I have been doing fine with free mowers that I get from folks who give them away. Since I have started to use the fuel shut off to run the carb dry after use and I add a capfull of MMO to the gas, my junkers start and perform fine.
How long can a 150 dollar push mower last,
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Originally Posted By: 01rangerxl
...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.
I was given a "non-running"'96 B&S Murray that had been left outside all winter. I just drained out the varnish and water mixture in the tank, refilled it with fresh gas and SeaFoam, put a new air filter to replace the dry rotted/turns to dust when you touch it filter, Replaced the original plug, Hosed the carb down with DeepCreep, changed the oil and started it up on about the second pull.
The muffler has a big hole in it and a long crack. I'm afraid to try to take it off because I'm pretty sure it will break off and just leave a small part inside the engine. So I just leave it alone.
...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.
I was given a "non-running"'96 B&S Murray that had been left outside all winter. I just drained out the varnish and water mixture in the tank, refilled it with fresh gas and SeaFoam, put a new air filter to replace the dry rotted/turns to dust when you touch it filter, Replaced the original plug, Hosed the carb down with DeepCreep, changed the oil and started it up on about the second pull.
The muffler has a big hole in it and a long crack. I'm afraid to try to take it off because I'm pretty sure it will break off and just leave a small part inside the engine. So I just leave it alone.
6 yrs seem too little. We had a mower with a 5.5 hp briggs that lasted like 6 yrs until it died from oil smoke/bad comp. But other than that our stuff seem to last forever, made a post of a 80s briggs that started on first pull. have a sprint 40 going on 15 yrs now, feels new.
Seem to be some lemons, other than these, they last really well no matter how hard they are run.
Seem to be some lemons, other than these, they last really well no matter how hard they are run.
Bought my John Deere 14PZ new in the spring of 1996. The 3.5 or 4 hp B&S still starts and runs just fine. I finally put a new spark plug and air filter in this spring and changed the oil.
Spaz all you hafta do is to use a fine blade jig saw an cut the piece out. Make 2 cuts opposite each other/ Get close , but dont go all the way through. Pry out the pieces with a screwdriver. If you booger up the threads a bit, it wont matter. Use the right size IPT thread from a black iron coupling as a chaser.
I bought my first lawn mower, toro recycler 20333. it was 399 from home depot. but I needed a lawn mower that was self propelled b/c my front yard has a steep incline and I'm not sure my health would always be good to go with a standard push mower in the future.
In 2001, I bought a Craftsman Eager-1 w/22" mulcher blade for $140. I change the oil before putting it up for winter, clean and repaint under the deck, sharpen the blade, & clean the plug. I start it one more time and let run for a few minutes to circulate the fresh oil. Every year it starts on first pull every time. Even for the first mow of the year. I use straight 30 Havoline, 20oz(little over 1/2 qt.)
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I have a Murray Aerovac 21" with a B&S 5.5 hp engine with a primer bulb carb & a plastic gas tank. Was given to me back in 1995 by my friend's father when they sold their house & moved. No idea how old it is. Never done anything to it other than yearly oil changes & clean the air filter. I use the everloving [censored] out of it & lend it out to friends & family too. It easily has over 1500 hours of operation on it & still runs like a champ. Smokes a little bit on initial startup but clears up once it warms up. The mower deck is starting to rust through and I can see that it wont last more than a few more years, but the engine certainly will. When it gets oil changes, I just use whatever oil is laying around that is left over from one of my vehicles. It rarely gets the same brand/weight of oil twice!
I have a 98 model frigidaire push mower with a 3.5 briggs classic that I won in a raffle. It gets the oil changed once every year or two and I've never had a problem with it. I don't cut alot of grass with it anymore but it does get used once a week. It always starts easy and never any oil comsumption.
My mother in law hired my son to mow her yard. She had bought a new push mower with a 4hp B&S engine back in 1997. The mower was used that one season, put away unwinterized, and has sat in her garage until about a month ago. My brother in law checked the gas tank, I know it still had "gas" in the tank. Without draining this old stuff out, he added gas from a gas can that had similar vintage gas (he just added 2 gallons fresh gas to the jug - left the old gas in the jug too!!) He poured the gas into the mower. It fired!! He let it run and decided it was ready to go. I found out about this, and told my mother in law that oil had to be changed. I grabbed a three year old quart of Quaker State Torque 5W30 oil and changed the oil in that mower. It runs pretty good, I think the fresher gas once this old cocktail is run through will help it run better. I cleaned the carb too. No smoke, it fires on the 2nd or 3rd pull. Crazy!!
I dont know. Ive got a 40 year old 5hp B&S around here somewhere. I think I gave $15 for it at a yard sale.
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