Enjoyed the restoration of a "throwaway". Talked to our Garbage man and he said he had filled up his carport and sold enough to buy a storage shed. Said he had already filled up the shed with tools, push mowers, and generators. It is a shame at what we throw away. Thanks for what you do...
The real shame is that I took two mowers to the local small engine mechanic. He charged me $100 to tear them apart and tell me he couldn't get parts for them. They don't clean carbs, they just replace them. So I got a couple of mowers back in pieces, and $100 less money in my pocket for nothing. I didn't know then how to do it myself (hence why I went to them). The mowers went to the dump.
Is that Mr Clean you use in ultrasonic?? And ha, a tea diffusion ball, love it. Been doing that for years, great videos, have learned a bunch from you! Thanks, Al
I once got a free riding mower like that. Sign said "Knocking, you can fix? You can keep." No knock, just every bolt was loose and the carb needed cleaning. Still have and use that riding mower. Thanks for sharing your knowledge.
Had a rider given to me because it was making "knocking sounds" and leaking oil. Every bolt holding the case cover was loose and the oil was coming out of the remains of the case gasket. New gasket and it went to a new home with a nice profit.
Got 2 older mowers like that. Air cleaner was full of oil on one and drive wheels stripped out on the other. Needed cables and a carb cleaning too and gave them both to the kids. We've got enough spares without any more. THANKS for no cussing and a gentle manner! Such a rare thing these days. I even slow down sometimes thinking about how you do things. You're a FINE influence! GBWYall and Thanks again!
I have the same exact mower and bought it new 10 + years ago. For the last few years, it has been running rough, hard to start, and hunting, I bought some carb cleaner and carb brushes, etc. and followed you. It runs like a charm now. Excellent content.
Nice repair, James. Isn't it nice when you don't have to completely take the engine apart? You deserve some "easy ones" every now and then. Thanks for sharing!!
Very patient and careful diagnosis. There are a number of tools I’m missing in my collection such as the ultrasonic cleaner, the angle grinder for sharpening the blade and the vice. I also need more study to take apart the carburetor and reassemble. Some of the issues could have been avoided by a little more care by the original owner in my opinion. Well done!
I’ve watched like 5 of these videos in the last couple of days to try to work on a mower i got for free. No promises I can get it working yet, but I’ve learned a ton watching these. Thank you!
I bought a Brute 22 with the same engine from a lawn mower repair shop in 2023. I demanded a Briggs & Stratton flathead engine and it was the only one they had. It was made in 2012. Its former owner broke it rather severely while it was still new and let it sit around and get old before discarding it. It's just like new still! The repair shop got it somehow. I'm watching every UA-cam video about it because I want it to last forever! Thank you, James Condon, Taryl, and others!
Well done! I have the same Craftsman mower, which I also got for free. Carb issues and it was overfilled with oil...red ATF oil! It's amazing what the average homeowner does. My guess was they overfilled it with ATF to the point it wouldn't start, then they put it aside for a while. A couple years ago, that would be a $140-160 used mower that I would flip. Now, it's probably worth even more!
James, I can't believe how truly mesmerizing your videos are. It is so cool to watch a true master at work. It really is rather spellbinding. You have a true talent my friend. Thank you for these videos.
Hey James been watching your videos for about a year and 1/2 was watching the one on the Craftsman push mower with power drive. I worked at Champion spark plugs for over 18 yrs. Then got laid off I must have shipped more than 2 million lawn mower plugs why I worked there. Champion is made in Toledo, Ohio your videos have helped me fix my own lawn mower Thank you very much. Joe H. Ohio
A very common mistake is trying to start up a lawnmower in the spring with a tank full of last year's gas. Always make sure to empty the tank and use fresh, premium gas. It saves a lot of time and headaches.
James has one of the top flight UA-cam channels for small engine repair and diagnostics. He offers very detailed discussions and provides excellent visual presentation of the machines. He even offers engine and part numbers, series numbers etc in the commentary and video description. Well done.
Something satisfying about sharpening a lawn mower blade. Don't think I've ever seen a blade with such a long cutting edge. I guess it's a mulching thing. I don't think this one tasked your skills too much James. Great job as always!
Great video, sadly we live in a throwaway society where folks either don't have the savvy or the patience to fix things anymore. As for sharpening the blade or the advisory not to sharpen it, chances are the advisory is based on folks being too heavy handed with a grinder. The blades are mild steel (a relatively soft metal) so the edge of the blades are heat treated to harden and them temper the cutting edge. The problem is, the hardening and tempering are often limited to 0.050" if you grind down through that, or even close to it you'll be down to the untreated mild steel. The correct way to sharpen a mower blade is to use a smooth file, you won't be taking much off with a file and you won't be heating up the cutting edge and destroying the hardened and tempered edge of the blade. Glad to see you mentioning to remove the spark plug before even "looking" at the blade, it's all too easy to forget that and find that when you try to take the blade off you're likely to find your fingers on the floor. Other than the above, Thanks for taking the time to put the video together, it's appreciated.
I owned a very similar 6.5 HP Craftsman mower before I turned the grass over to a lawn service about 5 years ago. It almost always started on the first pull, even after sitting all winter, but when it didn't, my first check would always be to drain the float bowl, and that usually did the trick. I'm a little surprised that James saves this for later, but we all have our go-to troubleshooting priorities. I always changed the oil at the end of the season, but that was about the only maintenance other than blade sharpening or replacing and general lubrication. After about 20 years of use, I had to replace the carb, muffler, wheels, spark plug and cables. I gave the mower to my son, and he says it still starts with one pull, and is going strong. That guy wasted his money on a new mower- this one seems good as new!
Lawn mower are first to show up on the side of the road for free, and most of the time they just need a little maintenance. To bad we live in a throw away society, good to see you giving new life to these machine keep the videos coming as I am always looking for a way to extend the life of my machines
I hope you never stop making videos. Everyone of yours results in me learning something about the engines and generators and what went wrong and how to fix them.
