About 5year, i think

When I gave a way my $100 Walmart mower mower it was nearly 16 years old and still running. I gave it away because I got new a string trimmer that was a better fit for what I was using the mower for. When I gave it a way it had set in the shed unused for about 2 year. But with gas it started up with a three pulls on the rope. During the first part of its life it was my primary mower. In the second part after I got a riding mower it became my trim mower. I have always owned between and half and three quarters of an acre. Other that keeping the blade is good condition, changing the oil, and a yearly new plug, it there was no major service.

The riding mower was inherited from my Dad who got it in 2000. The young man who bought it last July is still using it to mow lawns. It never had any major service except the yearly service kit.

I personally think that the life of a mower is directly proportional to the care it receives. A mower that is never kept inside, never serviced will fail long before one that is taken care of. In watch friends and neighbors mowers, the thing that usually kills them is when the deck rust out. Mowing when it is dry, keeping it inside, and cleaning under the deck will prevent it from rusting.

The first thing I do before using a small engine, mower, trimmer, blower, etc, is check the oil. I also have never had any thing but 4 cycle engines.

Do you mean all original? Just like a car, a mower requires maintenance and depending on use, repairs. I have a 22 year old Honda, but it's also had a transmission replacement and wheels replaced, about $200 in parts. It still performs great and is a great mower. Considering it cost $700 back in the day, it certainly is worthwhile to fix it rather than junk it and start anew.

I used an aluminum deck Toro for 40 years. Toward the end it was taking 2 pulls to start it. I traded it in for a battery mower. That one lasted 5 years before having battery problems. When it took it in there was a recall on it which replaced virtually the entire mower with the latest model. That one lasted another 7 years before breaking a fist-sized chunk out of the mower deck exposing the motor to the grass clippings. I replaced that one with an EGO which lasted 2 years before a safety switch required it to be shipped to Atlanta for 8 weeks for replacement.

Key part of the question , today's mowers ! Not mowers that were built 10 , 20 or 40 yrs ago . Today's mowers due to epa guidelines are not really made to last much more than 5 perhaps 10 yrs if you really service them well and have an average lawn size . Economy mowers fit within the 5 yr lifespan where as the Commercial Grade mowers fit the 10 yr lifespan . After these time frames you on borrowed time believe me , I repair them every week lol. P.S. if you have a postage stamp lawn and are religious about maintaining your mower a few more years !