Quote:
Originally Posted by The Phantom Gourmand
I bought an Ariens snowblower in 1974. Had it serviced "once in a while", maybe 3 or 4 times while I had it. Around 1995 or so, the carburetor got a bit gummed up so I had it rebuilt. In 2008, trying to start it, the pull rope broke. 34 years and that was the first time it failed me. I went out and bought a new machine that day (another Ariens) and gave my 1974 model to my son's inlaws. It is still going strong. My old one and my new one have Tecumseh engines, probably the factor that set them apart from other machines. Tecumseh has since gone out of business. I bought both from a dealer who fixes them...Nashua Outdoor Power Equipment. If my new one lasts 34 years, I won't have to worry about replacing it until I'm 97 years old!!!
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Tecumseh is still in business, they just stopped making small engines. Their main business was always refrigerator compressors. They got their pants sued off by an engineer who figured out that their horsepower ratings were inflated. It was pretty large settlement sounded like the last straw for them. If you notice now many motors don't use hp ratings now, they list gross torque. Part of the issue with HP ratings, (and I'm sure torque ratings too) is that atmospheric pressure can affect output. Atmospheric pressure can be a function of altitude, temperature and weather. There is also a variation in manufacturing that can cause differences. This guy got a lot of money, I think he should have just got a refund for his engine. Part of the problem with the litigious society we live in with most of our legislators coming from the law field.