Poor James will be 105 years old next week and he is still making UA-cam videos fixing generators. All because one subscriber said I wish you never quit making videos.
Nice job of restoring that machine James, too bad the owner couldn’t see it now, lol. Thanks for the vid, always top-notch! It’s like watching a surgeon at work! 👍👍
You made out like a bandit on this one! Cheap fix, good condition, high profit margin! For blade balancing, I drove a conically sharpened 8d nail through a board and used a cone that I mounted a bullseye bubble level on. Not only will it detect end-to-end imbalance, but it will detect a side-to-side imbalance that can cause blade oscillation.
Nice little change of pace! Although, at around the 13:00 mark when you said something like "this one should be an easy fix" I cringed and said to myself, "I've watched enough JC videos to know that our boy might have just jinxed himself" 😂... you deserve an "easy" one for a change!
When I first saw this I thought of my sister, who loaned hers to her daughter who 'stored' it outside. Rusted all the cables in two and broke the cable bracket on the handle. It also got a new carb because at $18 on Amazon it was better than trying to de-gunk the plastic-bodied one. $50 and like new again. Unless you've got a level lawn the front-wheel-drive is near useless; RWD is the way to go. No problems selling running mowers this time of year!
Repaired a brand new looking one today similar to that one. I checked carb, it had spark but wouldn't do anything when I sprayed starting fluid into the intake. I was stumped because it would randomly start. I was about to give up thinking it must be the valves or something because of the puff of smoke then I decided to check to see if it jumped time. Sure enough the flywheel key was broken & it was off time. I just tinker with them for friends & family & have repaired quite a few now including riders. Picked up a rider for cheap & found the valve guide was broken resulting in a bent pushrod. That one looks brand new too & I use it every week. Thanks to your videos & others on UA-cam Ive learned a great deal about small engine repair.
Great video as always. Leaving the lawn mower outside will definitely shorten its life. I think the cost of repairs discourages people from fixing there lawnmowers. They would rather put the money into a new one. It doesn’t take much to keep these machines going if you spend a little bit of time every year on maintenance. Non of my neighbours do maintenance and are not willing to buy the tools. I have helped a few of them out. Watching your videos has given confidence to tackle some of these jobs particularly the carburetor cleaning and rebuilds. Repairing stuff as you know is very satisfying. Thanks.
Amen. My neighbors are the same way and I will assist to a very small degree. Because if their time is too precious to buy tools and repair it themselves, so is mine. But it drives me crazy to see them buy something new when you know the crap gas clogged the carb. But I will offer them 20 dollars for the Honda powered item that they think is garbage but I know only needs a carb cleaning. If they don't care, neither do I. Lol
I think I've been watching too many of your videos. I knew the moment you put that ziptie on it was not tight enough. And it was going to give you trouble. Excellent video as usual thank you Jame
I used to help out at a campsite. The tractor towed mower had 3 blades driven from the tractor PTO. Square aluminium plates mounted on the drive plates with 12 x 5mm screws. Each corner had a hardened steel cutter. One plate was cracked between 9 of the screws. It rotated at several thousand rpm. Had this plate let fly it would easily take a leg off. All 3 plates replaced with 3mm steel.
Ha Ha!!!!!! I just picked up the same mower and engine one of 2 mowers for free yesterday. Man what a mess on the air cleaner and so much junk, dirt n grass all over the carb. Had to run the carb twice in the ultrasonic clear and the air cleaner box too. Tomorrow I do a second cleaning on the engine since I took all the top parts off on the engine. When people don’t take care of their mowers I am there to take their problem away for them. lol!!!
That’s a very strong durable model, one of craftsman’s last good mowers they made before MTD bought them out. I used to have this identical model bought it brand new in 2012. Sold it for a little older 22in black craftsman with the same engine, I adore these older craftsman’s. Very durable and strong mowers. Good old Husqvarna made!!
You do realize Craftsmen never made their own mowers right. Craftsmen never made anything of their own stuff It's a designer brand just like Toro not saying it's bad but that's what it was. It was like Apple phones are today, status symbol. Marketing genius but pure marketing. But you're right nothing is made like it used to be. It's designed to run for a while and break. The parts are way too expensive. Forcing you to buy a new and cheaper made product. The material they use is pure chineseium.
@@whatdoyouthinktodd Yeah of course. They were built by AYP then they changed the name to Husqvarna group. One of the best brands that made a whole under swing of brands and Craftsman happened to be one of their best sellers.
Nice save James ... I have the similar Toro, 6 years old and still works/runs well .... I clean the carb every fall and put away dry and change oil/sharpen blade 2X's a season ... still starts first pull, I never keep gas past 30-60 days, replaced a few small parts ... I also have that vice, picked it up on market place for $20, great for small jobs .... anyone wanting to balance your blades, you can beat the inexpensive cone - TonGass [2-Pack] Precision Blade Balancer on "A" , 2 for $7 ... an unbalanced blade will destroy your lower crank bearing and seal in an hour .. after sharpening, when balancing, I take metal off the back or end, easier and blades will last longer
Great looking mower after a bit of TLC. I have become a devout user of anti-seize on all things under the mower deck that get wet grass and rust. It really makes disassembly so much easier for the next guy who works on it. Granted I don't have the corrosion issues in the dry high plains of Texas like you do in New England area. I have notice more and more manuals not recommending sharping blades too. All I can figure, it reduces the manufactures liability and make the user buy more parts. Keep up the great work, I always enjoy my Thursday James day!
I always blunt the cutting edge of the blade after sharpening it. I'm not looking to shave with it. If it's sharpened to a fine edge, it'll get big dings in it as you hit the first rock or pinecone. Great video as always. Keep 'em coming!
