How long can a 150 dollar push mower last,

[wander2039]

Originally Posted By: SidViscous
I have found that a cheap mower lasts just long enough to keep you thinking for years about what you will replace it with when it finally goes down. Ya put up with things that are irritating to you but not enough to go buy a new mower while this one still does the job. The old briggs flatheads are reliable and usually the valves get carbon built up around them where they no longer make a seal which causes a loss of compression. If you are up to it, pull out the piston and replace the rings. Costs aroud 12 bucks for a set. Dont replace anything else and see if your smoke problem goes away.


That was the problem with my dad's tiller. Had carbon build-up around the valves that caused it pop and back-fire. Cleaned her up and runs like new!

 

[boraticus]

Run a few ounces of SeaFoam in the fuel a couple times a year. That will help reduce carbon build up and also help remove carbon already there.

I have a 1986 Suzuki 15 h.p. outboard engine. I pulled the spark plugs and looked at the tops of the pistons. They had a dark layer of carbon on them. Not that it was effecting the engine at all. It was running fine. SeaFoam was new to me at the time and I wanted to see if it did as advertised so I put a couple ounces in a couple litres of fuel and took the boat out to run the fuel through it. When I pulled the plugs to have a look, I could actually see some shiny aluminum on the piston tops where some of the carbon had lifted off. Don't know how it works, but it seems to get carbon out of the engine well enough. I've used it on other balky two strokes and in a couple cases, it improved the engine starting and high rpm running. I suspect it cleaned some gum out of the carbs.

 

[lexus114]

Originally Posted By: Quattro Pete
I'm hoping the Toro mower I bought earlier this year (with B&S engine) will last longer than 6 years, running Pennzoil HD30 in it, changed once a year.


Pete,thats what you decided to use as well? I have found this motor to be the quietest on this oil.

 

[lexus114]

Originally Posted By: Drew99GT
We have a 1970s model Craftsman with a Briggs. I'd say it's had the oil changed maybe 3 times. It's had it's fair share of foreign object hits, to include a few rock strikes that we thought for sure broke the rod or crank.

Still runs perfect, doesn't consume oil, or smoke, and starts within a few pulls every spring. It's stored outside uncovered under the deck!


Those older Craftsman`s usually used Techumseh engines,I`m kinda surprised.

 

[Quattro Pete]

Originally Posted By: lexus114
Originally Posted By: Quattro Pete
I'm hoping the Toro mower I bought earlier this year (with B&S engine) will last longer than 6 years, running Pennzoil HD30 in it, changed once a year.


Pete,thats what you decided to use as well? I have found this motor to be the quietest on this oil.

Yeah. It's just a lawnmower afterall, so I'm not going to feed it anything fancy, and the PYB HD30 seems to work fine in it, so I'll stick with it.

 

[Oldwolf]

I have a rear wheel drive Snapper with 6HP B&S Commercial for over 12 years now. I just replaced the spark plug coil and rebuilt the carburetor. I use it weekly during the mowing season and my son used it for his neighborhood mowing needs when he still lived at home. Great mowers. This one has a very heavy steel deck. The last few years I have been using 10W30 synthetic it, changing maybe once a year...maybe every two years. Before that mineral oil, SAE 30. I run Stabil year round in the fuel. Smokes a little on start up. I don't think it will ever wear out.

 

[bigmike]

My neighbor has a cheap push mower that's around 12 years old and works fine. He never has done any maintenance to it at all - none. I'm not sure he's even topped up the oil in it.

 

[nomochevys]

I have a briggs 3.5 that is now 33 years old and still runs. It has not been used much in the last 12 or 15 years except to get in some tight places and it does burn oil pretty bad but still runs and starts great.

 

[DavidZ28]

Bought my first cheap mower in '94, had a B&S 3.5 on it. Changed the oil and spark plug every other year on it. Still ran very well when I got rid of it in 2002. It's replacement is another cheapy, a Murray 22" with a B&S engine. Change the oil, spark plug, and air filter on it every spring. The deck is sarting to rust on this one though.

 

[mechanicx]

I have a '90 cheapie lawnmower that has a Briggs Quantum side valve engine. It still starts easy and runs good and doesn't burn oil. There is just a small puff of smoke when starting but no more than my Honda has always done since new. It had really no maintenance done, the fuel was never drained or stabilizer added and the oil and airfilter was very rarely changed.

I lent it out to a relative/inlaw and the first time they used it they ran over some hard object. The flywheel key was sheared, so I put a new key in and it runs. They wacked it so hard it bent the blade and the end of the crank. So with a new key and blade it runs and mows pretty good but vibrates more from the shaft causing the blade to runout. The shaft sould probably be straightened but it's not really worth my trouble.

So I'd say with care and mild use there is a good 20-30+ year potential with the side valve Briggs. Now if you are running it ahrd constantly that service life could be shortened, but that's why they make commercial engines for heavy use.

 

[brianl703]

It can outlast the manufacturer--I have a Lowe's 22" mower from the early 90s that was made by a company that's out of business now (can't remember their name but they were in Smyrna, GA). It has a Briggs and Stratton[1] Quantum engine. It was left in the backyard of my rental property, so I took it home and fixed it since my new tenants needed a mower. I snagged a safety stop cable off a mower that was headed for the trash, replaced the primer bulb and the air filter, and a friend of mine helped me take it apart and clean the carbon off the valves. It runs fine now. I think I spent about $30 in parts to fix it--half of that was for a replacement gas tank from Ebay, the original was leaking and I didn't think a JB Weld fix proper.

