I figured what the heck, you guys drive Ford's so some of you have got to know about Craftsman push mowers.

While mowing the lawn this evening, I hear some rattling going on underneath the mower, a little smoke and then all of sudden all of these fluids come spilling out around the mower.....

Do I have a blown motor?

Thanks guys!

 

Push mowers are air cooled, there is no radiator. Sounds like it blowed up. Time to buy a new one.

 

Thanks Quintin. That's what I was afraid of....

darn it.

 

Time for a Honda. My dad bought one after years of craftsman mowers. He loves the Honda mower.

 

To expand a little bit so I don't sound like a smartass, it sounds like the engine case itself cracked. Maybe you (or someone else) hit something hard and bent the crank, which can bust the case in short order.

I've always used Murrays with Briggs engines, with no problems. No one makes a really bad mower, it's just folks that don't understand that even though it's a lawnmower, which isn't used year around, it takes a little maintenance and upkeep to keep 'em going happily for a long time.

 

Yeah my Craftsman last me 7 years. That's pretty good on a push mower eh?

I mean I kept the oil changed and had it tuned up every year in the spring.

Guess it was just time for it to go huh?

 

This just means you should buy one of those sick zero turn mowers and do 360s in the front yard. With video. Posting it on here.

 

I use a 20" Craftsman push mower purchased in 1971 for trimming. The thing still starts on the first pull. It's a bare-bones mower with no bag, I believe it was the bottom of the line model. I know Honda makes a good mower, but 35 years and counting is hard to beat.

MR

 

 

Yep sounds like the block cracked.... Only fluid that should come out is oil. If it doesn't look like oil then the only thing that might can get in there (assuming it's not left out in the rain) is gas. If gas got in the oil then that is likely your culprit. Could have been from a bent crank or if the carb leaked and gas got in the crank case then it could have locked up breaking the rod and throwing it through the block. That happened to my 5 year old Craftsman rider.

Push mower,
I picked up a used 20" Murray w/ 3.5 hp Briggs & Strat I/C, 12 years ago, at a garage sale for $20 for triming.

It was used at the time, guessing it to have been 5 or 10 years old. So now It's 17-22 years old. Bottum of the line, no bag or accessories, just plain jane mower.
I haven't even changed the spark plug, I check the oil occasionally don't know that I've ever even added any. Think I may have rebuilt the carb once. Had to replace the pull rope because it broke. Starts on a 1/2 pull. I got to short of a rope, it is one where the rope handle is up on the lawn mower handle, you have to hold the bar to start and run it. By the time I ran it up there, then I was only left with about a foot of rope in the spool. Dont even have to pull that much to start it though, about 6" and it fires up.

Got a 42" craftsman rider I bought new at the same time. So far, I rebuild the deck atleast once a year, replaced the entire deck once. Threw a rod through the side of the 15.5 HP, Briggs I/C at the 5 year mark, and replaced with a 18 HP briggs I/C twin cylinder. Still have to rebuild or replace starter every couple of years and still rebuild the carburater annually at the start of season. That's not counting the regular maintaince of changing the oil every 10 hours, spark plugs every 20 hours, and belts as needed.

My yard has grown from about 3/4 of an acre to 2 + acres since I bought this mower, I now mow to much for this one, I need a bigger one. Was hoping to have a tractor with belly mower this year but couldn't swing it, so maybe next year.

 

Honda mowers = stupid $$$

Go to any Sears & in front of the tool/Craftsman section is all the used stuff brought back cause they didn't like it. I got a used once 22" mower for $30 + tax. I have unmercifully abused this mower for 4.5 years. Never once changed the oil. I'm on my 4th blade cause I run over all the sticks & crap in my yard instead of picking them up.

I utilized the same method to purchase my washing machine. It was originally $1100. I got it for $500. Some guy bought it & his wife didn't like the color so he brought it back. The box had never been opened. NJ law states if the product has been delivered, it is no longer new so it cannot be sold at new prices. So I got a washing machine for 45% the cost of new.

KC-10 FE out...