When should you start considering replacing your lawn mower? Many mowers have a lifespan of about 7 to 10 years. That should be a consideration when deciding whether to repair or replace.
Repairing a lawn mower.
(Courtesy: n2flour at flickr.com)
If you’re having problems with the mower, first consider how many years you have owned it. There are occasions when a lawn mower is only a few years old, but you know it definitely needs to be replaced. So besides considering the age of your mower, you should also consider its condition. An expensive repair might not be worth the cost.
If you have a new or fairly new mower, then you should be performing preventative maintenance to ensure that it’s yours for a very long time. Some things you can do to increase the longevity of the machine is to regularly drain the gas and oil at the end of each mowing season and replace the spark plugs and air filter periodically.
You have probably learned through the years of owning a mower that many repairs can be performed very easily and even on the cheap. Then there are issues that could cost hundreds of dollars to repair. For example, if your mower suffers damage hitting a tree stump or a rock and, as a result, the mower stops and won’t restart, the shaft that connects the blades to the engine may be bent. That could mean a very expensive repair job. So expensive, you may want to purchase a new mower instead.
Many lawn mower owners go by the three-year rule. Of course, the easy repairs are not considered a problem and even some expensive repairs may be worth it if your mower is less than three years old, but not worth it if the machine is older. Consumer Affairs Magazine, a very reputable publication, advises that you replace the mower if the repair is extensive and it is more than three years old. A manufacturer’s warranty probably will not cover a mower that is more than three years old.
One way to determine the lifespan of an air-cooled mower is to multiply its horsepower by 100 for the total hours it is likely to last. If the mower’s engine is liquid cooled, then multiply the horsepower by 150.
The bottom line decision of whether to replace or repair needs to balance the lifespan of the mower with how extensive and costly the repair.
