Bought a lawn mower since 1994? Get $35-75 settlement

You may have missed this being advertised on TV, but apparently there is a class action that is being settled that awards $35 for walk behind &/or $75 for riding mowers because they falsified horsepower ratings.

It is easy to file online here. Just need the model numbers of the mower and engine which should be on your mower, or instruction booklet.

Wow. We should sue spotlight makers -- if they can bust the lawn mower makers for phony numbers in a specifications war, shouldn't we be able to go after all the "X million candlepower" spotlights for the same thing?

LuxLuthor said:

You may have missed this being advertised on TV, but apparently there is a class action that is being settled that awards $35 for walk behind &/or $75 for riding mowers because they falsified horsepower ratings.

It is easy to file online here. Just need the model numbers of the mower and engine which should be on your mower, or instruction booklet.

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Are you a class action lawyer?

Chauncey Gardner said:

Are you a class action lawyer?

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No. I hate lawyers. Well I don't hate the individual people who are lawyers for the most part, but I hate how their profession is out of control, and makes all the rules that regulate them in general. My post was for the benefit of the community who may not have seen the advertisements on TV, and $35-75 bucks can buy you a new flashlight.

Wow, this could add up to a lot of $$ (1994-2010).

I would have never imagined anyone would sue over a lawn mowers rated HP.

Our john deere ride on mower purchased two years ago has an advertised 20hp V-twin brigs and straton engine. That is just overkill for cutting grass, most of the time it is only run at 70% throttle and it still guzzles down gas. Our previous lawn mower was a john deere with a rear mounted 8hp single cylinder briggs and staton and it was adequately powered for cutting grass. Even if the horsepower ratings were inaccurate like the car industry was, the newer engines are way more powerful than they need to be.

Have you noticed that they dont even rate the engines by HP anymore? The new thing is to list the " Displacement " (ie: 160cc).
Another way to confuse the masses:shakehead

$35 will get me a few new batteries

Thanks! I have a Cub Cadet.

The thing I hate about lawsuits is that the people who got the shaft don't end up with much of a settlement, the lawyers do.:shakehead

Wow. I bought a Trow-Bilt w/ a Briggs and Stratton on the 10th. Used it the following day and it did clog up, sputter, and quit a couple times from grass that was less than 6" tall.

I wondered why HP ratings vanished over the last couple years.

I assume that the constant speed governed engines on today's push mowers prevent the rpms from reaching the point where max HP is realized.

I was not harmed by this, so I'm not going to participate in the suite. As a small business owner, I cringe at out of control lawyers, although I think the companies should behave as well.

Note that the dollar amount is "up to $35/75". I didn't read enough to figure out what determines the final amount.

Apollo Cree said:

Note that the dollar amount is "up to $35/75". I didn't read enough to figure out what determines the final amount.

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Likely the age, original purchase price, amount of overstatement for different models. But it only takes 2 minutes to fill out the online form.

LuxLuthor said:

No. I hate lawyers. Well I don't hate the individual people who are lawyers for the most part, but I hate how their profession is out of control, and makes all the rules that regulate them in general. My post was for the benefit of the community who may not have seen the advertisements on TV, and $35-75 bucks can buy you a new flashlight.

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lol........which creature has been the most beneficial to mankind- lawyers or leaches? Also, I am guessing you are not a retired lawyer- you sure post a lot of humurous material here in the CAFE. Maybe you are a retired novelist.:shrug:

RAGE CAGE said:

lol........which creature has been the most beneficial to mankind- lawyers or leaches? Also, I am guessing you are not a retired lawyer- you sure post a lot of humurous material here in the CAFE. Maybe you are a retired novelist.:shrug:

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Without a doubt leeches are a far nobler creature among the two.

A retired lawyer? that is like the worst possible insult you could give me.

LuxLuthor said:

Without a doubt leeches are a far nobler creature among the two.

A retired lawyer? that is like the worst possible insult you could give me.

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Wouldn't it still be better than a practicing lawyer?

mudman cj said:

Wouldn't it still be better than a practicing lawyer?

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EXACTLY......a veiled compliment wrapped in a perceived insult...lovecpf lawyer members.

Leaches have made many valuable contributions via blodletting, and the synthetic mimicking properties of their anti-coagulating saliva properties- no doubt saving many lives.

Just as a reminder, some of our valued and respected members are lawyers. This routine, should it seem anything more than joking, would be in violation of rule 4, and offensive to many of our members.

I received the post card and have 3 qualifying models, however I thought to myself did my purchase truly rely on the HP rating or was it the prior experience with the same manufacturer, I have used and abused all 3 and they have all done their duty without any problem accept for the one that sprung an oil leak and busted a rod, my fault on that one.

So I won't file for the money and was frankly shocked by the amount given to this settlement by another manufacturer, I feel that these type of class actions may be getting out of hand and only enrich the firms that bring them. I know at least in my case whether my OHC engines were 5, 6.5, 4.5 or only 1 HP they performed as intended. :shrug:

Beamhead said:

So I won't file for the money and was frankly shocked by the amount given to this settlement by another manufacturer, I feel that these type of class actions may be getting out of hand and only enrich the firms that bring them. I know at least in my case whether my OHC engines were 5, 6.5, 4.5 or only 1 HP they performed as intended. :shrug:

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+1

Also, I meant no offense to those attorneys among us. :grouphug:

I suspect mine qualifies (9 yr. old Toro), and it always has bogged down trying to mulch slightly tall grass, but at least it's always started. I might find out what it's worth, but probably not much.

Geoff