Lawn Tractor Service Center

Lawn Tractor Service Center FARM HOME Lawn Mowers (31h,38) 31-1-39 Mel Primrose keeps his lawn tractor in tip top working condition, thanks to a mini service center he built next to his shop. The Westlock, Alberta man likes to keep his yard looking good, so that means he also needs to keep his equipment well maintained. Primrose built a drive-on service deck using scrap metal he found at the dump. It includes a deck washing system consisting of a pivoting spray arm mounted underneath, to which a garden hose is attached. The ramps are made from angle iron frames with metal mesh centers. The service deck holds the tractor 2 ft. off the ground. "The deck makes it much easier to change the oil and service the air filter," Primrose says. In front of the deck ramps, he installed a winch lift for simplifying the job of sharpening mower blades and cleaning off grass build-up. A 1,500-lb. electric winch powers the lift. Primrose included a safety chain, just in case the winch ever fails. The winch and stand is covered with a curved metal roof to protect it from snow and rain. To make it more portable, the stand's posts slip into two 36-in. pipes that form receptacles in the ground. Primrose also set up an overhead pivoting air hose, which swings out 15 ft. from the outer wall of his shop, fitted with a 50-ft. flexible hose. It's hooked to his air compressor indoors and is useful for blowing out dust or touching up tire pressure. When not in use, the convenient and out-of-the-way air hose arm is held snugly in place above the garage door by a magnet. "I really like this setup because all of the features are handy and quick to use. I built it in stages and it only cost me about $130 in all to make. The only things I bought were the air hose and winch," he says. Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Mel Primrose, Site 10, Box 1, R.R. 1, Westlock, Alberta, Canada T7P 2N9 (ph 780 349-2477).

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