How long should a mower last?

[Guest]

I bought a Murray21" Mulching rear discharge walk behind mower in 17 years ago.  Last night it finally crapped out on me. Started banging like a motherfucker hitting sewage pipes in Shawshank.  This is after living the vast majority of its life in the semi-eternal growing season known as Houston, where we mow and shave with about the same frequency.

How long has yours lasted?

[52-80 19205]

Mines lasted 6 years but he's come down with typhus so maybe won't be much longer

[NeverMarryAStripper 21912]

Mine lasted 14 years before I divorced her, but she’s still going strong for her new owner

[RDCanecutter 26458]

2 hours ago, slorch said:

How long has yours lasted?

I got a year each out of two POS mowers I foolishly bought at Sears. You hit a good solid rock, pipe, or stump, and suddenly they start acting all wobbly and oozing oil.

Don't tell me it's Operater Error. They sposed to be mowers, mow whatever's in my yard. Didn't say they were just for mowing grass.

[Gil Bang 25984]

So, about 7 years ago I sold a hoarder house.  The listing agent bought the sellers a 40 cu. yd. dumpster.  i drove by to check on the progress, and the only thing in the bin was a mower.  A cheap mower, "weed eater" brand with a briggs engine. I slowly pulled the rope and felt compression.

Brought the mofo home, put in fresh gas, and fired it up.  

Been using it as my weed mower (I have 2 acres) ever since.  Just recently, the deck is starting to weaken and crack. Briggs engine still running strong.  Briggs makes a GREAT mower engine. 

I'm gonna upgrade this week to a self-propelled.  Lowes sells a Husqvarna with a Honda, and a less-expensive one with a Briggs.  I'm going with the B&S over the Honda regardless of the price, every single time.   It's a great American company. 

[Llano Estacado 1257]

Go Honda or Briggs and Stratton and you’ll retire before he does.

[Gil Bang 25984]

As posted above, I'm a Briggs fan, but I'm curious as to the board's opinion on Kohler engines.  I see a few mowers equipped with those. 

[Gil Bang 25984]

3 hours ago, slorch said:

I bought a Murray21" Mulching rear discharge walk behind mower in 17 years ago.  Last night it finally crapped out on me. Started banging like a motherfucker hitting sewage pipes in Shawshank.  This is after living the vast majority of its life in the semi-eternal growing season known as Houston, where we mow and shave with about the same frequency.

How long has yours lasted?

OP, here's the good news:  You've got 1 fewer bulky item to haul across the state. 

[baboso 6056]

20 years on my Toro personal pace and still going strong.  Briggs and Stratton engine.  Had to replace wheels twice.

[JohnnyRage 1617]

Well into his 50's. They are really hard workers.

[Leeroy Jenkins 2409]

As posted above, I'm a Briggs fan, but I'm curious as to the board's opinion on Kohler engines.  I see a few mowers equipped with those. 

It depends on the model. Some appear to be very good while a few models were just horrible. That is what my small engine guy told me. I have one and they made a filter out of cork. Yeah that didn’t last too long and it was dumping oil like a boss.

[William_Cannon 86]

Craftsman Briggs and Stratton- going on it’s 15th season. Last two seasons it’s been fighting me on starts so I just got a new filter plug and oil. I give it tlc every 3 years or so

[jimmyjazz 46000]

Modern gas mowers?  About a year or two.  They're total shit.

I bought an electric and I'll be surprised if it doesn't last a decade.  There's just not much to break.  I expect I'll have to replace a battery every once in a while, but that's fine.  I'm done with shitty modern gas engines.  Plastic carburetors?  Uh, no.  

[Gil Bang 25984]

Yeah, that’s why guys that do it for a living 6 days a week have all switched to battery powered mowers.

[Jkwellborn 6714]

As posted above, I'm a Briggs fan, but I'm curious as to the board's opinion on Kohler engines.  I see a few mowers equipped with those. 

I have a kohler on my husqvarna zero turn. Zero issues in nearly 8years. Hasn’t even started leaking or using oil yet.

