OutdoorKing Repair Forum Forums Finding and Swapping Idle Chatter Greenfield vs Deutscher Ride-on

Hi all,
First post here, I hope this is the right section for my question.
I am in the market for a ride-on mower to mow about 2 ha (5 acres) of flat or gently sloping paddock (steepest is about 10% or 5 degrees) about twice a year.
I am thinking an Australian-made Greenfield or an old Deutscher ride-on (R model or TH910 or TE910) might be good. Any thoughts on how these mowers would compare for the job?
Thanks, Anthony

Hi Anthony
I just pulled an old Deutscher R280 off my trailer 5 mins ago, they are a tough old machine. The Greenies are good but a bit more complex than the Deutscher but anyone you get will require work as they have always done a lot of work. Then it depends on how handy you are with the tools as to if these are a proposition for you. Both types are rebuildable but do require a bit of effort. My preference for the simplicity side is the Deutscher R360 because it has the 36 inch cut but either are good machines and cheap enough

Thanks Norm,
I'm ok with tools, not so much with mowers but happy to learn.
How are the R series to drive as compared to the Greenfields?
Do you have any experience with the 910 Deutschers?

Hi Andrew I haven't had anything to do with the 910's The R series are very simple to work on and you can get at everything. The Greenfields can be difficult to work on because everything is nut and bolted together and sometimes the nuts are near impossible to get to. If they had used captive nuts on all the difficult to get to nuts they would be much easier to work on. Their steering set up on the earlier ones leaves a lot to be desired, they improved that on the Evolution models. All these mowers have their problem bits

Hi Andrew and Norm,

I've had an old R seies Deutscher ride on mower that needed parts and because of their age I didn't see any for sale to get parts off and new parts aren't available but I always see new Greenfield parts and a lot of second hand Greenfield mowers for sale so just consider the following points.

If you are considering reliability, maintenance, and suitability for your specific mowing job on 2 ha (5 acres), a Greenfield mower could be the better choice, especially if you prioritize modern technology and effective cutting performance.

On the other hand, if you can find a well-maintained Deutscher model at a good price, it may still serve you well; just be mindful of potential issues with parts availability. If you feel comfortable with the reliability and performance of older machinery and you can perform maintenance or repairs yourself, a Deutscher might be suitable, too.

Cheers
Max.

Hi Max,
I picked up a Deutscher 280 yesterday for free and with a few hours work on it it is ready to mow lawns again. It is a bit rusty but mechanically everything works perfectly. I only wanted the gearbox but it is too good to strip for parts

Hi Norm,

I didn't see them available when I was looking but have since seen some but usually a long drive to pick one up.

Yes it's great when you can find a complete one but they seem to be getting more difficult to find these days

I had one that was very clean looking but was missing the engine and I couldn't find the motor pulley or another mower cheap.

I don't think you can ever destroy one of these ride on mowers as the steel is ridiculously thick like a tank but they
aren't great mowers for hills as I hear a few people say they are hard to stop on a hill ,(very heavy mower) people even
say they are dangerous on a slope.

Thanks for that Max, I'll keep that in mind.

Hi Max,
Have you had much to do with the Deutscher rideon gearboxes? I have one here in a 360 that had split the cases apart. I'm not sure if this is a problem with them or had somebody gone from forward to reverse without stopping. I'm thinking this would be the only way you could smash the cases like this?

Hi Norm,

I've seen a lot of damaged gearbox casings but not particularly the 360.

I think it's more a case of some people can break anything.

I've heard of the 360 model problems, some reports of gearbox issues, including casing failures, but it is essential to note that not every unit will experience these problems.

It's mostly from overloading or lack of lubrication.

Like we know any gearbox that is overloaded or has lack of lubrication the end result can be damage to the casing.

1 somebody going from forward to reverse without stopping.is one way to overload the gearbox.

2 Overloading: If the mower is used for tasks beyond its intended capacity (like traversing very rough terrain, pulling heavy loads, or damaging obstacles), it could place significant stress on the internals of the gearbox and potentially cause it to fail.

3 Lack of Lubrication: Insufficient lubrication can lead to overheating and increased wear on the components. If the lubricant level is low or if it hasn't been changed regularly, this could contribute to premature failure of the gearbox casing.
Because of lack of lubrication and excessive wear in bushes or bearings,they can wear out then shafts and gears aren't supported correctly causing misalignment and increased stress to the casing the result is structural failure of the casing.

4 Heat Generation: Lack of lubrication can generate excessive heat, which can further weaken the material of the casing. If the casing becomes brittle due to heat, it is more susceptible to cracking or breaking under normal operational stresses.

Cheers
Max.

Hi Max, thanks for that, this gearbox had a number of teeth ripped off the gears so I'm assuming, forward straight into reverse without stopping. I guess nothing is unbreakable if you want to break something

I've had a ride on mower Norm that the rear axle was completely snapped in half and the mower was left in a paddock ,the
ride on had a car tow ball on the back so who knows what they were towing with the mower ,It wouldn't surprise me if people
tried to use a ride on mower to pull a tree stump out with a run up.

Hi Guys,
I have recently restored an R280 & have an R360 almost there. after acquiring several units over the past couple of years
I've accumulated a few spare parts if that is of any assistance to any of you. Only problem is that I'm on the Gold Coast. My
main fall back was Terry Scanlon down at Tahmoor but if I can help out anyone up this way happy to help. My main problem
was the old GV 400 Honda power plant. Getting a bit long in the tooth but there are probably replacement options available.

Cheers Al

Hi Al,
they are great machines and capable of going another 100 years if the world still uses petrol then. Plenty of motor options out there any of the 13/14 hp Chonda motors will fit. Only downside with these motors is they don't come with a fuel tank fitted