Definitely AVOID This Brand At All Costs

[@chadmccolm6544]

Sad part is everything made now a days is just to be thrown away. They make nothing to last. And they make it even harder to repair. Good video

[@santaclause2875]

Exactly. Bought a new Deere X-370 six years ago, I take good care of my stuff, never abuse it, never leave it out in the weather. Already, I've had to replace both deck spindles, all three idler pulleys, both belts, both ignition coils and now the Computer Control Module is going out at a cost of $330.00 for a new one. It's only the size of a deck of playing cards, and it controls EVERYTHING. If it doesn't work, the mower won't run. Made in China, of course !!!!!

[@JohnSmith-yv6eq]

@@santaclause2875 Were the OEM deck spindles greaseable? Dud you get replacement deck spindles that are greaseable? Were the idler pulleys greaseable? Did you get greaseable idler pulleys to replace them? Were the ignition coils Chinese made OEM? Were the replacements possible to cross reference to a good value USA made coils? Have you researched the possibility of using a knock off ECU that is generic Chinese manufacture...as so many are?

[@santaclause2875]

@@JohnSmith-yv6eq I used all OEM Deere parts for repairs made to my mower. As far as the ECU is concerned, it's a combination ECU/Instrument Cluster assembly made specifically for the "X" series machines. As far as I know, there are no "knock offs" available. And yes, the new spindle assemblies are 'greaseable', just like the old spindles were. None of the old idlers were greaseable, all sealed bearings, just like the new ones. Both belts were made in Mexico, and many other sub-assemblies are made in the P.R.C. (Peoples Republic of China). At least the machine was ASSEMBLED in the U.S.A. Thank God for that.

[@roadwarrior114]

John Deer consumer anger intensifies

[@BallBusta]

Everything's made in China, everything made from cheap-o plastic, quality control is a sticker without meaning, and no one on the assembly line gives a shit about the product they're making. Learning how to fix something that's broken is the best life skill you can have if you're not financially well off.

[@thomassciurba5323]

When we were kids side shaft engines were like gold. Cut off a chuck of baseball bat, hammer that onto the shaft and mount it on an old bicycle with a pivot arm to engage it with the rear wheel. Not too smart but great fun.

[@patrickstockton2091]

A FRIEND OF MINE CALLED ME LOOKING FOR SOME USED TIRES AND I RECCOMENDED HIM TO YOUR CHANNEL...

[@covishen]

Got a snowblower by them. Tried to get it fixed a month after purchasing it and they never responded. Ended up getting my state attorney general involved and my credit card. Ended up getting a chargeback on the purchase. Don't get this brand! It's as bad as EZ works...

[@stephenmcgowan8572]

I have a db7651 snow blower and have had zero issues with it 6 years and counting. The thing is a beast.

[@TheGforcead]

Nice Work!

[@ronclever4923]

So you are the one that got the good one.​@@stephenmcgowan8572

[@salcrumb670]

My landlord said she'd knock some money off my rent if I took care of the lawn. No problem...just get me the tools I need . Then she showed up with this exact model from WM and I knew I was in trouble. On 2ND USE the plastic channel where the handle mates to the deck cracked so I had to reposition and redrill new mounting holes. A few mows later the latch where the pull handle mounts to upright handle snapped off. And the best of all...the mower starts fine when it's cold, but once it warms up...don't let it shut down or it will take 10-12 pulls to get it to restart again! Complete and total GARBAGE on every level

[@RaysLaughsAndLyrics]

THANKS FOR SHARING TARYL... Tip.. Spread a hand towel flat on your workbench. Then, dump the contents of your bolt bin onto the towel. Spread the contents evenly on the towel. Makes it easier to see the fastener you are seeking. Then grab the towel on three corners, lift off bench. This creates a funnel to pour the fasteners back into the container. Hope this helps to speed things up.

[@palco22]

A good friend has a small engine repair shop (snowmobiles, quads, PWC's garden tractors, lawn movers and on and on ....) for the last 30 years. I help occasionally and he also refuses anything Chinese made. Unfortunately today parts are hard to come by. They're out of stock or no longer available. I hope people who watch your channel realize the hours ($) you sometimes spend to repair small items that are needed to make a machine function properly. Costumers drop off their dirty poorly maintain machines and are often taken aback by the invoice. $12.95 for parts and $145 labor. They just don't see the work being done while sitting in their office chair. Well done sir. Enjoyed the video.

[@TheOzthewiz]

This is the same thought process that owners of old "beater" cars apply to repairs. They seem to think that a $500 car can be "fixed" cheap, say $50 labor! The labor rate is THE SAME regardless whether the car cost $500 or $50,000! LOL

[@killer2600]

That horizontal shaft lawn mower was neat but the recoil spring rewind tool was the best part of the video - never seen a commercial tool for that task before.