[El Diablo 4232]

8 hours ago, jimmyjazz said:

Modern gas mowers?  About a year or two.  They're total shit.

I bought an electric and I'll be surprised if it doesn't last a decade.  There's just not much to break.  I expect I'll have to replace a battery every once in a while, but that's fine.  I'm done with shitty modern gas engines.  Plastic carburetors?  Uh, no.  

They'll get you on the brushes.

[4th and 5 4915]

I like snapper.

[OregonHorn 96]

I guess aggy would refer to my goat as a " Mulching rear discharge walk behind mower."   Still going strong after 15 years, and he fertilizes as he mows.

 

[Guest]

aggy fucks lawnmowers?

 

Stands to reason that they would...

[jimmyjazz 46000]

1 hour ago, El Diablo said:

They'll get you on the brushes.

I could buy an entire new motor for $50.  I've had a plastic carburetor become worthless after 10 mowings of a small yard.  I like my odds with the DC motor.

[Nueces River Rat 5539]

My Honda mower is going on 9 years and has treated me well.   I had to change the wheels on it a few months ago and they were not solid rubber wheels much to my surprise when the tread started falling off one of them.  That was an easy  and cheap repair job thanks to Amazon.  

The mower I  had before this one  was a Lawnboy and it was a POS.    Lawnboys used to be long lasting machines and had a distinctive sound when they were owned by a company who designed and manufactured Evinrude and Johnson boat motors.  When Toro bought them out, they started going to shit.  I didn't know that at the time thinking I was getting a good deal at Home Depot on what was supposedly a reputable brand, but dang I wish I would have forked over the additional cash and just bought the Honda then.    Funny thing I just went to the their website  thinking  about the fact I haven't seen one around for awhile or at a store and you can't even buy a Lawnboy close to me.  The closest dealer according  to their dealer search is in Lake Charles.   Go figure.  

  

Edited April 8, 2019 by Nueces River Rat

[Guest]

14 minutes ago, jimmyjazz said:

I could buy an entire new motor for $50.  I've had a plastic carburetor become worthless after 10 mowings of a small yard.  I like my odds with the DC motor.

What are you running through there, naptha?

Edited April 8, 2019 by slorch

[jimmyjazz 46000]

Acetone.  Is that bad?

[Nueces River Rat 5539]

10 hours ago, jimmyjazz said:

Modern gas mowers?  About a year or two.  They're total shit.

I bought an electric and I'll be surprised if it doesn't last a decade.  There's just not much to break.  I expect I'll have to replace a battery every once in a while, but that's fine.  I'm done with shitty modern gas engines.  Plastic carburetors?  Uh, no.  

What kind of grass are you cutting?   I can't envision an electric mower cutting thick St Augustine or Flortam grass like many of us have in these parts.  Especially after it takes off after some good rains.  My gas mower has issues with the stuff if I wait too long to mow it.  But maybe I'm wrong the electric mowers are more powerful than the earlier versions.  

[jimmyjazz 46000]

I can't remember what I put down.  I'm thinking either Bermuda or zoysia.  I think the former.  It's not hard to push through at all.

[retsevlys 408]

I bought a Murray push mower with a B&S when I was cutting grass in high school.  That was 23 years ago.  I've never done anything to it besides clean/replace the air filter, replace the wheels, and add oil.

[HouTex 1887]

This thread makes me miss my younger lawn mowing days. When I was a poor overworked young lawyer my habit was to leave work early on Fridays around 4:30 and mow and edge my yard. Then have several adult beverages while we chased the kids around or went out to dinner--usually for Mexican at Ninfas (when there were several around Houston) or Molinas or El Patio. Good times.

I had a craftsman with BS engine. No problems in 16 years until we started using a yard man. Changed the air filter a few times and the spark plug once. I think I changed the oil once and added oil as needed. I think I had to change the wheels once. And every spring I would sharpen the blade.

