✅IF YOU NEED PARTS OR TOOLS, CHECK OUT OUR AMAZON STORE ➜ www.amazon.com/shop/stevessmallenginesaloon For more videos like this, check out: 👉Fastest Way To Tell If The Crankshaft Is Bent On A Lawn Mower ➜ ruclips.net/video/3up57DHiCqs/видео.html 👉Straighten A Bent Lawn Mower Crankshaft With A Pipe ➜ ruclips.net/video/w2Ro9GmEyOE/видео.html 👉Here's Why Your Lawn Mower Is Leaking Gas - Honda Style ➜ ruclips.net/video/tp67AzWNbI4/видео.html 👉How To Adjust the RPM Speed on a Lawn Mower ➜ ruclips.net/video/7YrA3QEIFnE/видео.html 👉How To SHARPEN And BALANCE A Lawn Mower Blade ➜ ruclips.net/video/HkTqhfydrjk/видео.html 👉How To Install A Lawn Mower Blade Properly ➜ ruclips.net/video/jsbTtEG078k/видео.html 👉How To Fix A Surging Engine On A Lawn Mower ➜ ruclips.net/video/JOI293d8XUg/видео.html You can connect with Steve here too: ✅Visit Steve’s WEBSITE ➜ www.stevessmallenginesaloon.com/ ✅Follow Steve on FACEBOOK ➜ facebook.com/stevessmallenginesaloon ✅Follow Steve on INSTAGRAM ➜ instagram.com/stevessmallenginesaloon/ ✅Follow Steve on TWITTER ➜ twitter.com/SteveSaloon ✅Follow Steve on TIKTOK ➜ www.tiktok.com/@stevessmallenginesaloon
*Steve please do a video on The Tecumseh governor linkage leaking oil at the crankcase, ( I find no YT video covering this topic) *Steve please do a video on the Honda gcv160 charging system for electric start mowers (I find no YT video covering this topic) Thank you.
I have also seen dozens if not hundreds of mowers that have loose or missing engine mount bolts, allowing the engine to shake around. Just another possible cause for cracked decks around the mounting bolts.
I was going to say the same thing. I have a push mower that has actually happened to me last year. I just welded the cracks up and put some loctite on the bolts and tightened them back up and so far it seems to be holding up
That look April gave you when you asked her, if she knew anything about vibration, her look and response, "Don't you dare!" I lost my dip chuckling. That was classic!!! 🤣😂 But what you're saying about the bent crankshaft and blade is true. In my case, the cracks I've seen was caused mostly by the blade being bent and out of balance. I've seen a few bent crankshafts and a few loose bolts as the culprit but mainly it was the blade. As far as fixing the crack, I just spot welded em back. All are simple fixes unless the crank is way out of whack.
Good video. One of the causes, (sometimes helped by vibration) is rust. Sometimes people mow a wet lawn and stuck below the deck is wet grass. Well first it'll mold then rust. I've seen mowers only a couple years old start and the motor rips out of the deck.
I am suppressed nobody mentioned the customer who sharpens their own blade. I have had so many people come in with mowers that shook so bad they would literally walk across the concrete pad while running. In most cases yes the blade was bent but in a large amount the blade was sharpened on the mower with a grinder and was badly out of balance causing the same cracks you talked about. Same goes for mower beds. We used to say if it was a lawnboy it was probably the crank if it was a B&S its the blade.
Good presentation............. as always!😄 An additional problem is that the metal on today's mowers is paper thin and it doesnt take much to crack them. I have a mower like that. I fixed it by using 3 small metal rectangular "washers" to span the cracks. I would like to find a round metal spacer to fit and bolt the engine to the deck. It would be simply a big washer with 3 additional holes for the mount bolts. Job done!!
If the crack is not caused by a bent crankshaft then you might want to look at cleaning the underside of your deck after cutting when the grass is still wet. So it doesn't rust out your deck That kind of crack will not occur near the engine mounts necessarily but will be out on the main part of the deck OH MAN, bloopers are the best!!
@@bitteroldman701 yes while jumping the mower over obstacles is a lot of fun, it's a little hard on the components. I've destroyed many a good mower this way but had a lot of fun doing it. Sometimes you're so busy doing jumps you kind of forget all about mowing the grass. This is exactly why I took the beer can holder off the handlebars of my last mower.
Decks cracking like around the wheels? Very thin and cheaply made decks per MTD, Troy-Bilt, Murray, tend to get cracks and fail around the mounting holes for the wheel axles.
