Review of the Troy-bilt Pony 42 Riding Mower After 2 Years
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- Опубликовано: 24 июл 2024
- This video about the Troy-bilt Pony 42 Riding Mower will help you decide if this is the right mower for you. I've personally owned and used this mower for 2 years. Let me tell you what I like and don't like so you can make an informed decision about your purchase. This cheap mower was the only one one that was available that I could afford back in 2021. I took a chance and bought it. Find out if it was worth it.
Other Videos:
Learn how to disable the annoying safety switches on this mower - • How to Bypass Safety S...
How to keep your mower belt from slipping off - • STOP the Mower Belt fr...
How to change the blades on the mower - • How to Change Lawn Mow...
How to change the fuel filter on this mower - • How to Change the Fuel...
How to change the deck belt on this mower - • How to Replace Your Mo...
Timecodes:
0:00 Intro
0:54 Why I chose the Troy-bilt Pony
1:53 What I Like
5:22 What I Don't Like
13:00 Summary
14:20 A Spiritual Lesson
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Man. I live in a rural area, I found a Troy built pony at Tractor supply, I got it in 2023, they now cost $1999. I have three quarter acre to mow mostly weeds and brush, great little mower no problems at all, wouldn't hesitate to get another one, just my two cents !
Glad it's been a good one for you
My neighbor is selling his and I'm looking at getting it.
Thanks for watching and commenting!
2005 Troybilt 42" Bronco. Mowing 3 acres in county. Just this week put new engine in and welded the deck where it was cracked at the brackets. Decided on repair rather than purchase of a new mower due to the lack of craftmanship in the new ones. This has and continues to be a workhorse mower and tower. Blessings
@@richardarnold9731 thanks for the info. Hope you get many more years of good mowing out of it.
I have one and we have six acres it's been going strong for 4 years love it
Simple to maintain.
Glad it's working well for you
Thank you so much for this video I became a widow 3 years ago and had no idea how to change the oil in Don's Grider.This was extremely helpful
So glad it helped
Just got one earlier today for 100 bucks believe it or not.
Video was excellent, thank you for the advice on safety features.
Wow! What a great deal!
I have the 2014 model and mine has a 17 1/2 hp motor. and its plenty strong. ive had none of your problems. mine has been very reliable. I paid $1350 used and delivered. i love it
Glad yours has worked well. I suspect the older models were built better. Mine was a 2022.
We are using the same for 10 years. Great little Pony.
Glad it's been a good mower for you. Thanks for sharing!
I got a pony with the house we purchased. Started up and ran great. Used about 5 times and had steering issues. Steering shaft gear stripped all teeth off. $40 on Amazon got me a new steering shaft and small parts. Back working again!
That's awesome. What a neat bonus with your house. Glad you got it up and running without breaking the bank.
Bought mine in 2009..... 15 years later still fine. I replace the normal stuff, all belts, tires, blades... etc.
Glad it's been a good mower for you. I suspect the older ones are tougher than the newer ones.
Yup ..I have a 2010 17.5 Briggs Troybilt pony 42 and 2008. Still have them
I have the same one. On mine, the reverse cutting override button only has to be pushed once and it stays where you can mow in reverse until the key gets turned off. Everything else works, but is cheap- I agree. The steering gears are also loose and cheap feeling, and I've had to replace a blade spindle after two years. Luckily I got it in like new condition for $200 from a neighbor who was moving and could not take it with him, so I'm not complaining.
That's good about the button. That just makes sense. Sounds like you got a good deal on it too.
i need that i love your video it help me alot i just had brought me one and didn.t know how to use it thank you so much
Glad to help! Thanks for watching and commenting.
I have a similar model same motor. I have had to re thread the rocker bolts. The pushrod keeper plate came loose bending the pushrod. I believe it began after the little cap on the valve fell out snowballing the other problems because it has fell out several times. Keep an eye on those valves & get a reusable gasket rather than gasket seal. That way you can check them with no mess.
Wow. That's crazy. Thanks for the tip.
I bought the Troy Bilt Bronco 42" in 2010.
It was a return with a bad transaxle. They replaced the transaxle and sold it for$995. The Pony was $1100.
