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So like father, like son, don't do any maintenance or upkeep on your equipment and trash it prematurely?
OK, then.
You would have to ask him as that was when i was a teen jean. We took them to Sears once a year for a go over rover. If you don't like it then come dig them out of the dump and redo them.
You would have to ask him as that was when i was a teen jean. We took them to Sears once a year for a go over rover. If you don't like it then come dig them out of the dump and redo them.
And this indeed is why America has moved to a use it, throw it away, buy a new one mentality. Its cheaper to buy a new one than it is to hire somebody to service/repair it. A trip to repair shop just for maintenance can be $100. Seriously? should be more like $25. I can do it myself so thats not really factor. Thanks to the Chinese and the internet, parts can be pretty cheap. Before internet when the dealers had parts market sown up, parts had gotten fairly expensive. I well remember the days of the $70 small engine carburetor. Yea, like I am paying $70 for a carb when I can buy new or good running mower for $100.... The Chinese sell perfectly fine NEW replacement carbs for $10 to $20..... cheaper than rebuild kit. The competition from the Chinese carbs has forced price of genuine carbs down, but Chinese carbs are fine IMHO. OEM carbs now also probably made in China, just paying for OEM name.
And yea my Yazoo is 60 to 70 years old, but its had several engines over the years. They originally tended to have a Clinton engine from era it was made. Yea go try to find parts for a Clinton.... Last one I tried to service some previous owner had literally welded flywheel to the crankshaft. Cause it was too inconvenient to go hunt down a new flywheel key I guess. Great short term thinking there... as points were under the flywheel. Had some little 3hp Tecumseh engine on it for a while. Too small and PITA to start. I found a commercial Briggs 5hp flathead used cheap and put on it. That lasted several years until somehow oil didnt get checked and it went to engine heaven. Went through couple clone engines. Ok mechanically but the plastic pieces go bad and not replaceable. And finally have the ten year old Honda GCV160 off some plastic throw away mower on it. Took me a while to figure out its quirks but once I did, its a one or two pull start with plenty power and remarkably quiet. It is by far my favorite that I have had on this mower. Well except the engine sets between large rear wheels on Yazoo and drives blade via a v-belt and this engine has no oil drain plug. Its not pleasant to try and tip the Yazoo over, can be very messy. But it runs so nice that I will deal with it. Last time took whole engine off the mower to change the oil.... GRRRR! These have been in production over 20 years and Honda still making and selling new ones so parts easy. Seriously why make an engine without an oil drain plug. To save 5cents during production???? I would gladly give extra $10 for a drain plug given the option. One would expect better from Honda. They also now have far more plastic than when first introduced. Damn bean counters trying to incrementally cheapen everything by fractions of a penny.
Push mowers are great for small lawns. Very quiet, no fumes, no fuel, no electricity required. And most people need more exercise, not less.
That said, if you use either a manual or electric mower, you can’t let the grass grow tall between mowings. If you buy a house with a lawn that was not regularly mowed, you can hire someone with a gas mower to cut it the first time. Then DIY with the manual one after that.
Another advantage is that any rocks that find their way onto the yard won’t get flung out violently.
Push mowers are great for small lawns. Very quiet, no fumes, no fuel, no electricity required. And most people need more exercise, not less.
That said, if you use either a manual or electric mower, you can’t let the grass grow tall between mowings. If you buy a house with a lawn that was not regularly mowed, you can hire someone with a gas mower to cut it the first time. Then DIY with the manual one after that.
Another advantage is that any rocks that find their way onto the yard won’t get flung out violently.
Sticks, leaves, and rocks are no friend to push REEL mower. They can jam the blade and reel wont spin until you stop and somehow unjam it. If your reel mower is sharp and its relatively small flat lawn, then its ok, store it in dry place and lubricate it. They arent maintenance free. Personally I think older heavier ones are better, but each to their own. Reel mowers were really intended for highly finished ultra maintained lawns. Not what most people in low rent district have. You can even buy a gasoline powered reel mower. The reel mower traditionally gave a very nice groomed look, better than you could get with a rotary mower.
I am not sure what deal with people and these supposed gasoline fumes are using. Yea if you got an old worn out oil burner that lays down a hazy blue smoke that makes mosquitoes run and hide, then yea. Or a really poorly maintained engine running rich.... But a well tuned gas mower in good condition doesnt particularly stink, no more than living in urban/suburban area with lot car traffic. You might get whiff of something when mower first started but thats about it. The smell of mown grass is much stronger. And no you dont want to run ANY engine in a closed space, they put out carbon monoxide and that will kill you. It however is odorless..... and harmless outdoors.
Now are ICE engines great for the planet, nope, but more from excessive human population all wanting to use them. Manufacturing of any kind also polluting. But not too many wanting to mow their lawn with a scythe. Actually given a choice, I would rather mow grass with a sharp scythe than a reel mower.
