I've been looking for a rider mower for my sister on marketplace. And there's alot of them with blown engines. Is that because the engines are garbage, or do people just don't ever check the oil?.,,
Blown engines on riding mowers.,,
- Thread starter BigCahuna
- Start date
I would say they don't check their oil or they hit a rock and break some internals. Some engines like cars are just built badly and you get a lemon. Overheating can destroy them too but for the most part I would say lack of maintenance.
A bit of all of what you said, but mainly because people let the oil get low. The other biggie is over heating due to debris clogging up the cooling fins... like mouse nests and such.
It seems to me looking at facebook marketplace at mowers that people generally treat mowers as throw away. They dont do anything except add grass and mow. This is more with standard push type or self propelled and not riding type specifically.
I'm trying to figure out if that's a Freudian slip or just a typo, lol.
Both? Maybe gummed up carbs, making them run lean too? Reminds me that I haven't looked to see if the air filter is still there on mine... I did change the oil this spring, so it doesn't have that excuse to blow up.
I think once they get so old people just want a reason to get a new one and quit maintaining the old one?
Get one with a Honda engine, if available 
Electric riding mowers are also worth consideration, depending on how big the lawn is. Some of them claim 2 acres per charge, others 1 acre per charge, etc.
This one says everything works and no parts are needed
Electric riding mowers are also worth consideration, depending on how big the lawn is. Some of them claim 2 acres per charge, others 1 acre per charge, etc.
This one says everything works and no parts are needed
The belt drives on a rider should save the engine on rock or stump strikes, but they do end quite a few push mower careers! I've bent a few blades and broke 3 spindle carriers on my rider while mowing the trails, nothing else seems to happen when it tries to eat a big root.
The carb problem I can handle. It's the rods hanging out the side of the block that makes it a no sale to me.,,
I've owned a riding mower before, and the safety switches can drive you nut's. I can sort them out, I just cant see spending alot of money on a mower with engine block windows.,,
Mine threw a rod through the head (17HP Briggs single). Probably due to a lack of valve adjusting.
Owners manual recs the adjustment at 500 hrs. Hole in head at 503 hours.
New Briggs 19HP recs adjustment at 250 hours. I checked and adjusted valves at 90 hours when I had to
fix the valve cover oil leak. Used a gasket in place of the sealer.
Owners manual recs the adjustment at 500 hrs. Hole in head at 503 hours.
New Briggs 19HP recs adjustment at 250 hours. I checked and adjusted valves at 90 hours when I had to
fix the valve cover oil leak. Used a gasket in place of the sealer.
While a blown engine on a mower might be fun, I just have never felt the need to add a Supercharger to one.
They are built to just get by and accomplish the job. Sad to say even the worse automobile engines nowadays are built better than most all small engines.
Good maintenance helps.
Good maintenance helps.
+1 on the lack of maintenance caused by "throw away" mentality for most.
I bought my Husqy as a Lowe's return and refurbished item, for $950 back in 2018. Basically the deck needed an adjustment and was an easy fix but since it was a return, they fixed it and sold it "as is." Since we had just bought our first house and the yard was way overgrown, I decided $950 was cheap enough to risk it for a few mows, in case it dies on me.
I'm happy to report that 7 years and 334hrs later, it's still running like a champ. Although I do more maintenance than most, there are a few things that'll make you park it or sell it. For instance, today I broke one of the 3 mandrels (the thing that the blade is connected to and that the belt turns) and this will be the 2nd one I need replaced. My yard is a bumpy ~1.9 acre affair and accidents happen. I've already ordered replacement mandrels and I'll replace the broken one so I can keep mowing next week.
Oh, forgot to mention I managed to break the frame near the rear end, just forward of the battery cutout and seat area. I guess after 6 yrs of carrying my lardass around the bumpy yard for 2-3 hrs at a time, the steel just quit. I've reattached it with some solid treated 2x4s and some through bolts, along with a couple U-bolts. Holds everything nice and tight and also beefed up that area of the frame to prevent future issues.
Considering new riding mowers are well over $2K, my fix cost $0 and a couple hrs of my time. It really doesn't owe me anything and we could well afford to purchase a new one; just going to see how many hrs and yrs I can really get out of it before real problems arise.
Otherwise, it's just belts, spark plugs, filters, annual OC, mid-grade gas and away we go...
I bought my Husqy as a Lowe's return and refurbished item, for $950 back in 2018. Basically the deck needed an adjustment and was an easy fix but since it was a return, they fixed it and sold it "as is." Since we had just bought our first house and the yard was way overgrown, I decided $950 was cheap enough to risk it for a few mows, in case it dies on me.
I'm happy to report that 7 years and 334hrs later, it's still running like a champ. Although I do more maintenance than most, there are a few things that'll make you park it or sell it. For instance, today I broke one of the 3 mandrels (the thing that the blade is connected to and that the belt turns) and this will be the 2nd one I need replaced. My yard is a bumpy ~1.9 acre affair and accidents happen. I've already ordered replacement mandrels and I'll replace the broken one so I can keep mowing next week.
Oh, forgot to mention I managed to break the frame near the rear end, just forward of the battery cutout and seat area. I guess after 6 yrs of carrying my lardass around the bumpy yard for 2-3 hrs at a time, the steel just quit. I've reattached it with some solid treated 2x4s and some through bolts, along with a couple U-bolts. Holds everything nice and tight and also beefed up that area of the frame to prevent future issues.
Considering new riding mowers are well over $2K, my fix cost $0 and a couple hrs of my time. It really doesn't owe me anything and we could well afford to purchase a new one; just going to see how many hrs and yrs I can really get out of it before real problems arise.
Otherwise, it's just belts, spark plugs, filters, annual OC, mid-grade gas and away we go...
JTK
$100 Site Donor 2025
You have to be pretty clueless to totally destroy a riding mower engine. I know years ago the first generation of Kohler Courage large single cyl engines had a problem with crankcase cover bolts loosening up, causing the crankshaft to wobble and destroy the engine. That's about it. None of them are inherently fragile. The Briggs 17.5hp single cyl on my nearly 20yr/old Sears/Craftsman rider uses no measurable amount of oil between oil changes. Given it only gets used for 30-45min a pop and has an oil filter on the engine, I sometimes only change the oil every 2yrs or so.
I think the FB Marketplace anomaly is mostly from people trying to easily rid themselves of an inop riding mower, other than roll it to the curb and hope someone picks it up.
I think the FB Marketplace anomaly is mostly from people trying to easily rid themselves of an inop riding mower, other than roll it to the curb and hope someone picks it up.
Define "blown". Briggs might be running poorly and smoking badly from a failed head gasket on one cylinder. Failed coil on a twin can make one sound terminal too. Check carefully, there are deals to be had. Replacing an engine on a cheaply bought expensive machine shouldn't be a deal killer either.
Yeah, I see that often on facebook, my motorized gadget is worth $2k in good condition, but has a potentially major $1k+ in parts problem, so I'll ask $1500.... I don't bother responding to those.
Just watch for a decent one at a fair price and snap it up as soon as its posted.
A lot of people treat their yard equipment worse that their cars. Most people don't check their engine oil in their car between a long over do change.
Similar threads
