Buying used instead of new might be worth considering.

I have about 10 hours maintenance in an 11 hp 1984 model MTD
and it seems a lot better built than what is being
manufactured now. All the parts seem to be still available
and with less than $70 invested in parts (doing it myself
with a carburetor kit left to buy and install), I believe
this unit may outlast many of the new ones selling today.


Tim Fischer wrote:

"JJ" wrote in message
...
Without starting a tractor war, my advice would be to stay away from MTD
stuff (Yard Machines, Troy Bilt at Loews, low end Cub Cadets, Huskee,
etc.).

Agree completely. I'd suggest buying a higher-end Deere than the ones at
HD, but any Deere is better than MTD by a moonshot.

Look in the archives. You'll find many people who've had problems with MTD
and Craftsman and the other cheap brands. You'll also find a few who swear
they've ran their MTD/Crapsman 30 years and it's still going. I believe, as
you've found out, that this is the exception -- I had a Crapsman die after 2
seasons of use, and you got 3 out of your MTD. I think that's the norm.

-Tim