Not necessarily. My small yard is boarded in on every side by walls, barriers, gates, garden borders, etc. I can't go ten feet without running into an obstruction, so could never get the necessary momentum going for a manual mower. It's a pain even with a standard gas-powered one. Manual is practical only on a flat, barren surface.
Sticks, leaves, and rocks are no friend to push REEL mower. They can jam the blade and reel wont spin until you stop and somehow unjam it. If your reel mower is sharp and its relatively small flat lawn, then its ok, store it in dry place and lubricate it. They arent maintenance free. Personally I think older heavier ones are better, but each to their own. Reel mowers were really intended for highly finished ultra maintained lawns. Not what most people in low rent district have. You can even buy a gasoline powered reel mower. The reel mower traditionally gave a very nice groomed look, better than you could get with a rotary mower.
I am not sure what deal with people and these supposed gasoline fumes are using. Yea if you got an old worn out oil burner that lays down a hazy blue smoke that makes mosquitoes run and hide, then yea. Or a really poorly maintained engine running rich.... But a well tuned gas mower in good condition doesnt particularly stink, no more than living in urban/suburban area with lot car traffic. You might get whiff of something when mower first started but thats about it. The smell of mown grass is much stronger. And no you dont want to run ANY engine in a closed space, they put out carbon monoxide and that will kill you. It however is odorless..... and harmless outdoors.
Now are ICE engines great for the planet, nope, but more from excessive human population all wanting to use them. Manufacturing of any kind also polluting. But not too many wanting to mow their lawn with a scythe. Actually given a choice, I would rather mow grass with a sharp scythe than a reel mower.
Maybe you don't think they stink, but to me, they stink. Some people, such as myself, are highly sensitive to smells and noise. Cordless electric mower is a dream come true for me. Well worth the expense, even if I have to replace it every few years. My quality of life is important, to me.
Maybe you don't think they stink, but to me, they stink. Some people, such as myself, are highly sensitive to smells and noise. Cordless electric mower is a dream come true for me. Well worth the expense, even if I have to replace it every few years. My quality of life is important, to me.
Then I take it you live at end of a dead end road way out in boonies with zero car traffic anywhere close to your house, cause frankly even one car passing will put out far more fumes than a lawn mower. The more gas burned, the more combustion products out the tail pipe. Bigger engines tend to consume more fuel and emit more total combustion product.
I am not fond of noise, why I live out in boonies. But life is a compromise and an electric mower would never be practical on rough ground I mow. Its pretty much either choice of a gas mower or using a scythe.
Then I take it you live at end of a dead end road way out in boonies with zero car traffic anywhere close to your house, cause frankly even one car passing will put out far more fumes than a lawn mower. The more gas burned, the more combustion products out the tail pipe. Bigger engines tend to consume more fuel and emit more total combustion product.
I am not fond of noise, why I live out in boonies. But life is a compromiseand an electric mower would never be practical on rough ground I mow. Its pretty much either choice of a gas mower or using a scythe.
Why would you think that? I live on a very busy commercial road. A corner lot with a dead end street on the one side, but the dead end street leads to a concrete plant. lol
And since I have to live in a world of noise and smells I reduce my exposure wherever I can. And that means, for the purpose of this discussion, using an electric cordless mower. BECAUSE I am exposed to the noise and smells of traffic, this is one more way I can make my life a little easier.
Sure I'd like to live in the middle of nowhere too. But it wouldn't be practical for me.I have to work and cannot tolerate a commute.
I guess I sort of understand, your mower is the only noisy thing you have control of in your life.
I am just opposite. An hour of noise to cut the grass while not particularly pleasant, doesnt bother me like 24/7 traffic and city noises do. As I mentioned, it beats stepping on a hidden rattlesnake or copperhead or getting covered in ticks.
Its interesting, I live up on top of a big hill. In summer I get lot less noise and lot more privacy thanks to trees being leafed out. In winter I get all kinds of traffic noise from interstate hiway three miles away as the crow flies. Sound bounces around the hills.
Absolutely drives me nuts to have to be around other people that need radio/tv on 24/7. I used to have to work around people that needed loud music going in background to function. Best I could figure, they were trying to escape their own brain?? Bleh. Back when I was young and records were popular, I didnt want any. Yea about 15min of music, is my limit, it starts grating on my nerves, invading my space. I much prefer natural sounds to "human activity". Anymore I find driving a car unpleasant, but out in boonies, no alternative, but I can limit miles driven to absolute minimum, mostly just to go get groceries anymore. Just like electric mower isnt practical, neither is an electric car. Batteries age out and lose capacity whether used or not. And for me its not worth spending more than I need to just to make a statement. If anything I spend less to make a statement.
Even out in boonies, once in a while somebody thinks its great to shoot off couple hundred dollars of ammunition or fireworks. I guess they think "no rules" "yippie" and dont consider other people have to experience their noise too. At least its usually during waking hours. Think they would have whole neighborhood upset if they did it at 1am or something.
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