Its a few months on now before I caught up. If I lived near you and needed a mower, or generator come to think of it, I would buy one from you straight away. Great quality work as usual, always something to learn too. Thanks :)
Can't believe how much your grass grew from the beginning to the end of that video! 😉 Makes me long for my old Midwest grass as the NC grass pales in comparison. I've done several of those Briggs engines/carbs this spring. They all needed a new carb seat to prevent them from leaking. Rebuild kits are only $10-$11 on Amazon including all of the gaskets and a new bowl too in case anyone needs to do the same. Top quality as always and please do keep them coming.
Hello James. I very much like your videos. I watched this one and would like to offer a bit of advice about sharpening the blade. I'm a machinist by trade and made tools and dies. One thing I was trained on was sharpening cutting edges. When you sharpened the blade the rotation of your media was starting from the center of the blade and moving towards the cutting edge. This allows heat to build up and be driven to the very fine cutting edge and can cause the edge to get burned and lose temper. If you sharpen using your media's rotation first engaging with the cutting edge, there is no heat build-up prior to the cutting edge so all of the heat is driven into the mass of the blade. I hope this helps. Thanks!!
Last of the good AYP Craftsman mowers, keep that one for yourself. Always check the cyl head bolts for proper torque too, especially the three around the exhaust port. Very nice save!
Spent most of the video trying to figure out what the third cable was for. Glad you cleared that up. Never seen that type of Grass door release mechanism before. Sort of seems like a silly feature.
Absolutely correct plug choice for this engine. I find that Champion plugs work a lot better in Briggs engines than equivalent NGK, strangely with Honda, Kawasaki etc. it´s the other way round.
I've always sharpened my blade using a hand file and balanced it by hanging it on a nail afterwards and never had an issue to be honest. Love the videos man
The whole purpose of a mower is to cut grass, not tear it off with jagged edges. Looks bad, unhealthy for the grass, and harder on the equipment. Always sharpen the blades.
Hi James, I have a Toro Super Recycler. I noticed, when I put fuel in the tank, the fuel would come out of the primer bulb. Please let me know what I can do?
And yes, I was wondering what that extra cable did. Thanks for 'splainin! I find it easier to sharpen blades mounted flat in the vise. I can see the bevel better. If I need to remove more metal to balance the blade, I use a black magic marker to "paint" the bevel to keep my sharpening device {usually a "dynafile" with 30 grit belt} at the right angle. Great job as always!
Thank for the great content and professional presentation. I'm surprised no one asked what the water hose connection was on the rear top of the mower housing. A new method of cleaning the blade or a way of adding liquid fertilizer while mowing, Also, I noticed your still using power tools, especially ones that are not brushless, so close to gasoline. Be safe.
I LOVE free! Looks like an easy flip for you. That particular cable tends to break all the time on that particular craftsman mower(had the same exact thing here last week)
I have a very similar mower, but mine has a primer bulb. I've actually run the wheels off it and have had to replace all 4. Still running strong. It's about 20 years old.
That's a real nice mower almost like new and you weren't scared to put a few bucks in it just to get it over the top. Will be an easy seller for sure if you sell it. 👍
I gave one of those to my next door neighbor a few years ago that worked perfectly fine, thinking his old mower wasn't cutting it, so to speak, lol. Turns out he was just too lazy to mow his lawn. When he moved he didn't even take the mower with him, so I have it back now, lol.
Excellent video as usual! I have a similar mower, it runs great, but the mower cut off lever control is bypassed. Your video encouraged me to buy a new cable to fix it properly. Thanks!
Don't know how many mowers leaf blowers chippers string trimmers you name it that looked new that were put on the curb for something simple and that I picked up broken recoil rope or the number 1 bad gas or dirty carb almost all ran like new when I fixed them nice video
"We do not recommend sharpening blade"........=We want to sell you another one. Between the blade sharpening and the plug install a band aid was acquired. What drew blood? I really enjoy your repairs and look forward to each new episode.
Sharpen lawn mower blades with a file, not a grinder. Grinders will create too much heat, mess with the temper and the edge, although sharper, will be less hard and less able to resist damage.
I use my vacuum oil extractor often. May be a good investment seeing how many oil changes you perform? Less chance for a mess to occur. You may have already spent more on tin pans already. 😆 Love your content and look forward to Thursdays!
First thing I always test is spark- take plug out and pull slowly with a screwdriver in the lead feeling it by hand. With snot in the carb I'd be cleaning the tank properly, removing mixture screw and blowing all passages out with the compressor after the ultrasonic. Looks like you got lucky this time.
Wow another great diagnosis and repair. You are right the mower should be good for a long time to come-- unless my daughter buys it. Great job for sure and thanks for the videos.
Geniune Briggs Oil... how fancy! Cheapskate me would have used HD30 from the auto part store. This reminds me of all the mowers my Dad and I used to fix. I still know how, but I rarely find any on the curb. My personal mowers just don't fail on me.
Another awesome video! I know how much time and effort goes into producing videos, so thank you! I did laugh, that little door latch is a cool feature 😂
Same mower I have with the exception of the large wheels. 10 yrs. old and still starts within two pulls. Regular/yearly maintenance is a must on these engines. Clean carb., change oil and air filter yearly. New sparkplug bi-yearly. Some have a plastic carb., they are inferior in comparison. It bags well,but I rarely have that need. I don't like mulching with ANY machine,too much buildup and extra work cleaning. The "self-clean" water port is practically useless. I always use side discharge. Having a sharp and balanced blade is A MUST with these decks,even then the cut is sub-standard. The drive system works well with zero issues in 10 yrs., although I thought I would like the front drive better,wish I had rear drive,or even all-wheel. These sold for between five and six hundred,got mine off season for four. All that being said,I am happy with it overall. It's just a lawnmower.🤷 Good content for those who need it dude.👍 My two cents🙆♀️ 🙂✌️❤ 🙈🙉🙊
This video is older but you should look into one of those large syringes for emptying oil. Things been a lifesaver. I got a 500cc one. Never using a drain plug again in my small engines lol
RED Briggs Quantum my favourite mower. I bet it is the million dollar bolt (jet). Just starting to watch At first I didn't like the autochokes but I like them now. The gel in the carb I call tapioca. LOL That mower is 9 years old. :-)
You can get by what's one of those bright cable repair kids that sell in my Amazon for about 5 bucks the housing's really never go bad enough to get it to the air right now usually it's a wire that breaks off and it comes with different hands so you can adapt it to any throttle or whatever setup you're using the pinning autumn for the break cable or a throw a cable I think it comes with ends for both
I think Briggs had a lot of trouble with those engine brake cables and many mowers were scrapped because of them. The spring was too tight for the leverage they had. The upper plastic clamp couldn't hold the tension and would tip off or the locating pin would break. The cables would also stretch just enough to release the brake but still be touching the engine shutdown. Briggs modified the cable design several times.
