Motor replacement

[MountainViewGreenskeeper]

Has anyone tried replacing a consummer grade motor with a commercial grade motor when the latter dies out? Wasnt sure if its even possible but for those of us who dont have money to invest in commercial mowers is this a viable thought?

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Colton
Mountain View Greenskeeper proudly offering yard care in the East Valley of Arizona.

[mharbert]

Lawn care business tips

The consumer grade engine USUALLY isn't what’s holding you back. I'm a John Deere fan so I'll pick on their “consumer line” of Home Depot tractors. You can go to HD and get yourself a $2000? rider that has a 20hp engine.. That is sufficient horse power tor the 48 inch desk, but the problem is that the engine runs the transmission and mower deck of belts.. So you could put a 50hp engine in the tractor (assuming it fit) and you'd still a consumer grade mower really.. The problem is more about getting the power to the ground, being able to add attachments, mower deck design, ect… For the money, I'd list my consumer mower for sale locally, and upgrade to a better tractor.. Rather than spending $1000 plus on an Commercial engine, hours trying to figure out how to get it to fit, and poor end results. Its just my two cents.. If you were more specific on model equipment you had and which engine you were looking to reinstall we might be able to provide you more facts... Commercial grade is far superior to Consumer grade. ~Matt

[picframer]

My experience and generally speaking equipment be it consumer or commercial is designed within certain limitations to the power being supplied, if we were to put a commercial engine in a residential piece of equipment, it will more than likely work but for how long and when something gives is safety an issue.

[MountainViewGreenskeeper]

Fo Sho. just wondering

Consumer means just that. Its consumer quality. I personally would not spend for a new motor for an older consumer mower. If the mower is brand new, perhaps.

Something to keep in mind with equipment and their consumer/commercial classifications is that the engine is manufactured to run X amount of hours. The rest of the machine is relatively designed to last a similar amount of hours. Though this may not be a "the engine should run for 1000 hours so lets build the mower to last 950 hours" but they don't intend for the mower to last 2,000 hours. Heck, if they are making a consumer (read "cheap") machine, most likely they want you to buy a brand new machine in 5 years rather than fixing your current one. The engine manufacturer sells a new engine and the mower company sells a new mower. The mower and engine will likely both need repairs before their estimated life is up so you will probably need to buy parts for it. Now keep in mind that maintenance is going to be needed no matter if you buy a consumer or commercial.

[MountainViewGreenskeeper]

Now what about commercial mowers built to last so when the motor finally does go and the rest of still in good condition go ahead with motor replacement or just go new again. Same deal though motor n mower built to last x amount of hours motor dies mower not far behind??? Aslong as normal maintenance didnt cause premature failure....

[picframer]

Originally Posted by MountainViewGreenskeeper

Now what about commercial mowers built to last so when the motor finally does go and the rest of still in good condition go ahead with motor replacement or just go new again. Same deal though motor n mower built to last x amount of hours motor dies mower not far behind??? Aslong as normal maintenance didnt cause premature failure....

Generally speaking when you get into commercial gear if it's in good condition, it is well worth fixing.

Originally Posted by MountainViewGreenskeeper

Now what about commercial mowers built to last so when the motor finally does go and the rest of still in good condition go ahead with motor replacement or just go new again. Same deal though motor n mower built to last x amount of hours motor dies mower not far behind??? Aslong as normal maintenance didnt cause premature failure....

There are always things to factor in but I would say that if the rest of the machine is worth it, they yea, do it. I would probably gauge its worth by this:

How much is the mower worth when it is repaired?
How much is the mower worth the way it is?
How much is it going to cost to repair the mower?

Respectively if the figures were:

$3000
$800
$1400

Then yes, it would be. But you have to play the numbers and figure it out. The values will be greatly affected by the upkeep that has been done on the mower. For example, if it has been abused it may need bearings, blades, tires, belts, cables, etc. And then you have to factor in whether or not the tranny has been abused and how long it will last. A good shop will help you weigh the options.