This is an email I submitted to Ariens & B/S. Your comments would be appreciated.
In late 2010 I purchased this Ariens lawn tractor from Home Depot in Towson Maryland. I never had a day of trouble with it and maintained it per the manual. I used it two cutting seasons. This season, about a week ago, while completing about half of my grass cut, the mower sputtered, then stopped. I could not restart it and had to physically push it up our front yard hill to our garage.
After checking the manual for trouble-shooting I purchased a new spark plug, fuel filter, and air filter. After installation it still would not start.
I asked an old friend, who is an excellent mechanic and has worked on my mowers for many years, to stop over and help me trouble-shoot the problem. After trying everything he knew he indicated that he needed to get a look at the inside of the engine and needed me to call Ariens to check on the warranty. After speaking to one of the reps, I was told that the tractor was "JUST" out of warranty. It couldn't have been very long.
So my friend removed the case cover and immediately found the problem. Your (Briggs/Stratton) factory did not tighten the rocker arm fitting (bolt) properly and the rocker arm was just about falling off the engine block. We tightened it and closed up everything and the mower runs better that when I 1st bought it.
I am very disappointed in Ariens as well as Briggs/Stratton (whom I called after speaking to an Ariens Rep) and both told me there was nothing they could do. This was apparently not a quality-produced machine. I at the very least I expected a warranty extension. Neither Ariens or Briggs/Stratton would work with me on this. If this happens again it will again support the fact that this machine was not one of your quality models.
I am sending a copy to Briggs/Stratton, whose Customer Service Rep was very abrupt with me and not helpful at all. One of your two companies should at least assist me with continued help with this problem based on what's happened and what may occur again.
In late 2010 I purchased this Ariens lawn tractor from Home Depot in Towson Maryland. I never had a day of trouble with it and maintained it per the manual. I used it two cutting seasons. This season, about a week ago, while completing about half of my grass cut, the mower sputtered, then stopped. I could not restart it and had to physically push it up our front yard hill to our garage.
After checking the manual for trouble-shooting I purchased a new spark plug, fuel filter, and air filter. After installation it still would not start.
I asked an old friend, who is an excellent mechanic and has worked on my mowers for many years, to stop over and help me trouble-shoot the problem. After trying everything he knew he indicated that he needed to get a look at the inside of the engine and needed me to call Ariens to check on the warranty. After speaking to one of the reps, I was told that the tractor was "JUST" out of warranty. It couldn't have been very long.
So my friend removed the case cover and immediately found the problem. Your (Briggs/Stratton) factory did not tighten the rocker arm fitting (bolt) properly and the rocker arm was just about falling off the engine block. We tightened it and closed up everything and the mower runs better that when I 1st bought it.
I am very disappointed in Ariens as well as Briggs/Stratton (whom I called after speaking to an Ariens Rep) and both told me there was nothing they could do. This was apparently not a quality-produced machine. I at the very least I expected a warranty extension. Neither Ariens or Briggs/Stratton would work with me on this. If this happens again it will again support the fact that this machine was not one of your quality models.
I am sending a copy to Briggs/Stratton, whose Customer Service Rep was very abrupt with me and not helpful at all. One of your two companies should at least assist me with continued help with this problem based on what's happened and what may occur again.