# The Lawnmower Thread



## Capt Worley PE (May 1, 2012)

Looking at one of these: http://www.amazon.co...35897863&amp;sr=8-7

Never used an electric before. I would think it'd be a better choice now that gas is crap (thank you ethanol) and expensive.

Do you get used to having a cord?

Advice/thoughts?


----------



## cdcengineer (May 1, 2012)

Hated having a cord. If they can build an electric car w/o the cord, I'm sure there are cordless mowers options that are reasonably acceptable.


----------



## Dexman PE PMP (May 1, 2012)

Depends on the size/shape of the yard as well as the proximity to an outlet. I would think for a 10x20 patch in front of the house it wouldn't be a big deal, but if you had to dodge several trees, bushes, landscaping to get around a larger irregular shaped yard I think would suck.

I use an electric edge trimmer with a 75' extension cord and isn't a big deal, but if my lot was much bigger I would probably convert to gas.


----------



## Capt Worley PE (May 1, 2012)

^^ Small yard, but too big to cut with a string trimmer.


----------



## Ble_PE (May 1, 2012)

I had a friend that had a small yard (probably less than 0.1 acre) that bought an electric mower and ended up selling it. He said it was like vacuuming and hated the cord.


----------



## Dexman PE PMP (May 1, 2012)

Capt Worley PE said:


> ^^ Small yard, but too big to cut with a string trimmer.


Meant to say I get the edges with the electric trimmer, but use a gas powered mower for the yard itself.


----------



## MA_PE (May 1, 2012)

way back in the 80's my parents had an electric mower. PITA but doable. The handle flipped back and forth so you could keep the cord on the same side while you go back and forth cutting the grass.

It's my understanding that the newest electric mowers have sufficient battery capacity to cut a smaller lawn on a single charge. This would be the same as a gas mower without the gas. I have no direct experience with the battery powered electric mowers


----------



## EM_PS (May 1, 2012)

I have a rechargeable mower by Worx. Got it from A-zon. Costs about as much as gas mower &amp; is as heavy too. But it works great. My lot is roughly 100 x 100, and it takes me maybe 45 min to cut the grass, of which I can usually get two cuttings from a single charge - depending on how thick / tall the grass is. Anyways, I've had it a couple years w/ no probs &amp; practically zero maintenance other than charging &amp; blade sharpening.


----------



## Road Guy (May 1, 2012)

I dont know but i have a 4 year old torro mower that was around $250, left it outside all the last two winters, each spring it fires up on the second crank......

I just couldnt mess with an electric mower unless I had real small yard..


----------



## Road Guy (May 1, 2012)

and as always, buying through amazon (links on this website) help support the forum!


----------



## mudpuppy (May 1, 2012)

I used a corded electric when I was a kid, to mow my grandma's lawn, at it was a PITA. Similar to mentioned above, the handle flipped so you didn't have to try to turn it around without mowing over the cord. Definitely not worth it.

However, a rechargeable mower sounds pretty cool. . . my lot is about the size of EM's and it sounds like it would work well.

But I also have a toro, going on 6 years old, and I'm not sure it will ever die.


----------



## Capt Worley PE (May 2, 2012)

Thanks, everyone. Decided to use the old gas mower, which has been really reliable, and I'll probably pick up a new gas one since our yard has spots that would be a huge PITA with a cord (since we don't have outside outlets).

Thought about a cordless, but heard bad tales of expensive proprietary batteries that needed replacing after a few years.


----------



## Supe (May 2, 2012)

If you don't have a ton of hills in your yard, this mower has been great for me so far, and is relatively cheap: http://www.craftsman.com/shc/s/p_10155_12602_07137067000P?vName=Lawn+%26+Garden&amp;cName=Lawn+Mowers+%26+Tractors&amp;sName=Lawn+Mowers&amp;prdNo=1&amp;blockNo=1&amp;blockType=L1


----------



## Capt Worley PE (May 2, 2012)

I'm not a big fan of self propelled. Just something more to break, IMO.


----------



## mudpuppy (May 2, 2012)

In that case, how about a reel mower? I know a couple people that use them, and you don't have to worry about putting gas in them. Plus they're pretty simple with fewer parts to break.


----------



## MA_PE (May 2, 2012)

Capt Worley PE said:


> I'm not a big fan of self propelled. Just something more to break, IMO.


I agree. I am a fan of craftsman though. I watch for the sales at the beginning of the year. I got a 5.0HP craftsman basic 21 in. cut mower for ~$180 10 years ago and it stills works great. The only thing wrong with it is that the front wheels aren't aligned straight so it's "ding-toed". I think it's because there is a crack devloping in the main body near the wheel connection allowing some flex. I wish I had a welder.

The only suggestion I would make is to get a high wheel mower. They seem to roll a lot better and are easier to push around.


----------



## engineergurl (May 2, 2012)

Capt Worley PE said:


> I'm not a big fan of self propelled. Just something more to break, IMO.


You do a few acres with out it... I enjoy the fact that I can just walk behind it and not push the thing the entire time... I really need a riding mower for our yard...


----------



## mudpuppy (May 2, 2012)

I have a rear wheel drive self-propelled "personal pace" mower, and love it. You push on a spring-loaded bar, the faster you walk, the harder you push on the bar and the faster it goes. It's really intuitive, plus being rear-wheel drive makes it a lot easier to turn. Was a bit pricey at $350 in 2005, but well worth it in my opinion.


----------



## Supe (May 2, 2012)

The Craftsman is a FWD self-propelled, but how hard you push basically dictates how quickly it moves. I haven't had any issues with it.


----------



## Ble_PE (May 2, 2012)

mudpuppy said:


> I have a rear wheel drive self-propelled "personal pace" mower, and love it. You push on a spring-loaded bar, the faster you walk, the harder you push on the bar and the faster it goes. It's really intuitive, plus being rear-wheel drive makes it a lot easier to turn. Was a bit pricey at $350 in 2005, but well worth it in my opinion.


This is what I have and I've been very pleased with it.



mudpuppy said:


> In that case, how about a reel mower? I know a couple people that use them, and you don't have to worry about putting gas in them. Plus they're pretty simple with fewer parts to break.


I had one of these for a while and they work fine if you have a beautifully manicured lawn that you get to mow ever 3-4 days. If you have weeds or tall grass they can be a pain in the ass.


----------



## cdcengineer (May 2, 2012)

I got an old Lawn Boy brick top that I picked outta someone's trash 6 or 7 years ago. I rigged the switch for over 5 years and then replaced that $2 part.

Easiest machine I've ever owned.


----------



## Chucktown PE (May 2, 2012)

I have a Husqvarna rear wheel drive self propelled with a 5.5 Hp Honda engine on it that I bought back in 2004 and it starts every time on the first pull. I have never had to fix anything on it.

Capt, I also have a Stihl blower and weedeater/edger and started having problems getting them to crank when we started getting Ethanol gas. A few months ago I switched over to non-ethanol gas for my lawn equipment and haven't had a problem since.

Look at http://pure-gas.org/ to find ethanol free gas near you. I have to drive 20 miles round trip to get it but it's worth it. I love explaining that to the dipshits that support ethanol. "I waste at least a gallon of gasoline to go buy two gallons of ethanol free gas so I don't have to spend 2 hours cleaning carburetors every time I let my lawn equipment sit unused for two weeks."


----------



## MA_PE (May 2, 2012)

engineergurl said:


> Capt Worley PE said:
> 
> 
> > I'm not a big fan of self propelled. Just something more to break, IMO.
> ...


If I had to cut a "few acres" I'd own a rider without question.



Chucktown PE said:


> I have a Husqvarna rear wheel drive self propelled with a 5.5 Hp Honda engine on it that I bought back in 2004 and it starts every time on the first pull. I have never had to fix anything on it.
> 
> Capt, I also have a Stihl blower and weedeater/edger and started having problems getting them to crank when we started getting Ethanol gas. A few months ago I switched over to non-ethanol gas for my lawn equipment and haven't had a problem since.
> 
> Look at http://pure-gas.org/ to find ethanol free gas near you. I have to drive 20 miles round trip to get it but it's worth it. I love explaining that to the dipshits that support ethanol. "I waste at least a gallon of gasoline to go buy two gallons of ethanol free gas so I don't have to spend 2 hours cleaning carburetors every time I let my lawn equipment sit unused for two weeks."


you've got to love it. MA isn't even on the list.


----------



## Capt Worley PE (May 2, 2012)

mudpuppy said:


> In that case, how about a reel mower? I know a couple people that use them, and you don't have to worry about putting gas in them. Plus they're pretty simple with fewer parts to break.


I looked at Fiskar Momentum, but it is extremely pricey and it doesn't sound like it does well with bahaia, blackberries, and assorted weeds.


----------



## Capt Worley PE (May 2, 2012)

MA_PE said:


> engineergurl said:
> 
> 
> > Capt Worley PE said:
> ...


I'd use an L-model Gravely. That's what I used to use, from the time I was twelve or so until I moved out. Then Dad got a riding lawn tractor. Then he got a ZTR riding mower.

Chuck, I hear you on the gas, but I use it frequently enough so that isn't a problem, then burn through all the fuel when I use it the last mow of the season. Worked OK so far, but thanks for the link.


----------



## Capt Worley PE (May 2, 2012)

Changed the title to reflect all mowers...



> The only suggestion I would make is to get a high wheel mower. They seem to roll a lot better and are easier to push around.


I wondered about that. Are they really that much easier to push?


----------



## knight1fox3 (May 2, 2012)

Capt Worley PE said:


> I wondered about that. Are they really that much easier to push?


I think so. Mine has the large 10" wheels in the rear. Much easier to maneuver.


----------



## Capt Worley PE (May 2, 2012)

I kinda thrown with the whole Honda/B&amp;S decision. Current mower has 14 years of reliable service, but I hear the new B&amp;S are kinda iffy on quality. I know Honda makes good stuff.

A lot of the complaints I'm reading in reviews are clearly fuel related issues...


----------



## MA_PE (May 2, 2012)

correct me if I'm wrong but the big box store run-of-the-mill lawn mowers (murray, craftsman, troy-bilt, etc.) seem to have B&amp;S motors. Thier smowblowers tend to be Tecumseh. Teh higher end Lawn-Boys, Toro, Hondas, use their own motors (or motors built for their machines).

IMHO, for typical one house residential use the big box stuff works just fine and it's not worth the premium one pays for the "better quality" machines.


----------



## chaosiscash (May 2, 2012)

I bought a troy built (I think, it was from lowes) about 8 years ago. It has a Honda motor. It was less than $200 and starts on the first or second pull every time, with very little (really no) maintenance.


----------



## EM_PS (May 2, 2012)

Ble_PE said:


> mudpuppy said:
> 
> 
> > In that case, how about a reel mower? I know a couple people that use them, and you don't have to worry about putting gas in them. Plus they're pretty simple with fewer parts to break.
> ...


I got one too, used to use it around the landscaping at old house, now I use it for the backyard. If what you're mowing is taller than the reel's radius, than yep, you're just wasting time. And if you have lots of trees, you really got pick up any / all debris before mowing. But for the tiny size of my backyard it does ok. I've used it to do the whole yard before too, so its nice to know I have a manual backup should the cordless go belly-up.


----------



## Capt Worley PE (May 2, 2012)

EM_PS said:


> I have a rechargeable mower by Worx. Got it from A-zon. Costs about as much as gas mower &amp; is as heavy too. But it works great. My lot is roughly 100 x 100, and it takes me maybe 45 min to cut the grass, of which I can usually get two cuttings from a single charge - depending on how thick / tall the grass is. Anyways, I've had it a couple years w/ no probs &amp; practically zero maintenance other than charging &amp; blade sharpening.


How long have you had it? Battery life and replacement cost seem to be an issue.


----------



## Road Guy (May 2, 2012)

I should note that i have for the most part passed the lawn mowing duties to my 12 year old, soon to be 13.. I did the first lawn mowing of the season cause he sprained his knee playing baseball... but for the most part its his problem now  All my neighbors have healthy age appropriate kids to be mowing the grass but they all hire someone to mow there grass, such a waste of money in my opinion... I dont like ethanol, for my boat, but I cant see it becoming a problem for lawn mowers, chain saws, etc??... I have a 48 gallon tank on the boat, and while the marina sells pre treated 10% ethanol gas, its $5.10/ gallon at the lake, so once every month or maybe twice I just pull it out of the water and fill it up at racetrac and add the ethanol treatment before it goes into winter storage mode.. but i havent worried to much about the ethanol during regular use during the summer..


----------



## EM_PS (May 2, 2012)

Capt Worley PE said:


> EM_PS said:
> 
> 
> > I have a rechargeable mower by Worx. Got it from A-zon. Costs about as much as gas mower &amp; is as heavy too. But it works great. My lot is roughly 100 x 100, and it takes me maybe 45 min to cut the grass, of which I can usually get two cuttings from a single charge - depending on how thick / tall the grass is. Anyways, I've had it a couple years w/ no probs &amp; practically zero maintenance other than charging &amp; blade sharpening.
> ...


3 yrs now. Yeah, I see to replace the batt is 3 figs plus! Its a 24 volt lead acid, I don't know what the usable life of it is, but so far so good (crosses fingers). That includes keeping it (mower &amp; batt) in an uninsulated shed in the winter too. It is really nice not having to dick w/ gas &amp; assoc maintenance, or worry about a frickin electric cord though.


----------



## humner (May 3, 2012)

I have a couple of mowers, not one of them electric (coal). Yard is way too big for one of these little whirling dervishes. If you maintain your mower, be it electric or gas or even propane, they will last. You can modify a B&amp;S 3.5 mower engine easy enough to run on propane, I would recommend twin cylinders so you can switch between them when the cylinder begins to freeze up and you loose pressure.


----------



## Master slacker (May 3, 2012)

chaosiscash said:


> I bought a troy built (I think, it was from lowes) about 8 years ago. It has a Honda motor. It was less than $200 and starts on the first or second pull every time, with very little (really no) maintenance.


I bought my Craftsman mower five years ago for $160. The only maintenance I've done to it is fill it with gas.


----------



## Chucktown PE (May 3, 2012)

I bought a Husqvarna with a 5.5 Hp Honda engine 8 years ago. It's a good mower and starts on the first crank every time but it's nowhere near the quality of the Honda mower my parents bought back in 1989. 23 years later that thing still works amazingly well and cranks on the first pull every time. The other thing that is great about the Honda mowers is that some of them have a feature where you can disengage the blade while the motor is still running so you don't have to restart the thing every time you change the bag.


----------



## mudpuppy (May 3, 2012)

Master slacker said:


> chaosiscash said:
> 
> 
> > I bought a troy built (I think, it was from lowes) about 8 years ago. It has a Honda motor. It was less than $200 and starts on the first or second pull every time, with very little (really no) maintenance.
> ...


You haven't changed the oil in five years?

Sharpened the blade? Why not just beat your grass with a stick?


----------



## chaosiscash (May 3, 2012)

I sharpen the blade yearly and check (not change) the oil. Thats it.


----------



## kevo_55 (May 3, 2012)

Well, I have a 7 year old (cheap) yard machine. 

I have never sharpened the blade and never even checked the oil.

It still runs but I can tell it's on it's last legs. I so want to get something better. Side discharge just isn't doing it for me anymore.


----------



## mudpuppy (May 3, 2012)

kevo_55 said:


> Side discharge just isn't doing it for me anymore.


Yeah, I prefer to discharge in the rear.


----------



## MA_PE (May 3, 2012)

chaosiscash said:


> I sharpen the blade yearly and check (not change) the oil. Thats it.


I don't sharpen the blade. for $12 I just buy a new one.

So the oil is "self-changing". As you lose it it gets replaced.

I admittedly change the oil on my craftsman (maybe every other year or so) and change the plug and replace the air filter every now and then. Cheap maintenance.


----------



## Chucktown PE (May 3, 2012)

I sharpen my blade twice a year. I probably need to change the oil and get a new air filter. Maybe I'll do that this weekend.


----------



## Chucktown PE (May 3, 2012)

On a somewhat related note, about 5 years ago some of my family pitched in and bought each of my grandmothers a Mantis tiller http://mantis.com/mantis-2-cycle-tiller.asp. I asked my grandmother if I could borrow hers a couple of months ago and it turns out that she used it once or twice and then let it sit for about 3 or 4 years in the salt air...rusting. So I was thinking it was going to take a miracle to get the thing to crank again. I took the carburetor apart, cleaned it with compressed air and ether, changed the air filter, changed the fuel filter, and replaced the disintegrated primer bulb and fuel hoses and it started on the third try. Freaking amazing. I'm going to take the plastic off and wire brush the rust off the metal some time and clean it up so it looks decent but I thought that was pretty impressive.


----------



## Wolverine (May 3, 2012)

_Every post before this one is useless:_

1994 - Murray - Tecumsah 3.8 - Purchased at Service Merchandise (which may not even exist anymore, not around here at least).

Eats anything. Drinks anything. Lives outside. Chews up the yard and spits it out. Never needs oil. Press the 'prime" button three times and it always starts on the first crank. The chassis has been duct taped and bailing wired more times than I can count, including all four wheels worn through &amp; replaced, but the engine will not die.

When I get old and decrepit, I want to be Borg'd to that lawnmower. It is the Terminator.


----------



## humner (May 3, 2012)

(2) 1973 Wheel Horse tractors, one a 4 speed, the other 8 speed (high/low) rear discharge and a 1989 Ferris 3 wheel 61" cut. Sharpen and balance my blades twice a year. I even have a 1969 Firestone push mower with a crank and spin starter. Change the oil, cheapest maintenance out there. I do have a 2001 Bolens (MTD) lawn tractor too, what a piece of crap, looking to sell it, anyone interested? lol


----------



## MA_PE (May 3, 2012)

humner said:


> (2) 1973 Wheel Horse tractors, one a 4 speed, the other 8 speed (high/low) rear discharge and a 1989 Ferris 3 wheel 61" cut. Sharpen and balance my blades twice a year. I even have a 1969 Firestone push mower with a crank and spin starter. Change the oil, cheapest maintenance out there. I do have a 2001 Bolens (MTD) lawn tractor too, what a piece of crap, looking to sell it, anyone interested? lol


So how is the "landscape engineering" business these days?


