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Honda quit making push and self-propelled mowers about 2 years ago. This mower just purchased must be new old stock. It is still under warranty, so take it to an authorized Honda warranty shop to get it checked out. No, it is not normal at all for a Honda GCV170 to smoke a little or a lot. Great...

Gator line (has a thin metal wire that runs the it in the middle). Vortex line (black in color and is great stuff). Any line that has twists, corners, and is not totally round cuts better.

Well, the only part you have not changed is the belt. As long as all pulleys, spindles, alignment, etc. are good, it should be good with a new belt. Old belts that get twisted sometimes don’t work once they are compromised.

The Kohler Courage is a dog. It has several problems and you can read about them online. Keep oil in it and run it.

I love working on Stihl equipment! Stihl is the most common handheld equipment in my area. My success rate for getting Stihl equipment starting and running well is very high as long as there is good compression.

Most newer riding mowers that aren’t ultra cheap have foot pedal forward and reverse control.

Take a heat gun and run it around the two halves of engine case where gasket is.

Anyone that sends back $10 parts that don’t work for a refund needs to seriously reevaluate life.

The Kawasaki FH engines were and are great engines! No flaws that I am aware of. You spent enough time and money on this mower to probably buy two used mowers. At least you know your mower pretty well now.

I had an old Yard Machines mower I recently sold with a 13.5 hp Briggs engine doing the same thing. Tried OEM carburetor three different times after cleaning and messing with intake gaskets, replaced with another old carburetor I had after cleaning, same thing, only run right on choke. Bought a...

Always replace both coils, keep the one good one, and replace the next one that goes bad years from now.

Does the engine die suddenly like you turned the key off (electrical), or kind of chug a bit and come to a halt (fuel)?

Artificial intelligence gives answers based on what a person has fed the program with information. Artificial intelligence is already annoying and it is relatively new.

Some part of your deck isn’t right. Double check the size of belt to be so it is correct. How is the belt tension on deck belt when it is engaged? Double check all the spindles and pulleys for free movement and being on a level plane with each other.

Stens is a distributor that has been around for years. 8ten is a newer distributor that has aggressively marketed parts. I have bought from both with good results. Neither manufactures any parts, just stock and sell them.

Many of these mowers, last 15 years let’s say, that have mulching spring loaded covers on right side of deck, install an exit chute for grass if possible. Mulching never works as well as letting the grass fly out.

Glysophate and Pramatol is what I use for long term killing weeds in gravel.

Never have seen, or heard of this “one way check valve.” Just saying.

Soldering gun and some similar plastic.

Those types of customers usually have several red flags before the work even starts. The signs are there not to be ignored. I know this only from past experiences. There is too much good business out there to be chasing the bad or borderline.

Either new fuel pump is bad, you have fuel pump hooked up incorrectly, or fuel line running back to fuel tank is clogged.

Do not spray carburetor cleaner in a 2-stroke to start it. Use a bottle with pre-mix fuel.

At $52/hour in late 1970’s for shop rate and you making $3.25/hour, you were only making 6% of hourly rate. Today’s mechanics typically make 25%-33% of hourly rate. $52/hour seems high and $3.25/hour is low. Around here $100/hour shop rate labor for small engines is average. There are a couple...

It isn’t uncommon for mowers to develop slop in the push handlebars over time. Without welding and modification, there isn’t much you can do.

Fill plug is often on the inside near very top on many serviceable transaxles, not on the top.

3600 RPM max, usually adjust to around 3250 RPM. 4800 and engine will blow in short order.

You would be better off taking it to the dealer because it is brand new and under warranty. Drive belts should last for several years.

A piston stop will not screw up the piston. I use one all the time. What will screw up the piston is forgetting the stop is in the spark plug hole, and then cranking the engine.

You probably won’t be satisfied with the mulching results, so after you take the mulch kit off you can measure from tip of blade to concrete with properly aired up tires to determine cutting height.

My BG86 Stihl blower fuel tank started leaking after 16 years. I plastic welded it because it was my blower. Would have replaced tank for a customer.

Dead battery or loose or corroded battery terminals are the first things to check. All my customers seem to think their battery is great and terminals are tight and clean.

If you replace the engine on the older John Deere, you have just about spent 100% or more on engine and labor of the value of the mower. By the time a new cylinder head is installed (pushed valve guide), and the engine is removed and opened up to remove the push rod in sump, you are hundreds...

Trimmers get hot. I wear a sock cut down, on my arm, so I don’t get burned.

I recently removed a hydro fan on a Scag because it was damaged and needed to replace it. It was on there gorilla tight with Loctite. I had to put three pairs of vise grips on fan and use a ratchet and cheater pipe to get it off. Then I had to file the pulley smooth from slight burrs from vise...

I appreciate you saying that. You do take time to research and respond to people that need technical assistance. I always try to do my best, and my integrity is crucial to customers and me.

StarTech- You seem to always want to prove someone wrong, in this case again, me. Of course I have seen blade adapters with a pulley as one piece. Of course I know the key is often part of the blade adapter. Of course I have seen the key sheared off and the whole blade adapter has to be replaced.

Check float height level.

If there is a keyway, there should be a key. The pulley on crankshaft should be separate from the blade adapter, therefore has nothing to do with mower not self propelling.

I think it has actually improved here lately.

I have had great results with correct belts, quality, and sizes from multiple sources over the years.

Around $200 dollars everything working and cleaned up.

Remove muffler and visually look at the condition of piston, rings, and cylinder for scoring.

Here we go again with zero turns and hills. Riding mowers are terrible on hills (very tippy). Zero turns, as a general rule, are great on hills.

The cost of engine plus labor to remove and replace is cost prohibitive. Buy a good used riding mower for half the cost of engine and labor. Nobody ever repowers their mower when the engine goes bad.

It has been very busy for me for last 2-3 months. I am up to 3 weeks out on service and repairs. When a customer calls and their first question is “how far out are you on repairs?”, I know they will usually keep calling shops, and that is fine. To be able to keep anything except the basic parts...

Remove valve cover, as previously stated, and look at intake and exhaust valves. Are push rods in place and not bent? Are the springs moving freely and equally? 88 psi compression is on the low end. Is that reading from the cylinder that is not firing?

Over time, leaving the mower outside and exposed to the elements such as rain, is most likely the main cause of water getting into the transaxle and causing hydro oil to become contaminated. Bad seals, etc. is how water enters.

Clean original OEM thoroughly and reinstall. That step alone will most likely fix your problems. Also, blow back through fuel line to tank to clear blockage. Also, check fuel for water and crap in tank and siphon/drain and blow out as needed.

You should be able to mow once a week, no matter what type of blades, mower, growth, etc. First thing to do is make sure the exit chute is at a 45 degree angle so that grass can be dispersed evenly and far out. Second thing is slow down on mowing just a bit and let the mower eat. Third thing is...

Cut it high and let it fly. The farther you can get the grass out and dispersed from mower exit chute, the better the lawn looks and cut. Mulching is never a better option.