My mower has a motivational issue
 

Bought a new Craftsman mower last summer...worked fine.

Started right up this spring no problem, but the engine just feels like it's running at 70%.

It's all new gas, clean underneath and the air filter is fine.

I didn't remove the spark plug, but I can't believe it's corroded already. Also thought about a clogged fuel line.

Any ideas???

thanks,

-spence

Did you change the framistanic filter?

It's a sign from above-put mower away and go fishing! There here.

Is it the 6.5 hp Tecumseh?

Ya it's a Craftsman... fix it, sell it and buy a Honda.

Take the bowl off the bottom of the carb and clean it out. Bet it's full of crap, I do mine at least 2 times a year.

Spence if you didn't put Stab-l in the gas last fall its probably the fuel. I'd empty the tank or run it more until all the fuel is gone and then change plug. Then put new fuel in. If its that new the problem is minor.

And while ya at it add a inline filter...I got sick of finding pieces of leaves in my carb jets..later found out the little screen at the bottom of the tank was fubar and rolling around the bottom of the tank...so a inline filter does wonders now and never runs crappy anymore.

Spence trace the whole fuel line visually too...something to remember is this new ethanol crap eats the rubber...and you could have a soft area that could be letting air in there...

It's a 6.5, but I think the Briggs & Stratton. Got it cheap at the Sears Outlet in Fall River.

I'll check all dat.

Thanks,

-specne

is your blade spinning free under the deck?? sometimes grass builds up like cement.

Or get another craftsman w/honda motor. You can get one right now for 329 with frontwheel propel and the big rear wheels. You'll replace wheels and levers and cables and blades before you kill that motor.:)

same here spence....6.5 b&s...
new filter...gas...oil and blade...
feels weak.....gonna clean the cup like F-18 says....

6.75 B&S
just did 1/2 the lawn.....runnin' well....
soooo much to do....
mulch next weekend.....then fences and house trim to paint....rot repair and new dowmspouts.....plus more.....on goes the battle:)

CRAPsman ;)

u got that right.....sears aint what they used to be.....

I read that Briggs & Stratton was forced to produce a line of lower quality motors because they could not compete on price at Wally-world where price is the prime determinate of sales....

Do like F18 said.
Take the carb bowl off and clean the carb.
The new E10 gas has been causing a LOT of problems!

I have a 3 year old Crapsman snow blower that never ran right even from day one. I have a 14 year old Honda mower that I never winterize, never put stabilizer in the fuel and it ALWAYS starts on the first pull. Guess how many Crapsman products I'm going to buy in the future.

Yea, I know...but the Honda was out of my price range at the time. We had a Honda growing up that was a champ...very nice.

-spence

Not a big fan of Craftsman, very noisy too, which gets really annoying and is very bad for you hearing.
Ever notice that the Lanscaper guys all wear earmuffs, there is a reason for that.
I agree , Get a Honda. But I would put a little gas stabilizer in it before storage this fall and run that thru the carb , a little prevention goes a long way.

Looks like I'm not the only one that hates Crapsman. Chainsaw=POS, Weedwhacker=POS, and other people I know bought Crapsman equipment only to return it for something else.

The weedwhacker is somewhere in the woods behind my house if anyone wants it.:smash:

Craftsman pusher WITH A HONDA
 

Mine is 4 years old, has never been tuned up, never burns oil, cuts like a champ, and has started on the FIRST FRIGGEN PULL EVERY SPRING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Buy one.

put some stabilzer in your tank on your last mow and run the mower out of gas in the fall. always store it dry...from what I've heard this new e-10 will not run anything after sitting for months...

Check for Mice.....seriously.

Little bastards used to build nests in my lawn mowers and ruin everything

Just give it a nasty talking to :)

I think its Bush's Fault.:uhuh:

W did introduce 10% ethanol (burns faster and costs more :wall: )

Honda mower... one of the BEST purchases I made, had 2 crapsman's before it. NO COMPARISON.

The problem?

Bad throttle spring.

-spence

I have a new Troy-Built mower with Honda engine that I bought just last fall. Only used it a half-dozen times, then out of ignorance stored it for the winter with E-10 fuel still in the tank. This spring it worked just fine once or twice, then this past week it failed. It will start up and run for about 60 seconds, then die; after that, I can't start it at all until several hours later or the next day, where it will maybe run for less than a minute again. I drained the fuel, bought new gas, added a dash of STP, checked the filter, changed the spark plug -- still no go. Incidentally, I also noticed that while cranking, my choke returns to the initial position more slowly than it used to.

Is there anything else I can try before I pay somebody half the price of the mower to fix it for me? This has been a great mower and I'm just sick at the thought that maybe I've killed it.

Thanks,

-Bill

Bill - welcome to S-B - Is the choke automatic? Or el Manuel?


My Mover has a motivational issue - it threw a rod... Anyone have a 8.5 - 12HP vertical shaft B&S kicking around here on S-B.com (short-blades.com) ?

yep...
 

this is what you can do.....

as i worked for a year in a lawn mower shop ok...

i can fix any engine...

and as f18 might also say... it's either spark or gas....

for you it seems to be gas...

so you become the carburator ....find an old eye drops bottle

or something you can convert into a mini squeeze gas bottle!

pull the plug and prime the hole with a little squirt of gas & replace plug

then get ready to pull and squirt gas into the carb...simutaneously

you might have to remove the air filter obviously...

and see if you can by pass the fuel system

and see if it runs for as long as you squirt gas.

if so,,,, then your gas isnt reaching

where it's supposed to go..

the needle valve is stuck...or something

is plugged up... be careful when you

pull the carb bowl off...or linkage..<<<-----

take digital photo's or make drawings and don't depend

on your memory... period.. unless you have a schematic .:skulz:
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my troybuilt tiller is doing the same thing..actually
and i'm going to
kick it's butt today....:realmad:

El Manuel, señor.