Get off my LAWN! "Grumpy Old Farts"

[gtmalone]

No, just kidding around. Not angry in the least. Sorry if I led you to think that.

That was an apology.

I didn't think that for a minute. But an apology in this thread really ticks me off!

 

[Charlie Tango]

I didn't think that for a minute. But an apology in this thread really ticks me off!

Fine, I take it back. I didn't mean it, anyway.

 

[GonePlaid]

Fine, I take it back. I didn't mean it, anyway.

 

[1958Bassman]

Tell your friend "yes".

"Chuck Norris doesn't use a coffee maker, he puts the coffee beans in his mouth and boils them with his rage."

 

[1958Bassman]

Mother nature created the snow, she should clean it up.

Mothers, right?

Imagine telling Mom "You put it there, YOU clean it up!".

Grounded!

 

[GwenOnBass]

I miss going out for a nice meal.

 

[SoulReflection]

I miss going out for a nice meal.

View attachment 4193025​

They should just eat in their car...

 

[1958Bassman]

How cold could it be up and over yonder?

Calvin & Hobbes, too.

Have you not considered using your shovelle? We have a nice 2-stage snowblower, but a lot of times I just grab the shovelle and get some much needed exercise. Our driveway is longer, yet, plus the sidewalk, and sometimes I am the good smartass samaritan and do, at least, my next door neighbor's apron.

My back was giving me some problems and it was wet snow, especially where the freaking plow went through, as usual, AFTER everyone had finished. My driveway apron is connected to the one next door, so the whole thing is close to 20' wide and since the city salts the streets, it pushes the slop with fresh snow, then it freezes to some extent if the temperature is low enough. When it's a bit warmer, it's just slop and my snowblowers don't throw that very far.

I had let them use my smaller snowblower and when I went out after we got more, I saw that they had done my side, too. I help the woman on the other side, too- had to show her the easy way to start her blower after I saw her shoveling- she bought it last fall and said she had read the instructions, so I said 'Well, that's yer first mistake". Mine always start on one pull, even the first time of the season and hers was no different and it has electric start-

1) If it has been sitting idle, pump the primer a couple of times
2) Pull the cord slowly until the compression can be felt
3) Pull the cord.

My lawnmower starts the same way and I always see people in their yards fighting to get these started. I can't imagine the money spent on Winterizing and Summerizing these- I get that some don't want to and some don't know how, but it's a lot like doing some maintenance on a guitar or bass- we should all be able to do that.

 

[Charlie Tango]

My back was giving me some problems and it was wet snow, especially where the freaking plow went through, as usual, AFTER everyone had finished. My driveway apron is connected to the one next door, so the whole thing is close to 20' wide and since the city salts the streets, it pushes the slop with fresh snow, then it freezes to some extent if the temperature is low enough. When it's a bit warmer, it's just slop and my snowblowers don't throw that very far.

I had let them use my smaller snowblower and when I went out after we got more, I saw that they had done my side, too. I help the woman on the other side, too- had to show her the easy way to start her blower after I saw her shoveling- she bought it last fall and said she had read the instructions, so I said 'Well, that's yer first mistake". Mine always start on one pull, even the first time of the season and hers was no different and it has electric start-

1) If it has been sitting idle, pump the primer a couple of times
2) Pull the cord slowly until the compression can be felt
3) Pull the cord.

My lawnmower starts the same way and I always see people in their yards fighting to get these started. I can't imagine the money spent on Winterizing and Summerizing these- I get that some don't want to and some don't know how, but it's a lot like doing some maintenance on a guitar or bass- we should all be able to do that.

All I ever do is put STABIL in the gas tank at the end of their respective seasons and let them run a few minutes. Every other year or so the mower goes to the place for maintenance, cuz I don't do that stuff in my dotage anymore.

 

[1958Bassman]

Anyway, using a snow shovel is A Very Bad Idea for people who have had a certain number of birthdays, even if they haven't (yet?) found out they're a heart patient. Upper body exertion in the cold, such as shoveling snow, is terrifically taxing on the heart, and it's by doing just that that some folks tragically learn that they are, indeed, a heart patient.

When I was living at home, our neighbor across the street was shoveling one night and we heard the ambulance coming. They carted him off to the hospital and when he came back, he was partially paralyzed on his right side because he's had a heart attack and stroke. FF to Summer, and he was out there pushing his lawnmower with his left arm while his right arm was in a cloth sling, dragging his right foot and limping as he went. He had the most AMAZING yard! His speech was affected, too, but he would curse like a longshoreman if anyone stepped on the grass. Next Winter, out there shoveling the driveway that's about the same as mine and again, here comes the ambulance. Rinse, lather repeat for several years. I would help him, even though he would protest and when he tried to pay me, I declined but took the hot chocolate his wife brought out. I tried using his shovel and decided that it was the cause of his grippers- that thing weighed a lot! Then, he got a contraption for getting rid of snow that was one step up from an electric razor on a stick- he would be out there as soon as the first flakes hit the ground and would keep going for hours.

 

[beans-on-toast]

My car had a grand time going to the grocery this morning after sitting through the winter. I’m done schlepping bags in the cold and snow for another year! It felt so good to be driving that I celebrated by going to Home Depot and bought a new toilet seat. Tomorrow, it’ll be a bakery followed by a lasagna place.