[1]The censor on this board censors Bee Ess so I had to spell it out.

 

[01rangerxl]

With the most basic B&S flat head, a $150 push mower can last decades with the proper care. Most are not cared for at all.

Honestly, when it comes to building just a cheap, no frills mower that gets the job done, MTD/B&S are pretty good at it. The plain Yard Machines mowers are so simple, there isn't much that can break. Sure, maybe the wheels will wear out, but guess what, you can buy new wheels at Wal-Mart or Lowe's for a few bucks. Because it's such a generic design, they can easily be made to work without using original parts.

If the B&S engine stalls, put your hand over the carb (no air filter on) and then restart it. You will probably be able to pop the diaphragm loose and it will run fine. If it stalls a lot, spend $3 and replace the diaphragm. Changing oil is optional (just top off), and $10 worth of spark plugs will get you through 20 years.

More expensive mowers are nice, and often more durable, but not as easily/cheaply fixed and they don't like neglect or abuse unless you go with a commercial grade one.

One of my roommates parents gave us a plain "Companion" brand mower that was about 20 years old already with a manual choke B&S flat head engine. The recoil rope broke one day, and my other roommate managed to bend the [censored] out of the wheel one day, but other than that NO problems. To this day, it always starts. It smokes a little, and uses a lot of gas, but it always works. It has been repainted lime green and renamed the "Swamp Rat." The muffler was also removed, because why not? Including spray paint, it has cost maybe $1 a year over the last 20 years to keep this mower in running, working condition. Not bad. I changed the oil once and topped it off since then. The old oil was pitch black, but the mower was running fine.

My landlord gave us a early 2000s Bolens (MTD) mower with a auto choke B&S flat head, the bigger model with the plastic gas tank and a fuel line to the carb. This mower runs like a champ as well. Just prime it and give it a heavy dose of ether and it runs perfect. The carb has never been off, the oil may be original aside from top off oil, and the spark plug is likely original too. It looks like [censored] and is a little loud, but it works.

If you're cutting grass every day, get a nice commercial model with a Kawasaki engine on it. If you just need something for your house that will run on anything that burns and makes the grass shorter, super cheap mowers work great.

 

[docsteveg]

I have a 20+ year old mower that runs fine with no work done. change the oil every season but keep the blade very sharp so the motor never works harder than it has to

 

[Lost1]

As far back as I can remember in over 40 years of cutting grass, every mower we've had except one had a B&S engine. Never once did the mower body outlast the engine, except for the one exception of a non B&S engine. On one occasion my old man had a 70's-era 3.5hp B&S that started smoking a little in about 1985 because it had been running since 1980 without an air filter. He dumped the oil, put a few oz of STP oil treatment in it, refilled with 30Wt, & the thing was still running in the early 90's when he gave it away, still with no air filter.
I've never gotten rid of one that wasn't at least 10 years old and they always ran like a top. Use Sta-Bil in the gas to keep the carb clean, change the oil every year or so (I use Rotella 15W-40 these days) and it'll run forever. Or just use it, forget oil changes, & pitch the air filter & it'll still run forever, LOL.

6 years out of a Briggs? I'd say the OP just got a bad one...

 

[65cuda]

Back in the late 70's I bought a basic lawn mower with a B&S engine. Used it for over 20 years and finally gave it to my father in law. He used it until he died about 10 years ago. Sold it at the estate sale and it would still start right up. Smoked and the wheels wobbled all over the place, but you could lay money that it would run.

 

[2KBMW]

How long will a $150 mower last?
I would say 150 months!

 

[crw]

My experience is similar. In the mid-70's my dad bought a Sears Craftsman mower and it was my job to mow the lawn. I'd do our lawn, and then push the mower all around the neighborhood mowing other people's lawns for cash. I figure the mower got 2.5X the "normal" usage. When I got married and left home in 1990, the mower went with me. I kept it for another two years or so, and gave it to my BIL who needed it more. I think he still has it!

So, about 18 years ago I bought my current push mower. These days I need a push mower and a riding mower, but the push mower is still fine after 18 years. Just annual oil changes. It's actually getting hard to start when the weather is cold, but other than that it's fine.

 

[tomcat27]

We grew up with a cheap 3.5 or 4.0 push mower. after 10 years of mowing two lots it was still running good - but I tore it open just to look: the cylinder and piston were in great shape - there was a little bit of wear on one of the valve stems so I installed an insert. I did always run 30W oil in it - changing it once a season. It easily had 400 hours on it.

 

[crazyoildude]

it should last 25 years witht he proper care i have a snow blower my father got in 1966 and it still runs good today
I always used pennzoil 30 weight (heated garage)
i have started using pennzoil 30 weight small engine oil because that oil does not have to meet converter or pollution standards and there is a lot of goos stuff in that oil..i get it at advance

 

[crazyoildude]

when we moved into this house i hired people to cut my lawn so i dont have to be bothered it takes 3 of them 4 hours to cut better them than me