I bought a new Honda lawn mower from Home Despot this week. It cost me
650 bucks. All I can say is this thing better work great and it better
last me at least 10 years for that price. I bought a 225 dollar
Craftsman a couple of years ago and it won't even start now. I hope it's
true that you get what you pay for. I paid for a good one. Anybody else
spend their money on a Honda mower? And was it worth it?

Hawke

Hawke wrote:
I bought a new Honda lawn mower from Home Despot this week. It cost me
650 bucks. All I can say is this thing better work great and it better
last me at least 10 years for that price. I bought a 225 dollar
Craftsman a couple of years ago and it won't even start now. I hope it's
true that you get what you pay for. I paid for a good one. Anybody else
spend their money on a Honda mower? And was it worth it?

Hawke

Enjoy the Honda!

Briggs & Stratton...
We bought a B&S engined MTD chipper at Home Depot, and the POS suffered
valve failure after approximately 20 hours use. Forget which valve,
probably exhaust, the entire stem was galled and the tip ripped away
from the keeper. I removed the cylinder head and lifted the valve out,
it was no longer attached to anything. If it were an overhead valve
design, it would have fallen into the cylinder and beaten the piston to
smithereens too. What a pile of crap.

On 1/31/2011 3:09 PM, Hawke wrote:
I bought a new Honda lawn mower from Home Despot this week. It cost me
650 bucks. All I can say is this thing better work great and it better
last me at least 10 years for that price. I bought a 225 dollar
Craftsman a couple of years ago and it won't even start now. I hope it's
true that you get what you pay for. I paid for a good one. Anybody else
spend their money on a Honda mower? And was it worth it?

Hawke

The Honda will last ,I bought a Honda Buffalo ( sold here in Australia
) ,damn thing starts every time first pull . No ripping the arm out of
its socket trying to start , plenty of grunt for thick grass and a nice
wide cut.I dont think you regret the money .

As a point of interest I paid $800.00 AUD two years ago.So far no trouble .

I must say that the Briggs powered mower I had before lasted 23 years
before I near dislocated my arm socket trying to start it .
I did change oil and filters regularly and washed it dowwn every time
after use .

The Honda should last as long if not longer with the same care.

--
Kevin (Bluey)
"I'm not young enough to know everything."

On 1/31/2011 12:39 AM, Hawke wrote:
I bought a new Honda lawn mower from Home Despot this week. It cost me
650 bucks. All I can say is this thing better work great and it better
last me at least 10 years for that price. I bought a 225 dollar
Craftsman a couple of years ago and it won't even start now. I hope it's
true that you get what you pay for. I paid for a good one. Anybody else
spend their money on a Honda mower? And was it worth it?

Hawke

I got a cub cadet a couple years ago with a honda motor on it and I love
it. I've always had bad luck with the B&S motors, at least the newer
ones. The one my dad had lasted forever from what I remember.

On Jan 31, 9:39*am, tnik wrote:
On 1/31/2011 12:39 AM, Hawke wrote:

I bought a new Honda lawn mower from Home Despot this week. It cost me
650 bucks. All I can say is this thing better work great and it better
last me at least 10 years for that price. I bought a 225 dollar
Craftsman a couple of years ago and it won't even start now. I hope it's
true that you get what you pay for. I paid for a good one. Anybody else
spend their money on a Honda mower? And was it worth it?

Hawke

I got a cub cadet a couple years ago with a honda motor on it and I love
it. I've always had bad luck with the B&S motors, at least the newer
ones. The one my dad had lasted forever from what I remember.



My lawnmower, now 10 years or so old became more and more difficult to
start... When I made noises about replacing it, son saw the $$$$
flying and suggested that he try to overhaul/tune-up the thing.

Turned out that the carb float had "liquid" in it but we couldn't find
a leak. Heated it gently with a lighter (outdoors of course) and
numerous cracks on the inside edge of the donut-shaped float started
spewing gasoline fumes with flames!

Replaced the float and all was well. It now starts with 5 pumps of
the primer bulb and a pull or two on the starter rope.

Wolfgang

On Jan 31, 9:30*am, Joe Cool wrote:
On Jan 31, 9:39*am, tnik wrote:

On 1/31/2011 12:39 AM, Hawke wrote:

I bought a new Honda lawn mower from Home Despot this week. It cost me
650 bucks. All I can say is this thing better work great and it better
last me at least 10 years for that price. I bought a 225 dollar
Craftsman a couple of years ago and it won't even start now. I hope it's
true that you get what you pay for. I paid for a good one. Anybody else
spend their money on a Honda mower? And was it worth it?

