Another OT.....lawn mower questions

Re: Another OT.....lawn mower questions

Stuart Johnson

Build a patch that covers the crack and hole then drill a few hold and bolt in in place across them. Might look like crap but it's a lawn mower, who cares.

Re: Another OT.....lawn mower questions

Garthinsandiego

Agree. Aluminium, copper, steel, plastic, whatever you have. Cut a reinforcement patch and bolt or pop rivet in place. If you use bolts, be sure to use a thread locker. Place bolts or rivets at least two diameters from the crack.

warranties have become mostly marketing

Dick Coers

I had a lifetime warranty garden hose split. I have to ship it to the manufacturer to get a claim. So if I spend $14 for shipping, I MIGHT get a $25 replacement hose. Road hazard coverage for a Michelin tire at Costco allowed me to only pay $53 for a new tire after the first was destroyed in a pot hole.

Enough ranting. You might ask around at the service center if they have a nice used deck. Sounds like the way they work, others may just abandon a mower after getting the service you did.

Edit; Comments from a mower shop owner, "In theory yes, but as with many "limited" lifetime warranties they seem to only cover what they want. You are required to submit a warranty claim and take it to a certified Honda mower shop (usually a Honda equipment dealer) and they almost always claim abuse or failing to maintain the mower correctly. I guess if it was fairly new and it cracked or was meticulously maintained they might cover it, but my customers haven't had any luck with that so far. I still think they are good mowers, and their mulching capability is fantastic, but I have many customers who won't buy them anymore because of deck cracking and transmission problems. The only real good thing about them in my opinion is the Honda engine, but you can get a Toro Super Recycler with a Honda engine for a fraction of the cost."

Re: Another OT.....lawn mower questions

TomD

If you try to patch it, sometimes the key to getting a bond with epoxy is to use a flame very carefully to take the shine off the plastic (or something similar if it is no longer shinny). What this very brief exposure does is oxidize the plastic, and the oxide is something the epoxy can bond to.

What's really your concern here?

Tim Greif - West of Chicago

A small chip in the deck and another small crack in the side does not sound like something you need to lose a bunch of sleep over. If the crack is large enough to worry about the whole deck falling apart - then that's another story. As others have said, drill a small hole at the end of the crack. It acts as a stress relief and the crack should go no farther.

I have a love/hate relationship with my Honda. Outstanding mower with the double mulching blades. But I've rebuilt the carb at least four times due to "stuff" getting in the passages. Honda never included a filter in the fuel system. But my biggest complaint is the transmission. I've replaced mine once since they are not repairable. The lubricant somehow leaks out and they grind themselves to death. Not cheap to fix. The part alone is around $120 and it's a half day job to replace, at least for me. I'd just use it until it dies and live with the crack. Even with all the crap I had to put up with, I still like the mower.