On Tuesday, April 13, 2021 at 9:54:04 AM UTC-4, wrote:
On Tue, 13 Apr 2021 06:36:25 -0700 (PDT), TimR
wrote:
On Monday, April 12, 2021 at 8:49:28 PM UTC-4, wrote:
On M
The Surplus Center in Lincoln, NE sells engines.
https://www.surpluscenter.com/Engines/.
Also Home Depot, Lowes, and, Harbor Freight of course. NO idea if replacing just the engine
would be worth your time.I

It sounds like there are three ways to go. I just got my tax refund so I can afford to buy something good.

Anyway, I can buy electric, I can buy decent gas, or I can buy a new engine that fits.

I like my mower and of the three I'd prefer the engine solution, if the cost were reasonable and I could get an exact fit - my experience with exact replacements has been that I don't seem to understand the word "exact". It doesn't always mean unbolt the old one and bolt in the new one. Lots of times it means unbolt the old one and do a bunch of machining to make the new one work. If it matters, it's a Toro Recycler, 6.5 HP. I looked at some engine prices and they cost as much as a new mower, but i wasn't sure what engine would fit mine.

Corded electric? sounds good, but I know dragging that cord would get old. Electrics in general run from 3/4 HP up to about 1.3, and I'm not sure that will handle my grass, and rechargeable batteries have a lifespan. I like the idea of an electric but I'm leaning away. .

What brand of gas mower do lawn companies use? Or do they just wear them out in a year and replace anyway, so it doesnt matter?
The mowers the pros use cost as much as a small car. You can pay $5k+
for a used Grasshopper. It has nothing to do with what a guy who
spends an hour or two a week needs. These things run all day long 50
or 60 hours a week. Some are even diesels.
I would just find something with a Honda motor and it might outlive
your willingness to cut your own grass. 10-15 years is not unusual
tho.

I bought a Craftsman for $160 on Ebay. Some local guy had it listed, it was
brand new. That must be ten years ago, it still runs fine. The only thing that
failed was the drive engage. I took two screws off a plastic cover to expose
the belt and spring. The end of the spring had broken off, a cable tie fixed
it. It does need a new belt and front wheels at this point, but it's still usable.

Previous mower was a Honda. Their brilliant idea was an actual gear drive
transmission that had 3 speeds. The drive bushing on the transmission wore
out and it failed. It was unbelievably complicated to take apart, dozens of
pieces I put into two egg cartons. And a new tranny would have been $130
plus shipping. That's when I bought the Craftsman instead. The Craftsman
if you bought it at Sears would have been half the cost of the Honda.

The differences between the two:

Craftsman

Half the price
Noticeably more powerful
More noise
Simple belt slip design that gives variable speed and cheap to fix that

Honda
Much quieter
Composite deck that can't rust
Fixed 3 speeds, I never used any speed other than 3, $130 plus just for parts
if it fails. So the part that failed, I didn't even need.
Two blade mulching design that gave the smoothest, nicest cut and mulched
into very small pieces that disappeared better.

IMO that last part is the one reason to buy a Honda, if the new ones still have
that dual blade design. It was one blade over the other on the one shaft,
spaced about 1/2" apart, different shapes. It's the only thing I really miss.
Not that the Craftsman cuts badly, it's just the Honda was nicer cut than
any mower I've had.

On Wed, 14 Apr 2021 00:23:40 +1000, cantankerous trolling geezer Rodent
Speed, the auto-contradicting senile sociopath, blabbered, again:

FLUSH the trolling senile asshole's latest troll**** unread

00:23 in Australia??? And it's trolling time for you ALREADY?

Do you sociopathic swine really know NO SHAME AT ALL????

--
Keema Nam addressing nym-shifting senile Rodent:
"You are now exposed as a liar, as well as an ignorant troll."
"MID: .com"

On 4/12/21 11:06 AM, TimR wrote:
While mowing the yard yesterday the lawnmower made a clanging noise and quit.