A few years ago the adjustable pully that changes gears went bad. The deck tore out where one wheel hooked on. I bought a Pony that didn't have an engine to get these parts from.
This year, I had to replace the starter and cables from the battery to the starter and grounds.
Yes, some parts are lighter built than others, but this extra strength costs a lot more to build in.
One of the first things I did was unhook the backup safety switch and the seat switch.
Thanks for sharing about your experience.
Had one for 10 years. Only problem was broken exhaust manifold. Was able to weld it. Change oil every 20 hours.
I also changed oil and oil filter every 15/20 hours plus a watch the air filter like a democrat is in my house 😢
Spot on review and excellent video. It works fine but how cheap some parts are is annoying. On mine the muffler broke in the first 6 months of operation. Also, just grazing a tree ended up breaking the piece of plastic that goes with the parking brake. I didn't replace it and just use a bungee cord instead
Sounds about right. Thanks for watching and commenting!
Right on . I just bought a used 2013 model for 700 yesterday. I was desperate and needed to mow. So far after mowing one time.... The drive belt started slipping, the belt still looks fair. So I'm thinking the tension pulley spring is probably wore out. It seemed to develope a exhaust leak. And one of the front wheels has become wobbly. I think the wheel bushings up front are probably wore out now. Did I abuse it ? Yes. Tall thick grass that wasn't totally dry. I mowed my ditches that are huge and steep. I figure as long as the Breaks and Scrappem engine holds up, I can keep fixing it as the tractor falls apart around it 😂. It's definitely a flimsy little box store mower.
Good luck! Hope you can get a lot of use out of it before it falls apart.
Just bought my first riding mower from a neighbor, it looks like that but doesn't have that reverse feature, I believe this is a 2009 model. One thing I dislike is when I need to reverse, I keep forgetting to disengage the blade and then the whole mower cuts out. Also I have a huge yard and the middle has a dip in it and when I mowed across it, it felt like I was about to fall off or that the mower wasn't gonna make it up, I'm a big guy but thankfully it did make it back up. Not sure how I feel about it, might have to look into something else or go back to my push mower. Thanks for the video.
@@aikalo80 thanks for sharing your experience. Hope it works out for you.
Oh u mentioned the bypass. Also for oil changing you can thread in a barb fitting and put a hose on it and then stick a bolt into the hose and kinda thread it into the end of the hose and then when u change the oil pull the bolt out of the hose and the oil flows out && then put the bolt back into the end of the hose. When done and done
Thanks for commenting. The problem is the steering linkage on my model is in the way. I'm not sure if I can attach any fittings to the oil drain outlet, but I will check again. Thanks for the tip and for watching.
Here in the near future when I make my first lawn mower purchase, I may look in to Troy-Bilt or Murray. I do like the Troy-Bilt Bronco lawnmower with the 42 inch deck. It is an automatic transmission with a gas pedal on the right side. I think Murray makes a great lawnmower called the MT200. It's also an automatic transmission type as well. Both lawn mowers have relatively the same HP from both single cylinder engines, but the Murray is priced a little better in my opinion. Yes, I know in the past, Murray was criticized for being cheaply made because most of them were sold at Wal-Mart stores. I do remember those days. Now, they are exclusively sold at Home Depot.
Hope you get a good one. Thanks for watching and sharing your plans.
Just got one with a bent blade. Replaced the blade and I’m getting a loud vibration sound. I noticed that the blade engagement arm on the top of the deck, meaning the arm that pulls the pulley back to put tension on the belt when engaging the blades, is shaking all over. Is this normal for these mowers?
It is possible that the bearing or pulley was damaged when they bent the blade. Sound like it is out of balance. These mowers are not very tough and if you hot something sturdy enough to bend the blade, it might have damaged the bearing or pulley too.
Mine was manufactured in March 2012. I just put in new spindles, blades, and pulleys. Still going strong. Paid $1140 in 2012. I saw it was now 1900. Only issue im having now, and not a new problem with Troy bilt and that's the deck belt coming off when turning off the PTO. Mine is not the belt guards, but it does appear the i need new deck brakes.
Are the older ones made of sturdier material?
