Buying Used Lawnmower, Snowblower?

[YoshiMoshi3]

Hi All,

I'm debating buying a used snowblower or lawnmower and had a few questions.

I would never buy a brand new car because of the price depreciation. I'm not at the point in my life were I can afford that. Maybe one day though, it would be nice. Someone like me is better off just buying a used car.

I know that all things with engines in them deplete in value. Is getting a used snowblower or lawn mower a good idea? Is it like the automotive industry, where there are aftermarket part manufacturers? Automotive has like Rock Auto, or A1 Auto and so forth. Is there a popular online website that makes aftermarket parts for lawnmowers or snowblowers? I have the service manual for my car, and it is great. Are there service manuals for lawn mowers and snow blowers?

I know that lawn mowers and snowblowers aren't as expensive as a car, so I'm debating if it's worth getting a brand new one. If the difference between a used and a new one is less than a thousand dollars, aftermarket parts aren't readily available, service manuals don't exist, than I might be better off just buying a new one.

Please let me know and thanks.

 

[theoldwizard1]

On a used snow blower, make sure you can get the wheels off. Some day, that might be important.

Over time, I have replaced all of the bolts on my old Toro snowblower with stainless ones.

 

[four.cycle]

I don't know anything about snowblowers. They are not used here on the west side of Washington State - no need for them.

Lawnmowers:
Lawnmowers are not automobiles.
Automobile odometers record MILES.
Lawnmower engines are clocked by HOURS.
How long does it take to mow your lawn? How many times a season do you mow the lawn?
Now do the math.
A 15-year-old lawnmower might be on its last legs, or it might be in pretty cherry condition - it all depends upon how it was used and how the owner took care of it.
Avoid anything second-hand that's been in commercial service - they run them until the wheels fall off.

Best method would be to wait until about March or April, then start checking "free" listings on craigslist for mowers. Use this search string:
mower | mowers | lawnmower | lawnmowers
that way you catch them all.
Find one that says "Gee, it ran great last year, but now it won't start, so I bought a new one."

If you have ANY mechanical aptitude, you should be able to have that mower running in less than 90 minutes.
The old B&S and Tecumseh flathead engines run forever if you keep oil in them.
The later OHV offerings can be somewhat persnickity and they're tricky for some people to work on.

Lawnmower parts can be had online dirt cheap at jacksmallengines.com or partstree.com

AVOID Chinese-made lawnmower parts. The damn things DONT FIT.

YMMV

 

[nadogail]

Snowblowers have no use in the city i live in, I would be surprised to see one in action locally.

Free Lawnmowers are very common on Craig's List.

 

[engineer2]

If looking online, get the make/model number from the seller.
Familiarize yourself with the serial number system for that model so you can see how old it really is.

 

[The Cobbler]

used small engine stuff can be a great deal, or not... lots can be had for free that are not running
most issues is with carbs, then spark ,in my opinion.
of course engine wear & locked up, thrown roods etc is basically scrap and not worth repairing
if you're mechanically inclined You tub has lots of repair videos .
snow blowers have wear parts like belts, bushings , ceased wheels on the axles etc that may alter the value , but again if you check it over good, there shouldn't be too many surprises
lots of common parts available on ebay & amazon. new carbs can be bought in the $12 range .

 

[jumbojak]

Some mowers are better than others. We have a Scag at work that has had seventeen hard commercial seasons and is still in very serviceable condition. You can still get just about any part you need. That one is finally due for a new deck and, possibly, a new powerplant.

We also have a commercial Dixon that is falling apart after ten years. We could replace the engine if it needed one. Unfortunately, it's the rest of the mower that is coming loose at the seams. Most of what is broken is either no longer available or so ridiculously expensive that fixes are rigged together.

Homeowner grade machines are even more disposable than our Dixon. You can find engine parts for quite a while but the rest of the machine is not going to be as serviceable in the long term.

 

[Skooterj]

I have 4 Mowers/Tractors and 1 snowblower. All were bought used. All have had issues and needed replacement parts. I've always been able to fix them. I had to replace one engine in a lawn tractor a couple of years ago. Rebuilding the transaxle on my 1977 John Deere 210 right now. I have a commercial Dixon Zero turn that was built in 1999. Some of its parts are now longer available, but I keep it well maintained, so I'm hoping to get at least a couple more years out of it. If I had any advice, buy a brand that is still in business and check parts availability before purchasing used equipment. I knew about the Dixon's lack of replacement parts, but it was a deal too good to pass up. When it dies, I can sell the used engine for more than I paid for the mower.