[@kellenpeng3701]

I sent an email for replacement last Friday and they replied my email today, and finally got my problem(ask for replacement blade) solved. I guess they just don’t work on weekends?

[@peteTurzz]

They are now able to respond to my queries within 48 hours, and they even provided me with spare parts as my mower was still within the warranty period.

[@fair2middlin]

*The board meeting shot at EZ WURKZ was HILARIOUS!!!* You have a spring winder like Marshall has over at Wristwatch Revival. The scream at 14:44. Is that somebody getting their bill?

[@benjamincresswell3713]

Hi Taryl, I really liked your video on the Power Smart lawnmower. You did the kind of thing I have done my whole life and I'm 71. When I was young my neighbors threw out lawnmowers and I grabbed them and took them home to take them apart to see how they worked. Eventually I began to look for what had failed. It was rare, but sometimes two mowers, or at least 2 engines would be the same but have different failures. That is how I scrapped together a mower for myself. My very first mower and it was my own. It was a REO 4 cycle vertical shaft rotary mower. One unusual thing about it was the engine had an oil pump inside it. It was a piston pump. The mower was narrow, probably 20" cut and it barely ran, but it was mine. So that was my mower for my very first paying job. I mowed the lawn for a very nice old lady named Mrs. Climber. I realize "YOU" can't make money fixing a recoil like you did, and it looks like it was kind of a fluke, but the way you fixed it I have been doing my whole life. Later I fixed cars, trucks, tractors, lawn & garden stuff. Even my house gets fixed by "ulterior" means unless I get lazy. Thank you for jogging my memory. ben/ michigan

[@wendyfyke55]

I have had many bad experience’s with recoil starter’s and that damn spring! No wonder people just buy a whole new part. Thanks for showing how to properly repair one. I believe the whole world is going with disposable products you buy cheap ,use until it fails then it becomes part of the landfill problem? Unless you have lots of time and patience to truly Fix something you would be back in the market for a new lawn mower 😢

[@grominwithrob1339]

Holy crap. Kinda reminds me of a Chinese line of chain saws at Lowe’s. I had one come through our shop. Needless to say, the barely used Lowe’s Chinese special went in the dumpster and we sold the guy an Echo saw. 😂

[@donmoore7785]

I FF through a lot of this and may have missed where you pointed out the RF wheel is bent at a strange angle. That's a real pile of junk. Best part of this was seeing the recoil spring winder - very nice tool.

[@rogerstlaurent8704]

Agreed the Spring tool was the best part now i have to get me that tool

[@jameslovitt994]

Broken or bent wheels seem common with this manufacturer

[@dagrote1]

@@rogerstlaurent8704 I got one about 5 years ago. I don't use it everyday, but when I need it, I really need it, particularly with two-cycle recoils. It wasn't cheap. About $80. I think they've been discontinued, though.

[@Biokemist-o3k]

Agreed, the spring tool is a must have.

[@Watchyn_Yarwood]

Actually, it's not a mower, it's a ship. A pizza ship.

[@ricochen-v3u]

At least my power smart snowblower has been used five seasons. so far so good.

[@brandonsnider7907]

Taryl, you just spent 40 more minutes on this mower than the manufacturer ever did.

[@M.TTT.]

LOL

[@dinodemauro4855]

😂

[@MichaelMcNeilg]

😅

[@cydonianman]

Lol

[@rustychevy2087]

Probably longer than that lol. Gotta remember there's a lot of stuff cut out so it don't get boring to watch

[@periw4408]

I didn’t try lawn mower of this brand. But I got a powersmart gas generator last year, the 2500w one. Been almost a year of running weekly, and it’s still solid. I’ll buy it again.

[@peteTurzz]

Their company's snow blowers and generators are good

[@v8vrooooom]

I noticed this unknown brand was RAVED about on many YT channels when they came out a couple years back which seemed a bit fishy as it looked like they were sent out for free to have them promoted but now that the mowers have been out now only a few years and already discontinued they have absolutely fallen apart after a brief period...they were available at my Home Depot on the center aisle only one season as a low-cost mower but htey never made it to the regular location where they kept the rest of the mowers...thing looked cheap from a mile away.

[@bills6093]

Any time you see anything promoted heavily on YT, on lots of channels, stay away.

[@assember2628]

As a product assembler at Home Depot, I've seen a lot of crap come through there. It seems that Home Depot is more interested in buying cheap Chinese junk than quality products. My workmate and I call them "China Depot". Harbor Freight is looking better and better every day.

[@Watchyn_Yarwood]

You can't put much stock into anything that's reviewed by a KZbinr, especially if they are getting the product free. These guys who do a break in their video to promote a company, I just do the fast forward thing. This this is NOT a mower. It is a SHIP. A pizza ship.