Hey Steve or if you replace the engine or taking the engine bolts loose for some reason and never got them good and tight and they worked her way loose that will cause it to
If you hit something like a large rock with the blade it can crack from stress of the initial impact, and then further crack if the blade and/or shaft are bent and not fixed right away. Usually happens on a cheap thin deck.
Steve, old mower decks can produce rust scale from moisture between deck mounting bolts causing the deck to "swell' and fatigue. Loose bolts from no lock tite.
Love your comments on here, know they have to be right as I'm a Steve too. But I really loved the look on your lady's face when you asked if she knew anything about vibration.
I've cracked the deck around the front bolts from beating the front of the mower up and down against the ground to knock the clogged up wet or juicy grass out from underneath the mower by using the handlebars to tilt and drop the front of the mower against the ground repeatedly...
My very first thought was loose engine mounting bolts, which would cause the holes to enlarge and crack the deck and possibly cause vibration as well. Just my thoughts.
A comment about mower decks being cracked. Rust will weaken the deck allowing it to crack. The thing I do for my mower is once I am done cutting my lawn I give it time to cool down while I rake up the clippings. When I am done raking I turn the mower over and hose off all of the grass clippings. Voalá now there is lesser of chance for rust to start. Love your mower, give it a bath and it will last a lot longer. 🥰 👍
I think the engine cover is designed to bust before bending the crank on modern mowers. I always check the blade balance when sharpening, only takes a minute to correct.
Love the videos Steve! Long time watcher, first time commenter. Once the vibration source is found and fixed, what's a good remedy for the crack? I've got a small crack around one of my front mounting bolts but would like to keep using the mower. Thank you!!
The oil sump pan cracked on my lawn mower and I wondered why did that happen? Nothing looks bent out of shape or anything. It just cracked near the front bolt. This is on Craftsman self-propelled with Briggs & Stratton engine model 123K02-0481 E1 05050659. Thank you.
My gas powered air compressor tank cracked right below the engines from vibration, and that is a good way to get killed. 150 psi in a 30 gal tank with a crack is a bomb.
I keep mowers for so long that I actually get cracked wheel brackets and where the wheels and handle mounts. I fix things myself so I usually weld or reinforce things and patch the deck.
Hi April and Steve! Great that you keep this format! I had a completely different type of crack, when I pulled my Lawnmower out of the shed for the first time this year. 🤣😂🤣 Started it and all of a sudden I stood i a cloud of dust and cut grass. When I took a closer look I found a huge crack right above my left back wheel. There was a pice of metal missing that was blown out since there was a big nest of rust underneath that you couldn't see even during preparing the thing for winter because it was hidden by a plastic cover. Now I skip the question "is that normal?" - no it aint. 😎 But is it normal that a replacement deck for a lawn mower cost more than a brand new lawn mower (same model)? I don't think so either. 😡Anyhow I don't have to take that into consideration, because exactly the deck for my modelis not available any more (for the older model it still is, that's why I know the price). So you can meet me in the workshop rigging up my welding gear. Greetings from Germany! Andreas
April, you can totally have my beer, without my complaining a bit! I'll go get myself another one. C'mon, Steve, show that lady a little respect, hmmm? 😆
I have seen what you're talking about even on a Honda mower with the blade stop system. It's rare to see that on Hondas with a blade brake clutch as some of that force is absorbed by the clutch itself, kinda like a belt where it absorbs the impact by slipping.
I have a push mower from customer that has one long crack on each side of deck running from the front to midway of the deck. What would cause that and could it be welded from underneath the deck. Thanks
Especially on a Toro 30 "Commercial" with aluminum deck. bolts get loose, enlarge holes in deck, then engine is "walking" around the deck. Commercial operators usually do not see this until too late.
That is easy to answer something went horribly wrong and you didn't notice it in time. I ripped the head right of the shaft of a weed eater from vibration due to breaking one of three plastic replaceable blades. It threw the head out of balance and reamed out the screw hole that held the head on the shaft. It happened in a few seconds. Not doing proper cleaning of your deck can lead to rot that will lead to holes and cracks too. Poor manufacturing techniques, inferior quality metal, improperly tightened fasteners, poorly drilled holes, etc..etc... So many possibilities. There's also simple wear and tear over time, nothing lasts forever. Aww common be a good hubby and let the wifey share your brewski! It shows she truly wuvs you and ain't afraid to share germs. Think of it as a kiss without actually touching lips. You two are simply adorable 🥰! Love how you play and tease each other. I hope it's always this good. I hope Y'all have a most wonderful day!
