Lawn and yard equipment thread
Thought we could use a place for any questions related to lawn and yard equipment. I'll start.
What are your thoughts on the 4-mix engines? I'm going to be in the market for a new string trimmer. I'm looking at Stihls and the model I'm interested in is a 4mix. I've heard the older 4mix engines were finicky when starting and a pain to maintain. Is that still true for the newer Stihls?
Also, any place around here that sells ethanol-free gas? I know I can buy the quart sized cans but those are a bit pricey.
Emaxxman 4-mix sounds like it's more trouble than it's worth... the weight and complexity of a 4 stroke (intake/exhaust valves) but you still have to premix the fuel. I can't imagine the goopy mess in a valve train would be good if you run it too rich or the fuel mixture sits too long... actually I can becuase I've taken apart my 2 stroke dirt bike engines and I see what happens to certain areas like the power valve, etc.
I'd either keep it simple/cheap with a regular 2 stroke or buck up and get a Honda 4 stroke.
Mark Mc. Don't buy a 4 cycle trimmer, they're so much more work to maintain. Go with a 2 cycle stihl, echo, or red max. I'd go with echo because of availability of parts, since they sell them at Home Depot.
2 cycle engines will last a long time if you take care of them, try running stabil in your gas once every two or three gallons.
Don't the quart sized cans of ethanol free add up to like over $20 a gallon?
If 2 cycle mowers were still readily available id be buying them. My parents had one when I was a kid that ran for over 10 years.
Penningslandscaping When it comes to string trimmers I'm more concerned about weight (the lighter the better) , length of the shaft (longer shaft keeps the cut weeds away from you) , and the type of line it uses - bump string or fixed . I prefer the very thick fixed lines which can do your yard with a single line in most cases in preference to winding up a spool with trimmer string .I agree with Penningslandscaping on the brands and a two stroke trimmer as most 2 cycle premix has fuel stabilizer in it these days . As far as ethanol free gas goes the nearest gas station I can find that sells it is in Allentown at around 4.60 per gallon .
http://pure-gas.org/station?station_id=8943
Zombo Pretty hard to beat Red Max. Commercial grade 2 stroke trimmer that only weighs 9 lbs. My Red Max string trimmer and back pack blower are the two best investments I made when we purchased our house. Those things function like new year after year. I do add stabil ethanol treatment into each mix.
LJRubi @ljrubi you think red max trimmers are light? I've always found them to be really heavy, but really powerful. I prefer echo and Husqvarna trimmers, which are what we use. They're low end commercial high end residential, but they last a few years, are reasonably priced, light weight, and are just the right amount of power for mowing residential lawns.
I'm looking at adding a red max blower to the arsenal before fall comes, what series do you have? The 7500s are good, but I'm going all out for the 8500, so much power you can clear a yard of leaves in no time.
I would recommend the Stihl trimmers. I run an fs80, fs90 and km110. They have all been very reliable. My fs80 is 8 years old and all I have done was replace a carb on it for 40 bucks. I run 93 octane and use their synthetic oil and they have worked perfectly. As the season wraps up I run stabil through on the last tank or two. If you are a homeowner and not using the trimmer very often it may pay to buy the Stihl premixed oil/gas which doesn't have any ethanol. Definitely more money though.
M & K As far as blowers I like my Redmax 8500 better when it comes to power but the Stihl BR600 better for noise and weight. Both Redmax and Stihl have been equally as reliable.
I was afraid of the maintenance issues on the 4 mix. My BIL has a 4 cycle no-mix Craftsman (Briggs and Stratton engine) trimmer and I've been trying to get it running again for him. I've cleaned out the carb and it sitll doesn't run well (starts but then stalls.) It's about 8 years old.
By contrast, I have a 14 year old 2 cycle Craftsman trimmer (Ryobi-rebrand) and it had never failed to start or run well in 13 years of weekly summer (2x a week during heavy grass growing times) use. Only this year did I finally clean take apart and cleaned the carb because it wouldn't start - and even then it turned out to be a clogged fuel filter.
Same thing for my Craftsman leaf blower. Never failed to start until last year (after 13 years); it finally died when the cylinder head developed a crack. Both trimmer and blower were $100 each...not bad for an ROI..
For both, all I ever did to maintain them was run the mixed fuel and changed the plugs every few years.
Regarding a new trimmer, I've been looking at both Stihl and Echo. I'm looking at the powerhead models ( Stihl's KM 90r and Echo PAS 280) because they support the quick change attachments.
I will use the trimmer attachment weekly for about 15 minutes (edging beds, cleaning up where the mower can't get too.) I have a dedicated 4 cycle wheeled edger for sidewalks.
I have some tall arborvitaes that need trimming so a hedge trimmer on a pole would be nice (not enough use to justify a dedicated machine hence the attachment route.) The mini-tiller would be useful for the small garden I plan on building too.
Anyway, Echo's version is a 2 cycle engine. Stihl's is the 4-mix. Looks like I'm probably going to go with Echo. I bought their backpack blower from HD last year. Been great so far.
" If you are a homeowner and not using the trimmer very often it may pay to buy the Stihl premixed oil/gas which doesn't have any ethanol."
I go through about 2-3 gallons of oil/gas mix a year (maybe more now with the more powerful blower). It wouldn't be crazy expensive to run the pre-made ethanol-free stuff. Since I'm buying more expensive equipment (and working on carbs is not my idea of having fun), I want to take better care of them internally. At the very least, I will probably run some of the ethanol free stuff through them before the winter storage.
emaxxman - I bought a Troybuilt with the attachments. The "mini tiller" is useless. The trimmer saw is OK. You couldn't pay me to go 4-mix. Some of the 2's are bad enough to start, and the Troybuilt is not that great. I'll also say if I needed to buy a trimmer today I'd get a cordless one. Particularly since you have a separate edger already. You don't need all the power of the gas, most gas trimmers can butcher a cow in 3.9 seconds. I don't know if they have cordless with attachments. But even so, if you add up the original trimmer and the cost of the attachment, my guess is you're not as far away from two pieces of equipment anyway.
GC "You don't need all the power of the gas" - bite your tongue! This is a power tool discussion. There is never too much power. :-)
My BIL has a mini-tiller with his Craftsman and it did a pretty good job in his shrub/flower beds. He has a ton of landscaping. Granted, I will probably rent a big tiller when I first excavate the area for the veggie garden for maintenance, the mini should be good enough for maintenance.
As far as cordless goes, I have one battery device and that's a cordless drill. Maybe the newer high voltage lithiums are good but I've never seen a cordless worth the trouble.
You have a point regarding the costs. I'll have to work that out. If I can find a corded electric long-pole hedge trimmer, that may be solution.
@pennings I do find the red max at 9lbs to be the lightest weight machine in its class. It really is a quality built machine and for only a few dollars more then the junk at Home Depot, my logic is to buy a good machine the 1st time around. Plus when I see a pro landscaping trailer, 9 times outta 10, it has red max machines hanging on it. As for my blower, I have the 6500 since I just use it on my house. Maybe someday when I follow my dream of starting a landscaping business, I'll step it up to the 8500.
2's are hard to start because of emission regulations.
Sounds like the 4-mix benefits don't beat out the risk and extra operator care you need to keep those valves working.
I use a low-end professional stihl a lot and had good luck. Like the scratcher blade for taking out saplings and branches. Hardly ever use an anvil pruner or lopper any more.
mistergoogle If you get the echo pas 280, and get the hedge trimmer attachment, spring for the articulating one. It's well worth the extra money. The pas attachments are AWESOME. Echo stuff is great, that's all I've been buying the last year. My little 14" chain saw is insanely powerful. I don't cut down trees, just trimming and cutting up fallen limbs. Was a great investment.
@LJ is the 6500 the one that has the wide blower arm that gets smaller at the end? That's a great blower, one of my friends has one, with the lower CCs the design gives you increased power.
I just got a letter from "Homelite Power" equipment company, that
warned consumers about running small equipment engines on ethanol blended gasoline.
It can damage the engines and especially with more than 10% blends ethanol.
Metal flaking due to moisture (water ) ,in ethanol is the culprit.
They advised highly against its use.
Embryodad I agree with Ljrubi about spending the money and getting quality equipment. Like I mentioned before my oldest Stihl weedwhacker (fs80) is 8 years old and still going strong. I would bet anything bought from Home Depot wouldn't last nearly that long.
I would imagine that, just as in the case of cars & trucks, higher ethanol blends especially would be bad for the fuel systems, party due to the early cracking, etc. of rubber fuel lines and other items meant for use with gasoline, but not "flex-fuel", such as E85.
