I bought a 2006 Exmark Lazer Z 52" Zero Turn in 2009 from a commercial landscaper/mower with a 23 HP Kawasawki engine.. The first thing I did with it was take it to a dealer who looked it over. He replaced the two spark plugs, the blades and one spindle. I also assumed that he checked out the serial number for me. It's quite common to see these machines come off lease at three years old, but this one had been purchased. I paid $3500 and have been using it ever since to do an acre and a half. i've never had problems with the hydraulic pumps or motors except that if the fluid gets low it gives a growling whining sort of noise when going up a grade so I add a little fluid and I'm good to go. I wore out some mower deck belts till I learned not to use it to plow piles of leaves with the blades spinning. I replaced the hydraulic belt myself two years ago and the automotive type oil filter that filters the hydraulic fluid a few times . It's had a another blade spindle, a starter solenoid 2 years ago and a starter motor last year. Not bad for a 15 year old machine. i can't remember a single problem with broken parts for the frame, the deck etc. I did all the maintenance myself till I got too old to figure out how to get at the starter motor bolts. My only complaint is that I don't think the deck is wide enough because if it were wider it would go around the three foot diameter fencing I have up around new fruit trees to keep the deer off them. They had a 60" deck but it wasn't available with a bagger; as I remember. I know you're going to question buying used but perhaps a used machine like mine is better than those you're criticizing here. I'd suggest if you look at one to look at the broken parts. Things like the wheels on the mower deck, the casters for the front wheels. If they're busted off or bent you get an idea how they respected their machine.

Hi All, especially mownie Thanks for the info on the hydro stat. You are correct. I did dig out a manual from Toro's website that is more detailed than the mower's ! It says the units do not require fluid's at any interval but should be checked from time to time (oxy-moron) They have conveniently provided a 30 inch garden hose that stands up into the frame for expansion only (when the oil gets hot), but it is only possible to check the level by "removing the entire hydro assembly from the mower chassis ! You are right. Then if the oil is degraded, yes, turn it upside down. My feelings are that the right hydro may have leaked some of it's oil and be low, thus causing the mower to pull to the right. The reason is that the right hydro had some oil discharge under the grass cake. So while I have the engine and belts off, I will remove the hydro assembly and service with the Royal Purple Brand. There is nothing better than taking advice from an expert on such things. Thanks. Okay, here's the update. I managed to get the engine out of the bay today after first removing blade belts, hydro belts, PTO clutch assembly, carb, cables etc. Taking off the sump cover/ crank case cover, I peered inside and could immediately see the exhaust cam lobe touching the cam follower. When I looked at the other cam lobe, it was almost circular ! Pulling the camshaft out and examining, I was floored ! There was hardly any indication that the cam was EVER an oval, as it looked round. I could see minimal burring on the edge, but other that that nothing. I had changed oil after my initial problems started happening 2 weekends ago, and the old oil looked dark, but it was almost a full 48 oz load, so it never got low. The new oil I drained before tearing the engine was golden, BUT there was graphite like sludge at the bottom of the crank case and crank cover. So my cam lobe must have been made of #2 pencil lead ! I've taken plenty of pictures if anyone ever wants to see a worn cam lobe, but have no way of posting to this thread. I may try putting them up on my MobileMe site and list the url for you guys. Thanks for the prompt and accurate responses. You guys rock. I'll order parts tomorrow (or try my local lawn mower repair place to see if they carry), and assemble as soon as I get them. In the meantime, I'll clean the thing up while it's on my garage floor. Lastly - The engine speed governor device isn't exactly obvious to put back - Any pointers? Torq settings on crank and head bolts? is 15 ft/lbs? Any particular order ? The camshaft does have the dot stamped in it, but it wasn't obvious what it lined up with at TDC. I had out the engine at TDC before tearing down, and when I looked at the camshaft, the dot was at about 2 o'clock. Should it have lined up with something else?

