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Murray - Self-Propelled Lawn Mower

Murray Lawn Mowers • Self-propelled models • Belt failure • Riding models • Push models • Gas leaks • Other problems • Murray Defenders ---- • 2003 Lawn tractor recall • 2002 Lawn tractor recall

Lloyd of Leander, TX (8/31/05):
I came across your site today while looking for parts for my Murray (Scott's branded) lawn mower. It seems other people have the same problems with their Murray mowers - stripped plastic gears on front drive wheels and a leaking fuel tank.

My current mower is actually a replacement for a previous model that had a substandard pulley mechanism (pulley actually split apart) that effectively disabled the self-propelled feature. Anyway, I'll never purchase a Murray product again... and BTW, I can't seem to find a URL for the Murray website. I guess they don't want people to find them.

Damages: A self-propelled mower that needs to be pushed. Wasted gas and a potential fire hazard.

Dave of Moore, OK (8/28/05)
I love my Murray 22" 6.5 HP lawn mower. It has so many things going for it. However, all these good things were discovered while attempting to deal with the mower's one little flaw -- nothing gets out the side discharge chute. Even after wiring up the safety flap it jams solid with mulch within a few feet.

# 1: The mower is tough. It has to be to survive the pounding required, bouncing the running mower from front wheels to back wheels, until it grudgingly discharges another bolus of grass.
# 2: It's user friendly. It obligingly vapor locks on a regular basis, allowing me to go into the house for a cool drink.
# 3: The grass fears it! I know this from the way it bows down in front of the mower. And even more so from the way it's still bowed down after the mower has passed.
#4: No grass escapes. I have it set as high as it will ride and can pass over my dog's tennis ball without disturbing it. While the tennis ball can pass out from under the mower, somehow mulch can't escape. It has to be piled against the side discharge chute.
# 5. Ease of maintenance. With only one exception the mower is relatively simple to maintain. The exception is that the first thing I must do before running the mower is to dethatch it. Thick layers of dried grass cling to every surface of the underside resulting in almost no clearance for cut grass. Getting that out of the way means I can focus on that pesky side discharge chute.
# 6: This mower builds character. The neighbors love the show and it's a heck of an ad for buying an A-O-M. (Any Other Mower).

And BTW, I know the blade is sharp and turning the correct direction. With the safety flap wired up, I can see it where it almost protrudes from the side discharge opening. Mowers like this should keep attorneys on the gravy train.

Charles of Meridian, MS (7/3/05)
Well, I should have read the thread on the Murray lawn mowers before I purchased the 4.75 hp model from Wal-Mart. I am not even going to bother with repairs & exchanges. I am going to sit it outside and hope that someone steals it.

Michael of Edgewood KY (4/30/05):
Spring is here and again I have to do my yearly ritual: replacing another lawn mower wheel. I bought a lawn mower made by Murray under the Scott's brand name. The model number for the mower is 21365X8B. I am basically happy with the mower except for replacing the wheels. The problem is the the plasic that slides over the shaft cracks and breaks off. I bought a new wheel today for $10.50 and really should replace the others before they completely off. What really upsets me is that this must have been a problem for years and nothing has been to correct it.

Stephen of Suwanee GA (4/28/05):
Murray Mower 3.8 Horse Power 22" Blade. Standard Habit: change air filter, spark plug, change oil etc. April 8th, engine cutting out when engine leans towards the side of the choke on the engine. Not sure why that was happening, started the engine again and less than 5 seconds, quick explosion and flames. Burned the hairs on my hand and partial left arm. Ran quickly, pulling the lawn mower backwards to a outside water faucet and hosed-down the flames.

Damage caused hair removed by the flames and expense of engine repair $94. Just happy I was not next to the engine when the explosion happened. Repair crew stated that the carburetor (inner structure) was the cause of the explosion. They replaced the entire carburetor. Not sure if Murray (Tecumseh) is causing problems with many other machines but having to go through this horrific incident, felt it's best to pass this along.

Tammy of Kansas City MO (6/24/04):
On June 15, 2003, I bought a Murray Model #120602, 3-in-1 Mulcher/Mower, Self-Propelled with side and rear discharge. I used it only a few times last season with no problems. The second time I went to use it this season, the belt broke and the self-propelled motion quit. I replaced the belt only to have it fly off again. I followed the instructions to the "T".

I later discovered the plastic pully was stripped and needed to be replaced. First, Home Depot said they would pay for the repairs since it was less than a year old. Now they are saying, No, that Murray would pay for the repairs within a year of the manufactured date. I've went round and round with these people. How disappointing.

This lawnmower was for my first home. The major applainces were killing me in price. I was ecstactic to find a new lawnmower with a Briggs & Stratton engine for around $250. The repair place is more than 3 weeks behind on repairs.

Lou of Fort Myers FL (3/29/04):
My wife and I just bought our first home in January of 2004. Prior to this we rented the same house for seven years and the rental house came with an old Murray push mower that I never had problem one with. The second week of February the big day finally arrived and I went to Home Depot to buy a mower to cut my own grass at my own home for the very first time and of course remembering that great old Murray mower that I'd pushed for years I bought a Murray 4.5 H.P. mower that I thought would last forever.

