Last week, my elderly father called and said his 2010 Cub Cadet riding mower started smoking and rattling so he shut it off. He popped the hood and found oil had sprayed everywhere. Apparently, he checked the oil and forgot to put the dipstick back in.
Rather than put oil back in it and see if it was OK, he just bought a new mower. He said I could come get the old one for free. I figured even if the motor was toast, I remember seeing new law mower engines for cheap.
So I drove out to his place today and took a look at it. Checked the oil and nothing in it, so filled it up. Fired it up and it immediately started rattling and knocking badly. Then I saw oil start pouring out underneath the engine. Broken block.
Motor is a Kohler 20hp magnum OHV.
I declined to take it off his hands since I wasn't sure if it was going to be worth trying to save.
Got home and a factory replacement motor is $1600!! His new Husqvarna mower was $1700. I found that Harbor Freight sells a comparable 22hp motor for $800.
I don't really need a riding mower. I have a double lot and with my little pushmower, it takes me maybe a couple of hours to do the whole thing.
I figured if a new motor was $300 or so, then it might be worth it. I could always sell the mower for a few hundred if I found that it wasn't worth the hassle.
But at $800 for a new motor to put into a ten year old worn out machine, I don't think it makes sense.