Murry lawn tractor Model 40604B

[Harold2689]

A govened engine runs at the speed that the govenor is set for.
A direct throttle engine is a different matter as you can over rev it.
It is not just the engine, the blades are designed to work at a specific speed, bearings are designed to run at specific speeds to get the desired up draft and clean cut.
If you are happy then it is your mower and you are entitled to do with it as you wish.
OTOH this is a public forum so it is important that correct information is presented.
I currently run a 1981 L300 that had done 1,360,000 km and is still on std bore although it has been reringed twice and had 2 sets of big ends.
Neither of the bearing changes were necessary but they come as a kit complete with pistons .

However it is warter cooled and mower engines are mostly air cooled.
Older engines were over cooled , you could run them forever with 2" of mud packed around the cylinder & head but newer ones will cook at the drop of a hat and the slower the engine runs, the worse it cools.
Also the slower the engine runs the less the alternator output is and in some of my customers case, they had been replacing batteries every year or two for this reason.

I hadn't thought of all that, but it does make sense. I've never measured rpm, but I guess I like to run around 1800 to 2000 rpm. Everything seems to work fine, and I use less gasoline..

When I removed the cooling shroud, the cooling fins were PACKED with mice nesting and a few "potato chiped" carcasses of former inhabitants of the nest. I was amazed at how much material was packed in there, along with countless sunflower seeds. I have no idea where they came from...

The last time I unsuccessfully tried to start this engine, (before I started working on it) I had run the battery down trying to get the engine to run again. I was sure I was going to have to recharge the battery. After taking everything apart I discovered that the spark plug and muffler were both loose. I was sure the higher compression from having a new spark plug in place would require extra battery cranking power. I was surprised when the engine started right up after no more than 2 revolutions from the starter. The alternator must be doing okay, because it started right up yesterday when I cut the grass. I hadn't given much thought to it before you mentioned it, because everything has been working fine for all these years. The battery has only been changed once or twice in all the years my dad owned this mower. I do understand your point though. Perhaps the newer models of today are not as efficient as the older ones.

Sometimes "older is better," you know, like in wine and cheese... :thumbsup:

Thanks for your input. I always enjoy conversation and you've given me a few things that I never thought about before...

 

[bertsmobile1]

A lot of my customers are on acreage and a lot run chooks.
A fair few keep their mower in a shed connected to or quite near the chook house.
There is always a rat/ mouse nest or two under their blower housing .
Even found a snake there once.
Then we get the mud pluggers who can fill in the space between every fin.

A good clean out every season will make a world of difference.
And yes old is usually better made because every year customers demand more but want to pay less so less is what they get, dressed up as more.