Your vehicle normally has to be rated as a flex-fuel vehicle to use it. The owner's manual will normally tell you that, so I imagine you can research online what amount of Ethanol in the gas is allowable with each type or piece of lawn equipment.
Phil D. Question for lawn pros and generally guys who know more about engine stuff than I ever will: should I be putting premium gasoline in my Exmark zero-turn? Or regular? Or does it matter? Thank you.
Rebecka @pennings and @m&K - I just noticed that you guys recommend running Stabil in with the oil/gas mix. Is that correct? I use the synthetic 2 cycle oil (Echo brand currently). It supposedly has fuel stabilizer in it. Do you think I should add Stabil still?
I run Stabil in every gallon of straight gas for my mowers. My old Craftsman ran for 12 years and started on the first or second pull. Never cleaned the carb once. If the deck didn't rust out, I would still be using it. I won't ever NOT use Stabil.
Rebecka - What does the manual say? My mower states 87 octane (regular.) My Echo blower states 89 octane or higher.
At the end of the day, the engine is tuned to accept a certain octane. Go with what the engineers at Exmark tell you.
Not sure which model you have but this Lazer E manual states 87 octane:
https://lookup3.toro.com/partdex/exmark/gogetpub.cfm?vdoctype=pdf&Lang=en&PubNum=4501-558&vcaller=modlinfo.cfm&PubID=69171&vext=en@PDF
I only run Stabil right before I put the equipment away for the winter. I probably burn through 30 gallons of regular fuel and 2 gallons of mix a week.....would be costly to run stabilizer all year. Rebecca my Scag mowers I just run 87 octane....93 in the small stuff.
And to the second part of your question I only run synthetic oil in my mix(as well as stabil at the end of the season).....and my mowers for the engine oil.
The mechanic at the small engine shop that I bought my red max blower and trimmer from said to always run premium in all your small engines especially now with the ethanol. They were so busy rebuilding small engines because of the ethanol that he was back logged 1 month. Every time I fill up my gas cans, I do add the blue marine grade stabil as per his recommendation. It's not just for storage. I've been doing this for 3 years now and all my machines are currently running perfect including my motorcycle. I disagree with the stabilizer being too costly since 1oz treats 5 gallons. A small price to pay to keep everything free of moisture.
Running higher grade fuel in your mower definitely won't hurt it. Since you have a commercial mower that gets used lightly, I would recommend some stabil in your fuel rather than higher octane.
I only buy Stihl. Two weed wackers, two chain saws (032 and a MS270), backpack blower (BR400), and a hedge trimmer, HS45 that is a new addition. The 032 is about 34 years old and is just starting to show signs of slowing down, prob due to ethanol. It was my dad's and I use it as a spare. One weed wacker is a heavy duty professional model that is around 15 yrs old (bought it used) and the other is an fs90 kombi system that I also have the edger for. Love the edger attachment. Light and plenty of power. I treat all my gas now. They all start in a few pulls. Loving the new hedge trimmer. Super sharp and light. For as long as they last and how reliable they are you can't beat them. That is the value.
MeisterNJ 
I appreciate all my lawn cutting equipment.
When I sit back, and remember cutting the grass with an old; heavy, with cast iron wheels that had notches to grip and spin the reel mower.
Unfortunately, I was a Lard @$$ kid, and I was elected to cut the grass. I hated that thing with a passion.
Mom just made me a jug of kool aid, and added extra suger to get me hyped enough to push the living heck out of that mower.
When that thing broke; up to the point where it was unrepairable, it was the happiest day in my life as a kid in the 50's.
It's last push, was in the river......
Dad went out, and bought a lawn mower ( Gas powered rotary, WOW!)
We called it The Edsel. Dad bought it at an Western Auto Store, and paid 180.00 for the beast. It had a crank on top, that we would wind it up to tighten a spring latch.
Then to start it...there was a release handle that would release the wind up spring, that spun the crankshaft on the engine to start the darn thing. It usually took 10 wind up and releases to get the mower started. There was no shut / off switch. It had a metal tab that you would push against the spark plug terminal to ground out the spark and stop the sucker.
It got to the point, where for years, we would have to take out the spark plug, and with an eye dropper, squirt some gasoline in the hole, and then replace the plug and wire, and then it would start. What a Beast!
Once the wind-up mechanism broke...that was the end of the mower. Nobody had parts for them, and there were no repair shops that could fix them.
I change the oil yearly...and do the gas draining and the oil in the top of the piston on my equipment, and never have a problem with my equipment.
I do run Premium ( High Test ) gas in everything now too.
That's one thing I'm pretty bad about, changing the oil. I have it done in my two John Deere tractors (425 and a 755), but the lawnmower (22" self propelled Craftsman) and snowblower get neglected. I'll have to do that this year.
I've been using premium lately as well. It's only a couple dollars more, can't hurt.
To try and revive my Stihl 032, I got some of that mechanic in a bottle stuff. The guys at Kenvil Power mower said to try it. Those guys are great. I take all my small engine equipment there.
Nothing other than treating the fuel and a little oil/grease on the shafts of the trimmer and edger heads once a year. I've had it a few years now. Love it because it's so light and I hang it on the garage wall. Beats having a separate edger to take up garage floor real estate, which is pretty tight in my house. I'm considering getting the pruning attachment with the little chain saw head next. Might have to do that for the fall.
I bought an electric pole pruner two years ago. The chainsaw comes off of the pole and can be used for light work. I have gas one for heavier work but I simply won't use them that often hence having the cheaper stuff. I'm with you on floor space. I need a bigger shed - two mowers, dedicated edger, table saw, and bikes make for a crowded garage.
I like the attachment system because, like the chainsaw, I won't use many if the attachments e ought to justify a dedicated model. I have my eye on the bed edge refiner. I'm pretty anal when it comes to a clean bed edge.
Bed edge refiner? Is that the same as my edger attachment? If not, Ok, two things I need to pick up....
I like a defined bed edge as well. I break my back every spring edging all the beds with a spade and they're back to being a mess in a couple months.
While we're on yard equipment, I'll throw a few hand tools in the ring. Can't do without my solid steel nursery spade (pictured, made by ww mfg) and Felco clippers. I spent college summers doing landscaping and nursery work. Can't live without those two. I also have a solid steel shovel that will go through just about anything. It's also made by ww mfg. Everything else I buy craftsman because if you break it you get a new one.
Stihl bed edge redefiner:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W9_mQ6_5qW0
Echo's version - it must work better because the video has way better music...LOL:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3RzNQoVuE40
I currently use a shovel and a manual (but small/short) bed edger. Both get the job done but it's very laborious. I'm planning on adding more garden beds in the backyard and it will easily be a 3 hour+ job to redefine the edges (and like you said, they lose their edge before summer is over.)
It really is amazing how many different garden hand-tools one could accumulate too.
Consider getting the spade I referenced, emaxx. They make a longer version as well. Makes edging a little less tedious. And you can sharpen the edge with a grinder. They carry them at North Jersey Landscape Supply in Flanders. I've had mine for over 10 years. You can't break it and should last a lifetime for home use. They also have a bit of weight to them, which helps.
They're quite a bit more expensive now than 10 years ago, but worth it. Think I paid $55. It's great for transplanting shrubs as well. I have the long handle version as well, but that's because I dig and sell evergreens from time to time. Helps get the larger trees out of the ground. I put my knowledge gained in the nursery to good use.....
I have shovel similar to that one but it's most likely nowhere near the quality. To be honest, the bed refiner is a luxury item that I may pick up at a much later time (when I have bigger beds to deal with.) For now, I'm starting to outsource my work to a day worker. He calls me dad. ;-)
I actually like using a dedicated edging shovel, picked one up at lowes, runs about $20. It's smaller than a spade so you can make tighter curves. I keep them maintained by edging with a line trimmer. Some people like using a dedicated edger attachment, but I've never found it to be a necessity. A little bit of practice and you can edge beautifully with a trimmer
This is the "trimmer," I live by with my Stihl. It will take off wrist-sized branches and has the "kick" of a circular saw. The other blade types have too much kick. Saplings, 10-ft thorn bushes, branches within reach of your trimmer, all dispatched quickly. I have actually worn a few blades out.
Pennings, What does the dedicated edging shovel look like? Does it have weight to it? Is it narrower than the spade? I think weight is a big factor. With enough weight, the spade edges nicely with one stroke. No need to put your foot on it if you don't want to. If it were smaller in width, I think I would have trouble making nice straight lines.
Mr. G, I'll be sure to steer clear of you with that thing. When I was young we had a '43 IH Farmall cub with a 5 ft sickle bar. Brush was no match. It would go through saplings up to about an inch in diameter. That tractor was great. One of the only things that always started.