----------



## humner (May 3, 2012)

MA_PE said:


> humner said:
> 
> 
> > (2) 1973 Wheel Horse tractors, one a 4 speed, the other 8 speed (high/low) rear discharge and a 1989 Ferris 3 wheel 61" cut. Sharpen and balance my blades twice a year. I even have a 1969 Firestone push mower with a crank and spin starter. Change the oil, cheapest maintenance out there. I do have a 2001 Bolens (MTD) lawn tractor too, what a piece of crap, looking to sell it, anyone interested? lol
> ...


I wish. Most of our landscapers make more then PEs around here. I have 3.5 acres that I mow of our 11 acres. Just enough to keep me busy a couple of hours a week.


----------



## Capt Worley PE (May 4, 2012)

I got my Yard Machine in 1998, and the oil was changed in 2005...maybe.

Mad props to B&amp;S motors with the prime bulb. There was a mower we'd been told was broken that hadn't run since at least 1999. Splashed some fuel in it, one pull, and it cranked right up. Stank like a mofo and blew a lot of oil smoke at first, but ran smooth and eventually quit stinking up the place.

Good news is...no need to for a new mower now!

I did raise the deck from 1.5" to a shade over 2" hopefully this will decrease my bent blade incidents.


----------



## frazil (May 4, 2012)

I thought for sure this thread couldn't really be about lawnmowers given all the traffic...I was wrong.


----------



## Flyer_PE (May 4, 2012)

^It has to be some kind of a record for a hijack free thread. I guess it's much easier to derail a discussion about vacuum cleaners than lawn mowers.


----------



## humner (May 4, 2012)

Flyer_PE said:


> ^It has to be some kind of a record for a hijack free thread. I guess it's much easier to derail a discussion about vacuum cleaners than lawn mowers.


well, as my friend "Moe Grass" would say, "I am sure if we started discussing hedge TRIMMERS it would have gone in a different direction."


----------



## mudpuppy (May 4, 2012)

frazil said:


> I thought for sure this thread couldn't really be about lawnmowers given all the traffic...I was wrong.





Flyer_PE said:


> ^It has to be some kind of a record for a hijack free thread. I guess it's much easier to derail a discussion about vacuum cleaners than lawn mowers.


I tried to hijack, but it didn't take:



mudpuppy said:


> kevo_55 said:
> 
> 
> > Side discharge just isn't doing it for me anymore.
> ...


----------



## Chucktown PE (May 4, 2012)

Thread has officially been derailed. WTF, I really enjoyed the lawnmower discussion. Now it's going to degrade into conversations about pubic hair.


----------



## envirotex (May 7, 2012)

Well, back on track...

We have a mulching lawnmower. It's the best ever. We never rake leaves.


----------



## Road Guy (May 7, 2012)

shit, just when I bragged about my decade old Toro.. went to start it this weekend and the spring and cable that engages the safety lever broke off... I tried to jerry rig it with a couple of zip ties, but no avail.. been looking around for repalcement parts on the "internet" with no luck... damn $300 out the door.. but I guess 10 years is a pretty good run.... maybe I will park the next one in doors this winter...


----------



## Capt Worley PE (May 7, 2012)

envirotex said:


> We have a mulching lawnmower. It's the best ever. We never rake leaves.


The side discharge mowers work GREAT for leaf blowers.


----------



## MA_PE (May 7, 2012)

Road Guy said:


> shit, just when I bragged about my decade old Toro.. went to start it this weekend and the spring and cable that engages the safety lever broke off... I tried to jerry rig it with a couple of zip ties, but no avail.. been looking around for repalcement parts on the "internet" with no luck... damn $300 out the door.. but I guess 10 years is a pretty good run.... maybe I will park the next one in doors this winter...


poppycock I say. Call a local power equipment company, I'll bet they have the parts in stock.


----------



## MA_PE (May 7, 2012)

Capt Worley PE said:


> envirotex said:
> 
> 
> > We have a mulching lawnmower. It's the best ever. We never rake leaves.
> ...


or you could just get a side discharge leaf blower. I have two Craftsman vacuum/shredder/bagger/blowers (that should provide some good fodder for a derailing). One I bought some 15-20 years ago and another that my neighbor was going to abandon and just needs a good cleaning of the fuel system to run well.


----------



## Capt Worley PE (May 7, 2012)

MA, I wonder how many mowers had to be replaced and will be replaced solely because of the crappy new ethanol fuel.

I run the mower until it runs out of gas for the last mow of the season, just to get rid of all the junky fuel.


----------



## Dexman PE PMP (May 7, 2012)

My mower is several years old and I have stored it every year with gas still in the tank. It still starts after the 2nd or 3rd pull everytime. Only issue I'm developing with it was the fact that it was stored outside so the rubber primer bulb is starting to degrade a bit. I probably won't do anything about it until it fails, in which case I'll probably replace the entire fuel system.

It's a Craftsman push mower with the oversized rear wheels. I currently have it setup to just mulch while it mows (metal plate blocking the side chute). I will still rake-up the majority of the leaves before mowing in the fall, but I won't be too picky about leaving a few behind because the mower cleans them up nicely.


----------



## pbrme (May 7, 2012)

kevo_55 said:


> Well, I have a 7 year old (cheap) yard machine.
> 
> I have never sharpened the blade and never even checked the oil.
> 
> It still runs but I can tell it's on it's last legs. I so want to get something better. Side discharge just isn't doing it for me anymore.


Same here. I ditched the side bag and purchased a discharge dam from an online store, and mulch now. Bag never stayed on that well in the first place, It would always fall of turning corners or hitting bumpy parts. It started acting up last year, would run for 15 min. (get warm) and start to choke out. I took the carb. off and cleaned with carb cleaner and ran guitar strings in all the ports. Shot compressed air through and replaced the gasket and air filter. Still chokes out. Seems like it's pulling a vacuum on the gas tank. So now every time it starts to spit/sputter I just reach down and crack the fill cap. Tried a new cap, but will probably just drill a small hole to add more vent.


----------



## MA_PE (May 7, 2012)

Capt Worley PE said:


> MA, I wonder how many mowers had to be replaced and will be replaced solely because of the crappy new ethanol fuel.
> 
> I run the mower until it runs out of gas for the last mow of the season, just to get rid of all the junky fuel.


Same here. I also add fuel stabilizer to my "small motor gas can" that I store my lawnmower/leafblower/snowblower gas in.



pbrme said:


> kevo_55 said:
> 
> 
> > Well, I have a 7 year old (cheap) yard machine.
> ...


DO you have a paper filter in the top of the cas cap? It might be crudded up and be the restriction to the vent.


----------



## humner (May 7, 2012)

MA_PE said:


> Capt Worley PE said:
> 
> 
> > MA, I wonder how many mowers had to be replaced and will be replaced solely because of the crappy new ethanol fuel.
> ...


there are two different stabilizers for gasoline. One is red for straight gasoline, blue for ethenol added gasoline


----------



## pbrme (May 7, 2012)

MA_PE said:


> pbrme said:
> 
> 
> > kevo_55 said:
> ...


No, it's a plastic cap with a metal disc under the cover, It's a replacement cap. The old one was just like it but the plastic stem that held the metal disc broke and the disc was covering the fuel supply port. I've heard of people replacing the fuel hose and putting in an inline filter to catch particles from adding a vent hole.


----------



## MA_PE (May 7, 2012)

humner said:


> there are two different stabilizers for gasoline. One is red for straight gasoline, blue for ethenol added gasoline


I did not know that. I've been using the red one. I guess I'll have to pick up some blue. What are the consequences of adding red to ethanol added gas?


----------



## Road Guy (May 7, 2012)

I think you get sucked into the Matrix!

Ive been looking around on craigslist, some pretty good deals on fairly new mowers.. I've been wanting a rear wheel drive one for a while (well my kids want one)

I noticed that all the new lawn mowers have an attachment so you can attach a water hose to your mower to let it self clean? why do they have to add stuff that is just going to eventually break?


----------



## Capt Worley PE (May 7, 2012)

I wouldn't think it'd even clean all that well....


----------



## MA_PE (May 7, 2012)

Road Guy said:


> I noticed that all the new lawn mowers have an attachment so you can attach a water hose to your mower to let it self clean? why do they have to add stuff that is just going to eventually break?


self-clean how? Whats the matter with just holding it up and squirting down with a hose and nozzle? It's all about "features"


----------



## humner (May 7, 2012)

Road Guy said:


> shit, just when I bragged about my decade old Toro.. went to start it this weekend and the spring and cable that engages the safety lever broke off... I tried to jerry rig it with a couple of zip ties, but no avail.. been looking around for repalcement parts on the "internet" with no luck... damn $300 out the door.. but I guess 10 years is a pretty good run.... maybe I will park the next one in doors this winter...


just remove the safety feature, I did, runs without it.


----------



## Road Guy (May 7, 2012)

How do I do that?


----------



## humner (May 8, 2012)

Road Guy said:


> How do I do that?


find a competent engineer, should be able to walk you through it, LOL


----------



## mudpuppy (May 8, 2012)

^Wow, did you just call the owner of engineerboards an incompetent engineer?


----------



## Dexman PE PMP (May 8, 2012)

Damn, I got deleted for calling him a dumbass. I'm curious to see where this leads...


----------



## humner (May 8, 2012)

mudpuppy said:


> ^Wow, did you just call the owner of engineerboards an incompetent engineer?


absolutely not, did you not see the lol at the end?


----------



## mudpuppy (May 8, 2012)

Hee hee hee, just wanted to make sure oking:


----------



## jeb6294 (May 9, 2012)

With our warmer/wetter winter than usual, our front yard was getting a little out of hand. We have a guy who mows our lawn...that's right bitches, that's how I roll (actually it's just a landscaping friend of ours who does it for us cheap since I'm overseas). Since this was while I was home I broke out the push mower to give the front yard a quick trim. My Yardman/Honda mower wouldn't start. It hasn't been used that much and it isn't that old, but it's ended up sitting in the shed unused more than two years now so I guess I can't be too terribly upset. The motor is a Honda so I'd imagine it just needs tuned up and it will be fine but I wasn't going to bother since it was just going to be sitting again for at least another year so I just called Pat.


----------



## Chucktown PE (May 9, 2012)

Pat cuts your grass?


----------



## Supe (May 9, 2012)

Remove air cleaner. Spray in ether or carb cleaner. Start!


----------



## jeb6294 (May 9, 2012)

I figured the carb was just gummed up, but at the time it wasn't even worth running to the store to get carb cleaner because I knew it would just happen again since it's sitting again.


----------



## humner (May 9, 2012)

jeb6294 said:


> With our warmer/wetter winter than usual, our front yard was getting a little out of hand. We have a guy who mows our lawn...that's right bitches, that's how I roll (actually it's just a landscaping friend of ours who does it for us cheap since I'm overseas). Since this was while I was home I broke out the push mower to give the front yard a quick trim. My Yardman/Honda mower wouldn't start. It hasn't been used that much and it isn't that old, but it's ended up sitting in the shed unused more than two years now so I guess I can't be too terribly upset. The motor is a Honda so I'd imagine it just needs tuned up and it will be fine but I wasn't going to bother since it was just going to be sitting again for at least another year so I just called Pat.


once you get it running again, run a mixture of "Sea Foam" and gas through it. Let the engine go through a tank and then add a cups worth of gas with proper amount of the "blue" gasoline stabilizer and let that run to empty. Next time you get ready to use it, drain and refill the oil, add gas and go.


----------



## PE-ness (May 13, 2012)

jeb6294 said:


> With our warmer/wetter winter than usual, our front yard was getting a little out of hand. We have a guy who mows our lawn...that's right bitches, that's how I roll (actually it's just a landscaping friend of ours who does it for us cheap since I'm overseas). Since this was while I was home I broke out the push mower to give the front yard a quick trim. My Yardman/Honda mower wouldn't start. It hasn't been used that much and it isn't that old, but it's ended up sitting in the shed unused more than two years now so I guess I can't be too terribly upset. The motor is a Honda so I'd imagine it just needs tuned up and it will be fine but I wasn't going to bother since it was just going to be sitting again for at least another year so I just called Pat.


Dude, with me it's the backyard that's getting out of hand. The guy who mows the front yard seems to do a pretty good job. But the backyard is like a jungle, and it's starting to stink...


----------



## Road Guy (May 17, 2012)

well i figured out how to jerry-rig the lawn mower to by pass the safety lever.. only problem is the only way to kill the engine is to pull the spark plug..

I found a whole in the wall lawn mower shop and ordered the part for $19.00.. hopefully my kids can be back to mowing in record time!


----------



## engineergurl (May 17, 2012)

I usually have someone cut the lawn for me... he's supposed to come every two weeks, because Rex is allergic to something in the back yard and if the weeds get too tall, he breaks out... two weeks were up, I got ticked off and broke out our mower... this is the second time I've had to do that... every time I go to use it, I'm surprised it starts. I've never done any maintenance to it, all I do is pour gas into it (I don't even know when the last time I added oil into it)... it's a briggs and stratton something or another... all I know is that our yard is too big to cut with it

Edit: I so didn't pay attention to who was posting, and then re-read...


----------



## Capt Worley PE (May 29, 2012)

GD government and their GD mandated alcohol in the fuel! Fuel primer bulb that I replaced last year has already been eaten away by the alcohol and is leaking that swill that passes as 'gas' nowadays.

Thank you, government. And you wonder why so many distrust you.


----------



## Master slacker (May 29, 2012)

My weedeater no longer works as the carb is all gunked up. Need to tear it down, but don't feel like it.


----------



## mudpuppy (May 29, 2012)

^I was able to get a new carb for mine for $30. Not worth the hassle of tearing apart and cleaning for that price.


----------



## wilheldp_PE (May 29, 2012)

Was it a Troy Bilt? If so, where'd you get the carb? I'm having trouble keeping mine cranked, and I've read that is the most common problem with them (need to clean, rebuild, or buy a new carb).


----------



## Capt Worley PE (May 30, 2012)

I just going to have to find a place selling akkie-hol free gas. I think there's one in the area, according to the web, but who knows.


----------



## Flyer_PE (May 30, 2012)

Try http://www.pure-gas.org. There are probably other sites out there also.


----------



## mudpuppy (May 30, 2012)

wilheldp_PE said:


> Was it a Troy Bilt? If so, where'd you get the carb? I'm having trouble keeping mine cranked, and I've read that is the most common problem with them (need to clean, rebuild, or buy a new carb).


No, it's a Ryobi. I think I searched online and managed to find a parts list for it, then did an internet search for the part number.


----------



## engineergurl (May 30, 2012)

I gave the weedeater to a friend, who gave it to his dad who fixed it for $3 but hasn't given it back to me because he's 'running the gunk' out of it..


----------



## Capt Worley PE (Jun 1, 2012)

The primer bulb is so shot (did I thank the GD gov for that? If not, thank you, GD gov), that the MF wouldn't start yesterday.

At least the primer bulb looks easy to replace.

Oh, yeah, and I think I bent the blade again I replaced 5/18. They don't make blades worth a sh!t these days.


----------



## OSUguy98 (Jun 1, 2012)

Had my neighbor take an angle grinder to my mulching blade... surprising how dull it was... haven't mowed with it yet to see how it cuts now, but I had to be careful putting it back on....


----------



## humner (Jun 1, 2012)

OSUguy98 said:


> Had my neighbor take an angle grinder to my mulching blade... surprising how dull it was... haven't mowed with it yet to see how it cuts now, but I had to be careful putting it back on....


 Did he balance it too? That is done by grinding off on the back side of the blade.


----------



## Chucktown PE (Jun 1, 2012)

humner said:


> OSUguy98 said:
> 
> 
> > Had my neighbor take an angle grinder to my mulching blade... surprising how dull it was... haven't mowed with it yet to see how it cuts now, but I had to be careful putting it back on....
> ...


That sounds dirty.


----------



## Chucktown PE (Jun 1, 2012)

When I worked in a hardware store I sharpened at least 20 lawnmower blades a week. I got really good at it. I had to cover the sharp edges in paper bags after a while because people would cut their hands on them.


----------



## Dexman PE PMP (Jun 1, 2012)

I actually just sharpened mine last weekend. I went the cheap route and did it by hand with a file. It wasn't razor sharp, but at least I got the nicks out which should help.


----------



## Capt Worley PE (Jun 15, 2012)

Humorous (but oh so true) article on the pros and cons of various types of mowers:

http://blog.al.com/living-press-register/2009/08/slow_and_easy_cuts_the_lawn.html


----------



## Capt Worley PE (Jul 30, 2012)

Well, I have to offer thanks to the gods of B&amp;S once again.

Was going to mow MIL's yard, but the mower (that was resurrected with a pull or two after a decade and a half slumber) would start, run 10 seconds, then die. I thought it wasn't picking up fuel, so I filled it all the way up, no joy.

So, while futzing with it, I figured I'd "start it racecar style' as we used to call it back in the day, so i removed the filter...hmmm..carb looks uber clean...prine, prime, prime, pull...boom, ran like a top. Shut it off, looked at the filter, and it was grodewy. Being to lazy to run to the hardware store, and figuring a little water would help knock out some carbon deposits, I hosed the filter off, screwed it back together, yanked the cord, and mowed away.

I'm wondering now how many mowers tossed out these days could just use a simple tune.


