How many hours would you think would be what you consider "your money's worth" out of a small engine before it needs a significant repair of some sort? When I sold my Corolla at 177K miles it was still going strong, but at that point I figured I had totally gotten my money's worth. Every $ I made when I sold it was just a bonus to me.
The 22HP Briggs in my Craftsman rider is about 15 years old now and has about 600 hours. I think the lower seal is starting to fail, since there has been a small puddle of oil under it the last couple of times I have parked it in the garage. I'm not sure how hard it is to replace, so there's a small voice whispering my ear that I should consider it to have met my expectations, sell it on Craigslist and go buy a new one. I've put a few dollars into it replacing deck belts, blades and spindles but all the engine has required is gas, oil, and filters. I replaced the fuel pump but it turned out the issue was just a clogged vent, so that doesn't really count.
At what point do you consider that you've gotten your money's worth from a mower or other small gas engine?
The 22HP Briggs in my Craftsman rider is about 15 years old now and has about 600 hours. I think the lower seal is starting to fail, since there has been a small puddle of oil under it the last couple of times I have parked it in the garage. I'm not sure how hard it is to replace, so there's a small voice whispering my ear that I should consider it to have met my expectations, sell it on Craigslist and go buy a new one. I've put a few dollars into it replacing deck belts, blades and spindles but all the engine has required is gas, oil, and filters. I replaced the fuel pump but it turned out the issue was just a clogged vent, so that doesn't really count.
At what point do you consider that you've gotten your money's worth from a mower or other small gas engine?