New blades every year... a couple new spindles... the bearings fail.. the anti-scalp wheels that need replaced every couple years as well... I forgot about the belts that need replaced every other year as well...
It sounds like you just have bad luck with equipment, or are generally harder on it than one really needs to be. I ran the original blades on my ZTR for more than 15 years, almost exactly 1000 hours, and they still look good. I swapped them because I wanted a more aggressive blade, but could have easily run them another 15 years. I still have all three original 2007 spindles, and anti-scalp wheels. All of my original belts lasted 15 years (nearly 1000 hours), as well... in fact I'm still running the original 2007 primary pump drive belt at 1200 hours.
Besides, the diesel engine will be humming along, long after your gasser bites the dust and you either have to sell it for about nothing or replace the motor and I got news for ya, those motors ain't cheap. Even the Predator at HF is pushing a grand.
I've owned more than one mower or garden tractor with a 50+ year old engine, still running fine. I'm not sure why you'd expect an engine to self-destruct, just because it runs on gasoline.
My 1963 Cub Cadet, Kohler K301, still running fine when I sold it about 8 years ago. My 1971 Toro walk-behind, with a Briggs engine, still running fine after 53 years. I expect the 2007 Kawi on my ZTR will outlast my use of it.
Finally, you have to do valve adjustments regularly or your gasser will eat the camshaft and that is a well proven fact...
Fact??? Not really. First, what do you call "regularly", because for me, the 300 hour recommended interval works out to every fourth or fifth year. I don't mind that.
As to actually
needing to do it, I've never actually had to make any major adjustment, they're always still in the recommended range. I make small adjustments, just to put them right in the middle of the range, but could probably go 3 x 300 hours before they really
need adjustments... because I change my oil and filter every year. I average 72 hours per year, but have had one year as heavy as 102 hours and a few in the 90's.
also a fact is that pot metal block you have with no bearing inserts will last maybe 2000 hours, maybe, if you change the oil and filter in a timely manner.
I guess we will see! I'm at 1200 hours now, and may be ready to give up mowing or move to another machine, by the time it hits 2000 hours in 11.5 years. Or... it may be just fine.
I mow my yard plus 2 rental properties so I do acreage on a regular basis.
Good for you. I only mow my own yard.
And yours is air cooled so you better be pulling the shroud and cleaning the chaff out from the cylinder fins as well.
Yes. There is an air intake screen and oil cooler that just get blown off with my leaf blower, when I'm blowing off the deck after each use. No extra time, I'm already blowing off the deck, seat, etc.
There are also three access panels in the shroud, that should be opened and blown out with compressed air every 100 hours. I do this once per year with my January maintenance, and it takes all of about 5 minutes.
Mine is water cooled so no fins to fiddle with either.
You do know water just moves the heat to a radiator, which is air cooled?
Plenty of tractors and other machines overheat, because their radiator is blocked with grass. You need to keep your machine breathing clear, no matter whether the engine is cooled directly by air, or if you're moving that heat to an air-cooled radiator.
Want to keep comparing or is that enough?
Whatever you want, big guy. No one asked, and I suspect no one really cares about your unique situation, or mine. I'm just answering because you seemed to be responding to my post.