@@pastorchrismullisthere was no problem with the belt guards. Briggs and Staton motor
I was cutting 1/2 acre for 10 yrs. Now I have 1 acre to cut. I'm going to need to buy a Lawn Tractor since I'm up to 1 acre, but I'm going to try and get a couple more seasons. When I bought mine in 2012 these were right under 1200. I wouldn't pay 1900 for this. I'd spend 2500 to 3k and get a good lawn tractor. Maybe zero turn. Mowers went up in price, a lot over the past few years
i got one in 2014, it's a champ... i use it to bush hog my woods (it's big enough for the job but small enough to squeeze through tight areas in between trees... it goes through up to 1 inch thick small trees and brush, years of leaves, unequal ground... i run it for hours at a time ... now, i do have to replace some parts on it every now and again...but i think about the abuse that i put it through and it most definitely has been worth every dime i put in it... so you know what ? i bought a second one for the lawn (i got it really cheap ... it was a return mower at one of the big box stores )...
Glad it's been a good mower for you. What year was the second mower? Was it as tough as the 2014?
TSC farm store has the Bronco version with a 19 horse pressurized engine and a deck with anti-scalp wheels on sale now for 1600. It was delivered the same day. If I had an acre or more I would move up to a JD. These are for the suburban lawns from 1/4 to 1/2 and acre. Any more than that you need a more durable mower. Thing I noticed off the bat is the engine vibration through the steering wheel. The turning radius is amazing and it cut the grass nice and even with no adjustment to the factory set deck. I've had 3 riding mowers with the same safety features and never felt the need to defeat them and wouldn't recommend it.
Thanks for the info
I bought mine for $1975.00 2023 @tractor supplies ,new,love it
Glad you've had a good experience.
Did you say you were in cohutta, would that be cohutta Georgia? And I also own a Troy bilt 42 cut pony that I bought yesterday and I have a about quarter of a acre with some rough spots
Yes. Cohutta, Georgia. Small world (and a small town.) Lol. Are you in the area?
Man! I sure appreciate your video! I have a little Craftsman (which is merely identical in every way as yours just with the "Craftsman" name). I bought it new from Lowes and they shipped it to my home which was absolutely awesome! It's a great tractor and also identical to my 2013 Huskee but with a much sharper turning radius. I got a metal wagon/trailer for it and the Mower bag attachment for collecting leaves and grass clippings. I treat it good and clean and garage it every time. You showed me what to keep an eye on though and I sure appreciate it as I know that my new one is identical to yours. Thank you Sir!!!
Awesome! Glad it was helpful. May you have many great years of service front yours!
I have a troy built pony older than that one and it doesn't have the reverse mowing cutoff nor does it shut off while mowing or not mowing if I get off the seat and it no longer has the factory engine anymore now it has a john deere 15 hp engine
That's convenient
At 2:13 the cat gave his opinion and I agree. At 3 years now and replaced both of the deck belt guards as they broke off and mower still keeps throwing the OEM belt. It seems to keep jumping off the idler pulley. May have to replace the tension spring/s next. The oil drain plug has to be replaced as it is plastic and leaking oil. Going to replace the plug with 3/4" piping and pipe cap to extend the drain past the frame. Less mess this way. Will not buy this brand again. I had 40" Murray that lasted 16 years. If this Troy-Bilt last 7 years, I'll be surprised.
Yeah, I thought about adding a pipe to extend the oil drain, but the stearing linkage is in the way.
@@pastorchrismullis Fortunately,mine is not. You could always use an oil siphon pump. I use one for my push mower since it does not have a drain plug.
I have an old Murray 42 that I got for free. Looks like the same.mower. Put new blades on and it will mow very good
Glad it's working as a good mower for you
It’s the best and cheapest mower to keep running for 40 years 😊😊
You are absolutely right about rhe quality of build of the Troybilt. It's very surprising that John Deere , Craftsman, Cub Cadet etc are all made by MTD but each individual comalpany makes better quality construction of their mowers.
40 years in this industry and back in 2000 I had a Craftsman 42" riding mower that was built in 94 and it lasted till 2010 when I sold it for 600. Still going strong with the Briggs and Stratton 15hp engine.