Here is the solid steel shovel. It'll go through tough soil with ease. Almost essential if you have rocky soil or shale. I call it that man's shovel, cause it takes a man to wield this thing.
I use a shovel to establish the edge around mulch beds. I maintain all edges with a string trimmer. With that said, the edges along the sidewalks come out much straighter when I use my dedicated gas edger. It takes me about 1 minute to do those edges versus several minutes with the string trimmer (which also results in some waviness.) I'm sure to most amateur eyes, it's more than sufficient but like I said, I'm anal. A pro would notice the waviness right away. Since I only take care of my lawn, I don't get enough practice to ensure a super straight line.
You just gotta quit drinking and whacking :>) Next thing you know you'll find yourself at the town pool.........
Saw a nice mulch bed with really deep edging that made mowing and trimming a delight cuz if was hard to hit the mulch since it was far lower than the edge. Really looked nice but I have raised beds with rocks so........
Meister, this is what I use, I tried to find it online when I posted originally but couldn't so I just took a quick pic of it. It's definitely harder with straight lines. Sometimes I have to go back and bring a bed out a little more. I'd use a spade if I was putting one in from scratch though, but for jobs where I'm redoing previously mulched beds this tool is much better.
I honestly just don't want to deal with having another tool when it comes to gas edgers. They do make it a lot easier when you're doing a sidewalk for the first time that has a ton of overgrowth.
Cool, thanks. Do you sharpen it? That's another thing I like about my spade. Heavy duty enough to sharpen.
I hear ya about another tool. That's why I love my Kombi system. Compact and doesn't take up much room.
That's the manual edger that I use. Problem is that it's great for a person about 4 ft tall. They need to put a longer handle on it. I'm sure someone makes one. I bought mine for $4 at Harbor Freight so I really shouldn't complain.
Harbor Freight is great for certain things. Spare tools, hand tools, extra ratchets/sockets. I've had a couple duds (reciprocating saw was a POS), but for the most part stuff has been pretty good. As long as you're not expecting something that will last a lifetime, it has its purpose.
Emaxx tell me about it. I would love it if it were longer, but it gets the job done, if it's a particularly brutal edging job I'll just switch between edging and other prep work.
I do the same thing, Pennings. Edging takes a toll on the shoulder. I switch between edging, running mulch, and trimming shrubs.
iPhone-imal "You just gotta quit drinking and whacking :>) Next thing you know you'll find yourself at the town pool." - mg
Omg I just died! Too funny.
Can I ask what you all use to control weeds? We have a large area on a slope, with rocks, can't mow... I usually use Round-up. No idea what to do with this area other than to just kill the weeds. :-(
Landscaping cloth with just a 1" topsoil. Then turn over the soil once maybe twice a year?
Rebecka ... I would spray the heck out of it with roundup, wait a few weeks, and then plant ground cover in the cracks. Sedum and thyme are common, hardy, and look/smell nice. They will spread to fill in the area. I'm considering it for sections of my yard that are now too shaded for a thick lawn.
Or I would take all of the rocks out, lay down fabric, and then put the rocks back. Make sure to not get any organic matter such as mulch or dirt on the fabric. Weeds will grow in that.
Yes ian, very similar tractor, only ours was painted IH yellow with a blue engine. Wish I had a pic.
Methinks the engine was a repaint or a ford......:>)
What a beautiful little machine.
Rebecka, TY. Depends on area. If "wild," I would either weed whack or roundup, with the extended version, lasts for many months.
It tamed or right in your face, it would go the ground cover root. If sunny and you can find enough dirt to plant in, and you want some flowers, I am impressed with flox, very tenacious, flowers hearty, fairly early, lasts a bit and then goes green. Can get pink, white, and purple. If doing a lot, try the barn on 57 way down below Washington on the right. Had better prices. Whatever you plant, once it takes, use miracle grow.
Rebecka, round up, or if you want something a little different you could take out the rocks and plant wild flowers, always a nice alternative to a weed infested area.
Pennings - What are your thoughts on these tow behind spike aerators? I know the plug aerators are the best but the rental is quite pricey especially if I want to do it in the Spring and Fall.
Anytime my customers ask for aeration I only do core. The place I rent from, Tri State Rentals in Newton rents the tow behinds pretty cheap ($30 for 4 hours, $45 / day). I would think places near hackettstown would be comparable in price. Here is a good description from a garden web forum describing the differences between the two..."Plug aerators (aka Core aerators) create a large void that increases the effectiveness of other actions you might be performing in conjunction with the aerating process per se. A spike or slit aerator makes a much smaller, shorter lived perforation in the soils, so you will need to aerate more often with a spike or slit aerator than if a core aerator is used.
Also, regarding water uptake into the soil: A core aerator provides larger holes that can fill with water during a rain shower which means your soil has a better chance of absorbing extra water that may well run off if the soil wasn't aerated at all.
Core aerators, with the larger holes created, permit grass clippings, grass seed (if overseeding in conjunction with aeration), fertilizer, top dressings etc. to reach deeper into the soil and remain in place more effectively than spike/slit aerators.
If core aeration is appealing to you, you will have to decide if you want to buy and maintain the implement, or rent one for a day's use.
A spike or slit aerator, on the other hand, is cheap enough that you can buy one and aerate as often as you want. There are models and styles that allow you to spike/slit aerate while also spreading seed, or fertilizer, or lime, etc. during the aerating process. You can tow a spike/slit aerator when you mow and make it a combo operation if you like."
I would buy the spike aerator if I were to use it. They have models for approximately $100 on Amazon. You can load them up with cinder blocks to increase their effectiveness.
I sure wouldn't buy a power core aerator. I have a small 1/4 lot so buying one would be totally beyond any cost justification I could come up with. With that said, didn't realize that made tow behind core aerators. I see HD has one for about $180. At $40 a rental, it would pay for itself in less than 3 years based on 2 usages a year. I'll have to think about it.
I have a cheap electric dethatcher that I got from Sears Hardware before they closed for $25. It got the job done on my small yard.
Core aeration is definitely the way to go, but a real core aerator is what you really need. The tow behinds are ok, but you need to make multiple passes to get the full effect.
Spike aerators that also have a spreader are really good for the DIY crowd. You get the slit seeding effect, which is the best way to overseed. Seeds are dropped into the soil, promoting more and fuller growth. Aerating a few times a year with a spike aerator is the way to go, with a heavy overseeding in the fall vs the tow behind core aerator. You just can't pull enough plugs with a tow behind to get the full effect from a commercial grade aerator.
Thanks guys. I have a lot to think about. I'm planning on renting the power seeder from HD (the one that puts the seed into a slit) in September. I'll dethatch where it needs it and use the seeder. Let's hope my string trimmer lasts till the end of the season.
I saw a reconditioned Honda mower at HD the other day. Almost bought it but I was able to resist the temptation (knowing that I'll have to put the money soon towards a trimmer.) I've got my heart set on the HRX model with the plastic deck...so sweet!
emaxx the honda mowers are awesome. They're definitely the best mowers at HD, the toros are garbage, I got one and returned it the next day, the personal pace is awesome, but it's not worth it.
My next investment is a zero turn, after that it'll be an exmark 30" commercial self propelled mower. They're awesome. Right now I run a honda 21 and bobcat commercial 48" walk behind.
I wouldn't mind a high horse power 30-36 inch walk behind - nothing massive but something that could mulch moist grass. I hate waiting till late afternoon to cut the grass. That width would allow me to get the yard done quickly but still manuever around easily.
I love my HRX 217, emaxxman. You won't be disappointed. Even after five years, it still starts on the first pull, every time. I drain the oil in the fall and add new in the spring. That's the extent of required maintenance so far... well, except for that time I tried to minimize my trimming and chunked a 6" river rock with the mulching double blade. But even replacing the blade was a piece of cake... although it forced me to buy a torque wrench that I haven't had the necessity to use since (and it cost me $75 at Sears, IIRC). Expensive lesson.
Then there was the time in the first year when wet grass clogged the deck ... I flipped the mower to the wrong side (with the air filter down) and I spent two weeks trying to figure out why the engine kept bogging out. Once I figured out the air filter was choked with motor oil and wasn't pulling any air through... It was an easy fix that left me doubting my intelligence somewhat, lol.
I looked at the HD models, but eventually got mine from Walt's Outdoor Service in Ringoes. To be honest, I don't remember why I didn't get it from HD... I think it was because they didn't carry the HRX models in 2009 and I really wanted the composite deck.
Ian...my Craftsman started up on the first pull even after 12 years. It's a shame that the deck rusted. That's what is fueling my desire for the HRX. My annual maintenance was changing the oil, air filter, and sharpening the blade twice a season. Once I got my bench grinder, I never bought a new blade. I'm using a curbside discarded mower right now. I only use it for the front yard. It ran really rough when my neighbor gave it to me. New oil, new filter, new plug, and a tiny idle governor adjustment and it purrs. My son starts it on the first pull.
