The Lawnmower Thread

[MA_PE]

Well, I have to offer thanks to the gods of B&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.

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]

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]

Well, I have to offer thanks to the gods of B&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.

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.

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]

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]

^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]

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

 

[knight1fox3]

^ works great for the bike when I store it.

I also use premium on all my small motor machines.

 

[MA_PE]

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]

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]

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

 

[Capt Worley PE]

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]

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]

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]

I really need to buy a riding lawnmower

 

[Capt Worley PE]

They see me rollin'

 

[Dexman PE PMP]

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]

^^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]

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]

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]

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.