Author Archives: robsworkshop

Mastercraft Yard Bug Mower

Oct 2025:

Here’s a cutie that’s unique and a very SMART Design !

Just picked this up today… got a good deal.. It runs and drives and mows ! This one is the Canadian version of the “YARD BUG” or “Yard Beetle” Sold by Canadian Tire around about 2003. Most of these little guys were made under the “Yard Man” name, but all were made by MTD in the USA and Canada.

Well that’s close to the “John Deere” colours !

They also came out in different flavours (colours).. “Craftsman red” and “Cub Cadet” off white and of coarse the dark green of mine. As far as I can figure out …only for a few years in the early 2000’s. Some very interesting features on these. They could BAG, CHUTE and MULCH the grass.In other words a 3 in 1 mower. 30″ single blade deck. A foot pedal speed drive system and a tight turning radius. Designed to fit through any gate. Heck at 32″ wide it fits through the door of my shed ! Where’s the grass colector you ask ?…

Right in the middle of the mower, on top of the deck. I did say interesting. Oh yes.. AND there’s more. With the exception of the deck height lever everything is cable operated. Ya..SIX cables that I count. The guy I bought it from just replaced two of them.. So cable maintenance will be important. My video I made explains that best.

I wanted to make a video about going to get it and an introduction. I’m learning video editing .. got a long way to go !

So if it works the way it is.. then how can this be a project you ask ?

Well first there is a few “gremlins” in the wiring and safety switches. Those cause intermittent no start. I blame the notorious seat switch.. But it couls be more. Also I’m sure the deck will need work… All the linkages, cables and pulleys need to be checked. And lastly ( for now) some cosmetic stuff. Like the seat and maybe new paint ? For the time being it’s going to have a winter nap. But I’m planning one more video on the uniqueness of these little ride on mowers. I think they should still make them. Anyway here’s a new video I made.

I believe I figured out my DJI mini mic thing for audio. Anyway now each day that is NICE weather (warm) I will start work on the Yard Bug. Removing the deck is first.

Wow that is not very easy.. Lot’s things to do, pins and springs and the belt engage cable. All worth it … easier to clean and access things. And I’m learning how this little mower works. About the deck ? Well check out the photo….

Not at all what I expected.. Could use a bit of a wash.. but do I even need to paint it ? I’m not thinking so.. Let’s wash everything !

Would you look at that ! No rust on the top side. In way better shape then I expected. As I’m cleaning I’m checking all the parts and pieces. Nothing stands out as a problem…Nope.

Even the grass bin is in perfect condition. No broken plastics. The one belt I got to look at (mower belt) is great. This is not much of a project.. Seems the only thing needed is a tail pipe and the electrical gone over or a complete rewire. Oh and I will sharpen the blade while the deck is off and it’s easy to take off.

All clean.. This makes working on the electrical and the cables easy. The battery tray has some rust, so that needs a treatment and some kind of rubber mat. However after I sharpen the blade there is no plans of further work on the bug YET !

There we go.. Blade is clean and sharpened. The blade measures 27.5 ” .. so that would be the cut, even though the deck is 30″. Slowly when I feel like it I’m putzing away on the bug. I drained the gas and ran the motor out of fuel. That’s the way I want it for the winter. And now I have three pieces. I took the body (top) of the bug.. Brought that inside and tried polishing to see if any scratches would come out. They are deep so it’s only a bit better but now shiny !

Notice the ” 3 in 1″ decal is gone and so is the duct tape where the “full bag” window was. good enough for now.. so outside it went.

Quite the collection out there.. Soon the main part of the bug will be coming inside so I can go over the wiring.. Nothing else needs any work.. But first I’m having a look at the seat.. Can it be saved ?

Not thinking so.. It’s rusted badly. This is what happens when mowers are left outside without a cover. The rain soaks though the foam and never really dries out. It’s not rusted through yet and I did treat it.. So the seat pan is maybe okay, and the foam has survived. But the cover is toast.