I did the wrong side tip too. Had no idea what was going on at first. I thought I had an engine leak. I also accidentally hit the blade on a protruding old bush stump. That blade looked like a boomerang.
I can't believe you toasted a blade on a stump. It's definitely just a crappy quality blade then, it should take a lot more to mess one up, especially when the HP is only like 5-7.
Emaxx, when the grass is wet even with a 36" walk behind might not be easy, because most 36" wb mowers are belt drive. Without hydro propulsion you're going to have a tough time in wet conditions. Belts slip like crazy when they get wet. They don't mulch wet grass that well, you'll constantly be under the deck scraping it out, better off side discharging and double cutting if necessary.
It was an arborvitae stump about 6 inches in diameter. I thought the mower deck would clear it. I was very wrong. The blade was already very old when I got the mower so I have no idea what brand it was. The new Craftsman brand blade is noticeably thicker. I wouldn't be surprised if it was a generic no-name blade because I've never had any other issues with blades in 14 years of homeownership. The blade on my Simplicity ride-on are crazy thick gauge. It would take a significant hit to bend those I'm sure...but I hope I never find out.
Has anyone tried the Pivotrim trimmer head on their trimmer? I'm just curious to know if it works as advertised. I have an Echo 2-stroke that has individual strings that need to be replaced constantly and this would be a real timesaver for me if it's legit...
http://www.pivotrim.com/
I have a 22" craftsman self-propelled mulcher that is about ten years old. Starts in one or two pulls every time. And it looks almost like new. I rinse it off every time I use it. I think that helps a lot. I have been very bad about changing the oil. Think I had it done once. Have to get around to that sooner rather than later. The only issues I've had are wear items. I've replaced one front drive wheel and one of the rear free spinning ones. And one throttle cable. That's it. Not too bad considering it takes a pretty good beating. I mow 2/3 of an acre with it for the past 4 years, which is a little too much. Only had a 1/4 acre at the last house. I sharpen the blade once a season. I have one of those gator blades which helps a little with the mulching. It's a pretty good little mower. One complaint I do have is that it's single speed. The speed is comfortable, but sometimes I wish I could go a little faster.
The single speed was my complaint too for my old Craftsman. I could easily walk faster than the drive on it. My "new to me" mower is not self-propelled but is so light, it's like pushing nothing at all. I can actually mow faster with it.
When I tried the Honda HRR model at HD the other, at full speed, I was almost jogging. That'll get the cardio going. :-)
Ian - just swap the head to one where you wind up the line. I use .095 line on my Craftsman trimmer. For my yard, I refill 1x to 2x max a year. Echo has a very easy winding spool. Probably the same price as the pivot trim. You can get the new spool at HD.
Are spool systems better than they were in the past? That's what I had growing up and without fail the line would always break right at the spool which would require constantly taking the thing apart and refeeding the line through the hole. Talk about a PITA... even worse than constantly pulling broken lines out with needle nose pliers and reinserting new lines. That's why I didn't get a spool head in the first place when I was in the market for a trimmer.
My old lawn boy was variable speed. The high speed was nice if the lawn wasn't high.
I kind of need the self-propelled. About half my lawn is sloped, and if I let it go too long, it would be a bear without it.
My trimmer is 14 years old and I've never had a line break inside the spool and that was with thinner line. Since switching to thicker lines, I don't even spool out line as often. The thicker lines used by Echo models are also much more durable.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SaypgU3rgRM
MNJ, was your Lawn Boy a 2-stroke? That's what my old man had when I was really young.
Not that I know of. That was a hand me down from my cousin who used to mow lawns for people. He used to tow it behind his bike (It was Sea Girt/Mansquan area).
Emaxx, some blades on small mowers just get screwed up easily. Mostly due to crappy design, since you've had experience with a few mowers I'm sure its become obvious that some companies make ridiculous designs for 21" mower blades so you have to buy their brand, and they're often poor quality. I smoked one on an old Troy Bilt that a friend gave me to fix up and use as a back up.
Ianimal, this pivotrim thing just seems ridiculous. As Emaxx said, a higher gauge line with a good quality head is the way to go. They're mostly universal. I like the Husqvarna heads at Lowes, they're hands down the best. Only use .095 line, get a quality spool head, and you'll be in better shape. The Husq heads you wind in one direction, both sides of the line. They're really easy to load, do about 3 arms length total, too much and it could get caught.
The Two Stroke lawnboys were great, my parents had one.
MeisterNJ - Gator blades are awesome. They make a huge difference.
I have a curved shaft trimmer. Most of the universal heads say that they fit "most straight shaft trimmers". Should I be concerned that it won't fit my trimmer?
(N/m... I found one specifically for my trimmer model)
It's YOUR fantasy, MNJ... I'm talking about whatever you want me to be talking about, lol.
Home Depot has a bunch of display model lawn mowers on clearance. I picked up the base HRX Honda...original price $679, they had it on clearance for $559. I negotiated them down to $500. Too bad my 10% off coupon expired. I could have have another 10% off. All brand new models.
So, after praising Stihl to the masses one of my weedwackers wouldn't start. It's an older professional model, FS80. New carb, gas lines, tuneup. Wasn't cheap. This is more due to ethanol fuel than anything I'm thinking. I hadn't started it in a couple years, so that didn't help. Runs like new again. And I'll be using Stihl's pre-mixed ethanol free fuel from now on.
And, my Sears 22" lawnmower wouldn't start. Not my week. It probably flooded, though it's hard to tell because it's one of the EZ start (hahahahaa) models that has a fixed throttle. It will probably fire up fine after sitting a day. Did this to me once before. Fingers crossed, or maybe I'll have to hit HD for one of those clearance mowers.
Get the mower now, return it if the Craftsman starts later on. There were a number snapped up as I was paying for mine.
My weedwacker, after a carb cleaning earlier this year and working most of the summer, just stalls out now when I hit the throttle. It's a 14 year old Craftsman that cost less than $100. It doesn't owe me anything but it's not worth rebuilding/replacing the carb.
My bed egdes look like crap right now but I'll wait till next year to pick up an Echo. I'm looking for clearance prices. If I find one, I'll get that.
Get a Stihl emaxx. You won't regret it. They're not as expensive as you might think. $200 for the head, $100- for the trimmer head. Or you could find a carb and replace it yourself. It's not that hard. And you can probably get an aftermarket one for less than $40. They're all over ebay.
Actually, if the craftsman doesn't start, I'd be more inclined to just get a lawn service. $500-600 almost pays for the entire summer. I'm fairly confident the craftsman will start though.
Given the size of your property, I'm surprised you don't have a ride on.
I like the Stihl's but I'm not sure about the 4-mix. I've been researching both brands and there are far more complaints about the maintenance of a 4-mix. I really like the pull and go ease and low maintenance of the 2-strokes. I'm sure I won't make my decision until I'm in the store about to put the cash down.
Meister. I have an FS80 as well and had to replace a carb a couple of years ago. I think I paid $38 for the replacement. I get all my parts from J-Thomas online. They stock everything. Have had all positive experiences with them.
Nice, M&K. I just took it to Kenvil Power Equip. Prob paid too much and could have put those $$ towards a brand new one, but I like the trimmer. Has great power. I have one of the heads with the flippers and fixed line on it.
emaxx, my property isn't large at all. 2/3 of an acre. It's my mom's place that is 6 1/2. Thankfully she got a service several years ago, so I only have to do a little bit of maintenance here and there. That's why I hadn't used the FS80 in awhile. I have the Kombi at my place. It's almost time to buy the little chainsaw trimmer attachment. Our town brush pickup is coming up fast.
Meister, if you like your equipment and want to save the money on small engine repair it's really easy to do. Youtube videos and parts accessibility online makes it possible if you want a little project to do. You usually don't need any specialized tools either.
If you end up buying a new mower, try and get a honda at HD or get a Husqvarna at lowes. Don't get a toro, the personal pace feature is fantastic, but I bought one and had nothing but problems with it. I returned it, and bought a Husqvarna instead. Same price range but a way better piece of equipment. I wanted a 30" exmark but wasn't willing to drop 2k on one.
Thanks Pennings. Yes, I'm sure I could have done it myself, and most of the time I do try to do my own repairs and maintenance. It's nice to just drop it off as a treat to myself once in awhile. With everything I do around the house and to my own cars and equipment, shelling out once in a blue moon is nice. I did look online at the parts. A Stihl carb looked to be around $50-80 and there were plenty of offbrand ones for $25-35. If I had done it, I would have used the Stihl. Wouldn't trust an aftermarket one.
