246 I had had a yellow engine and someone wrote in the engine compartment engine replaced at 79 hours perhaps my idea isn't a accurate way to tell
Still running today. I had about 1200 hours when it blew. I only use it around the house anymore, folded my landscape construction business so I don't wrack up the hours much.
It can happen to any machine, but it happens a lot more with these machines, than any SSL I can think of. Those engines are expensive, and cost way more than the value of the machine. The fact that it doesn't get many hours makes it even worse in my mind. If the engine lets go, your just going to have to eat the cost or junk it. Its not like it makes any real money like it would if you were using it commercially. I would rather spend more money on something else up front that doesn't have the history these engines did, then roll the dice and lose. The money spent on putting it back together could have been spent on a much better machine initially.
Yes I agree but for personal use I wouldn't be afraid of it
I don't think it's necessarily a new Part Number, most likely the same P/N with internal parts updated in some way. Buy a pump today and you should be getting all the updates made over the past 20 years since this range of engines was originally built.