@@jeffclark2725 Don't know who made the cables but they don't have the original style bracket anymore which was crap. I've seen many 'patched' with a worm-drive heater hose clamp to keep it from moving.
The jelly is the ethanol from the fuel being drawn out by the water. you can use this as a method to remove the ethanol from the fuel for older 2-strokes that don't like it
One common problem that people have with seasonal; machinery such as lawn mowers and snow bowers is this...... They fail to put any fuel stabilizer in the tank and run it for a few minutes to let it circulate before they put it in storage until the next winter or summer .
I am of the opinion that stabilizers are better than nothing but adding a fuel shutoff valve or emptying the tank and running the engine till the carb is empty is a much better bet.
my dad used to have a John Deere pushmower with a Briggs engine, and I swear we went through 3 or 4 engine brake cables on it before the piston rings finally gave up the ghost and we sold it as a parts machine. It was a good mower though, and it lasted a pretty good long time.
It was funny when you disconnected the cable but still pulled the lever back 🤣 but this is a very great and informational video with very calming background noise
Rance here… another great video ! Have you ever put the carb float in the loose tea basket with the small parts. I know the concern of a leaky float. But if it’s submerged in the cleaning liquid & and the weight of screen basket is enough to keep it so, then it should clean all of the float some better.
The gel is probably some sort of fuel stabilizer like stabil. Good tip for winterizing lawn equipment imo is to run it outta gas, then get the two stroke premix from depot or lowes in the green can and run a cup or three through it and run that dry. It will help lube things up in the carb and cylinder and won't corrode anything like ethanol in gasoline does if theres some remaining in the bowl.
If it was fuel stabilizer there'd be no gel snot in there. Soon as I saw that snot I would have been rinsing the tank out with degreaser and maybe thinners after. Not to mention blowing out fuel and air passages with compressed air after the ultrasonic tank. No mention of removing any mixture screw to clean passages either. He got real lucky starting first time.
Enjoyed the restoration of a "throwaway". Talked to our Garbage man and he said
he had filled up his carport and sold enough to buy a storage shed. Said he had
already filled up the shed with tools, push mowers, and generators. It is a shame
at what we throw away. Thanks for what you do...
I get all matters of stuff from the trash man. GOOD sources!
The real shame is that I took two mowers to the local small engine mechanic. He charged me $100 to tear them apart and tell me he couldn't get parts for them. They don't clean carbs, they just replace them. So I got a couple of mowers back in pieces, and $100 less money in my pocket for nothing. I didn't know then how to do it myself (hence why I went to them). The mowers went to the dump.
@@stargazer7644 sounds like the guys lazy and money hungry to not help you out at all and still wanted money for that
@@stargazer7644 those are easy to get running if it's not internal engine damage.
Sadly usa is wasteral land
When your power washer quit, I thought you were going into a “power washer side-quest”.😂. Nice work as usual👍👍👍
User error! Fuel valve was shutoff.
I had to chuckle when the pressure washer quit.
That mower looked brand new once you cleaned it up. You have to love those easy fixes. Another awesome video.
Thanks Paul!
@@jcondon1 e
Is that Mr Clean you use in ultrasonic?? And ha, a tea diffusion ball, love it. Been doing that for years, great videos, have learned a bunch from you! Thanks, Al
@@alankelley2676 use dawn degreaser
It is nice to work an a clean mower.
As far as length of service, I bought a Honda push mower.
14 years ago.
Never a single problem.
I change the oil every couple years.
I once got a free riding mower like that. Sign said "Knocking, you can fix? You can keep."
No knock, just every bolt was loose and the carb needed cleaning.
Still have and use that riding mower.
Thanks for sharing your knowledge.
Had a rider given to me because it was making "knocking sounds" and leaking oil. Every bolt holding the case cover was loose and the oil was coming out of the remains of the case gasket.
New gasket and it went to a new home with a nice profit.
Got 2 older mowers like that. Air cleaner was full of oil on one and drive wheels stripped out on the other. Needed cables and a carb cleaning too and gave them both to the kids. We've got enough spares without any more. THANKS for no cussing and a gentle manner! Such a rare thing these days. I even slow down sometimes thinking about how you do things. You're a FINE influence! GBWYall and Thanks again!
Yes..that's right.
@@gradyhernandez4699 RIGHT right! 10-4 Grady!
I have the same exact mower and bought it new 10 + years ago. For the last few years, it has been running rough, hard to start, and hunting, I bought some carb cleaner and carb brushes, etc. and followed you. It runs like a charm now. Excellent content.
I want one of these also !
Nice repair, James. Isn't it nice when you don't have to completely take the engine apart? You deserve some "easy ones" every now and then. Thanks for sharing!!
Thanks. The last mower resulted in a tear down. Nice to get one that did not need much.
Very patient and careful diagnosis. There are a number of tools I’m missing in my collection such as the ultrasonic cleaner, the angle grinder for sharpening the blade and the vice. I also need more study to take apart the carburetor and reassemble. Some of the issues could have been avoided by a little more care by the original owner in my opinion. Well done!