If I do buy a new mower, I would definitely buy a Honda. Don't think I'll need one though. My Craftsman is in really good shape. I'm very confident it will start. And I just bought a replacement drive wheel and a spare. I'll git her goin'.
Thanks for the heads up on this emaxx. I let my husband know about the sale. He told me a couple months ago that he was looking to pick up a new mower. I told him to wait for the end of season sales.
Calico696 Yep. I thought about splurging for the electric start but decided against it. I'm still young enough to pull start and have a teenager as a backup. :-P
Does that model have the Roto-Stop blade system, where you can disengage the mower blades without stopping the motor? I find that feature very convenient, but I agree that the electric start is pointless... especially when it starts first pull even with the worst case of hangover arms I've ever inflicted on myself (-;
No, it doesn't have that feature. It's the lowest end one. The only feature I would pay to upgrade to would be the electric start. To be honest, I never understood the need for the blade stop system. If you have to pick something up, is it really that big of a deal to restart the engine? Like you said, these things pull on the first shot.
Now, the cruise control is a pretty nice feature but $500 was already pushing the limits of what I wanted to spend on a mower - especially when I have a ride on for the back yard.
the disengage feature is nice, but why spend the extra money when you can use a clamp and it does the same thing.
if you mean key start by saying electric start, that feature is totally worth the extra money. i hate pull starting.
Lots of great info in this thread. I saw some mention of Gator Blades further up in this thread. I actually installed a pair on my Scotts (John Deere) lawn tractor this past summer. No complaints this leaf season so far. They mulch the leaves real nice back into the lawn and small sticks as well. I use a mowing deck discharge chute cover along with the gator blades and the results have been great.
Those bed edge redefiners are interesting. I currently do all my edging with a line trimmer but will definitely be keeping an eye out on Craigslist for any good deals on a used bed edge machine.
I've been in the market for a good pull behind plug "core" aerator I can attach to the back of the lawn tractor. This one on Amazon looks decent?
http://www.amazon.com/Agri-Fab-45-0299-48-Inch-Plug-Aerator/dp/B000K6DZDI
Hard to believe next month it'll be time to put the lawn equipment away for the season and pull out and prep the snow moving equipment. My machine is a Honda HS624 snowblower. Bulletproof! But that's another thread for another day! :-)
Vic Vic,
I have a 40in craftsman that looks very close to that one. It workes very well. I have to put weigtht on it , around 120 or 130 lbs. But very nice plugs especially after rain.
BrownEyesGuy They do a good job Vic, but you gotta go over the area multiple times, and throw a good amount of weight on it. Some cinder blocks and tie downs will do the trick.
It won't be as good as a commercial grade aerator, but it's a hell of a lot easier. I don't know the plug rate on a commercial aerator, but I'd guess to get the same quality you might want to do it two or three times.
Gator blades are awesome for leaf season, if you're mulching leaves. If you're bagging they generally aren't as good as high lifts because they don't create as much of a vaccum effect under the deck. Just my experience, others may differ. May be good if they have a cross between mulching and high lift design that mulches but still has the same effect as high lifts.
Been using my stihl chainsaw and weedwacker for over 20 years now. Occasional tuneups and they still run strong.
IMHO... you get what you pay for
Stan And along Stan's line, the older the better. I was in the market for a new mower this year and decided on a good condition used (1988) Snapper Hi-Vac self propelled mower. The old snappers with the white handlebars. Got it for $115, plus a bit more for some basic tune up parts, belts, etc. After a good cleaning and tune up, this thing is amazing. Starts on the first pull (no primer bulb!), and just about sucks the color off the grass. Best bagging system I've seen. Best part is, it is only a 4HP. Why you would need 8 HP on a walk behind is beyond me. I'll have this mower for life.
eperot Eperot, I had one, way newer than that one. It was burning oil like crazy and I couldn't get it to stop no matter what I tried. It's a great mower. Newer snapper stuff isn't as good anymore. I ended up buying a Husqvarna this season for a self propelled push and it's not bad. It gets the job done and the cut is really good. Also nice that's it's mulching or bagging capable.
Stan I have two stihl weed whackers I'm going to rebuild this winter. They're great, I'm gonna keep them as back ups. Main ones are echos, I just like the light weight for when you're trimming all day and it's 90 degrees outside
Damn you people! After seeing this thread pop up again, I wasted over 30 minutes watching youtube videos of zero turn mowers in action! You think one of those is overkill for a 1/4 acre lot? :-)
For what it's worth, I was in Mayberry's a few weeks back. I talk to the owner regarding Stihl vs Echo. He sells both. He said they're both great but he recommended the 2-cycle engine for my residential needs. The Stihls were more powerful (not that the Echo models weren't sufficient) but were more finicky with their gas mixture and starting.
I'm sure either one is fine for my needs. I'll just wait till Spring till get a new trimmer.
BTW, I am loving my Honda HRX. Right before I got it, I laid down new seed and starter fertilizer. I watered 2x-3x everyday and let the seed kick in before I mowed again. My yard, in mid-to-late September, went 4 weeks without a mow. The grass was easily 6 inches over most of the yard. I set the mower to cut down to 3.5 inches
I bagged the first mowing but at one point, I forgot about checking the bag to see if it was full. The bag was stuffed full and the mower had basically been mulching for at least 2 passes. Not a single grass clump in sight!
I'm still getting used to the rear-wheel drive. I've only had front-drive before. Front drives are much easier to pivot and make tight turns with. I simply tilted the front wheels up and pivoted.
Overall, this is a great mower and with the rust-free plastic deck, I bet this lasts 20+ years.
Does the HRX have multiple speeds? My Craftsman is single speed, which is annoying sometimes. It's set at a very comfortable speed, but sometimes I wish I could go faster when the lawn isn't as high. Otherwise, I don't have too many complaints. I've been through a few wheels and one throttle cable, but that's normal wear and tear. Well, sort of. My lawn is about 2/3 of an acre, which is probably a little much for a little mower. It's 10 years old now, so it doesn't owe me anything. A service is probably in order as it has taken more than two pulls to start it lately. Maybe just some 'mechanic in a bottle' or carb cleaning additive will help.
Carb cleaner should do it. That's what I did on my old mower and it starts easy peasy now.
Yes, the HRX has variable speed. It's a thumb paddle on the handle. The more you push it down, the faster it goes. Mine (the lowest end HRX) will go 3.5 mph. Higher end HRX models have a throttle control that allows you to put it into cruise control. They go as high as 4 mph.
I hear ya on the single speed. That was my complaint with my first Craftsman. There were times where I would turn off the self-propel because it was faster for me to push it. My current Craftsman is not self-propelled and I can fly when the grass isn't that high (summer.)
Thanks emaxx,
Yeah, I will definitely try that first. Mower should last a good 5 more years. By then I will be looking at the HRX. If I don't break down and get service before then.....
Meister when was the last time you changed the air filter? Hard starts are almost always the air filter being clogged in my experience.
I'll check it out, but it did have a service about two years ago. Can't hurt to clean it out and oil it up.
If it hasn't been replaced in two years id just swap it out regardless. Changing the air filter is a small price to pay vs having to deal with carb issues from debris gunking it up. Idk what motor you have but if it's a Briggs you can get it pretty much anywhere. I need to change the air filter in my Husqvarna and my bobcat 48" tomorrow, leaves are really doing a number on them.
Yeah, it's maintenance time. I need to find where the air intake point is in my John Deere 755 so I can put a piece of screen there to keep the critters out. It's not in an easily accessible place. Between mom's and my own house, there are lots of engines to keep up with, though not as many as you have Pennings. It's not my day job though.
What do you think about the Raven 7100?
I know this model came out and had a ton of troubles but they seem to have fixed all issues.
http://www.ravenamerica.com/
watch this video of it's features.
http://vimeo.com/83280805
fujixt1 Pretty cool. But personally I would never get one, even if I was just taking care of my own property.
1) for $4000, you can buy a much better mower, tow trailer, and a higher wattage gas generator.
2) most of the features seem over the top unnecessary and thus, prone to problems.
3) maintenance is definitely difficult.
4) more stuff means more stuff to break
5) cool features mean insanely expensive parts
The cut quality from what I saw is subpar at best. Watch the clippings come out the side. They barely move more than 3-6 inches out the discharge chute. That means the blades are extremely under powered. That means, uneven cut, and god forbid you run over a stick or clip a rock. Yeah, belt driven cutting decks do use more energy, but, they're easy to maintain and make adjustments.