***"added benefit of not drowning the engine, if that IS what is happening."***"first the plug: The pictures were taken BEFORE running it at all, after it had sat from the night before"*** OK, so, "sat from the night before"??? Does that mean you parked the tractor immediately after running, while the engine was "hot from use"??? OR you had been trying unsuccessfully to get the engine started and running....prior to it having sat through the night??? This detail is quite important because: If you stopped the engine while "hot from use", there "should not" have been ANY wetness (unless from oil, but you say engine does not smoke) or "sheen" visible on the plug. The heat from use would have left the plug completely dry and any soot or carbon (from rich mix) would have been "dry and powdery". But, on the other hand, if you had been repeatedly cranking the engine (unproductively), and then just decided "to heck with this!!!! I'm done for today and I'll come back tomorrow"........and then next AM pulled the plug and photo'ed it, I'm afraid we still can't say for sure if your carb is "drowning" your engine, or if the wet condition of plug is simply from all the unproductive cranking. I'm thinking that "drowning" might already be taking place, and may be contributing to your present problem. One thing kssue should do at this point is to "pull" the oil dipstick and: (1)Smell the oil for the presence of gasoline. With so much unproductive cranking of the engine, plus the indicated "over rich" condition of the carb, even if the engine has not been "drowned", it certainly has been "flooded", and gasoline "might" be present in the fuel.(2) Do a "runny test". In the "old days", if a mechanic suspected gasoline contamination of the crankcase lube oil, he might perform a SWAG "runny test" by pulling the oil dipstick and then touch the wet end of the dipstick to one of his fingertip or palm callouses. Then he would observe how the oil "dispersed" from the central drop, into the swirls and whorls of the friction ridges in the skin. If the oil was thinned or contaminated with gasoline, he would see a relatively rapid spread of "color" into the network of tiny grooves that are the "trough" counterpart of the friction ridges of skin that comprise our "fingerprints". If the oil was not thinned, the drop of oil would tend to remain in the form of the single drop that was deposited on the hand. I no longer suggest that anyone perform the "runny test" in the manner of putting suspected oil on human skin. A similar test can be done using a piece of "unwaxed" or "unfinished" cardboard. This "plain ole cardboard" is the kind most packaging boxes are made of. All you need is a clean, dry piece of this cardboard. Using the oil dipstick, deposit one or two drops onto the cardboard. After the oil is put onto the cardboard, lay the cardboard on a flat surface, oily side up. Use a watch or other timekeeper to measure elapsed time. If the oil is very thinned (high gasoline content), the entire amount of oil will be absorbed into the cardboard in a matter of 3 minutes or less. The less gasoline in the oil, the slower the drop will be absorbed. Because there is no way to control all the possible variables of this test (moisture content of specific cardboard, type of cardboard, ambient temperature, etc.), it helps to also use an identical (or the same) piece of cardboard and test some other "oil samples" from different sources to compare the time it takes for the oil to absorb. Even that will be inconclusive unless the oil samples originally were the same product. But, if you use a couple drops of suspect oil, a couple drops from a different engine (believed to be ok), and a couple drops from a container of fresh, unused oil, you can get a pretty good idea. When I do this, I use a pencil to "graph" the growth of the "halo" that will spread outward from the center of the initial drop. Using the "timer", I mark the progress of the "halo formation" at one minute intervals. If you plan to test other sample for comparison, do them all in about the same hour using the same source of cardboard. Realistically speaking, the "runny test" is kinda "long and drawn out" for using to determine if oil is fit for service or not. It mainly serves as a way to get an indicator of gas in the oil AT THE TIME OF THE TEST only. In the case of the engine in this thread, I would probably be inclined to just say, "I don't know if I have gas in the oil, but with all that's been going on, there should be some gas in the oil. Therefore, I'm going to install the inline fuel shutoff valve and then change the oil for "peace of mind". ***"first the plug: The pictures were taken BEFORE running it at all, after it had sat from the night before"*** Oh, you mentioned "Have read of that under some other post as well but forget the circumstances...too many hours of sifting thru posts". In response to that, I am going to create a new thread to outline a "trick" I use a lot to "streamline" researching and saving found information. I'll probably come back to this thread and post a "cross link" to the new thread as well.

Old thread, let us fast forward to update it: Briggs now intentionally makes plastic carb throwaway small engines called Briggs EXi or "Just check and add oil" engines... No small Briggs for push/self propelled mowers have an iron sleeve now, not even Pro model engines have it anymore.. According to Briggs site there is none being built today, what iron sleeved engines left on the shelves is all there is left!! Pro 850 was the last to have it. All Kohler engines are made China. Briggs Vanguards are made in China. Kohler's head gaskets still fail (fixing my sons 3 yr old cub now) & also suffer oil seal leaks from poor machining today, all are made from cheap grade materials in China and won't last long anymore! Very soft aluminum & plastic abounds them. Regardless where anything is built it's made by people who never even knew nor do they care about our American pride or our history of quality or about the products longevity! Anyone 30yrs old and under today simply grew up replacing products not repairing them unless they were dirt poor like I was and always tried repairing first but hey it was the 60's and everything had nuts/bolts/screws then and was steel. So why would today's engines have so many problems only after a few yrs running when they once ran for many decades without majors? Well' it's called "Planned Obsolescence" and its a fact most corps have now adopted this. Google it to really understand it well if you never heard of it, you'll be so thrilled. So everytime I read about engines online I'm really glad I'm a pack rat and keep everything. Well' I keep stuff until problems show up so I still have my 76 B-100 8 speed Wheel Horse tractor with the cast iron Kohler K series engine. It's engine/trans has never been apart once and not reached its first ring job yet & if it ever does I'll never worry about it again in another 30+ yrs or in my lifetime at least. It still burns no oil and cuts just as good as anything today without any of the mechanical problems. Why people keep buying these junk newer mowers again & again instead of buying the old brutes for a fraction of the cost that have outlasted them all by several decades idk? Restoring these if needed, is a lot cheaper than new mowers now days and it's an all new cast iron brute again ready for decades of service! I see some very nice cast iron garden tractors on craigslist all the time. Real garden tractors because GT used to actually stand for Garden Tractor but now it's just a sticker slapped on them and they can't even run anything, example: My Wheel Horse runs 23 different implements including Generator, side sickle, snowblower, tiller etc... Visiting websites about old Wheel Horses, old JD's & old Cubs (non MTD) tractors etc..and everyone is bragging & very proud of their mowers longevity and still use them regularly, sold or scrapped their newer ones they bought just after a few yrs usage. Been there done that with a Husqvarna myself! Visit any site like this one about newer mowers and what you'll always find is its junk, its in the shop, motors bad after 3 yrs, hydro rear ends out second time around. I'll sue them all! Lemon Laws anyone??..ect.....lol Even the expensive Zero turns have very costly engine/hydro repairs I read about them and have friends who own them too. In fact I'm good friends with people who care for football fields and cemeteries here so I hear first hand but they are very fast cutters while they are problem free, rarely make a complete season without a shop visit though. Expensive upkeep no doubt. Sorry but its just ignorant to me to pizz away money for landfill delight. Simply amazing and very sad for the old crying indian too. Now that really shows my age huh? *Peace