The older Lawnboy Mowers that had the cast metal decks and the wheel mounted behind the exit chute were prone to cracking at the point between wheel and chute.
It was a weak spot that was in the design of the deck. The wheel position created a tendency of the wheel to drag more often on turns because it set closer to the rear wheels. It made it a point that had higher stress on it when it hit something with the front of the deck. The down force was increased because of the wheel being farther from the front increased the force by giving it more leverage and flex. And yes the was also prone to cracking from rocks and and debris hitting cast metal that would chip and crack the chute on the wheel side. When they added the grass catcher it created a narrowed area to aggravate the problems it had. They have changed their decks to stamped metal and fabricated welded decks. The cast decks were light and not as hard to push and the sold well for that reason.
I have a small yardman push mower that I have used to mow a ditch for the last 15 years. I noticed there is a hole rusted in the deck. It has a great Honda engine that has the old style choke. I found an almost new Honda mower that hates to start. (Automatic choke) I think I’m just going to switch the old engine to the almost new deck. I think you videos are better with April in them……….
I've seen many Honda owners say this, and maybe it's true. My HRX217 is seven years old, and though it's had more issues than I would have expected, cracking of the plastic deck has not been one of them (knock on wood). Maybe for the reasons Steve & April share here, it does crack more often, but I live blocks from the ocean, and I am really glad to have plastic rather than steel in the deck
Loose bolts will do it to. The engine racks back and forth when you get into tall grass. Aluminum and magnesium housings wear fast when they're loose and make the problem worse.
Excellent question today guys! Other than rust or a bent blade not sure of anything else that you didn’t cover Steve O . The bloopers were killer also. Cheers 🍻 Steve and April out
The blooper inclusions were great fun to the entertainment of the video, and illustrated that one has to think a bit on how to answer the problem lol.........All good!!
Good video.. How do you properly balance a lawn mower blade? Do you just grind metal away from the heavy side? If so, where's the best place on the blade to remove metal?
Start with the cutting edge and only the cutting edge. That will be at the ends remove just a little bit until it is sharp. Once it is sharp check the balance. You can purchase a balancing kit from the big box stores or any hardware store. Don't use a nail hammered in to a bench or wall stud.
I had an old Toro self propelled lawnmower to where one day I had heavy cavitations or vibration. This of course happened after I hit a hard hidden object. What I did discover on the shaft there is what is called a woodruff or key pin on the shaft, well when I hit that hard object the force from the impact had sheard the pin off. So that could be another reason for heavy vibration, during or after an impact on the blade.
Had a guy bring a Toro Recycler for repair which was in the back of his truck with the tailgate down and bungee straps pulled against the front wheels. He was doing 100 kph when he braked for an upcoming red light and when he actually stopped at the light he was rear ended by something. When he looked in the rearview mirror nothing there so he got out to look and to his surprise his mower had fallen out of the truck and was doing 100k in an amazing straight line and hit the back of his truck causing it to stop. The actual force of it hitting the roadway caused two cracks on the deck mounting area which required weld repairs. We called this the 100K mower!
My Toro Personal Pace from 2019 had the side discharge outline just crack off so debris flies out the side as if the side discharge is always connected yet it goes back more and sends debris to your legs. I was never hard on it, but did use the side discharge plastic lever attachment (plastic) and it's not broken or scratched at all. So steel broke off and I wasn't aware until I saw the piece laying there on my next pass. It's 15 inches long, maybe 1 1/2 inches high. There are screws in the bottom which I don't recall anywhere on the deck. However, my engine, self propel mechanism, blade, etc. are all good. I was going to JB weld it back into place since it looks like it "should" not have a lot of stress on it, but maybe it did. However the lines do not really even line up any more after I discovered it deattached. Just strange. I spent $500 ish for the new small space storage version. What lousy pot metal chinese construction for the deck. I grew up in the town for Toro HQ, have like 4 or 5 Toro devices, but may never buy a Toro again.
Not only a bent crankshaft, or inbalanced blade can cause vibrations, but also a engine itself that doesn't run properly due bad magneto coil (misfires), bad sparkplug, and in extreme cases, massive carbon build up on the piston. In perfect conditions, the piston and connecting rod are in perfect balance with the contraweight of the crankshaft, but massive carbon build up on the piston cause a inbalance to that. And last, many cracks are also caused by mishandling the lawn mower by operator, with running engine, lifting the mower over the curbstone and let the wheels smack to the concrete next to the grass.
Dude you even embarrassed yourself LOL. That was pretty funny and informative. Everybody loves bloopers! I'll leave it at that lest I dabble in the dark side.
