Small engine design rant!

[DMF13]

Why can't they make oil changes simple? My snow blower (which I sold when we moved), and now my riding mower, had the drain port/plug situated in places where it was impossible to drain the oil without making a mess. Space is so tight, You can't even get something in to divert the oil away from the rest of the machine.

So for both I ended up getting a Drainz-It hose: https://www.amazon.com/Drainzit-Oil-Changing-Aid-STAN1438/dp/B000PDN3HY/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?keywords=drainzit&qid=1563663854&s=gateway&sr=8-1

That makes the oil changes hassle/mess free, but the first change, so it can be installed, results in oil getting all over the machine and the ground. I understand the desire to keep costs low, by the manufacturer, but adding an extension, whether a hard pipe, or a hose like the Drainz It, would be a y small cost. Not having that installed from the factory meant I spent a ton of time cleaning up spilled oil, and then the space to install the plug was so tight it was a royal PITA putting on the hose. Same situation with my old snow blower.

My push mower is even worse as there is no drain. You have to flip the mower over to drain oil from the fill port!

[SecondsCount]

You can vaccum it out 😎

Warm up the engine a little to thin the oil. Makes it easier.

[Mitch]

No shit, my lawn mower doesn’t even have a drain plug. You have to turn it upside down to empty the oil.

I never thought I’d have to make sure an engine had a drain plug.


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[RevolverRob]

If you have enough yard you need a power mower (as opposed to a reel-type or even a weed-eater), but not enough that you need a riding mower, wouldn't an electric mower make more sense? Seriously, an electric mower and two or three batteries costs slightly more than a gas mower. It's also so much quieter, smells better, and will never require an oil change. My mother uses an electric, rechargeable, lawn mower. She got a matching weed-eater. It can even hang on the wall in the garage, because the electric motor doesn't care of it's turned sideways or upside down or whatever.

[DMF13]

I have 2/3 of an acre, and just got a rider, which I added the Drainz It to this afternoon. I use a "hand me down" push mower, that is 25+ years old, and apparently indestructible, for doing the spots not easily mowed with the rider. If that old push mower ever dies I'll replace it with something like this: https://www.ryobitools.com/products/details/40v-20-in-brushless-mower-v2

I actually looked at getting an electric rider. Unfortunately, none of the current ones are set up for conveniently removing the batteries for charging. I store my lawn tools in a shed at the back corner of my lot, and I'm not going to run electricity all the way out there any time soon (probably ever).

[AKDoug]

6 years without an oil change on my cheap ass $199 Poulan lawn mower. I discovered the first year that I'd have to flip it over to change the oil. I said 'F it and see how long it lasts without a change. I added a half quart yesterday and it's still going. I do 11,000 sqft with it three times a week. I'll just get a new one when it dies. I'm a Stihl dealer and I'll likely replace it with a battery mower next. We have a battery trimmer and it kicks ass.

[DMF13]

No shit, my lawn mower doesn’t even have a drain plug. You have to turn it upside down to empty the oil.

I never thought I’d have to make sure an engine had a drain plug.


Sent from my iPhone using TapatalkI actually gave up on changing the oil in my push mower. Now if it's a little low I just add a little 5W-30 synthetic. The last full oil change was over 8 years ago with conventional SAE30. It doesn't really burn oil so it's still running mostly on that ancient SAE30. The darn thing just won't die.

[RevolverRob]

I have 2/3 of an acre, and just got a rider, which I added the Drainz It to this afternoon. I use a "hand me down" push mower, that is 25+ years old, and apparently indestructible, for doing the spots not easily mowed with the rider. If that old push mower ever dies I'll replace it with something like this: https://www.ryobitools.com/products/details/40v-20-in-brushless-mower-v2

I actually looked at getting an electric rider. Unfortunately, none of the current ones are set up for conveniently removing the batteries for charging. I store my lawn tools in a shed at the back corner of my lot, and I'm not going to run electricity all the way out there any time soon (probably ever).

A gas riding I totally get. The electric ones being plug-in as opposed to hot swappable makes them a hard sell in many places.

The Ryobi you linked is a lot like the one my mother uses. I think her’s might be a 24v? I dunno. I haven’t looked at it close enough to notice. My preference for mowing lawns is, “Pay someone else to do it.”

[Mitch]

I actually gave up on changing the oil in my push mower. Now if it's a little low I just add a little 5W-30 synthetic. The last full oil change was over 8 years ago with conventional SAE30. It doesn't really burn oil so it's still running mostly on that ancient SAE30. The darn thing just won't die.

Last oil change I did was when it blew a head gasket last year. That’s probably the last one I’ll do. I don’t even check the oil often in the fucking thing any more to be honest. It and the craftsman snow blower I bought have been the two biggest pieces of shit I’ve ever owned.

When it does I probably will go the electric route. I replaced my gas string trimmer with an electric one that’s basically disposable and I’m much happier.


