OutdoorKing Repair Forum Forums Repairs and Maintenance Questions On Ride On Mowers Questions on Greenfield Ride On Mower Frames 'Old Greenfield Ride-on ID - Help Needed

Hi All,
I've purchased a Greenfield HD8 and have been reading some forum threads and whatnot trying to get a bit more information on them. I am a little bit confused about the different models and engines from the previous posts in this thread as the one I have purchased has louvres on top of the bonnet as previously discussed, it has a Robins motor with electric start. Just wondering if this is a standard feature or whether it has been added on after being produced.

G'day Shadow et al.,

Firstly, I know this discussion would be a truckload easier with photos. Unfortunately I work exclusively from this iPad and it refuses to upload photos to this site without a massive amount of farnarking! I intend to buy a shiny new laptop soon but in the meantime.....

To begin. Geenfield was started in 1966 by a bloke called Theo Reinhold. The model history is sketchy, partly at least because the factory had little time for record-keeping. The first Greenies were Red. They had a different front axle mounting to the later HD8's and a solid front tyre (i.e not pneumatic). The Reds also had a single drive belt running fromm the engine. These are the major differences that differentiate a pre 1970 (????) from a later HD8. The red beasties came with a Honda G65 and probably a Fuji but personally I've only seen them with the Honda.

Now, Gadge mentioned in a thread recently that he had an inkling that the very first Greenies were different (and the suggestion is that only the 1966 machines were different) but he wasnt sure what the difference was. I had a 2am epiphany moment a couple of weeks back and I think I might know what it is. The HD8 and most of the Reds have a 'lowered' engine mount area made of thin plate steel. I've wondered in the past why old Theo did this. I suddenly realised I'd seen photos of Old Reds where this dropdown didn't exist and the chassis beam carried straight through. Jace, who has joined this site recently has one. I believe this is the earliest model that Gadge was talking about!

After about 1970 the yellow HD8 was introduced. As I said it had pneumatic front tyres and a much needed from axle mounting upgrade as all the Reds I've seen have cracks in this area. But apart from that, pretty much the same animal. I've also seen one (only one) HD10 on Gumbay. Same dog with a 10HP Honda.

Around 1973 or 74 they came out with the Mini Tractor 5 and 8. These were a squat little machine. Kind of funny. I think they sold these alongside the HD's for a time. Superdooper has one. I've got one but I'm cutting mine up for bits.

In about 1976 they came out with a short lived 'interim' model that has been the subject of discussion recently on another forum. It had the mechanicals of the old HD's but the newer styling we were to see on the machines that they produced so many of in the 80's. It is a very rare machine, so it seems. It appears that around 1977 they ditched the Mini Tractor 8 and the 'interim model' that I've Christened Frankengreenie and produced the Tractor 8 and the Tractor 10. The 10 was soon replaced with the 11. BTW, the numbers all refer to HP ratings and all the Tractors were Briggs powered as far as I know. Note also the Mini Tractor and the Tractor are different dogs. The Mini Tractor 5 remained in production with it bigger Tractor brothers. I'm not sure when the Mini production ceased but the tractors were replaced by the anniversary model (???) in 1991 after having gone through a minor staying change in the late 80's

I need someone else to fill in from here as here my knowledge ends.


I hope this helps.

Cheers,

G'day folks,
I've moved these posts to their own thread in the Greenfield forum; I'll get the topic changed to something more informative.

Greetings shadow112, and a warm welcome to the ODK forums!

I suspect you have an uncommon variant of the HD8, with the electric start Robin engine; the first one we've seen here at ODK only surfaced recently - see PhippH's thread below.

As far as the earliest Greenfields go, from what I can work out, they had the single drive belt from the engine - I know that the later Red HD-8's had two. The wheel drive from the pulley closest to the crankcase, and the cutter drive belt on the hand clutch pulley outside that.

