Random observations from your day

[Gopher Gary]

...and they obviously love country music. 

My upbringing gave me a strange affinity for the redneck peoples and their native music.  In some indescribable way I like it, even though I never personally choose to listen to it. 

[Parts]

Someone knocked my passenger side mirror out of alignment

[Icequeen]

The neighbors hired a new lawn crew...and the guy has absolutely no skill backing up a truck with a trailer on the back.

First he jackknifed it, then he landed in one neighbors flower bed, then he almost ripped out the wire on the pole, almost hit the shed, and ran into my pampas grass.

SO suggested half way through this 20 minute mess that I offer to back the truck up for him.

Yeah...right.  Nothing like having your ass handed to you by a short, little 50 yr old woman in front of your two teenage sons. I hid.

[odeon]

I'm so glad I don't have any neighbours close by.

[Queen Victoria]

I don't have the upper body strength to start the lawnmower.  Guess I'll have to find the $ to have it mowed.

[Phoenix]

I don't have the upper body strength to start the lawnmower.  Guess I'll have to find the $ to have it mowed.

Is there a local high school student who is dependable enough to do it? That would cost far less than having an actual lawn crew.

[Icequeen]

I don't have the upper body strength to start the lawnmower.  Guess I'll have to find the $ to have it mowed.

Is there a local high school student who is dependable enough to do it? That would cost far less than having an actual lawn crew.

That's a good route if you can find one.

...or consider going electric if the yard is tiny, self-propelled gas with electric start is also nice but takes more maintenance.

You primed it well?

Even the behemoth 6.5 hp I keep running for SO to use at the bar starts on the first pull here. But the bigger the motor the harder the pull...and they take time every year to make sure they do start on the first pull. If I could get away with an electric one I would.

[Icequeen]

...another thing I do often, because I'm a short little shit. Take it on a nice level area where it rolls well or a very slight grade, push away on the handle as you pull the rope, just don't let go. Let the weight of the mower help you pull the cord.

My old Honda doesn't require you to hold the handle when you start it since it has a blade clutch, and has a step on the deck for leverage.

[Pyraxis]

What does it mean to prime a lawnmower well? I'm going to have to be figuring out these things very soon.

[Phoenix]

The pups limp is back in a huge way and it's worrisome.

[Icequeen]

What does it mean to prime a lawnmower well? I'm going to have to be figuring out these things very soon.

Most push mowers now have engines from briggs & stratton.

It's a simple durable engine that can take alot of abuse.

Check the gas, check the oil, run the hell out of them.

Check oil on level with the motor off and the engine cold.


Depending on the engine it will be a plastic one like above or a metal one. Keep it between full and min on the stick don't go over, wipe it off, thread it in, take it out again and check. Normally most take 30 weight oil. 10/30 works, and it's not the end of the world if you dump 5/30 in there either. Just make sure it has oil.


You will see a red primer button/bulb (sometimes they are black with a red band on on the side) on the front or side of the carb just below the air cleaner. Normally you push this in slowly with your thumb around 3x before trying to start it to get the gas up in the carb...some are greedy little shits that want 5x (there should be a little sticker just below it or near it saying how many times to push it in).



Just about all have an engine brake now where you need to hold the bale/squeeze it together to the handle to engage the blade before you pull the cord to start them.



This shuts off the engine and kills the blade if you slip on a hill and the mower comes back at you. You won't be able to pull the cord if you don't hold the bale.

#1 Prime, #2 squeeze the bale, #3 pull...#4 pull again,  #5 cuss and give it 1 more prime if it's being an asshole. Repeat #4 as needed, until you either start the little SOB, smell gas (it's flooded, go have coffee and let it sit for an hour), you pass out, or a neighbor offers to start it. 

Well maintained they usually start in at least 3 pulls. Not many people have time for that though, I'm up to my ears in mowers right now with another one sitting in the back of the truck now that was just tossed to the curb this evening.

[odeon]

^Ours is one of the best they made, ever. Starts on the first pull every time. It's an awesome little engine.

[Icequeen]

^Ours is one of the best they made, ever. Starts on the first pull every time. It's an awesome little engine.

Mine too. With the exception of the Honda (SO hit the sidewalk with it)...which takes a couple of tries. Still it's going on 30 yrs old. The decks usually rot out before the engine quits.

The 6.75 I curbed in the fall and rebuilt the carb on this spring sat under 5ft of flood water at the bar. Drained everything, changed and dried everything...one pull.

[odeon]

Imagine where we would all be if their engineers had worked at NASA or participated in fusion power research.

[Phoenix]

Mosquitoes like my ankles.