carburetor versus Electronic fuel injection, what is best?

[StarTech]

Kohler has been using O2 sensors for close to 20 years starting with the CH26. the newer ones are 4 wire with heater circuit closed loop systems. I don't see a standardization of the systems right now. The best is a generac code reader for Kohler, Briggs, MTD, for retrieving the codes. But as of right now Kohler is moving to their 3rd version of the software with a new connector plug to work with the new electronic governor systems. And that system will not work with the CAN BUS system of the mower that it is one that required the mower manufacturer software. So there are two diagnostic plugs on some mowers. One for the engine and one for the mower.

Probably explains why I haven't seen the O2 sensors as every Kohler that I have worked on are non EFI systems. I have yet to see Briggs system even though I brought the Briggs tester setup but probably end up having to buy a newer system when one does show up.

All fun to deal with (not) Just unexpected additional expenses and equipment to keep with just keep working these machines. I am considering retiring when I get to 65 in four years and let the younger bunch of part replacers pull their hair out.

 

[ILENGINE]

Probably explains why I haven't the O2 sensors as every Kohler that I have worked on are non EFI systems. I have yet to see Briggs system even though I brought the Briggs tester setup but probably end up having to buy a newer system when one does show up.

All fun to deal with (not) Just unexpected additional expenses and equipment to keep with just keep working these machines. I am considering retiring when I get to 65 in four years and let the younger bunch of part replacers pull their hair out.

Looking hard at retiring at 62 in ten years.

 

[Hammermechanicman]

Probably explains why I haven't the O2 sensors as every Kohler that I have worked on are non EFI systems. I have yet to see Briggs system even though I brought the Briggs tester setup but probably end up having to buy a newer system when one does show up.

All fun to deal with (not) Just unexpected additional expenses and equipment to keep with just keep working these machines. I am considering retiring when I get to 65 in four years and let the younger bunch of part replacers pull their hair out.

I retired from the day job at 61. Took the mower shop pretty much full time because i enjoy it. Sooner or later it will get to the point i can't work on stuff and will retire again. Right now mower businees is down and my other business is bringing in the profit. Covid-19 has actually helped that business.

 

[RWlawnman]

Interesting discussion here. It raises the question of who will be repairing mowers and other things in 10-20 Years. I'll bet if you took a survey of repair techs in all fields, the majority are 50+ years old, with a great number in their 60's even. In this country, we've put such an emphasis on the 4-year college degree, and made it so easy to get with student loans, that we don't have enough people learning trades anymore, like repair, even though those jobs will probably pay more on average than most 4-yr college grads will be able to make.

Mike Rowe has talked about this a lot. The whole emphasis on "work smart" over "hard work" has done our country a disservice. It's actually led to a whole class of young people who have completely dropped out of the workforce. About 40 million of them. Not unemployed people, there are actually less of those (or were before the virus hit) because they are actively looking for jobs. The 40 million is the number of working age people who don't have a job and aren't looking for one, because working is hard, I guess.

 

[StarTech]

When I was first layoff due corporate downsizing I was so over qualified no would hire me. I end working the scrape metal business for nearly until the economy turn South and every Ton, Dick, and Harry got into it as the prices were fairly high. It just too competitive and some of the guys were actually having fist fights over a piece of metal. Then I finally decide to take lawn care equipment repairs and have been at it since 2009. The work is that hard but there sure enough headaches otherwise.

I had a young diesel mechanic trying to compete against me by telling customers that he knew everything. I and some my customer definitely don't think so. He screwed up more than he fixed as he was very mechanical inclined. And definitely not many mower mechanics are very good with the electrical systems either.

At the current rate of us older techs retiring and the new tech that a computer can tell everything it is going to be mess later as much of equipment will buy it, use it, and buy new again when broken.

 

[RWlawnman]

....
At the current rate of us older techs retiring and the new tech that a computer can tell everything it is going to be mess later as much of equipment will buy it, use it, and buy new again when broken.

I was wondering if that wouldn't be the exact out come of the industry as the mowers become more computerized and components less repairable, just replaceable. It's kinda of easier to repair in one sense, rather than fixing components and systems, you just replace them. Everything will become more modular, maybe? Either way, as repairs become more expensive, it becomes cheaper to make a new mower than repair an old one. So it may be the rise of the big box stores, that offer no repair service at all, and the eventual decline of the repair shop all together. Seems to be the case with most other appliances.

 

[bertsmobile1]

Long term petrol powered mowers, like petrol powered cars will vanish off the face of the earth.
It is just a matter of time.
I retired at 50 to do wedding cars as a retirement income producer to supliment the share portfolio returns
The GFC proved I was a better transport manager than than financial manager so I bumped up the car fleet
Then the government legislated the car business out of business.
Back into industry as a transport / warehouse manager .
Turned 60 & contract not renewed ( too old ) by which time good transport managers were a dime a dozen .
So ended up buying the mower service run.
Right now there is a big seasonal shortage of competiant technicians but nearly all of the mower shops are run by accountants because they are all owned by accountants .
Thus none will take on apprentices because they can not make the KPI of $ 30/Hr from them thus will not meeet their KPI so not qualify for their extra bonus .
So we are a dieing breed and it is a dieing industry unless politician crawl out of the pockets of factory owners & importers which will never happen as the money has corrupted the political system so much, nothing short of a revolution will change it .
Thus forcing industry to make long life , repairable consumer durable products sustainably will not happen because the manufacturers need 100% of the profits to satisify the greed of the shareholders .
Share holders have gone from a passive source of funding for things that the banks considered too risky or seasonal where interest in the out of season costs would wipe out the profits to agtessive domineering money grubbers who dictate to the management how much dividend they must receive ather than accepting a percentage of the profits, if any.

What the British East India company did to India , Pension funds & hedge funds will do to the USA & Australia

 

[Scrubcadet10]

It's not if your mower breaks down, it's WHEN.
and when it's a fuel problem, Are you, the owner, going to be able to troubleshoot the EFI system?
IMO,Carbs are much easier to troubleshoot and work on, plus I believe EFI requires use our of a ECU to control it, another computer, and another thing to go wrong.

Please correct me if I'm wrong anywhere.

 

[StarTech]

Yes it is just more things to go wrong. Even JD with ECUs on ZTRs with carb engines have ECUs failures. I done repair two this year alone. Those ZTRs ECUs were quite simple but expensive. I did a triple bypass on both units. This something that most likely can't be done with the EFI ECUs.

 

[cpurvis]

Fuel injection? On a diesel, yes, but not electronic. As long as they're fed clean fuel, the MTBF is way up there. Almost bulletproof.

On a small gas engine? I hope to make it through all my mowing days without ever owning one. On a chain saw?? I wouldn't take one if they paid me.