You are correct on several counts - you can't get the
quality you used to be able to count on years ago, and you
can't trust something new has been properly inspected. You
have to inspect everything yourself before using it.

The 11 year old mower I was originally talking about had a
baffle under the deck that was just "in there" by force fit,
so before I even used the mower, I took a good look at it
and saw some traces of rust between the two pieces. I
removed the baffle, found lots more rust (surface rust) on
both surfaces - and cleaned and painted both before putting
it the mower into service. I can't recall, but I probably
also verified everything was tightened and where it was
intended to be, and I also looked up the info on when to
change the oil for the first time.

My guess is that had it been a self-propelled model (I need
the exercise and didn't consider one back then), one would
have to either rely on the reputation of the manufacturer
for the particular given model, or disassemble the
transmission and verify it was sound - and then still
probably plan on changing the grease/oil after a short
break-in period just to be safe. I guess reasons like this
are what make me want to buy used more and more these days -
so at least you know if what you are buying survived the
break-in period.

Best,

Stephen Kurzban

Tim Fischer wrote:

"Stephen Kurzban" wrote in message
...
Point is, if you keep up with maintenance basics like the
air filter, oil, blade sharpening or at least balance, keep
a decent plug in it, don't allow the engine to become
encrusted with clippings (which allows overheating or can
bind linkages), and don't cut grass when the yard is wet,
almost anything should last a while.


I'm sorry that just isn't true. My Craftsman was very well maintained. The
fatal flaw was the self-propel transmission. There was not even anything
that was SUPPOSED to be maintained with that.

Today's lawn mowers are much more complicated than the ones of the past, and
you can't assume everything can run forever "if well maintained".

-Tim