[@yty-xf2uo]

I bought a powersmart lawn mower recently and I checked the engine of it just now, it is vertical. Maybe this one you got is an old version.

[@ravenbarsrepairs5594]

Or maybe it matters if it's self propelled or not. On their website I see they have 2 models, the red model looks like it has a vertical shaft 144cc engine(doesn't look to be self propelled) and the black one has this horizontal shaft 209cc engine.

[@sfcrblair]

Taryl and guys, you always keep us informed on all the mysteries and oddities, and JUNK not to buy. Thanks, we appreciate it very much helping us keep our money in our pockets. You Number one fan from the start.

[@zhuangjingru]

I bought this brand of portable generator last year. We take it with us when we're out and about, it's handy for charging our devices, and it's almost a year old and still going strong.

[@carolmckinnon3679]

Sounds like yardworks garbage. Same problem no parts available!!!

[@ruthc8407]

It'll run fine... till it breaks, AND IT WILL. When it does break just TRY to find replacement parts for it.

[@carolmckinnon3679]

@@ruthc8407 yardworks products from China! Cannot get carb parts. New carb over. 100$. Sold at Canadian Tire! DO NOT BUY!!!!

[@voidvincent]

When something does go wrong on it, you're going to spend way more hours than it's worth trying to fix it

[@vincentrobinette1507]

Just maintain it, and run it until it quits, then replace it. It's almost considered "disposable". I would order a couple of new new air filters for it now, and hope you'll get them by the time you actually need to replace one. You shouldn't have too much trouble finding spark plugs for it, since they're pretty much standard. With regular oil changes, it should give 800-1,000 hours of run time, which is actually pretty good, for its price point.

[@eldoradoboy]

glad i had the $$ to buy a honda.. 5 years zero issues... I remember stacks of these mowers at home depot.. I never knew they were gas mowers.. i always pegged them for being electric cheapies.. havent seen em for awhile they mustve been a once and done kond of thing..for good reason

[@stlfomoco]

My neighbor bought one of these pieces of junk this past spring from Menards. We liked to never get it to start when it was fresh out of the box, and then couldn't get it restarted after shutting it off. He drained the fuel and attempted to return it after only having it in his possession for about 90 minutes. Menards refused to refund his money because it had fuel in it at some point and they wanted to send it in for repair. Apparently this is their policy on all gasoline engine equipment. Needless to say a massive argument ensued and they eventually saw things his way and gave him his money back. The mower was not a store stocked item but an email special and was selling for $199. This is a perfect example of you get what you pay for $199 you don't get much here!

[@TheOzthewiz]

It is not ONLY Menards that has a "no refund" policy, Farm & Fleet has the same policy along with Home Depot. Also, I puchased a "Southland" edger (Chinese) through Amazon, which was giving me trouble on a "warm" re-start. Amazon WOULD NOT accept a return, because of the fact that I had put gasoline in it. The customer service person told me to keep the machine AND Amazon ALSO REFUNDED MY MONEY! I felt GUILTY about keeping the machine because it eventually became useable. It apparently needed for the "rings" to seat after a number of hours of running. This machine got a LOT of "one star" reviews simply because it NEEDED a thorough break-in. The Chinese seem to have a "problem" with OVERLY tight engines!

[@王嘉尔-e5c]

Good product. Will introduce it to my homie

[@GH-wt7ww]

I returned mine the day I got it. The engine actually was twisting the deck when running. The most dangerous mower Ive seen in my years.

[@FM60260]

I saw one of these but with a slightly bigger engine on a lawn care channel and I was really surprised by the design, I asked about it and apparently it is the company behind the Predator brand that is responsible for them. We don't have them here in the UK so the only mowers that have horizontal shaft engines are those high maintenance cylinder/reel mowers or the really large commercial mowers (above 52") that are often hydraulic anyway, so I had never seen anything like it before.

[@joshmanis9860]

predator should stick to making engines

[@staceygandy2009]

I had a early 90's Wally world Murray 22" push mower around $100 back then with a little 3.5hp flat head Briggs. It always cranked right up and regular oil change, air filter, and a carb to tank diaphragm and gasket a couple times it finally gave up the ghost three years ago and the deck was still solid. Not a hole in it.

[@rockymntain]

@@staceygandy2009 It probably had a Briggs and Stratton or Tecumseh designed engine, but still chinese mfd.

[@NoGoodVeryBadAmerican]

Passed on this mower last year opted for a Skil 40v and it's been awesome no bs. It replaced an old Jacobsen turbo vent aluminum deck 20" mower from the late 60's

[@effenfish661]

listing other recoils that could fit is very helpful. avoiding it altogether was the best advice

[@Noodles7H]

last winter we had a huge amount of heavy snow in southern Ontario and worried about clearing the bottom of my driveway from huge snow plows, but I'm impressed with this brand machine cut through it amazingly!! It's worth to try.

