Damn engineers!!

[darthandy]

So, I finally got out to do an oil change on my Sear's mower since I put it away last month. Couldn't find the oil drain so I broke down and checked the owner's manual. Yikes!!! You have to remove the dipstick and then...get this...turn the mower over to get the oil to pour out the fill tube! Oh...and it says to move it around to get all the oil out! That may be fine with some people, but Arnold Whatsisname I am not. What kind of dipstick (Pun intentional, sorry!) would design a motor that way? Could you imagine having to flip your bike upside down to drain the oil? Or any other fluid? Of course, my Sear's snow blower has a drain tube. But...it's just short enough that it drains onto the edge of the drain pan unless you lift the front and hold it there till it's done! Geez!! What were they thinking? Or were they thinking?

 

Oh well, it's done and I feel better after my rant. Next is the bike oil change (Two of them) since I've finally had to put them away...too much salt on the roads around here already.

 

Andy

 

[SilvrT]

So, I finally got out to do an oil change on my Sear's mower since I put it away last month. Couldn't find the oil drain so I broke down and checked the owner's manual. Yikes!!! You have to remove the dipstick and then...get this...turn the mower over to get the oil to pour out the fill tube! Oh...and it says to move it around to get all the oil out! That may be fine with some people, but Arnold Whatsisname I am not. What kind of dipstick (Pun intentional, sorry!) would design a motor that way? Could you imagine having to flip your bike upside down to drain the oil? Or any other fluid? Of course, my Sear's snow blower has a drain tube. But...it's just short enough that it drains onto the edge of the drain pan unless you lift the front and hold it there till it's done! Geez!! What were they thinking? Or were they thinking?

 

Oh well, it's done and I feel better after my rant. Next is the bike oil change (Two of them) since I've finally had to put them away...too much salt on the roads around here already.

 

Andy

 

 

Now that is ridiculous!!

[Eck]

What Sears "type" mower is it so I dont end up buying one...?

[barend]

I've got a never used oil/fluid extractor from my boating days i am trying to sell......

[KeithR]

Get yourself one of those drill operated pumps from Cdn Tire....will make quick work of getting the oil out. My Honda snow blower is not much easier....drain plug in a spot where you can't put a pan under it !

 

Keith

 

http://www.canadiantire.ca/AST/browse/6/Tools/PowerToolAccessories/DrillBitsSetsAccessories/PRD~0543802P/Mastercraft+Drill+Pump+Kit.jsp?locale=en

[Snaggletooth]

No suprise there! Years back I was a mechanic for a company that sold and serviced contruction, estate and golf course equipment. Not the cheap stuff either. I was in charge of the estate and golf course machines. One of the popular ones was a three wheeled sand trap rake. Looked a lot like the old Honda three wheeler with a lift bar on the back that could be dropped down with a notched steel plate and make quick work of dressing out a sand trap. They were popular and about every course had one or two on hand. Ok, maybe they were just having fun riding around the course on them.

 

But then the fun started.......Tune up time.

 

You had to remove the gas tank, body work, lift assembly and disconnect the drive assembly THEN remove the motor from the frame to get this.........adjust or replace the points.

 

Our book put it at 3.5 hours labor to adjust the danged points! R/R was a bit more.

 

Nice design. The design engineer should have been dragged behind it.

 

Mike

[eagleeye]

On that sears mower, there is a drain plug on the bottom of the engine that either has a sq drive or allen to remove. Drain there.

Steve

[BuddyRich]

Yep, Use a boat type extractor.

[marczing]

one of the nice thice things about working in the medical field.......60ml syringe and oxygen tubing. Takes a few times but I didn't have to buy anything. Have since switched to an electric mower LOL

[Panjandrum]

Time for a cordless electric mower. NO OIL!

[flb_78]

http://www.harborfreight.com/oil-suction-gun-95468.html

 

http://www.harborfreight.com/media/catalog/product/cache/1/image/370x/9df78eab33525d08d6e5fb8d27136e95/i/m/image_12992.jpg

[darthandy]

On that sears mower, there is a drain plug on the bottom of the engine that either has a sq drive or allen to remove. Drain there.

Steve

 

Well, I can check for next time, but the owner's manual states that (And shows a picture to boot.) the mower has to be tipped over! Supposedly, using a pump of any kind won't get all the oil because of the design which leaves a number of "puddles" in the motor if it's kept upright. Since it only holds .26 litres (about 7 oz.) those puddles could add up to a good percentage of the oil.

 

Actually, I have a similar problem with my Triumph. If you want to change the fork oil, you have to remove the fork tubes to tip them over as there was no drain plug installed. And...a pump is not recommended because it will leave too much old oil in the tubes due to the design.

 

Hopefully, there's a special place in Hell for these guys, where they are forced to spend eternity working on things they designed!

 

Andy

[darthandy]

What Sears "type" mower is it so I dont end up buying one...?

 

Well, in Canada, it's a Craftsman 6.5 HP, Power-Propelled, 21 inch multi-cut model # 944.366890. Now how that compares to a U.S. Sear's mower, I can't say. In the future, if I have to buy another mower, the first thing I plan on doing is pulling the owner's manual out of a floor display model and checking the maintenance info!

[RandyR]

I find it difficult to conceive of a 6.5hp motor only holding 7oz of oil.

 

Then again, my Suzuki DR200se only takes 1 quart of engine oil.

[BIG TOM]

Sears is just trying to stimulate the economy....Use the mower till the engine seizes and then buy a new one...C'mon this is a throw away society....spend those . Its the American way:stirthepot:

[Lil Venturous]

Adding that drain plug would have added a nickel to the manufactoring cost. That adds up.

[dacheedah]

square 3/8 plug on the botton, put a socket extension into it and use a ratchet

[friesman]

I had a 7 year old version of that Craftsman front wheel-drive mower and mine had a drain plug under the deck in the mowing area.

 

brian

[darthandy]

I had a 7 year old version of that Craftsman front wheel-drive mower and mine had a drain plug under the deck in the mowing area.

 

brian

 

Actually, this one is a rear wheel drive. Probably the same engine though.

 

Andy

[saltcreep]

This is a push mower? I've always just turned them over and dumped out the oil, they don't weig that much, it always seemed the simplest way to me ..

[friesman]

This is a push mower? I've always just turned them over and dumped out the oil, they don't weig that much, it always seemed the simplest way to me ..

 

These things with the self propelled option seem to just about make them to hard to lift comfortably. (at least for me it was a bit awkward and heavy to manhandle)

 

Brian

[tomephil]

I have the same thing. I just tip it over on to a oil drain pan. Go with the flow... sort of.

[Mike G in SC]

I'm curious,,, does the owners manual say not to turn it upside down while it is running?

 

 

American Way??? Probably not. May be assembled in US but Sears has really forced their OEMs (Husquavarna & others) to go to China for cheap azz parts. All the big stores have to price compete,,, that means "off shore".

[dfitzbiz]

Check out this website. http://greybeardpumps.com/ These pumps are produced by a client of mine. If you contact them please mention that Dave from MANTEC sent you.

[Flyinfool]

You are supposed to change the oil in a lawnmower????:confused24:

 

I think I "might" have done that once in the last 30 years that I have had this one.

 

I thought that they just run forever........