All the small engine companies have been playing with plastic camshaft gears and lobes since the 70"s so it is not anything new. Everybody complained about the plastic camshaft failing in the Kawasaki engines, but keep in mind that failure was in the neighborhood of 800-1200 hours, which translates to a fair amount of them being scrapped long before the camshaft broke.
This is why "right to repair" a thing for me. When I see it built in - to fail- , just to make an extra buck, it bugs me, and those brand names go off my list of consideration. And they are failing, as people have become more aware.
My solar-powered clothes dryer is still going strong after almost 20 years. Doesn't work so well on rainy days though...
Trouble is nowadays spending more money doesn't usually get you a better-made product, only more bells and whistles. I have no use whatsoever for an internet-connected refrigerator or washer, and can't fathom why anyone else would either.
It's a balancing act to make a product last just long enough so the customer feels they got their money's worth from it.
Briggs has the no change oil but you still have to add oil as needed. The theory is that the amount of oil between the add and full marks is 20% of the oil volume, and that 20% is adequate to replenish the additives in the oil to protect the engine.
No drain plug. Tip the mower on its side to drain through the dipstick. Drain plugs started getting eliminated on push mower style engines close to 20 years ago. What is even worse is I have actually had those type engines come into the shop mounted on tillers. Now the customer is expected to tip a tiller on its side to drain the oil, or use a suction pump to pull the oil out.
Guess I haven't checked out small engines lately. The HF Predator I bought maybe 6 years ago has drain plugs, as does the cheapie lawnmower motor I got from TS. Boy, I'd sure hate to have to tip my log splitter over to drain oil in it!!
And you were lucky to get 75% of that out of a Japanese vehicle. How things have changed! Now 100k is barely broken in.
If only that were true.
The preceding issue with eliminating the bottom drain plug on push mowers started with mower frames being made due to either being enclosed under the engine, or due to self propel systems you couldn't get to the drain plug if you wanted to. So over time the mower manufacturers, ie, briggs, tecumseh, Honda just stop making the engines with the drain plug.Guess I haven't checked out small engines lately. The HF Predator I bought maybe 6 years ago has drain plugs, as does the cheapie lawnmower motor I got from TS. Boy, I'd sure hate to have to tip my log splitter over to drain oil in it!!
Curiously, what's the difference between spark plugs where one brand supposedly lasts longer than another? I've always been pretty brand agnostic, never had problems with any brand.
It's quality. Back then it was electrode and ceramic material. Racers won't toss any old plug in something. But, I'll have to admit, I don't really follow much these days as pertains to spark plugs (other than some small gas engines, everything I have is diesel).Curiously, what's the difference between spark plugs where one brand supposedly lasts longer than another? I've always been pretty brand agnostic, never had problems with any brand.
If only that were true.
Yeah, it's a good idea to focus on stuff that has a huge amount of reviews. It's hard for bots to create a ton of reviews for one product, and over, perhaps, several years.
My Arctic Cat snowmobile's drain plug is pretty easy to get at, but I have a neighbor who has a Yamaha that's miserable to do anything on, including change the oil.
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