wrote
Rod Speed wrote
TimR wrote
wrote

On M
The Surplus Center in Lincoln, NE sells engines.
https://www.surpluscenter.com/Engines/.
Also Home Depot, Lowes, and, Harbor Freight of course. NO idea if
replacing just the engine
would be worth your time.I

It sounds like there are three ways to go. I just got my tax refund so
I
can afford to buy something good.

Anyway, I can buy electric, I can buy decent gas, or I can buy a new
engine that fits.

I like my mower and of the three I'd prefer the engine solution, if the
cost were reasonable and I could get an exact fit - my experience with
exact replacements has been that I don't seem to understand the word
"exact". It doesn't always mean unbolt the old one and bolt in the new
one. Lots of times it means unbolt the old one and do a bunch of
machining to make the new one work. If it matters, it's a Toro
Recycler,
6.5 HP. I looked at some engine prices and they cost as much as a new
mower, but i wasn't sure what engine would fit mine.

Corded electric? sounds good, but I know dragging that cord would get
old. Electrics in general run from 3/4 HP up to about 1.3, and I'm not
sure that will handle my grass, and rechargeable batteries have a
lifespan. I like the idea of an electric but I'm leaning away. .

What brand of gas mower do lawn companies use?

Or do they just wear them out in a year and replace anyway, so it doesnt
matter?

Yep, and you pay for that when you employ
them. No skin off their nose when it dies.

Actually it is a lot of skin off their nose.

Not if they are properly organised.

They lose a day, maybe two

Not if they keep the new one on hand and if they do replace them
every year or even if only it needs a fix at that rate, they should do
that. And presumably some sellers of them hire them out too.

and these guys are usually booked all
day, up to 10 hours, 6 days a week.

Don't believe that.

If you start missing days, you lose customers.

And if you are well organised, you don't miss days.

They still have to pay their guys

Again, not necessarily, plenty pay for work done.

so it is money out of their pocket. That is
why they pay $8000-10,000 for a real mower.

Still not big money for a commercial operation,
same sort of money as the truck they need too.

I have 3 golf course superintendents and 2 lawn service owners
here in this neighborhood. I know a bit about how this stuff goes.

But clearly don't have enough of a clue to organise things properly.