for just about $200. This will allow anyone to make a decent, safe and fun off-roader.

and if you go with a normal helmet instead of autodarkening, its even cheaper! lol

I was thinking even cheaper welder
http://www.harborfreight.com/welding/arc-welders/70-amp-arc-welder-68888.html

Maine Mud Mower wrote:

I was thinking even cheaper welder
http://www.harborfreight.com/welding/arc-welders/70-amp-arc-welder-68888.html

hell, i didn't know they came that cheap lol
i paid 130 for my jobsmart fluxcore, and it was worth every penny

If you watch their FREQUENT sales, 2 weeks ago they were selling the 90 amp wire feed for $76.99

I actually picked up a 70 amp stick welder like Neil mentioned for 50 bucks at one of their springtime "Parking lot" sales

@Lawren: I sometimes garble my communications, and it might seem Im saying something different. I was simply expressing my opinion that at the time I chimed in, I though the conversation had kinda drifted down a rabbit trail, away from RNCG's original post. That's the problem with using lots of words, sorry!

@RNCG: I see now where you are going. I would like to think $250 is a reasonable budget for tooling for most anyone. Not only to build something in the first place, but to fix it when you over brake using a tree.   

Are these MTD's being discussed THAT common?

So after tooling up, what can be done about this variable drive system?

RCTankboy wrote:

Are these MTD's being discussed THAT common?

Yes at this point almost every major brand including Craftsman(as of 2013), Bolans, MTD, Troy built and Husquvana all produce them in their lower end models. I would bet out of the 40 or so machines a summer I buy and sell about a 4th of them are MTD varydrives I rip the motor off to rebuild better machines for better profit.

@ B440
that would be the point to this whole thread. for example: in your pic to make the system faster you would need to swap the trans pulley to a smaller one. But then the current Idler Pulley would not have the needed tension and have to be moved. From there is it done by drilling holes and moving a bolt or is the pivot welded and now has to be ground off? PS. thanks for the picture!

Can a sufficiently larger idler pulley be put on to take up some of the slack?

RCTankboy wrote:

Can a sufficiently larger idler pulley be put on to take up some of the slack?

When I started this thread I was hoping some of that info would come to the surface but as you have read in 5 pages of text it seems many have talked it out few have tried. I have found 6 to 8 people that all claim to have swapped on smaller pulleys on the trans but all of them said they ate belts after. My bet is its the idler not being relocated to restore the tension needed.

On the welder front I have decided to got the walmart route. After looking up store locations for walmart verses harbor freight then lowes and home depot. I needed a walk in and buy it choice as most kids don't have credit cards to buy on line. So I chose this
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002HT1I5I/ref=ox_ya_os_product_refresh_T1
they are on amazon and sold in Walmart, lowes, home depot and after checking with a few local small stores all of them said they could get me one for around 130. So at 106 with free shipping I think it fits well in the 250.00 goal

I swaped the pulley on a white (MTD) and no problems so far, exept the backside of the belt rubs on the shifter. the owner wants it faster still, so it is getting a smaller pulley, which will fix the rubbing problem.

I can say definitively that the little Campbell Hausfield welder works well for what it is... I have owned and used one.

Came in yesterday Man I had forgotten how much I loved using this little welder back in the day! Got a feeling this thing will be in a lot more videos then just the MTD build

Debatting these for the mtd build at 76.00 each they look to be a well rounded tire. Of Corse its first tires will be chiseled turfs lol

Maine Mud Mower wrote:

Maybe the reality of a good mtd how to test modding experiment would be minimum tools including the cheapest of harbor freight welders.  and a 14.95 grinder with harbor freight cutoff wheels and wirewheel.  Something a kid could show there parents and say "See you can do it with a cheap welder" AKA can i have one for Christmas or my birthday.

That's exactly the tools I use.

And have for years.

The only "death in motion" in them, comes to those who misuse and abuse tools as a matter of course. Take care of your tools and they will take care of you. Use them correctly, and they will not explode in your face. (Cutting wheels.) Etc.

here is the varidrive pulley swap

I've bin modding two mtds with vari drive. And I have the standard axle on both does any one know the easiest way to attache a Dana spicer to the standard rear the hole arnt lined up and with the pan chassis I don't wanna cut hole or weld it and risk weakening it

i see that this is a big discussion about mtd and there vari drives well my mtd huskee has one and i did a pulley swap on the trans it had a 8" i think and i found a 5 1/2" and it works just fine just had to buy a smaller belt. and it is a monster in the mud bc if you want more "speed" you would just hold back the clutch and rip it up. but the problem i am having is i am always blowing the back belt. and i hardly blow the front one. i am running a 50"rubber b belt on the front and a 39"Kevlar a belt. and i cant see why i keep blowing belts.