Are lawnmowers built worse than 20 years ago?

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Kern Dog

Kern Dog

Build your car to handle.
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It seems that when I was little, lawn mowers seemed to last longer.
My 6.5 HP Toro is ready to conk out after 4 years. It smokes out of the exhaust, it smokes up through the air filter and it knocks like rocks in a coffee can when I try to cut thick grass. Yeah, the oil is full. The spark plug fouls easily. It acts like a 400,000 mile slant six.
My lawn cutting duties are about 1/2 acre, once a week in warm weather. I don't use this for commercial work.
Do most lawnmowers use all aluminum engine blocks? Its been awhile since I did a teardown on one of these. I seem to remember that one I blew up had no iron sleeve for the cylinder. It was aluminum just like the piston. How the heck could that last with steel piston rings chewing away at the aluminum?
What kind of luck have you had with your mowers?
 
I think the answer is "it depends". In 07 I got a new rider. I went to our local Lowes because a friend work in the garden deptartment there. I looked at a Troy Bilt with a briggs on it. He said I would be sorry. He said Briggs has really lost a lot of quality over the years. So I went one model up and got one with a Kohler engine. It's been a dang goodun too. But like anything, maintainance is key.
 
The family has aToro. 2.5.horse,Briggs/Stratton. Still rolling. I use a bigger Sears,with front wheel drive. That's a monster. Preferred the Toro.
 
My 20 year old Craftsman push mower is still going strong. It just had it's first oil change last year. lol

So I don't know how the new mowers are.
 
I buy commercial grade, 20 yr old Gravely I gave away to a friend still running strong, replaced with a Zero turn Commercial Toro working on third year as great as the day it was purchased, keeps 4 acres cut around the house ......... the stuff at the big box stores are crap no matter the brand.....just like the BBQ grills they are all built out of thin sheet metal and are crap in one season.
 
I bought a rotary Honda powered mower about 3 or so years ago (it's Honda powered, but the mower isn't high dollar....think I paid about $240 for it) Anyway, that thing.....starts.....on the very first pull, every single time! The first PULL! And that's even after sitting all winter in a shed (don't really cut my grass over winter; it's dormant). I was never super impressed with the old Briggs & Stratton engines from "back in the day". I know the cylinder was aluminum with no sleeve, and the compression would drop like a rock over 2 or 3 years, IIRC....
 
What does "Zero Turn" mean? I have read that before but never looked into it.
I agree that there MUST be a better option than buying at a Home Depot or Lowes. Commercial grade? Maybe that is a viable option at this point...
 
Consumers report did a study on a bunch of lawn mowers (push, not the sit your *** on type) the Honda came in top spot, can't remember the model, it was self propelled and exspensive almost $500.
 
Honda all the way!! Yes the one with the plastic deck. Toro's are pure garbage now.

I have a 1972 Snapper rider like the one in Forrest Gump :) . Still going-going-going!

My Dad just retired from Home Depot where he serviced rental equipment and worked on so many Briggs engines. They are no longer the quality they once were.
 
There is no question about it, mowers today are just like most everything else... Made cheaper, with less quality parts, etc. Back when companies like International, Ford, Bolens, Massey Ferguson, and Case all made lawn tractors, they were obviously much much better. Now they are all pretty much all gone from that industry. Companies like MTD and AYP make the majority of mowers out there today and put different brand names on them like Craftsman, Cub Cadet, Bolens, etc. These are Not the same companies of yesteryear!
 
Here is a list of who makes (made) what:
(More than you ever wanted to know, but it is interesting to see how things evolved in that industry)...

AGCO outdoor power
Made by Simplicity

AGCO-ALLIS Outdoor Power:
Made By Simplicity

ALLIS-CHALMERS Outdoor Power:
Made By Simplicity
Allis owned Simplicity from 1965 to 1985 Simplicity continued to produce it for Allis after that.

