Sorry I can get the exact model # when I get home tonight. This is a recent problem, it ran well all last year, it ONLY spits up oil when the blades are engaged, If you disengage the blades it stops spitting oil. It is definately not over filled, now it's super low since it had spit up so much and no it has not been tipped over. It just started happening one day when I went to cut the grass. It's a Simplicity Regent but i'll get the exact model # later.

Thanks for the replies. I agree that regular maintenance is the key. My JD 314 is 27 years old and still running strong. Same with the SST18 - the engine RUNS fine and the deck CUTS fine. It is just the steering. Gave it to my step-son (he always liked to borrow it, we will see if ownership is as much fun :-) We tore it down and found that the rubber diaphragms in one of the steering actuators had come loose. The rubber was in great shape. We rebuilt it and the machine is running. He is happy but I am happier! As to the filters, I have sort of solved that for at least a couple of years. Tractor Supply had the regular filter on sale for $7.49 and the extended life for $10.99. I had a look at the (s)Lowe's web site and they price match + 10%. So I stopped by and grabbed 2 yellow filters. The cashier of course had no idea how to process a price match + 10%. She looked first at the $8.49 price in the Tractor Supply advert. In all honesty I pointed out that the yellow filter was $10.99. She called a "supervisor" who also could not 1)read and 2) do basic arithmetic. She rang the filters up at $7.48 each. After lunch I remembered that I needed a drawer slider for a repair I am working on. So I went back across the street to Lowe's. Of course they did not have the part that I needed. But I did grab another filter and took it to a different cash register. Again I pointed to the correct sale price. This cashier rang the filter up at $8.49(?) So now I have 3 oil filters. As fast as the Freedom Z cuts my 2 acres - in spite of ca. 100 trees, buildings, etc. I am probably stocked for oil filters for 3 or 4 years. Glad I don't own stock in Lowe's - what a bunch of morons. Oops, better check my mutual funds I probably do own some Lowe's stock :-(( Ken p.s. Now if I can find a K&N air filter for the machine I will really be set.

Not to hijack this thread, but I changed the oil and filter for the first time today in my 20hp Kohler engine in my 42" lawn tractor. I've changed many oil filters over the years in many types of engines, auto and otherwise, but that was the toughest filter I've ever had to remove !!!! I almost tore it in two before I got it to start coming loose. Then I installed the new filter, ( I danged near fell over when they charged me $13 at Sears ! ) but to get that filter to seal without leaking, I had to tighten it way beyond what I should have had to do. Has anyone else ran into this problem? Krazy~

Take a second look at your Walmart Super tech filters. Regularly using the ST3387A, my routine has been to keep a couple of extra filters on the shelf. About 3 weeks ago, I picked up two more, brought them home and put them on the shelf with a couple purchased about 2 months ago. What's this? Same filter yet the newer box was shorter than the ones previously purchased. Placing the filters side by side, the newer version is about 1/4 inch shorter. Turning the filters over, the back plate sealing gasket on the newer one is not as wide as the older one. The baseplates themselves are entirely different. The older ones had 6 large holes, the newer has 8 smaller holes. Both are stamped TT, the newer version also has the number 2 stamped on the base plate. Looking inside, the older one has a metal wall center tube perforated with numerous holes. The newer one has just what appears to be a non metal supporting frame, verticle and horizontal bars, you can see thru to the filter media. The metal caps appear to be the same. The verbiage on the box has also changed. The older model indicates, "special synthetic fiber enhanced filter media". (not that this tells us anything) The newer ones say "Technologically advanced filter media". (Note they conveniently forget to tell you what it is) The box on the older model says "plated steel centertube". The newer one says "Nylon centertube". The boxes carry efficiency ratings, they are identical on both boxes. From outward appearance, it sure looks like the newer filters are not of as good quality as the older versions. Contrasting lab tests results would be interesting as well as failure rates for each. So, take aclose look at your next Super Tech filter. Liking the idea of the metal centertube, wider gasket and larger size on the older models, perhaps the time has come for me to start looking elsewhere.