[@joekurzeja3455]

Tarly, I don’t know who edits your videos but do not let them get away!!! Your videos are fantastic, great on all fronts. I sure appreciate the work that is put into your production. Keep up the good work. Thank you. 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻

[@alext8828]

@repentandbelieveinJesusChrist2 I'm Jewish.

[@leecox1513]

What does your sermon have to do with lawn mowers?@repentandbelieveinJesusChrist2

[@AltimaNEO]

Pretty sure it's his sons

[@PingXiao-qf5cy]

I haven't bought a lawn mower, but I recently bought this brand powersmart generator. I took it out to travel with my family and used it. So far, there have been no problems.

[@Look_What_You_Did]

Why? Harbor Freight is far better.

[@mikemarino2840]

Powersmart is based out of Itasca, Illinois. One came in that needed a belt cover. They sent three of the wrong one before sending the correct one. Their snowblower engines are made by LCT or Loncin.

[@vernaJudson]

Their company's snow blowers and generators are good, this mower is not good, but other lawn mowers are good, the after-sales service was difficult to contact before, now it has improved a lot, fair review

[@Emma-cx3ms]

agree, it looks they just improved their service team. They got back to me in 3hrs yesterday and got my problem solved.

[@mattdudley3789]

I bought one of the snowblowers for my brother to use at my grandparents old house. It runs and blows snow. It shredded the auger belt on the first use. The drive sometimes quits randomly. It was purchased new from Home Depot

[@royb.1441]

That is an awesome recoil spring tool! On some really hard springs, I have had to make a winding tool out of wood and screws. And it still sucked.

[@Kookamungawerewolf]

The recoil springs on the old Honda ATCs were nightmares to rewind.

[@watsisbuttndo829]

@@Kookamungawerewolf boioioioioioionnnngggg!.

[@goaheadmakeourdayscooterpe9644]

Sorry I left it at the dumpster Taryl but even the scrappers in the neighborhood kept bringing it back. 😂

[@MariaEngstrom]

1) We have 20.000 horisontal shaft engines in warehouse 1 - what to do with them? 2) We have 20.000 empty lawnmower decks in warehouse 2 - what to do with them? 3) Let's combine them!

[@Exploder206]

Literally. They are pumping out these clone engines like crazy and don't know what to do with em lmao

[@fredyaniga]

"Gotta get get those cips outta there. Get Ponch and John outta there." 😂

[@TheOzthewiz]

YES, using belts that wouldn't be allowed in a "Tonka" toy!

[@MrTestpilot7]

taryl how do you put a grease fitting in 1978 mtd yard machine transmission so that you can grease the gears

[@jeffpiatt3879]

With the Hollywood actors strike raging on, I think it's time for Netflix to engage Taryl and the boys for a full length, feature film..

[@DTD-no7wl]

F the Hollywood acturds

[@xninja83x67]

That would actually be pretty sweet

[@xninja83x67]

But not the Netflix part

[@wadestanton]

Jeeze, I never saw Tyral as a scab. I will unsubscribe till I learn more.

[@yardlimit8695]

GREAT IDEA and we'd sure learn a lot more useful stuff instead of what those untalented ''''ACTORS''''''' pass off as art or talent......

[@ScottGovey]

Yep, we had one dropped off couple weeks ago, the belt tensioner pulley for the blade went bad and smoked the belt, searched on line and found a letter from powersmart stating they could not offer replacement parts for their units. 🤷‍♂️ called the customer and had them pick it up. Also another brand sold by rual king is pulsar, same deal even rual king couldn't get a blade for it!.

[@earlyriser8998]

I almost bought one of these due to the low price and light weight. Only small area to mow. But I looked at the comments online and they agree with you. Bought a Honda.

[@halfasscustoms7131]

Not sure if you will read this comment I have a craftsman lt1000 it runs but everything 2 or 3 weeks I have to change the spark plugs it or it doesn't want to start it doesn't burn oil and I replaced the kill switch I took it to a repair shop and they charged me $300 and it still is doing the same thing as before I use regular gas and 10w 30 not sure if Iam doing something wrong the repair shop replaced the head gasket and that didn't fix it either the piston and rings are still good the valves were repaired and set iam really not sure it will back fire and won't start again until I swap out the spark plug

[@philliphall5198]

Flooding with gasoline Carb needs rebuilding or replacing

[@_RocketRooster]

I have one somebody dropped off at my place the other day. Tried cranking it but felt like something was holding it back so tried starting it with a drill, got it to fire kinda but never would start. Acted like timing was off. Took a sample of the oil and it had metal slivers in it! They're junk, junk, junk!