 

[four.cycle]

If looking online, get the make/model number from the seller.

Briggs & Stratton engines use an identification system in which they stamp on the blower housing the
MODEL TYPE CODE
There are three series of numbers/letters stamped on the blower housing. The first two numbers of the THIRD string are the YEAR of production. The third and fourth numbers are the MONTH the engine was built.

Tecumseh engines are difficult, if not impossible, to identify by YEAR. You will be lucky if they still have the sticker on them that shows the Tecumseh SPEC NUMBER. Sometimes all you can get is the CRAFTSMAN engine number, in which case you'll have to find an interchange chart to kick it over to the SPEC NUMBER so you can buy parts without having to go to Sears.

If you are able to get the MODEL NUMBER of the mower itself, which is generally stamped on a sticker which is affixed to the LEFT REAR CORNER of the deck (or under the discharge flap on most Toro models) and you can find an OWNERS MANUAL (perhaps from archive.org, if nowhere else), most of the time you can suss out the YEAR the MOWER was manufactured. (It generally follows that the ENGINE was manufactured about the same time as the MOWER, but I've seen them two and three years off either way.)

"...new carbs can be bought in the $12 range..."

The last Tecumseh carburetor kit I bought was $6.00.
The last brand new made-in-China Tecumseh replacement carburetor I bought from ebay was $9.00

Briggs & Stratton carbs - about the same.

Doesn't make any sense to screw around rebuilding carburetors. The new ones are "universal-one-size-fits-all-non-adjustable" models, but they work just dandy.

"Some mowers are better than others..."

In the context of walk-behind lawnmowers, this is quite true. (I don't know anything about riding mowers.)
AYP (American Yard Products) stamped out every Craftsman deck for years. They ALL have an inherent design flaw in that they ALL have a tendency to rust out at the rear left side of the deck. Some are better than others, but overall AYP decks are designed for short service life.

The other deck manufacturer is MTD, makers of Bolens, Ryobi, and other mass-merchandiser low-end walk-behind mowers. They make the cheesiest decks in the galaxy - thin gauge metal that will rust out here in western Washington in three years if the decks aren't washed and they're left out in the rain all winter.

Only decks that are going to offer long service life are old Snappers, old Murrays (which are heavier than hell), old Ariens, and some older models of Toro.

Again, all of my statements are in the context of walk behind mowers - I never worked on riders.

YMMV

 

[exmaxima1]

I've never paid more than $50 for a snowblower. I use them 5 years or so, buy another one and sell the old one for $50. Just look for a Toro. They are at garage and moving sales all the time

 

[Boilerhouse]

It doesn't sound like you are real familiar with the workings of smaller yard appliances. Not that it can't be learnt but, if I were you, i would buy both, higher quality, brand new, maintain them well, and they will both likely last you a lifetime. And you will slowly gain a lot of knowledge as to how these things work. (My snowblower is 34 years old, lawn mower roughly 25 and both still going strong.)

 

[KEH]

Number 2 on what Boilerhouse said.

KEH

 

[theoldwizard1]

Aftermarket (Chinese) carbs are very "hit and miss", mostly miss !

Most small engine problems are fuel related. If you put a small amount of fuel in the cylinder (after removing the spark plug), it should fire on the first or second pull. If not, use a spark tester to verify spark.

The most common problem is a gummed up carb from fuel being left in the bowl or from dirt from the gas tank getting into one of the jets.

 

[bighouse01]

I got sick of constantly repairing cheap lawn tractors and bought a used Scag wall behind. It’s well used but I only use it for an hour and a half a week and it has held up like a tank!!

 

[dchawk81]

I bought a brand new snow blower because it has electric start and power steering. I freaking hate snow and would have a skid loader instead if I could. The less I have to deal with it, the better.