Years ago I was mowing my uncles lawn in the city and ran over the water meter box at the cube which was metal and the engine actually disengaged from the mower deck and it scared the SH** out of me. Turns out the deck was rusted out underneath from lack of maintenance.
Do they sell a round backing plate type of ring to repair/ re-bolt the engine to the deck with. thus fixing the cracked mounting holes ?. I tried using a large fender washer to fix one bolt hole, and then realized that all three holes were cracked.
I refuse to let my old warhorse, craftsman/briggs and stratton "Frankenmower" die. It has numerous replaced parts on it from probably a 1/2 dozen different mowers.
Hello there, I'm working on a troybilt trimmer push mower with an OHV Briggs and Stratton mower. I am trying to figure out what is causing blow by in this engine. The engine starts up great and runs under no load very well however, under load it bogs down. The air filter keeps getting clogged with oil after about 20 hours of use (this is not due to tipping the mower over as i know not to do that). When I take out the dip stick while running you can see a small amount of oil splashing up, which is why I believe it to have blow by. I adjusted the valves to spec and still same issue. Where should I look next to find the culprit of this problem? My head is telling me the cylinder head gasket may be leaking but I don't want to start on that fix until I am sure. Thank you in advanced.
Hey Steve, I have a chainsaw question. What is the best chain for planking/milling wood? I have a Stihl 391 25” bar. I need to order one on line pronto … my dealer’s computer is down. Sorry to bug ya. Thanks for any info.
I have a Honda hrm 215 with a plastic deck. It has cracked in 2 spots. The good news is, I was able to use little metal straps to secure them. One was near LF tire and one near the engine. I put it out to being 24 years old. Happened 5 years ago and they are still holding solid.
On Hondas I have seen bent blade adapters. They are cheap stamped metal and bend easily. Most scrap the mower thinking it is a bad crankshaft. My beef with Honda is they charge a fortune for the adapter, far more than a crankshaft.
I may not have learned anything today but I sure busted up laughing!!! April was blushing a bit too and that didn't help my giggles! No one in my area that I know uses a push mower. I'm in the country and we have acreage and it isn't manicured so we use riders. I have seen decks on the riding mowers cracking and falling apart but it is always the owners not cleaning the wet grass on the inside of the deck and causing rust.
✅IF YOU NEED PARTS OR TOOLS, CHECK OUT OUR AMAZON STORE ➜ www.amazon.com/shop/stevessmallenginesaloon
For more videos like this, check out:
👉Fastest Way To Tell If The Crankshaft Is Bent On A Lawn Mower ➜ ruclips.net/video/3up57DHiCqs/видео.html
👉Straighten A Bent Lawn Mower Crankshaft With A Pipe ➜ ruclips.net/video/w2Ro9GmEyOE/видео.html
👉Here's Why Your Lawn Mower Is Leaking Gas - Honda Style ➜ ruclips.net/video/tp67AzWNbI4/видео.html
👉How To Adjust the RPM Speed on a Lawn Mower ➜ ruclips.net/video/7YrA3QEIFnE/видео.html
👉How To SHARPEN And BALANCE A Lawn Mower Blade ➜ ruclips.net/video/HkTqhfydrjk/видео.html
👉How To Install A Lawn Mower Blade Properly ➜ ruclips.net/video/jsbTtEG078k/видео.html
👉How To Fix A Surging Engine On A Lawn Mower ➜ ruclips.net/video/JOI293d8XUg/видео.html
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Cracks and vibration’s ….now that’s a slippery rabbit hole to go down .😇
*Steve please do a video on
The Tecumseh governor linkage leaking oil at the crankcase,
( I find no YT video covering this topic)
*Steve please do a video on the
Honda gcv160 charging system for electric start mowers
(I find no YT video covering this topic)
Thank you.
I like that you added the bloopers because it truly shows how much work goes into making your videos so perfect. It’s not as easy as it looks.
Right on
YOU GOT IT STEVE 4 THINGS VIBRATION,HITTING THINGS,GETTING THIN FROM RUST NOT CLEANING DECK ,BOLTS COMING LOOSE
Vibration is a powerful tool. Gotta love it!
Love the bloopers and always the complete breakdown of a particular small engine issue!
More to come!
I have also seen dozens if not hundreds of mowers that have loose or missing engine mount bolts, allowing the engine to shake around. Just another possible cause for cracked decks around the mounting bolts.
Right on
I agree
I was going to say the same thing. I have a push mower that has actually happened to me last year. I just welded the cracks up and put some loctite on the bolts and tightened them back up and so far it seems to be holding up
Your info is always great Steve. I love the April & Steve format and the bloopers are just icing on the cake! Thank you both.
