Stens solenoid failure

[Scrubcadet10]

And unless you know what to look for you would just be wasting your time unless it was obvious like a spring or an anchoring shoulder that was too small .
Like all those 1/2 witts that cut open oil filters with can openers .

that's what i figured, Thanks

 

[bertsmobile1]

A Stens account isn't that hard to get if you have a business license and sales tax license. I only do $500 or more purchases from them though this coming I expect the sales to much to 2K.

here is the last four years...
View attachment 59396

I do around $ 5000 pa with Stens and about the same with RGS .
Although I am buying more & more direct from China because I can not price match the big retailers on much higher discounts than me .
The trick it to buy via Made in China so you are dealing mostly with a factory directly.
Just got 500 fuel filters ( 5 different styles ) at less than $ 1 each including freight.
Got 100 air filters on their way ( 50 each of 2 styles )

Next best is Alli Baba because they have a quality assurance system where the vendors do not get paid till after you have received the goods & verified they are good
After that is Alli-Express however that is retail so the prices are substantially higher but you can buy single items .

Ebay principally gets used for price checking , for seeing if aftermarket parts are available and to dispose of surplus stuff bought via one of the three sites above
I needed a clutch for a B & S Fun cart , down here it would have cost over $ 200 for original B & S .
Bought 12 ( minimum order size ) via Ali-baba, fitted one to the customers cart, kept 2 for stock then sold the remaining 9 for 1/9th the total cost of buying the 12 on ebay so the ones I used were free
Sold the 9 in a week 2 individually and the last 7 to a cart shop . Gave them the purchase details & they were over the moon as the factory made dozens of different models many of which they could not get locally.
Amazon is for crooks so I never buy there any more apart from print on demand books.

 

[StarTech]

My operation is too small for one thing and another is my location. For outgoing shipping all that is close is USPS office that only operates a couple hours a day open to the public.

I am fairly competitive pricing wise as I use the same suggested price lists though I must include a 1.5% upcharge to offset the fees one of the vendor charges for me to use my credit card. They offer ACH payments but so far have refused to change me over. Now the locals are pricing higher than the lists so that to my advantage.

The not switching me over is why I have been deleting my stock of their items since August. One OEM parts are actually cheaper through the secondary distributor. Gardner have lost over half of their potential sales to RBI which RBI don't mind getting.

I also was dealing with A&I [Sunbelt] but their products and service is no where near the quality that it was when Sunbelt ran the operation. If it wasn't for the Briggs parts I would have already dumped them.

For me I do buy off Amazon but usually from the same vendors that I deal with direct as they can have lower prices of Amazon then the direct prices sometimes and vice versa at other times.

Either way I should be depleting all my stock so I can retire in a few year with little on hand. I getting tired of the war with the customers and vendors.

 

[SamB]

I've had 3 failures of stens solenoids this year, same part numbers as well. and one on my own equipment just the other day.

Stens 435-864​

I keep several of these on hand as i service a few older kawasaki Mule's which use the solenoid shift starters.
anyway i replaced three total in 2021, one of which was on my Mule.
i repaired one mower back in the spring, March i think... that solenoid failed in July. i then went back with a OEM Kawasaki part.
i replaced another one in May, an it failed in October.
i replaced the on on my Mule in august and it failed last week.
Now the kicker is, they all failed the same way, you turn the key, and it doesn't retract or anything. just barely moves... i load tested the trigger wire by using a 12v30W tailight draw on it and it never dimmed. or flickered. So it appears the solenoid just gave up, and all in the same manner.
so it seems to be a stens/supplier issue.... so far the OEM kawasaki's are doing good.

On my mowers,when the starter solenoid fails,and the OEM ones seem to be a weak point, I replace them with a common automotive one. That cures the issue pretty much forever. Usually less expensive,too.

 

[StarTech]

On my mowers,when the starter solenoid fails,and the OEM ones seem to be a weak point, I replace them with a common automotive one. That cures the issue pretty much forever. Usually less expensive,too.

First one comment the Stens 435-864 is for the solenoid shift starters.

Now with the remote starter solenoids many OEMs uses a 80 amp version that fails due high current demands. Here I install 200 amp after market versions. Now they do only have 15% duty cycle.

 

[SamB]

First one comment the Stens 435-864 is for the solenoid shift starters.

Now with the remote starter solenoids many OEMs uses a 80 amp version that fails due high current demands. Here I install 200 amp after market versions. Now they do only have 15% duty cycle.

There is a golf cart continuous duty solenoid rated for 300 amp also used on electric winches. My current draw requirement has never been that high,but they are available,20 bucks or so.

 

[StarTech]

The four post ones that I just stock for my customer only me 6.65 ea. which I sell to my customers for $11 ea.

 

[SamB]

The four post ones that I just stock for my customer only me 6.65 ea. which I sell to my customers for $11 ea.

That's a good price! Can't get them at the auto parts store for that amount and sure beats the OEM from the mower dealer!

 

[bertsmobile1]

On my mowers,when the starter solenoid fails,and the OEM ones seem to be a weak point, I replace them with a common automotive one. That cures the issue pretty much forever. Usually less expensive,too.

If OEM solenoids are failing it is usually a sign of another problem
I am yet to come across one that has failed for no external reason.
The most common one is an out of tune engine so the owner cranks it till the battery goes flat ignoring the 30 seconds max printed in the owners manual
the most common failure is the plastic melting allowing the internal parts to no longer make contact .

They would be better made from a thermo setting plastic ( bakelite to some ) but that would cost three times as much .

 

[ILENGINE]

If OEM solenoids are failing it is usually a sign of another problem
I am yet to come across one that has failed for no external reason.
The most common one is an out of tune engine so the owner cranks it till the battery goes flat ignoring the 30 seconds max printed in the owners manual
the most common failure is the plastic melting allowing the internal parts to no longer make contact .

They would be better made from a thermo setting plastic ( bakelite to some ) but that would cost three times as much .

Ordered some Briggs generic 3 and 4 post solenoids a few years back Like the Stens or Oregon generic one size fits most applications style. Everyone of them failed on the 3rd engine start. 5 different mowers involved. Briggs paid the warranty to replace everyone of them.