Hawke

I got a cub cadet a couple years ago with a honda motor on it and I love
it. I've always had bad luck with the B&S motors, at least the newer
ones. The one my dad had lasted forever from what I remember.

My lawnmower, now 10 years or so old became more and more difficult to
start... When I made noises about replacing it, son saw the $$$$
flying and suggested that he try to overhaul/tune-up the thing.

Turned out that the carb float had "liquid" in it but we couldn't find
a leak. *Heated it gently with a lighter (outdoors of course) and
numerous cracks on the inside edge of the donut-shaped float started
spewing gasoline fumes with flames!

Replaced the float and all was well. *It now starts with 5 pumps of
the primer bulb and a pull or two on the starter rope.

Wolfgang

There WAS a time when carb floats were brass and seldom leaked, if
they did, they could be drained, resoldered and fixed. In the
inexorable race to the bottom line, I've seen carb floats made of
rubber-covered cork(probably NOT rubber, but resembled it), blow-
molded plastic and some kind of hard black foam on the first Ford I
owned. That last type seemed like it wouldn't last at all, but didn't
pick up any weight in all the years I had it.

The best of the small single-cylinder engines I've had didn't have a
carb as such, was a B&S with a Pulsa-jet. Crankcase pressure pulses
pumped gas into an elevated well in the tank, then the venturi sucked
it in. Only real wear part was the pumping diaphram and it never went
bad. So no needle or float to mess with and only a mixture screw. No
shutoff valve needed, either. Always seemed to take off after a couple
of pulls no matter how many months it sat. Was discontinued, of
course.

Stan

The best of the small single-cylinder engines I've had didn't have a
carb as such, was a B&S with a Pulsa-jet. *Crankcase pressure pulses
pumped gas into an elevated well in the tank, then the venturi sucked
it in. *Only real wear part was the pumping diaphram and it never went
bad. So no needle or float to mess with and only a mixture screw. No
shutoff valve needed, either. Always seemed to take off after a couple
of pulls no matter how many months it sat. Was discontinued, of
course.

I've got two of those motors, and three carbs between them. The new
gas still manages to gum them up solid.
--Glenn Lyford

Glenn Lyford wrote:

I've got two of those motors, and three carbs between them. The new
gas still manages to gum them up solid.

What new gas are you talking about?

I have been getting ethanol blended gasoline
at the local Farm Co-op since the 70's

And no it doesn't gum up carburetors
Quite the opposite it will clean out
gummed up gas tanks

-jim

On Feb 1, 8:16*am, jim wrote:
Glenn Lyford wrote:
I've got two of those motors, and three carbs between them. *The new
gas still manages to gum them up solid.

What new gas are you talking about?

I have been getting ethanol blended gasoline
at the local Farm Co-op since the 70's

And no it doesn't gum up carburetors
Quite the opposite it will clean out
gummed up gas tanks

-jim

I have a mid-1950's lawnmower with a 6BS engine and Pulsa-jet carb
that starts on the second or third pull in the spring even if I left
gas in it over the winter. The Gulf gas I buy hasn't turned foul-
smelling or gummed a carb yet (experiments, not normal practice).

It does cause black mold on the outside of the can.

jsw

Jim Wilkins wrote:

On Feb 1, 8:16 am, jim wrote:
Glenn Lyford wrote:
I've got two of those motors, and three carbs between them. The new
gas still manages to gum them up solid.

What new gas are you talking about?

I have been getting ethanol blended gasoline
at the local Farm Co-op since the 70's

And no it doesn't gum up carburetors
Quite the opposite it will clean out
gummed up gas tanks

-jim

I have a mid-1950's lawnmower with a 6BS engine and Pulsa-jet carb
that starts on the second or third pull in the spring even if I left
gas in it over the winter. The Gulf gas I buy hasn't turned foul-
smelling or gummed a carb yet (experiments, not normal practice).

It does cause black mold on the outside of the can.

One problem with leaving ethanol blended gas sit for long periods would
be the absorption of water. It will pick up moisture from the air.
Keeping it in a full air tight container helps prevent that.

