I Investigated 15 Riding Mower Brands (Only 3 Are Actually Built to Last)

The badge on a riding mower hood tells you almost nothing. The engine underneath tells you everything. After 35 years running a small-engine shop, here's the honest breakdown of which riding mower engines actually last, and which ones end up on a repair bench before the third season. We look at 15 riding mower brands: Craftsman, Troy-Bilt, Bolens, Cub Cadet, Husqvarna, Toro, Poulan Pro, John Deere, Kubota, Simplicity, Snapper and more. The dividing line is the engine. The residential single-cylinder Briggs Intek in a $2,000 box-store tractor is a different animal from the cast-iron-liner Kawasaki V-twin in a dealer machine. What you'll learn: Why the Kohler Courage single (2003 to 2006 build years) earned its cracked-block reputation The truth about "plastic carburetors" (it's the ethanol fuel sitting all winter, not the plastic) Why "commercial grade" on a box-store hangtag often means nothing The three engines worth your money: the Kawasaki FR/FS V-twin (built in Maryville, Missouri), Kubota, and the Briggs Vanguard in a Simplicity The 10-second hood check anyone can do: look for two cylinders in a V, cast-iron liners, and a spin-on oil filter Which riding mower engine lasts the longest? The strongest reputations belong to the Kawasaki FR/FS/FX twins, the Briggs Vanguard, and Kubota's own engines. The John Deere X300 and X500 series earn their keep on the Kawasaki twin, while the budget S100 series runs a Briggs single. Pay for the machine, not the paint. Comment the hours on your oldest running engine below. I read every one. #RidingMower #LawnTractor #SmallEngineRepair #Kawasaki #JohnDeere #Kubota #BuyItForLife