Countax

Picked this up last week. Going for scrap as the deck is rotten. I was going to cut it up, but its just too good. Its a briggs vanguard 14HP twin, works perfectly, the gearbox is loose but works. The electric clutch works fine, as does the PTO and the sweeper.
I reckon I'll fit an old wheelhorse deck to it, its far too good to scrap.
I ran over the lawn with the sweeper to pick up the clumps of grass, works sweet.

A decent bit of British engineering

Looks good Mith. What is the chance of finding a good deck for it?
Nice looking tractor.

Looks like you got a nice piece of equipment to add to the stable.

Jim,

I have a 16hp version. Very easy machine to use and the only one of my collection my wife will use after crashing one of my Bolens H16's into the barn

I hate driving it over rough ground especially with a full collector. The sight and sound of the chassis twisting is too much for me !!

Iain

Iain, Welcome to the Forum!

What part of the UK are you from?

pics of the Bolens and Countex would be great!

JM

Iain, welcome to NTT

WELCOME to NTT Iain,

Love to see pictures of your equipment too!

Mark

Cheers guys

Doc, the decks tend to rust out before the tractors break, so I'm not too hopeful I'll find a deck. I've got a nice 42" wheelhorse deck that will fit with a little modification.

Iain, welcome to the site, its been a while since our paths last crossed.
They are a little on the light side for the weight you can put in the sweeper, has yours got the usual cracks where the linkage is welded to the sweeper?
I still havent got a Bolens, you arent still beating me to them are you?

Thanks for the welcome guys.

JM - I live just outside the city of Norwich which is Norfolk

Jim - I have at least 2 more Bolens in the collection since our paths last crossed Another H16 and a Ride-a-matic. I think I now have 19 GT's in the collection but it is getting harder to keep track.

Pictures - After lots of looking I found a couple from a few years ago which in addition to the trainee tractor driver shows the Countax and how well it cuts the grass with one of my H16's in the forground. I needed to find a picture where the stripes in the grass were straight. To encourage Jim to keep looking a picture of my latest H16 and a couple of my Ride-a-matic - yes my workshop is a mess.

Iain

Jim,

I forgot to say that I have owned the Countax for 12 years. It is an early model which has a different collector and deck to yours. The original collector did not crack in the usual place but this year I have replaced it with one like yours because it was cheaper than replacing the netting on the original and I have already needed to weld it. I expect to be welding the deck this year. As you mentioned the decks like to rot but the shape makes it easy to replace the rotten metal.

Iain

I really like the FMC Bolens style. I had a G11XL, but thats the only one I have had. I'd love to get hold of a tubeframe.

I think the countax is a '93 K14. They still haven't got the hang of it even on the new ones, they still crack across the top of the sweeper linkage. I'd go as far to say that the ones of this age are better than the new ones. If you keep on top of the deck rust its fine, my one has been neglected for too long, not alot left

I found a good used deck for the Countax. Very pleased with it.
My parents blew up the engine on the mower I gave them for using up at the farm, they are going to have this Countax now. We'll see how long it takes them to break this....

Hadn't cut the lawn for a month, so I hacked about 8" off the top of it. Apart from filling the collector every second line it worked very well. Looks nice too, even if I do say so myself....