25 year old lawn mowers

You can also use a piece of wire to tie the kill lever into the run position to test the engine.

I just hard wire start and throttle because the bicycle cables seem to break after 5 years.

My 26 year old brigs 3.5 finally decided not to start, took the carb apart the first time in 6-8 years and the air filter is missing. I just ran the thing 5 days ago.

Cleaned the carb put in some flammable sea foam and nada.

The way the pull cord is I can’t yank hard enough alone to watch for spark.

Might be bad gas, will eventually empty and clean.

More concerned that due to the tropical rain forest conditions the ignition might have finally gotten water damage.

Sort of disappointed because it just runs, despite spending 26 years outside under a tarp. Anything new seems to always be total garbage that never wants to start.
 
I've not looked over any electric mower, would they make it 25 years ?
My Toro 60V mower is 2 years old and will likely make it another 5 or 6 years. There is absolutely no way it's the quality of my ancient Snapper and no way the battery will last that long.
 
I just hard wire start and throttle because the bicycle cables seem to break after 5 years.

My 26 year old brigs 3.5 finally decided not to start, took the carb apart the first time in 6-8 years and the air filter is missing. I just ran the thing 5 days ago.

Cleaned the carb put in some flammable sea foam and nada.

The way the pull cord is I can’t yank hard enough alone to watch for spark.

Might be bad gas, will eventually empty and clean.

More concerned that due to the tropical rain forest conditions the ignition might have finally gotten water damage.

Sort of disappointed because it just runs, despite spending 26 years outside under a tarp. Anything new seems to always be total garbage that never wants to start.
Just changed the coil on my 25 year old JD. Don't know for sure if it was the problem. It ohmed out at around 13kohm and so did the new one. Some days it would fire some not. It did when I got done though. Could have been the old crimp on spark plug terminal that was pretty dirty and the wire had pulled back. Maybe the mysterious ignitor. I'll have to wait until failure if it wasn't the problem. Taking the engine cover off was the main work though.
 
Got it running smooth.
1. New hose from donor junkyard mower. Red box.
2. Took the carb apart and cleaned it. Blue box.
3. Wired the kill switch and brake. Green Box.

Runs well, but took a bit of work to get it fired using starter fluid and lots of bulb priming. I’ll install the cable when it arrives. The top cover is back on. I also changed the oil ( blech) and put a new air filter on. The plug was OK.

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The biggest problem on that series of Briggs is the plastic air filter housing warping and leaking out the air puff from the primer bulb making it hard to cold start. Sometimes double gaskets between the housing and carb will fix it, I have saved a few with a tiny ridge of rtv silicone on the housing around the primer passage.
 
I've not looked over any electric mower, would they make it 25 years ?
None. The mower that replaced my 11 year old plug in mower was an inherited Briggs that was already about 20 years old in 2017. I know no battery for a battery powered mower is going to still be useful even after year 10.
 
I just hard wire start and throttle because the bicycle cables seem to break after 5 years.

My 26 year old brigs 3.5 finally decided not to start, took the carb apart the first time in 6-8 years and the air filter is missing. I just ran the thing 5 days ago.

Cleaned the carb put in some flammable sea foam and nada.

The way the pull cord is I can’t yank hard enough alone to watch for spark.

Might be bad gas, will eventually empty and clean.

More concerned that due to the tropical rain forest conditions the ignition might have finally gotten water damage.

Sort of disappointed because it just runs, despite spending 26 years outside under a tarp. Anything new seems to always be total garbage that never wants to start.
With any of the new all plastic stuff I say run them out of gas when you're done running them for more than a day. If they have fresh gas they start good, otherwise forgetaboutit.
 
The biggest problem on that series of Briggs is the plastic air filter housing warping and leaking out the air puff from the primer bulb making it hard to cold start. Sometimes double gaskets between the housing and carb will fix it, I have saved a few with a tiny ridge of rtv silicone on the housing around the primer passage.
I noticed you can get a replacement air filter base plate as part of a “ made in China” carburetor package on Amazon.
 
With any of the new all plastic stuff I say run them out of gas when you're done running them for more than a day. If they have fresh gas they start good, otherwise forgetaboutit.
I usually run this one out because about 1 - 1.5 tanks does the yard. (Varies with grass length and how wet)

I put it out on the blacktop on a hot full sun day with a mirror reflecting more light onto it.

Got it super toasty (too hot to touch) and one pull a big blue cloud and running. Only had a full tank left did about 65% and Petered out of gas. Got all the long crap mowed all the thin and stressed stuff was missed which is ok until I get more fuel

Might have another engine that requires a hair dryer to start if it sits too long in high humidity.
 
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Got it running smooth.
1. New hose from donor junkyard mower. Red box.
2. Took the carb apart and cleaned it. Blue box.
3. Wired the kill switch and brake. Green Box.

Runs well, but took a bit of work to get it fired using starter fluid and lots of bulb priming. I’ll install the cable when it arrives. The top cover is back on. I also changed the oil ( blech) and put a new air filter on. The plug was OK.

View attachment 232918
I had one of those green mowers.Mine had a Tecumseh 6.75 HP.. It seemed every few years, I was replacing magnetos. I had many spare parts from rubbish picks. I would also pop off the flywheel and check the key. They get punished by that flywheel braking system.
 
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