I’ve watched like 5 of these videos in the last couple of days to try to work on a mower i got for free. No promises I can get it working yet, but I’ve learned a ton watching these. Thank you!
I bought a Brute 22 with the same engine from a lawn mower repair shop in 2023. I demanded a Briggs & Stratton flathead engine and it was the only one they had. It was made in 2012. Its former owner broke it rather severely while it was still new and let it sit around and get old before discarding it. It's just like new still! The repair shop got it somehow. I'm watching every UA-cam video about it because I want it to last forever! Thank you, James Condon, Taryl, and others!
The wind chimes are so calming
Well done! I have the same Craftsman mower, which I also got for free. Carb issues and it was overfilled with oil...red ATF oil! It's amazing what the average homeowner does. My guess was they overfilled it with ATF to the point it wouldn't start, then they put it aside for a while.
A couple years ago, that would be a $140-160 used mower that I would flip. Now, it's probably worth even more!
That is a strange one. Prices are definitely up this year.
Buyers are still cheap though can't get close to home Depot pricing
James, I can't believe how truly mesmerizing your videos are. It is so cool to watch a true master at work. It really is rather spellbinding. You have a true talent my friend. Thank you for these videos.
Thanks
Hey James been watching your videos for about a year and 1/2 was watching the one on the Craftsman push mower with power drive. I worked at Champion spark plugs for over 18 yrs. Then got laid off I must have shipped more than 2 million lawn mower plugs why I worked there. Champion is made in Toledo, Ohio your videos have helped me fix my own lawn mower Thank you very much. Joe H. Ohio
Champion are some of the best.
A very common mistake is trying to start up a lawnmower in the spring with a tank full of last year's gas. Always make sure to empty the tank and use fresh, premium gas. It saves a lot of time and headaches.
James has one of the top flight UA-cam channels for small engine repair and diagnostics. He offers very detailed discussions and provides excellent visual presentation of the machines. He even offers engine and part numbers, series numbers etc in the commentary and video description. Well done.
Something satisfying about sharpening a lawn mower blade. Don't think I've ever seen a blade with such a long cutting edge. I guess it's a mulching thing. I don't think this one tasked your skills too much James. Great job as always!
Ha! I had a similar mower that broke the brake cable after 9 years. Probably the best machine i ever owned.
Great video, sadly we live in a throwaway society where folks either don't have the savvy or the patience to fix things anymore. As for sharpening the blade or the advisory not to sharpen it, chances are the advisory is based on folks being too heavy handed with a grinder. The blades are mild steel (a relatively soft metal) so the edge of the blades are heat treated to harden and them temper the cutting edge. The problem is, the hardening and tempering are often limited to 0.050" if you grind down through that, or even close to it you'll be down to the untreated mild steel. The correct way to sharpen a mower blade is to use a smooth file, you won't be taking much off with a file and you won't be heating up the cutting edge and destroying the hardened and tempered edge of the blade. Glad to see you mentioning to remove the spark plug before even "looking" at the blade, it's all too easy to forget that and find that when you try to take the blade off you're likely to find your fingers on the floor. Other than the above, Thanks for taking the time to put the video together, it's appreciated.
I owned a very similar 6.5 HP Craftsman mower before I turned the grass over to a lawn service about 5 years ago. It almost always started on the first pull, even after sitting all winter, but when it didn't, my first check would always be to drain the float bowl, and that usually did the trick. I'm a little surprised that James saves this for later, but we all have our go-to troubleshooting priorities. I always changed the oil at the end of the season, but that was about the only maintenance other than blade sharpening or replacing and general lubrication. After about 20 years of use, I had to replace the carb, muffler, wheels, spark plug and cables. I gave the mower to my son, and he says it still starts with one pull, and is going strong. That guy wasted his money on a new mower- this one seems good as new!
Although I'm NOT a mechanic, I also enjoy working on these little projects, its rewarding when it works!!, greetings from the Cayman Islands
Lawn mower are first to show up on the side of the road for free, and most of the time they just need a little maintenance. To bad we live in a throw away society, good to see you giving new life to these machine keep the videos coming as I am always looking for a way to extend the life of my machines
I hope you never stop making videos. Everyone of yours results in me learning something about the engines and generators and what went wrong and how to fix them.
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Poor James will be 105 years old next week and he is still making UA-cam videos fixing generators. All because one subscriber said I wish you never quit making videos.
Or James how come you've never retired? Because one subscriber said. I'd I wish you never stop making videos. What am I supposed to do now?
Thirdly...James Condon has sold his UA-cam channel to Dandurch9989. Dan now knows everything I know. The channel is now Dan's.
Nice save on that mower. Sounded brand new when you finished all the fixes.
I've Been An Auto Mechanic For 50 Years. I Watched You Work With The Tools. I Like How You Don't Over Tighten Any Of The Hardware. Awesome Job.
Nice job of restoring that machine James, too bad the owner couldn’t see it now, lol. Thanks for the vid, always top-notch! It’s like watching a surgeon at work! 👍👍
You made out like a bandit on this one! Cheap fix, good condition, high profit margin!
For blade balancing, I drove a conically sharpened 8d nail through a board and used a cone that I mounted a bullseye bubble level on.
Not only will it detect end-to-end imbalance, but it will detect a side-to-side imbalance that can cause blade oscillation.
Nice little change of pace! Although, at around the 13:00 mark when you said something like "this one should be an easy fix" I cringed and said to myself, "I've watched enough JC videos to know that our boy might have just jinxed himself" 😂... you deserve an "easy" one for a change!
Thanks. The last mower I said that on, it ended up in an engine tear down.
I find all your videos mechanically methodical and the level of success proves it!
Another great video James!
