How do you keep these new lawn mowers running?

A couple of years ago we bought a new mower with a Briggs and Stratton engine. These new carbs don't have a manual choke or a throttle linkage. They don't even have those rubber buttons that squirt fuel into the carb to prime the engine. Every time I went to use the mower, I had to pull the carb and clean everything and put it back on just to start it. Most common ailment is that the needle and seat gets green and hangs up causing massive amounts of fuel to continually leak into the carb. Fine if the engine is running, but stop for a minute to dump the bagger and there is fuel all over the deck and it won't restart. I've resorted to taping the safety handle down, and just keep it running while I dump the clippings in the chicken coop. Uses way more fuel than it should and I have to make sure it runs out before I put the mower away. I was told to use marine fuel stabilizer and that helped a little. So did using old gas from cars I was parting out. We have E85 gas here, and I'm sure thats the root of the problem. The needle is now stuck in a spot where I can start it and keep it running long enough to mow the lawn, without pulling the carb, but its never been right. Once, I shut it off to dump the bag and the piston hydrolocked on me. Any and all suggestions appreciated. Should have just replaced the deck on the old rotted out mower and kept the 15 year old engine that ran like a top.

You only have e85 gas available? Did you mean e10?

Some places still sell gas with no ethanol for use in mowers or boat motors, check this list to see if there's one in your area. http://pure-gas.org/

Use stabilizer and install a Petcock in line with the carb. Turn off the Petcock and timing it dry before putting it away.

Complain to B&S that they don't make a product that is robust to the most commonly available fuel in the market.

One can agree or disagree about the E10, but the fact that it's what is available should force B&S to make a product that is robust to that. If that happened to modern cars, whoever made it would be cruified. There's no excuse for B&S to market that kind of crap.

That the one with the automatic choke? I've really come to like that engine and set up. A few things I've learned along the way with small engines and yard equipment.

Store the mower and the gas can inside, out of the rain and humidity. Otherwise the fuel sucks up moisture and becomes an incombustable liquid and eventually turns to goo.

Run high octane fuel. Not for the octane, but for the shelf life. It stays a burnable fuel for longer, and is less prone to gumming and gooing the fuel system.

Install a fuel cutoff valve in the fuel line of the mower. Turn it off and run the engine out of gas before you put it away.

foxtrapper wrote: Store the mower and the gas can inside, out of the rain and humidity. Otherwise the fuel sucks up moisture and becomes an incombustable liquid and eventually turns to goo.

It's how they keep us from stockpiling gas ...

Buy a Toro with a Honda engine.

High octane fuel is not required. The reason most people have better luck with high octane fuel then with regular gas is the higher fuel detergent level in these premium fuels. If you add, as I do some detergent additive and fuel stabilizer to small engine fuel you shouldn't have problems.
As an example, I am currently using some fuel I purchased nearly 6 months ago for my snow blower in the middle of winter. At the time I added fuel stabilizer. I ended up not using any of it, I now use this fuel in my mower without issues.

One thing I do find with the B&G small engines. The float will stick if not used for a while and will not start. Once I figured this out it takes only a minute to drop the float bowl and free it up. It then starts up fine. Hot starts san sometimes require 2-3 pulls. It all depends on how long it takes to empty the grass bag.

I've got a 4 yr old B&S powered Toro … other than the first start in the spring, it starts on the first pull … first spring start usually take 2 - 3 pulls … I buy 3 gal at the start of the cutting season and don't use any Stabil, and have had zero problems so far … at the end of the cutting season I wire the engine on until it runs out of fuel … squirt a bit of 3n1 oil into the spark plug hole and let it set 'til spring

Things were better before all the improvements.

Yea we get the E10. Sorry about that. I like the idea of the petcock. Keeping the bowl empty between usage will probably help. Pulling the carb sucks. There is about 10 bolts that have to come off just to get at the carb, then flimsy little choke wire rods, and a couple of fuel line clips as well. Then you need to remove the bolts for the fuel bowl. Of course there are 3 or 4 different size bots that have to come out, and you have to be careful not to loose anything.

