19/08/2026
Some machines come in for a repair. Others turn into a full-scale rescue job.
This Countax B255 came to us a few months ago after its owner had only recently bought it. The rear PTO belt kept coming off, it was almost impossible to steer in a straight line, and the condition simply didn’t match what they had expected from the way the machine had been described.
After trying to resolve things elsewhere without success, the question became a simple one: could it actually be saved?
Once we stripped into it, the true condition became clear.
Despite being only around three years old, we have honestly seen 15-year-old machines in better shape. The level of corrosion and wear was extreme. Virtually every bearing on the machine was worn or damaged, components were seized, the engine was loose, the steering had excessive play and was badly out of alignment, and the deck, sweeper and power grass collector all needed major attention.
At that point, it was borderline whether the machine was worth restoring at all or whether it was destined to become a breaker.
But we decided to give it a second chance.
The power grass collector and sweeper were completely stripped down. Every nut, bolt, bearing and surface was checked, cleaned, repaired or replaced as required, then everything was repainted and rebuilt.
The grass box was stripped, cleaned and refinished. The sweeper cassette had deteriorated so badly that it needed heavy-duty protective treatment, including underseal and bitumen, to help preserve it for the future.
The cutting deck was taken right back to bare metal, thoroughly cleaned, treated and repainted before being rebuilt with new blade hubs, new tensioner and idler pulleys, new belts and new rubbers. The areas most exposed to wet grass and corrosion were also given additional protective treatment.
The tractor itself received a complete transmission service, steering repairs and realignment, new belts, new pulleys and extensive mechanical work throughout. Even the transmission drive hubs were seized solid and had to be removed, cleaned, lubricated and rebuilt properly.
And that was a big part of this job — we didn’t just want to make it work again.
We wanted to rebuild it in a way that means the next person who services it can actually service it properly. Parts were cleaned, freed off, lubricated and reassembled so future maintenance should be far easier than what we were faced with.
Because of the sheer scale of the restoration, this became one of those jobs we worked through carefully alongside our day-to-day workshop commitments. Some stages simply couldn’t be rushed either, with paint and protective coatings needing proper preparation and curing time.
The end result speaks for itself.
Considering where this machine started, even we are amazed at how well it has come back.
It is a perfect example of just how much damage poor maintenance, harsh conditions and neglect can do to a machine in a very short space of time — but also what can be achieved when the time is taken to rebuild one properly.
This Countax B255 has definitely earned itself a place in our book of fame.
And Ryan… you’d better take good care of it. 😄
