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Interesting discussions here. I subscribe to the non-ethanol fuel in all my small engines. I have had 2-stroke line trimmer fuel intake hose dissolve in under 5 years using ethanol fuel. However I have a chain saw I bought new over 40 years ago that never saw ethanol free fuel for its first 39...

IMO the water is not as deleterious to combustion as some may think. Yes it wreaks havoc on parts corrosion though. One thing my old school dad would do to help remove carbon from the engine on a car is pour water into the carb while running. I did it myself many times. Sure it would cough a bit...

I caught mine on a large tree branch….did a wheelie but fortunately no damage to me or the ZT. I know what to look out for now LOL.

Comfort, reliability and servicability. For example, bearings should be sealed, spindles with sleeves should have grease fittings. Belt changes should be simple and not require removal of a lot of other parts/components. I disagree with the other comments on ROPs. I’m a believer in better safe...

Took a temperature reading on my Stihl after working today, 165° F. I’m thinking this isn’t too hot?

Thanks for the response. I will get a temp measurement next time. It spins freely and smooth so prolly fine.

My Stihl line trimmer head gets quite hot. Is this normal? Yes I grease it. Should I install a zirk so grease penetrates better?

Good point. Make sure the pulleys are offset in the correct direction so the belt runs in a straight line.

Maybe I’m lucky but no corrosion on golf cart, generator, zero turn, jet ski, car and truck with dual batteries. I have run those felt washers in the past and I agree they seem to work.

A friend bought one of those $4,000 lectric mowers. Battery failed after just over a year. New battery over $1,500. The net net of it all is the lectric generates more greenhouse gases if you factor in the mining of the minerals for the batteries and the failure rates. I’m not against lectric...

The JD you bought at a big box store over 20 years ago is a different species than the crap they sell today. The focus on branding and marketing has paid off for JD but the end user has not benefited. I think it’s going to catch up with them. I wouldn’t consider a JD today. Their stuff I...

The EV sales pitch of saving money by not using petrol, lower maintenance cost due to fewer parts, zero emissions will save the planet…..all appeal to the emotional side of us humans. The Covid vaccination pitch took the same approach. Appeal to the emotions without any real basis in fact...

Manufacturers don’t offer longer warrantees on these small batteries because they are very critical of maintenance. Longer periods of no use, parasitic draw etc all contribute to a short battery life. Get the govt involved and force a 1 yr warranty and your $65 battery will be $85 or more...

I would also look at the rest of the mower too. There is a helluva lot more going on than transmission. Look at the front pivots and wheel bearings. Some don’t even have bearings or if they do they aren't sealed. I bought a used Kubota ZT 6 years ago because it had the 3100 series trans. Made...

Electric cars have 80% more problems than traditional gas according to consumer reports. Avis is selling g off 21,000 of its EV’s due to high maintenance costs and higher accident rates. Don’t be so sure that an electric mower will be lower maintenance.

Get a zero turn. A traditional lawn tractor is 4-5x more wear and tear on you and the lawn. I suggest a mower shop over a big box store. BBS are focused on cheap. A mower shop may cost more but you get more if you do your homework.

Listen to the people who have actual results like bertsmobile1. That is a huge success story. Let your work be your logo. Show up on time or early. Do excellent work ( straight lines and change the pattern each week, no clumps of grass, no missed patches, sweep/blow, with extra effort like...

I use Justrite Accuflow gas cans and have for decades. They are sealed so no fumes. Have built in nozzle so no spills. I think plastic gas cans are a bad idea.

I had a problem with my Kubota ZT mower and did all the normal stuff mentioned here. None of it worked. Yes I threw some parts at it, fuel pump, filter, cleaned carb, checked valve lash still had no power and ran poorly. I said F it and bought a new OEM carb……in the process of installing it I...

Seems like the “commercial” term gets thrown around a lot these days. Marketing departments have picked up on this and like to lure in unsuspecting customers. One of my favorites is a steel building advertiser stating “ 26 gage commercial steel.” in their advertising.

I understand how the pros see throwing parts at the problem is not a good approach. This is common behavior in many different aspects of life. What I don’t understand is why they rag on the poster. People with problems they can’t solve tend to come here last not first so a helping hand goes...