[Dr Fear 1268]

I bought a troy-built with a B&S engine of craigslist from a guy that rebuilds them for maybe $120 3 years ago.  I looked up the model number and it is either a 2002 or 2003.  Still going strong going into it's 4 season.  I change the oil 1-2 a year and replace the air filter, spark plug and blade once a year. Works like a champ.

[Deej 76858]

Put TruFuel in it and not that ethanol crap from the gas station and the engine should last for a long time.

[Gene Parmesan 4008]

Mine is entering it's 10th season, no issues so far other than the one time my wife tried to mow and somehow bent the blade 90 degrees.  Change the oil/air filter at the start of each season, add oil as needed, and throw on a new blade after a few seasons.

[Nueces River Rat 5539]

14 minutes ago, Deej said:

Put TruFuel in it and not that ethanol crap from the gas station and the engine should last for a long time.

This or you can buy ethanol free gas at most Murphy USA stations which are located at many Wal Marts.    And I should be doing this myself.    The damn ethanol crap screwed up my power washer.  I went to start it once and realized the gas tank was dry as a bone.   Put gas in it and turned around to put it up and then went back to start it and the gas leaking all over the drive way.   The repair guy said this occurs when you don't use a small engine for a period of time which makes sense because I don't use it regularly like say a lawnmower or trimmer.  

[Deej 76858]

The ethanol eats away at plastic and corrodes metal. If nothing else, add some Sta-Bil.

[Gil Bang 25984]

 

1 hour ago, Deej said:

Put TruFuel in it and not that ethanol crap from the gas station and the engine should last for a long time.

 

54 minutes ago, Nueces River Rat said:

This or you can buy ethanol free gas at most Murphy USA stations which are located at many Wal Marts.    And I should be doing this myself.    The damn ethanol crap screwed up my power washer.  I went to start it once and realized the gas tank was dry as a bone.   Put gas in it and turned around to put it up and then went back to start it and the gas leaking all over the drive way.   The repair guy said this occurs when you don't use a small engine for a period of time which makes sense because I don't use it regularly like say a lawnmower or trimmer.  

So I keep seeing folks post this.  "Hey everybody, just use $20 /gal gas, and you'll be good".

Meanwhile, every mexican that cuts lawns for a living fills their cans at the cheapest station in town, no matter what town you are in.  ( And they gather at the coffee pots and take forever to get the cream/sugar blend just right)

Seriously, let's say gas is $3 bucks a gallon.  Trufuel is about 20.  So, 17 bucks extra per gallon.  

How many gallons do you expect to burn over the life of a mower?   10  gallons is $ 170.00 extra for trufuel,  give or take.  If you burn 20 gallons, you've spent more than the price of the average new mower.   I fill a 5 gal can every month or two, I suppose.  Maybe I'll start keeping track of that.  I'll bet I've burned over 50 gals in my weed machine.  I would have spent an extra $850 on trufuel.  I could have replaced the mower with a comparable new one a half-dozen times for the price differential.

Edited April 8, 2019 by Gil Bang

[Nueces River Rat 5539]

5 minutes ago, Gil Bang said:

 

 

So I keep seeing folks post this.  "Hey everybody, just use $20 /gal gas, and you'll be good".

Meanwhile, every mexican that cuts lawns for a living fills their cans at the cheapest station in town, no matter what town you are in.  ( And they gather at the coffee pots and take forever to get the cream/sugar blend just right)

Seriously, let's say gas is $3 bucks a gallon.  Trufuel is about 20.  So, 17 bucks extra per gallon.  

How many gallons do you expect to burn over the life of a mower?   10  gallons is $ 170.00 extra for trufuel,  give or take.  If you burn 20 gallons, you've spent more than the price of the average new mower. 

I think the key part of your question is answered by yourself.   Those who cut lawns for a living are burning it as soon as they put in the tank.   Where as small engines like say on a power washer or a boat might sit cold for an extended period of time which allows the corrosion of the fuel lines, etc.  Also I would venture to say that many of the newer small engines have adapted their designs and components for the ethanol blends as they stand right now.  Hopefully they won't increase it as it's been suggested by the Farm lobby in Washington.  