Dec 25:

This was where I left off. The Bug was parked in the shelter with the body re-installed. The Yard Beetle #2 is all finished now and I’m swapping,so this one is going in the shed. Time for a re wire and a few things. Oh and put the deck back on. So let’s start a new post….

Yard Bug Page 2

Stealth 2000 Kayak

October 2025:

A swiss army knife kayak…

Looks more like a boat !

But it’s classified as a kayak. This one is not for running the river.. You could ,but it draws more water. I got this for the lakes, and because I’m finding it hard to get into and out of the regular kayaks where you sit on the floor. I can walk into this one and have a seat at the regular chair height, and stand up too. The photo above is from the add for it.. When I saw that , I said there’s the right idea.. And then the price ended up being way to temping. This “boat” came with lots of accessories , A nice carbon fiber paddle, a dolly for launching, a motor mount, the second seat and three rod holders. The seats both swivel and have storage under them. There is also a covered storage compartment at the stern. The deck on the bow is for standing on ? That could be interesting ! The hull is sort of a catamaran style.

So it should be extra stable. It’s that which makes me think …not for the river. Unless the river has depth. I’m looking forward to try this boat out.

I took my trailer to pick it up because the seller also threw in something I’ll show you later that’s under the kayak in the trailer. This is your standard 12 ft kayak in many ways but it’s a bit wider. Still it should be able to just slide it into my truck for transport. It’s all unloaded now ,and I learned how things fit and got the dolly underneath. Here’s a video I made …

Oh remember I mentioned a bonus that came home too.

It’s a roof rack that fit a truck canopy. With loading rollers at one end and nestling blocks at the other. I’m going to make a new kayak rack for the Avalanche. The old one I’ve had for 18 years has seen better days (end of life).

So Fall is full on in this October.. The river is getting cold and so are the lakes. Therefore I will wait till next spring to go for a paddle in my new boat. It’s now all wrapped up for the winter.

Looks like a mummy.. I don’t want it full of snow or even water.. This should keep it nice for the winter.. It’s off the ground too.. Sleep Nice !

Update: I was at a moving sale today buying his lawn tractor project that he did not finish. And what should I see… a 30 lb thrust electric motor.

Perfect for the fishing kayak. Fifty bucks.. works good.

Just need a good battery and we be motoring… on the water ! Looking forward to the spring..

2007 Craftsman YS4500 Lawn Tractor Page 3

Finishing up the Tractor..

Ok not the prettiest tractor… a bit scuffed and faded, But it works ! And as for the no start… I traced a lot of wires and found the problem. Wrong wire plugged into the starter solenoid. All safety switches are working AND now it shuts off as it should. The motor fired right up and runs good. So on to finishing the mower deck. Found a spring that works for the cable return, and fixed the broken grass deflector. We mounted the deck and discovered the belt I bought is the wrong one. So new one ordered.. Once I get the proper one on, then level the deck… It’s grass cutting time. !! I could get the headlights working and polish the lenses, but no one uses those.. REALLY not needed.

There is still a problem that makes the motor run rough when the mower is engaged. But We will find out why.. I think one of the safety switches is still acting up. The bagging system is installed ans fit’s great. Here’s the last photos of the tractor.

Deck is level and cutting great too.

It’s going to find a new home at my Nephew’s home.. Big yard !

Thanks for reading this story..

Project #2 Page 4 Movin In

Movin in and setting up..

Sure I picked a rainy day to go fetch my rolling cabinets from storage.

But we got the job done in two trips with the utility trailer.

Would ya look at that… lot’s of room. So happy to have most of my tools and supplies back to where they are handy. Now to set up my wall space..

Late October 2025:

Things kinda got left like this for a while now.. But now as I get ready for winter… and have made a mess on those cabinet tops finishing up the Craftsman mower, I got to thinking about my stuff possibly freezing. So I’m going to install a diesel heater in the far corner. The mornings are very cool now, and the inside feels even colder. The heater will allow me to be in the shed more.

