Hello, I recently acquired a wheel horse model # 1-0120 8 with an 8 hp motor (k181). I believe it's a 1973 and has 3 forward and 1 reverse It appears old and neglected but it does start and run. I tried mowing some thick grass with it and it bogged down then blew the head gasket (gasket was already blown but then patched with gasket maker). The blades are pretty dull but I thought it should do better. My John Deere L100 would mow through that with less effort.
My question is, should this mower be able to handle thick grass or am I expecting too much?
Also, what can I do to make it more powerful? I have areas that are kept mowed but other areas that are neglected and only mowed enough to keep brush from growing. I've looked into pull behind brush cutting mowers but they cost too much.
I've never worked on a tractor, only rebuilding chainsaws, but I think I can handle working on it.
I've considered:
1. Carburetor adjustments - Probably easy but I've never tuned one on a mower
2. Rebuilding the engine - Have looked at $85 after market kits on eBay
3. Putting on a larger engine - Have no idea what would bolt on directly
Basically, I just would like to have a mower that can handle neglected areas without taking too much of a beating. Any help/suggestions would be appreciated.