So I'm walking past the reduced isle at my local Lowe's and I spot a JD walk behind mower (Model JS-40) with the nifty looking zero turn front wheels. I look at the price and it says 50 bucks and I can see where it was reduced from 100 bucks! This thing lists for $499.00! Wow! Can this be right? This thing looks like it was used twice! So I get the salesman and he says, "Oh, that's the one with the bent crank." I can see that a million people have gone up to him about this mower and gotten the same response. I'm not dissuaded, how much can a Briggs crank cost? Can't be much. So I ask to look at it more closely and his interest peaks. I must be the first guy to actually examine this thing after the "bent crank" remark.
It turns over and isn't grabbing or binding and has compression but the blade is missing. He says I'llgive it to you for the 50 bucks minus the blade cost. Wow, 33 bucks for this neat mower. I buy it.
Now I need another walk behind mower like I need a root canal on a good tooth and Nancy is looking at me like my next stop is for medication but this is just to good to let go so I pack it in back of the Subbie and head home all excited.
I get home and rip it apart. OK this mower has a Briggs engine on it but I'm thinking it's over head valves and Deere probably has them do all kinds of neat stuff to make this engine a Deere. Wrong. This is the same engine you get on a Wally World run of the mill mower. No cast iron sleeve, no valve guides, no ball bearings like the Hondas. El Crapo. The blade housing is thin, real thin and the wheels are flimsy plastic. Now I'm thinking where do they get the gumption to sell this thing for 500 bucks?
I'll fix it for the 51 bucks the crank costs and by the time it's done it will cost me a 100 bucks or so but Deere should be ashamed of themselves for putting their name on this flimsy piece of junk. It better cut like a dream or it will be on the front pasture with a sign on it "Buy Kubota".
It turns over and isn't grabbing or binding and has compression but the blade is missing. He says I'llgive it to you for the 50 bucks minus the blade cost. Wow, 33 bucks for this neat mower. I buy it.
Now I need another walk behind mower like I need a root canal on a good tooth and Nancy is looking at me like my next stop is for medication but this is just to good to let go so I pack it in back of the Subbie and head home all excited.
I get home and rip it apart. OK this mower has a Briggs engine on it but I'm thinking it's over head valves and Deere probably has them do all kinds of neat stuff to make this engine a Deere. Wrong. This is the same engine you get on a Wally World run of the mill mower. No cast iron sleeve, no valve guides, no ball bearings like the Hondas. El Crapo. The blade housing is thin, real thin and the wheels are flimsy plastic. Now I'm thinking where do they get the gumption to sell this thing for 500 bucks?
I'll fix it for the 51 bucks the crank costs and by the time it's done it will cost me a 100 bucks or so but Deere should be ashamed of themselves for putting their name on this flimsy piece of junk. It better cut like a dream or it will be on the front pasture with a sign on it "Buy Kubota".