It’s a simple set up.. I’ll shorted up the outlet pipe later. It’s working though… warming up nicely. The exhaust pipe is outside as it should be.

May need to make that hole bigger and protect the wall. Now that it’s warmer in the shed I’m motivated to do some organizing.

Plus the shed got another gift.. I got a nice sized bench-top drill press.

Soon everything will have a handy place, and I’ll find whatever I’m looking for !

Project #2 Page 3 New Door

New Door and wall panels..

On this day.. I decided it was time to finish the cuts and get that new door installed.

Yup that’s where it goes.. In order to install the new door …I had to remove the hinges for the old door. So that got fixed in place with screws. I’ll paint it white and trim it out so It won’t be so noticeable.

And remove the handle that’s doing nothing now. Sure going to be nice using a proper door with the light switch handy.

Here’s an inside view showing the old door and the new door. I have some plans for that old door. For now I want to get all the OSB wall finish done. It’s only needed where I’m hanging tools. On half the wall space I only went down the wall enough to go just below the tops of the roller cabinets. But on the wall beside the door and around the corner I went to the floor. Because there was extra OSB.

It’s getting two coats of white paint before I call it done. This helps brighten things up in a shed with the only widow on the door. And here’s the painted walls..

That’s of coarse a bit of wide angle.. but you get it.. Today we moved the old landing around to the new door side, and levelled it. It sits on four pier blocks with concrete slabs on the low side.

Here you can see the top step frame, and it worked out perfectly. The boards will fit nicely under the door sill. I’m using the old boards from the wood sidewalk for that top..

See how this works… Nice wide / sturdy steps.. Need paint ! And a bull nose too. Today I did some painting , but not the steps. Just the door frame and the trim.

And here is the final result… Looks like that door was always there. New lock set and I have keys.. Now to get the interior done.. How about a new page for setting up the inside.

Page 4 Movin In..

Project #2 Page 2 POWER

Gotta Have POWER. Obviously…

And that starts with a handy thing in our bonus room / hobby room.

This plug on the west wall under the window is a 20 amp plug on it’s own breaker. I’m thinking for an air conditioner.. We won’t use this. There is lots of outlets in that room. SOOOO With a little surgery I will ad an outside plug to this circuit. And from there an overhead cable to the shed.

That 20 amp circuit now goes outside.. Need a piece of drywall to fix my hole. My supplies came so now I’m finishing up all the wiring. Starting with that new 20 amp outdoor plug.

Right where I wanted it. And off of that comes the heavy duty 12 gauge out door wire that goes up and runs across a line to the shed.

Just like that I have power to the shed. And what do I do with that…. first another outside plug.

This is on the east end of the shed next to where the door will be. These are the newer boxes with the cover that allows you to leave a cord plugged in and still out of the weather. That will be handy because this is my outdoor work area. The rest of the wiring is inside.

This is next to where the door will be too. The switch turns on the lights… Duh. And there is four outlets around the room. Also handy.. A lot of what I have is cordless.. So mostly charging stations. Once I put a bit more OSB board up to cover the wires I’ll be ready to move my cabinets over from storage. Just one more photo of the finished walls with their outlets.

And now let’s do a PAGE 3 for the new door and the finishing touches…

Project #2 Making the Shed Work

Yes I love a garage.. but instead I have a shed !

So let’s make it work.. Mini Shop

Here’s my first look at the shed in the real state listing photos. 10 x 14.. That’s the biggest we are allowed in the park rules. But this one has a trick up it’s sleeve.. It’s extra tall and there is a storage loft. That’s Handy always need storage… Plus this is not an old shed and it’s built very sturdy. In fact I think it’s OVER built. Could be moved but it’s in the best place on our lot, so it’s staying put. I like where it is.. 2×6 walls that could be insulated but I not caring about heating it, so that’s not in the plan. However I am going to power it up ! When I first looked in it …this was an empty space no lights no shelves. Just this ugly door, and a stained bare floor from gas mowers and things.

But that will change soon, because stashed under the shed was a very nice steel exterior 36″ steel door and the frame.

