[Spyder]

So I finally found the problem with my damned lawnmower...been fighting it for EVER now, and I finally tore it apart and looked at the air filter...it was soaking wet and had holes in it, but was dirty enough to not let any air through...bought a new one for $4.82, runs like a champ! One of those "duh" moments, where I should have looked there first...oh well...need to do the same for the truck now!

 

[malcolm]

Some lawn mower air filters are meant to be oil soaked. You may want to look into it.

 

[Eldyfig]

Some lawn mower air filters are meant to be oil soaked. You may want to look into it.

That is what I was thinking. Those sponge like filters should be soaked with oil then squeezed out. I bet there are alot of mowers out there that are really hurting for some maintenance. It just isn't something most people think about. Oil changes, air filter cleanings, blade sharpening...

 

[mccombie_5]

I sold my mower, no more countless times trying to get it running

John Deere 316.

I employed a gardener, and he uses his own equipment, he comes with a Ford Ranger and a trailer and does my whole garden.

 

[Night Wolf]

yeah, lawn mowers are probably the most neglected items at the house...

and the sad part is... since most use Briggs engines... the damn things keep running, year after year... no oil change, no oil, low oil, same rusty spark plug for 15 years, origanal air filter, 6 year old gas.... the damn things just keep going...

imagine if B&S made a V8 for a car? it would get 5mpg, have about 120hp, but be able to pull a semi truck and go over 1,000,000 miles with nothing more then an oil change every 50k miles or so

If the air filter was paper element, then yeah, replace it.. some of the OLD filters are horse hair, and others are the oil soaked sponge.... I would keep whatever it had, but you could upgrade to the paper elements, I like them, easy to replace.... and maybe K&N makes a hi-flow filter for it

 

[Dadillac]

This is a true story. I have no reason to lie. My dad, had the same mower, for 32 years, before I gave him my two year old used one. He always gloated how in that 32 years, it still had the original spark plug, and oil. I always asked him why he never kept up on it. He always said that as long as it starts, and keeps running, why mess with it. He felt that if after all that time, if he changed the oil, it would promptly sieze. Well, that thing finally saw the last of it's service about a year ago. Dad passed away, and mom refused to humor the fact anymore. The mower went up to heaven with my pop. God rest thier souls.

Don

 

[Eldyfig]

Those Briggs are great for go karts.

My push mower has a Briggs on it. It was given to me by someone whose grass I used to cut back in 96. It was quite used back then, not sure of the exact age. I did some maintenance on it, even repainted it. Still runs strong and starts right up to this date. Shoot, it the only mower I have ever owned. Haven't bought a new one yet. I will be buying a garden tractor in the next few months though since I am moving out of subdivision life and into the great outdoors.

 

[davesdeville]

I have an electric mower. Plug it in and it works. We have 1/4 acre so the lawn isn't huge but it's big enough for our uses.

 

[Stoneage_Caddy]

we had an all aluminum lawn mower , engine, deck ..everything was aluminum cept the blade and engine internals ...got it in 1993 , gave it away in 2004 still running but we had litterally ran the wheels off it , and they no longer made the wheels , had no choice ....we got a john deere push mower ...what a peice of shit ....

 

[EcSTSatic]

I have an electric mower. Plug it in and it works. We have 1/4 acre so the lawn isn't huge but it's big enough for our uses.

I've changed my oil and cleaned the filter occasionally, but my B&S mower is on its last legs. My lawn is sooo small since we converted a lot to flower gardens, I'm thinking of getting an electric mower as well. Do they come as mulchers? I put everything back into the soil thru mulching and composting.

Any recommendations on a model/manufacturer?

 

[FSU_Noles]

I pay a guy to do mine, mowing is too much hassle, too much storage space, too much time. I would rather spend the time with my cars or my family.

 

[malcolm]

I have a 22 year old Snapper, totally neglected regarding maintenance, changed the spark plug once just for the hell of it. Never changed the oil, every couple of years I check it and when the stick is dry I add a little. Starts on the first pull every time. Never put stabil in the gas either. Can't kill it. Of course it's a Briggs engine. This thread got me thinking I should check the filter.