Lowe's "warranty service"

[dpuckett]

Apparently, "service" has come to mean the same thing it means when a bull "services" a cow- a good, hard fornication.



Last July, we bought a Troy Bilt push mower from Lowes with a Honda engine, as I had NEVER heard anything but good things and had good experiences with Honda engines. Last weekend, I went to mow the grass, and had to pull the cord about 3-4 times to get it to start (NOT mormal for this mower- normally starts with 1/2 a pull), and it ran real rough, and started blowing white smoke out the exhaust, right before I noticed gas POURING out the carburetor/ air filter assembly. Naturally, I let go of the handle, and looked things over (gas engines counfound and confuse me- IO merely looked for anything OBVIOUSLY out of place, and found none). Comes with a 2 year warranty. Went back to Lowe's and they said they could send it off for repair, and that it would take about 2-3 weeks. "I cant exchange it?" "No. " Then I get informed that if the reapairs total over $85, I have to pay the difference. Basically, if it takes more than a carb kit to fix, I have to pay for it to get fixed UNDER WARRANTY. This is called stealing and lying. If one has a 2 year warranty on ALL PARTS AND LABOR, it should be just that, ALL PARTS AND LABOR!!!!!! I SOULD NOT HAVE TO PAY A RED CENT FOR ANYTHING!!!! And, I should not have to wait for my yard to become a hayfiled before being able to mow it again!!!!! Yes, there are a few people I could borrow a mower from, but if I wanted to do that, we wouldnt have bought the mower in the first place, and saved our money.



I had been happy with the mower until last weekend- I could mow both yards, twice, on one tank of fuel; started SUPER easy (easiest starting gas engine I'd ever seen, bar none), cut through thick tall grass with ease, etc, etc. I'm just tired of Lowe's. Not only do they cater to the Brown Horde from the South by putting EVERYTHING in ESPANOL just as prominently as the English side, but now they wont back their products. I will never set foot on the parking lot after this is resolved, and will REFUSE to even install anything purchased there, no matter how much money or sex I'm offered.



Daniel

 

[sdstriper]

no matter how much money or sex I'm offered.



Daniel

Now that, is one PO'd hombre...

 

[NVR FNSH]

Not sure about $85 limit thing but mfg warranties usually only cover defects in materials and/or workmanship NOT any/all failures that could be due to improper maintenance or misuse. Not saying you caused the problem but it sounds like you have unrealistic expectations if you want Lowe's to exchange the mower.



Brian

 

[dpuckett]

I read the paperwork, and it IS at Honda's option, not Lowe's. I really doubted they'd exchange it, but to take 2-3 weeks, and put a limit on how much the repair can cost? Come on. And, while you have no idea how I maintained or used it, rest assured I treat it better than most people do their mowers. Changed the oil twice last year, ran the fuel out before winter storage; changed oil for the winter, then again in the spring. Used the same fuel that goes in the Dakota, normaly a mower tank at a time... .....



I would dearly love to buy local, and would pay a 10-15% premium for it, but most Mom&Pop shops are open 8-5 M-F; the same hours we and many other people work (atcually, if it were only 8-5, we'd take a serious pay cut). I think being open weekends is the ONLY reason big name stores like Lowe's, Home Depot, et al, stay in business. That and people who have no standards or expectations.



DP

 

[ACoyle]

Just curious - You said that you read the warranty, does it say what they told uou, including the $85. 00 part? If it does, then the lesson learned should be to read the warranty, whomever you buy from, at the time of purchase. Lowes did not build the thing, they only sold it.



Just my two cents.



AC

 

[dpuckett]

Nothing was in the warranty about the $85 limit. It said Honda would replace any defective part free of charge if used under normal service, or something to that effect. And having called the manufacturer before (not this instance, but other times) and being told to go where I bought it, I just went to where I bought it first.



I see it kind of like Dodge denying warranty coverage on your 70K mi transmission when it takes a dump at 40K.



G/F has experience getting blood from a turnip via warranty companies, so she has taken it over from here. I guess I'm just not pushy enough or something. Or I just take it that no means no.



DP

 

[rbattelle]

no matter how much money or sex I'm offered.

You liar! :-laf

I would dearly love to buy local, and would pay a 10-15% premium for it, but most Mom&Pop shops are open 8-5 M-F; the same hours we and many other people work (atcually, if it were only 8-5, we'd take a serious pay cut). I think being open weekends is the ONLY reason big name stores like Lowe's, Home Depot, et al, stay in business. That and people who have no standards or expectations.

I tend to agree it's one of the biggest reasons - convenient hours.



If I were you, I'd ignore the warranty and fix it yourself. Carburetors are a piece of cake... especially on a lawnmower.



Ryan

 

[nickleinonen]

Carburetors are a piece of cake... especially on a lawnmower.

i am clueless when it comes to carbs and almost clueless when it comes to gasoline engines. .

 

[PToombs]

Isn't the carbitsntator the thingy you hit with the hammer when the gas runs out all over?

 

[sdstriper]

If it's an OHC engine it's the cheaper version, the OHV engines are better IMO. I would put a fuel shut off on the fuel line if it were mine, for whatever reason some of the Hondas are afflicted and prone to flooding etc. I know several people who have added a shutoff and never been happier. I own three pieces of equipment with the Honda 5hp OHV vertical shaft engines, two are fine without a shutoff and one is a POS that needs to be shut off after use and/or during storage. Fuel bowls are easy to take off with one bolt on the bottom, pinch the fuel line with a vice grip etc being careful not to cut the line, could be dirt etc in there or water, dump it out once and try it again. The float will hang after removing the bowl, look to see if the needle comes down out of the seat, could be stuck in there if you had bad gas etc. A gentle prodding with a small screw driver should dislodge it if it were to be stuck in the seat. Loosen it if so and put it back together and run the wheels off it. You may want to put a fuel filter inline too, another thingy they should all have had OEM.

 

[dpuckett]

skipped the Warranty, g/f took it to work, and her boss said it had a bunch of crud and trash, along with some water, in the carb bowl. Fuel line does have a shut off, and I turn it off every time now.



I am right there with nickleinonen and PToombs- carbs are a mystery to me and confound and confuse me. I mean, how in the world are you supposed to atomize fuel with it sitting in a bowl in the carb? Beats me. I let others work on them. At least a diesel makes sense- high pressure pump= good atomization.



DP

 

[ACoyle]

If it's an OHC engine it's the cheaper version, the OHV engines are better IMO.

Technical question - Education being sought.



OHV = Valves in head. Valves operated by rockers that are in turn operated by pushrods and / or lifters that ride on a cam in the block.



OHC = Valves in head, cam in head, Cam operates rockers which actuate the valves. Less moving parts.



Is this correct?



OHV - Overhead valve - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia



OHC = Overhead camshaft - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia





Thank You



AC

 

[PToombs]

Daniel, I don't have a problem with carbs. The air passes thru a venturi, causes low pressure, pulll gas up into airstream. I also know that tapping on the side if the float is stuck will jar it loose. Want a class at SOP? Nahh, you'll probably skip that one too! :-laf

Put a filter in the line, buy a new gas can, keep the caps on, keep it clean, keep it out of the rain. And/or buy a funnel with a screen in it. Did he clean out the fuel tank? I hope so!



ACoyle, I didn't read the Wiki, but that's what I learned in school!