Lawnmowers!

[Normy]

I bought this Sears Craftsman push mower in 2003, and it was from 1996. I bought it used from a shop in Orlando for $75; It is easily the best machine I've ever owned!

I keep it in a short shed on the side of my house. Apparently, water makes its way in, and the deck has rusted out. There is a hole the size of an orange on the deck now, and the grass flies everywhere. The wheels sit at about 30 degree angles since the plastic has worn down around the axles.

-This lawnmower has a Tecumseh engine. These are the THING!!!! They use a regular float carburetor and an aluminum block, as opposed to the Briggs & Stratton which uses a suction carburetor not even fit for a Windex bottle, and a painted steel block. B&S only start when they are new; Tecumseh's ALWAYS start after you prime them! Listen I worked as a landscaper between years in college and we had ALL types of engine; the Honda's were best, but right behind them were the Tecumseh!

Alas, the Tecumseh-engined Craftsmen lawn mowers are long gone; these days Sears sells plastic lawnmowers powered by the nefarious B&S engine. No thanx-

I've been all over eBay trying to find another late '90's Craftsman with the Tecumseh motor, but they either look ragged out or too good, indicating a bit of fraud.

I found a push mower at Lowe's for $249- and it has the 160 cc SOHC Honda motor. But the front end of the deck is this large plastic part that holds the wheels; I don't drive a corvette, and I don't want to use the equivalent on my house and my 4 rental houses.

Thoughts? Ideas?

N!

[Dave Nordhoff]

I have an MTD with a 5 h/p Honda. It's about 12 years old and has never skipped a beat. It started on the first pull after sitting all winter.
- Dave

[azasadny]

My family all has Honda mowers and they are great. We replace the blades every other year as they "mulch" and inevitably get beat up and really can't be properly resharpened. Great mowers!

[cgarr]

Let me ask my Wife, she does the lawn....

[Normy]

I'm told Honda's are great. And why are they great?

N!

[Normy]

Originally Posted by cgarr

Let me ask my Wife, she does the lawn....

A man who has his family well trained! Good show, sir!

N!

[MBAtarga]

Originally Posted by cgarr

Let me ask my Wife, she does the lawn....

You should be hung!

[Scott Douglas]

Some time ago (10+ years?) I got hold of a Snapper Hi-Vac mower sans engine. I went out and bought a cheap sidethrow mower with a B&S on it and transplanted the engine. Wore that sucker out in about 3 yrs. So, I went out and bought the cheapest Sears rear bagger with a Honda on it I could find and did the same thing over again. I've been trying to wear it out for the last 6-7 yrs now. That Hi-Vac does a good job 'cause if I do it right, I don't have the sweep up when I'm done. I priced a new Snapper w/Honda and it was about $700 a couple of years ago so I figure I'm ahead of the game even if I have to buy another engine before the deck gives up.

[enzo1]

[tevake]

I had one of those plastic decked hondas, it was heavy duty, and the deck out lasted most of the metal parts. It was a little heavy. But you might want to rethink the "no plastic" thinking. After all the deck of your current mower did rust out.
I now have a honda on a SS deck that I got at Costco a few years ago.

[pavulon]

Enzo, I want my 2 minutes back.

[Tim Hancock]

These are not "mowers".... they are just trimmers.

+1 on wife taking care of the lawn Craig.

[1990C4S]

Buy a used Lawnboy from Craigslist.

$50-$75 will get you a mower that will last pretty much forever. Cast deck, two-stroke, good wheels, and they are easy to fix (not that they need it very often).

And if you're lucky you will get an old one without the stupid interlock on the handle.

[wdfifteen]

Two minute video of an old lawnmower running? What is this, Facebook?
Speaking of FB, I took an epic dump yesterday that I should have videoed. I would have sent the tape to FB and Guinness too (after posting it here for you to enjoy, of course). Get my name in The Book and be famous. Should have sent a copy to Kohler too as a customer testimonial. They would have been proud to see their unit choke down 16" of firm, glistening man sausage. Uh, ... what this tread about???

[grizzly3]

We've had a John Deere mower for the past 6 or 7 years that had the B&S engine in it. It was stored outdoors and for the most part uncovered yearly. I tried to kill it just so I'd have an excuse to buy another one!

Yesterday I changed the oil & filter, fuel filter. It fired up and ran perfectly as it has for the past 7 years. Considering the abuse its had over the years, it has been wonderful mower with zero issues.

[cashflyer]

Originally Posted by MBAtarga

You should be hung!

Since his wife does the lawn, perhaps he is.....

[M.D. Holloway]

We had a Craftsman for over 15 years - our Son finally convinced me to get a new mower. He does all the yardwork now and he makes money cutting others lawns as well so I figuered he had a say so. After he (yes he) did much research he decided on a Troybilt with a Honda engine. An excellant choice. Bought it at Lowes for $300 and expect it will last another 20years with proper care and maintance.

[Scott Douglas]

Found a picture of our rebuilt Snapper. This was taken shortly after my son re-engined it.
The front splitter didn't work out so it's long gone, but he thought it looked cool so put it on.

[Groesbeck Hurricane]

Snapper. Do they still make Ranger?

On this scale, green is not your friend or so I've heard.

We had a Craftsman with the large rear wheels and ball bearings to aid with rolling. We pushed it lightly in the store and had to chase it down. Worked for years, gave it to the neighbor when we moved. His nephew just inherited (RIP Howard!). It is better than 10 years old.

Check with the independent shops. They get good trades all the time from yuppies wanting to upgrade and beat the neighbors. I'm sure they will have a very good one. It's how I got my new to me Snapper!

[Bill Douglas]

Here in New Zealand we don't use mowers, too expensive - plus they are made in China. Each person has about 10 sheep to mow the lawn. Sure it gets a bit messy if you live in an apartment, or right next to a motorway.

(I use a Husqvarna strimmer.)