----------



## MA_PE (Jul 30, 2012)

Capt Worley PE said:


> Well, I have to offer thanks to the gods of B&amp;S once again.
> 
> Was going to mow MIL's yard, but the mower (that was resurrected with a pull or two after a decade and a half slumber) would start, run 10 seconds, then die. I thought it wasn't picking up fuel, so I filled it all the way up, no joy.
> 
> ...


my guess is lots of them. I got a walk-behind leaf blower/lawn vacuum from my neightbor because he was having trouble getting it started and was gong to toss it. New plg, new air filter, clean the carb....runs just fine.

My blade needs sharpening. I usually just go buy a new one for $12 at Sears.


----------



## Dexman PE PMP (Jul 30, 2012)

MA_PE said:


> My blade needs sharpening. I usually just go buy a new one for $12 at Sears.


15 minutes with a file is all my blade needs to get back into shape. I haven't bought a new blade in years.


----------



## Capt Worley PE (Jul 30, 2012)

MA_PE said:


> Capt Worley PE said:
> 
> 
> > Well, I have to offer thanks to the gods of B&amp;S once again.
> ...


My first 'go cart' back in the mid seventies was an old riding mower from the fifties that my Granddad used to pull three reel mowers behind. The mower itself had no blade, was steered by a loop tiller, and had a F-N-R gearbox. The motor sat between your legs, but I don't remember that being a real burn issue. It ran (after sitting for who knows how long) a couple of times in the 70s and has been sitting behind dad's yard machinery shed since then.

Every so often I think about retrieving it and bringing it back to usable condition. It is the only one I've ever seen, though, and I have no idea who made it.


----------



## Capt Worley PE (Oct 31, 2012)

Ran the mower for the last time this season, just to burn up the fuel left in it. After three weeks of disuse, it was a real PITA to crank. thank you, federal government for the crappy, alcohol diluted fuel you deem so necessary.


----------



## Flyer_PE (Oct 31, 2012)

^Ethanol-free gas is still available but you have to search for it and it isn't cheap. For what little I use, I figure I'm better off buying the expensive gas than dealing with the maintenance headaches from the little motors.


----------



## pbrme (Oct 31, 2012)

I've just been adding some _STA-BIL_ to all the tanks, haven't had any problems the past two spring startups.


----------



## knight1fox3 (Oct 31, 2012)

^ works great for the bike when I store it.

I also use premium on all my small motor machines.


----------



## MA_PE (Oct 31, 2012)

I usually add that to the fuel and then run the tank dry in my lawn/garden equipment. I haven't had any real issues starting motors at all.

Didn't someon point out that there's a "blue" stabilizer versus a "red" one? I always use the red one PBR posted.


----------



## Lumber Jim (Oct 31, 2012)

I've had slightly bad luck with forgetting to add Stabil to a half full metal gas tank on my motorcycle. I believe that after the freeze of winter and thaw of spring the tank developed some condensation in the air space left in the tank and some corrosion developed (you can see it when you open the gas cap). Since then I have been diligent in adding stabil to highoctane fuel and making sure that the fuel tank is completly full. No issues since...

The lawn mower has a plastic tank so it probably makes no difference whether it's full or not...


----------



## Master slacker (Oct 31, 2012)

Never have had an issue with my mower using crappy gas. The weed eater, however, is the problem child.


----------



## Capt Worley PE (Nov 1, 2012)

Master slacker said:


> Never have had an issue with my mower using crappy gas.


yeah, but we didn't have alcohol diluted fuel until after the end of summer, 2011, at least not at the station I bought fuel from. Now you can't avoid it.


----------



## Dexman PE PMP (Nov 1, 2012)

Only issue I've had with my mower is the kill-switch wire rusted out and broke. Now I just zip-tie the kill-switch while I'm mowing and cut it when I'm done.


----------



## Capt Worley PE (Nov 5, 2012)

Ran the gas out of MIL's mower this weekend. Definitely need a new air filter in that thing, since it never had a new and is at least twenty years old (probably older).


----------



## willsee (Nov 5, 2012)

I really need to buy a riding lawnmower


----------



## Capt Worley PE (Mar 13, 2013)

They see me rollin'


----------



## Dexman PE PMP (Mar 13, 2013)

Finally broke down and subscribed to a lawn service. They handle all of the bugs, weeds, fertilizer, water retainers, etc for me so all I have to do is mow the lawn. Gotta love living in a nutrient-poor and very dry area


----------



## Capt Worley PE (Mar 14, 2013)

^^LOL...I hope you have good luck with it.

They've pretty much been run out of everything but the hoity-toity places around here. Their service really sucked (as an industry, I never heard one good word said about any of them since around 2000) here in the south.

I'd be interested if they provide better service there.


----------



## Supe (Mar 14, 2013)

I need to figure out who my neighbors use. Their lawn was green all freakin' winter, and already looks perfect. Mine is a big soggy mess in back, and the soil is so compacted up front about half the lawn has turned to dirt.


----------



## MA_PE (Mar 14, 2013)

Iused a lawn nutrient service last year. If there was any improvemnt at all it was small. Small enough that I'm not going to do it again.


----------



## snickerd3 (Mar 14, 2013)

Our lawn got destroyed last year by crane flys. We bought the insecticide already to put down mid april to kill the larvae so it doens't destroy more of the lawn. THen we will have to reseed probably a quarter of the yard.


----------



## Dexman PE PMP (Mar 14, 2013)

Our neighborhood got hit pretty hard with spider mites last year. I was one of the few who didn't get them, but the way they were progressing down the street I stand a pretty good chance of getting hit this year. Also, with being a couple hundred feet away from open space we are constantly having to deal with weeds. The cost of the lawn service is only a few $'s per month more than what I was spending to do it myself, and my neighbors use these guys with good results so I thought I'd give it a try this year.


----------



## Capt Worley PE (Mar 14, 2013)

Its about time to laydown some broadleaf killer and some pre-emergent for the bahaia.

About time to fire up the mower, too.


----------



## mudpuppy (Mar 14, 2013)

Heh heh, still snow on the ground here.

Elephant girl made the mistake of planting mint in her garden last year. It has already taken over the entire back yard and is spreading to the side yard.


----------



## Capt Worley PE (Mar 14, 2013)

mudpuppy said:


> Elephant girl made the mistake of planting mint in her garden last year. It has already taken over the entire back yard and is spreading to the side yard.




Smells awesome when mowed!


----------



## Dexman PE PMP (Mar 14, 2013)

I love the smell of fresh-mowed mint, except for the fact that it completely takes over the entire yard. The apartment complex I lived at as a child had this problem.


----------



## pbrme (Mar 14, 2013)

Supe said:


> I need to figure out who my neighbors use. Their lawn was green all freakin' winter, and already looks perfect. Mine is a big soggy mess in back, and the soil is so compacted up front about half the lawn has turned to dirt.


Same here, the guy across the street says he fertilizes every 1-1/2 month from April-Sept. I don't like to mow that much.


----------



## Capt Worley PE (Mar 14, 2013)

Supe said:


> I need to figure out who my neighbors use. Their lawn was green all freakin' winter, and already looks perfect.




They probably overseeded with winter rye. The next door neighbors do it, but I don't want to mow all year.


----------



## Capt Worley PE (Mar 18, 2013)

After a season of slumber, the ever reliable Yard Machine by MTD cranked up the first pull and ran smoothly. Man,that's been a good mower. Mowed the weeds in the front yard and was accosted by Jehovah's Witness's half way through. They always seem to hit us up on 'holidays' like St Patrick's Day and Halloween. Go figure.

Put a new filter on MIL's 20+yo mower. First replacement it had received by the looks of it.

Have one for ours, but it ran so well I didn't see the point in futzing with it.


----------



## kevo_55 (Mar 18, 2013)

Well, it looks like I will actually get a new lawnmower this season!

My brother in law will gladly take my old lawnmower off my hands and fix it up himself.

Should I get a riding one???


----------



## Ble_PE (Mar 18, 2013)

^How big of a yard do you have? I'd say anything under 1/2 acre you can get by with a push mower easily enough. Half to 3/4 it's really up to you and above 3/4 I'd say get a riding mower.


----------



## Supe (Mar 18, 2013)

I agree with Ble. Keep in mind any trees, etc. that may interfere. I have a third acre, and what takes the most time is trying to work around the damn playset and row of hollies in the back.


----------



## Capt Worley PE (Mar 18, 2013)

Ble_PE said:


> ^How big of a yard do you have? I'd say anything under 1/2 acre you can get by with a push mower easily enough. Half to 3/4 it's really up to you and above 3/4 I'd say get a riding mower.




I'd say that's pretty spot on advice.

Before my dad bought the L-model Gravely in 1966, he used to mow 3 acres or so with a 20 push mower.

It was rough enough with that 30 inch Gravely.


----------



## kevo_55 (Mar 18, 2013)

Sorry guys, it was a joke. 

My lot is 45'x120'.

I'll be getting a pushmower. Most likely one that can bag or mulch.


----------



## MA_PE (Mar 18, 2013)

kevo_55 said:


> Sorry guys, it was a joke.
> 
> My lot is 45'x120'.
> 
> I'll be getting a pushmower. Most likely one that can bag or mulch.


With that size yard you should get a reel type pushmower.


----------



## Capt Worley PE (Mar 18, 2013)

MA_PE said:


> kevo_55 said:
> 
> 
> > Sorry guys, it was a joke.
> ...


I still like those Fiskar Momentums for reel mowers (they're called Staysharps now)

http://www.amazon.com/Fiskars-6201-18-Inch-Staysharp-Mower/dp/B0045VL1OO/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1363618863&amp;sr=8-1&amp;keywords=fiskars+reel+mower

Gotta get all the twigs up, though.


----------



## Capt Worley PE (Apr 3, 2013)

First mow was a couple of weekends ago.

Mower started first pull.

Thank you, B&amp;S!


----------



## Supe (Apr 3, 2013)

Mine took about 5 or 6 good pulls, but fired right up this year as well. Dog went absolutely berserk, as it was her first run in with a lawnmower. She had a good time with it, and was trying to race it, eventually just laying down in front of me with no concept of what I was trying to do with it. She certainly loved the freshly-mowed grass, though. She put her front legs under her body, planted her face in it, and then pushed herself through it with her hind legs, dying her entire head, front legs, and torso bright green for a few days.


----------



## knight1fox3 (Apr 3, 2013)

Capt Worley PE said:


> Mower started first pull.
> 
> Thank you, B&amp;S!




Made here in MKE. You're welcome. :B


----------



## Capt Worley PE (Apr 3, 2013)

knight1fox3 said:


> Capt Worley PE said:
> 
> 
> > Mower started first pull.
> ...




really? This one is old enough (1998) that it may have been made in the old GA plant. I really have no idea (and I even have the B&amp;S History book).


----------



## snickerd3 (Apr 3, 2013)

The battery was dead on mr snick's ride on mower. We was going to put down the spring fertilizer and the crane fly larvae killer but that was derailed. Too cold out to jump the battery too.


----------



## knight1fox3 (Apr 3, 2013)

Capt Worley PE said:


> knight1fox3 said:
> 
> 
> > Capt Worley PE said:
> ...




Well I can't be sure if _that_ one was made in MKE specifically. I was basically just giving props to MKE since B&amp;S was founded http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Briggs_%26_Stratton'&gt;here.


----------



## Road Guy (Apr 4, 2013)

I saw a $1200 Honda push owner at Home Depot the other day? Seriously? So pays more than. A grand for a push mower? It wasn't a commercial ride along either, just a fancy version of the durable B&amp;S...


----------



## Capt Worley PE (Apr 5, 2013)

^^People pay fool prices for Hondas. I don't get it. For the degn purpose, a flathead engine works quite well.


----------



## knight1fox3 (Apr 5, 2013)

^ they make really good generators though. Not sure about their mowers.


----------



## MA_PE (Apr 5, 2013)

They're not as good as the European mowers.

I'm thinking of throwing in the towel and buying a new mower this year. The old one works fine but the front wheels are "ding toed" and I can't figure out how to stabilze them parallel again. I think the main housing might be cracked, making it flexible enough that the wheels don't stay aligned when you push it. It's a $200 Craftsman mower that is 10 years old, not worth taking it to have it welded somewhere. I can probably replace it with a new one for another $200


----------



## snickerd3 (Apr 8, 2013)

well we got the battery charged and mr snick got half way through the lawn chores before the mower died again. It was starting then running for a few seconds then dying. Changed out the fuel filter because is looked nasty...still no go. Basically it took a tune up (oil change, air filter, spark plug) and another battery charge for it to start working again. Thankfully it started working without having to change the fuel pump...the local johndeere place was closed yesterday and the local tractor supply store didn'y have one and we wanted to get the weed and feed down before it rained this week.


----------



## Capt Worley PE (Apr 8, 2013)

That ethanol diluted fuel has really cut down on the range of my mower. I used to be able to do front and back yards on a tank, now only get through the front and maybe a third of the back before I'm sucking fumes.


----------



## Supe (Apr 8, 2013)

I notice it more in my weed whacker than in my lawnmower. You'd swear you'd filled it using an eyedropper.


----------



## Master slacker (Apr 8, 2013)

Took a bit to start ye olde weed eater yesterday. It's a "quick start" design that didn't start quick. My jump start fuel of choice (TB cleaner) had no pressure in the can ( ldman:  ) but I was able to get some to drip out and onto the air filter. Took a while, but it did eventually start. After replacing the fuel lines last year, it had better shape up.

Ran over some hidden string with the mower and had to stop and tilt to cut it free. After setting it flat again and trying to start up, I think I got some oil where it shouldn't have been as it refused to start for a few tugs. Once it did start, it chugged for a while with occasional black plumes of choo-choo smoke out of the exhaust. It's been six years, maybe it's high time to change that oil, plug, and air filter...


----------



## Capt Worley PE (Apr 8, 2013)

I can't stand gas string trimmers. I am a firm proponent of electric. Cheaper, quieter, and more reliable.


----------



## snickerd3 (Apr 8, 2013)

^we have both gas and electric, but the yard is too big for electric alone...it would take too many extension cords to make it all the way to the back tree line


----------



## Dexman PE PMP (Apr 8, 2013)

I like my electric trimmer except for the fact that the line is so thin I can't make it around the perimeter of the back fence without needing to re-load the line.


----------



## MA_PE (Apr 8, 2013)

Capt Worley PE said:


> I can't stand gas string trimmers. I am a firm proponent of electric. Cheaper, quieter, and more reliable.


I'd agree except that the battery and/or the cord is a PITA. Also, the electric ones are nearly as strong as the gas-powered trimmers. But infrequency of use inevitably makes the gas trimmers a royal pain to start cold when it's time to use them. I just gave mine away (it was well over 10 years old) because it needed a good cleaning nd tune up. For the $100 I'll buy a brand new one or borrow the neighbors.


----------



## Supe (Apr 8, 2013)

I'd easily spend 2x the cost of my trimmer in extension cords to use an electric, not to mention destroying every plant along the way based on where my outdoor outlets are located.


----------



## goodal (Apr 8, 2013)

I bought a Stihl (sp?) about 10 years ago. I've replaced the fuel line and had the carburator serviced, but other than that it has been a good weedeater. Friday I did just about everything but sharpen the blades on the Cub. Its a 6 year old RZT50 zero turn. We mowed about 3 acres at the last place and probably only half that now. New battery, new oil filter and oil change, blew out air filter, grease spindles and wheels and put some treatment in the gas to give it a little boost. Ran like a dream. I don't usually do the mowing, but I did this time and it reminded me how much I like it. Just me, the weeds and bugs for about an hour.


----------



## willsee (Apr 8, 2013)

With the baby and work I will definitely be buying a riding lawnmower after this season. Two hours to push mow grass is too much for me (or maybe I'm just a sissy)


----------



## Capt Worley PE (Apr 8, 2013)

MA_PE said:


> Capt Worley PE said:
> 
> 
> > I can't stand gas string trimmers. I am a firm proponent of electric. Cheaper, quieter, and more reliable.
> ...




We have a cordless, but the battery is only good for 15 minutes or so.

We use the corded one, but, honestly, I can do just about all we need with the mower, thanks to monkey grass boundaries around a lot of things that would normally require edging. We maybe use it once a year, so the infrequency of use leans me towards electric.

Plus, it was only 29 bucks and I already have extension cords out the wazoo.


----------



## Lumber Jim (Apr 8, 2013)

Master slacker said:


> Took a bit to start ye olde weed eater yesterday. It's a "quick start" design that didn't start quick. My jump start fuel of choice (TB cleaner) had no pressure in the can ( ldman:  ) but I was able to get some to drip out and onto the air filter. Took a while, but it did eventually start. After replacing the fuel lines last year, it had better shape up.
> 
> Ran over some hidden string with the mower and had to stop and tilt to cut it free. After setting it flat again and trying to start up, I think I got some oil where it shouldn't have been as it refused to start for a few tugs. Once it did start, it chugged for a while with occasional black plumes of choo-choo smoke out of the exhaust. It's been six years, maybe it's high time to change that oil, plug, and air filter...




A four stroke weed whip?

sounds like a pain...


----------



## Supe (Apr 8, 2013)

Capt Worley PE said:


> MA_PE said:
> 
> 
> > Capt Worley PE said:
> ...


Is monkey grass pretty much impossible to kill? I'd like to put it as a border around my patio out back. I need to HGTV that bitch up.


----------



## snickerd3 (Apr 8, 2013)

^does monkey grass need warmer climates...it sounds like something we could use when we shift our attention to the outside of the house


----------



## Capt Worley PE (Apr 9, 2013)

Monkey grass is near impossible to kill, but it does spread. Not very quickly, but because of the roots, it can be a PITA at times. Overall, it is a great border, IMO.


----------



## Supe (Apr 9, 2013)

Wondering if I can just put some plastic edging in front of it to keep it in check.


----------



## Capt Worley PE (Apr 9, 2013)

Supe said:


> Wondering if I can just put some plastic edging in front of it to keep it in check.