First generation technology in terms of power tools tends to always be terrible. If they improved on their previous years then for the right person this is worth it. I do like the atv aspect of it a lot, this just reminds me of the all in one "ping pong pool and air hockey" table I had when I was a kid, three awesome things in one package that wasn't that good.
Thank you for your input and information.
I am going to Campbell's Small Engine later today to talk to them about the right mower for me.
The reason I thought this would be a good mower is because my future yard has many hills... I don't mean just a bump. I mean the entire lawn is slopped with some sections that we pretty steep at a 30% grade.
Pennings- I am guessing you are in the landscaping business. Can I ask for your professional opinion on a mower for 2 acres that is good for hills and won't break the bank?
Thank you in advance!
Neat concept. I agree with Pennings. Looks light in the mowing dept., which is the main reason you're buying it. Sounds like it will do lots of things, but none of them well. And yes, it's probably a good idea to let them work the bugs out. Get a good mower first. Can't go wrong with a John Deere. Even a used one with last you a long time. Then you can worry about a generator. I would look on Craigslist. I bet now that we haven't had any major storms for awhile there are plenty on there that are lightly used at a good price.
Beware of zero turn & light weight mowers on slopes. We almost lost ours in the pond several years ago, as the lawn sloped toward the water. Used a garden tractor in that area after that.
tmb123 Fujixt1- give me your budget, if you're willing to finance, ect. And I'll recommend something based on that. Nut tractors are terrible on slopes.
Tmb, what zero turn were you using around the pond?
I don't run zero turns at all, they're impractical for this area, way too many slopes and small lawns. We only use walk behinds and standers.
Well I didn't want to spend more than $2k but for hills and safety I know I'll have to spend a bit more.
I was hoping not to crack $5k.
I know zero turns are awful on hills.
Thank you.
A 30 degree grade is pretty steep. Steep enough that I personally would never recommend anything that you ride. I wouldn't even use a stander on that steep a slope unless the surrounding terrain reduced the risk greatly.
Really, my 100% recommendation would be a hydro driven walk behind. You can add a sulky onto it so you can ride it on the not as steep parts, and then you can operate it safely with no worries on the entire property. It may seem like not as good of an option, but these are way faster than a garden tractor and the cutting decks are way bigger. Standard tractor is usually around 42", you can get one in 36,48,52, or 60/61. If it's something you're interested in, feel free to email me with any questions. If you do get one, remember, hydro driven, not belt drive. Belt drives are fine but aren't as good as hydros on steep hills. They're cheaper, but require frequent belt changes and if you aren't really handy with small engines are more work than they're worth.
You can get used under 2k, but I'd buy new, not inherit problems and get the warranty. New you're looking at 2200-5000 depending on the model.
I'm a big fan of Scag although with your budget it may be hard to find something with lower hours that doesn't look all beat. I found a pretty nice Scag hydro walkbehind with velke (stand on platform) for $5600. Maybe he could come down to your max price. It only has 70 hours on it and looks pretty clean. Here is a link to it. http://newjersey.craigslist.org/grd/4831257498.html Unfortunately it is only a 48 inch deck. According to Scags website a 48 inch deck walkbehind at about a 4 mph pace only does about 1 acre per hour. I think the hills will slow that number down (or atleast when going up). It's amazing how expensive these mowers are nowadays. I think Campbell is a Bobcat and Toro dealer last I checked. I'm not a huge fan of either.
Have you thought about getting prices on having your lawn maintained? This isn't a sales pitch from me since I don't come down to the Hackettstown area. Maybe have Pennings come give you a quote. By the time you buy the machine and dedicate 2+ hours of mowing work each week, plus weed whacking, blowing, etc (plus fuel and maintenance on the machine....blades should be sharpened every 8-12 hours.....sooner if you are hitting things) it might be more cost effective to hire someone. Just an idea.
Ha thanks m & k, I ended up getting a scag v ride per your recommendation.
Agree on toro and bobcat, toros have way too many stupid problems and while bobcats tend to hold up really well, the cut quality is garbage.
How do you like the vride? I think they are the best mowers out there. My dealer thought they were making changes to the v ride this year. He thought they were going with larger tires and some other small changes. I have been talking to Bassani about a new 61 rider. I was going to go Turf Tiger but it retails at about $15.5k with bagger. After talking to him I think I'm going with another Tiger Cat. He said since I'm an owner operator I can get by with the the Tiger Cat. He said he recommends Turf Tigers for guys who sent crews out who don't know how their guys treat the machines.
Thanks for the info guys.
It's 2.2 acres of lawn.
Campbell sells JD also. They recommended the X320
Husqvarna is pretty good, I have some of ther equipment.
This is similar to a ventrac mower that's available. I've seen videos of them driving these mowers straight up and down a 30 degree slope. I would ask the dealer for a demo, and see how it handles your property, but this is an excellent choice from what I can see. I like that it's awd, keep in mind you will burn through a set of tires in no more than 2-3 seasons.
Just saw a 52 inch hydro Scag walk behind on craigslist from Hackettstown for $1250.00. http://newjersey.craigslist.org/grd/4848307936.html
I don't think I want to have a walk behind for 2 acres of grass. Anyone do that?
I think I am leaning towards the Husqvarna. The Raven was awesome in person but I am following your advice not getting it.
Get the Husqvarna. My concerns with the raven are totally valid, unproven name, poor cut quality, underpowered parts.
However, a hydro walk behind with a sulky (which pulls you behind it) you will finish faster than a tractor, but it's more work.
The Husqvarna had awd, something you really need on hills. Hopefully that's all you'll need to keep the grass up.
Anyone use one of these? Any thoughts about them?
Fiskars manual core aerator:
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00264FXYQ/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_nS_ttl?_encoding=UTF8&colid=2OQJ0LH9H39NE&coliid=I1V9A548YW9NIP
My front yard, where I may have some compaction issues is fairly small (after you subtract the driveway, walkway, and mulch beds.) I don't have a truck or trailer so by the time I rent an aerator, rent the truck from HD, and then return it, I could probably be done with the yard using the Fiskars.
Is the 4-inch core length long enough? Not sure how big of a plug a power-aerator pulls.
My other option would be a tow behind aerator for the ride-on but that's still about $300 and would be tough to maneuver with all of the curves in the front yard.
Don't know what is your plan, but you should aerate in Fall or Spring.
You want grass to recover after aeration.
Right now grass will have a hard time at hot temperature.
For a small yard I think that would do, emaxxman. Having gotten rid of my pickup truck last summer, I'm going to see if the aerator will fit into my SUV (Have an ML350). Better yet, I'll see if my neighbor wants to split it, then we can put it in his Explorer.
So I've had my new Honda self propelled mower for a couple weeks now. Boy, I really should have bought this sooner. It's quick, powerful, and easy to use. With dual blades it really chops up the grass too. I cut about 15-20 min off of my former 1 hour 20 mowing time. Only minor complaint I have is that it's a bit jumpy when you engage the drive. That's due in part to it being rear wheel drive and I'm used to FWD.
That manual Core aerator may work best after a good rain when soil is still moist if to dry will not pull a good plug. Home Depot and Grand Rental both rent power core Aerators they do work the best. You Should wait till the very end of August at the earliest to do it.
max BEG and Max - Thanks. I think I'll give it a shot. Yes, I won't aerate probably till September. I've been reseeding in September (with good results.) I'll dethatch (not much to be done there), aerate, and then reseed.
I think I'll make due with the manual aerator until I can get a hitch and trailer for CRV (to have something to bring big machines home.) I'm looking at the Harbor Freight 8ft trailer. It'll be some time before I get that all though.
MNJ - I know, it's great, isn't it?! It actually mulches better than my ride-on. I also find it jumpy too. I have uneven turf and I think it downright hops sometimes. A heavier front probably would help. I wish it either had FWD/4wd (like the Husqvarna's) or larger back wheels. Other than that, I love it.
Yeah emaxx, love this mower. The bagging is easier too (no insert to swap in and out when going from mulching to bagging), and the bag actually fills up rather than getting half full like my Craftsman did before bogging down.
That self propelled Honda walk behind looks really sweet! Perhaps one day.
Does anyone have a good online site for
mower replacement parts? My backup cheapie Troy-Bilt walk behind mower from 2009 needs some parts.
Troy-Bilt model # 12A-466M011
Rubber rear trailing shield: 731-05642A
Front drive belt: 954-0637A
Also going to need a new muffler for the Scotts S1642 (John Deere) lawn tractor that rusted out!! Part# GY00296
Who's got the best prices out there?
MNJ, I found that if you get it moving forward slightly as you engage the drive, it doesn't lurch like that.
Yeah ianimal, I'm learning that. It's mostly a problem when I'm trying to go back and forth around trees and obstacles, and when turning around.
