Is this normal Husqvarna mower behavior? (long)

Hey everyone,

I'll preface this by stating that lawnmowers have been a major source of frustration for me over the past five years. They seem so fragile these days no matter how careful I am. A mechanic friend told me not to buy a mower sold at WalMart, so I took their advice and bought a Husqvarna mower at our nearby Ace Hardware.

The mower itself is a mulcher/bagger equipped with a Honda OHV 4.5 HP engine. Since it was $20 cheaper than comparable mowers on the rack, I thought it was probably last year's model that didn't sell. The deck was clean and showed no signs of having been used. There was no indication that the mower was reconditioned or used, and the manual was sealed up inside the bag. The workers took the mower back into the shop to check and make sure the oil was filled that that it would start. All seemed well and I made the purchase.

I got it home and unloaded. I checked the dipstick just to make sure and added a tank of fresh gas. I checked the manual to make sure I knew how to get everything started properly and gave it a whirl. It started right up. I started mowing, and got through one row of my small yard when the mower started surging and quit. I tried to start it, and it ran for about three seconds and quit.

So, I ran it back to Ace with the receipt and explained what happened. The service people had another look at it and said that they thought it was possible that it didn't have enough oil. So, they added oil, started the mower, and all seemed well.

I got it back home, but it acted the same as it had before. So, I ran it back to the store. By now, the service area was closed, and I had to leave it. All this took place in about 90 minutes.

Of course, the service person who was supposed to work this morning called in sick. So, I've shelled out some serious dough by my standards for something I can't use. Frankly, it's quite disappointing and I'm glad I used a credit card to buy it just in case I have to use its warranty coverage or even more drastic measures, and that's not my normal way of thinking.

Does this sound like normal Husqvarna behavior to anyone out there? I bought the mower thinking it was a safe bet, but am beginning to wonder now.

Thank you,
-Bill

WilliamK, welcome to the forum. I am happy you joined us.

I have heard some complaints about them but not more than with other brands or generally with new products. When buying a new product there is always a very slim chance that there is a faulty exception between the line that gets of the band. Perhaps you were just very unlucky to have bought such an exception.

But then... I don't live in the U.S. so perhaps other members here that do live in the U.S. have different stories to tell about that specific mower's brand.

Just judging by the adverts on the forum, are you and most of the members from the Land Down Under? Yay or nay, it's one of the places I'd like to visit one of these days.

If I thought it was prudent or that I could get away with it, I'd ask for my money back on that Husq. The mower I bought from Sears three years ago that I'd just about given up for dead is now operational thanks to a very detailed carb cleaning that I just learned how to do and a new spark plug. I added a little too much oil on accident which caused it to run a little rough and smoky, but I took a little out and it's getting better. If the Husq behaves, that means I'll have 2.5 working mowers. Someone gave me an old Murray with a Briggs Quantum that works when it feels like it .

This makes me wish I hadn't been so quick to give up on that Sears mower. For all I know, it could up and die next week. It had a bent crankshaft where I hit a piece of metal in the yard that had escaped my pre-mow check. I had it repaired, but as you may know, that doesn't always work right and can cause other problems. The engine's a very basic Briggs 4.5 hp with the gas tank under the carb.

The whole bit about WalMart comes about because they put alot of pressure on their suppliers to reduce costs, so many of things sold in their stores are being made cheaper and are thereby less durable than they used to be. This sort of thing is spreading to other stores, as manufacturers tend to build products to only one spec, so everyone ends up getting the cheaper stuff, and lawnmowers are more fragile as a result. I remember growing up having mowers that would last 15+ years even with somewhat indifferent treatment. We never had a bent crankshaft on any of those old mowers.

This purchase just seems jinxed, and I'm having a little more than just buyer's remorse.

The Land Down Under = Australia? (I googled for that one since I didn't know). But no, I live in Israel

The whole bit about WalMart comes about because they put alot of pressure on their suppliers to reduce costs, so many of things sold in their stores are being made cheaper and are thereby less durable than they used to be.

