Lift kit for a lawn mower

[682bear]

A few weeks ago, I bought a new Toro zero turn mower... and quickly realized I have a problem with it.

It is very similar to my old Toro zero turn... except the drive control handles are 3 inches closer together on the new mower. IOW, they constantly rub the outsides of my legs as I'm mowing, enough to start hurting after a while...

The old mower...



...and the new...



I found that I was holding my knees closer together, but that had my inner thigh muscles screaming at me within a few minutes.

Yesterday, I removed the lower part of the control handle from one side. I was planning to see if I could cut a notch in it, bend it outward a few degrees, then weld the notch up... I discovered pretty quick that it is made of some type of unweldable metal... thankfully, I tested that before I did any cutting.

So... there is not any way to adjust the position of the control for more clearance...

After studying on it for a few minutes, I decided that it may help to raise the seat an inch or so... to straighten my legs just a little.

Today, I machined four 1" aluminum spacers...





...and installed them under the seat...



This is an improvement... I won't know whether it is enough of an improvement until I get some 'seat time'... early next week probably.

-Bear

 

[piper184]

Once again, a lathe saves the day!

Can the handles be flipped to the outside of the block they bolt to? That may get you the extra width you need. If not enough, More Spacers!

 

[682bear]

Once again, a lathe saves the day!

Can the handles be flipped to the outside of the block they bolt to? That may get you the extra width you need. If not enough, More Spacers!

I've already flipped the handles to the outside... that just left the corner of the square lower bar digging into my leg...

Maybe raising the seat will get me above the lower bars... We'll see...

-Bear

 

[woodchucker]

Once again, a lathe saves the day!

Can the handles be flipped to the outside of the block they bolt to? That may get you the extra width you need. If not enough, More Spacers!

Looks like he's getting bit even by the blocks.

I wonder if even 1" is enough? I hate certain American bucket seats for the reason that they hurt my sciatic nerve. They narrow and that's the problem for me...

 

[682bear]

Looks like he's getting bit even by the blocks.

I wonder if even 1" is enough? I hate certain American bucket seats for the reason that they hurt my sciatic nerve. They narrow and that's the problem for me...

If 1" isn't enough, I'll add another inch. I can't go too high, though, or I'll have issues getting under tree branches...

-Bear

 

[682bear]

Update...

I just finished mowing my 2 acre yard... the lift kit has solved the problem.

I like easy fixes...

-Bear