Pulling the starter cord seems too easy now and I hear it spin longer than it should. And no, it doesn't start.

Should I give up on IC engines and buy an electric? I've certainly had my struggles with gas engines the past couple of years.

It's good to see that even after 30-35 posts, no one has made the
foolish comment about how an electric mower is better for the
environment than those nasty gasoline engines.

Where do those virtue-signaling Tesla and other electric car drivers
think all that extra electricity comes from to constantly recharge their
feel-good-mobile? The Energizer Bunny Fairy? Maybe from all those new
high capacity clean nuclear generating plants we've built?

--
Why is it that the people who want more government control over your
life are the same ones who want you to be disarmed?

On 4/13/2021 11:17 AM, Wade Garrett wrote:
On 4/12/21 11:06 AM, TimR wrote:
While mowing the yard yesterday the lawnmower made a clanging noise
and quit.

Pulling the starter cord seems too easy now and I hear it spin longer
than it should.Â* And no, it doesn't start.

Should I give up on IC engines and buy an electric?Â* I've certainly
had my struggles with gas engines the past couple of years.

It's good to see that even after 30-35 posts, no one has made the
foolish comment about how an electric mower is better for the
environment than those nasty gasoline engines.

Where do those virtue-signaling Tesla and other electric car drivers
think all that extra electricity comes from to constantly recharge their
feel-good-mobile? The Energizer Bunny Fairy? Maybe from all those new
high capacity clean nuclear generating plants we've built?


Speaking of which, after reading your post, I went to Facebook and this
popped up:

https://www.consumerreports.org/tool...Bo7ijc1fCXTNHA

I had opined in thread that I did not like small gas engines in part
because intermittent use and seasonal trouble like not starting when
first needed. Also there are things like having to put your clothes in
the hamper and taking a shower after getting all stunk up from something
like a gas powered leaf blower.

OTOH, I would never fall for that electric car crap.

On Wed, 14 Apr 2021 00:23:40 +1000, "Rod Speed"
wrote:



"TimR" wrote in message
...
On Monday, April 12, 2021 at 8:49:28 PM UTC-4, wrote:
On M
The Surplus Center in Lincoln, NE sells engines.
https://www.surpluscenter.com/Engines/.
Also Home Depot, Lowes, and, Harbor Freight of course. NO idea if
replacing just the engine
would be worth your time.I

It sounds like there are three ways to go. I just got my tax refund so I
can afford to buy something good.

Anyway, I can buy electric, I can buy decent gas, or I can buy a new
engine that fits.

I like my mower and of the three I'd prefer the engine solution, if the
cost were reasonable and I could get an exact fit - my experience with
exact replacements has been that I don't seem to understand the word
"exact". It doesn't always mean unbolt the old one and bolt in the new
one. Lots of times it means unbolt the old one and do a bunch of
machining to make the new one work. If it matters, it's a Toro Recycler,
6.5 HP. I looked at some engine prices and they cost as much as a new
mower, but i wasn't sure what engine would fit mine.

Corded electric? sounds good, but I know dragging that cord would get
old. Electrics in general run from 3/4 HP up to about 1.3, and I'm not
sure that will handle my grass, and rechargeable batteries have a
lifespan. I like the idea of an electric but I'm leaning away. .

What brand of gas mower do lawn companies use?

Or do they just wear them out in a year and replace anyway, so it doesnt
matter?

Yep, and you pay for that when you employ them. No skin off their nose when
it dies.

Actually it is a lot of skin off their nose. They lose a day, maybe
two and these guys are usually booked all day, up to 10 hours, 6 days
a week. If you start missing days, you lose customers. They still have
to pay their guys so it is money out of their pocket. That is why they
pay $8000-10,000 for a real mower.
I have 3 golf course superintendents and 2 lawn service owners here in
this neighborhood. I know a bit about how this stuff goes.

