I guess the cost for him to repair those issues is what made him come to that conclusion. You can buy entry level straight shaft Tanakas for a touch over $300, new machine 5 years warranty versus perhaps half that in repairs on a 12-14 year old machine.
The biggest call in his list is engine wear. Without defining that he could be referring to low compression.
Whilst they are repairable, I would say at that number of years it has given good service. Out of curiousity would this be the first time it has been to a mechanic for a check/ air cleaner maintenance etc?