That look April gave you when you asked her, if she knew anything about vibration, her look and response, "Don't you dare!" I lost my dip chuckling. That was classic!!! 🤣😂 But what you're saying about the bent crankshaft and blade is true. In my case, the cracks I've seen was caused mostly by the blade being bent and out of balance. I've seen a few bent crankshafts and a few loose bolts as the culprit but mainly it was the blade. As far as fixing the crack, I just spot welded em back. All are simple fixes unless the crank is way out of whack.
Good video. One of the causes, (sometimes helped by vibration) is rust. Sometimes people mow a wet lawn and stuck below the deck is wet grass. Well first it'll mold then rust. I've seen mowers only a couple years old start and the motor rips out of the deck.
Steve and april.i enjoy your show here in NH. I like working on my small engines if i can. If i can do it to save money. I will do it
Keep it up April and Steve 👍🏻 love your answers to all questions, you really take the time to go through all of it. Those bloopers are awesome too 😁
I am suppressed nobody mentioned the customer who sharpens their own blade. I have had so many people come in with mowers that shook so bad they would literally walk across the concrete pad while running. In most cases yes the blade was bent but in a large amount the blade was sharpened on the mower with a grinder and was badly out of balance causing the same cracks you talked about. Same goes for mower beds. We used to say if it was a lawnboy it was probably the crank if it was a B&S its the blade.
If you're suppressed you've got problems...
Hahaha April is like "don't you dare go there Steve" 😅 hope your crank shaft stays straight my friend
Or April will find a much younger one with no cracks or any other defects
Good presentation............. as always!😄
An additional problem is that the metal on today's mowers is paper thin and it doesnt take much to crack them.
I have a mower like that. I fixed it by using 3 small metal rectangular "washers" to span the cracks. I would like to find a round metal spacer to fit and bolt the engine to the deck.
It would be simply a big washer with 3 additional holes for the mount bolts. Job done!!
my dad's 3-point mower deck cracks from whacking it into things.
and just gotta say, they're advertising stuff to fix a bent shaft on the TeeVee, now.
Very helpful. I've gotten some mowers in the shop with a cracked deck.
I've had a habit of replacing the blades every three seasons and condition check throughout. But I ran a yard service for several years.
what if you over torque those bolts that hold the engine in place? Just a thought, lol. You guys are great
I noticed that April didn’t answer your question about vibration😂😂. Keep up the good work, Steve I love your videos
Thanks for the common sense answer Steve.
And thank you April for getting Steve to give us the full answer.
Great teamwork!
Mine had cracks a little welding and over size washers made out of flat bar on top and bottom fixed it up.
If the crack is not caused by a bent crankshaft then you might want to look at cleaning the underside of your deck after cutting when the grass is still wet. So it doesn't rust out your deck That kind of crack will not occur near the engine mounts necessarily but will be out on the main part of the deck
OH MAN, bloopers are the best!!
Right on
@@bitteroldman701 yes while jumping the mower over obstacles is a lot of fun, it's a little hard on the components. I've destroyed many a good mower this way but had a lot of fun doing it. Sometimes you're so busy doing jumps you kind of forget all about mowing the grass. This is exactly why I took the beer can holder off the handlebars of my last mower.
Decks cracking like around the wheels? Very thin and cheaply made decks per MTD, Troy-Bilt, Murray, tend to get cracks and fail around the mounting holes for the wheel axles.
Hey Steve or if you replace the engine or taking the engine bolts loose for some reason and never got them good and tight and they worked her way loose that will cause it to
Steve you have become so much easier to watch. I can't figure out why, did you trim your beard?shower?Brush your teeth? keep it it up, great videos!
If you hit something like a large rock with the blade it can crack from stress of the initial impact, and then further crack if the blade and/or shaft are bent and not fixed right away. Usually happens on a cheap thin deck.
Awesome. Loved the outakes especially the end. 😄
Great video as always - really useful quick tip 👌👍👏.
Absolutely ace bloopers - Steve's face when he's trying not to lose it.....😂
Glad you enjoyed it
One thing for sure Steve & April, this video really cracked me up! 😂😂👍👍
Steve, old mower decks can produce rust scale from moisture between deck mounting bolts causing the deck to "swell' and fatigue.
Loose bolts from no lock tite.
Love your comments on here, know they have to be right as I'm a Steve too. But I really loved the look on your lady's face when you asked if she knew anything about vibration.
