Buying a New Mower?

No need to learn this lesson the hard way! Thought I would have learned my lesson the first time around.

Have purchased 2 new mowers over the last 2 years. Both are Troy Bilt and both have the Kohler engines. End of season one for both motors. Time for oil and oil filter change.

First mower. Oil filter will not come off. Torked on it so hard it separated from the rim of the filter. (Can came off) Had to take a torch to it and melt the rubber seal between the rim and the motor. Pain in the arse! Took well over an hour to get off.

Second mower. Same problem. Put off messing with it until last weekend. Same deal, ended up tearing the can clean off the rim. On this motor, no way to get a torch in there to melt the rubber seal. Had to take a drill and dremmel saw and cut the rim off. Took about 2 hours to get that one off!

Assuming these filters are installed by factory robotics and torked on tight with no oil on the rubber seal. So after a season of mowing, the heat from the mower just cements these filters on. So, if you happen to buy a new mower that has a factory installed oil filter. Take that bitoch off and apply oil to the rubber seal and reinstall. Don’t make the same mistake I made twice!!

BTW, love the mowers. First 2 riders I have owned with oil filters. Past models did not have oil filter. Just air filters.

-J.

Just for giggles go see if you can get the filter off before buying it. Could be it was over torqued and you won’t get it off anyway. Might as well experiment at the store.

Good to know. If I may ask, which brand of riding mower do you have? I’m looking at new ones too.

Both Troy Bilt. I got the 46 inch “Bronco” for the city yard. And a 52 (or 54) model for the cabin. Looks like they redesigned the larger models this year. Both have the hydrostatic transmissions. Both purchased at Fleet Farm.

-J.

Dutchboy wrote:

Could be it was over torqued and you won’t get it off anyway.

Good point!

-J.