When I first saw this I thought of my sister, who loaned hers to her daughter who 'stored' it outside. Rusted all the cables in two and broke the cable bracket on the handle. It also got a new carb because at $18 on Amazon it was better than trying to de-gunk the plastic-bodied one. $50 and like new again. Unless you've got a level lawn the front-wheel-drive is near useless; RWD is the way to go. No problems selling running mowers this time of year!
Repaired a brand new looking one today similar to that one. I checked carb, it had spark but wouldn't do anything when I sprayed starting fluid into the intake. I was stumped because it would randomly start. I was about to give up thinking it must be the valves or something because of the puff of smoke then I decided to check to see if it jumped time. Sure enough the flywheel key was broken & it was off time. I just tinker with them for friends & family & have repaired quite a few now including riders. Picked up a rider for cheap & found the valve guide was broken resulting in a bent pushrod. That one looks brand new too & I use it every week. Thanks to your videos & others on UA-cam Ive learned a great deal about small engine repair.
Great video as always. Leaving the lawn mower outside will definitely shorten its life. I think the cost of repairs discourages people from fixing there lawnmowers. They would rather put the money into a new one. It doesn’t take much to keep these machines going if you spend a little bit of time every year on maintenance. Non of my neighbours do maintenance and are not willing to buy the tools. I have helped a few of them out. Watching your videos has given confidence to tackle some of these jobs particularly the carburetor cleaning and rebuilds. Repairing stuff as you know is very satisfying. Thanks.
Amen. My neighbors are the same way and I will assist to a very small degree. Because if their time is too precious to buy tools and repair it themselves, so is mine. But it drives me crazy to see them buy something new when you know the crap gas clogged the carb. But I will offer them 20 dollars for the Honda powered item that they think is garbage but I know only needs a carb cleaning. If they don't care, neither do I. Lol
I think I've been watching too many of your videos. I knew the moment you put that ziptie on it was not tight enough. And it was going to give you trouble. Excellent video as usual thank you Jame
I used to help out at a campsite. The tractor towed mower had 3 blades driven from the tractor PTO. Square aluminium plates mounted on the drive plates with 12 x 5mm screws. Each corner had a hardened steel cutter. One plate was cracked between 9 of the screws. It rotated at several thousand rpm. Had this plate let fly it would easily take a leg off. All 3 plates replaced with 3mm steel.
Ha Ha!!!!!!
I just picked up the same mower and engine one of 2 mowers for free yesterday. Man what a mess on the air cleaner and so much junk, dirt n grass all over the carb. Had to run the carb twice in the ultrasonic clear and the air cleaner box too.
Tomorrow I do a second cleaning on the engine since I took all the top parts off on the engine.
When people don’t take care of their mowers I am there to take their problem away for them. lol!!!
That’s a very strong durable model, one of craftsman’s last good mowers they made before MTD bought them out. I used to have this identical model bought it brand new in 2012. Sold it for a little older 22in black craftsman with the same engine, I adore these older craftsman’s. Very durable and strong mowers. Good old Husqvarna made!!
You do realize Craftsmen never made their own mowers right. Craftsmen never made anything of their own stuff It's a designer brand just like Toro not saying it's bad but that's what it was. It was like Apple phones are today, status symbol. Marketing genius but pure marketing. But you're right nothing is made like it used to be. It's designed to run for a while and break. The parts are way too expensive. Forcing you to buy a new and cheaper made product. The material they use is pure chineseium.
@@whatdoyouthinktodd Yeah of course. They were built by AYP then they changed the name to Husqvarna group. One of the best brands that made a whole under swing of brands and Craftsman happened to be one of their best sellers.
Aaa@@whatdoyouthinktodd
Nice save James ... I have the similar Toro, 6 years old and still works/runs well .... I clean the carb every fall and put away dry and change oil/sharpen blade 2X's a season ... still starts first pull, I never keep gas past 30-60 days, replaced a few small parts ... I also have that vice, picked it up on market place for $20, great for small jobs .... anyone wanting to balance your blades, you can beat the inexpensive cone - TonGass [2-Pack] Precision Blade Balancer on "A" , 2 for $7 ... an unbalanced blade will destroy your lower crank bearing and seal in an hour .. after sharpening, when balancing, I take metal off the back or end, easier and blades will last longer
Thanks for all the informative, and entertaining content. I just purchased my first piece of machinery to repair, an old craftsman lawn edger.
Great looking mower after a bit of TLC. I have become a devout user of anti-seize on all things under the mower deck that get wet grass and rust. It really makes disassembly so much easier for the next guy who works on it. Granted I don't have the corrosion issues in the dry high plains of Texas like you do in New England area. I have notice more and more manuals not recommending sharping blades too. All I can figure, it reduces the manufactures liability and make the user buy more parts. Keep up the great work, I always enjoy my Thursday James day!
10/4 on the anti-seize!
Anti-seize is always a good idea. Definitely liability related.
@@jcondon1 I'm going to mix some copper with the aluminum and see how that does. Seems like now's a good 'a time as any!
just got done working on the same motor , had to re-gasket and crank seal , ck head bolt torque , mine had 1 missing and all were loose , good job
I always blunt the cutting edge of the blade after sharpening it. I'm not looking to shave with it. If it's sharpened to a fine edge, it'll get big dings in it as you hit the first rock or pinecone.
Great video as always. Keep 'em coming!
Its a few months on now before I caught up. If I lived near you and needed a mower, or generator come to think of it, I would buy one from you straight away. Great quality work as usual, always something to learn too. Thanks :)
I have a troy built mower that someone threw away, now, after fixing it, it runs GREAT
Can't believe how much your grass grew from the beginning to the end of that video! 😉 Makes me long for my old Midwest grass as the NC grass pales in comparison. I've done several of those Briggs engines/carbs this spring. They all needed a new carb seat to prevent them from leaking. Rebuild kits are only $10-$11 on Amazon including all of the gaskets and a new bowl too in case anyone needs to do the same. Top quality as always and please do keep them coming.
