How Old Is Your Lawn Mower(s)?? And How Many Hours Approximately?

[jeepman3071]

don't the gcv engines have a timing belt inside the engine and the crankcase splits in half?

They do, but honestly the whole time I've been working on small engines (since 2003 or so) I've never had to split one or replace a timing belt. They are not expensive engines, if one is worn out I'd replace it. I own two GCV190s, one on a logsplitter, and another on a pressure washer. For a Honda lawn mower I'd be tempted to replace a GCV160 with a GXV160 commercial engine.

https://engines.honda.com/models/model-detail/gxv160#Features

 

[paulo57509]

I have a Honda powered (GCV-160), 21" Craftsman mower. I had an hour meter attached to the handle at one time but the vibrations cracked the case. The mower is +20 years old.

After break-in, it's had nothing but Mobil 1, 10w-30. Upon re-start, the exhaust has a distinctive odor. I think I changed the spark plug once (NGK).

Started it up last month after it has been sitting for ~18 months. Started on the first pull. Filled with E10 and StaBil. I do run the carb bowl empty at the end of each season.

 

[Winman99]

Just curious, how old is your lawn mower (and what lawn mower is it)?? Brand? Push mower, walk behind, riding mower?

I‘ll go first: I have a Troy Bilt 430 push mower, bought in 2008 and still going strong after 16 years. I also have a Toro 20330 Recycler walk behind self propelled mower, bought in 2010 and also going strong after 14 years. Both have Briggs and Stratton L-head engines (both about 190 cc “6.75 torque”) and have plenty of power to get the job done. Each gets roughly 20 or so hours of use per year, so about 320 hours on the TB and about 280 hours on the Toro. I use Amsoil synthetic 5W-30 motor oil on both. I try to change the oil every season but wind up not always doing that.

Sears Craftsman push mower from 2002 with a 6.75 Briggs. Somewhere in the neighborhood of 40 hours per year, so about 800 or so hours.
Oil change a couple of times a year and air filter at least once a year, spark plug every few years. I've never had an issue with plugs though. I keep it clean and greased and it is still in great shape. So far I've had to replace two wheels and the engine brake cable.

 

[bchannell]

2001 John Deere 425, Kawasaki FD620D water cooled 925 hours, mows 4+ acres every week and going strong.

 

[James Garfield]

My oldest. Manufactured around 1951. Cast iron Lausen engine. Mower weighs around 180 LBS.View attachment 211426View attachment 211428

What an awesome machine! I think I burned up about 10% of my laptop battery just staring at the picture.

What is that, a single 30" blade? How well does it cut?

 

[Jim K]

< My neighbor is an old lawn mower .

 

[James Garfield]

I have a Yardman 21" push mower (made by MTD), self propelled with a 6.5hp Briggs and Stratton engine with the "Touch-N-Mow" starter system. I purchased this unit in 1998 so it's 26 years old. The engine needs rings or maybe an overbore and a new piston and rings as it's starting to use oil and smokes a little. Other than ttit works fine. I think I'm on my third or fourth blade as I sharpened them so much they got pretty thin on the ends. It has ~650 hours on it. Our mowing season here is from May to the end of October and I mowed ~ 1 hour per week. The "Touch-N-Mow" starter still works and from what I've heard that is a rarity as the spring that provides the cranking power was prone to breakage after a few years. Briggs and Stratton no longer offer this start system, It has a rope recoil starter as well so if the starter system fails, it can still be started. I changed oil yearly up to a few years back when it started to use oil excessively. I just keep adding oil every use so in a season it gets at least 2 if not 3 oil changes LOL. I have kept increasing the oil viscosity to slow the oil consumption and am currently up to 15W-40, the same as I use in my diesel pickup.

Hey Great White North,

Before you tear into your Briggs engine to check out the rings, there's an easier thing to check first. At about this age, Briggs motors often suffer from a clogged Crankcase Breather Vent. This can cause oil to be sucked into the air cleaner and into the carburetor.

To check for this, take the air filter off and see if there's any oil in it.

If it looks something like this, then there's the problem.

The fix is much easier than a ring job. Locate and remove the Crankcase Breather Vent
(it's behind the muffler).

If it's clogged, it will look something like this:

Just replace it. But before bolting In a new one, inspect the valve spring chamber,
and use shop sir to blow out the little drain hole:

Good luck with it all, and post back to tell us how it went.

 

[Great White North]

Hey Great White North,

Before you tear into your Briggs engine to check out the rings, there's an easier thing to check first. At about this age, Briggs motors often suffer from a clogged Crankcase Breather Vent. This can cause oil to be sucked into the air cleaner and into the carburetor.

To check for this, take the air filter off and see if there's any oil in it.

If it looks something like this, then there's the problem.

View attachment 225723

The fix is much easier than a ring job. Locate and remove the Crankcase Breather Vent
(it's behind the muffler).

If it's clogged, it will look something like this:

View attachment 225724

Just replace it. But before bolting In a new one, inspect the valve spring chamber,
and use shop sir to blow out the little drain hole:

View attachment 225725

Good luck with it all, and post back to tell us how it went.

Thanks for the tip. I'll check that when I'm back home this fall as we're currently spending our summer at our RV about 100 miles from our home.

 

[James Garfield]

Thanks for the tip. I'll check that when I'm back home this fall as we're currently spending our summer at our RV about 100 miles from our home.

Hope you are enjoying your RV.

As for the clogged Crankcase Breather Vent, I have often wondered if this is a minor design flaw.

Back in the day, Briggs used little 'muffin' mufflers, or cigar mufflers, and the Breather Vent had clear air around it.

But the current 'Low Tone' muffler covers over the Breather Vent, radiates heat into it, and may be shortening its life. Then again, this problem usually won't show up for several years and hundreds of hours. Lots of folks don't keep a mower that long.

This is the 2'nd time I've put a new Breather Vent on this mower. I'm thinking about putting a little square of heat shielding material between the Low Tone muffler and the Breather Vent, to see if that helps it last longer.

But that's all for now. I'll stop here before I drag this thread any more off topic.