Yeah.. tough part of the season....but I go from a nice 36' in deck with multi=gear tranny...to a 21 in fwd propelled mower. those extra stripes are gonna add up!...in lost weight!!Nothing is compulsory.
If you are going to replace the engine, wait till the end of the season when the surplus engine hit the market .
You can ususally get them for around 1/2 retail price.
There might be some factory pulls available, but it is a bit late in the season for them right now.
lol...