Move up here to the NC mountain tropics and you can sit and WATCH it grow, even after dark!
This time of year it has to be cut twice a week.
@@jcondon1 You are dead right about that and that's with NO fertilizer!
Hello James. I very much like your videos. I watched this one and would like to offer a bit of advice about sharpening the blade. I'm a machinist by trade and made tools and dies. One thing I was trained on was sharpening cutting edges. When you sharpened the blade the rotation of your media was starting from the center of the blade and moving towards the cutting edge. This allows heat to build up and be driven to the very fine cutting edge and can cause the edge to get burned and lose temper. If you sharpen using your media's rotation first engaging with the cutting edge, there is no heat build-up prior to the cutting edge so all of the heat is driven into the mass of the blade. I hope this helps. Thanks!!
Great tip, thanks for your insights.
Good point. Was thinking at the time just about keeping the sparks away from the camera. Ruined a camera recently doing something similar.
Not often you get a free mower and a free clamp. Nice repair.
Last of the good AYP Craftsman mowers, keep that one for yourself. Always check the cyl head bolts for proper torque too, especially the three around the exhaust port. Very nice save!
I miss seeing the countdown timer in the ultrasonic.....
Spent most of the video trying to figure out what the third cable was for. Glad you cleared that up. Never seen that type of Grass door release mechanism before. Sort of seems like a silly feature.
I was wondering the same thing about the extra cable. An interesting idea, but not necessary and just something else to break.
@@jcondon1 Yes I bet it added cost to replacement.
Absolutely correct plug choice for this engine. I find that Champion plugs work a lot better in Briggs engines than equivalent NGK, strangely with Honda, Kawasaki etc. it´s the other way round.
That mower cleaned up nicely and only needed minor repairs, nice work James!
I've always sharpened my blade using a hand file and balanced it by hanging it on a nail afterwards and never had an issue to be honest. Love the videos man
The whole purpose of a mower is to cut grass, not tear it off with jagged edges. Looks bad, unhealthy for the grass, and harder on the equipment. Always sharpen the blades.
Hi James great sitting in your class today mate What a great little throwaway It cleaned up nice well done James
Thanks Dean
Hi James,
I have a Toro Super Recycler. I noticed, when I put fuel in the tank, the fuel would come out of the primer bulb. Please let me know what I can do?
And yes, I was wondering what that extra cable did. Thanks for 'splainin! I find it easier to sharpen blades mounted flat in the vise. I can see the bevel better. If I need to remove more metal to balance the blade, I use a black magic marker to "paint" the bevel to keep my sharpening device {usually a "dynafile" with 30 grit belt} at the right angle. Great job as always!
Thank for the great content and professional presentation. I'm surprised no one asked what the water hose connection was on the rear top of the mower housing. A new method of cleaning the blade or a way of adding liquid fertilizer while mowing, Also, I noticed your still using power tools, especially ones that are not brushless, so close to gasoline. Be safe.
I LOVE free! Looks like an easy flip for you. That particular cable tends to break all the time on that particular craftsman mower(had the same exact thing here last week)
Yep, you were due for an easy repair / service job after all those other ones over the winter. Enjoyed watching and it did help me.
I have a very similar mower, but mine has a primer bulb. I've actually run the wheels off it and have had to replace all 4. Still running strong. It's about 20 years old.
I enjoy picking those mowers up, I find them on the curb all the time with free signs,Some fix easy some still end up parts only
That's a real nice mower almost like new and you weren't scared to put a few bucks in it just to get it over the top. Will be an easy seller for sure if you sell it. 👍
I gave one of those to my next door neighbor a few years ago that worked perfectly fine, thinking his old mower wasn't cutting it, so to speak, lol. Turns out he was just too lazy to mow his lawn. When he moved he didn't even take the mower with him, so I have it back now, lol.
A quantum! Great engine in a good mower chassis! Thank you for saving it from the dump!
Excellent video as usual! I have a similar mower, it runs great, but the mower cut off lever control is bypassed. Your video encouraged me to buy a new cable to fix it properly. Thanks!
James you should get the yellow spark tester, it’s only 70 bucks and it’s great when you are working by yourself and it’s so easy to use 😊
Don't know how many mowers leaf blowers chippers string trimmers you name it that looked new that were put on the curb for something simple and that I picked up broken recoil rope or the number 1 bad gas or dirty carb almost all ran like new when I fixed them nice video
"We do not recommend sharpening blade"........=We want to sell you another one. Between the blade sharpening and the plug install a band aid was acquired. What drew blood? I really enjoy your repairs and look forward to each new episode.
Great one to save. Maybe coil spark issues or gas issues... quick start first.. oil is good
You got a great deal. After a good cleaning and a few parts it runs great. It looks like a new lawnmower.
We used to have throttle cables. Great video.
Sharpen lawn mower blades with a file, not a grinder.
Grinders will create too much heat, mess with the temper and the edge, although sharper, will be less hard and less able to resist damage.
I use my vacuum oil extractor often. May be a good investment seeing how many oil changes you perform? Less chance for a mess to occur. You may have already spent more on tin pans already. 😆
Love your content and look forward to Thursdays!
Got mine at Lowes. WELL worth the investment!
That is a great investment. I have it on the short list of things I need.
@@jcondon1
They really come in handy especially the way the new stuff has to be 'changed'. They save a lot of messes.
@@jcondon1 There is also a big size that can be used for vehicles.
First thing I always test is spark- take plug out and pull slowly with a screwdriver in the lead feeling it by hand. With snot in the carb I'd be cleaning the tank properly, removing mixture screw and blowing all passages out with the compressor after the ultrasonic. Looks like you got lucky this time.
Wow another great diagnosis and repair. You are right the mower should be good for a long time to come-- unless my daughter buys it. Great job for sure and thanks for the videos.