[@ProudDad1976]

I've never heard a lawn mower sound so bad, it reminds me of an old S-10 5-speed without a clutch plate trying to get it to move after stalling out at a red light. I wonder why they felt the need to reinvent the wheel?

[@gmctech]

I'll be honest. I think the concept of belt driven is a very solid idea but when you build it with zero craftsmanship, sub quality components and no product support, it's just garbage.

[@wayneharrar3822]

Taryl, I wonder if this horizontal shaft engine was an answer to the “anti- dumping” law suit that Briggs & Kohler brought against Chinese manufacturers and won. Now anyone manufacturing vertical shaft engines in China has to pay a huge tariff. This is the first time I’ve seen this style engine. Thanks for sharing.

[@magaisacult2023]

Interesting thought.

[@YooTooobJeff]

That's the way things seem to work lots of times, good observation! I'd bet that's what this is too

[@vincentrobinette1507]

I've never heard of that, but if true, it makes perfect sense. At the very least, it's a good "conspiracy theory"! I can't see any other reason to add the complexity and extra parts to change rotational axis on an inexpensive "walk-behind" lawnmower.

[@shoominati23]

It's the way things are going, especially with the big box store house brand mowers. THey are built to a price, I actually spoke to one of the engineers who designed for such a brand and he said they specifically requested the item be designed so it lasted out the warranty period so they dont have to replace it, but no longer than another 6 months after that period so they come back to purchase another one sooner. And thats the way with this mower, i bet something arbitrary like a pivot on the height adjustment will break and you go to order one and you ring the spares guy (if there is one) and they say "Oh, yeah, we never got any of those in!"

[@bg147]

Yes. I don't blame the Chinese companies. The Western and US companies are to blame. They force the Chinese company to produce a product for next to nothing or they will find another producer..

[@michaelhorozko2347]

ya just gotta love it. The junk that is out there. I feel so sorry for my kids and grand kids. I was raised on 1965 cubs and 1970's wheel horse lawn and garden tractors. And..... I still have them. Little Grease, Oil, Maintainance , keep them clean. they run a long time.

[@mikelyden5374]

I am glad you made this video about this product. I have seen this brand and similar prodducts on places like amazon. I wasnt really looking into buying one but i did wonder how good a mower it maybe. Thanks to you Taryl I definitely will be saving some money and aggravation . Thank you. I enjoy your videos

[@BabetteWang]

Lately bought one from powersmart, the engine is vertical. Maybe they updated their lawn mower

[@peteTurzz]

my lawn mower (which is not a horizontal axis) that I purchased from their website is good.

[@agostinodibella9939]

It looks like it needs a front wheel alignment!😄

[@dannylinc6247]

Toed out. I saw that too. But the deck is a low number gauge so you just kick it with a heel wearing hard shoes. Sight em in. Bob's yer aunt. Nowadays

[@lintsausage]

The comments in your sunday videos you throw out like someone already said something stupid (32:35) then responds like someone actually said it always cracks me up. Awesome content Taryl, been watching for years. Thanks for all the work you guys put into these videos for us. Where's Ronnie been?

[@AmyYuan-i9f]

Recently received DB861AS, it works as expected. Given the current day cost of lawnmowers with name brands this machine was a good value.

[@georgemoller2206]

This was very informative concerning a recoil starter repair - love the winding tool. I find tools that I am not sure if they are worth getting and later discover I use them regularly or often enough to make the purchase worthwhile. Taryl, I think a lot like you do when fixing something but lack your excellent knowledge and experience in your area of expertise. I love watching the repair process, very relaxing, fun and entertaining.

[@tomlewis3658]

That recoil spring tool was very impressive. Like you said at the end, at least you won't get a bent crank shaft from hitting something. I was thinking if these horizontal engines outlast the decks, maybe they would be transplanted onto things like edgers or small single stage snow blowers. But even after the recoil starter fix, maybe this deck would outlast this engine, if someone continued to use it.

[@pootthatbak2578]

Watchmakers use a smaller version of this tool to insert wrist/pocket watches main springs into a 3/8s inch geared housing. KZbin channel " wristwatch revival" uses one most every video

[@cougarhunter33]

@@pootthatbak2578 the satisfying click.

[@cujoedaman]

This makes me think someone said "hey, we bought a shit-ton of these engines, but we can't use them for anything" while someone else said "we just made a bunch of mower decks, but we can't get a supplier for engines" and still someone else said "hmm... what if we..."