 

[Wakefield]

Mowers used to left out around here as trash that were only a couple to a few years old because they "wouldn't start" and most of them could be revived by removing and reassembling the carburetors,some of them just had water or trash in the bottom of the float bowl and in the "jet nut",certain kinds of solvent,paint remover,"Super Jet Spray Gumcutter" work wonders but might dissolve plastic parts (main nozzle in newer Tecumseh carburetor?)
probably plastic fuel tank can be cleaned/flushed out,new fuel line,inline fuel filter added,inline shutoff valve,etc.
careful to remember how the linkages and spring(s) fit between the governor lever and other parts of the throttle control setup work before trying to take them apart so as to be able to put them together again without bending them
have gotten a lot more use (and abuse grinding up lots of leaves) out of a couple of these orphans than the original buyers ever could have although the deck of one of them (one of the thin metaled Craftsman)has some pinholes in it ,grinding leaves makes lots of dust that is not good for them and clogs the tootsie roll air filters
learn how to tip the mower without causing the oil to come out of the breather and/or flood the paper air filter or even go into the engine intake and hydrolock the engine (on older engines usually meant "muffler pointed up)

not as many people around here have lawnmowers any more because the people around here now have so much money that they pay for expensive lawn cutting services.

 

[four.cycle]

walk-behind lawnmower engine Briggs & Stratton Tecumseh carburetor governor linkage spring photos

scroll down just a little bit on the page to find the photos.

 

[Leaflessshadetree]

It depends a lot on the mower, snowblower and reason for selling and you willingness/ability to repair. IMO consumer grade would most likely have to be a small fraction of the new price. Better grade equipment holds its value fairly well and can be a good deal for homeowner use.

 

[Garcky]

Don't buy my used snowblower! It will be 10 years old, and I'm selling it while it's still running, because it won't last through this winter. The thing is that I paid $600 for it 10 years ago. That means that it has cost me just $60/year. That's about the cost one driveway clearing by a service. So, I don't care about that old snowblower. It was a great investment for me. It won't be a good investment for you. That's why I'm giving it away instead of selling it. Take it for free, and don't bring it back when it stops running.

However, if I were you, I'd buy a new one. Really.

 

[MerlinsBeard]

Like most things, it depends...

Depends on your storage, experience-base, and tinkering time availability.

Do you have the space (and transport) to support a solid lawnmower/snowblower and a tinker project project or two (that may take a while to get working if you roll unlucky)?

Are you familiar with mower and snowblower troubleshooting? There's a lot of youtube material, but if the normal fixes don't work, do you have the time to grind it out?

Do you have time to tinker, or are you full time employed, kids, etc?

For me, I do think it's worth the time investment if I can still get by with something that works, but has intermittent issues. For me, I spent half the season chasing a bad choke thermostat on my JS36 (that still ran, just had issues). If my lawnmower was dead in the water, and I only have weekends to really work on anything, my decision to buy a new one would have kicked in fairly quickly if I couldn't still get by mowing my lawn.

I don't have the space to store multiple lawnmowers or snowblowers, so to me, maintaining one solid machine is preferable to maintaining a plethora of half working or dead machinery. In contrast, my dad has a farm and has multiple projects for misfit toys that I could never get away with where I live.

YMMV

 

[lolaetype]

Please let me know and thanks.

Last spring I paid $200 for a working used 42" cut Cub Cadet. New front tires and wheels, new rear tires, new belts and blades, new carb and a tuneup, new battery. So I'm into this for under $500. That beat the $2200 the big box stores wanted for a new one.

 

[andyvh1959]

My 1st snowblower was a used Snow Shark with an old Kohler engine, built in the 60s. Bought it in early 80's, used that Kohler engine until 2006 (after I mounted the engine on a used Dynamark late 60's version base). Replaced that in 2018 when a heavy wet April 18" snow storm finally did it in. I bought a used Ariens 2008 model that runs great. Got it out of storage this past week, checked the oil, fresh gas, primed the fuel, one pull and running. I'll likely run that Ariens for at least ten years yet, more as long as it keep running.

I'd not hesitate to buy a quality brand name snow blower as long as it was properly maintained. A cheap snow blower, like a MTD/Murray isn't worth the fewer bucks you'll spend on it.