On 4/13/21 8:53 AM, wrote:

[snip]

I would just find something with a Honda motor and it might outlive
your willingness to cut your own grass. 10-15 years is not unusual
tho.

I've had my current mower (Honda motor) for 12 years now. Some people
claim they never last longer than 2-3 years. Maybe those don't ever
change the oil.

--
Mark Lloyd
http://notstupid.us/

"You can run from yourself, but you won't get far. Where ever you go,
there you are."

On 4/13/21 9:19 AM, trader_4 wrote:

[snip]

I think what you're saying is that you better have a small lawn. I could not
do mine on that run time and I don't have a really big one either. I guess you
could do it in two phases, but I bet it takes quite a while to recharge. And
now you have two charge cycles per cutting, which means the battery lasts
about half as long.

Maybe you could ave a second battery.

I saw my neighbor using a cordless leaf blower. It was quiet compared to
a gas one. But it also wasn't blowing anything like a gas one either. It would
be useless on my yard where I have lots of leaves.

I get leaves from a neighbor's trees (I think they are pin oaks). The
leaves are narrow, but thick and heavy. Not easy to rake or blow.

--
Mark Lloyd
http://notstupid.us/

"You can run from yourself, but you won't get far. Where ever you go,
there you are."

In article ,
says...

Actually it is a lot of skin off their nose. They lose a day, maybe
two and these guys are usually booked all day, up to 10 hours, 6 days
a week. If you start missing days, you lose customers. They still have
to pay their guys so it is money out of their pocket. That is why they
pay $8000-10,000 for a real mower.



I would say it is more like 10 to 20 thousand for the 'real mower'. I
just bought a JD x590 for about $ 8000 on sale and I would still
classify it as a home owner mower. Even the next one up the x700 series
starting around $ 10,000 looked to me to be a home owner mower with the
possiable use to work a small ( say an acre or so) garden.

With the turn around time of a week to several weeks to get the mowers
repaired, the lawn services need a mower they can depend on and have it
serviced in the off seson months.

On 4/13/2021 1:11 PM, Ralph Mowery wrote:
In article ,
says...

Actually it is a lot of skin off their nose. They lose a day, maybe
two and these guys are usually booked all day, up to 10 hours, 6 days
a week. If you start missing days, you lose customers. They still have
to pay their guys so it is money out of their pocket. That is why they
pay $8000-10,000 for a real mower.



I would say it is more like 10 to 20 thousand for the 'real mower'. I
just bought a JD x590 for about $ 8000 on sale and I would still
classify it as a home owner mower. Even the next one up the x700 series
starting around $ 10,000 looked to me to be a home owner mower with the
possiable use to work a small ( say an acre or so) garden.

With the turn around time of a week to several weeks to get the mowers
repaired, the lawn services need a mower they can depend on and have it
serviced in the off seson months.




Mistake most of us make is not firing up equipment until it is needed.
Wait until grass needs cutting and find mower does not work and needs to
be taken to shop for repair is when you will find shop is up to it's
eyeballs with mowers needing repair and you may have to wait 3 weeks to
get yours repaired.

On 4/13/21 1:11 PM, Ralph Mowery wrote:
In article ,
says...

Actually it is a lot of skin off their nose. They lose a day, maybe
two and these guys are usually booked all day, up to 10 hours, 6 days
a week. If you start missing days, you lose customers. They still have
to pay their guys so it is money out of their pocket. That is why they
pay $8000-10,000 for a real mower.



I would say it is more like 10 to 20 thousand for the 'real mower'. I
just bought a JD x590 for about $ 8000 on sale and I would still
classify it as a home owner mower. Even the next one up the x700 series
starting around $ 10,000 looked to me to be a home owner mower with the
possiable use to work a small ( say an acre or so) garden.

With the turn around time of a week to several weeks to get the mowers
repaired, the lawn services need a mower they can depend on and have it
serviced in the off seson months.

