I have found the older Ford mowers to be very well built. The mower weighs about 750 pounds, so you know they used some steel. Parts have been easy to get through the internet, however I had the Kohler and Briggs engines. In January 2009, Tecumseh went out of business and were partially bought out by Husqvarna and CPC (Certified Parts Corporation). So parts are getting harder to get. I have a John Deere 112 with the Tecumseh engine and the magnetto or coil went bad. A used mag runs $150 -$200. Thats what I paid for the whole mower. :confused2: