Hi, I am a new mower enthusiast. I have a need for a simple vehicle around the lot and to do mild trail riding in the desert so I can take photos of creatures and plant life. I would like to get info on a few questions so I can make a decision and get started on my project. I would like to make a simple lawnmower riding machine (not a racer), but would like to gain some reasonable speed (15 to 25 mph) and yet have retain some slow speed control.
1) Can a regular automatic lawnmower (non-hydrostatic) be made to go faster by simply swapping a pulley or two?
2) Is a manual trans a better choice than a CVT automatic type for this modification?
3) If manual trans is better, I am considering buying a new Poulan 42 in. 17-1/2 HP Briggs & Stratton 6-Speed Gear Gas Front-Engine Riding Mower (or possible a 6 or 7 speed in another brand). Is this a good choice or is there a better brand for my described purposes?
4) If automatic is just as good of a choice as a manual trans, then is there a best brand/model to select.
5) I want to be able to drive it slowly when necessary. Once a pulley is changed to get a faster top speed, is the low speed still reasonably slow?
6) Is it a bad idea to settle for a mower that does not have the cast iron front axle?
To recap: I am looking for a compass heading toward acquiring and pulley swapping a mower for the purposes of utility and trail riding. I might even take it into town to pick up groceries. I am in a small town and there are not many used mowers in the market and the used prices are too high. I figure I can get a new one for not much more than what I see used mowers selling.
Any help is greatly appreciated!
MowerHope