Lawn/power equipment talk

[yqtszhj]

For years I used a push mower and electric weed eater (with extension cords). I used that on our home lots ranging from as large as 1 1/3 acre to small as 1/4 acre. Our current place is about 1/2 acre. That was for about 20 years I did that.

About 4 years ago I had enough because that mower seemed to start getting heavier and heavier so I went all out. Bought a zero turn mower and gas weed eater (no more cords), and was given a gas edger. The zero turn I got on sale and with 48 months zero interest so it was a deal. The gas weed eater was a 2 stroke Stihl and only just over $100.

It all went well until this year (about the time I made the last mower installment.) The battery finally died and I had to replace it. It took a 350 CCA battery so it was about as much as a car battery. Have a leaky left rear tire so now I need to take a look at that because I have to add air about once a month. It’s about time for a transaxle oil change so that’s some more work. Still runs good though. Did get it stuck in the back yard this year after Noah’s flood this spring. Sunk right up to the axle. Also figured out not to ask the wife to help me get it unstuck. The zero turn handles were a little much for a first timer.

The edger wouldn’t start for anything. Ended up having to tear it apart and do a clean, buff, and polish on all the carburetor pieces. That took about 3 hours but it runs good now but I can tell it’s going to need an overhaul probably next year.

The Stihl weed eater ran good the first couple of cuttings this year then all of a sudden it wouldn’t idle then when it gets hot it keeps dying. Tore the carb apart on that and cleaned everything up good. All looked OK but still a problem. Tried adjusting it to no avail. Cleaned the spark arrestor too. When it gets hot it seems to be flooding regardless. Then I figured out all those little gaskets with what I’ll call plastic flappers have to be just right (Goldilocks not to hard not too soft) in order for the fuel to flow correctly. Then saw the parts were made in China.

Well, I saw last night given it’s made in China you can get a new carb, spark plug, fuel and air filters, fuel lines and extra primer bulbs all for only $18. Hopefully that will fix it.

I dont winterize anything, instead since it stays warm here I get stuff out and run it for a while to get it nice and hot every 2 weeks which always seems to to work well.

I remember when I was a kid there was never getting out of mowing the yard because the mower ALWAYS started and ran as long as there was gas. Where are the good old days?

As a side note, been looking at generators this year since I’m looking at some rural hide out property and they are expecting an active hurricane season this year. I’ve about decided to get dual fuel and use Propane since I have a 250 Gal. tank in the back yard. Maybe that will alleviate carb problems anyway. Always liked generators as we play with them at work all the time.

[Ed M]

Make sure you get gas without ethanol in it. Not always easy to find, but it beats the heck out of buying that expensive Trufuel stuff.

I fill a 5 gal can with the non-ethanol gas and put Stabil in it right away. I fill my 1 gal can from that and add 2 cycle oil for my trimmer/leaf blower/chainsaw. They all run 50:1 mix.

It's the added alcohol that kills the carbs and gaskets. Also kills the primer bulbs on the 2 stroke stuff.

I really like Honda mowers and Echo for everything else. My snowblower(s) are Honda, and I just bought a Wen generator from Home Depot.

Power equipment is cool.

[Bawanna]

I have an Echo Gas Weedeater that I've had for 30 years. Never done anything to it, about the same for my small Echo chainsaw. Had to tinker with it and have to prime it these days to get it to go but once it's going no problem.
The wife has a habit of just going out and buying a new thing if the old doesn't start. She tried to use my weedeater and it wouldn't start so she went and bought a piece of junk Cub Cadet or something. When I got home I started my weedeater for her on the first pull. She said the new one is lighter which it is, junk usually is lighter than quality.
She did the same with the push mower, it was a really good one, brand slipping my mind now but she went and got a new push mower, it's ok, not near as good as the old. I told her it just needed the carb cleaned. My son took it, cleaned the carb, even found a new rear bag for it and he's still using it today.

I think it was 3 years ago my Husqvarna riding mower developed a major oil leak, had it fixed once and a couple years later it started leaking again, got to where I'd just drain the oil after each mowing and then just pour it back in next time. Finally gave up and got a Cub Cadet Zero Turn, wanted a Bad Boy but the Cub is sweet, I'd never go back to a tractor mower again. Took a little getting used to and you have to remember not to wave at the neighbors if you don't have your hand on both handles or your gonna turn hard!

I keep meaning to add Stabil towards the end of the mowing season but seldom remember, a few friends go to a coop and run nothing but Ethanol free gas which I think is the real ticket. I've not really had any problems.

I'm a pretty strange duck in that I actually enjoy mowing, nobody knows I'm a derelict unless I run out of gas way out from the house and sit there waiting for somebody to bring me gas. I fill the tank without fail every time now, after I crawled about 75 yards that one time, don't want to go there again. Wasn't so bad on the grass but the gravel drive and then the cement floor where the chair was located was pure hell on the knees.