😊 thank you
Great content! Love the playful interaction between the two of you, and MORE BLOOPERS!!! (Please.)
More to come!
I was all ready to put my comment down.... then the outtakes came on.... To hell with the vibration... I want more outtakes!! LOL!! GREAT STUFF!!! 🤣
I've cracked the deck around the front bolts from beating the front of the mower up and down against the ground to knock the clogged up wet or juicy grass out from underneath the mower by using the handlebars to tilt and drop the front of the mower against the ground repeatedly...
My very first thought was loose engine mounting bolts, which would cause the holes to enlarge and crack the deck and possibly cause vibration as well. Just my thoughts.
A comment about mower decks being cracked. Rust will weaken
the deck allowing it to crack. The thing I do for my mower is once I am done cutting my lawn I give it time to cool down while I rake up the clippings. When I am done raking I turn the mower over and hose off all of the grass clippings. Voalá now there is lesser of chance for rust to start. Love your mower, give it a bath and it will last a lot longer. 🥰 👍
The blooper reel is hilarious 😂
Hay Steve, I have seen decks that have never been cleaned and the metal is so thin it starts to cracks around the mounting bolts.
I think the engine cover is designed to bust before bending the crank on modern mowers. I always check the blade balance when sharpening, only takes a minute to correct.
Steve we have a lot of users which are misusing the push lawn mowers or any machine, they all need to be gently used not abused
Love the videos Steve! Long time watcher, first time commenter. Once the vibration source is found and fixed, what's a good remedy for the crack? I've got a small crack around one of my front mounting bolts but would like to keep using the mower. Thank you!!
The oil sump pan cracked on my lawn mower and I wondered why did that happen? Nothing looks bent out of shape or anything. It just cracked near the front bolt. This is on Craftsman self-propelled with Briggs & Stratton engine model 123K02-0481 E1 05050659. Thank you.
Kill it with the bloopers, keep em coming 😅.
Most vibration I've seen on blades is when the "ears" of the blade (turned up part that causes the draft)wear off and actually are missing one side
My gas powered air compressor tank cracked right below the engines from vibration, and that is a good way to get killed. 150 psi in a 30 gal tank with a crack is a bomb.
The grass shoot can do it to. If it's missing the bottem support bar / peice it just let's it flex way to much.
Enjoyed the bloopers.
I keep mowers for so long that I actually get cracked wheel brackets and where the wheels and handle mounts. I fix things myself so I usually weld or reinforce things and patch the deck.
Hi April and Steve! Great that you keep this format! I had a completely different type of crack, when I pulled my Lawnmower out of the shed for the first time this year. 🤣😂🤣
Started it and all of a sudden I stood i a cloud of dust and cut grass. When I took a closer look I found a huge crack right above my left back wheel. There was a pice of metal missing that was blown out since there was a big nest of rust underneath that you couldn't see even during preparing the thing for winter because it was hidden by a plastic cover.
Now I skip the question "is that normal?" - no it aint. 😎
But is it normal that a replacement deck for a lawn mower cost more than a brand new lawn mower (same model)? I don't think so either. 😡Anyhow I don't have to take that into consideration, because exactly the deck for my modelis not available any more (for the older model it still is, that's why I know the price).
So you can meet me in the workshop rigging up my welding gear.
Greetings from Germany!
Andreas
Steve will be sleeping on the sofa tonight after that vibration question
DAMN IT!!!!
April, you can totally have my beer, without my complaining a bit! I'll go get myself another one.
C'mon, Steve, show that lady a little respect, hmmm? 😆
I have seen what you're talking about even on a Honda mower with the blade stop system. It's rare to see that on Hondas with a blade brake clutch as some of that force is absorbed by the clutch itself, kinda like a belt where it absorbs the impact by slipping.
I have a push mower from customer that has one long crack on each side of deck running from the front to midway of the deck. What would cause that and could it be welded from underneath the deck. Thanks
Loose bolts holding down the motor will let it vibrate. I suggest checking them when you buy the mower and periodically after that
Right on
Especially on a Toro 30 "Commercial" with aluminum deck. bolts get loose, enlarge holes in deck, then engine is "walking" around the deck. Commercial operators usually do not see this until too late.
That is easy to answer something went horribly wrong and you didn't notice it in time. I ripped the head right of the shaft of a weed eater from vibration due to breaking one of three plastic replaceable blades. It threw the head out of balance and reamed out the screw hole that held the head on the shaft. It happened in a few seconds. Not doing proper cleaning of your deck can lead to rot that will lead to holes and cracks too. Poor manufacturing techniques, inferior quality metal, improperly tightened fasteners, poorly drilled holes, etc..etc... So many possibilities. There's also simple wear and tear over time, nothing lasts forever.
