Help me put an old man's mind at ease...

bertsmobile1

Lawn Royalty
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Nov 29, 2014
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You might like to take the carb to an automotive carburettor specialist.
many of then can refurbish old carburettors by maching out ovaled holes & bushing them, making worn out shafts from brass rod etc.
I play with anchient motorcycles and have a "pet" carby man who does all this sort of work.
When engines went fuel injected he started doing more bespoke rebuilds and now has a good business.
As for the prices, quality and longivity costs money but we have all become way too cheap for our own good and get fixated on the numbers on the price tag and not the REAL cost.
The REAL cost was hours worked to pay for the item and back when you were 8 your dad would have paid between 6 months & 1 years wages for that mower.
You can get the same quality but you will have to pay the same 6 to 12 months wages to get it.
As he has the receipt, sit with him & work out what the REAL cost was, you will be staggered.
then work out how many hours of work the tractor has done & what it has cost you per use over the years, usually works out around a beer or two.
If worst comes to worst, any carb from an engine of the same cubes will work on the engine, it is just a matter of bending hard wire to get it to work.

It is unfortunate that people have been brainwashed to want cheap and cheap is exactly what they get but cheap costs a lot lot lot more than expensive in the long run.
My sister still has and uses the very first petrol mower my dad bought back in 1962, if there is still grass in the city, her grand kids will still be using it.
It cost dad near a years wages when he bought it and we paid it off over 4 years.
I have several ride on mowers from the 60's & 70's that get used daily.
A 2019 domestic ride on has a life expectancy of 5 to 10 years and fools think this is good which is why they never seem to have any money.
 

tom3

Lawn Addict
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Apr 9, 2018
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Excellent post there. See the mower in my avatar, bought new 1980, mowed with it yesterday. Cost right at $450 back then and I was making about 5 bucks an hour. Replaced an old, old Toro but that was a front wheel drive and not doing what I needed with the house and yard we had bought. You usually do get what you pay for, even now.
 

1 Lucky Texan

Well-Known Member
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Feb 26, 2013
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check ebay and craiglist - someone may have a carb, engine or entire machine you could use for parts.

maybe contact this guy; http://boomersonanparts.com/
 
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