Recent content by Alex Ethridge

Evidently, you did not read the title and/or the two posts I made above. Sarcasm is unappreciated and unhelpful.

Surely, I cannot be the only person who has experienced this. Is there a recommended fix for this?

The only condition under which it works as it should is when the seat switch is moved from under the seat, held in my hand and it is operated manually by pressing and releasing the button with my finger. When I press the button, the engine starts and runs as it should. When I release the...

I bought this mower new back in 2016 and due to my not thoroughly checking it out, the seat safety switch has NEVER worked and was out of warranty before I realized it. So, a year or so ago, I replaced the switch but that changed nothing. The only time that switch functions is when I take it...

You have my permission to be of that opinion. :)

They are different or the manufacturers would not recommend one over the other.

Simple, it's what all the mower engine manufacturers recommend. It's not an obsession, it's just what is recommended.

I am not an oil expert and claim no degrees in chemistry or engineering so that is my disclaimer. But when it comes to oil, I have used only Castrol in all my cars and changed at 3K even though the manufacturer said every 5K. I used Castrol in one of my Siennas that I took to 348K and was...

Thanks to everyone. I found Pennzoil 30W on e-bay for a reasonable price and ordered three quarts. As for Briggs branded, Kawasaki, etc., I don't have confidence in those. Oil is just a sideline for them, AND they sell it in smaller packages at higher prices.

I'm looking for Castrol 30W oil and cannot find it anywhere, on-line or locally. I've checked AutoZone, Advance, O'Reilly, Walmart, Lowe's and Home Depot. So I decided to try for other brands, brands I recognize, not this cheap unknown stuff. The only straight 30W I can find is Super Tech but...

Agreed.

I haven't been a mower mechanic since about 1982 and I have no knowledge of your specific machine but when I see a mower lose power in the way you describe, the first two things I check are valve adjustment and ignition timing. In the case if ignition timing, what I mean is to check for a...

Briggs Mfg. No: 09P602-0076-F1 (parts manual attached) There are two flywheels listed in the parts manual, a two-piece and a one-piece, Mine is Briggs part number 590544, the one-piece (example picture attached). The flywheel key is sheared and offset by probably fifteen degrees or more (see...

Agreed about the lawyer but at the time I had a son who owned an HVAC company and he could have replaced the whole unit with new for $1570 and having homeowner's insurance with $1000 deductible, I decided to not risk an increase in my homeowner's insurance premium. They ALWAYS increase the rate...

Thanks for the reply. Relay? I word-searched both the operator manual and engine parts manual and that word is not in it. In the process of diagnosing all the safety switches last week when solving a deck/blade safety switch problem, I determined all safety switches function correctly. I...