[@bg147]

Ahhh, I was trying to figure out what was going on with the design. That makes sense

[@mrmarkthompson2361]

I Love Your Determination On Fixing Equipment That Others So Called Mechanics Won't Touch. I Wish Your Shop Was In Virginia. I own a Couple Of Lawn Boy Push Mowers With OMC 2 Cycle Motors. I Love Them Because They Are Light And Able To Cut Grass On Slopes Cause 2 Cycle Motors Can Run At Any Angle. Over 20 Years Old And Still Running. I Mainly Now Just Use A Weed Eater Now & Kubota Zero Steer Due To My Age. OMC was a great American Company Years Ago. Super Bee 820 Engines used for racing go karts, Chain / Cut Off Saws. Most Importantly EVINRUDE OUTBOARD MOTORS. Ole Evinrude, Inventor of the 1st Outboard Motor For Boats in 1907. Read Up On His Biography & History of Evinrude / OMC Outboard Motors, Racing, Innovations. Too Bad They Gone Bought Out By Bombardier "BRP" Canada Company, Makers Of SkiDoo Snowmobiles, Jet Skis, Jet Drive Boats, Etc. Many Thousands Of Evinrude Outboard Motors Are Still Running. I have a few. Godspeed Your Journeys, Mr. T.

[@1978garfield]

The deal was China got caught selling vertical shaft engines for less than what it cost tp make them. That is called dumping. Eventually the feds got involved and mandated a surcharge on vertical shaft engines from the offending manufacturers. Rather than be subject to the surcharge those companies chose to make horizontal shaft engines and stick a gearbox on them.

[@ericvaughn1126]

I serviced exactly ONE Power Smart mower a couple of summers ago. Parts availability was a joke. I immediately updated my service ad to say all brands (except Power Smart). I THINK the one I worked on was a vertical shaft engine though.

[@tatersalad2067]

I have the same exact recoil spring tool. I had a heck of time trying to get the spring started. It’s a learning curve, but once you get it figured out it works great.

[@johnnybratsch-zw4ce]

Who makes the tool?

[@tatersalad2067]

@@johnnybratsch-zw4ce E-Z Coil Spring Tool is the closest I can find. The one I have just says Spring Winder 2001.

[@DugatDizzyLizzys]

Hi Taryll. Never seen anything like that, and yes I was excited to find out more as you peeled back those covers. It's another buy, break and throw piece of cheap machinery. If no back up or parts available, it saves money on running that service, that's why they are cheap! When people bring stuff like that in for me to repair, I'm thinking about asking for a deposit as when I say I can't find the part, I get told, you can have it for parts! I also bought that spring tool. I whacked my knuckles so often, I stopped using it. I also have tubs of bits and pieces also. It may have been 10 years later you use it, but it was worth the wait lol

[@fair2middlin]

I must be spoiled. I think $250 for a push mower is criminal theft

[@themowerman]

Mate I will get one for you to work on lol

[@DugatDizzyLizzys]

@@fair2middlin this is a driven mower. You pay more for that extra lever 😁

[@YangZoe-g2v]

it seems like they just improved their after service team recently. I got email feedback today as well.

[@bertssat]

power smart... try to get a replacement Blade, the belt guard is plastic, the belt pulleys are plastic, and one of the wheels just broke.. The motor seems fine so I am using my power-not-smart self propelled for a push mower...

[@iamburl2667]

Tyral I have such respect to you and yours, all the knowledge, entertainment is just fanominal, you al are like part of history in the making, I appreciate all the time you share with all of us, the moment is now and forever that you have taught me so much in so many many ways, your smarts tools experience and patience is priceless to me, I thank GOD for your heart along with ALL your FAMILY, THANK YOU

[@ngnmech]

I have 3 of those sitting in the junk pile from Menards. One has shreded belts and the cost of the belts plus labor is 1/2 the price of the mower. And another with the blade spindle housing sheared off of the deck. I didn't even look at the 3rd before pushing it into the pile with the rest.

[@boost50psi]

Powersmart, anything is junk. Oh and keep up the good work on your videos you have educated me on so much keep moving forward with my small engines business here in Ontario Canada.

[@David-si9pi]

Lolololol, yup.

[@immrnoidall]

New mower on sale tady. $250. Some assembly and remanufacturing required.

[@DarkVegetaman]

So many things are poorly assembled from the factory anymore. Loose, over tightened, cross threaded. Great video!

[@GeorgeMcIntyre-o9i]

That's what you get when you're made in China is garbage

[@korhing1066]

Taryl Old School Mechanics ! Love your Fabrication , Your parts drawer is Exactly what i have , Keep Everything ! You never know when you might need it

[@stevefairchild3337]

Yep I agree with you that is a pos. What were they thinking with this one, I have seen thet rewind somewhere, maybe on an LCT engine. Wow you could set a can of paint on it and it would shake it it up for you. Great video, when I see things like this I am glad I am not in the repair business anymore.

