sometimes the ball bearings in the recoil that engage when you pull the rope will stick if the get dry, or sometimes to greasy, and wont engage. I say pull the engine cover off and inspect the ratchet part on the engine crank end, bet it turns both ways, or is broken.If the rope feels fine, then probably nothing wrong with rope/pulley and cover, unless some way the squarish hole that engages the crank end got rounded out.

Hi Bill, Thanks for your advice. Looking at yout post, you have a 50ft by maybe 30 feet, (10 feet per car) area to clear. So that is about 1,500 square feet. You are looking at about 20 - 30 mins. What is your typical snow depth there? If I have 400 feet by 10. I have maybe 4000 sq feet. So Am I therefore looking at over an hour at a minium. In which case maybe a snow blower is not a way to go. I guess my problem is I am just not sure how long it will take me. Anything under an hour would probablly be managable. Anything over is probablly not going to work. Is there a formula to work out given roughtly X square feet to clear and a snow depth of y inches how long it will take? The Honda claims 71 tons per hour. And I read somewhere that snow weighed like 1 lbs per sq foot inch. So If I get an average 4 inch snow fall, it would take me: 4000 * 4 * 1 / (2000 * 71) = 0.1127 of an hour or about 7 minites. Clearly this incorrect. So what is a better formula? Thanks for your kind help, Mike.

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

Once you ride and blow you'll NEVER walk behind again... Single stage: lighter, less moving parts, less expensive, learning curve to match ground speed to blower feed, high speed auger more dangerous and requires respect, throws rocks and gravel really well. Two stage: heavier, more parts so more complicated, slow speed auger safer, more expensive, excels in deep snow. Everyone has an opinion on which is better. I've had them both on two different GTs and both did a great job. Make you decision based on availability and cost but get a blower at least as wide as the rear wheels of the GT so you're clearing a path the tractor can travel.