 

[joel_400]

If you like working on small engine stuff or want to learn then buy used. If you don't then buy new and when it quits running in a few years then sell it to someone like me! Haha In all actuality there's not much to the snowblowers and push mowers nowadays. If you are looking to buy a used rider research it before buying. Look up what commonly fails on that model and look up repair parts to fix said issues. The Internet is wonderful for this, just don't let it scare you because there is alot more opinions than facts! Nothing else ask around on good forums like this before buying, then you should get good solid information. With riding mowers make sure you have a good understanding of basic electrical in case a switch goes bad or something like that. As far as the mechanical end of things if your willing to learn most issues with small engine stuff can be fixed with basic tools and knowledge. When I started tinkering with mowers back in 2005 I didn't know a thing about lawnmowers. I first got into garden tractor pulling and before I knew it I was fixing lawnmowers all over the county! It made me extra money to support the pulling habit and I really learned alot. With what I learned I became a "go to guy" for many people. Even got calls from local shops when they couldn't figure stuff out. Nothing else it makes you feel good when you can help someone out. Worst case if you buy used look for good deals on case you get something that isn't worth the repairs needed you're not out too much. I always look for snowblowers in the summer time. Thayer hard to sell when it's sunny and 80 degrees...but when it's 20 and snowing demand premium prices! Haha Push mowers can be found by the curb in the early spring when the guy can't get it running after sitting all winter! Good luck with your future purchase and if you need help don't be afraid to ask!
Joel

 

[Mike65]

The year before my wife & I moved to southern Virginia from NJ I serviced my 15 year old snow blower, new tires, carb, fuel filter, & starter & I did it when was warm so I did not have to mess with it in the cold. I sold it before we moved & it sold in 2 days. If you are buying used ask for receipts if any work was done to it.

 

[jmiller_2308]

What @Boilerhouse said because in the long run you won't regret it.

If you really want to buy used here is my advice:

• Whenever buying used equipment look at how it is presented and maintained. If it is dirty, oil dripping all over, hard to start, parts falling off, etc., then unless it is super cheap (free) and you like working on stuff run away. Poorly maintained equipment will be a pain in the ****. Sure, you can clean it up and fix it but be prepared to do so often. Also be careful that although you can get new parts they will add up quickly (new carb, new blades, new belts, new deck, etc.).
  
  Side note: I was cheap and thought I'd score buying a used chipper shredder a few years back. It was dirty, the carb leaked, parts were hanging off it or missing but it was less than 1/2 the cost of a new one. After a new carb, lots of banging on bent metal, new grinder parts, etc., I ended up spending a lot of time and saving not that much money over a new machine only to have one ugly nasty pile-o-sh*t. Don't do what I did.
  
  
• I love the older B&S and Tecumpse based equipment.; I have also had good luck with Kohler engines Those engines are simple and straight forward to work on and repair. They also seem to be fairly abuse tolerant and will run for many years despite being abused. What I hate are the more modern versions of all equipment that is rigged with numerous emission and safety features that all seem to get messed up as the equipment ages and are a major pain in the **** and $s to ultimately get working again.
  
  
• a How does it start:
  • If it doesn't start - RUN AWAY!
  • Does it run with choke on and off? If it requires choke to continue running you are looking at carb work.
  • If a pull start and it pulls really hard then walk away. Also inspect the cord and return to make sure they aren't worn and return well. Yes, it is straight forward to replace springs and cord but you should be aware of the potential for that when considering how big of a "bargain" the equipment might be.
  • If an electric start from a cord then is the cord with it? Is the cord in good condition? Give it a run to make sure it turns the motor without a lot of complaining from the starter or the motor.
  • If an electric start from a battery then do the same as you would with the electric cord start but also inspect the battery. If not sealed does it have the correct amount of fluid in it? Bring a jump start battery with you to test with in case the battery in the machine is no good. Of course, if that battery isn't good be prepared to add the cost of a replacement battery to the "bargain" price.
    
• Look at any fuel that is in the tank
  • If it stinks and is varnished then at the least you are looking at a lot of cleaning of the carb and plugs but potentially also replacing any kind of fancy new emissions ****. Just more headaches.
  • If the motor is a two stroke make sure that any gas in the tank is correct. Working on small engines I'm always amazed at how many times people use the wrong fuel or wrong mix. If the fuel is incorrect it could result in something as simple as fowled plugs but could be as serious as a motor about to seize.
    