 

[1958Bassman]

All I ever do is put STABIL in the gas tank at the end of their respective seasons and let them run a few minutes. Every other year or so the mower goes to the place for maintenance, cuz I don't do that stuff in my dotage anymore.

Don't use much/any of the red StaBil if your gas has Ethanol- it's not made for that crap and if you add too much, it creates a jelly-like substance that clogs the fuel line, jet, etc.

I have switched to stabilizer that's compatible with Ethanol or I add some Sea Foam to the gas, run it until it's warmed up and fog it. I prefer to let the small one run out as I fog it and the two-stage has a shut off valve, so I do the same. I don't leave much gas in the tanks, but since it has some kind of stabilizer, a little is OK because it will be diluted by the fresh gas in Spring. If I use anything a lot that's 4 cycle, I change the oil before Winter because used oil is more acidic (oil is naturally acidic, but it's worse after use).

I used to just put them away without doing much until I started working as a service tech for boats and after doing so many oil changes/Winterizations/Summerizations, it's just not worth avoiding since I have all of the tools, chemicals, oil bucket, etc.

The two stage was having some issues and I found this when I removed the bottom cover-

 

[GwenOnBass]

What a fine feeling it is to tell a Home Depot clerk — I should like your most expensive toilet seat please — flush with pride of one's life goals met.

 

[gtmalone]

My back was giving me some problems and it was wet snow, especially where the freaking plow went through, as usual, AFTER everyone had finished. My driveway apron is connected to the one next door, so the whole thing is close to 20' wide and since the city salts the streets, it pushes the slop with fresh snow, then it freezes to some extent if the temperature is low enough. When it's a bit warmer, it's just slop and my snowblowers don't throw that very far.

I had let them use my smaller snowblower and when I went out after we got more, I saw that they had done my side, too. I help the woman on the other side, too- had to show her the easy way to start her blower after I saw her shoveling- she bought it last fall and said she had read the instructions, so I said 'Well, that's yer first mistake". Mine always start on one pull, even the first time of the season and hers was no different and it has electric start-

1) If it has been sitting idle, pump the primer a couple of times
2) Pull the cord slowly until the compression can be felt
3) Pull the cord.

My lawnmower starts the same way and I always see people in their yards fighting to get these started. I can't imagine the money spent on Winterizing and Summerizing these- I get that some don't want to and some don't know how, but it's a lot like doing some maintenance on a guitar or bass- we should all be able to do that.

My gas weedeater died four years ago. I replaced it with an EGO battery powered trimmer. No more mixing gas/oil and dealing with hard to start, running poorly (yes, I take care of my stuff). I liked it enough to replace the gas mower with an EGO self propelled mower two years ago. Don't have to wear earplugs any more either! The mower is light enough that I usually don't need the self propelled. The battery on the lawn mower will last about an hour which is way more than I need for our yard (115x74 ft). The weedeater battery sometimes isn't down enough to be charged at all.

 

[1958Bassman]

My gas weedeater died four years ago. I replaced it with an EGO battery powered trimmer. No more mixing gas/oil and dealing with hard to start, running poorly (yes, I take care of my stuff). I liked it enough to replace the gas mower with an EGO self propelled mower two years ago. Don't have to wear earplugs any more either! The mower is light enough that I usually don't need the self propelled. The battery on the lawn mower will last about an hour which is way more than I need for our yard (115x74 ft). The weedeater battery sometimes isn't down enough to be charged at all.

I have a gas 2 cycle and an electric weedwhacker and I hate all of them because the string always breaks and I have to re-feed it. I saw a head from Echo that eliminates the BS, but of course, it won't work on either of mine and I don't want to buy a new one, so I usually let it go until it annoys me enough to do something about it.

 

[Charlie Tango]

Don't use much/any of the red StaBil if your gas has Ethanol- it's not made for that crap and if you add too much, it creates a jelly-like substance that clogs the fuel line, jet, etc.

Good info. Didn't know that. Thanks.

 

[Charlie Tango]

What a fine feeling it is to tell a Home Depot clerk — I should like your most expensive toilet seat please — flush with pride of one's life goals met.

Will the circle be unbroken?

 

[Charlie Tango]

My gas weedeater died four years ago. I replaced it with an EGO battery powered trimmer. No more mixing gas/oil and dealing with hard to start, running poorly (yes, I take care of my stuff). I liked it enough to replace the gas mower with an EGO self propelled mower two years ago. Don't have to wear earplugs any more either! The mower is light enough that I usually don't need the self propelled. The battery on the lawn mower will last about an hour which is way more than I need for our yard (115x74 ft). The weedeater battery sometimes isn't down enough to be charged at all.

I'd much rather have electric machines. Maybe I'll just stop maintaining the gas-powered ones...

 

[1958Bassman]

I'd much rather have electric machines. Maybe I'll just stop maintaining the gas-powered ones...

Why stop? Sell them and get an electric.

 

[Charlie Tango]

Why stop? Sell them and get an electric.

I had that discussion with Mrs. Tango last year. I'll need to wait another year for her to see the sense in it, since the mower was at the place recently and is now pristine again.