[@leroyusa935]

You are absolutely correct about products being sold today. There are too many victims who base their purchases on price alone. I think we already have way too many items filling the garbage scrap yards, and the trend is becoming worse. We used to repair our trustworthy brands that provided us with some very good years of service. Buying that lawn mower is equivalent to buying an obsolete used toilet that has had a new paint job thrown into a new box. Good rating method using that toilet symbol. 1 to 5 toilets to show how bad a product can be. Keep up these great videos. Consumer Reports magazine or their website no longer works for me.

[@antagonizerr]

Fill it with jb putty, let it harden, re-drill it, then assemble. A 5 min job that'll last longer than the factory work.

[@leecox1513]

Great advice. Don't purchase used equipment until you make sure that parts/service are available locally.

[@zinnstigertownmowers780]

The disposable junk they make these days makes me sick. PowerSmart takes the cake

[@6548ww]

Can’t even find a standard 22” side discharge mower at Walmart or Ace anymore

[@robolson7669]

I love it when you talk about crap bogging down a shop. People just assume looking for parts is free………a guy still gets paid to do it just like the guy installing the parts.

[@brettr5188]

In the background, there is a toro sw5000, I’ve owned that mower for 7 years. With basic maintenance and some lucky breakdown fixes. It’s been a great mower. The slide on the steering that controls independent hydraulic flow to the rear wheel has stuck a couple times. Rubber mallet, clean and oil. Good to go. Also, one of those dumb safety switches was giving me a problem, found which one and made an adjustment.

[@lynnh7694]

I have seen the cordless version of that mower at the membership wear house club. I think it actually was a riding mower.

[@michaelfred8848]

Bought an off brand mower from HD for 150$ and the part that held the blade broke and I couldn’t get any help from the manufacturer so HD told me to bring it back for a full refund. I also bought another model for 99$ at the same time for my grandson but it was a walk behind and he used it last year and cut his front yard on 7-29 -23 which was a surprise to me but I did tell him to empty the gas out last year before putting it away for the winter. His yard was really overgrown 😅 l ended up buying a Murray self propelled for like 250$ and it’s been ok so far 😊 I’m 80 and cutting my grass is my main exercise now days.l couldn’t afford one of those electric mowers. They wanted 5-6 hundred dollars.

[@aaronleflar6905]

I have had zero luck finding parts for these in my shop. What a throw away piece of junk

[@BeingMe23]

Do you even try to look online

[@fanofoldfans9238]

You answered my questions about the blade drive on that POS. Saw them at Walmart and just shook my head with an OMG and WTF!

[@bills6093]

The recoil spring winder is a large version of a watch mainspring winder.

[@Hjerte_Verke]

11:55 There is nothing more satisfying than rewinding one of those springs, getting it back into the starter assembly and making it operational again. They seem like rocket science if you haven't worked on one before.

[@adamr8628]

14:41, someone screams on the audio, then a smack sound. what happened?? I wonder.

[@hilmania7248]

I was looking at one of those. Glad I saw this video, thanks Taryl.

[@genevasimmonds8208]

don't know what it is but i enjoy your videos, they are practical, and funny, and real.

[@Guns_N_Gears]

God Damn, those 1978, $15 dollar Briggs lawnmowers that you used to see NEVER SELLING on the side of the road just went up 20x in price!!

[@charlesronk2989]

Anything with a 17.5hp Briggs and Stratton. My dad bought a 42" Toro Zero Turn, because I told him to. As I was the Superintendent of a County club and Toro equipment to me was hands down the best. Since buying this zero turn he has went through 3 motors. Now the 3rd motor is taking a crap after he just paid 300 for a tune up. My dad is a guy that changes his oil regularly and takes care of his stuff. He had his snow blower from 1982 to 2020.

[@ransompenny7319]

I hope you saved some people from this nightmare. That is a POJ. I like that recoil tool. Them springs can be a pain sometimes. And thanks Taryl, you helped me on a zero turn that I was having trouble with. I got the one that I was working on fixed and my customer was very happy.

[@producerk8247]

Nah, this isn't a POJ. This is a POS. Junk you can recycle.

[@80SWoods]

I had to do some “creative” repairs to some of those Power Smart mowers I got on as trade in when selling used equipment due to not being able to get parts…even stuff like a blade and blade adaptor wasn’t available. I seem to remember buying a 22” blade and cutting it down to 21”.

[@davedubriske9939]

Another great video boys! Thanks for the heads up on powersmart and how to fix a recoil.

[@davidpowell3347]

Quite a few years ago there was a brand of powered reel mower called Reo Royale,it apparently was considered a top of the line mower of its era,it had its own horizontal engine and was self-propelled,the Reo name referred to the businessman associated with the brand,Ransom Eli Olds who famously invented the Oldsmobile car. But I understand that they tried to adapt to the new era of rotary blade mowers by designing some kind of right angle drive that allowed the Reo horizontal engine to drive a vertical drive spindle. Apparently it didn't work so well. The engine was cast iron and took its power off of the camshaft stub. The camshaft only had one lobe which drove both exhaust and intake lifters/valves. The bore was less than even a 2 hp. Briggs but the stroke was longer.