• Mowers:
  • if the first impressions are ok then look at the deck. You don't want to have a deck fail as replacement costs will quickly eat up any savings you may have from your "bargain" purchase.
    • If the deck is caked with grass that indicates lack of maintenance and although not necessarily a death sentence it can be a significant contributor to a rusted out deck.
    • Look for bent or broken parts on the deck. If it is beat up it could indicate potential deck failure in the future but it could also indicate that you may have other issues with motor and driven parts that got abused while the deck was being abused.
    • If the deck has belts and pulleys inspect for belt wear and slop in the pulleys and bearings. Make sure the tensioner is free and doing its job.
  • While looking at the deck be sure to inspect the blades.
    • If they are dull, beat to heck, obviously not balanced, then unless super cheap run away. This is another indication of bad maintenance and potential abuse that could impact the life of the motor.
    • Blades are replaceable and likely should be factored in as a cost to your "bargain" purchase as you will likely need to replace them anyway.
  • Make sure any cables for safety and drive systems are good and not sticking. Yes, they can be replace but again it is just more stuff to deal with that can add to the cost of your "bargain" purchase.
  • Look at the wheels, are they worn and ready to fall off?
    
• Snow blowers:
  • As stated above, do the wheels still come off? These are often rusted in place because of pour maintenance and the owners inability to grease them every now and then. With an older machine you will likely need to get the wheels off at some point to work inside the gear box so if they don't come off now be prepared for more hassle later.
  • Single, dual, triple stage blowers all have unique issues. Be sure to inspect all impellers and that they are free to spin appropriately and are not rust welded to anything. Make sure all shear pins are correct and still removable - if somebody put a screw or other inappropriate thing in to replace a shear pin RUN AWAY.
  • Walk behind blowers are often driven by a disk that wears with age. If the machine doesn't seem to have noticeable speed differences in the different speed settings RUN AWAY. If the machine doesn't pull wall RUN AWAY. This drive mechanism can be repaired but finding the correct parts and getting to it is a PAIN in the **** and I can tell you that pushing a few hundred pound machine because the drive isn't good enough is a LOT harder than just running a shovel.
  • Carefully inspect and work all hand controls. If there is an auger does it move freely with the hand control. Do the drive and auger hand controls work correctly with cables grabbing and releasing correctly.
  • Look at the skid plates on the bottom of the auger shell. These are replaceable but of course that adds to the cost of your "bargain" purchase. Look to see how much rust is around them as this is a common failure that can ultimately be extremely difficult to correct and could render the blower useless.

 

[crewchief888]

I'm tired of buying used junk, and spend more time working on it instead of using it. Anymore, if it's gonna pass me off, I'm done with it, and buy a new replacement.

 

[Innovate1]

I think it depends on where you are and how much snow you get. Our usual snows are only an inch or two and will melt in a few days so I don't need to mess with it. Every couple years we get a snow deep enough to need to deal with. Last year the wife convinced me I should buy a snow blower since I no longer have small tractor with loader. A month later we got a good snow where I used it. Since it doesn't snow much around here I think the chances of finding a good used unit that has only been used a time or two is better. I got a Craftsman unit that was like new for about half price so think I got a good deal. I can do small engine stuff but have better things to do with my time.

 

[ludakris04]

probably not the best time to buy a snow blower....

Hindsight I would have bought a used snow blower... and I would have got one with a crank handle for the chute.. the joystick is annoying and stupid.

around here, spring is a good time to get snow blowers with little use (but we dont get much anyways)

I buy cheap push lawnmowers new and then run them forever.

 

[andyvh1959]

My BIL would always buy the biggest John Deere snowblower he could get, like a 12hp electric start JD for his 50' long 2car wide driveway. Every season change he'd ask me what I do to prep my snowblower or mower for storage. He'd go on about using Stabil (even though whole gas premium is easily available), and then each season change he'd take it to the local Ace Hardware small engine service shop for a "tune up." I tried to convince him the tune up is nothing but an air filter change (on the lawnmower, maybe 5 min, no air filter on a snowblower), oil change, fresh fuel and a new spark plug. So I bet he spent more than $50 on a "tune up". When I store a small engine seasonal device, I make sure the oil is in good shape/changed if needed, fuel tank filled with premium whole gas (if the tank is metal), run it with the fuel shut off until it quit, plug the air intake and exhaust (critters), and that's it. Come next season they all start right away, no issues.

 

[nbpt100]

It comes down to if you are handy with equipment and if you want to spend you time rehabing stuff. You can get free stuff but it often required some work. If you are not up to that you can find good deals on Mower for under $100. I assume you mean a walk behind mower.