But in my opinion, if you can operate a zero turn mower ? You'll never buy a standard ride on mower again
I suppose if you can afford a zero turn. I borrowed my neighbor's once and it was nice e, but not nice enough for me to justify the extra cost. Maybe if I had a lot more lawn to cut it might.
Not everyone wants or needs a zero turn, besides the older Murrays and craftsmen get the job done and cost a few bucks and it’s more I can send to President Trump❤❤❤😂
On that oil drain, take the plug to hardware store and buy a piece of pipe the size of the plug and an elbow. Screw the pipe into the engine and put on the elbow pointing down. Before to get the pipe long enough to reach just past the frame.
This way when you drian the oil it can run out the elbow straight down into the pan.
I thought about doing that,but it won't work because the steering linkage is in the way.
i did that on my Arien rider now i'm curious why they would put the linkage in the way . i'm going to change the oil tomorrow so i guess i'll find out as there should be some way to fix the problem
@@sailawaybob Let me know what you come up with.
Bought a used 2020 that looks like new. $800. I love it so far but some reviews worry me. It has a Kohler 20hp. I pray it holds up.
I hope ot does well for you. Probably will. Just have to keep it up and be careful with it and be prepared to fix things once in a while when they break.
Pastor I nearly had a stroke this am. Went to start the mower and it wouldn't start to save my life. I unhooked the seat safety switch and it fired right up. Scared me to death. When you buy used you're taking a chance. Thanks pastor
I have had this mower for 2 years I have replaced the belt I'm the motor to the mower deck five times in two years at $45 a piece tell me how good this mower is
Yikes. That awful. Thankfully, I haven't had to so that yet. It's a cheap mower.
I came first a review and was delighted for a Word of the Lord ❤
Thanks for watching and commenting. I'm glad it was a helpful blessing.
Yeah they’re cheaper units for sure, deck is super cheap & they’re fast so it’s easy to tear it up. They do use many cheap parts the bushings in the wheels are plastic, which I guess is just as strong as medal or maybe they use plastic so if they go bad it won’t mess up the spindle ( but we know they just did it to save money ) if I compare my Troy Bilt to my husqvarna it’s a whole different world quality wise
I bet
I bought one in 2019. My deck is very weak. I'm just waiting until I have to adjust the Deck again.
That seems to be the case on most recent models. Must have switched to cheap materials to save money.
@pastorchrismullis Thanks Pastor good video. I can't wait to get another mower ready for the Zero turn
I have a pony from 2007 and it still running great, and it doesn't have that reverse safety switch on it I think I would be annoyed by that on the new ones.
Yes. The safety switch is annoying. I suspect the older model is built from sturdier material. Do you think so?
@@pastorchrismullis I don't know I haven't had any of the new ones but I will say nothing has ever vibrated loose or broke on mine and I once hit a small tree stump with it not knowing that it was sticking out of the ground. The only thing I don't like about it is the bit play now in the steering and the steering wheel feels a little cheap but my Huskee lt4200 (2005) which is basically the same mower has that same play in it and has been just as durable and haven't gave me any problems except for a new carburetor a few years ago. I use one for mowing and the other one for using rear attachments. I don't have the safety hook onto the seat, the only time I have it hooked up is when my eleven-year-old uses it
@@shawnyoung5960 thanks for the info
People still drive 30 years old Murrays they werent super quality either there were no lubricator nipples on the joints etc but they were sturdy metal generally and good bs engine.
About the only mower out there besides murray that you can get without that god awful hydrostatic transmission
I love the old style varble speed unit that has two 6.00 buck bring that go bad every 15/20 years
You can get an oil extension hose to drain oil.
The problem is the steering linkage is blocking it so you can't leave it attached.
I just bought a used/like new 2016 Troy Built 42" Pony mower like that. The tires even look store room new.
I enjoyed mowing grass and leaves today on my acre. I agree, its a cheapo machine compared to my John Deere but for $425 I'm happy happy
Great deal! It's worth it for sure. May you get many years of great service from it!
I will agree, its a wonderful mower! The one thing i will disagree with, these around us, are selling for about 2 grand. Not cheap lol!
