My son-in-law showed up with his siezed 7HP Ariens. It was his grandfather's, father's and now his. I looked at the oil and it looked good, but I could see the broken case where the rod broke through. The engine has the coil under the flywheel, with points. I hate those things. First thing I did was drain the oil. It came out of the extension pipe, coal black, and then very new. I never saw so much aluminum wrapped around a crank journal. It took quite a bit of time with muriatic acid to get it off. Cylinder is really scratched. I love how people add fresh oil once the engine is seized. Found a used block on ebay for $38 and it's on its way. The rest of the unit is good. A new differential was put in last year for about $300.

Snowblowers normally see infrequent use and the axle turns very slowly so you will unlikely ever have a problem with them. You can install flange bearings if you wish.

grandm1, True, the only blade that will allow manual angling from the cab is the 48", part BM19415. It is not designed specifically for the GT235, it will fit just about every late model Deere garden tractor through GX series. But you need to note that while the blade that fits the GT series will also fit the older 240/325 series, the blade that was made specifically for the 240/325 and family (BM18130)will NOT fit the GT series due to clearance issues on the GT undercarriage. Here are some pictures to clear things up. First, I must mention that the really big difference between the 42/44" and 48" blades are the 42" just mounts to the front frame of the tractor, then has two braces which attach to the mid-frame to provide additional support. It pivots on the front frame mount. The braces are just there to prevent the front tractor frame from bending. The 48" blade has its own frame, like a snowblower. It mounts to the same point mid frame, and unlike the 42", it pivots on those mid-frame mounts. This is certainly a more rugged design, and the blade is less likely to ride up on ice due to the pivot being further back. To use the 48 blade, you need to get the front lift kit for the GT series, which uses the front section of the tractor's frame to mount a jackshaft which will lift the front part of the 48" blade's frame via a tie-rod clamped to the deck lift handle. This is the same lift setup used with the 42" snowblower. This is the front lift kit: (you will not need parts 1,2,3, your tractor already has that D-hole incorporated in the frame. Hopefully I haven't confused you. Now that I've shed light on the two bracing systems: if you find a 48" blade for sale online (used), and it has a straight frame, it is made for the 240/265/325 tractors. It will not work with your GT tractor. See pic: You need this frame: This frame (the bent one) will work with any of the tractors. The two holes in the back near the J-hooks are for the 240/265/325 tractors. The GT series use the front holes (as shown) with the front lift kit). All these diagrams are on the JD parts catalog, linked below. Go to "Equipment Search" and type in "Blade" then scroll down to the 42, 44, 46, 48 front blade and click on "sectional index" to see the breakdowns. Do you have a foot or hand lift? If you have a hand lift, that other blade I mentioned will work with the right mounting parts. I mounted my GT's 42" blade to my old 111H before I found one online specifically for it which included the braces and rear frame weights (for $50). The 42 inchers are all compatible, like I said, you just need to buy the proper braces and mounting hardware. You'll still need to buy the blade angle kit from Deere. That's something like $180 new. You might find a 48 blade for sale which has it mounted, but it's unlikely. I've been looking for one for my Dad for about a year and only saw one, which went for the retail price when you count shipping. If you have any more questions, ask. I've spent quite a bit of time researching compatibility of the GT series, and it's paid off, having found a like-new 42" blade for my GT225 for $100, and a pair of new-in-box 42" snowblowers for both my GT225 and my GT262 for a total of $300 (plus $50 in gas to have my brother pick them up). In both cases, the sellers didn't think they'd fit my tractors. In both cases, they did. Here is a link that might be useful: jd parts

The town pays big bucks to haul rubbish to a transfer station. Anything that can be recycled helps the cause. I am selective now, I go for Ariens or Toros. The older the better. From hanging out here for awhile, I learned the trick about the main jet on the Tecumseh carbs. The build quality on the old stuff is so much ruggeder than the stuff I see at the big stores. this old beast was either well cared for or very seldom used. Every bushing is good. It has a flat tire, but I have a good set from the Bolens that I grabbed for its factory short block HM70 last winter.