Aww common be a good hubby and let the wifey share your brewski! It shows she truly wuvs you and ain't afraid to share germs. Think of it as a kiss without actually touching lips. You two are simply adorable 🥰! Love how you play and tease each other. I hope it's always this good. I hope Y'all have a most wonderful day!
My Honda HRX 217 has a nice hole in the poly deck from mowing rocks in the winter.
The older Lawnboy Mowers that had the cast metal decks and the wheel mounted behind the exit chute were prone to cracking at the point between wheel and chute.
Debris coming out of the chute.
It was a weak spot that was in the design of the deck. The wheel position created a tendency of the wheel to drag more often on turns because it set closer to the rear wheels. It made it a point that had higher stress on it when it hit something with the front of the deck. The down force was increased because of the wheel being farther from the front increased the force by giving it more leverage and flex. And yes the was also prone to cracking from rocks and and debris hitting cast metal that would chip and crack the chute on the wheel side. When they added the grass catcher it created a narrowed area to aggravate the problems it had. They have changed their decks to stamped metal and fabricated welded decks. The cast decks were light and not as hard to push and the sold well for that reason.
I have a small yardman push mower that I have used to mow a ditch for the last 15 years. I noticed there is a hole rusted in the deck. It has a great Honda engine that has the old style choke. I found an almost new Honda mower that hates to start. (Automatic choke) I think I’m just going to switch the old engine to the almost new deck. I think you videos are better with April in them……….
Honda mowers that have the deck made out of nexite plastic are also prone to cracking over time.
I've seen many Honda owners say this, and maybe it's true. My HRX217 is seven years old, and though it's had more issues than I would have expected, cracking of the plastic deck has not been one of them (knock on wood). Maybe for the reasons Steve & April share here, it does crack more often, but I live blocks from the ocean, and I am really glad to have plastic rather than steel in the deck
I'll send you some awesome cracked deck pics 😂
Right on
April is Soo Cute 🥰
April And Steve Make A Good Team 😃
I agree!
Loose bolts will do it to. The engine racks back and forth when you get into tall grass. Aluminum and magnesium housings wear fast when they're loose and make the problem worse.
Excellent question today guys! Other than rust or a bent blade not sure of anything else that you didn’t cover Steve O . The bloopers were killer also. Cheers 🍻 Steve and April out
The blooper inclusions were great fun to the entertainment of the video, and illustrated that one has to think a bit on how to answer the problem lol.........All good!!
Good video.. How do you properly balance a lawn mower blade? Do you just grind metal away from the heavy side? If so, where's the best place on the blade to remove metal?
the cutting edge.
Start with the cutting edge and only the cutting edge. That will be at the ends remove just a little bit until it is sharp. Once it is sharp check the balance. You can purchase a balancing kit from the big box stores or any hardware store. Don't use a nail hammered in to a bench or wall stud.
I had an old Toro self propelled lawnmower to where one day I had heavy cavitations or vibration. This of course happened after I hit a hard hidden object.
What I did discover on the shaft there is what is called a woodruff or key pin on the shaft, well when I hit that hard object the force from the impact had sheard the pin off. So that could be another reason for heavy vibration, during or after an impact on the blade.
Had a guy bring a Toro Recycler for repair which was in the back of his truck with the tailgate down and bungee straps pulled against the front wheels. He was doing 100 kph when he braked for an upcoming red light and when he actually stopped at the light he was rear ended by something. When he looked in the rearview mirror nothing there so he got out to look and to his surprise his mower had fallen out of the truck and was doing 100k in an amazing straight line and hit the back of his truck causing it to stop. The actual force of it hitting the roadway caused two cracks on the deck mounting area which required weld repairs. We called this the 100K mower!
Thanks April and Steve :-)
My Toro Personal Pace from 2019 had the side discharge outline just crack off so debris flies out the side as if the side discharge is always connected yet it goes back more and sends debris to your legs. I was never hard on it, but did use the side discharge plastic lever attachment (plastic) and it's not broken or scratched at all. So steel broke off and I wasn't aware until I saw the piece laying there on my next pass. It's 15 inches long, maybe 1 1/2 inches high. There are screws in the bottom which I don't recall anywhere on the deck. However, my engine, self propel mechanism, blade, etc. are all good. I was going to JB weld it back into place since it looks like it "should" not have a lot of stress on it, but maybe it did. However the lines do not really even line up any more after I discovered it deattached. Just strange. I spent $500 ish for the new small space storage version. What lousy pot metal chinese construction for the deck. I grew up in the town for Toro HQ, have like 4 or 5 Toro devices, but may never buy a Toro again.