I must be doing something wrong, my experience has been just like wbjones's. My mower starts in one pull, I never worry about running it out of gas or anything. I shut it off to do quick stuff every now and then, and it always restarts right away. It's a cheap MTD push mower and it's running on e10 gas. Never a problem.

Maybe you got a lemon? Maybe B&S is no longer a brand to be trusted?

In reply to tr8todd: Take that mower back or buy another. I have a 4 year old Toro with the B&S from Lowes and I couldn't ask for a better mower. First or second pull every time, hot or cold. Full on neglect mode where I leave fuel in it year round and all. You got a lemon and are clearly getting to frustrated by the process.

Previous mower was a Yard Man also with the 6.5 hp B&S and it too was phenominal, even when I bolted on a heavy brush blade and cleared saplings and shrubs with it. Unstopable!

My late 80's Honda HR194 got its second oil change this spring. Took 3 pulls to start on last years gas.

I'm not tin hatting or saying everyone is wrong claiming no problems with their toys left outside. Honestly, most of the time I have had no problems with mine either.

Just that there was enough that I didn't like wasting time on it. Eliminating the problems by keeping things out of the rain and stored dry is worthwhile to me.

It's really no surprise to anyone in the shop come April that the customers non-running mower is covered with wet leaves and rust. And there's a lot of them there. Certainly they come in for other reasons. But there's a strong correlation. As well not seeing the ones taken care of and put away with a bit of thought.

From lawn mowers to outboards, string trimmers to classic cars. Stored outside and neglected has more problems than stored inside with a little care.

You guys that have to buy fuel for your cars and lawn equipment crack me up

I love my craftsman gold series with a 6.75 hp B&S engine 22 inch cut self propelled pushmower. I have never had any of these problems that you speak of. In fact today was the first time I ever had to put it in the shop because the pull start grenaded after about 5 years of my teenager using it. Been a good mower so far

z31maniac wrote: Buy a Toro with a Honda engine.

Dirty communist

Shouldnt this thread title be Grassroots Mowersports?

I always buy Shell Vpower for the mower and snowblower. I have one lawnmower that is over 20 years old and runs like a top, the newer(about 5 year old) lawnmower runs beautifully and the snowblower starts at -40c with no problems. I would highly recommend running ethanol free fuel in any small equipment.

Have you tried "Ballistic Lawnmower Repair"?

Simple instructions:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vvGgmKcIvcg

Wait, do you have this stored outdoors? It needs to be kept inside! Buy a new one and keep it inside and your troubles will go away.

dculberson wrote: I must be doing something wrong, my experience has been just like wbjones's. My mower starts in one pull, I never worry about running it out of gas or anything. I shut it off to do quick stuff every now and then, and it always restarts right away. It's a cheap MTD push mower and it's running on e10 gas. Never a problem. Maybe you got a lemon? Maybe B&S is no longer a brand to be trusted?

I have a cheap MTD mower and it rocks. I've been using it for almost ten years now, and I lend it out to neighbors sometimes when their mowers break down. I think I walked into a Home Depot and bought a display off the floor for $150 or so. I had a cheap mower before that with a B&S motor, and had couldn't keep it running after 4 years or so, the idle would go up and down and eventually stall. I cleaned it several times and eventually just replaced it.

As for fuel I use cheap pump gas. I mow, refill, and put the rest in my truck so none of it sits around other than in the mower for a week.

My mower lives the lap of luxury in the shed with its buddies the snowblower, the shovels and the rakes.

I use a 6 gallon can to fuel the 4 stroke power equipment and 1 gallon for the 2 strokes.

Both cans get marine stabilizer added when I fill them so I don't have to worry how long it takes to use it ( or if there's any left between the end of one season and start of another). I also fill power equipment tanks prior to seasonal storage to minimize space for air and condensation (my snowblower has a metal tank, so less potential for rust as well).

My 8 year old craftsman with 6.75 hp B&S starts first pull whether it's the first start after the winter or a summer afternoon. I bent the tab holding the throttle spring to fine tune the rpm for mulching and bagging.

The only time it has given me trouble was when it got left out in the rain for a few days. I added heavy dose of dry gas and marine stabilizer to get it to run well enough to empty the tank. It's been fine since.