ARIENS CORP:
ARIEN’S Brand
GRAVELY as of 1982
NATIONAL MOWER as of 2006
LOCKE as of 2006
EVERRIDE as of 2007
GREATDANE as of 2007 prior owned JOHN DEERE
STENS PARTS
BYNORM PARTS
Arien’s in the past has made Tractors under the SPERRY NEW HOLLAND name and snow blower and tillers under the JOHN DEERE name as well as snow blowers under the MAC name.

BOLENS:
Prior ownership
BOLENS
FMC
TROY-BILT
MTD as of 2002

CASE:
Bought out COLT in 1964
1983 was sold to Jack INGERSOLL

CRAFTSMAN:
Manufactures of Craftsman products
DAVID BRADLEY
ROPER
MTD
MURRAY
AYP
HUSQVARNA
JOHN DEERE Model Number 750256060
CUB CADET as of 2009
ARIENS
BOBCAT MOWERS
SIMPLICITY

CUB CADET:
I.H. CUB
MTD/CCC
LAWN BOY AND TORO made products in the past under I.H. CUB CADET label snow blowers from TORO and push mowers from LAWNBOY

DEUTZ-ALLIS Outdoor products:
Made by SIMPLICITY

DIXION
Owned By Husqvarna Outdoor Power

DYNAMARK:
Made by AMF & MURRAY

ECONOMY:
OR JIM DANDY & POWER KING

FORD Outdoor power:
Made by JACOBSON,GILSON,SHIBAURA & TORO/WHEELHORSE
.
GIBSON TRACTOR:
GIBSON.

GIERE:
MOUNTAINEER 1&2

GILSON:
GILSON
MONTGOMERY WARDS
LAWN BOY Bought Gilson in 1988

GRAVELY CORP:
Prior Ownership
GRAVELY
STUDEBAKER
Studebaker-Worthington
1982 Sold to Ariens. Currently imports Rapid tractors

HOMELITE:
Prior makers of the Tractor
SIMPLICITY
JACOBSON
Asset sold to JOHN DEERE IN THE 1990’S Original name of the JOHN DEERE SABRE was going to be DEERELITE
Currently own by a Korean manufacturing company\

HONDA outdoor power:
HONDA
JOHN DEERE in the 1990’S produced certain models under the Honda Label
HONDA lawn tractors now sold overseas not in U.S.

HUSQVARNA former owners ELECTROLUX
Brands produced by HUSQVARNA
HUSQVARNA
ARIENS Lawn & Garden tractors
AYP
CRAFTSMAN
DIXON
POLUAN
POLUAN PRO
WEEDEATER
YAZOO-KEE
JOHANSON
BLACK MAX sold at SAM’S CLUB
RYOBI sold at HOMEDEPOT.

INGERSOLL
Prior and current owners
COLT
CASE
JACK INGERSOLL
ROTHBERGER-GROUP
EASTMAN INDUSTRIES as of APRIL 2006

JACOBSON
JACOBSON
TEXTRON
Jacobson Made Tractors Under several labels Here are a Few:
FORD
HOMELITE
MINNEAPOLIS-MOLINE
OLIVER
WHITE Outdoor Prior to MTD Taking Over Production for white in 1975

JOHN DEERE
JOHN DEERE
SABO
SABRE became the L & LA 100 SERIES on a new frame made at JD plant in Tn.
SCOTTS After 1998 made on same frame as Sabre
One Craftsman lawn tractor in 1990’s based on saber lawn tractor.