For 10-20 thousand bucks, you can cover a whole lot of Mexican man hours
for cutting your grass for you......for he next 50 or so years, I'd
think ;-)

--
As much as Pooh missed Piglet, he really did enjoy that pulled pork sandwich

On Mon, 12 Apr 2021 16:51:58 -0700 (PDT), TimR posted for all of us to
digest...


On Monday, April 12, 2021 at 7:16:56 PM UTC-4, wrote:
On Mon, 12 Apr 2021 08:06:10 -0700 (PDT), TimR
wrote:
While mowing the yard yesterday the lawnmower made a clanging noise and quit.

Pulling the starter cord seems too easy now and I hear it spin longer than it should. And no, it doesn't start.

Should I give up on IC engines and buy an electric? I've certainly had my struggles with gas engines the past couple of years.
Take the plug out. Stick a pencil in the plug hole and see if you can
feel the piston moving when you rock it over with the blade (wear a
glove). If you have one of those politically correct mowers with the
blade disconnect pull on the rope slowly. Just be careful you don't
get it wedged and break it off. (why I don't suggest a screwdriver)

If the piston is moving Bob is probably right about a stuck valve,
valve spring popped off or you blew a hole in the top of the piston.
My guess is you are buying a new mower.

Thanks. That's what i was looking for, help with a diagnosis. I don't know small engines at all.

So I pulled the plug. The piston is only about half an inch inside the hole, and it doesn't move. If I spin the blade, the piston doesn''t move, if I pull on the rope slowly the blades spin but the piston doesn't move.

I didn't think I hit something. there was a repeated metallic clanging noise before it quit, like something was hitting metal on every cycle, before it quit. But is there any chance there's a safety spline on the shaft that let go? Or is this one dead and gone?

The last time I had one apart was about 20 years ago. I loaned it to the neighbor kid, and he brought it back broken. I took it apart to see, and (I don't know the right terms) there was a yoke type attachment on the end of a rod on the piston, and it was broken in several pieces.

This part is called a connecting rod. I believe your new problem is the
connecting rod or crankshaft from your description.

--
Tekkie

wrote
Rod Speed wrote
TimR wrote
wrote

On M
The Surplus Center in Lincoln, NE sells engines.
https://www.surpluscenter.com/Engines/.
Also Home Depot, Lowes, and, Harbor Freight of course. NO idea if
replacing just the engine
would be worth your time.I

It sounds like there are three ways to go. I just got my tax refund so
I
can afford to buy something good.

Anyway, I can buy electric, I can buy decent gas, or I can buy a new
engine that fits.

I like my mower and of the three I'd prefer the engine solution, if the
cost were reasonable and I could get an exact fit - my experience with
exact replacements has been that I don't seem to understand the word
"exact". It doesn't always mean unbolt the old one and bolt in the new
one. Lots of times it means unbolt the old one and do a bunch of
machining to make the new one work. If it matters, it's a Toro
Recycler,
6.5 HP. I looked at some engine prices and they cost as much as a new
mower, but i wasn't sure what engine would fit mine.

Corded electric? sounds good, but I know dragging that cord would get
old. Electrics in general run from 3/4 HP up to about 1.3, and I'm not
sure that will handle my grass, and rechargeable batteries have a
lifespan. I like the idea of an electric but I'm leaning away. .

What brand of gas mower do lawn companies use?

Or do they just wear them out in a year and replace anyway, so it doesnt
matter?

Yep, and you pay for that when you employ
them. No skin off their nose when it dies.

Actually it is a lot of skin off their nose.

Not if they are properly organised.

They lose a day, maybe two

Not if they keep the new one on hand and if they do replace them
every year or even if only it needs a fix at that rate, they should do
that. And presumably some sellers of them hire them out too.

and these guys are usually booked all
day, up to 10 hours, 6 days a week.

Don't believe that.

