Yeah, if I remember, changing the oil is a pain, and can be messy. I believe it came with some kind of plastic tube to hook up to the drain, so that’s ok. But, taking the filter off is the bigger mess, it does get on the frame. I need to get the oil and filter changed on it, I think it’s been 3 years.
My rider has a 24hp Briggs and Stratton V engine on it; I just got a filter for it, it cost $11 from Lowe’s.
It still has the original battery in it, so it’s at least 4 years old, and it sits out in an unheated shed. I had to have it charged last year, it wouldn’t start for the first mowing then, but did after that. I thought this long winter would’ve done it in, and while it didn’t start the first time, it did take a charge and has been fine since.
I like it, but I’m probably going to have to sharpen my mulching blades. Sometimes in high grass it leaves some of it uncut, and I have to go over it again.
It gets great gas mileage, I think it holds about 3 gallons, and I can mow our hilly 2 acre area, and not run out.
It got a real workout this weekend, I had to mow the barn orchard after it hadn’t been done in about 3 weeks, it looked almost like our un-mowed pasture, some really high grass and weeds. It took a while, but it got done, after having to go over it a couple times. If you let the grass go two weeks around here, it can look really shaggy in a hurry.