My big issue is the front and side of my acre are steeply sloped, so I'm trying to figure out a 4 wheel balancing like chair so I can keep the grass weed whacked down. Have to rely on my kids or neighbors. Don't much like relying on nobody.

[tokuno]

I've got a small Honda generator (2200i) to power the two refrigerators during outages, and the other small appliances (string trimmer, blower, chain saw) are Echo.
They've all run well, but a few months back the blower engine wouldn't turn over. Google told me it's the flywheel (the key in the hub strips out, and there's an embedded magnet for the ignition coil), and eBay found me one less outrageously-priced than retail.
It's back to running normally, but it seems like planned obsolescence (and that flywheel's too spendy to be replacing it instead of just buying a new blower), and it shook my confidence a bit in these little made-in-Japan engines, that I otherwise took for granted.
That said, if I had to replace any of them, I'd start with Echo.

[yqtszhj]

I have a gas station about 2 miles down the road that sells the ethanol free fuel which is nice. I like that idea about the 5 gallon can to the 1 gallon can idea too. I think I’ll try that.

My 2 grandfathers were opposite ends of the spectrum. One maintained everything in detail. He was a farmer when young and could do about anything. When he passed I got a lot of his tools and electric stuff like drills, skill saws, and the like. I got this hammer drill with bits where I can go through 12 inches of concrete. It’s cool stuff.

The other grandfather was a city guy, maintained nothing and ran everything to failure. I remember his lawnmowers looked like they came out of the junkyard (they probably did) and he never did anything but added gas. And the darn things started every time. They sat under a tarp all winter long in the snow and rain.

Ive looked at 2 generator sizes and am trying to decide. Both are portable I’d like the larger one I could plug into the house and run everything but the HVAC but even though portable with wheels is still a little over 200 lbs. and uses more fuel. The other one would be better in a remote area (rural hideout) at only about 100 lbs. and more fuel efficient. It’s also about only half the price. I may end up getting 2. The bigger one for the house and then if the hideout comes along getting the smaller one. I still think I like the gas/propane dual fuel option, particularly for the house.

back on the mower thing though, I inherited from city grandfather a new in box John Deere push mower that runs like a champ. Never had a single problem with it. Not sure if John Deere made it or not but it runs real good.

[dustnchips]

I'm with Ed M. I use ethenol free premium gas and add a staabilizer. I drain my trimmer and blower in the fall and run the carb dry. My motorcycle gets premium ethenol free and stabilizer the last couple oftank fulls. My lawn mowers get the same treatment as does my side by side. I have never had a problem with any of them. My chain saws get the premium ethenol free with stabilizer, but they do not get drained and run dry. They start fine to. Ethenol free premium is the solution. Also buying good equipment instead of the big box discount junk helps a lot.

[yqtszhj]

Sometimes I envy those with a cold season. Living pretty close to the gulf now I mowed in December then in Feb this past winter. I get winter weeds in the back yard that surpass summer growth some years. Particularly if it’s a wet warm winter. Front isn’t much better.

[getsome]

The trick to keeping any small engine running is ethanol free fuel so if you can buy it at the pump that's great but in my area it's hard to come by so I have to buy the cans at the depot but I don't use that much so I just buy a few cans of the 40:1 pre mix fuel for the 2 cycle stuff and drive a bit once a season to the QT that sells the acid free real gas and 5 gallons is good for the summer....What I want to know is why we have to put up with 10% alcohol gas and pay more for it unless it's only to keep the corn farmers wallets fat....There is no cost or energy saving reason at all to add ethanol to gasoline.....

Think about it for a minute, it takes diesel to plant and harvest the corn, more diesel to haul it by truck to the distillery where it takes massive amounts of natural gas to turn corn into white lightning which is pumped into tank cars which use more diesel to transport the alcohol by rail it to the petroleum refinery to be added to gasoline which we have to pay a premium price for a basically degraded product to fill up our tanks with.....I don't see any clear winner here but the farmers...

[I_Like_Turtles]

I use ethanol-free gasoline in my mowers.

[yqtszhj]

Think about it for a minute, it takes diesel to plant and harvest the corn, more diesel to haul it by truck to the distillery where it takes massive amounts of natural gas to turn corn into white lightning which is pumped into tank cars which use more diesel to transport the alcohol by rail it to the petroleum refinery to be added to gasoline which we have to pay a premium price for a basically degraded product to fill up our tanks with.....I don't see any clear winner here but the farmers...

Man that’s a good point. We need to start a movement that all distilled corn remains in its intended form...... White Lightening.

Will anyone second the motion?