Almost too good for a shed… But this is my shed and the door was FREE and I have no other use for it. And so I’m relocating the door around the corner to the end wall. That will work better for my needs. Plus it opens inward to the corner, not taking up valuable space.

Right here next to the ladder. I already have some of the cuts made. This is the side of the shed where the ground levels out and makes a good outside work area. You can see it’s already closer to the ground here.

And yes I will move this deck to that side. This area is under a row of fir trees, just dirt and nothing grows. It’s on the north side of the home that has only two windows, and is shady most of the summer. So if I’m working on something ( like the ATV) this is the place.

This area is important to me because it is the only space I have.. Here’s another view.

And as you can see I’ve set up a shelter and a small shed for the outside tools. The only thing that you could fit in the shed to work on has to fit through a 36″ door. The floor space will be limited ( once all my tools are in there).. Right now is a mess of me bringing stuff over from the storage to work on other stuff.

Time to get organized.. I did put some OSB board up to hang things, and I have LED lights so I can see . That’s a start.. And just before I took this photo I ran the wires and mounted plugs where they would be needed. More OSB will be needed to finish things. But first let’s get some power in the “Mini Shop”.

New Post for that here Page 2

Project #1 New Driveway / Walkway

Aug 23 2025:

Yes..Let’s call it that !

Now that I’ve got my strength back…( Long story ) It’s time to get a few things done before winter. It’s only two projects. This ended up being the first. The second one is get my shed in order with a new door and some power. This first one came from the desire to get rid of the wood sidewalk…

Yes that one you see looking so nice in the real estate photo. NO! It’s not nice the paint was coming off and some of the boards were loose. So for the sake of low maintenance WE prefer a concrete sidewalk. And that grew into a plan to increase the size of our parking area. So I removed the wood walkway. Stacked the pieces up for future considerations. The park management had already removed the pear tree that would have been in the way.

I hired a small tractor to remove the sod and the excess dirt.. And away I went, starting with a border of landscape ties. As you can see I aimed for the bottom of the porch stairs. That gave us twelve feet of parking up beside the home.

And wider by the road. There was a depression in the yard there too.. And I have the dirt to fill that. I got tired of walking on the dirt left from the wood walkway… So I started on laying the sidewalk pads. Here’s the before photo..

And this is after starting the walkway.

A bit narrower than the wood walkway but it’s all we need. Also easier to trim the grass. Twelve more slabs to go..

Most of the eleven yards of what’s called road mix. This stuff will pack down like cement. You can see I’m also filling the low part with screened dirt. I’m surprising myself with how quickly I’m moving the pile.

I’ve got the space between the home and the paved parking pad all done. So I’m starting to fill the corner of the home and the first porch. Lot’s of shovel and wheel barrow work later.. And I’ve used what I needed from the pile.

I bought a whole truck load.. ( was cheaper) And look at the big pile left over.. No worries the park has a Skid steer and we will move in to the storage compound. Look at this nice parking area close to the house.

AND.. I got the new sidewalk in place too !

Much better to walk on this.. Planted grass along the edge too.. Only thing left to do is rent a tamper and get the road mix like concrete.. Done.. Only took a few hours with the tamper and we are done.. Here’s the final two photos of this project.

Could pull in further .. But this was an early morning photo op.. Quite the change for this part of the yard.

Now we have lot’s of parking. Now I can move my truck out from under the tree where the birds eat the berries and crap on it. Now I will turn my attention to the next project and start a post for that..

Making my shed useful..

2007 Craftsman YS4500 Lawn Tractor Page 2

Now comes the fix’n and put’n back together!

June 2025

Now that all.. or most of the parts are clean.. It’s time to get things back together. I’m starting with the rear body / deck.. fender.. (whatever) This needs to be in place to create a new base for the dash bottom.

A WAAAAY more metal than the factory had. This will be welded to the base of the dashboard pedestal. And here we have done the welding and painted the base too.