Just had to mow my lawn for the first time in about a month. I did thoroughly enjoy the break.
Vic -
I've used http://www.mowers4u.com/. They had a carb rebuild kit that no one else had.
ereplacementparts.com also frequently comes up in searches for parts but I've never used them personally.
http://www.ereplacementparts.com/troybilt-parts-c-26780.html?gclid=CPHy1pa2xMcCFYcCaQodkHEDUA
I've started to use Amazon more and more too.
Good luck.
I use Amazon and eBay for replacement parts for my small engines and some auto as well.
Can usually find what I need for my log splitter, mowers and chainsaws.
Thanks guys for the info! I checked some various sites and the ones mentioned above for Troy Bilt (MTD) parts and it looks like eBay just can't be beat! In my situation at least. Not only on price but with free shipping too.
One more question, this one involving the lawn tractor. Does anyone know the best way to remove the hood cover on a Scotts S1642 (John Deere)?? I can't seem to find anything online. I think I need to remove it to replace the rusted out muffler that fell apart last week. It has a 16HP Kohler Command motor.
Thanks for any info!
When you figure that out, I'd love to know. I have a rear engine Simplicity and it seems like you either have to have snake-like arms to reach the carb or the entire cover has to come off. I can see why the newer ones leave the muffler and carb exposed.
These parts diagrams may help with your Scotts:
http://www.scottstractorandequipment.com/pages/oemparts?_breakdisk=_4.9mm_with_heavy_duty_final_drive:_steering_and_brakes/42170002/4217i113h1906000016,_4.9mm:_steering_and_brakes/42170002/4217i083h1906000013#/John_Deere/S1642_Lawn_Tractor_(16_HP_Hydro)_-PC2738/ENGINE_COVER_%26_SHROUDS%3a_ENGINE_MARKED_CV16S-43518/27380002/2738D051C0102000005
Thanks emaxx and meister. The muffler change on this craftsman looks super easy!
https://youtu.be/t5NjhxfVHR4
However on my Scotts tractor the exhaust pipe coming down from the motor into the muffler box is welded and is all one piece like this one below. My rusted muffler basically broke in half in the box portion.
http://m.ebay.com/itm/NEW-JOHN-DEERE-MUFFLER-AND-GASKET-FOR-SCOTTS-1642-MADE-BY-JOHN-DEERE-ONLY-/400952209282
Not to mention my hood cover doesn't come off as easy as the Craftsman in the vid. Grrr!
Was just on the phone with Hilltop Sales & Service in Bangor PA I know some here are familiar with them. They quoted me an hour labor ($75) to change the muffler which I think is fair. They only charge $30 for the muffler itself which is right inline with the best price I saw on Ebay so I can't complain.
I'm leaning towards just dropping the tractor off with them and being done with it. Not much free time on my hands the next few weeks due to work anyway.
OK, I'm going thru trimmer line like a hot knife through butter. I have an Echo 225. The line is .095 rhino brand. Have had the spool for years. Used to respool the trimmer once or twice a year max with my old Craftsman. The echo has eaten up at least 5 spools worth already.
The Echo brand line is the same thickness. Do you think it will hold up better? Any other brands that will hold up and available locally?
The Echo is probably more powerful and shredding the line on hard surfaces . You can try easing back on the throttle or switch to a fixed line head that Echo has up to .155" diameter . If you go that route you can buy a fixed line spool to save money and cut your own lengths .
http://www.echo-usa.com/Products/Accessories/Trimmer-Heads
Yeah the fixed line heads are pretty good. Plus, if you have any heavy brush to whack down you can put on the flippers that help tackle the thick stuff.
Does anyone have a DR Power mower?
I just ordered a 22" 7.25 self-propelled, since my husband said that was the one he wanted after he did some research. Our 8 1/2 year old Troy Built was rusted beyond help. Apparently, this one has a cast aluminum deck with a lifetime warranty. I've never even heard of DR.
Apparenlty you don't watch any late night discovery channel. DR power mower, among other DR equipment is heavily advertised. Looks alright, don't know much about them other than the commercials.
Need some help..Three months ago I bought a brand new small gas push lawn mower from Walmart. It was working perfectly until a week ago. My son was mowing and it kept stopping. Now when you start it and pull the string there is nothing. Went to Lowes and they suggested that we replace the gas with new gasoline, and we also bought new oil and some blue stuff that goes into the oil. It is still not working and I am not sure if I should buy a new one, which I really do not want to..Would appreciate greatly advice. Thank you..
kay "Apparenlty you don't watch any late night discovery channel."
The only late night thing I watch is my eyelids. ;-)
I guess he decided to wait it out (from last year) and got the wife to do the shopping, huh? LOL.
DR is well known. Advertisements everywhere. I thought DR was more brush clearing but I see their website lists a traditional lawn mower for $399.
The only videos I can find on youtube for the mower are from DR themselves. They look like a typical mower with no special features. The Brigs & Stratton engine is a proven design so you should have no issues there. The aluminum deck should ensure you don't rust out. The blade looks to be your typical mulching blade.
Ya know, for $500, you can get a Honda with the plastic deck with lifetime warranty. The double blade makes mulching super easy. I guess it's too late now for you but Home Depot will start clearing our their inventory soon. That's when I bought mine.
kay - blue stuff for the oil? Please tell me that it wasn't Stabil gas treatment. You shouldn't have to mix anything in with the oil. If it was Stabil, then hopefully he put that in with the gas and you just had a typo there.
As far as the gas goes, unless the gas was several months old, which it doesn't sound like it is, then it should be fine.
Check the spark plug connection to make sure it's not loose. The other thing may be that the cable attached to the safety handle (the handle you have to hold to keep the mower running) is properly engaging.
Here are some videos that may help diagnosing the issue. You shouldn't have to buy a new mower unless you completely screwed up the engine.
https://www.google.com/webhp?sourceid=chrome-instant&ion=1&espv=2&ie=UTF-8#tbm=vid&q=troubleshooting+a+mower
emaxx - Yes, it was $399 with free shipping. He had seen it online last week and thought it was a good deal. We went to Home Depot and Lowe's on Saturday to see if they had anything he liked better, but no dice. Since then I've told him everyday to order it but, like a typical man, he has yet to remember. LOL So this morning I called him and told him to tell me which one it was exactly and I ordered it myself.
5catmom Even the cheapest walk behind push mower comes with a 2 year consumer's warranty from the manufacturer . Walmart won't replace it unless you buy a protection plan , but the nearest manufacturer repair center should send someone out to fix it under warranty . Unless it was abused like like running over something solid that would snap the crankshaft or run without motor oil .
Thank you everyone for your help. I have tried to find my purchase receipt for the mower to no avail. My daughter and I tried to check the spark plug and connection with no success. Does anyone know someone local who does mower repairs. I checked online and all of the ones that came up are located on Route 10, etc...
Can you describe in detail exactly what happens? I'm sure we can diagnose it. The repair on a lawn mower (from a labor perspective) will probably be at least half of what you paid for it at Walmart. Would hate for you to go through that.
Local repairs:
- Mayberry in Port Murray
- Morgans on rt 46 west (near Independence?)
- Moose Repairs (formerly Mount Olive Auto Body) http://www.mooserepairs.com/
Try to see if you can register the lawn mower.
It was working fine when my son mowed the front of the house, but in the middle of mowing the backyard, it died. When we pull the string to start it, is sounds like it is going to start(you can also smell the gas a bit) but then it dies..I appreciate you all so very much for your advice..
Check the fuel line going from fuel tank into the carburetor. Make sure that is not leaking, torn, or cracked. I'll assume there is gas in the tank.
There should be a safety handle (that you hold to keep the mower running.) Make sure the cable attached to it has tension on it when you're holding the safety handle. If it's not taut, that would prevent the mower from starting.
What's the make and model number of the mower? Can you post a picture? That will help us guide you.
Take the air filter off pull without any throttle a couple of times. Then try to start normally. It sounds clogged instead of leaking because you smell gas. Make sure the spark plug is tight as well. (should be fine since it's new, but you never know)
On the "blue" stuff that goes into the oil may actually be the oil itself. (synthetic) If you added that with regular oil and put it all in, you may have over filled. I know it sounds like the same old thing, but you may want to dump all the gas and oil out all over again. Then take off the air cleaner and spray some cleaner into the carburetor. In the process that carb is likely clogged causing the stopping. Then start from scratch with oil & gas.
Sorry for taking so long to come back here. I am grateful for all of your help. I have 5 children who are always online and it is difficult for me to get on. When I pull the string to start the lawn mower it feels like it is going to start, but then there is a beeping/horn type noise underneath where the cord is. Spoke with Walmart and I have to take it to a Murray repair person which is not nearby. Read a forum about this lawn mower and everything was negative. Some even went on fire. Thinking about buying a used one. I am so grateful for you taking the time to give me advice.