I wouldn't even mess with that. It doesn't really spread that quickly or that badly.


----------



## snickerd3 (Apr 9, 2013)

One of the 2 pine trees next to outbuilding died this winter...I've been thinking about what to plant around it to cover up the gravel/slight elevatiom...that monkey grass stuff sounds perfect


----------



## pbrme (Apr 10, 2013)

Wife said the mower started up first pull... thank you Sta-bil. So did the 2 stroke leaf blower. I haven't tried the 4-stroke weed wacker yet, not time yet. Wife does the pushin, I do the wackin.


----------



## Ble_PE (Apr 10, 2013)

pbrme said:


> Wife does the pushin, I do the wackin.




There's gotta be a joke in there somewhere, but I'm too tired to think about it.


----------



## Capt Worley PE (Apr 11, 2013)

Looks like it is about time to spray the broadleaf herbicide on the yard....

Bahaia pre-emergent in a coupla weeks, too.


----------



## FLBuff PE (Apr 11, 2013)

I was fix'n ta put down my dandelion herbicide, then we got hit with a spring snowstorm (still going on). I'll put er down once we get some warmer weather.


----------



## MA_PE (Apr 11, 2013)

threw some lime/fertilizer stuff down last weekend. I really need to rake the debris but I HATE raking


----------



## Capt Worley PE (Apr 15, 2013)

Gotta change the air filter; I can mow just a little more than the front yard on a tank of gass.


----------



## Supe (Apr 15, 2013)

Need to find a weed and feed that's pet safe. Any recommendations?


----------



## knight1fox3 (Apr 15, 2013)

^ I use Scott's Turf Builder.


----------



## Capt Worley PE (Apr 16, 2013)

^ X2.


----------



## Dexman PE PMP (Apr 16, 2013)

I use Scott's Lawn service. They use a spray-on fertilizer that is safe once it dries (about an hour after application).


----------



## Supe (Apr 16, 2013)

Good deal on the Scott's.

Dex - just how pricey are they? I'm always under the impression that the big name lawn care services cost a fortune, but my front yard is such a disaster on half of it right now from compacted soil and ants that I'm on the verge of re-sodding the damn thing.


----------



## Capt Worley PE (Apr 16, 2013)

Supe said:


> I'm always under the impression that the big name lawn care services cost a fortune, but my front yard is such a disaster on half of it right now from compacted soil and ants that I'm on the verge of re-sodding the damn thing.




May be a regional thing, but it seems that throughout the south, those companies are starting to get dropped like flies. Mostly the complaints I have heard are about not keeping appointments.

Locally, everyone (maybe 1/3 of the retired folks used them in the mid 2000s) in our hood has dropped them because of the expense, although I never really checked into the cost.


----------



## Dexman PE PMP (Apr 16, 2013)

It depends on the service that you want them to provide. We do the "love your lawn" package which includes:

Complete turfbuilder fertilization program (including winterizer)

Ortho Weed B gon treatments (including Edgeguard service)

Scott's Watersmart treatments

This runs us about $60/month for 6 months of treatment, although they do break up the payments to go year round if you want. With the size of my yard and my complete inability to remember to apply fertilizer (or do it properly), the cost really isn't that much higher than doing it myself. Plus, the treatments they use are formulated for the region as opposed to the nationally formulated stuff they sell at Home Depot/Lowes/Walmart.

For a little bit more they can add insect, disease, and grub control treatments as well as overseeding and aeration. Since my yard is still relatively brand new, I don't need the seeding or aeration (yet) and I will only utilize the insect/disease treatments only if there are signs they are needed.


----------



## snickerd3 (Apr 16, 2013)

good golly. We spent $150 this spring on 2 -50#bags of scotts turf builder weed/feed (30 bucks in rebates should be coming so $120) and new to us this spring was several bags of seven larvae killer to get rid of the crane fly investation that decimated our yard last year. We will also eventually put 2-50# bags of something on before winter starts. So maybe $250/yr to do it ourselves.


----------



## Capt Worley PE (Apr 16, 2013)

Ouch.

I'm going to spray some leftover broadleaf herbicide on the front yard (maybe $7 worth) and then a $15 bottle of Image pre-emergent for the bahaia and call it a day. If my wife wants me to, I may put down a $14 bag of Scott's weed n feed, but since I did that last year, it probably won't be needed this year (centipede doesn't like to be fertilized).


----------



## snickerd3 (Apr 16, 2013)

but doing that, our yard remains essentially dandelion free so I can breathe while in the yard.


----------



## humner (Apr 19, 2013)

so, this weekend I think I will be getting my 1973 wheel horse back together again. will be building a clam shell type Johnny bucket for it using my 42" plow.


----------



## Capt Worley PE (Apr 19, 2013)

^ You might like this site....

http://www.mylawnmowerforum.com/forum/


----------



## Capt Worley PE (Apr 22, 2013)

Yee, haw.

I was going to mow just the back yard, but because the city sprayed some crappy grass that grows like a weed on the front yard after they repaved the street, I was forced to do the front yard, too. I got the front yard done, then got two passes on the back yard when, bag, freakin' right rear wheel comes off at the hub. The entire hob failed, leaving the center peice on the mower(or, really, just a very little of the venter). After making another pass, doing the Morgan three wheeled bit, I decided, fthis, I'll get a new wheel put on.

Loaded it up, took it to the shop. "Hey, we don't have time, but we have an identical used wheel...how bout five bucks and you put it on?" Well, OK. Loaded it back in the car and took it home.

Shorty box ends and ratchet set don't have enough leverage to get the bolt out. Borrowed the neighbor's Craftsman with a foot long + handle and had the wheel replaced in a jiffy.

Decided that since I had the tools out and the mower on the porch, I'd replace the aircleaner. Old out, new in....wtf...this doesn't fit!

Compare the old to the new, and what a mess. Old design had a pinched area in the AF assy to clear a styling shroud on top of the B&amp;S engine. Probably half of the old filter did no filtering. Decided fthis, I'm going with a standard filter and assy, and trash the styling shorud. So, wto bolts undo the plastic, anther three bolts undo the metal shroud THAT sits on, and off it comes.

Well...no. I have to undo the starter rope from the handle so I can get the metal shroud off.

Well, I finally got Humpty Dumpty back together again, mowed about a third of the backyard and ran out of gas. Luckily, it was about 65 degrees, because if it had been in the 90s like it usually is in the summer, cursing and throwing of objects would have ensued.

Got the yard finished at about 2:30 in the afternoon. Started at about 11:30. YEA me.

Then went to MIL's house the next day, and her old B&amp;S ran like a champ. Started first pull for the first mow. I'd already changed the AF that had been installed probably 20-25 years ago.


----------



## Road Guy (Apr 22, 2013)

I have a weird sized lot, its basically a long circular lot on the front and the rear property line is much smaller than the front, anyways, years ago i had a law service just to fertilize because my house had been dormant for a year and no work was done on the lawn during that time..

Anyways, if you look at the front of my house from the streets it looks like my side yard is an un-developed lot, but since it wasnt deep enough for a house I just got some extra yard, which is nice. but when i met with the yard guy i said, make sure you include going "all the way over" to my neighbors property line bordered by a red fence when you do your thing.. well of course the actual guys doing the work never got this memo so a few times my wife noticed that they were not doing the side part of the yard (which was all sod) and after calling and calling I finally cancelled..

so a few years ago i grew tired of working on the lawn and hired a smaller service to come to fertilize and then I kept noticing the same exact thing kept happening.. I think they are just so used to all lots in subdivision ares 120 X 200 or something that they never gave word to the crew that my yard was twice as long as the other yards on the street..

so that annoyed me and I just started having my kids do it. they also do a shitty job but at least its cheaper and I can make them do it over again


----------



## MA_PE (Apr 22, 2013)

> so that annoyed me and I just started having my kids do it. they also do a shitty job but at least its cheaper and I can make them do it over again
> 
> 
> 
> > now you're talking!


----------



## Capt Worley PE (Jun 14, 2013)

Capt Worley PE said:


> Yee, haw.
> 
> I was going to mow just the back yard, but because the city sprayed some crappy grass that grows like a weed on the front yard after they repaved the street, I was forced to do the front yard, too. I got the front yard done, then got two passes on the back yard when, bag, freakin' right rear wheel comes off at the hub. The entire hob failed, leaving the center peice on the mower(or, really, just a very little of the venter). After making another pass, doing the Morgan three wheeled bit, I decided, fthis, I'll get a new wheel put on.




Aaaand...almost two months later, the other back wheel failed at the hub.


----------



## MA_PE (Jun 14, 2013)

I hope this doesn't jinx me....My 15+ year old Craftsman (~$200) has wobbly/ding-toed wheels on the front, but otherwise works great. I saw a sale flier on new ones at sears ~3 weeks ago and went and bought a new mower (~$250). I never took it out of the box and have used the old one to do the lawn twice since. My son questioned why get a new one when this one works OK. He convinced me...so I returned the new one and will run this one until it actually fails.


----------



## snickerd3 (Jun 14, 2013)

i like the way your son thinks


----------



## Capt Worley PE (Jun 14, 2013)

^I do too.


----------



## Road Guy (Jun 15, 2013)

At least sears tends to keep repair parts around? Maybe you can get a new wheel/axle?

We have an old sears vacuum. It was boss at the time. Last month we upgrade but I was able to order a lot of new parts from sears to use the old vac(19 years) in the basement..

My newer mower was garage kept all winter , I think I got a new one last summer or summer before.. Thing wouldn't crank for shit this spring.. Pulled plug, soaked it ion gasoline. Cleaned and reinstalled and fired right up...

Never had that happen on a new one?


----------



## MA_PE (Jun 15, 2013)

^for a $200 lawn mower I'm not going to bother buying parts. It's about 15 years old. I got my money's worth out of it.

sears partsonline is great. not cheap but you can get the parts if you need them


----------



## Road Guy (Jun 15, 2013)

That's not the engineer way!


----------



## MA_PE (Jun 16, 2013)

I know but sometimes I switch to management/business mode


----------



## Capt Worley PE (Jun 17, 2013)

MA_PE said:


> ^for a $200 lawn mower I'm not going to bother buying parts. It's about 15 years old. I got my money's worth out of it.




yeah, but we've bonded over fifteen years.

My wife pointed out that sooner or later something $$ would die on it and I'd have to buy a new one. I told her, "But we've been together fifteen years!"

I just tell myself a $8 wheel is a lot cheaper than a $140 mower. And since I jacked it up, I haven't been bending blades like the last two summers.


----------



## Capt Worley PE (Jun 24, 2013)

I'm thinking about getting a Black and Decker cordless hedge trimmer. Anyone have experience/opinions on them?


----------



## MA_PE (Jun 24, 2013)

By cordless are you talking gas or electric? I don't have a lot of faith in any cordless electric tools. I use them so infrequently that the batteries are always giving me problems.


----------



## Capt Worley PE (Jun 24, 2013)

Cordless electric.


----------



## jeb6294 (Jun 26, 2013)

What kind of battery does it use? I thought my Ryobi 18v tool set was about done for. Someone doing some work at the house while I was deployed forgot one of their newer batteries and all my tools ran like new on that. Apparently the new Li Ion batteries are much better than the old NiMH batteries.


----------



## Capt Worley PE (Jun 27, 2013)

^I noticed that from reading some reviews.

Honestly, I guess we use the hedger a couple/three days out of the year. batteries would just be a PITA. probably stick with the power cord.


----------



## jeb6294 (Jun 28, 2013)

The nice thing about a lot of those cordless sets is the number of tools you can use the batteries with so if there's other stuff that looks useful it may be worth looking into.


----------



## Road Guy (Jun 30, 2013)

I prefer the trimmer you can add to your weed eater.... " more power"


----------



## humner (Jul 1, 2013)

So, tonight I take my Peerless transaxle apart from my Ferris 3 wheel mower, wish me luck.


----------



## mudpuppy (Jul 2, 2013)

Elephant Girl's lawn tractor is on its last legs. It burns about 1/2 quart of oil an hour and leaves a cloud of smoke thick enough to keep the skeeters away.

She has about 1.5-2 acres. It's hilly, so I'm looking at something with a bit more power. It's also got lots and lots of obstacles so I want something hydrostatic and not too big. Thinking about this. Thoughts?


----------



## knight1fox3 (Jul 2, 2013)

The Husky looks good and I've heard good things about them. Ariens is another rock solid brand IMO. See EG's new rider.


----------



## Capt Worley PE (Jul 2, 2013)

mudpuppy said:


> Thinking about this. Thoughts?




Built in O-berg SC, IIRC. Interviewed at that plant over a decade ago.

Should be OK.


----------



## Capt Worley PE (Jul 29, 2013)

The lawnmower just quit running yesterday out of the blue. Examinination showed neither fuel, air, nor spark was a problem...it'd run for five-ten seconds, then quit.

having been an aficianado of European cars (superior to American cars, of course), I gave it an English/BMC tuneup, aka, gave everything a good rap with the screwdriver handle.

Problem solved.

Guinness hoisted to Old Blighty!


----------



## Flyer_PE (Jul 29, 2013)

^I'm reminded of an episode of Fawlty Towers where Basil went into a rage and gave his car a damn good thrashing with a tree branch.


----------



## Dexman PE PMP (Jul 29, 2013)

Capt fixing his mower:


----------



## snickerd3 (Aug 9, 2013)

well even after all the work mr snick did on the ride on mower it crapped out again this past weekend. He tinkered for a couple hrs got it running but it only lasted for a quarter loop around the property. he opened the carberator and it looked clean so he was at a loss. had the john deere service tech out to the house this morning. Bad carberator. When he got back tot shop after his service calls today he was going to call to see if they had any in stock since a new one would be cheaper than fixing the old one.


----------



## Capt Worley PE (Aug 9, 2013)

snickerd3 said:


> well even after all the work mr snick did on the ride on mower it crapped out again this past weekend. He tinkered for a couple hrs got it running but it only lasted for a quarter loop around the property. he opened the carberator and it looked clean so he was at a loss. had the john deere service tech out to the house this morning. Bad carberator. When he got back tot shop after his service calls today he was going to call to see if they had any in stock since a new one would be cheaper than fixing the old one.




Have him try http://www.mylawnmowerforum.com/forum/


----------



## Capt Worley PE (Aug 12, 2013)

Well, the plastic bit that holds the throttle cable to the handle failed Saturday. Seeing as the mower is fifteen years old and I REALLY had to get the grass mowed (fbahaia was 2' tall in parts of the front yard), I splurged and bought a Troy-Built TB110: http://www.lowes.com/pd_421854-270-11A-A23O711_4294747216__?productId=4363435&amp;Ns=p_product_qty_sales_dollar|1&amp;pl=1&amp;currentURL=%3FgoToProdList%3Dtrue%26Ns%3Dp_product_qty_sales_dollar%7C1&amp;facetInfo=

Initial impressions:

1) The handle doesn't fold down unless you completely remove two wing nuts. You could just loosen them on my old yard machine.

2) You can go from mulch to side discharge or vice versa very easily, haven't tried the bagger yet.

3) I like the new carb, but wonder how long it will crank easily like the old yard machine did

4) I'm hoping the OHV and newer engine will be more fuel efficient, the old one was kinda hoggy with the fuel

4) 2' bahaia does not mulch well.

5) Having two height adjusters that work easily is infinitely better than four that are total a-holes about adjusting.


----------



## MA_PE (Aug 12, 2013)

I returned my new Sears one in the unopened box and have been using the old one. I invested in a new air filter for it. Stll runs just fine. CW how "hoggy" with gas can a 21in. push lawnmower be with gas. Does it use a whole gallon to do the lawn? LOL


----------



## Capt Worley PE (Aug 12, 2013)

MA_PE said:


> CW how "hoggy" with gas can a 21in. push lawnmower be with gas. Does it use a whole gallon to do the lawn? LOL




A half gallon to mow .25 acre. It used to be able to do about .375 acre on a quart.


----------



## mudpuppy (Aug 12, 2013)

Capt Worley PE said:


> MA_PE said:
> 
> 
> > CW how "hoggy" with gas can a 21in. push lawnmower be with gas. Does it use a whole gallon to do the lawn? LOL
> ...




Holy crap!

I fill up my 2-gallon can maybe twice a year, and I've got about a quarter-acre as well.


----------



## snickerd3 (Aug 12, 2013)

with the mower part not due in until tues or wed the neighbor volunteered his mower for mr snick's use when he was done with his. With the cooler weather we hadn't mowed in several weeks fo there were random patches of at almost a foot in the back yard. Mr snick wasn't a huge fan of the borrowed mower. It was definitely a faster ride, but there was no speed control it was on or off. Guzzled more gas than ours would have too.


----------



## Capt Worley PE (Aug 12, 2013)

mudpuppy said:


> Capt Worley PE said:
> 
> 
> > MA_PE said:
> ...




Yeah, pretty much. At $3.25/gallon, it was getting pretty pricey.


----------



## Dexman PE PMP (Aug 12, 2013)

Damn. My 2 gallon fuel can got refilled last week for the first time in a year. I have a 1/4 acre lot, but only about half is sod.


----------



## MA_PE (Aug 12, 2013)

Capt Worley PE said:


> MA_PE said:
> 
> 
> > CW how "hoggy" with gas can a 21in. push lawnmower be with gas. Does it use a whole gallon to do the lawn? LOL
> ...


did your yard shrink?


----------



## Capt Worley PE (Aug 12, 2013)

MA_PE said:


> Capt Worley PE said:
> 
> 
> > MA_PE said:
> ...


Maybe the mower grew two or three cylinders I didn't know about.


----------



## Capt Worley PE (Aug 13, 2013)

Anybody have any recommendations for lawnmower covers?


----------



## MA_PE (Aug 13, 2013)

^a shed?


