Gentlemen, start your mowers!

[Wilhelm]

This winter sucks....

 

[chipper1]

This winter sucks....

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We just had spring arrive here lol.

 

[Wilhelm]

We just had spring arrive here lol.
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We kinda fast forwarded through winter and seem to have skipped spring!

 

[chipper1]

We kinda fast forwarded through winter and seem to have skipped spring!

We just finished false spring and went back to winter, the next spring we enter this week should be the real one, but we are still subject to the possibility of a last winter tease.
Won't be long before the exmark gets broke out. I should get after a few things on it, but I'm trying to stay focused on getting my round pile split. I lost my concentration today and dropped a couple more trees that needed to go since the temps were 18f this morning and the ground was frozen lol.

 

[nbbt]

If I didn't know better datewise, I would have guessed that this is a weather April 1st day joke.

 

[JKNW]

Sun came out for a couple days so I went and picked up these free mowers a co-worker has been bugging me to take. My new place has enough yard to justify a rider but I'm not in the habit of paying money for lawn mowers.

Craftsman was a non runner, needed the valves set, a starter solenoid and some misc deck parts, she'll be ready to cut if the rain ever lets up. Oh, had to replace the cheapo off-shore carb with another cheapo off-shore carburetor too. The Deere has no deck and he started taking the carb off and lost a good portion of the linkage and the governor spring somehow. Bought what I could, I'll make the rest and use it to drag stuff around the yard if I don't find a deck. Hood is hammered like every other one of these series I see but I think I can make it presentable with the plastic welder. The loyal ol' Snapper push mower will still have to come out and get all the parts of the yard I can't reach with a rider.

 

[FergusonTO35]

If that Craftsman is an older AYP machine you'll find it mows quite well. Worst problem I'm having is the damned mole tunnels. I have two dogs and three cats that kill everything except moles, go figger.

 

[bucketofguts]

!985 John Deer Owan 318 just needed to pull the gas to fill the filter, you can watch it, and we mowing the grass on high for the first time.

 

[chipper1]

If that Craftsman is an older AYP machine you'll find it mows quite well. Worst problem I'm having is the damned mole tunnels. I have two dogs and three cats that kill everything except moles, go figger.

You need at least two traps to get them under control quickly.
Roll the tunnels down in the evening and go out in the morning to find which ones are their main runs, set a couple traps on them and come back that evening and toss the bodies and then do the same thing again.
If you're having a problem with them getting past the traps, post a picture of the style traps you have an I'll walk you through what helps.

 

[chipper1]

If I didn't know better datewise, I would have guessed that this is a weather April 1st day joke.

I've seen a ft of snow hit the ground here in west MI in the beginning of April. It ain't over, til it's over.

 

[FergusonTO35]

You need at least two traps to get them under control quickly.
Roll the tunnels down in the evening and go out in the morning to find which ones are their main runs, set a couple traps on them and come back that evening and toss the bodies and then do the same thing again.
If you're having a problem with them getting past the traps, post a picture of the style traps you have an I'll walk you through what helps.

Thanks, will do. Do poisons work?

 

[chipper1]

Thanks, will do. Do poisons work?

Not sure, I only use lead poison on vermin here, and borax for ants.
Caught this son of a gun in the barn the other day, it has the grace of the state, so off it went after showing the kids lol.

 

[JKNW]

If that Craftsman is an older AYP machine you'll find it mows quite well. Worst problem I'm having is the damned mole tunnels. I have two dogs and three cats that kill everything except moles, go figger.

Got enough dry weather to cut, hoopy ol Craftsman cuts pretty nice! Smoked like a train under load for the first couple laps of the back yard but it cleared out. I'm used to a hydrostat so it took a few minutes to remember I gotta slow down with the shifter but I'm very pleased for under 100 bucks.

 

[FergusonTO35]

Those 90's-2000's Craftsman's are really good, especially the gear drive ones. We had a 42 incher with a 19 horse B&S twin that was a lot more motor than it actually needed. It also had a surprisingly deep deck, I don't remember it ever clogging even on wet grass. That thing would go through patches of fresh thistle like they were nothing. Only thing is, it was thirsty. I honestly think it used more fuel than my four banger gas Ferguson tractor.

 

[AnthemBassMan]

Already had my three Lawn-Boys out running last month. Gonna have to let things dry out to mow after the monsoon that rolled through here yesterday. Luckily we didn’t get any flooding here, but people just south of us got hit pretty good. This pic is from last summer.
L8R,
Matt

 

[FergusonTO35]

Nice lineup you got there. I mow my back yard with three B&S powered pushers and it's an enjoyable workout. Front yard is almost two acres so I use the tractor for that.

Speaking of, I recently got a Walmart brand ("Hyper Tough", about the most ridiculous name imaginable) basic 20 incher with cheap 300 series motor in a pawn shop for 40 bux. Starts and runs great, and I'm genuinely shocked at how well it works. Cuts smooth and the discharge has never plugged once, even mowing the thick patches with the chute still in place. Will post a pic of all my pushers when I get a chance.

 

[LAWN BOY]

Nice lineup you got there. I mow my back yard with three B&S powered pushers and it's an enjoyable workout. Front yard is almost two acres so I use the tractor for that.

Speaking of, I recently got a Walmart brand ("Hyper Tough", about the most ridiculous name imaginable) basic 20 incher with cheap 300 series motor in a pawn shop for 40 bux. Starts and runs great, and I'm genuinely shocked at how well it works. Cuts smooth and the discharge has never plugged once, even mowing the thick patches with the chute still in place. Will post a pic of all my pushers when I get a chance.

My neighbor found one last summer for free on the curb, it still had the tag under the gas cap, the oil tube was missing. We had a compatible dipstick tube in hand, it works perfect.

 

[LAWN BOY]

Been starting stuff after winter hibernation.
-Custom 19.5hp Murray 42 inch rider mower: 3 weeks ago started 2nd attempt, ran perfect.
-3 yr old Cub Cadet WST 100, started 4th pull today, Smokey on initial start up due to engine design having it start at full throttle and I also went on too much of a slope with it one time minorly.
-older Honda HRR216 push mower: started 4th pull, ran perfect
-new Honda HRR216 push mower: started 4th pull, ran perfect
-14 year old Husq 128C: started after various pulls 2 weeks ago, ran OK
-3 year old Husq 150BT: started 4th pull 2 weeks ago, installed new fuel lines, runs pretty good
All operable chainsaws were started throughout the winter months, those are Senix CS4QL-L3, Shindaiwa 300, Homelite 150, Homelite 150. Homelite SX-135 Bandit, Homelite ST165, IH Cub Cadet 70, Allis Chalmers 610, JD S92, Stihl 020 AVP, McCulloch PM6, McCulloch PM610, Homelite EZ, Homelite EZ AO, Poulan 2175, Poulan Wood Shark, Poulan 76, Homelite 150, Makita 520i, Echo Kioritz 302, Echo Kioritz 451VL, JD30 all need work.