[@chrisroberts3479]

Easiest way of doing those springs is start with the outside in the actual pulley and work it in. No fancy tools needed.

[@THEMOWERMEDIC1]

Make a Video and post it here. We’d love to see

[@garyjohnson4575]

My mower is still going strong at 20 years! I call it "Mighty Mow" had to get some new wheels, and every two years it gets a new gasket on the plastic carb, one pull everytime....oh yeah, also replaced the exhaust. All on the shelves of the local mow shop Mom and Pop store to the max! Very nice people.

[@jeffbotkin1405]

This is awesome Taryl. If I was doing this, that thing would make a quick trip to the dumpster. Like your patience

[@3800scgp]

Made me go looking online at lawnmowers that the big box stores are selling now, and wow are there a lot of nasty looking tin cans passing off as "mowers". I've got a ~10yo Honda powered Troy-Bilt that's had no issues, not getting rid of it anytime soon! Should live for a long time, just gets used where the riding mower can't go.

[@chubbyjohnson5480]

This is one your best skits. I love the lawn mower mysteries and oddities

[@bucklinoutdoorpowerequipme3846]

That one makes ez-works look good!!!! A gearbox and belts to go bad on a push mower? Why? I can see someone hitting a stake in the ground and shattering that hub and the blade flying out from under that mower.

[@jameswordenjr.7628]

I have not personally observed many things that are 'made in China' to be of any quality. They do not offer parts on many items because their intent is generally to ONLY sell the merchandise. I blame our Congress members for not having legal requirements for manufactured imported goods. The Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act should be amended to include imported junk like this. This is the only way to protect consumers from incurring these costs, which rightfully belong to the Manufacturers.

[@gorak9000]

Your IPhone is made in China (and before you say "but I use Android" - partner, it's also made in China). 95% of the stuff you own is made in China. Like anywhere, China makes crap, and China makes good stuff. It's on the company that's contracting out their manufacturing to China to be on top of the QC and keeping them to the standards you set.

[@johnnyhawk329]

@@gorak9000 Buick is making there small SUV'S in china. From what I can see they are crap too.

[@JohnSmith-yv6eq]

You do know how Chinese industry works? You specify EVERYTHING you want on a product you want them to make...including the quality. They tell you what it will cost including freight to your nominated port. You pay upfront for all costs.... They now have your money which they use to buy the parts from other Chinese manufacturers. They assemble the machine to the specified level....you specified. Now you provide the warranty as they have no interest in the machine...all problems are yours to solve. The unscrewable Chinese..... The other way is you buy what is available...that you have examined and passed as sufficient for sales in your country. You pay up front. Your problem from then on.

[@bg147]

A lot of the products made in China are designed and marketed by Western firms. The companies pit the Chinese factories against one another to get the price down. This results in a junky product. I blame the US companies.

[@knighthawk86855]

I have 3 customers who own one of these pos, they all have different problems with them, and like you said, I can't get parts for em, so they gave em to me, and bought mowers I have for sale, and they love em, they are all briggs and stratton quantum engine machines, so I took the 3 mowers, and made one of them work from the parts of the other 2, what a pos.

[@dfields9511]

Before I even clicked on this I knew it was a power smart lawnmower . They also make battery powered stuff

[@David-si9pi]

I love this channel.

[@cgfreshmaker]

My thoughts exactly, I researched one of these yesterday as I was intrigued by the horizontal engine... Then I realized why they were selling a 208cc push mower for only $149... Throw away...

[@shdwbnndbyyt]

I bought a Hart 21 inch mower a few years ago, still under warranty. It has been in the authorized service shop for a month now... waiting for parts. It worked fine except for the 6 amp hour battery only lasting for 20-30 minutes so my 1/2 acre of grass takes 5-7 charges to completely cut... and I do not use the self propel drive, as the pulling hurts my bad knee... I can push all day, but being pulled forward of pulling something forward really hurts.

[@rickmcdonald1557]

I so admire your patience as it is quite remarkable~!! It is a rare attribute in our current society and your camera man is also quite a prize~!! Love these videos~!!

[@Comm0ut]

Tools like your spring winder are still made and easy to find online. I suspect that overcomplicated ridiculous piece of junk was made to use up a bunch of engines designed for another purpose and possibly discontinued so dumping them as mowers was one way to cash out. That's the most wetoddid drive system I've seen in a long life of wrenching. Thank you for the education!

[@waleyefish9026]

Thanks Taryl, I looked at one in the store and thought where would you get parts for this oddity.