Swisher Big Mo

Being the owner of a couple of unusual motorcycles, a Royal Enfield Bullet and a Kawasaki W650, and since I have never seen anyone else riding these models it has occurred to me that I might also be a tad unusual.  This anomaly certainly doesn't carry over to my four wheelers, a Buick Le Sabre and a Chevy S-10.  But what about that goofy looking three wheeled lawn mower?

It's a Swisher Big Mo, made by a company in Missouri.  Mine is a 1996 model but it looks about the same as one twenty years older.  I don't know when they were first made but it was the first zero turning radius (ZTR) mower.  Eight whopping HP from a single cylinder Briggs engine and a 32" cut.  I haven't used a push mower since owning the Big Mo, it's that maneuverable.  This machine hasn't caused me a bit of trouble in 12 years.  You can imagine my aghast when last Thursday as I started mowing after returning from the ROMEO lunch and my faithful mower just halted and refused to move.  The engine was running fine, ditto the blades, must be a drive belt.  After all it still has the original belts.

Off with the square hood/gas tank cowling thing I expected to see a shredded belt lying amongst the pulleys.  Not seeing anything like that but determined to fix what was broken (owning a REB makes you like that) I turned to the internet for information.  I found the company web site is short order and read that they had stopped making the Big Mo in 2001, something about no place to mount a cup holder (joke).  Obviously a call to the factory was in order.

Dealing with Classic Motorworks, www.enfieldmotorcycles.com, one becomes accustomed to picking up the phone and getting immediate technical assistance (tell me how to set the valves).  It took twenty minutes on hold but when I finally got to talk to someone I was assured that, yes, parts were still available and yes someone could answer my questions.  The guy I talked to was pretty sure some kind of pin in the transmission had sheared off and would be easy to replace.

You can see from the photo what I had to do to get to the transmission but just as I was lifting the cover to take a peak I noticed the real problem.  There is a pin that holds a drive sprocket on the transmission shaft, just like a motorcycle.  That pin had sheered and the shaft was turning without turning the sprocket.  A few hours later with a new pin, new belts and a sore back it was as the Brits say.....Bob's yr uncle and I'm back in business.

While running around for mower parts I stopped in at Tractor Supply to pick up the belts I needed.  As I was checking out I noticed a whole case of Anti Monkey Butt powder for only $4.95.  This stuff is advertised in lots of motorcycles mags as the ultimate chaffed butt solution, Tractor Supply......who would have guessed.  I supposed farmers get monkey butt from riding a tractor all day.  Can't wait to try it.