If you start missing days, you lose customers.

And if you are well organised, you don't miss days.

They still have to pay their guys

Again, not necessarily, plenty pay for work done.

so it is money out of their pocket. That is
why they pay $8000-10,000 for a real mower.

Still not big money for a commercial operation,
same sort of money as the truck they need too.

I have 3 golf course superintendents and 2 lawn service owners
here in this neighborhood. I know a bit about how this stuff goes.

But clearly don't have enough of a clue to organise things properly.

"Ralph Mowery" wrote in message
...
In article ,
says...

Actually it is a lot of skin off their nose. They lose a day, maybe
two and these guys are usually booked all day, up to 10 hours, 6 days
a week. If you start missing days, you lose customers. They still have
to pay their guys so it is money out of their pocket. That is why they
pay $8000-10,000 for a real mower.



I would say it is more like 10 to 20 thousand for the 'real mower'. I
just bought a JD x590 for about $ 8000 on sale and I would still
classify it as a home owner mower. Even the next one up the x700 series
starting around $ 10,000 looked to me to be a home owner mower with the
possiable use to work a small ( say an acre or so) garden.

With the turn around time of a week to several weeks to get the mowers
repaired, the lawn services need a mower they can depend on and have it
serviced in the off seson months.

Or don't spend as much and have the replacement ready for when its needed.

On Wed, 14 Apr 2021 06:27:27 +1000, cantankerous trolling geezer Rodent
Speed, the auto-contradicting senile sociopath, blabbered, again:

FLUSH troll**** unread

06:27??? So you HAVE been up and trolling ALL NIGHT LONG, yet again! And you
WILL be up and trolling ALL MORNING and ALL AFTERNOON and ALL EVENING, yet
again, you subnormal senile sociopathic swine!

--
Richard addressing senile Rodent Speed:
"**** you're thick/pathetic excuse for a troll."
MID:

On Tue, 13 Apr 2021 12:02:55 -0500, Mark Lloyd
wrote:

On 4/13/21 8:53 AM, wrote:

[snip]

I would just find something with a Honda motor and it might outlive
your willingness to cut your own grass. 10-15 years is not unusual
tho.

I've had my current mower (Honda motor) for 12 years now. Some people
claim they never last longer than 2-3 years. Maybe those don't ever
change the oil.

My Honda was bought in October of 2010. It is still a one pull mower
and I do worse than using it a lot. It sits months at a time without
being started ... full of E-10.
One great thing about this Honda is you can clean the main jet without
pulling the carb. I can run a tip cleaner up through the main jet just
by dropping the bowl.

On Tue, 13 Apr 2021 13:11:12 -0400, Ralph Mowery
wrote:

In article ,
says...

Actually it is a lot of skin off their nose. They lose a day, maybe
two and these guys are usually booked all day, up to 10 hours, 6 days
a week. If you start missing days, you lose customers. They still have
to pay their guys so it is money out of their pocket. That is why they
pay $8000-10,000 for a real mower.



I would say it is more like 10 to 20 thousand for the 'real mower'. I
just bought a JD x590 for about $ 8000 on sale and I would still
classify it as a home owner mower. Even the next one up the x700 series
starting around $ 10,000 looked to me to be a home owner mower with the
possiable use to work a small ( say an acre or so) garden.

With the turn around time of a week to several weeks to get the mowers
repaired, the lawn services need a mower they can depend on and have it
serviced in the off seson months.


We don't have an off season.

On Tue, 13 Apr 2021 15:18:40 -0400, Wade Garrett
wrote:

On 4/13/21 1:11 PM, Ralph Mowery wrote:
In article ,
says...

Actually it is a lot of skin off their nose. They lose a day, maybe
two and these guys are usually booked all day, up to 10 hours, 6 days
a week. If you start missing days, you lose customers. They still have
to pay their guys so it is money out of their pocket. That is why they
pay $8000-10,000 for a real mower.