KUBOTA CORP:
KUBOTA

LAWNBOY prior owners and today’s owners
LAWNBOY
GISON
TORO as of 1990

MASSEY FERGUSON outdoor power
AMF
SNAPPER
INGERSOLL
SIMPLICITY

MTD BRAND’S:
MTD
MTD PRO
BOLENS as of 2001
WHITE OUTDOOR as of 1981
YARDMAN as of 1975
MASSEY-FERGUSON in Europe AS OF 2006
LAWNFLITE
COLUMBIA
TORO tractors as of 2007
TROY-BILT as of 2001
CUB CADET AS OF April 1981.
SCOTTS all wheel steer tractors

MURRAY Prior and today’s owners:
MURRAY UNTIL 1993
TOMKINS 1993 TO 2004 Noma products was bought then as well
BRIGGS & STRATTON AS OF 2004 to present
After MTD made Scotts tractor MURRAY made them for HOMEDEPOT until 1998 when JOHN DEERE took over production from the 1999 year
They also produced the STANLY BRAND as well as Dynamark & Noma

NEW HOLLAND outdoor products: produced by
ARIENS
SHIBAURA
TORO/WHEELHORSE

POLUAN & POLAUN PRO produced by
ELECTROLUX/AYP
AS OF 2007 Husqvarna is the parent company

POWER KING produce by and produced for
(JIM DANDY/ECONOMY)
POWERKING produced Garden tractors for SNAPPER IN THE MID TO LATE 1990’S
ASSESTS OF POWER KING where bought by YAZOO-KEY
YAZOO-KEY Assests Bought by Husqvarna

ROPER brands produced
ROPER
CRAFTSMEN
RALLY
POULAN
HUSQVARNA
BECAME AYP IN the late 1980’S after ROPER's Outdoor Power equipment Division was Bought by Electrolux in 1988
Now under Husqvarna label.

SABO: Made by
JOHN DEERE IN Germany on the SABRE frame orange is the color

SABRE made by
JOHN DEERE ON late 1980’s and early 1990’s STX & GT275 FRAMES transitioned to the L100 frame last year of production

SCOTT’S made by
MTD
MURRAY
JOHN DEERE

SIMPLICITY:
Owned by
SIMPLICITY until 1965 when ALLIS-CHALMERS bought then until 1985
SIMPLICITY 1985 until 2006
BRIGGS & STRATTON 2006 TO PREASENT
BRANDS MADE AND UNDER SIMPLICITY CURRENT AND NON CURRENT
ALLIS-CHALMERS
DEUTZ-ALLIS
AGCO-ALLIS
AGCO
MASSEY FREGUSON
HOMELITE
MONTGOMERY WARDS
SNAPPER
FERRIS.

SNAPPER made by and for
SNAPPER
MASSEY-FERGUSON
POWER KING made garden tractor for them in late 1990’s
2004 SIMPLICITY BOUGHT SNAPPER
2006 BRIGGS & STRATTON BOUGHT THEM ALL

SPEEDEX Came from the same Family(POND Family) that Developed Wheel Horse
owned By:
Harold Pond
Sold To Maury Foote and Jerry Stowe
General Combustion
Trans Tech International, Ltd.

STEINER: MADE BY AND owned by
STEINER SOLD IN 1990’S TO TEXTRON
JACOBSON
0WNED BY TEXTRON UNTIL MID 2000’S
Now owned by Commercial Grounds Care, Inc: WHO ALSO MAKE BOBCAT MOWERS.

TORO: corp. owns the following brands or rights to them
WHEELHORSE bought from AMC in 1989 prior to late 1970’s it was its own company
GILSON Bought by Toro in 1989
LAWN BOY
EXMARK
They also produce tractors for FORD,FORD/NEW HOLLAND & NEW HOLLAND
Since 2007 MTD make’s the TORO lawn and garden tractors

TROY-BILT owned by and tractor made
GARDEN WAY until 2001
Since 2001 owned by MTD
Bought Bolens in the late 1980’s

VENTRAC:
Made by founding family of STEINIER when they became dissatisfied with the way TEXTRON was handling STEINER. The company is currently called VENTURE PRODUCTS and the attachment from both STEINER and VENTRAC are interchangeable

WALKER: brands they produce and some of there customers
WALKER
EXMARK.

WHEELHORSE: PARENT COMPANIES
WHEELHORSE
AMERICAN MOTORS CORP(AMC)
TORO.