It is not a good idea to leave an engine sit long enough so that all the
gasoline sitting in the carb evaporates. But that has nothing to do with
ethanol. If it were pure ethanol and it evaporated there would be
nothing left.

If the fuel has ethanol and is allowed to evaporate the ethanol and some
of the lighter end gasoline components will evaporate first. What you
have left is a much lower octane fuel with high boiling point (and
probably higher water content) that doesn't burn as well or as cleanly
as fresh fuel.


-jim



jsw

On Sun, 30 Jan 2011 21:39:37 -0800, Hawke
wrote:

I bought a new Honda lawn mower from Home Despot this week. It cost me
650 bucks. All I can say is this thing better work great and it better
last me at least 10 years for that price. I bought a 225 dollar
Craftsman a couple of years ago and it won't even start now. I hope it's
true that you get what you pay for. I paid for a good one. Anybody else
spend their money on a Honda mower? And was it worth it?

Hawke

My son bought a new Toro mower a couple of years ago. Had nothing but
problems with it and terrible warranty/service/support experience. He
finally got fed up, bought a Honda about a year ago and he has been
delighted with it.

On Jan 30, 10:39*pm, Hawke wrote:
I bought a new Honda lawn mower from Home Despot this week. It cost me
650 bucks. All I can say is this thing better work great and it better
last me at least 10 years for that price. I bought a 225 dollar
Craftsman a couple of years ago and it won't even start now. I hope it's
true that you get what you pay for. I paid for a good one. Anybody else
spend their money on a Honda mower? And was it worth it?

Hawke

Bought our Honda mower in 1986, it will start after a winters sleep in
1/2 a pull, every time.
Keep the blades sharp and change the oil to synthetic ( change it
every other year), is all the maintenance you will need to do.

What a fine machine.

On Feb 1, 6:31*am, Jim Wilkins wrote:
On Feb 1, 8:16*am, jim wrote:

Glenn Lyford wrote:
I've got two of those motors, and three carbs between them. *The new
gas still manages to gum them up solid.

What new gas are you talking about?

I have been getting ethanol blended gasoline
at the local Farm Co-op since the 70's

And no it doesn't gum up carburetors
Quite the opposite it will clean out
gummed up gas tanks

-jim

I have a mid-1950's lawnmower with a 6BS engine and Pulsa-jet carb
that starts on the second or third pull in the spring even if I left
gas in it over the winter. The Gulf gas I buy hasn't turned foul-
smelling or gummed a carb yet (experiments, not normal practice).

It does cause black mold on the outside of the can.

jsw

That's been my experience, although I've found getting premium gas is
a Good Move for the older engines. Grass that the thing choked on
with 85 low-grade it just sailed through with 91. Haven't seen mold,
though. Very rare we get that much humidity in the summer( or most
any time). And different parts of the country will have different gas
mixes. Here, they're really, REALLY fond of ethanol for an additive.
Supposed to replace MTBE for the smog.

On another mower, I finally found that the reason I had to completely
disassemble the carb before the first mow of the season was that the
carb needle seat was dropping out of position. Would run about half-
way around the front lawn and die, never to start again. What I found
was that the seat was a donut of some synthetic material and had
apparently shrank over the years(MTBE, I'm Looking at You). SInce the
needle points up, the seat would follow the needle down and flood the
works out. Take it apart, squirt some carb cleaner in all the ports
and the thing would expand, good until it got stored again. Finally
caught wise and replaced the seat, no more troubles. But I NEVER had
any gum to clean out. One thing I like about the Pulsa-jet is no
needle or seat.

Stan

On 2/2/2011 4:18 AM, accunlmtd wrote:
On Jan 30, 10:39 pm, wrote:
I bought a new Honda lawn mower from Home Despot this week. It cost me
650 bucks. All I can say is this thing better work great and it better
last me at least 10 years for that price. I bought a 225 dollar
Craftsman a couple of years ago and it won't even start now. I hope it's
true that you get what you pay for. I paid for a good one. Anybody else
spend their money on a Honda mower? And was it worth it?

Hawke

Bought our Honda mower in 1986, it will start after a winters sleep in
1/2 a pull, every time.
Keep the blades sharp and change the oil to synthetic ( change it
every other year), is all the maintenance you will need to do.

What a fine machine.

That's music to my ears.

Hawke