I would say it is more like 10 to 20 thousand for the 'real mower'. I
just bought a JD x590 for about $ 8000 on sale and I would still
classify it as a home owner mower. Even the next one up the x700 series
starting around $ 10,000 looked to me to be a home owner mower with the
possiable use to work a small ( say an acre or so) garden.

With the turn around time of a week to several weeks to get the mowers
repaired, the lawn services need a mower they can depend on and have it
serviced in the off seson months.

For 10-20 thousand bucks, you can cover a whole lot of Mexican man hours
for cutting your grass for you......for he next 50 or so years, I'd
think ;-)

Typically the boss drives the big mower and the rest of the crew
blows, trims hedges and weed eats. We have a couple of crews in the
neighborhood who try to get several yards together so they can just
go. Sometime there is a deal to be had if they just want "one more" to
make it a day.
I did see the longest serving company go from one smoking old mower
and a couple of guys in a pickup to being a huge company with a ton of
new equipment and a bunch of guys. That guy is a businessman but he
still runs the big mower.
The guys who own lawn services here won't work here. The various trade
contractors are the same way. They say neighbors tend to be more
demanding and less likely to expect to pay the going rate.
It is not worth the hassle.

On Tue, 13 Apr 2021 12:02:55 -0500, Mark Lloyd
wrote:

On 4/13/21 8:53 AM, wrote:

[snip]

I would just find something with a Honda motor and it might outlive
your willingness to cut your own grass. 10-15 years is not unusual
tho.

I've had my current mower (Honda motor) for 12 years now. Some people
claim they never last longer than 2-3 years. Maybe those don't ever
change the oil.
I have a 1957 LawnKing with a Lauson engine that has not been apart
and still runs. I also have a '61 mower that I replaced the original
engine on about 6 or 7 yeares ago when the original high-hour Briggs
and Stratton seized a rod when I neglected to keep up with it's
appetite for engine oil. Also a real nice 1947 Iron Horse - all
original - but no idea how many hours of what kinf of use.

On 4/13/21 12:33 PM, Frank wrote:

[snip]

Mistake most of us make is not firing up equipment until it is needed.
Wait until grass needs cutting and find mower does not work and needs to
be taken to shop for repair is when you will find shop is up to it's
eyeballs with mowers needing repair and you may have to wait 3 weeks to
get yours repaired.

It's a mistake not to start he mower now when the grass'll need cutting
in a couple of weeks. Also, all 9-1-1 for the accident you'll have next
month.

On Wednesday, April 14, 2021 at 11:28:28 AM UTC-4, Sam E wrote:
On 4/13/21 12:33 PM, Frank wrote:

[snip]
Mistake most of us make is not firing up equipment until it is needed.
Wait until grass needs cutting and find mower does not work and needs to
be taken to shop for repair is when you will find shop is up to it's
eyeballs with mowers needing repair and you may have to wait 3 weeks to
get yours repaired.
It's a mistake not to start he mower now when the grass'll need cutting
in a couple of weeks. Also, all 9-1-1 for the accident you'll have next
month.

Nah. At the end of last season you changed the oil and plug and sharpened the blade, right? This year all you have to do is prime and pull.

On Wednesday, April 14, 2021 at 2:49:57 PM UTC-4, TimR wrote:
On Wednesday, April 14, 2021 at 11:28:28 AM UTC-4, Sam E wrote:
On 4/13/21 12:33 PM, Frank wrote:

[snip]
Mistake most of us make is not firing up equipment until it is needed.
Wait until grass needs cutting and find mower does not work and needs to
be taken to shop for repair is when you will find shop is up to it's
eyeballs with mowers needing repair and you may have to wait 3 weeks to
get yours repaired.
It's a mistake not to start he mower now when the grass'll need cutting
in a couple of weeks. Also, all 9-1-1 for the accident you'll have next
month.
Nah. At the end of last season you changed the oil and plug and sharpened the blade, right? This year all you have to do is prime and pull.