----------



## snickerd3 (Aug 13, 2013)

the shed?


----------



## snickerd3 (Aug 13, 2013)

MA_PE said:


> ^a shed?


we posted at the same time too!!!! great minds think alike


----------



## Capt Worley PE (Aug 13, 2013)

Trying to avoid a shed if I can get away with covers. I have a large crepe myrtle I can hide everything under for further sheiding from the elements.


----------



## Dexman PE PMP (Aug 13, 2013)

Garages work well too.


----------



## Capt Worley PE (Aug 13, 2013)

Don't have one....


----------



## MA_PE (Aug 13, 2013)

cover it with tin foil


----------



## Dexman PE PMP (Aug 13, 2013)

MA_PE said:


> cover it with tin foil


What's to say it isn't already covered?


----------



## Capt Worley PE (Aug 13, 2013)

MA_PE said:


> cover it with tin foil




I don't think the government cares what my lawnmowe....wait!

OMG!


----------



## snickerd3 (Aug 13, 2013)

where does one find tin foil? It's been made of out aluminum for quite some time now...


----------



## Capt Worley PE (Aug 13, 2013)

Ask, and ye shall receive!

http://www.indianyellowpages.com/laxmiengineering/


----------



## snickerd3 (Aug 14, 2013)

well darn, the part is on back order. Glad the weather has been cool and gloomy so the grass isn't growing like crazy


----------



## snickerd3 (Aug 26, 2013)

Queen of the Garage!!!! The new carborater came on Friday. Mr snick installed it and the john deere wouldn't even turn over. I told mr snick to check the battery since it wasn't even clicking....it had charge fulcuation around 12V. I told him it was probably the battery, it's 4yrs old and it died over this past winter...even charging it it was likely the current problem. He begrungingly took it out and on his way to the car to get a new one he said this is like 98% chance of not working. I told him just do it. Guess what happened when he plugged in it...the dam mower turned on. He still hasn't admitted I was right.

I kinda of like the encouraged recycleing they have, the battery is $10 cheaper if you turn the old one in.


----------



## Flyer_PE (Aug 26, 2013)

^I was told a few years ago that flooded lead-acid batteries are something like 98% recyclable. The battery manufacturers themselves take them back in trade.


----------



## snickerd3 (Aug 26, 2013)

This mower was $$ pit this yr. new blades, all new filters, new carberator, new battery, new spark plug. Could use a new seat...last yr the mice out in the forest had a field day stealing the padding from the seat.


----------



## Capt Worley PE (Sep 3, 2013)

I used the grass bagger on the back yard this weekend. It was kinda a PITA, because the grass was extremely tall, but it looked really good afterwards. Got a whole bag of grass clippings. It should have been more, but never having used a bagger before, I didn't know how often to check it for fullness.

Also, I hate the fuel cap. Turn the mower on its side to hose off the grass and fuel starts leaking out.


----------



## Sapper PE LS (Sep 3, 2013)

I inherited an old craftsman push mower with the house I just bought. First pull on the rope and nothing, wouldn't budge. Spent a few minutes with some carb cleaner and now it will turn over run for a few seconds then die. I'm wondering what steps to take next. I absolutely need to replace the air filter, that things is filthy, but I'm wondering about the fuel line. Is a dirty air filter enough to choke it out once its running or is it something else?


----------



## Capt Worley PE (Sep 3, 2013)

^Yep, a dirty air filter will do it.

Take the air filter assy off and see if it runs better without it. DO NOT MOW THAT WAY and do it over pavement to minimize dust ingestion.

Also, this forum may prove useful to you: http://www.mylawnmowerforum.com/forum/


----------



## Master slacker (Sep 3, 2013)

My vote goes to the fuel line. My weedeater was the exact same way. I tore it apart and found the line hardened, cracked, and even the tube inside the tank broke off. Replaced it all and it ran.

Note - do not use the fuel line repair sh*ts kits at the big box stores. Go to a hobby store (Hobby Town) and get the appropriate size line for $1 / ft.


----------



## Sapper PE LS (Sep 4, 2013)

Are the kits not good quality or just expensive? I have a hunch the closest hobby store might be a good drive away from me.


----------



## Capt Worley PE (Sep 4, 2013)

^Remember, though, that the hobby store tubing isn't UV stabilized or rated for fuel. And it is more than likely not stabilized for ethanol, either.


----------



## Master slacker (Sep 4, 2013)

The HD repair kit had two lines in the kit of different size and both were about six inches long. It also included a filter for each line size. Cost about $8. I think I picked up just a filter for a couple of bucks.

Hobby store sold fuel line for $1 / ft. This is for gas-powered RC cars and planes. UV stabilized or not, the fuel line is covered when in use and in storage so I'm not concerned about that.

For my repair, I would have needed at least two HD kits just for the hose. Would I rather spend $16 or $2?


----------



## MA_PE (Sep 4, 2013)

my initial thought is that the needle valve is stuck in the carb. Take the bowl off of the bottom and make sure that the nedle valve and float are not sticking. Spray it with carb cleaner and reassemble. don't lose any of the little parts.

I suspect that mower has been sitting for awhile with old gas that never had any stabilizer added


----------



## Capt Worley PE (Sep 4, 2013)

Master slacker said:


> Hobby store sold fuel line for $1 / ft. This is for gas-powered RC cars and planes. UV stabilized or not, the fuel line is covered when in use and in storage so I'm not concerned about that.




Oh, I gotcha now.

I was thinking you were talking about tubing for stuff like fish tanks, which at one time was recommended for replacing vacuum lines and tees on headlight doors for my Charger. It fit, but wasn't fit for the environment.


----------



## Master slacker (Sep 4, 2013)

But that, too, would work... for a while...


----------



## Capt Worley PE (Sep 9, 2013)

This thing looks like a deathtrap....



> Antique Cooper Mower reel type riding mower 62" Briggs Stranton engine
> RUNS AND OPERATES
> Location: Middletown, DE
> it's NOT ok to contact this poster with services or other commercial interests
> ...


http://delaware.craigslist.org/atq/4052733038.html


----------



## Capt Worley PE (Sep 27, 2013)

My old mower has been in the shop for over a month now awaiting a piece of plastic on backorder.

Unfortunately, it is the piece that holds the throttle cable.

Frack.


----------



## Dexman PE PMP (Sep 27, 2013)

My kill-switch cable snapped sometime early this spring. I've been rigging it with wire or zip-ties all summer. I should probably get it fixed...


----------



## snickerd3 (Sep 27, 2013)

we got a bill in the mail yesterday from the john deere place we ordered the new carberator from for over $160. Mr snick paid for the parts over a month ago when he picked them up...apparently the sales and service departs don't share info. The only thing on the bill I can see us still owing is for the service call to the house. They even went so far to add $11 for shipping and handling for the parts, which they didn't mention when mr snick went in to pick up the parts.


----------



## Road Guy (Sep 27, 2013)

I would lose that bill


----------



## Road Guy (Sep 27, 2013)

But if it leaves private property it needs a tag


----------



## knight1fox3 (Sep 27, 2013)

^ LOL. Goes right along with the discussion in the other thread.

And for the record, SAP is not a good solution. We used that at my previous company.


----------



## mudpuppy (Sep 27, 2013)

Ugh, SAP is a steaming pile of s...


----------



## Road Guy (Sep 27, 2013)

obvioulsy im not promoting SAP, that was just the ad when i copied it from the Chive


----------



## Dexman PE PMP (Sep 27, 2013)

isn't SAP that stupid button on the TV remote that turns everything into Spanish?


----------



## Sapper PE LS (Sep 27, 2013)

Should I be offended?


----------



## Master slacker (Sep 27, 2013)

Are you the so trying something of something?


----------



## Sapper PE LS (Sep 27, 2013)

Huh?


----------



## Master slacker (Sep 27, 2013)

O don't know antnore


----------



## Sapper PE LS (Sep 30, 2013)

So, still no dice on my lawnmower I'm trying to get working. It cranks up just fine on the first pull usually, but then dies out. I replaced the air filter, fuel line, and have used an entire can of carb cleaner on it. Should I throw in the towel and go buy a new one? I don't know what other steps to take besides breaking the entire thing down and cleaning it out on the inside, but I worry I'll really screw something up if I do that.


----------



## Capt Worley PE (Sep 30, 2013)

^Give these guys a shot: http://www.mylawnmowerforum.com/forum/


----------



## Sapper PE LS (Sep 30, 2013)

I will do Capt.


----------



## Road Guy (Sep 30, 2013)

Spark plug?

I would go hit up a thrift store and get a used one for about half the money?


----------



## MA_PE (Sep 30, 2013)

drop the bowl on the carb and make sure that the needle valve isn't sticking closed. You might have to clean it out with a pin.


----------



## mudpuppy (Sep 30, 2013)

Or look into how much a new carb costs. With my weedwacker I found it was a lot less hassle just to replace the whole carb for around $30 than to get a rebuild kit for $22.


----------



## ventilator (Oct 10, 2013)

I have had similar problems but with my edger and weed-eater. Cleaner and gas additives couldn't keep them running, local shop told me its the ethanol in the gas. I found a station that sells ethanol free gas and now they both run great. I haven't had those problems with my mower, apparently it mainly affects the 2stoke motors, but might be with a try.


----------



## Capt Worley PE (Oct 16, 2013)

Well, 2013 was officially the year the wheels came off.

On the last mow of the season for the old mower, another wheel fell off. That makes a grand total of three for the year. At least this one was on the front, so I could three wheel it over the rest of the yard with no problem. Looked gangsta, yo!

On the good news side, I planned the fueling to a tee. Ran out of gas just as I finished the mow.


----------



## knight1fox3 (Oct 16, 2013)

^ You should take the rest of the wheels off and put it up on blocks. LOL GHETTO!!!


----------



## Capt Worley PE (Oct 16, 2013)

^ I designed spinner rims for lawnmowers for a local community college to use for PR and recruiting.


----------



## knight1fox3 (Oct 16, 2013)

Capt Worley PE said:


> ^ I designed spinner rims for lawnmowers for a local community college to use for PR and recruiting.


Like this?


----------



## Capt Worley PE (Oct 16, 2013)

knight1fox3 said:


> Capt Worley PE said:
> 
> 
> > ^ I designed spinner rims for lawnmowers for a local community college to use for PR and recruiting.
> ...




Nah, they were aluminum billets 8" in diameter. I did it as a joke for a gangsta'd out push mower, but they built the rims and put them on a motorized display for the machine tools department.

A friend of mine who saw the design drawings said I ought to build a couple of hundred sets to sell. I figured the folks who dug them wouldn't be into lawn care, so I never pursued it.


----------



## Capt Worley PE (Mar 20, 2014)

Despite my worries and misgivings, the new mower with the no prime carb started up on the first pull.


----------



## MA_PE (Mar 20, 2014)

I never did get a new mower. I won't be using the old one for a while, as we're still waiting for a lot of the snow cover to melt.


----------



## NJmike PE (Mar 20, 2014)

MA_PE said:


> I won't be using the old one for a while, as we're still waiting for a lot of the snow cover to melt.


this


----------



## Capt Worley PE (Mar 20, 2014)

I had to mow the weeds.


----------



## Supe (May 21, 2014)

Had a hell of a time getting my Craftsman to fire up the other day. The GF went to start it today, couldn't do it. Once warmed up it ran fine. May need to pull/clean carb and check fuel filter/air cleaner. Haven't had to mess with it in 3 years.


----------



## MA_PE (May 21, 2014)

If it's one of the mowers with no throttle cable and relies on a spring, I've had success with using a small stick to peg the throttle wide open, pump the primer bulb a few times and pull. It starts and runs slow (choked) for a bit and then I remove the stick and let it take over. Like you said, once it warms up there is no problem starting it, the problem is only the cold starts.


----------



## Supe (May 22, 2014)

No primer bulb.

Pulled the air filter, it was darn near completely plugged from one side. Blew it out with the air compressor, put it back in, started on the first pull. Will have her try it again today now that it's been sitting outside.


----------



## MA_PE (May 22, 2014)

no primer bulb? I thought all the Craftsman machines had one on the side of the carb. All of mine do.


----------



## Supe (May 22, 2014)

MA_PE said:


> no primer bulb? I thought all the Craftsman machines had one on the side of the carb. All of mine do.




Nope. No primer bulb. No external choke, either. In fact, there's a plastic guard that goes over the entire thing. Only parts of the engine you even see are the exhaust, cooling fins, and spark plug.


----------



## Master slacker (May 22, 2014)

Air filter tip of the day. Take out the foam or paper element and stretch panty hose over the part that is exposed from the filter box. Most of the sticky dust and dirt will stick to it making for easier cleanup


----------



## MA_PE (May 23, 2014)

Master slacker said:


> Air filter tip of the day. Take out the foam or paper element and stretch panty hose over the part that is exposed from the filter box. Most of the sticky dust and dirt will stick to it making for easier cleanup


or buy a new one for $3


----------



## knight1fox3 (May 23, 2014)

I have a Craftsman. Oil/filter/plug change every year. Generally starts up on the first pull. Though it's a newer model with the "easy start" blue handle pull-start.


----------



## Master slacker (May 23, 2014)

Never changed oil or air filter in my craftsman mower. Never a problem starting even after 7 years.


----------



## knight1fox3 (May 23, 2014)

^ ah the "enthusiast".


----------



## Dexman PE PMP (May 27, 2014)

Wait, mowers need more than just gas to run? I haven't touched anything on mine since the day I bought it several years ago, and it still starts by the 3rd pull every time...


----------



## Supe (May 27, 2014)

With cleaned air filter, started on third pull after sitting a week. And that was on top of grass, not a bare surface.


----------



## knight1fox3 (May 28, 2014)

Does anyone replace the blade and/or have it sharpened at all? I think I read somewhere that every other year was a good rule of thumb to either replace it or have it sharpened. Just curious.


----------



## snickerd3 (May 28, 2014)

we sharpen every other year but we had to replace the blades last season due to all the damage the tree roots sticking out of the ground did.


----------



## Supe (May 28, 2014)

I will sharpen periodically. I find it helps if you're mulching instead of bagging.


----------



## matt267 PE (May 28, 2014)

I sharpen the blade from time to time. If it has any big dings in it I'll replace.


----------



## snickerd3 (May 28, 2014)

universal blades that you can find at the local hardware store don't fit john deere equipment BTW...we had to go to a john deere store to buy replacement blades becasue they put a special feature that prevents non-branded blades from fitting into place. so the price basicaly doubled too.


----------



## akwooly (May 28, 2014)

I buy my John Deere blades on amazon. Cheaper than the Deere dealer. But still more expensive than the universal 42" blades.


----------



## snickerd3 (May 28, 2014)

akwooly said:


> I buy my John Deere blades on amazon. Cheaper than the Deere dealer.


we might do that next time.


----------



## MA_PE (May 28, 2014)

I have replaced the blade on my Craftsman a couple of times. For ~$12 for a new blade, I just don't bother trying to sharpen the old one.


----------



## Dexman PE PMP (May 28, 2014)

I'll spend 30 minutes at least once a year with a file resharpening the blade. No set schedule, just when I think it's not cutting very well.


----------



## ventilator (May 28, 2014)

I'll sharpen my blades and replace the oil each year around march when the grass starts growing again.


----------



## Lumber Jim (May 28, 2014)

I sharpen the three blades on our mower a couple of times a year. I usually get a new set once a year. Sharp blades allow me to cut faster through the thick areas of our yard. Unfortunately, our yard isn't completely covered with thick grass so the mower finds some sand, dirt, and rocks that do a number on the sharp edges. I just had to order new blades this year because the local fleet supply doesn't carry the correct blades any more and the hole size isn't generic on a simplicity Zero-turn. Therefore, $21 per blade... They get stamped in the same plant as the generic blades but somehow the .0625" large hole makes them "special"... ldman:

I use my angle grinder with a sanding wheel for sharpening:







Only takes about 5 minutes a blade and works great... A slightly steeper edges seems to work better than the factory edges.

Yes, I am an engineer that has over thought this entire process...


----------



## Master slacker (May 28, 2014)

Master slacker said:


> Never changed oil or air filter in my craftsman mower. Never a problem starting even after 7 years.








knight1fox3 said:


> Does anyone replace the blade and/or have it sharpened at all? I think I read somewhere that every other year was a good rule of thumb to either replace it or have it sharpened. Just curious.




Never sharpened or replaced my blade either.

Starting the 8th year of lawn mowing St. Augustine grass, (assumptions follow) 8 months per year of use, 1 use per week, for a grand total of 243 uses and nary a problem with starting, running, or cutting.


----------



## Road Guy (Nov 22, 2014)

So today I decided the back yard needed a little trim before winter... My 11 year old got about half way done when a piece of the housing ( say 2 " square) breaks and shoots across the yard. It almost made me drop the beer while I was supervising the lawn mowing...

It's a 7 or 8 year old push mower... I'm actually thinking about ordering or acquiring a replacement motor and housing for a fun winter project?

My grandfather would be proud of me if I decide to rebuild a law mower instead of just goring out the $399 to get a new one?

Any idea what would make it do that in the first place?


----------



## maryannette (Nov 22, 2014)

Plastic? If so, UV and most chemicals will degrade it.


----------



## matt267 PE (Nov 22, 2014)

Rust?


----------



## Road Guy (Nov 22, 2014)

It's metal and not rusted... I'll grab a pic when the sun is out.... It's been garage kept....


----------



## blybrook PE (Nov 23, 2014)

Ah, the ol' push rod thru the block trick. I've had that happen in the past. One time it was a bad governer caused the engine to run at too high a RPM and it caused the rod to come apart. Another was lack of oil at a side slope.

You are near Harbor Freight, get one of the vertical shaft engines for ~$100 and slap it on the mower, you'll be all set. Easier to replace the engine than try to rebuild it. Only thing you'll have to ensure is that the blade attachment will fit the odd ball replacement engine.