Everything went well at first, the mower came assembeled in the box - all I had to do was extend the handle, fill it with oil and gas and pull the starter cord. The new Murray started just fine and the new yard looked great in an hour. Now comes Saturday 3/20/2004 - the new lawn is starting to look a little shaggy, it's time for the monthly mowing and edging. The edging went smoothly enough and out of the garage comes the still shiny, one-month-old Murray lawnmower. I spent the next two hours pulling and pulling and pulling on the starter cord and it wouldn't start for love or money.

Home Depot doesn't want it back because I don't have the box to put it back into and I can't find the original receipt, so now I have a Beautiful new garage decoration that will not start.

Lou may be giving up too quickly. Small gas engines are notoriously hard to start and sometimes need some tinkering. There is undoubtedly an independent lawn mower repair shop somewhere in Fort Myers that can get the the Murray cooking again ... at least for awhile.

Sinclair of Davidsonville MD (8/13/03):
Last summer I bought a reconditioned MURRAY walk-behind mower (6.5 hp TEC OHV, 22in, Fr Dr H/W) at Home Depot. Used it a couple of times, thought it pulled feebly, rumbled. Pulled off drive wheels to see if junk of some sort inside drive wheels. No. Teeth along inside of wheel drum is same grey plastic material as rest of wheel. They had worn off where the drive gear makes contact with them.

Guys at Home Depot could only suggest returning the whole mower; could not figure out how to get new wheels. That seemed to me rather like killing the horse when it throws a shoe; maybe the fellow who had it before Murray reconditiioned imposed unreasonable stress on pulling mechanism. You know, I wanted to be reponsible, impose no unreasonable costs on merchant.

Found a lawnmower shop that could get replacements. Bought them. They looked ominously like the ones I had taken off. Sure enough. Six times round the place and the new drive wheels are shot. The idea of using unhardened plastic teeth as the drive mechanism in device used in the summertime was intentional consumer abuse.

Damage Resulting: Wasted time, lost opportunities to do the work in a summer cursed with rain nearly every weekend. Apart from dyspepsia and, so far, about $70 no serious consequence.

Mark of Sterling VA (9/25/03):
I also have a 6.5HP Murray walk-behind mower. The problems all center around the self-propulsion mechanism. Being an engineer, I went ahead and fixed it a few times, thinking I was the anomaly here. Well, the problem is that this "mulching" mower will discharge clippings in such a way that they get all jammed up in the internal-tooth geared front wheels, specifically the left one. Enough clippings and the metal drive gear just munches up *everything* inside, including the plastic gear teeth molded into the front wheels.

I was lucky - I got more than a couple of years out of mine. Looking at the design, it's amazing that it made it this far. I guess I got what I paid for, and $230 doesn't buy much in the way of a new lawn mower. I made every earnest attempt to find out where I can get replacement parts online (or at least *find* them!), but no luck. I'm going to beg the wife to let me buy a new one, but this time, I'll get a *real* lawn mower, not one of these stupid things. Arrrgh.

Damage Resulting: Premature retirement of what should have been a perfectly good lawn mower. Frustration, heartburn, filthy hands.

Linda of Sarasota FL (9/7/03):
I bought a new Murray Self Propelled mower/mulcher for $200 at Walmart. After using it three times, the belt broke. I bought a new belt and tried to put the new one on myself. I followed instructions in the manual. It took me about 6 hours to get the job done. There were way too many parts to take off and replace. I tried to mow the yard, got about three feet and the belt came off. I put the belt back on and the same thing happened again, gave up on the belt.

I used it as a push mower for two years. These belts do not stay on no matter what you do to them. I'm done with Murray, will never buy another one. I went out and bought a new Toro Self Propelled mower/mulcher. It works and cuts like a dream and easy to manuver.

Using the mower as a push walk behind, physically wore me out and took three times longer to get the lawn mowed. I almost had heat stroke from pushing it through the lawn each time I mowed. It took all the strength that I had in me to get the job done. It also used a lot of gas as a push mower.

Tom of Sumner WA (9/7/03):
I have a Murray self-propelled lawnmower with electric start and a "mulching" deck. This deck design has an air gap all around the base of the engine mounting area between the engine and the deck. I have tried all sorts of different blade and mower height combinations but the results are always the same: the mower sprays large pieces of cut grass all over itself as well as the lawn. The lawn looks like a hay field ready for bailing after mowing. There is apparently a grass bag that can attach to the right side of the deck but I cannot find a bag that will fit. I recommend avoiding this type of Murray mulching lawn mower or if one is purchased from Murray make certain it can be returned if unsatisfactory for your use.

William of Cosby TN (7/27/03):
I bought a self-propelled Murray, model 226110x92a in June of 2003. The wheels are falling off and the bolts that hold the handle are coming off. A metal piece also fell apart and the blade hit it. I've only used this mower 3 times.

Damage Resulting: I wasted $222 on a worthless mower.

Steven of Dillon SC (6/11/03):
I purchased a Murray self-propelled mower at the end of last summer. My family has used Murray mowers since I was a little boy (I am 40 years old) with hardly any problems. This mower I have now has been nothing but problems. I contacted the Murray corporation 3 times now but they fail to respond. I spent nearly $400 on this mower. I saved all summer to get it and now I still have no mower. I can't even use it. I lost my job recently and cannot afford another mower. I contacted Wal-Mart where I purchased it and they said I would have to contact Murray. As you can see, that did nothing for the problem.

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