Craftsman Push Mower - Model 917.388130 With Briggs And Stratton Engine

by Frank Maki
(Monroeton, Pennsylvania)

I own a Craftsman push Lawn Mower (model # 917.388130) with a 675 Briggs and Stratton engine and a 21 inch deck. I bought the mower four years ago, when I first moved to Monroeton, Pennsylvania. When looking for a mower, I wanted something that would work well in my particular yard, which is about one and a half acres of partially wooded and hilly terrain.

I bought the Craftsman mower from a Sears store, offline. Over the past four years, the mower has done some hard work. I have taken care of the mower, with regular maintenance and tune-ups. So far, I have no complaints with the Briggs and Stratton 675 engine – it always fires up right away and it continues to run smoothly.

Right now, I expect that the wheels will need to be replaced soon, as they are coming loose. Some of the knobs and handles have already broken. And, there is a little bit of rust on the undercarriage of the deck. But, I anticipate the mower will last at least another four years, if not longer.

One complaint with the push mower is the mulcher. The mulcher opening often gets jammed with grass, whether the yard is wet or dry, and whether the grass is long or short. I am not sure why this happens – perhaps the engine does not provide enough power to really mulch the clippings.

Also, when I use the bag, instead of the mulcher, the bag never fills up completely. When the bag is about halfway full, the model 917.388130 mower starts to leave clippings on the yard. This, of course, is annoying, as it requires me to stop more frequently to empty the bag. That said, the Craftsman push mower works well for my yard, with its many hills and trees. I would recommend this mower if someone has a large yard and needs a capable mower.