The same with snow blowers but it depends on what you need size wise and feature wise.. You need to establish what you want first. Single stage or 2 stage. Bucket size and accessories like power steering, tracks or wheels, heated hand grips, etc. These are much more complicated than a lawn mower. It pays to educate yourself about them 1st. Go to some Dealers, Toro, Ariens, etc. and see what is out there and get an idea of new pricing. Once you have a handle on what you want you can start to look at the used market. Lots of good advice out there but you need to establish what you want and need first. Then go from there.

 

[PoorUB]

My BIL would always buy the biggest John Deere snowblower he could get, like a 12hp electric start JD for his 50' long 2car wide driveway. Every season change he'd ask me what I do to prep my snowblower or mower for storage.

Reminded me of my dad and one of his friends.
My dad had a Polaris four wheeler and had some minor issues with it. His buddy commented that he hasn't had any issues with his. My dad found out his buddy rides his to the mail box and back every other day and that is all. Something like 40 miles in a year. My dad had a few thousand miles on his.

 

[nbpt100]

My BIL would always buy the biggest John Deere snowblower he could get, like a 12hp electric start JD for his 50' long 2car wide driveway. Every season change he'd ask me what I do to prep my snowblower or mower for storage. He'd go on about using Stabil (even though whole gas premium is easily available), and then each season change he'd take it to the local Ace Hardware small engine service shop for a "tune up." I tried to convince him the tune up is nothing but an air filter change (on the lawnmower, maybe 5 min, no air filter on a snowblower), oil change, fresh fuel and a new spark plug. So I bet he spent more than $50 on a "tune up". When I store a small engine seasonal device, I make sure the oil is in good shape/changed if needed, fuel tank filled with premium whole gas (if the tank is metal), run it with the fuel shut off until it quit, plug the air intake and exhaust (critters), and that's it. Come next season they all start right away, no issues.

with all respect you are over simplifiing snow blower maintenance. Premium fuel is not a substitute for using a stabilizer. They are two different things. Most small engines run fine on 87 octane. Premium is 92 to 94 octane. It is the ethanol that is the biggest problem. If you can get E0 gas that is most desirable but many people do not have availability in their region. Maybe that is what you mean by whole gas.???? I am not sure.

Depending on the type of snow blower there is a lot more to the tune up than what you are suggesting. How about inspecting and changing the belts as required. Inspecting and changing the friction disk as required. Lubricating the hex shaft and chains and gears. Grease any zerk fittings. Adjusting the skid shoes for wear. Putting air in the tires. Clean any debris out of the carb bowl. clean or change the fuel filter.. Adjusting any cables that may have stretched. Inspecting and Replacing bent shear pins. Change a deteriorating fuel line. I could go on. I think my point is made. Depending on the shop these are often things they look at and adress as needed.

Spark plugs these days are generally good for 100+ hours and most people do not need to change them every year.

 

[andyvh1959]

True on the fuel. Up here in WI premium fuel is whole gas about 50% of the time. Its not the octane level that matters, its the lack of ethanol more common to premium fuel. Cenex, and Fleet Farm both feature whole gas mid-grade, but that depends on the location. Not all Cenex stations feature the whole gas mid-grade.

Perhaps my point is better to say for a lot of people the tune-up/maintenance is well within the realm of DIY rather than paying a shop to perform the seasonal prep. My BIL liked to make it an item of discussion of the process of how he cared for his seasonal equipment, when he could easily do it himself and save the money. He was certainly capable of doing it.

 

[nbpt100]

True on the fuel. Up here in WI premium fuel is whole gas about 50% of the time. Its not the octane level that matters, its the lack of ethanol more common to premium fuel. Cenex, and Fleet Farm both feature whole gas mid-grade, but that depends on the location. Not all Cenex stations feature the whole gas mid-grade.

Perhaps my point is better to say for a lot of people the tune-up/maintenance is well within the realm of DIY rather than paying a shop to perform the seasonal prep. My BIL liked to make it an item of discussion of the process of how he cared for his seasonal equipment, when he could easily do it himself and save the money. He was certainly capable of doing it.

I would venture to say any member of the GJ would have the skill set to do it themselves. If they have the time and desire. As I get older I have less of both.