----------



## Road Guy (Nov 23, 2014)

Cool thanks...that what I was thinking was to just find an engine and replace it... I have yet to pull the serial no. Or model # to try and look it up and see what they go for....just want to stay less than 50% the code of a new beast....


----------



## MA_PE (Nov 23, 2014)

Lawn mowers are disposable. I can't see me I ting a replacement motor for a pushmower. Then again I watch the Sears flyer for sales and don't pay more than $250 for a new mower period


----------



## Road Guy (Nov 24, 2014)

That's so consumptive of you!

I haven't fully researched this yet but If I can get all the replacement parts for $100 or less I will mess with it... You can't really get a decent self propelled mower for mess than $350-

Sears? People still buy stuff from there?


----------



## MA_PE (Nov 24, 2014)

Road Guy said:


> That's so consumptive of you!
> 
> I haven't fully researched this yet but If I can get all the replacement parts for $100 or less I will mess with it... You can't really get a decent self propelled mower for mess than $350-
> 
> Sears? People still buy stuff from there?


Sears has some great deals if you watch the flyers, especially on lawn and garden stuff. They're essentially the same machines sold out of the big box stores Lowes, Home Depot, (which are branded as Murray, etc.) except they have the Craftsman paint/logos. the motors are all Tecumseh or Briggs &amp; Stratton. The housings are of fair quality but for typical residential use they're fine for 10+years. I've had great experience with Sears stuff.


----------



## Ship Wreck PE (Nov 24, 2014)

Road Guy said:


> That's so consumptive of you!
> 
> I haven't fully researched this yet but If I can get all the replacement parts for $100 or less I will mess with it... You can't really get a decent self propelled mower for mess than $350-
> 
> Sears? People still buy stuff from there?


You were sending pics??

If you threw a rod out of the side of the block from lack of lubrication, you will need a new crank, block, rod, piston, rings, gaskets, and oil.

This could be a lot of cash.


----------



## DanHalen (Dec 8, 2014)

I have quite a few acres to mow and have a John Deere X320 and use a Stihl FS55R weedeater for trimming. My only complaint is the sealed transaxle (made by Tuff Torq) should not be sealed. It takes a lot of punishment when you mow on hills and god forbid you tow anything. The only way to service it is to drop the transaxle and split the case. The case magnets do a great job of capturing all the fine metal shavings but it could use a good fluid and filter change on a regular basis. Tuff Torq does make other transaxles that are serviceable and if you're looking for a good riding lawnmower make sure you get something that is serviceable. You will pay dearly for it but it's worth it in the end. You can buy a modified transaxle conversion kit for $2k on eBay for the JD X320 but I'm not dropping another $2k. I will invest $2k in a zero turn before I do that. My JD starts losing power after a while (usually a few seasons) and won't hardly pull out of it's own tracks. Servicing the transaxle solves the problem every time but it's a major PITA. Other than that no problems. My weedeater has been flawless.

Usually in the Spring of each year I use an aerator and aerate the shit out of my yard. My JD groans a bit when I tow it so I use my Suzuki Kingquad 750 and rip it up. Between the aeration and tires digging in it gets the job done. Once I finish aerating I add some lime and fertilize and done. On Friday or Saturday mornings I get up early and usually start mowing around 7 AM to piss the neighbors off. Assholes are always making noise except early in the morning.


----------



## jeb6294 (Apr 22, 2015)

Bringin one back from the dead....

My Yardman/Honda push mower had been sitting for a few years while I was overseas. Naturally it wouldn't start once I got home. I tore the carb apart and hosed everything down with carb cleaner and everything seemed right with the world. Now it'll fire right up but it'll only stay running with the choke on. It's got a little spring loaded lever on the side. Pull it back for the choke and it releases once you pull the throttle lever back and then slowly goes from full choke to nothing. I have to jam a golf tee in there to keep the lever back so it's always choked. Seems to run fine that way though.

A few weeks after I got it going I hit a stump...low enough that you couldn't see it through the grass but high enough to catch the blade. It stopped the thing dead. I was actually really surprised that it didn't destroy something. It seems like that's when this new issue started started.


----------



## Supe (Apr 22, 2015)

Still not getting fuel. More often than not, main jet clogged in the carb. Carb cleaner often won't do the trick. May need to soak in cleaner/thinner, blow compressed air through, maybe poke some fishing line through there. Some get gunked up enough that they need to be pin drilled out. Also possible you have a vacuum leak.


----------



## Supe (Apr 22, 2015)

If its dying only under load, you may have done damage to the internals (bent rod) and lost compression.


----------



## snickerd3 (Apr 22, 2015)

we had to buy a new battery for our mower, it wouldn't hold enough charge to do more than power the lights.


----------



## mudpuppy (Apr 22, 2015)

jeb, the first thing I would do is look into how much a new carb would cost. I've found for some of my small equipment a new carb can be found online for $20-30, which to me is worth the price versus the hassle of tearing the old one apart and trying to clean/fix it.


----------



## Ship Wreck PE (Apr 22, 2015)

jeb6294 said:


> Bringin one back from the dead....
> 
> My Yardman/Honda push mower had been sitting for a few years while I was overseas. Naturally it wouldn't start once I got home. I tore the carb apart and hosed everything down with carb cleaner and everything seemed right with the world. Now it'll fire right up but it'll only stay running with the choke on. It's got a little spring loaded lever on the side. Pull it back for the choke and it releases once you pull the throttle lever back and then slowly goes from full choke to nothing. I have to jam a golf tee in there to keep the lever back so it's always choked. Seems to run fine that way though.
> 
> A few weeks after I got it going I hit a stump...low enough that you couldn't see it through the grass but high enough to catch the blade. It stopped the thing dead. I was actually really surprised that it didn't destroy something. It seems like that's when this new issue started started.


Normally when you hit something bad, the keyway will shear to protect internal engine components. It is located under the flywheel. It keeps spark in timing with valves and piston.

They only cost like a quarter??


----------



## MA_PE (Apr 22, 2015)

Ship Wreck PE said:


> jeb6294 said:
> 
> 
> > Bringin one back from the dead....
> ...


not necessarily. I hit something (rock/root) with my Craftsman push mower and it bent the main shaft. The thing would run but it would vibrate like crazy. Bought a new mower for ~$200.


----------



## Just Some Guy P.E. (Apr 22, 2015)

Use one of these: http://www.amazon.com/Scotts-2000-20-20-Inch-Classic-Mower/dp/B00004RA3E/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1429716106&amp;sr=8-1&amp;keywords=scott%27s+mower

No gas, no tuneups, no starting issues, and no ear plugs required.


----------



## mudpuppy (Apr 22, 2015)

^I think I'd rather get a goat.


----------



## Just Some Guy P.E. (Apr 22, 2015)

mudpuppy said:


> ^I think I'd rather get a goat.


They work fairly well. I've been using one on my back yard for 16 years now and love it. Don't let the grass get too long and you're good. The cut is much smoother than a rotary gas mower and it'll even cut when the grass is a little damp. It's like I have a little golf course behind my house, but without the pretentious jackasses chasing their balls.


----------



## MA_PE (Apr 22, 2015)

Just Some Guy said:


> mudpuppy said:
> 
> 
> > ^I think I'd rather get a goat.
> ...


and what are the dimensions of your backyard?


----------



## Just Some Guy P.E. (Apr 22, 2015)

MA_PE said:


> Just Some Guy said:
> 
> 
> > mudpuppy said:
> ...


About 5500 square feet (0.13 acres). Takes about an hour and 45 minutes with a gas rotary mower and about an hour and 10 minutes with my reel mower.


----------



## MA_PE (Apr 22, 2015)

Why does it take longer with the gas mower. Do you bag as opposed to just letting it mulch with the reel?


----------



## Just Some Guy P.E. (Apr 22, 2015)

MA_PE said:


> Why does it take longer with the gas mower. Do you bag as opposed to just letting it mulch with the reel?


Yep.


----------



## Dexman PE PMP (Apr 22, 2015)

If his gas mower is like mine, I have to go over every section twice. Instead of mowing a full width path, I overlap each path by half but go the opposite direction as the previous. In the end, though it looks like this:


----------



## MA_PE (Apr 22, 2015)

Just Some Guy said:


> MA_PE said:
> 
> 
> > Why does it take longer with the gas mower. Do you bag as opposed to just letting it mulch with the reel?
> ...


that explains it.

Dex: I always overlap with my gas mower too. do you mix it up so sometimes the stripes are "vertical" and sometimes "diagonal"? oooh.


----------



## Supe (Apr 22, 2015)

I do the opposing overlap method too, but I never get pretty lines out of it. Then again, my front yard has completely gone to shit thanks to dense shade, grubs, and a fungus that wiped most of it out, coupled with a pile of leaves that the GF raked and never bagged.


----------



## Just Some Guy P.E. (Apr 22, 2015)

MA_PE said:


> Just Some Guy said:
> 
> 
> > MA_PE said:
> ...


My gas mower (a Honda) doesn't cut fine enough to mulch. It also requires more exertion to push in spite of being self-propelled.


----------



## MA_PE (Apr 22, 2015)

that's why I'd never buy a self-propelled one. I end up fighting it because I want to walk faster than it wants to go.


----------



## P-E (Apr 22, 2015)

MA_PE said:


> Why does it take longer with the gas mower. Do you bag as opposed to just letting it mulch with the reel?


Huh. 45 min &lt; 1 hr 10 min. I can't imagine using a non gas mower, it would take me all day.

Mulching saves fertilizer. Only bag if you let the grass get too long and you are worried about how it will look when you are done mowing.


----------



## Just Some Guy P.E. (Apr 22, 2015)

MA_PE said:


> that's why I'd never buy a self-propelled one. I end up fighting it because I want to walk faster than it wants to go.


It all depends on the intended purpose. I live in town and my family and I spend a lot of time in our back yard, so I want it to be comfortable and have a nice appearance. I can hit it two or three times a week with a reel mower and it's not quite as onerous a task as having to hassle with a gas mower and bag it and all the other attentive nonsense that goes with it. I take care of my grandmother's old house in southeast Oklahoma that's out in the country and use another self-propelled Honda that's set up to mulch. I don't give a damn how nice it looks, I just want to reduce the fire hazard and the number of critters making their home around there. (I ran over a copperhead two years ago while mowing.) I can haul ass and mow that half-an-acre within 2-1/2 hours.


----------



## MA_PE (Apr 22, 2015)

power-engineer said:


> MA_PE said:
> 
> 
> > Why does it take longer with the gas mower. Do you bag as opposed to just letting it mulch with the reel?
> ...


JSG previous post:

"Takes about an hour and 45 minutes with a gas rotary mower and about an hour and 10 minutes with my reel mower."


----------



## mudpuppy (Apr 22, 2015)

MA_PE said:


> that's why I'd never buy a self-propelled one. I end up fighting it because I want to walk faster than it wants to go.




That's why I love my Toro personal pace mower. You can walk as fast or slow as you want, or change pace as much as want, and it keeps up with you.


----------



## Dexman PE PMP (Apr 22, 2015)

MA_PE said:


> Just Some Guy said:
> 
> 
> > MA_PE said:
> ...


Each week is a different direction. Vertical, horizontal, diagonal, opposite diagonal. After I'm done the front yard looks like the outfield of a baseball field. And I'm OCD enough to make sure I walk on the side that will be overlapped by the next pass so when I'm done there are no footprints. It doesn't work so well in the back yard because the dog runs around and messes it all up within an hour.


----------



## MA_PE (Apr 22, 2015)

kids and pets...they ruin everything.


----------



## P-E (Apr 22, 2015)

MA_PE said:


> power-engineer said:
> 
> 
> > MA_PE said:
> ...


Yup I need glasses. Or another beer.


----------



## Lumber Jim (Apr 23, 2015)

amateurs...








Comes with 2 beer holders!


----------



## Ship Wreck PE (Apr 23, 2015)

^^ how long would it take to mow 5500 sq ft with that monster?? I bet it is quicker than 1 hour and 45 min.


----------



## Just Some Guy P.E. (Apr 23, 2015)

Ship Wreck PE said:


> ^^ how long would it take to mow 5500 sq ft with that monster?? I bet it is quicker than 1 hour and 45 min.


You'd have to slow it down if you really want to chug beer.


----------



## Ramnares P.E. (Apr 23, 2015)

Slow it down to chug beer? Just get one of these:


----------



## Lumber Jim (Apr 24, 2015)

Ship Wreck PE said:


> ^^ how long would it take to mow 5500 sq ft with that monster?? I bet it is quicker than 1 hour and 45 min.


6 MPH with a 52" deck = 2.4 minutes but it would be slightly longer if I have to make a few turns. 

I could take a drink of beer and start and finish mowing before my mouth got dry....


----------



## Road Guy (Apr 20, 2016)

https://vimeo.com/163606248

^--- I am late on this but this is my parents lawnmower in Florida.. $2K and they also "need" to get one for the other side of the house...

Smh....

I promise the link is safe..


----------



## Supe (Apr 21, 2016)

I wish they didn't cost a grand. I've got a woody for the new Toro walk behind mower with the 30" deck and twin side by side blades. The handle even indexes vertically so it fits in the shed!

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## Road Guy (Apr 21, 2016)

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## Wolverine (Apr 21, 2016)

Wolverine said:


> _Every post before this one is invalid:_
> 
> 1994 - Murray - Tecumsah 3.8 - Purchased at Service Merchandise (which may not even exist anymore, not around here at least).
> 
> ...


STILL GOING ! ! !

{EDIT:  The #*% squirrels chewed a hole in the gas cap lid. Still going.  Why they would chew through a gas cap, I do not know, but I make them pay for it regularly.]


----------



## Supe (May 2, 2016)

Anyone here used an Ariens mower?  Looking at their Razor SP in the $500ish range.


----------



## Dleg (May 2, 2016)

Ugh.  I'm one of you people now.  I have to mow my own lawn, and soon.  

Anyone using a battery powered mower?  My new lawn isn't that big, and I'm wondering if the electric option might be something to consider...


----------



## snickerd3 (May 2, 2016)

if it isn't large why not one of those manual push things of yester years


----------



## Dleg (May 2, 2016)

F*ck that...


----------



## P-E (May 2, 2016)

What you need is a small, cheap, refurbished gas powered mower built years ago that doesn't have a fussy carburetor.   I have one like that for my rental property (small yard).  I leave gas in it all winter and the thing starts up every spring.


----------



## Ship Wreck PE (May 2, 2016)

This is what you really need!!


----------



## P-E (May 2, 2016)

I like that it has a roll bar


----------



## Dleg (May 2, 2016)

Considering that about half my "lawn" is a 45 degree-plus slope that drops down from the upper flat part, I wouldn't want anything rideable near it.  Roll bar or not.


----------



## Road Guy (May 2, 2016)

That much slope I wouldn't get electric, defin a larger size self propel &amp; oh yeah your kid is old enough to do this for you!


----------



## P-E (May 2, 2016)

that kind of slope needs a self propel


----------



## jeb6294 (May 3, 2016)

Dleg said:


> Considering that about half my "lawn" is a 45 degree-plus slope that drops down from the upper flat part, I wouldn't want anything rideable near it.  Roll bar or not.


Wuss.

I've got a small section I have to mow that's like that and it gets done with the rider.  I start at the top, point the wheels straight, and then hang on for the ride down.  It's a plain ol' riding mower so the brakes are locked up the whole way down, but those smooth turf tires don't do anything.  I've thought about renting a tiller and clearing that slope and throwing down a couple of those big bags of wildflower seed mixes and just letting it go.



Ship Wreck PE said:


> This is what you really need!!


I am actually looking out for something exactly like this.  Having woods for a back yard is killing my Yard Machine mower.  The other day I hit a root and the whole thing came to an immediately stop in a cloud of black smoke.  I flipped it up on end and the tip of the middle blade had folded over.  Finish mower underneath to get the grass, hydraulics to be able to add a loader to have something to pull up stumps as the yard (slowly) gets cleared, and a 3-point hitch on the back for a proper bush hog to get all the crap.


----------



## Dleg (May 3, 2016)

I'm thinking about replacing the grass in my yard with old trucks, refrigerators, and broken down snowmobiles.


----------



## Supe (May 3, 2016)

I think you moved too far north for that to work.


----------



## akwooly (May 3, 2016)

Dleg said:


> I'm thinking about replacing the grass in my yard with old trucks, refrigerators, and broken down snowmobiles.


and get a bunch of blue tarps.  everyone has blue tarps.


----------



## Dleg (May 3, 2016)

Supe said:


> I think you moved too far north for that to work.


Not based on what I see every day.  Not at all.


----------



## Supe (May 3, 2016)

akwooly said:


> and get a bunch of blue tarps.  everyone has blue tarps.


Got to keep it dry.  You know, for when you're "gonna get around to it."


----------



## knight1fox3 (May 3, 2016)

jeb6294 said:


> Having woods for a back yard is killing my Yard Machine mower.  The other day I hit a root and the whole thing came to an immediately stop in a cloud of black smoke.  I flipped it up on end and the tip of the middle blade had folded over.  Finish mower underneath to get the grass, hydraulics to be able to add a loader to have something to pull up stumps as the yard (slowly) gets cleared, and a 3-point hitch on the back for a proper bush hog to get all the crap.


That's because you should be mowing the lawn, not mowing the woods.  LOL


----------



## Dleg (May 3, 2016)

Maybe what he needs is a hydro ax:


----------



## Supe (May 3, 2016)

Also looking at this Honda:

http://www.mowersdirect.com/Honda-HRX217VKA-Lawn-Mower/p7830.html

$100 more than the Ariens, but more powerful, and 6 years worth of warranty, with lifetime on some of the parts.  Not to mention Honda reliability, which is more than can be said for any Briggs these days.


