Back on July the 9th, it was a sunny and hot afternoon. So much so, I decided it was a good time to mow the grass. Got on my “lawn shoes” and summer shorts and grabbed my trusty 21“ Ariens RAZR mower. She’s about 6-7 years old. Fired her up and made my first pass...and then she stopped. I looked at the fuel level and noticed it was a little low. Topped’er up and gave it a pull... nothing.
Waited a minute, pushed the mower to and frow... gave it another pull. Nothing. Did I flood it? Waited a few more minutes and tried again... nothing. What was going on? My neighbour took note and came over to have a look. His father was over visiting and wouldn’t you know it, he specialized in small engine mechanics and repair.
I had changed the air filter, spark plugs and changed the oil as I do every spring at the shop where I purchased it. His diagnosis was met with negative results. So off to the shop where I purchased it. It’s a locally owned place that’s been around for about 50 years and they specialize in lawn equipment. I’ve always had great service there. I reluctantly turned over the mower and was advised they’d be in touch over the next 2 weeks.
Fast forward to Sept. 1st, 2020. I still did not have my mower back. Reasons? Parts that had been ordered out of province had been delayed due to Covid, lack of staff at the warehouse, shipping delays and an injured mechanic on leave from the shop. They figured it was the carb.
Last week I received an update that they replaced all the parts in the carb and it still wouldn’t turn over. So, it wasn’t the carb kit. They said they’d let me know. “Enjoy the long weekend.”
Today I was in the area after a massage and decided to swing by. As luck would have it, the owner and his son were in. I chatted about my summer and lack of lawn mower. He was very nice as he always has been and summoned the mechanic. He came out within about 20 seconds and looked up my file. “She’s not going to make it“ he tells me. I was stunned. I was meticulous with care and upkeep of my mower. What happened!?! ”The valve system is toast. She‘s not drawing any power and we can’t order a new motor because Ariens doesn’t make mowers any longer, just snow blowers and riding mowers. So unless you know someone with a used mower with this motor...”
They weren’t willing to take it on a trade in, not even for parts. That’s when I knew they were serious. I was able to trade in an older (15 year) weed trimmer last year for a new one. The owner over heard the conversation and came over. He apologized for the long wait and the bad news and talked about the fall of Ariens and their mowers. “If you think you’d like to buy a different mower, let me know and I‘ll make sure you’re taken care of. As far as any maintenance costs or whatever... don’t worry, we’re not going to charge you a red cent for the other mower.”
After moping around I decided to bite. I was shown a few models and and settled on a new Toro. It had plenty of features and was about 15 lbs lighter than the Ariens. To top it off, they knocked about $90 off the price for my troubles. I did a quick search with Home Depot, Lowe’s and another shop for the same model... and the price was too good to pass up.
So, here she is. My only regret today was that I borrowed my buddy‘s Arien’s this morning to mow my grass before bringing the new mower home.
Wish me luck, and thanks for reading this long winded story.
Waited a minute, pushed the mower to and frow... gave it another pull. Nothing. Did I flood it? Waited a few more minutes and tried again... nothing. What was going on? My neighbour took note and came over to have a look. His father was over visiting and wouldn’t you know it, he specialized in small engine mechanics and repair.
I had changed the air filter, spark plugs and changed the oil as I do every spring at the shop where I purchased it. His diagnosis was met with negative results. So off to the shop where I purchased it. It’s a locally owned place that’s been around for about 50 years and they specialize in lawn equipment. I’ve always had great service there. I reluctantly turned over the mower and was advised they’d be in touch over the next 2 weeks.
Fast forward to Sept. 1st, 2020. I still did not have my mower back. Reasons? Parts that had been ordered out of province had been delayed due to Covid, lack of staff at the warehouse, shipping delays and an injured mechanic on leave from the shop. They figured it was the carb.
Last week I received an update that they replaced all the parts in the carb and it still wouldn’t turn over. So, it wasn’t the carb kit. They said they’d let me know. “Enjoy the long weekend.”
Today I was in the area after a massage and decided to swing by. As luck would have it, the owner and his son were in. I chatted about my summer and lack of lawn mower. He was very nice as he always has been and summoned the mechanic. He came out within about 20 seconds and looked up my file. “She’s not going to make it“ he tells me. I was stunned. I was meticulous with care and upkeep of my mower. What happened!?! ”The valve system is toast. She‘s not drawing any power and we can’t order a new motor because Ariens doesn’t make mowers any longer, just snow blowers and riding mowers. So unless you know someone with a used mower with this motor...”
They weren’t willing to take it on a trade in, not even for parts. That’s when I knew they were serious. I was able to trade in an older (15 year) weed trimmer last year for a new one. The owner over heard the conversation and came over. He apologized for the long wait and the bad news and talked about the fall of Ariens and their mowers. “If you think you’d like to buy a different mower, let me know and I‘ll make sure you’re taken care of. As far as any maintenance costs or whatever... don’t worry, we’re not going to charge you a red cent for the other mower.”
After moping around I decided to bite. I was shown a few models and and settled on a new Toro. It had plenty of features and was about 15 lbs lighter than the Ariens. To top it off, they knocked about $90 off the price for my troubles. I did a quick search with Home Depot, Lowe’s and another shop for the same model... and the price was too good to pass up.
So, here she is. My only regret today was that I borrowed my buddy‘s Arien’s this morning to mow my grass before bringing the new mower home.
Wish me luck, and thanks for reading this long winded story.