I realize many of the items I mentioned above people ignore for years. That is when you end up with a worn out shave plate, damaged friction wheel, seized hex shaft, slipping belts, no start, etc. Murphys law, All happening at the worst time. The snow blowers you see on the curb for free have these issues. Let alone excessive rust scaring away most anyone thinking of flipping it.

I understand where your BIL is coming from. If he use to do it himself I am sure he could now. All the plastic covers may be intimidating but not much of significance has changed. All I can really think of is the engines are OHV vs. flat head and now some Ariens offer electronic fuel injection. Still really the same maintenace items and the tasks processes are the same or similar.

Have a nice Thanksgiving.

 

[Crazyjake8493]

I've never bought a new lawnmower or snowblower. Just make sure parts are readily available for the one you're looking to get. A lot of walk-behind snowblowers use very similar engines and parts are widely available. For my riding mower, I've cross-referenced a lot of parts with aftermarket versions and bought them on Amazon or eBay for a fraction of what the manufacturer wanted for the parts.

 

[nbpt100]

I would venture to say any member of the GJ would have the skill set to do it themselves. If they have the time and desire. As I get older I have less of both.

I realize many of the items I mentioned above people ignore for years. That is when you end up with a worn out shave plate, damaged friction wheel, seized hex shaft, slipping belts, no start, etc. Murphys law, All happening at the worst time. The snow blowers you see on the curb for free have these issues. Let alone excessive rust scaring away most anyone thinking of flipping it.

I understand where your BIL is coming from. If he use to do it himself I am sure he could now. All the plastic covers may be intimidating but not much of significance has changed. All I can really think of is the engines are OHV vs. flat head and now some Ariens offer electronic fuel injection. Still really the same maintenace items and the tasks processes are the same or similar.

Have a nice Thanksgiving.

I should clarify what I said about E0 fuel availability. I would venture to say anyone in the US and Canada has access to it if you want to pay about $27 (US) a gallon to buy True Fuel at a hardware store. Access at a gas station is what I meant by it not being available. Right now Premium gas where I live is generally under $4/gallon. E0 is not available at gas stations where I live, but if it where, it would be something less than Premium.

 

[nbpt100]

I've never bought a new lawnmower or snowblower. Just make sure parts are readily available for the one you're looking to get. A lot of walk-behind snowblowers use very similar engines and parts are widely available. For my riding mower, I've cross-referenced a lot of parts with aftermarket versions and bought them on Amazon or eBay for a fraction of what the manufacturer wanted for the parts.

Yes, very good comment. I have Found MTD, Toro, Ariens to be the better companies to have parts legacies. Husqvarna/Poulan to be one of the worst. There are a lot of good aftermarket parts out there but there are some duds too. I Have experience with cables not being right and Carbs not working correctly. But generally a good experience with aftermarket overall. I think sometimes the sellers on line do not describe the part fitment accurately.

I will also say Tecumseh parts are still widely available in OEM and aftermarket. The company who bought them is LCT and they still run Tecumseh Power to supply replacement parts. The Tecumseh Snow King engine was the most widely used snow blower engine in North America for decades. There must be a million of them still out there working.

 

[andyvh1959]

When it comes to fuel for any small engine I avoid E10/E15 like the plague, horrid **** forced on us when it does no good. Aside from that, here in east central WI is easy to find multiple suppliers of whole gas. Most times whole gas is premium, but some suppliers even offer regular and mid-grade whole gas. Most small engine issues all relate to E10/E15.

 

[nbpt100]

When it comes to fuel for any small engine I avoid E10/E15 like the plague, horrid **** forced on us when it does no good. Aside from that, here in east central WI is easy to find multiple suppliers of whole gas. Most times whole gas is premium, but some suppliers even offer regular and mid-grade whole gas. Most small engine issues all relate to E10/E15.

Not to hyjack the thread. I do not understand why E0 gas is available in some regions but not in others. Other than one or two small airports it is just not available at a pump where circulate in Mass, NH and Southern ME. I am sure the True Fuel makers and corn farmers love love that. I am not saying to eliminate E10 but why can't consumers have the option of getting E0 at the pump?

 

[andyvh1959]

That is exactly the issue, government forcing choices on consumers versus letting the market chose the preferred products. I'll leave it at that to avoid getting banned on political issues.