[Gil Bang 25984]

That doesn't add up.  

The hypothetical mexican's tank always has gas in it. Fuel lines too.    If the gas is corrosive, it would still fuck up the mexican's mower, whether it's running or not. 

Edited April 8, 2019 by Gil Bang

[woohorn 1131]

Noone mentions blades yet?

A couple of seasons ago I replaced oem honda blade with one of the radical profile mulching blades. Really didn't notice much difference, except it is terrible when trying to bag fall leaves (too many trees to mulch into lawn).

I now see "high lift" blades on Amazon and wanted to know if anyone swaps out blades for bagging leaves vs mulching grass blades.

I also have a thatching blade, but that is a whole different discussion.

[Guest]

I change the oil every  year.

Change spark plug every other year.  Change blade about every 3rd year or so.

Airfilter never has been replaced.  I do pull it out and clean the living shit out of it about every other month.

Not sure WTF y'all are doing to your wheels, but i cannot recall changing a wheel on any mower ever.  Y'all driftin into the turns or what?  LOL.

Cheapest gas always.  At the end of the season I run Sta-Bil treated fuel through the tank. In the Spring, I buy new gas again.

Edited April 8, 2019 by slorch

[Deej 76858]

35 minutes ago, Gil Bang said:

 

 

So I keep seeing folks post this.  "Hey everybody, just use $20 /gal gas, and you'll be good".

Meanwhile, every mexican that cuts lawns for a living fills their cans at the cheapest station in town, no matter what town you are in.  ( And they gather at the coffee pots and take forever to get the cream/sugar blend just right)

Seriously, let's say gas is $3 bucks a gallon.  Trufuel is about 20.  So, 17 bucks extra per gallon.  

How many gallons do you expect to burn over the life of a mower?   10  gallons is $ 170.00 extra for trufuel,  give or take.  If you burn 20 gallons, you've spent more than the price of the average new mower.   I fill a 5 gal can every month or two, I suppose.  Maybe I'll start keeping track of that.  I'll bet I've burned over 50 gals in my weed machine.  I would have spent an extra $850 on trufuel.  I could have replaced the mower with a comparable new one a half-dozen times for the price differential.

You're running your equipment what, once a week in season? Jose is running his every single day. It never just sits in the tank more than overnight.

https://www.consumerreports.org/cro/news/2013/03/gas-with-ethanol-can-make-small-engines-fail/index.htm

[Gene Parmesan 4008]

Truefuel for a mower seems excessive.  I use that for my leaf blower but one can lasts multiple years.

[Gil Bang 25984]

@Deej The point's the same.  

Jose's tank and fuel lines ALWAYS have gas in them. 

And yeah, I run mine once a week, and the cheap motherfucker has run flawlessly for 7 years on cheap gas. 

And I notice you ignored the ridiculous  cost differential. 

Edited April 8, 2019 by Gil Bang

[Gene Parmesan 4008]

My understanding of ethanol is that it separates over time.  So leaving it in your tank long term is where the harm is.  I am an idiot though and don't really care much about my $150 mower, but I would be more cautions with more expensive engines.

[Deej 76858]

25 minutes ago, Gil Bang said:

@Deej The point's the same.  

Jose's tank and fuel lines ALWAYS have gas in them. 

And yeah, I run mine once a week, and the cheap motherfucker has run flawlessly for 7 years on cheap gas. 

And I notice you ignored the ridiculous  cost differential. 

20 bucks a gallon ain't breaking me. Not like I'm filling my car with it.

Plus, engine starts first pull every time, even after sitting all winter. Ethanol did a number on my last mower engine. 

Edited April 8, 2019 by Deej

[SHOOTER12 8814]

17 hours ago, Gil Bang said:

As posted above, I'm a Briggs fan, but I'm curious as to the board's opinion on Kohler engines.  I see a few mowers equipped with those. 