I had one. Worked well, seemed a bit heavy. Fuel lines inside the tank degraded and had to be replaced. Only power equipment I have had that experienced this. I prefer Stihl.

Did the fuel pump solve the problem?

Depending on the model Kubota, they had a recall on the belt tensioner. Mine ate a belt so that’s how I learned about the fix.

I agree. I suggest not hosing off the mower as a cleaning technique. Water getting in the poorly sealed bearings destroys them pretty quickly. I learned about this on my Kubota ZT. Bought it used for $2,500 with 40 hrs on it 5 yrs ago. Hasn’t been trouble free but parts are available and so...

I read thru the entire thread and hope the mower works out for you. What tends to happen with the off brand stuff is when you need parts 5+ years in the future they will not be available or extremely hard to find. So the mower you saved thousands of dollars on with the purchase price is no...

That Taryl dude knows his shit …….oxy amphetamine torch LOL.

My Kubota ZT mower killed two dura last batteries in two years. I had parasitic drain so put a disconnect switch on it. Went with a walmart battery with a current date code and it is still working after 3 years. Also run a trickle charger on it during the off season.

Most likely carburetor issue. Sitting with fuel in it tends to cause issues. Remove carb, clean it thoroughly, or I’d just rebuild it using OEM kit. DO NOT buy Chicom rebuild kit or carb……you will regret it.

@BurntFingers, keep us posted on the drilling. IMO seems like an easy fix providing the longitudinal oil passage is there. If it isn’t, will still be easy but not a fix LOL.

I have a 30 year old two stroke chain saw that I never drain the fuel in. It may go unused for several years. Never had a fuel issue and always starts right up. Does the oil in the fuel help alleviate the ethanol issues? I don’t have easy access to ethanol free fuel but have been lucky I guess.

So what was the issue? Curious to know.

I decided against Amazon carb when one reviewer described the o-ring dissolving after spraying with carb cleaner LOL. I’m all about convenience. Don’t want to do a job multiple times!

I had a similar problem and the intake manifold was warped…..noticed when installing new OEM carb. There was a gap in the middle that allowed it to suck air. New IM solved it.

Pumped fuel out and replaced with new fuel, runs perfect. I said I would never be fooled by bad fuel again ( 40 years ago when racing cars) and I was……dammit! Was chasing a separate issue last fall and found a cracked hose off the valve cover to fuel pump. Fuel filter was bad too and was a...

Wondering if the fuel is bad? Will drain the tank and try some new petrol.

Pulled the carb and it looked like new inside. No dirt, water or stains if any kind. No varnish either. Cleaned it with spray carb cleaner and blasted with compressed air. Still runs rough. Was thinking it was the carb but this didn’t change anything. What else could be causing this? Thanks...

Thanks I will dive into the carb pronto. Grass ain’t waiting for nobody this time of year.

Brigs motor has about 200 hrs on it. New fuel pickup, filter, fuel pump, spark plugs air cleaner. Well maintained mower kept in climate controlled shop. Checked valve lash too and it’s to factory spec. Runs rough and smells rich. Finally quit today. Sat for an hour and started but still rough...

I might be considered a tree hugger, yes, I like the shade lumber and firewood trees provide. I also drive an HD diesel. I have four leaf blowers three of which are electric. The 56 V ego backpack blower is my favorite. Not quite as much power as my gas, backpack blower but it’s much quieter...

Thanks for your reply. I may not have made it clear in my post, but the manual does not provide valve clearance specs ( Just states “take it to dealer).

Engine is slow to start vs earlier in its life. Around 350 hrs on the Briggs motor. New plugs, fuel pump, fuel filter, fuel pick up line, vac hose to rocker cover, air cleaner. After a long crank it runs good. Somewhere else on this fine forum, I saw a similar issue addressed by valve adj...

My Z122 hour meter stopped at 42 hours. I check that it was getting power with my volt meter and it was so I figured it was a bad part. Popped in a new one and it works. Just thought I would share in the event somebody else experienced the same issue. Cheers, Mcspeed