I've seen it suggested that the first models had a front axle mount that was different from both the Red and Yellow series HD-8's [which are easily distinguished], but nobody has come up with an example to prove that, one way or the other, so far.

I also need to add that the 'Tractor-x' [x= hp rating] series with vertical shaft engines were Briggs only until ~1979, when the Honda GV400 11hp engine first came out.

Morning Gadge and Shadow,

It's my understanding that all the Reds were a single drive belt from the engine with a rather nasty dog clutch at the cutter deck. But more than happy to be proven wrong if further information comes to hand

Gadge, have a look at the machines in Jace's thread. Both his and the restored red. Because the chassis rails run straight through it follows that the front axle mounting will have a higher pivot point? Is this what you are referring to? It appears to me that the design started with a sensible two rail chassis design with Theo soon realising that the engine sat too high and made the thing look and feel a bit odd. He then sunk the engine down as a production change hence the odd front end/ engine mounting for the rest of the Reds and HDs. I also suspect these very early beasts may not have had the dog clutch and so the cutters were running whenever the engine clutch was engaged. Note this is just a suspicion on my part.

Note the cutter deck mounting detail is slightly different too.

What do you think?

G'day folks,

On second thoughts prd, you may well be right about the Reds and single belt drive. I was going from memory - and it's over 40 years since I used to drive a Red around my old man's yard.

The best pic we have on the Red engine clutch setup is this one:


Clearly, there's not enough room behind the clutch plate for a pulley.

The Red parts list in THIS past thread confirms that. It also has a pic of the front axle beam, with the high pivot. It isn't the correct parts list for the mower pics in that thread, though.

The Red/Yellow front axle difference is visible in this pic:


Note also the solid front tyres on the nearest Red.

As far as the two pics in Jace's intro thread go, yes I'd agree that it does look a little different to the Red HD-8's. As well as the front tubular frame rails, the front axle pivot tab is longer, and it's flat - the one on the Reds is a pressed V-section.

Thankyou all for the warm welcome,
I've just pulled out a few photos out of my phone and put them on the laptop. I have changed the tires and am currently in the process of folding a new rear end, should be good improvements and am keeping all original pieces in order to put it back together correctly. If you notice the right rear hub has been rebuilt by the previous fella who owned it as the key had torn the inside out, he rebuilt it without the key and has just used a lock nut which allows that wheel to slip slightly.







cheers

Morning Shadow,

When you said you'd bought a Fuji I figured there was good chance it was that one

I wish I had a wheel half to offer you. I've been on the lookout of a wrecker HD8 for a while. Unfortunately there hasn't been one I'd want to part out rather than keep.

A tubbed HD8!! Brilliant
Looks like your having a ton of fun with it.

Cheers,

We were discussing this one here when it was on ebay, looks to be in fairly good condition. I have always wondered how one of these would go with one wheel free spinning, does certainly make them steer much better and I guess if the lawn you were mowing it would probably have enough traction

Morning NormK and prd,
It really does seem that if or when something plays up there are not many genuine parts around these days. Yes this is the eBay one from a week ago. I had it home and took her for a spin and the first thing I noticed was the tires just digging into the moist soil; the turf tires will help a great deal I hope. The battery is a little dull, i have put it on charge, might there be some sort of charging alternator on the motor or I'll have have to trickle charge it when not in use?
Will keep putting up photos as I progress with it.
Cheers

Shadow, the good thing with the Greenies is if you can't get the parts you can repair it somehow,adapt something to fit or get somebody to make the part up, anything can be done and Grennies are always worth repairing. As for charging it isn't that important and is usually too difficult and expensive to find the bits for old ones. If it is a pull start you don't need the battery, but if you want or need the electric start, easiest way is to get yourself one of those booster/jump starter packs and just put it where the battery used to sit. These have their own charger so you can put it on charge every couple of months and then you always have a charged battery. $80/100 for the jump starter is about what you would pay for a new battery anyway

Love the big wheels