"Kyle Boatright" wrote in message
. ..
Before I found a great deal on a used Deere, I was looking hard at the
Craftsman mowers. The feature set I defined was a Kohler engine, 4 deck
wheels, cast axles, and a deck between 38 and 42".

I called Briggs & Stratton's tech support line to ask about the Intek
engines. If I recall correctly, the lube system only filtered and
pressurized the oil going to the bearing at the output shaft. This was a
disappointment to me, because the marketing literature might lead you to
believe that it was a full filter/lube oil system.

To answer your question, unless your current mower is dead, why not wait
until end of season close outs and get the same mower for several hundred
dollars or get one with a Kohler engine for roughly the price on the one
with the Briggs Intek engine?

KB

I bought a Craftsman mower and paid the xtra bucks for a Kohler engine.
After 2 years it developed an oil leak and a noisy hydraulic tappet.
I took the engine apart myself to find a warped cover on the oil pump that
leaked oil and allowed air into the lube system causing the noisey tappet.
Forget a Kohler engine in a Craftsman mower. It's a cheap mower, get a cheap
engine.