Cannot.beat.Kohler

Got one in zero turn, welder, generator and pressure washer, never miss a beat

Fuck b&s garbage

[Gil Bang 25984]

10 minutes ago, Deej said:

20 bucks a gallon ain't breaking me. Not like I'm filling my car with it.

Plus, engine starts first pull every time, even after sitting all winter. Ethanol did a number on my last mower engine. 

That makes perfect sense.  You won't use it in a $40,000 car, but you will use it in a $200 mower.

And my shit starts on the 1st pull too. 

Edited April 8, 2019 by Gil Bang

[Deej 76858]

I drive my car almost every day. Ethanol begins to break down in about 30 days. We tend to fill our cars frequently. I can get 3 or 4 mows of my yard off a tank of gas in the mower. I go a week in the car.

[Nueces River Rat 5539]

5 minutes ago, Gil Bang said:

That makes perfect sense.  You won't use it in a $40,000 car, but you will use it in a $200 mower.

And my shit starts on the 1st pull too. 

What Deej and I are saying is you are running your mower every week, so the fuel doesn't sit there and allow the components to be harmed by the ethanol.  I don't buy special fuel either, because I burn it off weekly.  But I bought an additive for the power washer to hopefully minimize the ethanol issue in the future.

My blower, trimmer and mower have worked fine because I used them on weekly basis for most of the year, save a few weeks in December and January where we might have enough cold weather to kill off the grass for a few weeks.  My power washer is something I will use in Spring (like this time of year) primarily to wash off the house and and a few other things and for the most part it sits idle for the majority of the year.  Hence, the ethanol harmed it per the observation of the small engine mechanic who told me this is regular issue with small engines that sit idle for extended periods.  I don't own a boat, but I've had boat owners tell me the same dang thing and they will go out of their way to find ethanol free gas and pay premium for it.  

[Jkwellborn 6714]

That doesn't add up.  
The hypothetical mexican's tank always has gas in it. Fuel lines too.    If the gas is corrosive, it would still fuck up the mexican's mower, whether it's running or not. 

Letting it sit is the problem. It starts to fuck shit up after a couple of weeks. If you are using it and going through it, any gas will do. Like a fat chick during a dry spell. But when you aren’t using it much, or it’s the tag end of the year, use ethanol free. Add a little Stabil. Trufuel and the like is normally 91 or 93 octane and has stabilized added. I only use it for 50:1 premix.

[ShaggyBevo RIP 3868]

1 hour ago, Gil Bang said:

@Deej The point's the same.  

Jose's tank and fuel lines ALWAYS have gas in them. 

And yeah, I run mine once a week, and the cheap motherfucker has run flawlessly for 7 years on cheap gas. 

And I notice you ignored the ridiculous  cost differential. 

It is the separation and condensation in areas with colder temperatures, and the engines sitting inactive for months, that make the difference with ethanol blend fuels. It is no issue in SoCal.  I run my snow thrower dry at the end of the season and then put a cup of pure gas in and run it a couple of minutes before it sitting for the next 7-8 months. Then I pour the remainder of the ethanol blended fuel can into the Suburban the day after filling it up so it is diluted with 29 gallons of fresh fuel.

Edited April 8, 2019 by ShaggyBevo RIP

[Gil Bang 25984]

9 minutes ago, ShaggyBevo RIP said:

It is the separation and condensation in areas with actual winter, and the engines sitting inactive for months, that make the difference with ethanol blend fuels. It is no issue in SoCal.  I run my snow thrower dry at the end of the season and then put a cup of pure gas in and run it a couple of minutes before it sitting for the next 7-8 months. Then I pour the remainder of the ethanol blended fuel can into the Suburban the day after filling it up so it is diluted with 29 gallons of fresh fuel.

OK, that makes sense.  

[Dendox 102]

i second the ethanol free gas from Murphy.  Well worth the extra money and haven't had any issues starting power equipment after a long period of non-use since switching.  I too had to rebuild a power washer and learned my lesson.