That should fix the bottom.. Now to do something about the bushing halfway up.. Turns out that the bushing is not bad.. There is only a little play in the steering.. Mostly on the gear and steering horn under the tractor. So I’m putting things back together.

Back at it late Sept .

And here’s where I’m at.. New battery, seat cover. And I fixed the hood hinge. One of the other issues with this tractor was the shut off with the key not working. The problem is a typical one with the fuel cut off solenoid not working.

This little doo hicky…Shuts the fuel off when the key is off..(no power) the plunger on this one is not returning to the full up position. New one is ordered. And now installed… And that’s working. I can hear it working. Now I have no power to the starter. This tractor has four safety switches ! Brake/ clutch, seat, mower engage and “mow in reverse ” switch. The later wont prevent a start. But it will shut the motor off if the key isn’t in the “mow in reverse” position. In my opinion TOO MUCH stuff to go wrong. So now I need to trouble shoot at least three of these switches. I do get the push the brake/ clutch in one but the rest I question. Let’s start a new page as I get this tractor ready for prime time..

Final work.. Page 3

2007 Craftsman YS4500 Lawn Tractor

June 13 2025:

Oh Boy ! Here we go.. Tractors Again !

Justification !

Do I need a tractor to cut the lawn ? Well sort of.. My right leg isn’t working as good … so pushing my EGO mower I run out of steam quickly. Hills like we have are hard. I borrowed one just like this and way easier for me. I feel like I could cut everyone’s grass. So there. Also I got this one cheap.. And yes it needs some work, but we drove it onto the trailer.. It runs ! Yes it has a mower deck. I removed it because they get caught on the ramp of the trailer. This tractor has the “special edition ” decal on the side..And I don’t know what is different ?

Just your typical 42 ” deck. Not rusty, not missing parts.. Only the plastic chute is held on with wire ! Oh and it came with a bagging system.. BONUS..

Not broken.. and the good hard bagging system too. This tractor was one of my favourite Craftsman mowers. ( my very favourite has foot pedal controls) But for my needs the leaver control works better. In the past I have had many of this exact tractor go through my shop. So I know all about them. Here’s a photo of one of those.. in better shape ..

Proof ! This photo was taken in May 2018.. And was taken after I worked a little magic on it and now ready to sell. Now fast forward to 2025.. and these are worth much more than the $500 I was asking.. More like $1200. One of the issues that most of these mid 2000’s YT , YS and even the D series had was and weak dash and the metal console that held the steering wheel and other controls. I did a video on the problem and my fix for it. This new YS4500 also has this problem.

Old video from 2016..

So I have some work to do.. and no shop.. I’m working outside. It’s going to wait till later July after our camping time. However I’m picking away at some things. I’ve cleaned the deck so I can see what’s needed. Blades for sure and the belt that’s missing.. The spindles seem good just need some grease. I’ll need to make a way to mount the deflector back on.. Straighten out a few bent things.. and we are good.

Here’s a short video showing how bad the steering is. The plan is to take that whole dash and tower apart so I can weld some extra support. I’m also working on restoring the deck.. It’s getting a rust treatment with “Krudkutter” as seen in this photo.

Turns the rust white. And then a coat of paint. The arbours and blade mounts are in very good condition. So are the gauge wheels… Blades not so much.

New blades are on the way. Today I had some spare time so I got to taking the steering and the console / dash apart. A great opportunity to clean some grass and crap out from all the spaces.

Here’s the bottom of the console. Only one bolt still had the ear to hold it on. And someone used JB weld to “try” and fix it. I will weld new metal, and all six bolts will have something to hold onto.

Here’s where it mounts.. You can do better with wider metal. By the way with the console taken away there is only four more bolts and the fender / foot well comes off for a good cleaning. Which did happen…

There you have it.. I don’t take stuff apart unless I’m going to clean it. And ! The the naked tractor is very easy to clean…

I should have done a before & after photo.. Trust me it was very dirty. Good time to lubricate the moving parts now. Then put the body back on.. And that’s a good place for a new page…