I don't understand that. Aren't all products coming from the same manufacturing band?

About mowers being more sturdy and reliable in the past - I agree. But, I find this with all products that are manufactured these days. It almost seems as if manufacturers want to guarantee that we need new items every few years so they can stay in business

Does the store you bought it (Ace, right?) have a money reinstitution service?

Jeffie wrote:

The Land Down Under = Australia? (I googled for that one since I didn't know). But no, I live in Israel :)

Yet another interesting place I'd like to visit. And yes, Land Down Under is Australia
For whatever reason, the ads on the site that come up when I visit seem Australia oriented. It's neat how the web seems to bring us all together. Fifteen years ago, no one would have believed that you could get lawnmower advice from someone on the other side of the world.

The whole bit about WalMart comes about because they put alot of pressure on their suppliers to reduce costs, so many of things sold in their stores are being made cheaper and are thereby less durable than they used to be.

I don't understand that. Aren't all products coming from the same manufacturing band?[/quote]

Well, in theory they are. But that's just the rub right there. Everything's moved downward under pressure to contain costs.

About mowers being more sturdy and reliable in the past - I agree. But, I find this with all products that are manufactured these days. It almost seems as if manufacturers want to guarantee that we need new items every few years so they can stay in business :angry:

There could be something to that. What happened to pride in a quality product and a job well done? I've been told that Snapper still makes a durable mower that's worth having, and that they quit selling at WalMart because they were under pressure to go cheap. But, the Snapper I saw at Ace had the same Briggs engine on it that I've seen on mowers at other stores, including WalMart. In fact, the WalMart I visited yesterday had a mower with a plastic deck that appeared to have a Honda OHV engine on it.

Does the store you bought it (Ace, right?) have a money reinstitution service?

They're supposed to be Satisfaction Guaranteed, but like with almost anything, that can be open to a great deal of interpretation. I'm beginning to wonder if the workers there might have put the wrong oil in that mower. So many mowers use cheap SAE 30, while the Honda requires automotive grade SAE 10w-30. I can see them making that mistake. If so, wonder what that means for the longevity of the mower I bought?

Thanks for talking with me about all this.

-Bill

Yet another interesting place I'd like to visit. And yes, Land Down Under is Australia
For whatever reason, the ads on the site that come up when I visit seem Australia oriented. It's neat how the web seems to bring us all together. Fifteen years ago, no one would have believed that you could get lawnmower advice from someone on the other side of the world.

Yes, it's amazing, isn't it?
Please do: visit Israel. I am not working for the tourist ministry or something, but this is an 'interesting' country and I do recommend seeing it.

Well, in theory they are. But that's just the rub right there. Everything's moved downward under pressure to contain costs.

Exactly. But then it is impossible to have bad products in one store and good in another if they come from the same production line, no? (This is where I got confused).

There could be something to that. What happened to pride in a quality product and a job well done? I've been told that Snapper still makes a durable mower that's worth having, and that they quit selling at WalMart because they were under pressure to go cheap. But, the Snapper I saw at Ace had the same Briggs engine on it that I've seen on mowers at other stores, including WalMart. In fact, the WalMart I visited yesterday had a mower with a plastic deck that appeared to have a Honda OHV engine on it.

Bill, I think pride has made way to money. To earn as much as possible seems more like the motto of many manufacturers of all products. A life expectancy that goes on too long won't bring money in and money seems to be more important these days.

They're supposed to be Satisfaction Guaranteed, but like with almost anything, that can be open to a great deal of interpretation. I'm beginning to wonder if the workers there might have put the wrong oil in that mower. So many mowers use cheap SAE 30, while the Honda requires automotive grade SAE 10w-30. I can see them making that mistake. If so, wonder what that means for the longevity of the mower I bought?

Well if they don't agree to return your money and you have to keep this mower you might bring up this claim to the sales people there and still ask for a refund because then they made a mistake you had nothing to do with. But I hope you will get either your money back or a new mower