----------



## MA_PE (May 3, 2016)

speaking of Briggs, my neighbor was tossing a Craftsman 2-stage snowblower because he said he couldn't keep it running.  It's got a Briggs motor on it.  Most of the good snowblowers were all running Tecumsehs.  I trashwed picked the machine from my neighbor as the body is in great shape and all-round looke dlike  decent machine.  I believe it's a 2005 and looks like it's always been stored indoors.

The damn Briggs does not have a throttle, it's run to centrifugal governor.  a web search says a LOT of folks had an identical problem with this machine and it ooks like they did a carb redesign.  I think for $50 I can put a new carb on it and it should be good to go.  Why they make these yard machine with no throttle is beyond me.  It's a royal PITA.  My Craftsman lawnmower with a Briggs motor also just has an on/off switch.  Dolts!


----------



## wilheldp_PE (May 4, 2016)

Supe said:


> Also looking at this Honda:
> 
> http://www.mowersdirect.com/Honda-HRX217VKA-Lawn-Mower/p7830.html
> 
> $100 more than the Ariens, but more powerful, and 6 years worth of warranty, with lifetime on some of the parts.  Not to mention Honda reliability, which is more than can be said for any Briggs these days.


I bought that exact mower last year.  I like it.


----------



## P-E (May 4, 2016)

wilheldp_PE said:


> I bought that exact mower last year.  I like it.


I have a Honda similar to that.  It's a good mower.  I hit a root like Jeb, the blade got mangled but the mower survived.

I ended up getting a powerful Stihl weed trimmer to go around the rooted areas.


----------



## jeb6294 (May 5, 2016)

Supe said:


> Also looking at this Honda:
> 
> http://www.mowersdirect.com/Honda-HRX217VKA-Lawn-Mower/p7830.html
> 
> $100 more than the Ariens, but more powerful, and 6 years worth of warranty, with lifetime on some of the parts.  Not to mention Honda reliability, which is more than can be said for any Briggs these days.


I'm not sure if they still sell them, but I got my "Honda" mower from Wally-World for just over $100.  It is a Yardman or Yard Machine or something like that, but whatever it is it's got a Honda motor.  Thing sat for close to three years while I was deployed and gets abused regularly (see my previous post about the crappy back yard) and it keeps going.  It's not self-propelled but it does have a bagger.


----------



## jeb6294 (May 5, 2016)

Dleg said:


> Maybe what he needs is a hydro ax:


If there was a way to rent one, I probably would.  There are still plenty of actual trees in the back that could stand to be cleared out, but a lot of the stuff that needs to go is all the brush crap.  It's brush and scrubby stuff that's probably an inch diameter...a giant PITA to go through and do with the chainsaw, but too much for a run-of-the-mill riding mower.  Most of the 3-point bush hogs say their good for saplings up to a 2" diameter.


----------



## Supe (May 5, 2016)

wilheldp_PE said:


> I bought that exact mower last year.  I like it.


Now my coworker (who is the type that fundamentally doesn't believe you should buy anything if it isn't the best) is convincing me to go with the Honda, but the next model up that has the shaft-driven hydraulic transmission in it.


----------



## Dleg (May 5, 2016)

I bet you can rent one, but with an operator, too. Those aren't exactly the kinds of things you'd want to rent out for casual homeowner use. A little dangerous, to say the least.  (last time I was around one, I was standing at least 75 yards away and a 4-inch branch fragment landed very close to me)


----------



## MA_PE (May 5, 2016)

Dleg said:


> I bet you can rent one, but with an operator, too. Those aren't exactly the kinds of things you'd want to rent out for casual homeowner use. A little dangerous, to say the least.  (last time I was around one, I was standing at least 75 yards away and a 4-inch branch fragment landed very close to me)


that's all the more reason to drive it yourself.  It's safer on top.


----------



## jeb6294 (May 5, 2016)

It's all fun and games until the neighbors start wondering where their mail boxes are.


----------



## Supe (May 24, 2016)

Pulled the trigger on a Honda HRX217HYA w/blade brake and hydrostatic transmission.


----------



## kevo_55 (May 24, 2016)




----------



## NJmike PE (May 24, 2016)

Road Guy said:


> That much slope I wouldn't get a mexican


fixt


----------



## Dleg (May 24, 2016)

I ended up buying a Honda mower, but the lowest level push-type.  It seems solid and mowed the lawn just fine :dunno:  .  I was a good citizen and bought it from a real, local dealer, too.  Not a box store.  Although I paid more, they tested it in front of me, sent me home with a free tank of gas and a free coil of weed whacker string, and an extra year on the warranty, which they service themselves.  It felt like buying a propane grill from Hank Hill.


----------



## Supe (May 24, 2016)

I ordered through Mowers Direct.  Extra warranty, free shipping, no tax, and $120 lower than the local place BEFORE tax.


----------



## Wolverine (May 24, 2016)

Dleg said:


> I ended up buying a Honda mower, but the lowest level push-type.  It seems solid and mowed the lawn just fine :dunno:  .  I was a good citizen and bought it from a real, local dealer, too.  Not a box store.  Although I paid more, they tested it in front of me, sent me home with a free tank of gas and a *free coil of weed* whacker string, and an extra year on the warranty, which they service themselves.  It felt like buying a propane grill from Hank Hill.


A free coil of weed?  Geez, have we lost Alaska to the pot-smoking hippies too?  You may need to buy a Cartman Hippie Borer next.

The throttle cable on my Unbreakable Murray Tecumseh (purchased at Service Merchandise in Atlanta in 1994, still going) has broken.  I'm going to replace the cable, fire it up, and go shred some weeds myself.

Note the irony that the Unbreakable Murray Tecumseh outlived the store it came from. (in Atlanta)


----------



## Dleg (May 24, 2016)

^Yes, recreational pot was legalized in Alaska last year.  There's a bar/smokehouse whaever just a block from my office called "The Higher Calling".

But that doesn't apply to me - I use, I lose my job.


----------



## jeb6294 (May 25, 2016)

The Yardman rider has been a trooper.  It gets beat up pretty badly in the backyard...backing up to woods, it sees a lot of sticks and bits of stump that I don't see.  I was just about done mowing last week when there was a bit of a bang, something shot out from under the deck and then it got a very noticeable vibration going.  Since I only had a couple more passes to make I finished up figuring it had been a stick and maybe part of it was hung up on a blade.  I flipped it up on end and half my center blade is gone...not bent or twisted, just gone.

Now I've got to see if I can get the stupid thing off to replace it.  I took the outer two blades off last summer to sharpen them but the center one wouldn't budge so I used a sharpening stone on the drill for that one.  I hit the nuts for all three blades with some PB Blaster and I'll keep using that for a few days and see if it'll budge this weekend.


----------



## Supe (May 25, 2016)

Impact gun!


----------



## Ship Wreck PE (May 25, 2016)

Grinder!! Buy new bolt/nut


----------



## Supe (May 25, 2016)

There isn't a bolt I've come across that still had flats on it, that an impact gun and some heat couldn't handle...


----------



## Ship Wreck PE (May 25, 2016)

You have not seen my Taiwanese 1/2" air gun. When the tough get going, it leaves.

I have to preloosen tight bolts with pull handle and cheeter bar.


----------



## Supe (May 25, 2016)

I have an 1844 ft/lbs answer for that:


----------



## Ship Wreck PE (May 25, 2016)

Mine has that many.

Inch/lbs.


----------



## jeb6294 (May 25, 2016)

Supe said:


> Impact gun!


That was the first thing I tried.  Then my 1/2" ratchet with a breaker bar.

I'll keep hitting it with the PB since I won't be messing with it until the weekend but if that doesn't do it then maybe I'll just go with the grinder since I don't have to worry about keeping the blade in one piece this time.


----------



## Supe (May 25, 2016)

Try heat.  Even if its not enough to get any decent expansion, it will help wick the penetrant deeper into the threads.


----------



## Ship Wreck PE (May 25, 2016)

Here is a question for you.

Which mower would finish first?? 100 acre field, thick, 3' tall grass.

Zero turn 25 hp diesel

Or

Small tractor 25 hp diesel

Both have 60" decks.


----------



## Dleg (May 25, 2016)

Two dozen goats.  Much easier solution.


----------



## knight1fox3 (May 25, 2016)

Dleg said:


> Two dozen goats.  Much easier solution.


You'll have to contact @frazil for that.


----------



## wilheldp_PE (May 25, 2016)

Ship Wreck PE said:


> Here is a question for you.
> 
> Which mower would finish first?? 100 acre field, thick, 3' tall grass.
> 
> ...


Trick question...it depends on the transmission gear ratios.


----------



## Ship Wreck PE (May 25, 2016)

I am leaning toward tractor because the zero turn will have heat and transfer losses due to the hydraulics.

They both only have 25 hp.


----------



## jeb6294 (May 26, 2016)

Dleg said:


> Two dozen goats.  Much easier solution.


Don't laugh...I'd already given that serious thought for clearing the backyard.  Mrs. Jeb's sister has a little farm up by Dayton and would let us use some of hers and they really do work great, but it'd be way too much of a PITA to fence it all in.

I'd say tractor all the way, but I'm making a bit of an assumption and thinking that the tractor has got a three point hitch and PTO with the mower behind it as opposed to the zero-turn's deck underneath.  Personally I don't see zero-turns as being made for that kind of work, I think of them being more for cutting grass but doing it really fast.  The other problem is that you didn't say what you want to end up with.  If the field's been neglected for a while and you just want to knock the grass down, then you're probably getting into bush hog territory.


----------



## akwooly (May 26, 2016)

@jeb6294 you bust that nut yet?


----------



## Supe (May 27, 2016)

Honda showed up yesterday.  Out of box, fold handle up (takes two seconds... nice), add oil and gas.  Very first pull out of the box, it starts.  Wasn't going to mow the lawn, but figured I'd do a test run, straight through about 18" of grass.  This mother barely even changed pitch as I mowed through it.  No bogging down, stalling, clogging or clumping.  Winner winner chicken dinner.

The only thing I don't like about it is that the blade brake has a yellow button you need to push to disengage it along with the handle bar, and then the handle bar for the self-propel overlaps it by about 80%.  It doesn't feel intuitive to release the self-propel and NOT the blade brake, which makes it weird to trim around bushes or confined areas where you have to pull the mower back frequently.


----------



## roadwreck (May 27, 2016)

Supe said:


> Honda showed up yesterday.  Out of box, fold handle up (takes two seconds... nice), add oil and gas.  Very first pull out of the box, it starts.  Wasn't going to mow the lawn, but figured I'd do a test run, straight through about 18" of grass.  This mother barely even changed pitch as I mowed through it.  No bogging down, stalling, clogging or clumping.  Winner winner chicken dinner.
> 
> The only thing I don't like about it is that the blade brake has a yellow button you need to push to disengage it along with the handle bar, and then the handle bar for the self-propel overlaps it by about 80%.  It doesn't feel intuitive to release the self-propel and NOT the blade brake, which makes it weird to trim around bushes or confined areas where you have to pull the mower back frequently.


Which model?  I've had the HRX217HYA for about three years now and it sounds like the blade brake setup is the same.  I guess I've gotten used to the configuration now because I don't even think about it anymore.  I think you'll be pretty happy with the mower.  Mine still starts on the first pull every time.  I bought it after having less pleasant experiences with cheaper mowers and I've been really happy with my purchase thus far.


----------



## Supe (May 27, 2016)

Same mower, RW.


----------



## Road Guy (May 27, 2016)

18 " for reals?


----------



## snickerd3 (May 27, 2016)

holy cow, &gt;$720 for a push mower!!!!!


----------



## Road Guy (May 27, 2016)

I don't think the grass in my yard will grow that tall since we basically live in semi desert conditions, but at the rate my son is using the lawn mower were gonna need something a little beefier than the toro (granted I have a 0.2 acre lot) but he is cutting on average 10 of those lawns a week!


----------



## snickerd3 (May 27, 2016)

sounds like he needs to chip in on the new equipment


----------



## snickerd3 (May 27, 2016)

Road Guy said:


> I don't think the grass in my yard will grow that tall since we basically live in semi desert conditions, but at the rate my son is using the lawn mower were gonna need something a little beefier than the toro (granted I have a 0.2 acre lot) but he is cutting on average 10 of those lawns a week!


so does he trim the areas around fences and such with a weed whacker too or just mow?


----------



## Road Guy (May 27, 2016)

full service, he even edges - we have the attachment on the weed eater where you cant add the edgers, trimmer, etc.. people have been getting him to dig holes for trees and move rocks, has gotten a lot of business just from word of mouth..

I wish I had room for a little trailer for him to use since he has been putting the mower into the back of the Tahoe (2002), I made a ramp for him to make it easier to load the mower, but I wish I had room in the garage to keep a small trailer for all his work but I just don't have the space for it.

He was complaining a little bit about the cost of gas the other day cutting into his profit.. lols..  I fronted the money for the gas, 2 cycle oil, and "weed eater string" but after those were gone he had to replace on his own..


----------



## Supe (May 27, 2016)

Yes, about 18" in spots.  That's in only three weeks.  Stuff grows like CRAZY here in NC with the rain we've had and moderate temps.  Average step in the backyard comes up to about mid calf.  Front is nice and short though, LOL.  That's what happens when your mower craps out and you have to treat it like a push mower.


----------



## FLBuff PE (May 27, 2016)

So your house has a mullet? Business in the front, party in the back?


----------



## roadwreck (May 27, 2016)

snickerd3 said:


> holy cow, &gt;$720 for a push mower!!!!!


It's a self propelled walk behind, there is very little pushing involved.


----------



## jeb6294 (May 27, 2016)

Road Guy said:


> full service, he even edges - we have the attachment on the weed eater where you cant add the edgers, trimmer, etc.. people have been getting him to dig holes for trees and move rocks, has gotten a lot of business just from word of mouth..
> 
> I wish I had room for a little trailer for him to use since he has been putting the mower into the back of the Tahoe (2002), I made a ramp for him to make it easier to load the mower, but I wish I had room in the garage to keep a small trailer for all his work but I just don't have the space for it.
> 
> He was complaining a little bit about the cost of gas the other day cutting into his profit.. lols..  I fronted the money for the gas, 2 cycle oil, and "weed eater string" but after those were gone he had to replace on his own..


I got one of these over 10 years ago when I had my Jeep:

http://www.harborfreight.com/1195-lb-capacity-48-in-x-96-in-heavy-duty-folding-trailer-62666.html

Yeah, it's Harbor Freight but I beat the hell out of it and it hasn't died yet...it's still stashed out in the woods.  I'm assuming you mean you don't have room for a 4x8 trailer in the garage, so he'd have to roll it in/out and unfold/fold it, but it'd be on a trailer instead of bouncing around the back of the Tahoe.


----------



## Road Guy (May 27, 2016)

If he manages to keep business through the summer I was going to look around for one of those, I've basically got a tiny 2 car garage with a little extra space on one side, but I could clear out some room (I just built wall to wall shelves this past summer on one side) so I would have to modify that.. We live in suburban hell so I wouldn't be able to put it in the back yard. There is no where to hide it unfortunately..

Ive also got one of those old school 800 # capacity hitch haulers but he isn't strong enough to put it on the Tahoe by himself- that would work good with the ramp I made, its just that I am not around when he is having to leave,and we don't want to leave the hitch hauler on the back all the time (he'll forget about it and back into someone)

I miss having a bigger yard and a walk out basement for this type stuff..


----------



## jeb6294 (May 28, 2016)

Success!!! I got a set of three replacement blades and new flange nuts for all three from Amazon for $40. The freakin' nuts were $5 apiece, but I did a little checking and it looks like they're some goofy size so I went ahead and got them to avoid the hassle.

The nut on the center blade was pretty mangled and it wasn't budging after soaking it with PB so I took the grinder to it. I cut the nut off on two sides parallel to each other and ended up with two flat sides. I threw my biggest pipe wrench on it and whacked it with a BFH and that did the trick. Ratchet and breaker bar took care of the other two. New blades\nuts went on easy peasy. Made one swipe around the yard and it seems to be cutting much better than it ever was before.


----------



## Road Guy (Jul 27, 2016)

&lt;placeholder&gt;


----------



## Road Guy (Jul 27, 2016)

So for you fellow shade tree mechanics out there. The box on the right of this picture is the air filter that covers up what I think is also the fuel filter?

The mower barely runs, except for when I remove the black box - air filter, then it runs like normal? Ive tried cleaning the thing out, etc, but every time I put it back together it barely runs above idle and chokes out when you actually mow grass?

Any thoughts? We also replaced the spark plug and put high test gas in it?

Do these small mowers have fuel filters? This is like a $250 Toro..


----------



## MA_PE (Jul 27, 2016)

would be better to take an overall picture with and without the cover. 

Does this mower have a regular throttle lever of just a run/stop button?  If it's run/stop when you reinstall the cover does the plastic cover hit any linkage (i.e. the wire in the picture?  I wondering if the cover is restricting movement of the throttle which is likely controlled by a governor


----------



## Supe (Jul 27, 2016)

Have you replaced the air filter?  Could also be running rich, too.


----------



## Road Guy (Jul 27, 2016)

Can do when I get home.(pics)

and it just sort of started acting sluggish so we didn't take the cover off until after the problem started, it doesn't look like anything is constricted, its almost like it isn't getting enough air?

We first put better gas, then plugs, then air filter, and that when I tried starting it without the air filter "box" on it and noticed it runs like a champ without it on


----------



## Supe (Jul 27, 2016)

So is it a new air filter, or did it just look fine/blew out the original?  The filters can look clean but become clogged with fuel and oil residue.


----------



## Road Guy (Jul 27, 2016)

yes what's on it now is new &amp; it was still barely running- So I don't think it was the air filter, but something is restricting either gas or air?

