The 3000 hour barrier

[AandPDan]

Originally Posted By: TFB1
I use the stuff others toss out, cost for the most part is zero...


I do the same.

My lawnmower was picked from the trash, a John Deere JS63C self propelled OHV Briggs. One of the wheels had cracked. Cost $25 to fix. No rust, it had been kept inside from the looks of it. It runs like a top.

My generator was picked at the dump. A 1971 Briggs/Milwaukee 7hp. One of the brush springs had failed. $7 later it's up and running - and the governor holds regulation perfectly.

My tiller, a 1963 Briggs powered "EarthBird." It may blow a little smoke when run hard but it never fails to start, and it purrs when running. The diaphragm/pump gasket had failed.

I don't think it's cost effective to replace any of these items. Most people waste money and don't take care of their OPE. I think ultimately it's a reflection of our society and how it has changed. We used to make things to last, now everyone justs wants new, even though half the people can't afford it.

 

[Ausfahrt]

Originally Posted By: hatt
Originally Posted By: itguy08
Originally Posted By: wally6934

My take on this is that the average consumer is not to bright and throws away the OPE when it starts to have problems. And the commercial people work harder to maintain it.


Or they are very bright. Buy the $99 mower and run it for 2-3 years. When it acts up, any repair is more than it's worth. Pitch it and buy a new one, $33.33 a year if it makes it to year 3.

It's even a worse deal on a cheap weed wackier or blower. You're better off pitching it and buying new vs the cost of a repair at a shop.

Yep. From a strictly cost angle buying cheap throwaway equipment makes a lot of sense for homeowners. I bought a cheap $70 weedeater that gave good service for 6-7 years. I replaced it with an Echo for around $250. I have to keep the Echo for 20 years in order to break even on the cost. And it's surely going to need some odds and ends along the way. Not a big deal for me since my mower is an almost 30 year old John Deere 185 but for the avg Joe, he's not going to keep stuff running that long. Riding mowers would be the same way. The cheap $1200 lawn tractor is most likely going to give you 5 good years. You're going to spend 5x that to get anything built much better. 25 years is a long time.


Agreed.

And I will add that cost is not the only factor involved here. Quality equipment like the pieces available from Stihl and Echo are easier to use. The satisfaction derived from using a quality piece of equipment over many years is hard to quantify but I will almost always spend a few extra bucks to avoid the cheapos.