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[Old Man Winter]

We live in the age of disposable products. Most people either don't know how or won't to change the oil. I'd wager this gets factored into the design so they can cut every penny from their manufacturing costs.

[gringop]

It looks like I can't upload a pic of my mower so I'll just add a link to it.
https://www.scotts.com/en-us/products/tools-accessories/scotts-classic-20-reel-push-mower

I've used push reel mowers for years including a 20 old 14" Great States that was my first. I still have it and another newer 14" but this Scotts 20" is much lighter and cuts 20" wide instead of 14.

I have a normal 1/4 acre lot with a front, back and side yard and as long as you don't let the grass get too tall, this reel mower works just as well as a gas mower. As long as I keep it adjusted and sharpened it cuts just as fast as my old 4 hp Craftsman gas mower. Sticks that get caught in the blades stop it dead but are easily dealt with. Cuss, kick the reel backwards to clear the stick and drive on.

I'm not some super eco hippie, as a matter of fact, I've got my eye on a commercial grade Cub Cadet 250 at the local pawn shop, but for small to medium flat lawns, modern real push mowers will work very well.

I sharpened the 20" Scott today, which involves using valve lapping compound to smooth off the reel blade faces and the cutter blade. It took me 15 min and now it's slicing through grass like butter.

Like buttaaah!!!

Gringop

[camsdaddy]

I didn't know the hose was an option. Earlier this year I went to lowes and bought a brass nipple and a plug. This made it so when I drain the oil it doesn't run all over the frame.

[camsdaddy]

It looks like I can't upload a pic of my mower so I'll just add a link to it.
https://www.scotts.com/en-us/products/tools-accessories/scotts-classic-20-reel-push-mower

I've used push reel mowers for years including a 20 old 14" Great States that was my first. I still have it and another newer 14" but this Scotts 20" is much lighter and cuts 20" wide instead of 14.

I have a normal 1/4 acre lot with a front, back and side yard and as long as you don't let the grass get too tall, this reel mower works just as well as a gas mower. As long as I keep it adjusted and sharpened it cuts just as fast as my old 4 hp Craftsman gas mower. Sticks that get caught in the blades stop it dead but are easily dealt with. Cuss, kick the reel backwards to clear the stick and drive on.

I'm not some super eco hippie, as a matter of fact, I've got my eye on a commercial grade Cub Cadet 250 at the local pawn shop, but for small to medium flat lawns, modern real push mowers will work very well.

I sharpened the 20" Scott today, which involves using valve lapping compound to smooth off the reel blade faces and the cutter blade. It took me 15 min and now it's slicing through grass like butter.

Like buttaaah!!!

Gringop
I didn't know reel mowers were a thing. I remember seeing them on Dennis the menace but never seen one in person. I think it's probably due to living in a more rural environment. An acre yard is small around here. I think it's cool. If we had a small yard I would like a reel. No gas to go bad and easy storage. Looks like the only maintanace is keep the blades adjusted and sharp

[rayrevolver]

I actually gave up on changing the oil in my push mower. Now if it's a little low I just add a little 5W-30 synthetic. The last full oil change was over 8 years ago with conventional SAE30. It doesn't really burn oil so it's still running mostly on that ancient SAE30. The darn thing just won't die.

I can't remember the brand off-hand, but their new push mowers is a "no oil change" affair. You just top it off. Probably a good plan for all lawn small lawn mowers.

My 20 year old JD LT155 has a little quick turn adapter that I connected a hose to.

For whatever reason, the new JD zero turn has a plastic drain knob. Sure it's tool less but the old system was easier to use.

That said, any Maryland people want an old riding mower send me a PM!

[mtnbkr]

If you have enough yard you need a power mower (as opposed to a reel-type or even a weed-eater), but not enough that you need a riding mower, wouldn't an electric mower make more sense? Seriously, an electric mower and two or three batteries costs slightly more than a gas mower. It's also so much quieter, smells better, and will never require an oil change. My mother uses an electric, rechargeable, lawn mower. She got a matching weed-eater. It can even hang on the wall in the garage, because the electric motor doesn't care of it's turned sideways or upside down or whatever.

I live in a townhouse with a front yard that is about 10'x30' or so and a backyard that is about double that.

After seeing my folks' Kobalt 80v push mower and chainsaw, and using the latter to cut down and cut up several trees (actual trees, not saplings or ornamental bushes), I decided that ecosystem was good enough for me. Prior to that, I used a corded electric mower and weedeater combo.

Fast forward to last November and Lowes put the 80v mower with charger and two batteries on clearance for $175ish. I grabbed one. Then in Feb of this year, they put the 80v weedeater with battery and charger on sale for $75. I snapped one of those up too. I now have 3 2ah batteries and two chargers. I can edge and mow my entire yard on less than one battery, so I keep the other two batteries in storage as spares for when my active battery wears out.