There is a tube that runs from the gas tank to what looks like a fuel filter but I don't see any way to disassemble it. But there are two nuts on the bottom of it I was going to try and loosed to see if maybe there is some junk in there to let drain out?


----------



## matt267 PE (Jul 27, 2016)

The carb could need a cleaning (you can thank ethanol for that). Try adding carb cleaner to the gas tank and run it.


----------



## Supe (Jul 27, 2016)

Road Guy said:


> yes what's on it now is new &amp; it was still barely running- So I don't think it was the air filter, but something is restricting either gas or air?
> 
> There is a tube that runs from the gas tank to what looks like a fuel filter but I don't see any way to disassemble it. But there are two nuts on the bottom of it I was going to try and loosed to see if maybe there is some junk in there to let drain out?


If it were fuel filter, it wouldn't be running fine with the air cleaner off.  The air cleaner will always offer up some restriction, usually accounted for in the factory carb calibration.  Likely some junk causing the float to stick or needle/seat issues that's just on the verge of being either too fat or too lean to run with the air cleaner assembly on.  Possibly choke being hung up?


----------



## Ship Wreck PE (Jul 28, 2016)

Sounds like your jets are stopped up. You need to disassemble the bottom of carb and poke small wire thru holes. Cutting torch tip cleaners work well or pull a wire out of wire brush.


----------



## jeb6294 (Jul 28, 2016)

A lot of times the fuel filter is nothing more than a small filter in the tank stuck on the end of the fuel line. 

Mine still runs but I have to leave the choke on. I took the carb off to clean it and didn't have a new gasket so I had to re-use the old one. I believe mine is getting enough air through the crappy gasket that it needs to be choked. Might want to check the gasket if you're taking the carb off to clean it.


----------



## DuckFlats (Jul 28, 2016)

If you have trouble finding the right gasket, there is a liquid gasket you can buy. Just make sure to use gasket remover to get all that old crap off. I used it on my boat motor and it worked fine.


----------



## Road Guy (Jul 28, 2016)

so got an email from my 16 year old, said he "flushed" the carb with the garden hose and now its working fine!  ? :huh:


----------



## matt267 PE (Jul 28, 2016)

Road Guy said:


> so got an email from my 16 year old, said he "flushed" the carb with the garden hose and now its working fine!  ? :huh:


nice....


----------



## DuckFlats (Jul 28, 2016)

Road Guy said:


> so got an email from my 16 year old, said he "flushed" the carb with the garden hose and now its working fine!  ? :huh:


Was the garden hose full of acetone?


----------



## Road Guy (Jul 29, 2016)

he was trying to fix while I was at work, guess hitting it with the hose from the outside worked for one lawn, then went back to not working as well..

 before I got home he had researched how to clean the carb on "youtube" and took it apart, then left to go to a friends house without putting it back together again!

So now its still sitting in little buckets inside the garage, not many pieces, but I guess this is a good learning experience for him..


----------



## knight1fox3 (Jul 29, 2016)

I remember our lawnmower project in shop class. To completely dismantle and re-assemble.  It was fun and definitely a good learning experience.


----------



## DuckFlats (Jul 29, 2016)

knight1fox3 said:


> I remember our lawnmower project in shop class. To completely dismantle and re-assemble.  It was fun and definitely a good learning experience.


I wish they required that type of stuff when I had shop class. I was lucky to have my dad teach me some basics, along with trial and error on my own. I'd be surprised if half the people my age could even figure out how to start a mower...


----------



## Road Guy (Jul 29, 2016)

They just call someone to mow their lawns probably...

My kids middle school had wood shop- supposedly it was the last one in the state, but they all really enjoyed it...when the teacher retires they are no longer going to offer it...

My older son has gotten more interested since he has been driving... I had him change the oil and will do the plugs before winter...

His car battery died last week while I was at work and he was able to figure out how to replace that on his own. I was a little impressed...


----------



## Ship Wreck PE (Jul 29, 2016)

Send pic of broken down carb


----------



## Ble_PE (Jul 29, 2016)

Ship Wreck PE said:


> Send pic of broken down carb


Dude, keep your fetishes to yourself.


----------



## Dleg (Aug 1, 2016)

I've got a carburetor sitting on my workbench now, waiting for me to clean it.  It's from a used 4-stroke Troybilt weedeater I bought recently from a friend who was moving away.  The gas tank had a bunch of dirt in it, maybe from the filter on the end of the hose, which looked like it had rusted away (??) and then just broke off the plastic fuel hose. I'm going to try to find another, but in the mean time I figured it would be fun to take apart the carburetor, in the name of thoroughly cleaning it.


----------



## Road Guy (Aug 1, 2016)

well we both took the carb apart a few times and no dice.. just said to hell with it and bought a fucking Honda (I am sorry Grandfather).....

Haven't used the Home Depot no interest if you pay it off in a year card yet so I got the $599 one with the fuel shut off and the electric start..

our POS Toro was on its 3rd year and for the last 4 months my son has been mowing 10-12 yards a week, maybe that is just the life expectancy  of one of those..

I made jr kick in $100 bucks since he is the one that pushed it to an early grave..


----------



## MA_PE (Aug 2, 2016)

I have not had luck rebuilding carbs for small motors.  A new carb bolt on is like $50 so I just replace the whole thing.


----------



## Supe (May 1, 2017)

Just pulled the trigger on an Echo SRM 225 weed whacker.  We'll see how it does.  Husqvarna lasted 6 years, but won't idle/go WOT anymore.  Carb is fouled, primer bulb is toast, clutch is sticking, and I HATE the small line and shitty bump feed on it.  .095" line with easy spool bump head, here I come!


----------



## kevo_55 (May 1, 2017)

Damn, that thing could take out an arm!!


----------



## Supe (May 1, 2017)

kevo_55 said:


> Damn, that thing could take out an arm!!


The one I have now uses .080 line, and I HATE it.  My property has an aluminum wrought iron-looking fence, and the fence posts destroy the line to where I have to bump every 4-5 feet just about.  Lattice around the shed tears it up too.  Not anymore!

It was between the Echo and the Stihl model 56, but the Echo had killer ratings, a better bump feed system, and 5 year warranty vs. 2.  

My Honda mower is still running without a hitch.  It really doesn't like 87 octane, though.  Cheap shit makes it a bit harder to start, and it would want to die occasionally when the blade would engage with grass under it.  Put in the ethanol free 89, and it's like a whole new machine.


----------



## Dleg (May 1, 2017)

^I'll be interested to see how easy my Honda mower is to start this spring, after sitting at -40 all winter.

I'm interested in trying one of the newer rechargeable string trimmers.  I hate hauling around those noisy gas-powered ones, plus mine is sitting disassembled on my bench right now in need of new fuel line, primer bulb, etc..  It seems like battery power and life have increased to the point now with those things that i could do my whole lawn in one charge.  No noise, no cords.  Sounds good to me.


----------



## P-E (May 1, 2017)

My lawnmower starts but the cord recoils very slowly.  I'm assuming either the spring is bad or it needs grease.  Anyone have this happen?


----------



## Supe (May 2, 2017)

P-E said:


> My lawnmower starts but the cord recoils very slowly.  I'm assuming either the spring is bad or it needs grease.  Anyone have this happen?


May just need to be cleaned and regreased.  There's usually a fairly health dose of grease in there to begin with, and it can cake up with crap over time.


----------



## youngmotivatedengineer (May 2, 2017)

P-E said:


> My lawnmower starts but the cord recoils very slowly.  I'm assuming either the spring is bad or it needs grease.  Anyone have this happen?


Be careful if it snaps. I had a cord snap and when trying to replace it 2 bolts of the housing got destroyed. 1 snapped in half and the other had the threads damaged so that no matter how much you turned it, it would never tighten. Ended up just replacing it with an electric mower.


----------



## MA_PE (May 2, 2017)

P-E said:


> My lawnmower starts but the cord recoils very slowly.  I'm assuming either the spring is bad or it needs grease.  Anyone have this happen?


both reasonable assumptions.  Did you try the quick and dirty approach of spraying it with WD-40?


----------



## jeb6294 (May 3, 2017)

Dleg said:


> ^I'll be interested to see how easy my Honda mower is to start this spring, after sitting at -40 all winter.
> 
> I'm interested in trying one of the newer rechargeable string trimmers.  I hate hauling around those noisy gas-powered ones, plus mine is sitting disassembled on my bench right now in need of new fuel line, primer bulb, etc..  It seems like battery power and life have increased to the point now with those things that i could do my whole lawn in one charge.  No noise, no cords.  Sounds good to me.


I've got a 18V Ryobi trimmer I really like.  I already had the Ryobi batteries cause of my cordless tools so adding the trimmer was only like $40 (to get one without batteries).  Obviously not as powerful as a gas trimmer, but it is infinitely more convenient...just plug a battery and go...and it works well for basic trimming and edging.


----------



## Ble_PE (May 3, 2017)

Since I'm probably going to be a homeowner again soon, I'm going to have to read up on this stuff again.


----------



## Dleg (May 3, 2017)

jeb6294 said:


> I've got a 18V Ryobi trimmer I really like.  I already had the Ryobi batteries cause of my cordless tools so adding the trimmer was only like $40 (to get one without batteries).  Obviously not as powerful as a gas trimmer, but it is infinitely more convenient...just plug a battery and go...and it works well for basic trimming and edging.


I've been wanting to buy a Makita for the same reasons - I am already invested in their cordless tools, but I need the larger capacity batteries for the string trimmer and nowadays no one will ship anything with lithium batteries to AK.... I just need to go to the local Makita dealers and ask them to order that particular kit (costs way too much to buy the trimmer and batteries separate).  My trimming duties take all of 20 minutes, so going cordless would knock down the time I spend on it by at least a third - more than enough to enjoy an extra beer when I'm finished.


----------



## MA_PE (May 3, 2017)

didn't Makita get bought by someone and their quailty has dropped substantially (like most of the good tool brands)?


----------



## Dleg (May 3, 2017)

I don't know.  I hope not?


----------



## Road Guy (May 3, 2017)

don't you have a teenager?


----------



## jeb6294 (May 4, 2017)

When I got my Ryobi trimmer I almost got the standard version that came with the battery and charger because the difference in cost wasn't that 'yuge so I figured, if anything, I'd have one more battery to use with all my Ryobi stuff.  I think I ended up finding my trimmer w/o the battery on eBay ridiculously cheap, which is why I got it sans battery.

I have to admit, I find myself keeping up with the trimming and edging a lot more than I used to_ _with the cordless trimmer because it's so easy.


----------



## Dleg (May 4, 2017)

Road Guy said:


> don't you have a teenager?


The Army hasn't turned her into a man yet.


----------



## Supe (May 8, 2017)

Test drove the new Echo trimmer yesterday.  Amazing how substantial the thing feels compared to the Husqvarna it replaced.  Only bumped the head twice for the whole yard, whereas I used to bump every few feet.  The trimmer is well balanced so it feels lighter than it is, and has a buttload of power.  Sounds like a Vance and Hines HD engine compared to the old one.  Well worth the bucks, when you consider its only about $40 more than the turd it replaced.


----------



## User1 (May 15, 2017)

fun story. just moved in a couple weeks ago. have a push mower ((wo)man powered) and just recently got a weed wacker which honestly i could probably just mow my lawn with that it's so small.

anyway i was setting up my new tool and the neighbor came over and mowed my lawn for me ♥ took him about 60 seconds, including coming to my lawn from his, but stilllll hit the jackpot on neighbors.


----------



## Supe (May 15, 2017)

F*cking Honda started misfiring yesterday.  Suspect the carb is buggered with sticking float or needle, since there was some fuel in the air cleaner housing.  Starts fine, idles fine, cuts fine, but then every minute or so would just "shut off" for a split second and then catch itself and keep going.  Did it more when it was allowed to cool down, less when brought back up to temp.  Gas is fresh and ethanol free, plug looked perfect, blew out air cleaner to no avail.


----------



## Master slacker (May 15, 2017)

Halfway through May and I still haven't cut the grass... or edged... or picked up sticks... or weeded...


----------



## MA_PE (May 15, 2017)

Master slacker said:


> Halfway through May and I still haven't cut the grass... or edged... or picked up sticks... or weeded...


I;m in that camp too.  Most weekends have been rainy and then out of a complete lack of desire to rake/spring clean-up I called the landscaper to come and do it.  Still waiting for his visit.


----------



## kevo_55 (May 15, 2017)

1st time cutting the grass this season. I even sprayed for weeds.

Ever notice that the expensive weed killer does such a better job than those cheap ones?


----------



## Dleg (May 15, 2017)

My grass is still brown - it's only  been about a week since the last bit of snow melted in the shady parts.


----------



## Supe (May 15, 2017)

Mine's been growing uncontrollably since February.  If you miss one week, you're usually talking about cutting +-5" off at the next go around.


----------



## Wolverine (May 15, 2017)

Many moons ago I boasted of the indestructible awesomeness of my Tecumseh powered Murray that I bought at Service Merchandise in 1994.  The mower outlived the store.  This mower survived four houses, a couple of teenagers, one marriage, and never quit.  This mower went bravely into conditions that would make you say "Dear God Man, have some MERCY on that mower!" and it never quit, never died, never gave up being awesome.

Oh no, no, no, it didn't finally die.  But now too many pieces have fallen off of it and I got tired of having to wrap a rubber bungee around the engine to hold the throttle open every time I mowed.

So a friend gave me her "broken" mower.  $12.51 worth of parts later, and bazinga!, new mower.

Old mower has been retired out back under the deck to rust away in peace.  Good mower.


----------



## knight1fox3 (May 15, 2017)

kevo_55 said:


> Ever notice that the expensive weed killer does such a better job than those cheap ones?


I was just thinking that the other weekend. I like how the sprayers are now powered too. :thumbs:


----------



## MA_PE (May 15, 2017)

Wolverine said:


> Many moons ago I boasted of the indestructible awesomeness of my Tecumseh powered Murray that I bought at Service Merchandise in 1994.  The mower outlived the store.  This mower survived four houses, a couple of teenagers, one marriage, and never quit.  This mower went bravely into conditions that would make you say "Dear God Man, have some MERCY on that mower!" and it never quit, never died, never gave up being awesome.
> 
> Oh no, no, no, it didn't finally die.  But now too many pieces have fallen off of it and I got tired of having to wrap a rubber bungee around the engine to hold the throttle open every time I mowed.
> 
> ...


My neighbor is moving in  couple of weeks.  He's giving me his mower.  I too will retire my trust craftsman with the "ding toed" front wheels.  He won't rust out back though.  There's a guy on our local "freecycle" group that constantly posts looking for running gas-powered anythings.  I'm sure he'll come and take it away.


----------



## jeb6294 (May 16, 2017)

knight1fox3 said:


> I was just thinking that the other weekend. I like how the sprayers are now powered too. :thumbs:


I'm not sure what kind of pressure the pump up sprayers work at, but I always though it would be nice if they had valves so you could pressurize them with an air compressor.

The in-laws were getting a new mower so they offered to sell us their "old" one. Zero turn John Deere that was only a couple years old. Would have been nice, but as I was bouncing around the backyard whacking away on roots and branches, I'm glad we didn't get it because it would have too nice for that kind of abuse.


----------



## jeb6294 (Sep 6, 2017)

Well, I think the old Yardman may have finally mowed its last.  The motor still runs fine, but something happened in the middle of mowing a couple weeks ago and it quit moving.  I think the wife was tired of hearing the cursing every time I had to fix it, and she's started a new job not too long ago, so she told me to just go get a new one.  So meet the newest member of the family:







Did tons of research and found out the new Cub Cadets are doing really well.  I went ahead and got the GT50 (garden tractor w/ 50" deck) since it comes with the beefier transmission.  Honestly way more than I need for our yard, but I'm thinking the bigger transmission will do a better job of staying alive on the hills in the back yard.  Not a zero-turn, but it's pretty darn close, especially compared to the old mower.

I'll still see if I can't get the old one running again.  Either leave the mower deck off of it and use it for a beater yard tractor to pull the cart around or stick it on Craigslist and try and get $100 for it.


----------



## knight1fox3 (Sep 6, 2017)

jeb6294 said:


> Well, I think the old Yardman may have finally mowed its last.  The motor still runs fine, but something happened in the middle of mowing a couple weeks ago and it quit moving.  I think the wife was tired of hearing the cursing every time I had to fix it, and she's started a new job not too long ago, so she told me to just go get a new one.  So meet the newest member of the family:
> 
> Did tons of research and found out the new Cub Cadets are doing really well.  I went ahead and got the GT50 (garden tractor w/ 50" deck) since it comes with the beefier transmission.  Honestly way more than I need for our yard, but I'm thinking the bigger transmission will do a better job of staying alive on the hills in the back yard.  Not a zero-turn, but it's pretty darn close, especially compared to the old mower.
> 
> I'll still see if I can't get the old one running again.  Either leave the mower deck off of it and use it for a beater yard tractor to pull the cart around or stick it on Craigslist and try and get $100 for it.


How much did that run you?


----------



## kevo_55 (Sep 6, 2017)

I hope that you got an end of the season deal on it.


----------



## jeb6294 (Sep 6, 2017)

Usually it's $2,699 but I'm actually fighting Home Depot about it.  It was marked down 10% at Tractor Supply and then I get another 10% military discount at HD.  Should have gotten me down to $2,186.  The store I was at said I could do one or the other.  Checked the HD policy for the military discount and didn't see anything that says I couldn't have used it so I disputed the difference.  I would have gone right to HD, but I'd rather get the $$$ credited back to my account rather than a $300 gift card.


----------



## P-E (Nov 29, 2018)

[No message]


----------



## jeb6294 (Nov 30, 2018)

If he'd have just left the deck on the rider, he could have mowed the whole lawn in the amount of time it took him just to hook that whole contraption up.  Probably took 8 gallons of gas to do it that way too.


----------