By the way, i want to help you out. For the mow in reverse safety switch, lift the hood and find the wire that hooks into the triangle button. You can pull it out! Ive had this mower for a long time. I ended up putting a 23 horse vanguard twin in it and im mulching and cutting down thick vines, sticks, and other shrub with it. Almost like a bush-hog lol. Hope this helps ya'
Lol. Yes, I noticed the 2023 models have gone up considerably. Mine is a 2021 model. I wonder why the process went up so much. Did they make significant changes? Maybe they improved the materials. I hope so.
@@pastorchrismullis I couldn't tell ya. All that i know is that the only think ive had to do to it is grease the spindles and change the blades.
If you have problems cranking disconnect the seat switch and you should be good.
I did and made a video about how to do it.
@@pastorchrismullis I nearly had a stroke pastor. Just bought it yesterday and it wouldn't start today to save my life. Unhooked that switch and it fired right up. Thanks pastor
@LynyrdSkynyrdFan wow! Glad it was helpful.
i just bought one used off my neighbor for $300. how could i pass up the deal , even has the grass catcher . driving it to the house and messing with it i can tell i like my Arien rider better but maybe i'm just used to it , both have same 17.5 B&S motor . All these mowers are just so so all have they're quirks but again i paid $500. for my Arien at HD it was a return mower and it's been 5 years maybe and runs great. when i see these same mowers at big box stores cheapest $1800. and up i think no way .
That's a great deal! Always nice to have an extra mower on hand if you have a place to store it. I've thought about getting a cheap extra one to tinker with and make some fun/useful modifications.
You need to clean that mower...Pastor..I wash mine down after every cut and dry cloth it..keep it clean, change plugs, oil, lube the steering wheel shaft and throttle assembly, it should last longer..
You're probably right. Thing is, I treat this mower the same way I treated my John Deere. And I expect it to last the same with the same care. But it hasn't. Just not as tuff. Granted, I'm hard on my mowers. But that's the way it is.
Amen 🙏🏾😇😃
If you keep good belts and upkeep on the tractor , yes it will last. But I've experienced a few that were assembled wrong or not complete.
To me ,as a 40 year small engine mechanic ,I would invest the money into a zero turn or craftsman. They are all produced by MTD but John Deere Craftsman,Husqvarna, Cuba Cadet have sone better designs that Troybilt.
Thanks for watching and sharing from your experience.
I have one and hate it. Why ? It's the first mower I've owned that Blows so much air out from under the deck. That it blows leaves a good 1-2 feet away. Not talking about after it's cut. Before. Blows them right into the flower bed, blows them AWAY form the area I'm mowing. Anyone got any ideas ? Done it since new. Sick of it !
Thanos for commenting. I've never had that problem. I just try to keep my grass shoot pointed away from my flower beds.
@@pastorchrismullis Hi Not talking about the the stuff coming out the shoot. BTW I got bags on. I'm talking about how it BLOWS Leaves away from the deck 1-2 feet So it's blows it away before I can cut it.
You need to lower the deck.@@michaellandreth1392
2:15 Kiitty's review 😅
Haha! Small Cat always wants to be in my videos. He doesn't like the mower.
Just unplug the sensor pull the cable from the. Ack of the key switch and that’s it. Unplug it.
Thanks. I did that in another video.
You have a curb ???😅
And unplug one of the seat wires and that’s it.
Thanks. I did that in another video.
I bought a new $3500 Troy Bilt riding mower. After 25 uses, the motor self-destructed. Turns out Troy Bilt is using Chinese-made engines. Taking it to their nearest "approved" warranty repair facility is 7-hours of driving.
Man that stinks. How annoying.
"cuts unevenly"! As hes cutting 20 inch dead grass
Keeping it clean will help ur parts not brake
Definitely helps.
Ya get what ya pay for. Its cheap. Its a big box store mower. If ya get one from a troy bilt dealer they are built with better materials n better quality. It cost more as well. But a better machine. I have a 2006 toro LX 460. Its a cheaper mower but from a dealer not a big box store. So its built pretty good. I buy used machines anyway. New stuff is all way over priced.
If you’re looking at any entry tier mowers, they’re the exact same between box stores and dealers. Misconception that a dealer gets a “better” version of the same product.
Cheapest piece of shiitt. Rather buy a used older mower. They are built better and will last longer thay this new garbage.
"TOY" BUILTS ARE JUNK.