Recommendations: Gas powered leaf blowers.....go!

[fordman84]

The place I get it serviced says exactly that.

I used to tell people the same when I worked at the shop. They were guaranteed money.

 

[ill]

Disagree, but I get how people think that

what would you recommend?

I have had Briggs and Stratons and there are just too many plastic parts that break for my liking.

 

[williewilliejuan]

The one my gardener uses is red, I think. It could be orange. Or possibly some other color.

Glad I could help.

 

[fordman84]

what would you recommend?

I have had Briggs and Stratons and there are just too many plastic parts that break for my liking.

Both Briggs and Tecumseh are far and away the easiest and cheapest to work on. Honda is a great engine and will hum along nicely. But as soon as they start to develop issues in the carb, which with ethanol gas doesn't take long, they are a nightmare to ever make work again. Pretty much have to put a new carb bowl on as soon as someone lets them sit with any gas more than a month. Honda's have a tiny little bowl, leaves no tolerance for anything to get even a little gunked up.

 

[Hank Kingsley]

Disagree, but I get how people think that

I've had a Toro and 2 Craftsmans previously. The Toro had a wheel fall off. The first Craftsman didn't have enough poop. The 2nd Craftsman rusted out even though it had 7.5 HP.

This aged Honda doesn't even have rust, I think it's an aluminum body??

If it was a puller instead of a pusher it would be perfect. A puller is easier to maneuver because you can tip the front up.

Saw your comment about ethanol in the gas. I put Chevron 94 in my mower.

 

[ill]

Both Briggs and Tecumseh are far and away the easiest and cheapest to work on. Honda is a great engine and will hum along nicely. But as soon as they start to develop issues in the carb, which with ethanol gas doesn't take long, they are a nightmare to ever make work again. Pretty much have to put a new carb bowl on as soon as someone lets them sit with any gas more than a month. Honda's have a tiny little bowl, leaves no tolerance for anything to get even a little gunked up.

I don't want ones I am going to have to work on though.

I can clean the carb and all that, but if I need to actually do repairs, that where I am running into issues.

 

[fordman84]

I've had a Toro and 2 Craftsmans previously. The Toro had a wheel fall off. The first Craftsman didn't have enough poop. The 2nd Craftsman rusted out even though it had 7.5 HP.

This aged Honda doesn't even have rust, I think it's an aluminum body??

If it was a puller instead of a pusher it would be perfect. A puller is easier to maneuver because you can tip the front up.

I worked for Sears service center in college, I'd never own craftsman lawn equipment. It's all just branded MTD stuff. And front self propelled mowers never made any sense to me. the reason the good manufacturers don't do it is because they are way too easy to screw up. Kid you not people would drop off a front driven mower that the drive wouldn't work. I'd say 99/100 times all we had to do was pull the front end out a bit. People would run into trees or mailboxes or other posts and just bump the front. Over time those bumps end up flaring the frame out right at the wheels and binds up the drive gear. It got to the point I wouldn't even take the mower in to do paperwork. Just tip it back, yank on the front metal, explain what was wrong, show them it worked and send them home.

Honda is aluminum. they will run like a champ, but just a pain to work on. It's like comparing an old F150 with an I6-300 engine vs a new Honda...one you can stand in the engine bay to work on them the other you need a mechanical engineering degree just to get to the spark plugs. When an Honda would roll in I knew right out of the gate it was at least 2 hours of shop time.

I swear by Toro, their personal pace system is still the best around. I've had mine for 17 years now, but I can keep anything running.

 

[fordman84]

I don't want ones I am going to have to work on though.

I can clean the carb and all that, but if I need to actually do repairs, that where I am running into issues.

If you can clean a carb, you don't want a honda. Honda mowers have a post attachment system. They have the long threaded posts into the engine block that the spacer then carb slide on. You have to use a 10mm deep socket to remove the nuts all they way back up the threaded rod to get them off. And then when putting them back on you have to get them both exactly torqued the same or you will have a massive air leak. And you have a lot of shroud to take off to get to them. Tecumseh on the other hand you pull the fuel line, two 3/8" bolts hold the entire thing to the block, and some linkage and the thing is out. One bolt off the bottom to drop the bowl, spray out the throat and bolt, and back in it goes good as new (unless there was sludge/fuel in there).

When running right you can't beat a Honda. When you have to work on them, they are a pain and expensive. But that's why I don't drive a BMW, too expensive to work on even though they are very nice when running fine.

 

[ill]

If you can clean a carb, you don't want a honda. Honda mowers have a post attachment system. They have the long threaded posts into the engine block that the spacer then carb slide on. You have to use a 10mm deep socket to remove the nuts all they way back up the threaded rod to get them off. And then when putting them back on you have to get them both exactly torqued the same or you will have a massive air leak. And you have a lot of shroud to take off to get to them. Tecumseh on the other hand you pull the fuel line, two 3/8" bolts hold the entire thing to the block, and some linkage and the thing is out. One bolt off the bottom to drop the bowl, spray out the throat and bolt, and back in it goes good as new (unless there was sludge/fuel in there).

When running right you can't beat a Honda. When you have to work on them, they are a pain and expensive. But that's why I don't drive a BMW, too expensive to work on even though they are very nice when running fine.

so would you recommend a nice Husquavarna with a B&S engine?

 

[Hank Kingsley]

I worked for Sears service center in college, I'd never own craftsman lawn equipment. It's all just branded MTD stuff. And front self propelled mowers never made any sense to me. the reason the good manufacturers don't do it is because they are way too easy to screw up. Kid you not people would drop off a front driven mower that the drive wouldn't work. I'd say 99/100 times all we had to do was pull the front end out a bit. People would run into trees or mailboxes or other posts and just bump the front. Over time those bumps end up flaring the frame out right at the wheels and binds up the drive gear. It got to the point I wouldn't even take the mower in to do paperwork. Just tip it back, yank on the front metal, explain what was wrong, show them it worked and send them home.

