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My three Honda small engines (2 GCV's and one GX) all have a diagram next to the oil fill showing how to check it. I don't believe the older ones had this though.

An M3 changes the game a little bit. While they are maintenance hungry machines either way, the low mileage will make it worth more. Is it a manual or SMG trans?

You'd be surprised what people will spend. I have a neighbor who before I started maintaining her John Deere rider would pay the Deere dealer to come pick it up, do the maintenance, and bring it back. They did a sub-par job (it was returned once with very low oil) and one of the bills was...

It doesn't really have anything to do with what you make vs. them, it has to do with demand for the skill, as well as the cost associated with performing the work. Good on you for learning how to do it yourself, many people can't be bothered these days but then complain about labor prices.

Pop off the oil fill cap and have a look down into the valve cover, that should give you an idea of how it was maintained. The longer oil changes aren't ideal, but if the car was rarely driven, stored inside, and brought up to operating temp every time it was driven it probably isn't a big...

There is a power equipment dealership a few miles away from me. Their labor rate is $100/hour. A basic tune-up for a riding tractor starts at $175, and a walk behind mower is $125. Snowblower is somewhere in between if I remember right, and I've had customers who told me they tried going to...

As long as you are using the correct fluid, the level is full, and there aren't any abnormal noises you should be good.

I currently own a Super Recycler with the Honda GCV160 and personal pace. It is a great mower, very easy to start, but doesn't have the stowing feature. I highly recommend it, as the cut is excellent, personal pace is great, and it pulverizes leaves into dust.

The paint on the decks isn't great, but storage and cleaning the deck can make a huge difference. I have a 2005 G110 Deere with a 54" deck, it was the "garden tractor" version that home depot sold for 2 years, so it has the same paint and basic construction. It now has over 800 hours of heavy...

How hot is it, like hot to the touch? If you peer into the hydraulic fill port do you see a lot of air bubbles in the fluid? Any odd whining or grinding sounds? It's likely normal, they do get "warm" with heavy use.

The newer Briggs engines are surprisingly good. They aren't a Honda, but they are much more refined and quieter than the old flat heads. Plenty powerful for mulching. If mulching is your priority, a Super Recycler will be best for that. I feel the Honda mowers are superior for bagging, and...

I definitely clean mine out several times before replacing them, and the same with customer mowers. Not worth throwing one out if it can be reused. The biggest issue I find is some people will flip the mower over the wrong way, and the engine oil/fuel will leak into the carb and soak the...

Yes, they get lower rates but they get them by giving the shop way more business since they are a preferred shop.

The BMW B58 has been a very reliable engine, and has many components that have been refined over generations of BMW development, which is probably why Toyota felt comfortable sourcing the engine from them.

I always thought it interesting how people complain that sports cars don't have enough luggage space. Like compared to what, an SUV or 4 door sedan? My Wrangler doesn't have much storage space, but I expected that going into it haha. I've heard great things about how the Supra drives.

The A3 is a nice car, but don't expect the maintenance costs to be less than the "high end" brands you mentioned. Audi competes with BMW and Mercedes-Benz, the service costs will be similar. The GTI is a very fun car to drive, and honestly even though the platforms are shared between VW and...

Many of the aftermarket air filters, especially the flat panel type like that are perfectly fine. They can be slightly different than OEM and still seal okay. The filters you have to be careful with are the round and cone types, as they can fit too loose on the engine (especially the newer...

The older Kawasakis, no doubt they were amazing engines. I haven't been impressed with too many of the newer ones, a lot of them are oil burners.

Echos are great saws! I don't have much faith in asking tree pros what their favorite saws are, since most will give you a different opinion based on their favorite brand and what their usage is. Most own more than one saw for different purposes. As a small engine mechanic, Echo, Dolmar, and...

The Mantis, 100%.