I've been using a late 70's Snapper V212 cast deck Hi-Vac mower for the past year (a garage sale find, with a 1987 Briggs I/C 4hp Max series engine!) and noticed recently that the blade is not the "batwing" style that was originally used (to clear the casting); but instead, this mower uses the standard bagging blade with a longer blade adapter. It bags fairly well, but doesn't always suck everything up as well as my steel deck Hi-Vac. If I replace the "straight" blade with the Hi-lift blade style (and shorter adapter), should the mower bag better? It would appear that the old hi-lift blade has some fairly agressive profiles that might help with bagging power?

N_W, thanks for the added engine info. For the original poster, it may be best to go ahead and buy a Sprint/Classic/Quattro as he advised, since those are cheap and your engine is on it's way out. BTW, I found the manual for the 1992 Snapper AP21509B "Classic," which which is very much like yours except it shows the Quantum engine I was talking about. Owner's manual: http://manuals.snapper.com/Manuals/manuals/24332.pdf Service manual for all V-series mower (I think): http://manuals.snapper.com/Manuals/manuals/07001.pdf Parts manual for the Classic: http://manuals.snapper.com/Manuals/manuals/06192.pdf According to the parts manual, the Quantum model # for this engine is 124702, with the mfr type 3251. If you could find _that_ engine and then get the throttle cable indicated in the parts manual, that would be the choice setup, I think. The Briggs parts manual for that engine (among others similar to it) is: http://www.briggsandstratton.com/pdf/illustrated_parts_list/100/MS5839.pdf And that manual shows the fuel tank as being part# 494358, "TankÂFuel(Black, Special)". You might be able to buy just that tank and retrofit it to any Quantum motor (but try at your own risk). If so, then your search for a good Quantum engine could be easy.

A $590 repair doesn't mean much. Other things could be wrong with it. If you can get a hydrostatic tractor for your budget I do that. Most hydros are higher than $1200 anymore. Automatic doesn't mean hydro. Don't get sucked into a shift on the go rig. If it has a hydrostatic relief valve it's hydro. Otherwise it's some form of manual trans.

By all means, make an offer--what you can afford! I now have 4 of them, one i bought in '83,new, one came as a gift, one was a curb find, and another one was a gimmee! (I have so many of them, i've lost track) Can't have too many Snappers! Best riding mower around! Easy to work on, not many problems! But, don't run over rocks--it does awful things to the underneath pieces! $350 is a tad too high. Offer $150, if it all works good. Haggle the price. And don't worry about the starter rope--ya can't pull hard enough to start it, using the rope start, unless it needs rings, etc. I took mine off years ago! Never missed it!