WHITE OUTDOOR owners
Owned by MTD since 1981

YARDMAN owners
Owned by MTD since 1975
 
I still mow with a 1978 honda hr21, way better than anything made in the past 20 years. Most people cannot believe that its over 35 years old.


 
Frankenduster said:
What does "Zero Turn" mean? I have read that before but never looked into it.
I agree that there MUST be a better option than buying at a Home Depot or Lowes. Commercial grade? Maybe that is a viable option at this point...
Click to expand...

Being well equipped to explain this being I work at Home Depot...

Zero turn basically means you can turn from stand still without having to make a huge arc. Think how a tank turns, think how a car turns. It's more like a tank. You know the saying "turn on a dime"? it's kind of like that. You could probably do a 360 in a parking space almost. The point of this is for very complex landscapes that require high maneuverability.

There's no point in buying one unless you have a really HUGE yard with lots of trees. You could easily turn around a tree and cut a ring around it with the wheels almost touching the trunk, hope it helps clear things up.
 
I find the biggest problem is not the engines but the decks. The new ones are so thin that they bend and rust out in no time at all. Yes some engines are not as good but they will still outlast the deck!!!
 
Some engines specify cast iron sleeves which should be a better motor.

we had a 20 horse v twin kohler on a craftsman riding mower. When we bought it, someone had rebuilt the engine after throwing a rod thru the block. It broke a cam in 1 year and just utterly failed to run or have compression after about 2.

Now we have a 16 horse john deer not sure about the twin motor brand, that runs perfectly. We mow 5 acres of field like a bushhog.

I noticed the air filter and engine cooling fins get clogged up quickly. When I took apart the 20 horse kohler, the fins and little air passages (that pass thru the head around the valve area) were totally clogged to bejusus and back. I think this is the premature demise issue - failed cooling. Now after every season, I take off all the cowls and fully blow out all the air passages and fins cause they will be packed full of dirt and grass.
 
A lot of them now are built by MTD with different names put on them - most are disposables. I have a John Deere LX178 that I have had for 15 years and is still going strong. I keep up the maintenance on the ole girl and hope I can get another 15 out of it!!!
 
my adoptive dad had this silver one from 1994 which was before i moved here ....so before i got here it was never cared for strictly like how i maintain them.

last year it was retired and replaced and honestly there is really nothing wrong with it .....even after heavy use and irregular maintence......its really impressive how good it actually still runs.

the new one is also a sears Craftsman and on its second summer, i have been having great luck with it ...but i am known to go overboard on maintance.......with me it gets buffed and waxed regularly too and i scrub the deck out before putting it up for the winter :laughing::laughing::laughing:
 

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i have a 10 year old craftsman push mower, i cut my yard which is fairly large maybe once every 2 weeks. it has a tecumseh 4.25HP engine on it. it works well for me, maybe changed the oil once so far, and air filters twice a season because i have some dirt patches in my yard.

i have to pump the primer like 4 times before it will light off, always did this from day one. every time after i mow i pull the spark plug wire off, lay the mower on its side, and scrape the mower deck out with a steel paint scraper, then i rinse the deck out with my garden hose to clean out the rest. the mower deck is solid, only a little surface rust from bare metal. i credit that to my scraping it out and cleaning it before putting it away.

the engine doesnt smoke, or use oil sure it boggs down a little if running it in high grass, but its only 4.25 HP after all. you shouldent let your grass get too high anyways, its not good for the grass, plus it makes it harder to push the mower LOL.

i heard briggs went to ****. they sold out to the red chinese. they are no longer made in kenosha wisconsin anymore. not sure where my tecumseh is made but its a good mower for a push type.

just my .02
matt
 
I picked up an old MTD (late 80's) riding mower from Craigslist for 400 bucks. It has a 12.5 horse Briggs industrial engine with the cast iron liner and has been absolutely awesome for everything including plowing snow.

In regards to the aluminum cylinder, they use a plating called "nikasil" that's very hard, but the slightest amount of dirt or dust will trash the plating and rings.
 

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