Honda is aluminum. they will run like a champ, but just a pain to work on. It's like comparing an old F150 with an I6-300 engine vs a new Honda...one you can stand in the engine bay to work on them the other you need a mechanical engineering degree just to get to the spark plugs. When an Honda would roll in I knew right out of the gate it was at least 2 hours of shop time.

I swear by Toro, their personal pace system is still the best around. I've had mine for 17 years now, but I can keep anything running.

My 2nd Craftsman was FWD. It was great in my opinion. I didn't demo derby it. Think I changed a drive belt once.

One other thing I find with the Honda is it doesn't like to go counterclockwise. Seriously hard to turn left..

 

[fordman84]

so would you recommend a nice Husquavarna with a B&S engine?

riding mower? Husqy is pretty good. I prefer a Deere for riding mowers just because their service is top of the line. Husqy you will need a generic shop who may or may not know how to work on things. We were a Deere repair shop and the training and certs we had were not just what any one could do. When it comes to push mowers, Toro is what I'd have.

 

[Hank Kingsley]

If you can clean a carb, you don't want a honda. Honda mowers have a post attachment system. They have the long threaded posts into the engine block that the spacer then carb slide on. You have to use a 10mm deep socket to remove the nuts all they way back up the threaded rod to get them off. And then when putting them back on you have to get them both exactly torqued the same or you will have a massive air leak. And you have a lot of shroud to take off to get to them. Tecumseh on the other hand you pull the fuel line, two 3/8" bolts hold the entire thing to the block, and some linkage and the thing is out. One bolt off the bottom to drop the bowl, spray out the throat and bolt, and back in it goes good as new (unless there was sludge/fuel in there).

When running right you can't beat a Honda. When you have to work on them, they are a pain and expensive. But that's why I don't drive a BMW, too expensive to work on even though they are very nice when running fine.

I've had that silver fuel cup off, but it was because I had dirt.

Do you apply that logic to Audis and Benzs? My shop tells me that a BMW turbo is gonna fail... A count on it.

Never owned one but have had no issues with my Germans.

 

[ill]

riding mower? Husqy is pretty good. I prefer a Deere for riding mowers just because their service is top of the line. Husqy you will need a generic shop who may or may not know how to work on things. We were a Deere repair shop and the training and certs we had were not just what any one could do. When it comes to push mowers, Toro is what I'd have.

push.

I don't need a rider

 

[fordman84]

I've had that silver fuel cup off, but it was because I had dirt.

Do you apply that logic to Audis and Benzs? My shop tells me that a BMW turbo is gonna fail... A count on it.

Never owned one but have had no issues with my Germans.

I don't know much about Audi. A coworker swears by his, but never paid much attention to them. BWM I just know have a lot of very expensive and requisite maintenance milestones you have to hit to keep the warranty.

 

[Hank Kingsley]

push.

I don't need a rider

Exercise is good....

The old (older than me by 10) has a green tractor (Deere) with some kind of vacuum unit on the back. All he ever does is cut the lawn. Never gets the edges near his house or flower beds where the grass gets a foot tall.

 

[ill]

riding mower? Husqy is pretty good. I prefer a Deere for riding mowers just because their service is top of the line. Husqy you will need a generic shop who may or may not know how to work on things. We were a Deere repair shop and the training and certs we had were not just what any one could do. When it comes to push mowers, Toro is what I'd have.

sorry, didn't see the Toro recommendation at the bottom.

 

[Hank Kingsley]

I don't know much about Audi. A coworker swears by his, but never paid much attention to them. BWM I just know have a lot of very expensive and requisite maintenance milestones you have to hit to keep the warranty.

I have no problem with doing maintenance, oil every 6 months or 10 K KMs is the caveat I have, and has to be at a shop. And mine are after market warranties as I bought the cars used.

 

[fordman84]

push.

I don't need a rider

I don't know anything about Husqy push mowers, not sure if they make their own or rebrand. John Deere doesn't make their mowers, just paint other brands in their green.

Most of the time things that break on a mower will be engine related, and fuel at that. I look to see which ones have the fewest things to remove to get to the routine stuff. If there is a hidden/recessed blade bolt, I'm out. If there one of those crazy "mulching fan" behind the blade, I'm out. If you have to disassemble the entire unit to get to the drive belt, out. Honda is that last one. Toro is three screws and the blade, however I'm still on my first belt. I have changed the drive pulley, but the belt is kevlar and will last forever.

 

[fordman84]

Exercise is good....

The old (older than me by 10) has a green tractor (Deere) with some kind of vacuum unit on the back. All he ever does is cut the lawn. Never gets the edges near his house or flower beds where the grass gets a foot tall.

haha, exercise is why I don't have a lawn guy. The wife keeps telling me to just get one, but it's the best workout I can guarantee i'll get each week.

 

[ill]

I don't know anything about Husqy push mowers, not sure if they make their own or rebrand. John Deere doesn't make their mowers, just paint other brands in their green.

Most of the time things that break on a mower will be engine related, and fuel at that. I look to see which ones have the fewest things to remove to get to the routine stuff. If there is a hidden/recessed blade bolt, I'm out. If there one of those crazy "mulching fan" behind the blade, I'm out. If you have to disassemble the entire unit to get to the drive belt, out. Honda is that last one. Toro is three screws and the blade, however I'm still on my first belt. I have changed the drive pulley, but the belt is kevlar and will last forever.

you can get a legit John Deere if you go to the right place...but don't buy one from Lowes or whatever.