I stopped by the local higher end lawnmower sales and repair shop.

Toro push mowers start at around $350 and go up to about $500 for the steel deck, the other deck is a bit more.

But the one marked commercial, that otherwise looked like a pushmower, started at $1400. Hondas are around $600 or so now.

On 4/14/21 1:49 PM, TimR wrote:

[snip]

Nah. At the end of last season you changed the oil and plug and sharpened the blade, right? This year all you have to do is prime and pull.

That's what I did. I don't want one of those "zero maintenance" engines,
where "zero maintenance" means there's no way to change the oil.

--
Mark Lloyd
http://notstupid.us/

"The sense of spiritual relief which comes from rejecting the idea of
God as a supernatural being is enormous." [Julian Huxley]

On Tue, 13 Apr 2021 17:51:12 -0400, posted for all of us to
digest...


On Tue, 13 Apr 2021 12:02:55 -0500, Mark Lloyd
wrote:

On 4/13/21 8:53 AM, wrote:

[snip]

I would just find something with a Honda motor and it might outlive
your willingness to cut your own grass. 10-15 years is not unusual
tho.

I've had my current mower (Honda motor) for 12 years now. Some people
claim they never last longer than 2-3 years. Maybe those don't ever
change the oil.

My Honda was bought in October of 2010. It is still a one pull mower
and I do worse than using it a lot. It sits months at a time without
being started ... full of E-10.
One great thing about this Honda is you can clean the main jet without
pulling the carb. I can run a tip cleaner up through the main jet just
by dropping the bowl.

Do you have it attached to your Milwaukee Hole Hawg? 8-)

--
Tekkie

On Thursday, April 15, 2021 at 4:56:59 PM UTC-4, wrote:
On Tue, 13 Apr 2021 17:51:12 -0400, posted for all of us to
digest...


On Tue, 13 Apr 2021 12:02:55 -0500, Mark Lloyd
wrote:

On 4/13/21 8:53 AM, wrote:

[snip]

I would just find something with a Honda motor and it might outlive
your willingness to cut your own grass. 10-15 years is not unusual
tho.

I've had my current mower (Honda motor) for 12 years now. Some people
claim they never last longer than 2-3 years. Maybe those don't ever
change the oil.

My Honda was bought in October of 2010. It is still a one pull mower
and I do worse than using it a lot. It sits months at a time without
being started ... full of E-10.
One great thing about this Honda is you can clean the main jet without
pulling the carb. I can run a tip cleaner up through the main jet just
by dropping the bowl.
Do you have it attached to your Milwaukee Hole Hawg? 8-)

--
Tekkie

I ws thinking about that the other day. Why couldn't my lawnmower have a power takeoff so I could add a string trimmer attachment? At least it would be good for edging.

Probably cheaper to have separate tools, but seems like it could work.

On 4/12/2021 8:06 AM, TimR wrote:
While mowing the yard yesterday the lawnmower made a clanging noise and quit.

Pulling the starter cord seems too easy now and I hear it spin longer than it should. And no, it doesn't start.

Should I give up on IC engines and buy an electric? I've certainly had my struggles with gas engines the past couple of years.


You can always pick up one of hundreds of free mowers offered on
craiglist, freecycle, etc for a replacement motor.

Hi TimR, I just had a similar experience when I tried to get away with using gasoline left over in my container from last season. Neighbour heard my mower, "farting" and stopping so gave me some of his gasoline. He buys Shell with the Octane 91 which doesn't use ethanol, as most other brands do now. It worked its magic on my old gas in no time and I noticed my mower had more oomph than ever. Apparently, this is recommended by most lawn mower experts. The higher price for the little volume of higher octane gas used with a personal mower is more than offset with the cleaner engine burn resulting in very little required maintenance such as spark plug and air filter changes. Best of luck!

