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As tractor season has come to an end and snow blowers are in for service - I counted over $ 40,000.00 in high end cub & simplicity tractors and compact tractors in my going to the scrap yard pile . 50% caught on fire from not being cleaned after cuttings . 50% have rod knocks or blown apart blocks from not adding oil ... Let's get into the routine of checking the oil before you start the motor and blow off the deck and engine with your grass blower ... Unless you have $2399.00 for a new tractor every few years .
Drain those fuel tanks this month and run the carbs dry . Take the battery in the house for the winter - it will last a few years ..

Don't forget the air filter and grease zerk's.

Did I reading that right 50% burn up from grass clipping from not cleaning out dry grass after mowing. What in the world is catching that dry grass on fire, the exhaust? Yes I blow mine out but not after every mowing, but not because I think it will catch on fire.

Smoldering grass around deck and belts . Most of them have rear gas tanks & fuel line going to the engine , cubs get the grass packed around the muffler - all the cubs with melted off hoods !

SONOFADOCKER said:

Smoldering grass around deck and belts . Most of them have rear gas tanks & fuel line going to the engine , cubs get the grass packed around the muffler - all the cubs with melted off hoods !

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Sure sounds like a design flaw . Any of my mowers the dried grass couldn't pack around the muffler. Sounds like something witch could happen after you put your mower away in your garage and burn it down and if your garage was attached to your house at night after you have gone to bed. Not a very good design. Looks like law-sue time.

I know of 3 mowers that caught fire this summer.

Here is a Cub Cadet burning. Owner said it was 2 years old.

Amen to that!

Scotland's mowing season ended about a month ago, so I tipped out most of the fuel from the tank, and to get the last out, I fired it up and let it run until it died.

I didn't clean off the deck, because I looked, but there was barely any grass there.

As I've said before, I think the polypropylene deck must be too shiny for grass to stick to, plus the fact I rarely mow after it has rained.

Keep your equipment well maintained, and it'll last you.

I do occasional mower repairs for people I know, and you would be surprised at the amount of times I've seen oil related problems/failures.

Take this - Today a friend of the family dropped by with his mower and asked me to check it out, as it was running really rough on high throttle and not at all on idle.

Well, I pulled out the dipstick, and there was nothing on it, so I took the drain plug out, and even a spider couldn't drown in the depth of the drained oil.

I filled it up to the MAX mark with fresh oil, and as soon as I started it up blue smoke started puffing out of the exhaust, and although it would now idle, it was very rough, and stalled after 5-6 seconds of idling.

I then drained the oil again, and what do you know, the oil level had increase since I filled it.

Basically, his two year old 7HP Briggs & Stratton Self Propelled walk behind mower was pretty much written off, unless you fancy mowing in a stream of blue smoke...

He did admit that he didn't check the oil level the last two times he mowed, and did see a damp patch on his shed floor after taking the mower out yesterday.

Anyway, the moral of that long, long story, was basically - Check your oil EVERY TIME! It will probably be fine, but do you really want to take the chance of starting your mower up and a few minutes later it either seizing up or loosing compression ?

I wouldn't...

Another issue in my area are repairs from MICE damage - put moth balls into the steering tower , on top off deck , under the seat body .... Well worth the 2.00 box of moths balls compared to a 500.00 harness repair . ...little buggers hate moth balls ( so do I ) they stink !

Every time I pack my mowers away,I always put it in top dead center so Condensation doesn't rust the cylinder,valves or piston. One of my costumers years ago got their garage set on fire when a backfire stated some dried grass on fire. Sounds uncommon but it happens more than you think

Quality lawn Service said:

Every time I pack my mowers away,I always put it in top dead center so Condensation doesn't rust the cylinder,valves or piston. One of my costumers years ago got their garage set on fire when a backfire stated some dried grass on fire. Sounds uncommon but it happens more than you think

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You put your mower on TDC every time you are done mowing or when you put it away for the season. That might be a good idea but mine has two cylinders. What do you do with that other cylinder. Now my mower when I am done for the season I turn off the key and that is all. It just starts right up in the spring.

On twin cylinder just take plugs out and put shot of oil in each cylinder and turn over by hand few times

Re install plugs done

reynoldston said:

You put your mower on TDC every time you are done mowing or when you put it away for the season. That might be a good idea but mine has two cylinders. What do you do with that other cylinder. Now my mower when I am done for the season I turn off the key and that is all. It just starts right up in the spring.

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I appreciate y'alls point of view as I had to deal with the same thing. Now I don't worry at all. I am the proud owner of a Ford LGT14D. It uses diesel fuel 14 hp and gobs of torque at my finger tips anytime of the year.:biggrin: and it is liquid cooled to boot.
Rick

20 yrs vol firefighter and over25yrs in small engine business have only ever seen one snow blower and 1 rider that caught fire and they were both being refilled with gas when it happened, snow blower was left running and the mower had just shut off and cust was pouring from a filled to the brim 5 gal can and it sloched out onto the muffler.

I have never put any oil in the cly at the end of the season either, never had a motor go bad other than 1 with a boom a rang crankshaft thanks to the wife anda small stump hidden in some weeds. Have a snapper with a tech 4cyl engine on it from 1984 doesn't burn a drop of oil, I change the oil , and put an a/f in it and sharpen it every spring if it needs it or not, will start on the first or second pull everytime. Think I have changed the plug 2 or 3 times since new. gets used about 1 hr every 5 -7 days for trim mower from mar to nov-dec.