Nice job. I always clean up the outside of the carb before disassembly.
For a price of a control cable and little bit time cleaning carburetor you got great deal 👍👍
Geniune Briggs Oil... how fancy! Cheapskate me would have used HD30 from the auto part store. This reminds me of all the mowers my Dad and I used to fix. I still know how, but I rarely find any on the curb. My personal mowers just don't fail on me.
Another awesome video! I know how much time and effort goes into producing videos, so thank you! I did laugh, that little door latch is a cool feature 😂
Great video! Golf tee works great in the fuel line off the carburetor even if it is broken. 👍👍
Same mower I have with the exception of the large wheels.
10 yrs. old and still starts within two pulls.
Regular/yearly maintenance is a must on these engines.
Clean carb., change oil and air filter yearly.
New sparkplug bi-yearly.
Some have a plastic carb., they are inferior in comparison.
It bags well,but I rarely have that need. I don't like mulching with ANY machine,too much buildup and extra work cleaning.
The "self-clean" water port is practically useless.
I always use side discharge.
Having a sharp and balanced blade is A MUST with these decks,even then the cut is sub-standard.
The drive system works well with zero issues in 10 yrs., although I thought I would like the front drive better,wish I had rear drive,or even all-wheel.
These sold for between five and six hundred,got mine off season for four.
All that being said,I am happy with it overall.
It's just a lawnmower.🤷
Good content for those who need it dude.👍
My two cents🙆♀️
🙂✌️❤
🙈🙉🙊
This video is older but you should look into one of those large syringes for emptying oil.
Things been a lifesaver. I got a 500cc one. Never using a drain plug again in my small engines lol
RED Briggs Quantum my favourite mower. I bet it is the million dollar bolt (jet). Just starting to watch At first I didn't like the autochokes but I like them now. The gel in the carb I call tapioca. LOL That mower is 9 years old. :-)
I used to sweep the back edge of the blade just once, after sharpening to take off the burr. The blade was sharper. Nice job.
Always a good idea. I used a file, but did not show in the video.
I liked how you covered up the carb, never though of that. Will do from now on :)
Thanks for the great video. Came back to this after finding the same model free online. Very helpful.🙂
You can get by what's one of those bright cable repair kids that sell in my Amazon for about 5 bucks the housing's really never go bad enough to get it to the air right now usually it's a wire that breaks off and it comes with different hands so you can adapt it to any throttle or whatever setup you're using the pinning autumn for the break cable or a throw a cable I think it comes with ends for both
Did the 240v outlet work ?
I think Briggs had a lot of trouble with those engine brake cables and many mowers were scrapped because of them. The spring was too tight for the leverage they had. The upper plastic clamp couldn't hold the tension and would tip off or the locating pin would break. The cables would also stretch just enough to release the brake but still be touching the engine shutdown. Briggs modified the cable design several times.
I don't think Briggs makes the cables, they come with the machine they are put on
@@jeffclark2725 Don't know who made the cables but they don't have the original style bracket anymore which was crap. I've seen many 'patched' with a worm-drive heater hose clamp to keep it from moving.
Coat hanger wire has been found a lot holding those springs back
And what ever else the home owner can create with out ordering a 12 dollar cable on Amazon
I would have checked for spark 1st. That said, nice job!!
The jelly is the ethanol from the fuel being drawn out by the water. you can use this as a method to remove the ethanol from the fuel for older 2-strokes that don't like it
One common problem that people have with seasonal; machinery such as lawn mowers and snow bowers is this......
They fail to put any fuel stabilizer in the tank and run it for a few minutes to let it circulate before they put it in storage until the next winter or summer .
I am of the opinion that stabilizers are better than nothing but adding a fuel shutoff valve or emptying the tank and running the engine till the carb is empty is a much better bet.
@@homeFall1
Yeah, I agree
my dad used to have a John Deere pushmower with a Briggs engine, and I swear we went through 3 or 4 engine brake cables on it before the piston rings finally gave up the ghost and we sold it as a parts machine. It was a good mower though, and it lasted a pretty good long time.
OI got a Kawasaki engine off a Deere mower and put it on a Snapper 21 incher. Years and years and it's STILL going!
“Intresting” is not a word.
You encourage us weekend warriors to try to fix up our toys instead of tossing them for a new one which won't last nearly as long. Bravo!
It was funny when you disconnected the cable but still pulled the lever back 🤣 but this is a very great and informational video with very calming background noise
The bail had two cables connected to it. Was not sure at the time the purpose of the other cable. Thought it better to be safe.
@@jcondon1 yes I figured that loved the video keep up the good work
Rance here… another great video ! Have you ever put the carb float in the loose tea basket with the small parts. I know the concern of a leaky float. But if it’s submerged in the cleaning liquid & and the weight of screen basket is enough to keep it so, then it should clean all of the float some better.
Good idea, never tried that. Plastic floats though are pretty good. Have never had one fail.
Loved the video. Thank you for the information on the automatic choke and what the cable did on the bag release.
The gel is probably some sort of fuel stabilizer like stabil. Good tip for winterizing lawn equipment imo is to run it outta gas, then get the two stroke premix from depot or lowes in the green can and run a cup or three through it and run that dry. It will help lube things up in the carb and cylinder and won't corrode anything like ethanol in gasoline does if theres some remaining in the bowl.
If it was fuel stabilizer there'd be no gel snot in there. Soon as I saw that snot I would have been rinsing the tank out with degreaser and maybe thinners after. Not to mention blowing out fuel and air passages with compressed air after the ultrasonic tank. No mention of removing any mixture screw to clean passages either. He got real lucky starting first time.
@@rossbrumby1957 yeah from what i've seen over use of a stabilizer like that will gel up, seen that on mustie's channel.
Good job loved it ! Little John from the uk
Blade = Hardened edge James. You just tempered it. And it will now dent easily. Maybe a very light file. That’s it.