smoreau 658 #1 Posted May 31, 2014 Today when I was cutting grass, my neighbor stopped me to check her oil in her new push mower. Naturally I said sure and proceeded to check the oil. This is a new 22" briggs push lawn mower by the way. It was over full and asked her if she added any. Her response was yes and handed me a bottle of 2 cycle oil. I told her that is the wrong kind of oil and we need to drain the oil and fill it with the write kind of 30 wt. Here comes the problem, NO DRAIN PLUG! I looked every ware I could think to look, nothing to be found. I had to flip the mower over and drain it out the fill hole! I was dumbfounded with this mower. So they realized that most people never change the oil in there push mowers, so they removed the drain plug! Then I noticed the gas cap, it said E85 on it! Amassing what there building for push mowers today!! 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
chazm 413 #2 Posted May 31, 2014 I'd ask what she paid for it ...but I'm already laughing Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
smoreau 658 #3 Posted May 31, 2014 (edited) Over 2 bills she said, I think me 10 year old push mower will go up in value know. Lol Edited May 31, 2014 by smoreau Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
truckin88 104 #4 Posted May 31, 2014 all the small engines are like this today, push mowers, power washers etc. the books even say to flip over to change, generally when out of fuel. At least she had u to help her, she should use premium gas, as with any air cooled small engine. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
stevasaurus 23,090 #5 Posted May 31, 2014 Scott...you are a chick magnet!! She was just waiting for you to be outside with 2 cycle oil in her hand. Oldest trick in the book. 5 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
boovuc 1,090 #6 Posted May 31, 2014 I bought my mother, (90 years old), a self propelled John Deere with a Briggs on it about 4 years ago. It too has no drain plug. You have to tip it over and drain the oil through the fill hole! (It's even in the book). And it only takes about 9 oz of oil after a change. Very tiny oil reserves in them. After you change the oil and fresh oil is in it, you almost need a microscope to see where the oil level is on the dipstick. (I shiny dip stick with a clear oil sheen)! I caught her overfilling a few times! This is a 400 dollar mower and it's junk but still better than some of the other self propelled units. This is personal pace which is a plus for her. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
tunahead72 2,518 #7 Posted June 4, 2014 Scott, You might want to take another look underneath. I have two older push mowers, both with essentially the same B&S engine. The book says to tip the entire mower on its side to drain the oil, but there IS a drain plug underneath. It has a 3/8" square recessed hole -- Stens makes a special tool to wrench this off (kind of like an Allen wrench, except with square ends), but you can also use a 3/8" drive socket wrench handle, with an extension if necessary. Works like a charm. I'm trying to think of something else to say that would respond to Steve's comment, but I can't think of anything appropriate that my daughter could safely read. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Bluffhunter 37 #8 Posted June 4, 2014 I like the older ones better with the head facing the back. Just tip it up on it's front wheels to change oil, sharpen blades etc. With the head facing the front it makes servicing alot harder. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
squonk 42,701 #9 Posted June 5, 2014 I like the older ones better with the head facing the back. Just tip it up on it's front wheels to change oil, sharpen blades etc. With the head facing the front it makes servicing alot harder. That style can get exciting if the plug loosens up! 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
wh500special 2,249 #10 Posted June 6, 2014 I bought my push mower new in 2000 and I have never done an oil change. Granted, it's a two stroke Lawn Boy...only way to go. Too bad they're gross polluters. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Fordiesel69 267 #11 Posted June 6, 2014 The engines that I have that do have drain plugs never get used. I alwasy tip them over to drain. Its way easier. The other thing to remeber is back in the 60's,70's, 80's I have not had an engine go bad before the deck rotted out. Today the engine and deck seem to be junk at about the same time. So I don;t endorse a throw away society, but at least when one part is shot the other is too. I would imagine you could get 10 yrs out of one if you keep the oil full, and never change it. A tractor, probably not. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
dcrage 629 #12 Posted June 6, 2014 I bought my push mower new in 2000 and I have never done an oil change. Granted, it's a two stroke Lawn Boy...only way to go. Too bad they're gross polluters. Same for me except it was more like 1990 and a 2 stroke Toro -- Had to get a 2 stroke because the hills were steep enough that I had oil running out the exhaust when using my old 4 stroke Toro Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