My thoughts on the Kobalt 80v system:

Pros:
Powerful
Capable for any homeowner needs.
Even the smallest AH batteries have long life. Up to 3ah batteries are available.
I would not feel "undergunned" using the 80v gear for your typical suburban homeowner tasks in a half-acre to acre lot.
Straight shaft weedeater supports accessory devices (edger, blower, etc)
Both devices are quieter than the corded versions they replaced. The chainsaw, which I've used but do not own, is obviously much quieter. A side benefit of the lack of noise is not needing hearing protection, which improves situational awareness (no family members "sneaking up" and being in dangerous areas)

Cons:
Really more than *I* need for my yard, but the smaller 40v versions were actually more expensive and don't seem to go on sale.
The mower is heavy as hell (steel deck), making storage a PITA
The weedeater is huge and overpowered like the mower.
The batteries are expensive.

At the prices I paid, I'd buy them again. However, if I was paying full retail, I'd give the 40v versions a closer look due to their suitability for my household needs.

Chris

[mtnbkr]

It looks like I can't upload a pic of my mower so I'll just add a link to it.
https://www.scotts.com/en-us/products/tools-accessories/scotts-classic-20-reel-push-mower

I've used push reel mowers for years including a 20 old 14" Great States that was my first. I still have it and another newer 14" but this Scotts 20" is much lighter and cuts 20" wide instead of 14.

I have a normal 1/4 acre lot with a front, back and side yard and as long as you don't let the grass get too tall, this reel mower works just as well as a gas mower. As long as I keep it adjusted and sharpened it cuts just as fast as my old 4 hp Craftsman gas mower. Sticks that get caught in the blades stop it dead but are easily dealt with. Cuss, kick the reel backwards to clear the stick and drive on.

I'm not some super eco hippie, as a matter of fact, I've got my eye on a commercial grade Cub Cadet 250 at the local pawn shop, but for small to medium flat lawns, modern real push mowers will work very well.

I sharpened the 20" Scott today, which involves using valve lapping compound to smooth off the reel blade faces and the cutter blade. It took me 15 min and now it's slicing through grass like butter.

Like buttaaah!!!

Gringop

When I first bought our townhouse, I tried a reel mower. With the size yard I have, I didn't think a powered mower was necessary. What I learned is that while the yard looks flat, there's enough "texture" to cause problems with reel mowers. Also, if you let the grass get a fraction of an inch too long, it doesn't work worth a damn. After one season, I sold the reel mower and bought a corded electric push mower than Proceeded to use for 16 years before replacing it with a cordless mower.

Chris

[beenalongtime]

It looks like I can't upload a pic of my mower so I'll just add a link to it.
https://www.scotts.com/en-us/products/tools-accessories/scotts-classic-20-reel-push-mower

I've used push reel mowers for years including a 20 old 14" Great States that was my first. I still have it and another newer 14" but this Scotts 20" is much lighter and cuts 20" wide instead of 14.



Gringop


Received a Craftsman branded one from a relative, who bought it for $10 from a garage sale, as a lose the baby weight item. Was in their re-garage sale, because it "didn't cut well anymore". After a quick sharpening, I used it some in the evenings and even after midnight (long hours, due to others medical issues), and unless we get a lot of rain, it is pretty handy. (still have a gas mower due to rain)
I DO get people either slamming on their brakes, or turning around, just because they have never seen anyone use one before.
Had an elderly lady that lived close and used one of the wooden handle ones, that may have been as new as her house (1940's) to mow an acre and a half until she was 68, probably part of the reason she made it close to 90 and was in as good as shape.

[SecondsCount]

If you have enough yard you need a power mower (as opposed to a reel-type or even a weed-eater), but not enough that you need a riding mower, wouldn't an electric mower make more sense? Seriously, an electric mower and two or three batteries costs slightly more than a gas mower. It's also so much quieter, smells better, and will never require an oil change. My mother uses an electric, rechargeable, lawn mower. She got a matching weed-eater. It can even hang on the wall in the garage, because the electric motor doesn't care of it's turned sideways or upside down or whatever.

My concern about electric mowers is longevity, as in how many years can I get out of one before they become toxic waste in a landfill.

My leaf blower and power drills are electric but I really dislike the way they sell replacement batteries for them. One of the drills cost $75 when new but the battery has died and they want $30 for a replacement. The other one is slowly dying and I have two attachments for it. Same deal on a replacement battery.

[JTQ]

I've used push reel mowers for years ...
I used those when I was a kid and thought they were really good. I didn't have a gas mower until I was in my late 20's.

A few years back I went back to a reel mower. It didn't work for me. I have some rogue grass in my lawn the mower wouldn't cut, and tweaking of blade height/cutter bar options or whatever the terms were, quickly sent me down an adjustment path I never recovered from. I used it for a couple of years and ended up back with a gas mower.

It is awful how you have to turn the mower over to drain the oil on my gas mower. I'm a little over two years on my last oil change and was beginning to think I was heading for disaster, but seeing as a couple of you guys are at 6 and 8 years, and I'm using AMSOIL full synthetic, I don't feel that bad anymore. I expect I'll give the oil a change before the summer is over though.