That seems odd. If the starter cord assembly went bad, I'm not sure what would make that sound.
Could something be wrapped around the blade underneath?
Make sure to disconnect the spark plug wire from the plug before you look underneath. Just pull it off of the plug. Tilt the mower backwards, eg handles down on the ground. This avoids having the oil spill into your carburetor and air filter.
http://blog.briggsandstratton.com/diagnose-engine-problems-whats-sound/
"Mower Squealing or Screeching
For a lawn mower that makes a high-pitched squealing or screeching noise upon startup, you’ll want to check a few different parts to find the problem. First, make sure there is nothing wrapped up around the lawn mower’s blade such as a string or rope toy. This is a common problem for families with children and dogs. Next, you’ll want to make sure the bearings are properly oiled. Remove the top cover (including the pull start) and drop some oil into the small hole in the square metal cap. If your screeching problem is still not fixed, you’ll want to check the belt. Chances are it could have slipped out of place. Adjust the belt back into position."
Hey guys, thank you so very much for your help. Typo in my last post, 3 kids not 5, ugh..And I found the bottle of the stuff we initially put into the lawn mower, it is an enzyme fuel treatment. And though the bottle is blue I am thinking the contents are not..Feel really dumb..The battle with the lawn mower is over. My grass was deep deep in the back and growing taller every second. I lost the battle with Walmart..Had estimates for landscapers to mow(really small front yard and back, but very expensive$), and it would have cost more than buying a new mower..Caved in due to losing sight of our small dog, and my feet in the yard, and bought a new mower..It was on clearance so that was a good thing..Selling the other mower for a wee amount bc it does not work if someone is interested..Paid $154.99 for it and it is 3 months old..I appreciate your help and advice so very much! Stay safe this weekend..Gosh I could only imagine how much the yard would have grown with all of this rain ;)
Just a follow up on the DR mower. Husband loves it and it looks like a race car. LOL
Now I feel like going over there and trying to figure it out. My curiosity is driving me nuts on this one.
If he wanted a race car, then you should've just bought this one for him.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AK9g8qIAW-E
Looks like Subaru is in the lawn mower business for 2016?? Pic was taken yesterday at the Costco in Wharton. 21 inch cut with electric start for $399.99
http://www.costco.com/Powerstroke-21-in.-Lawn-Mower-with-Subaru-Engine.product.100241972.html
Can't wait for the over-sized bumblebee sounding muffler option to come out for it. Costco does seem to have a lot of weird brands for their power equipment.
$400 for a push mower seems high to me. And electric start? Not sure why this is necessary on a small motor. Maybe for old guys...
sackI didn't read thru the whole thread here so sorry if It has already Come up but has any one heard if you can run say 100 octane race fuel in 2 stroke chainsaws? Or other lawn equipment. I would think it be OK but my saw was 800$ and don't really want to smoke it.
$400 for a self propelled mower, Hemi,duel exhaust, GPS, WiFi, video/PlayStation....not bad.... ;)
Hot corner I don't know if you can run 100 octane but man do I want to kow what you plan on cutting with it.
"I didn't read thru the whole thread here so sorry if It has already Come up but has any one heard if you can run say 100 octane race fuel in 2 stroke chainsaws? Or other lawn equipment. I would think it be OK but my saw was 800$ and don't really want to smoke it."
yes you can as long as you mix oil as you normally would. Ran my left over Cam-2 through my machines many times.
Whip 
I run 93 octane in my 2 stroke motors. Never tired 100, but I dont know where to buy it so no reason to try. 93 is good enough for me
I ran my 2 cycle mix with airplane fuel. It's the best gas, no additives! Airport rd, Hackettstown
Anyone here have experience with the Ryobi line of 40V Lithium Ion lawn and garden tools?? If so, would you recommend them?
https://www.ryobitools.com/outdoor/products/list/family/40v
I tried out that monster Echo 58V Lithium-Ion in Home Depot. Felt well made, but it was too heavy for my liking.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JHOou2lHs-Y
No experience with the Ryobi. Tried the Echo lithium before I bought my PAS setup last year. No kidding that bad boy was heavy. Can you imagine using the leaf blower for yard cleanup in the fall? You'd have to have a chiropractor on speed dial!
There was a very good episode of 'I want that' on I think DIY. Had the latest and greatest outdoor equipment. Battery powered lawn mowers and snowblowers, outdoor lighting, Brick Paver lifters, etc. Some pretty cool stuff. You can probably stream it.
It folded up and hung on the wall, so can't be that bad. It has a one hour run time and is so quiet you can mow early or late and not disturb the neighbors. Led headlight too. Since I bought a Honda last summer, I can get one in about 15 years.
They would do better to keep the headlight and add self-propulsion. But then it would be a lot heavier than 70 pounds and a lot more difficult to hang on the wall.
Plus, the specs say it only has a 45 minute run time... takes me longer than that to do my yard. So, I would need to either buy a SECOND battery or wait 40 minutes for it to recharge. Not ideal.
Yep. Takes me about an hour ten to do mine. I'll stick with the Honda and self propelled.
My neighbor across the street had the EGO. All I could hear was something akin to the low sound of a radiator fan from across the street. Definitely wouldn't hear it inside the house.
His grass was really thin. If you had a thick lawn, I'd question whether it could handle it. Self-propel wouldn't add much wait but it would drain the battery very quickly.
I'm sure we'll see much more practical battery stuff in the next 5 years. Just think about how far lithium-ion tools have come in the last 10. Amazing.
"Self-propel wouldn't add much wait but it would drain the battery very quickly."
Self-propel would add weight in that a battery that fully discharges in 15 minutes wouldn't be acceptable to the consumer, so the battery would need to weigh 3 or 4 times as much...
Electric has a huge capacity for torque. I wouldn't worry so much about the thickness of the lawn emaxxman.
It ain't all about the torque. RPMs make a difference too and I think (of course my knowledge is based on RC motors/engines) gas engines still have higher RPMs. How fast a mower blade spins (along with its design) does help to create more lift and more cuts as you go over the grass.
Honda's current design is a mulching beast. I can wait 10 days to cut my grass if I had to. In fact, I waited two weeks when I was reseeding in the Fall Cut that grass like a champ. My old Craftsman required me to cut every 4 days.
I always wait until the grass gets pretty long for the first cut of the year. Helps to choke off the early weeds. And yes, the new Honda plows right through it. I cut my lawn for the first time the other day. It was already pretty long. Looking pretty good since I farmed out the fertilization/weed control.
If you don't have the Honda mower or you're looking for a mower, get it! I just cut my lawn after 14 (!) days. It was still a little damp and the mower mulched it all. I cut to a length of 3". After 2 weeks with the last 7 days of rain, it was easily double that. The backyard is much thicker so I did have to raise the cutting height to 4" but there were no clumps left around.
I saw a landscaping company cut a lawn over by Shoprite this morning and it looked like the big walk-behind had a wooden spoon for a blade. The yard was one big grass clump (and this yard was filled with dandelions so it was definitely not thick grass that they were cutting.)
I would pay for a 36" model if Honda made one!
Hi All, I'm looking for suggestions. My lawn tractor started sputtering about a month ago then died. I replaced the carb (Cheaper than rebuild). New filters fuel and air. New plug. Flushed the lines and tank. Tractor ran great after for two hrs then started doing the same thing and died. I pulled the carb ran it through my carb clean machine seemed not to be dirty. Put it together ran great for two hrs. Same thing. Gas tests ok via test swab kit. It is a Briggs Stratton 18 horse toro tractor about 10 yrs old. Possible its a over heating thing or electric? Or think there is still a fuel issue? Any thoughts appreciated.
Grascal,
Just throwing out ideas after discussing your story with a friend who is familiar with small engines.....
Have you checked your fuel cap to be sure it's not plugged. A plugged fuel cap can cause a vacuum in the gas tank and no fuel flow.
Check valve(s) clearances. Possibly a cracked valve rocker?
Excessive carbon buildup in the combustion chamber(s) or cooling fins plugged?
The Man Thanks. I did try running with the gas cap loose to let air in. No difference. I will see about fins and valves. General look seemed ok but will delve further.
After you verify all of the simple stuff you might need to look at the head gasket to make sure there is no blow through that causes a loss of compression.
I had a similar situation with a older Simplicity tractor. Did similar things. What I found out was the fuel line was getting overheated by the heat from the engine and causing a vapor-lock condition. I re-routed the fuel line and insulated it. Problem solved. What made me look in that direction was the issue would show up on hot days, cool days, no problem.
Mr 4paws
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