Awesome follow up questions !
Thanks for the in depth answer.
Any time!
Lol Steve I bet she knows what vibration is great information great video and beautiful host
Could it also crack as a result of the deck rusting over time. Or washing the deck and water setting in low areas and fatigue the metal.
Not only a bent crankshaft, or inbalanced blade can cause vibrations, but also a engine itself that doesn't run properly due bad magneto coil (misfires), bad sparkplug, and in extreme cases, massive carbon build up on the piston. In perfect conditions, the piston and connecting rod are in perfect balance with the contraweight of the crankshaft, but massive carbon build up on the piston cause a inbalance to that.
And last, many cracks are also caused by mishandling the lawn mower by operator, with running engine, lifting the mower over the curbstone and let the wheels smack to the concrete next to the grass.
The "powerful tool" crack might get Steve kicked to the couch!
I've seen it several times because of the engine vibration because of a bent crank
Always great info! Thank you!
Dude you even embarrassed yourself LOL. That was pretty funny and informative. Everybody loves bloopers! I'll leave it at that lest I dabble in the dark side.
I had a rock wedge between the blade and the deck that caused a Crack in the deck. It was a nearly new John Deere silver anniversary edition.
Years ago I was mowing my uncles lawn in the city and ran over the water meter box at the cube which was metal and the engine actually disengaged from the mower deck and it scared the SH** out of me. Turns out the deck was rusted out underneath from lack of maintenance.
The Mrs. is a hoot and I enjoy your content.
All I could think of is…”Your bent crankshaft caused vibration”!! 😂
Better tread lightly Steve!!! April gave you the serious side eye on the vibration comment😂😂😂😂
OOPS!
Another good Video April And Steve cheers, guys!🍻
Nothing like a good video with good fun humor
Do they sell a round backing plate type of ring to repair/ re-bolt the engine to the deck with. thus fixing the cracked mounting holes ?. I tried using a large fender washer to fix one bolt hole, and then realized that all three holes were cracked.
I refuse to let my old warhorse, craftsman/briggs and stratton "Frankenmower" die. It has numerous replaced parts on it from probably a 1/2 dozen different mowers.
Love the bloopers at the end!
Crickets were a hoot! Thanks so much!
Hello there, I'm working on a troybilt trimmer push mower with an OHV Briggs and Stratton mower. I am trying to figure out what is causing blow by in this engine. The engine starts up great and runs under no load very well however, under load it bogs down. The air filter keeps getting clogged with oil after about 20 hours of use (this is not due to tipping the mower over as i know not to do that). When I take out the dip stick while running you can see a small amount of oil splashing up, which is why I believe it to have blow by. I adjusted the valves to spec and still same issue. Where should I look next to find the culprit of this problem?
My head is telling me the cylinder head gasket may be leaking but I don't want to start on that fix until I am sure. Thank you in advanced.
Hey Steve, I have a chainsaw question. What is the best chain for planking/milling wood? I have a Stihl 391 25” bar. I need to order one on line pronto … my dealer’s computer is down. Sorry to bug ya. Thanks for any info.
Fantastic on the show and bloopers !!! Good job !!
Thanks so much!
3:24 April is lying, Steve!
I have a Honda hrm 215 with a plastic deck. It has cracked in 2 spots. The good news is, I was able to use little metal straps to secure them. One was near LF tire and one near the engine. I put it out to being 24 years old. Happened 5 years ago and they are still holding solid.
Great question Steve and even better quick response April👍but I have a feeling that if April wasn’t trying not to laugh she might have slapped you😂
Thank you for the video
Your a naughty boy asking April about vibration. You made me laugh when you was laughing.
On Hondas I have seen bent blade adapters. They are cheap stamped metal and bend easily. Most scrap the mower thinking it is a bad crankshaft.
My beef with Honda is they charge a fortune for the adapter, far more than a crankshaft.
Thanks you kids! I love it!
Early signs in include the machine being uncomfortable to use. Wheel bearings wearing out.
I may not have learned anything today but I sure busted up laughing!!! April was blushing a bit too and that didn't help my giggles! No one in my area that I know uses a push mower. I'm in the country and we have acreage and it isn't manicured so we use riders. I have seen decks on the riding mowers cracking and falling apart but it is always the owners not cleaning the wet grass on the inside of the deck and causing rust.
No beer for Steve??
Crickets