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For full context, visit https://www.homeownershub.com/mainte...l-3111169-.htm

On Saturday, April 17, 2021 at 8:45:07 PM UTC-4, Canuck wrote:
Hi TimR, I just had a similar experience when I tried to get away with using gasoline left over in my container from last season. Neighbour heard my mower, "farting" and stopping so gave me some of his gasoline. He buys Shell with the Octane 91 which doesn't use ethanol, as most other brands do now. It worked its magic on my old gas in no time and I noticed my mower had more oomph than ever. Apparently, this is recommended by most lawn mower experts. The higher price for the little volume of higher octane gas used with a personal mower is more than offset with the cleaner engine burn resulting in very little required maintenance such as spark plug and air filter changes. Best of luck!

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For full context, visit https://www.homeownershub.com/mainte...l-3111169-.htm

I bought a Honda. We will see how long it lasts - might outlast me, given my years. grin

The manual says use no more than 10% ethanol. So I'll keep with the ethanol free, even though it's a half hour drive to the only nearby gas station.

It has a gas line cut off so you can run the engine dry without draining the tank. Seems like a good feature that couldn't have added much cost.

The self propelled feature is pretty complicated. If anything goes on this it will be that.

On 4/26/21 9:17 AM, TimR wrote:
I bought a Honda. We will see how long it lasts - might outlast me, given my years. grin

The manual says use no more than 10% ethanol. So I'll keep with the ethanol free, even though it's a half hour drive to the only nearby gas station.

It has a gas line cut off so you can run the engine dry without draining the tank. Seems like a good feature that couldn't have added much cost.

The self propelled feature is pretty complicated. If anything goes on this it will be that.

Many years back, I sold the Honda self-propelled mower that I had been
using for at least a dozen years in the South (i.e., lengthy grass
cutting season).

I got just over half of what I had paid the Home Depot for it when it
was new. Sold it on Craigslist to a landscaper who said he had several
and they ran forever.

There was absolutely nothing wrong with it. I did the required annual
maintenance myself so I know it was in fact done- and done right. The
only extra work it ever needed was to clean gunk out of the carburetor
bowl and jets- and replace the tires which had hardened and started to wear.

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Why is it that the people who want more government control over your
life are the same ones who want you to be disarmed?

On Mon, 26 Apr 2021 13:05:21 -0400, Wade Garrett wrote:

On 4/26/21 9:17 AM, TimR wrote:
I bought a Honda. We will see how long it lasts - might outlast me, given my years. grin

The manual says use no more than 10% ethanol. So I'll keep with the ethanol free, even though it's a half hour drive to the only nearby gas station.

It has a gas line cut off so you can run the engine dry without draining the tank. Seems like a good feature that couldn't have added much cost.

The self propelled feature is pretty complicated. If anything goes on this it will be that.

Many years back, I sold the Honda self-propelled mower that I had been
using for at least a dozen years in the South (i.e., lengthy grass
cutting season).

I got just over half of what I had paid the Home Depot for it when it
was new. Sold it on Craigslist to a landscaper who said he had several
and they ran forever.

There was absolutely nothing wrong with it. I did the required annual
maintenance myself so I know it was in fact done- and done right. The
only extra work it ever needed was to clean gunk out of the carburetor
bowl and jets- and replace the tires which had hardened and started to wear.

I had a no-name Briggs & Stratton mower for 18-19 years and never checked,
let alone changed, the oil, nor did I do anything gas-related at the end of
the mowing season. The gas at the end of the season was the gas at the
beginning of the next season. I'd probably still be using it if my wife
hadn't hit a hidden tree stump that bent the crankshaft.

I replaced that with a Husqvarna that has a Honda engine. On that one, I
check if it has oil every spring, but I've never considered changing it,
and I still leave the gas in the tank over the winter. It starts on the
first pull and runs fine.

Someone has to serve as a bad example, so I figured it was my turn.