(Karl Childers) This thing ain’t got no gas. Mmmhm. (/Karl Childers)
I mowed yards for several summers. The mower easily fit into trunk. The handle has to be popped off. I didn’t replace the cotter pin. I had several yards that required a trip in the car. That old Sears Craftsman mower got a lot of use. We had it at least 25 years.
Dad taught small engine repair at the Vo Tech. He constantly brought home discarded mowers. Scavenged parts from them to get a working mower.
I have brought a few back to life:
Usual problems are fuel related: Water in gas, corrosion in float bowl. Gummed up carb. Sometimes it’s just last year’s gas with all the lighter volatiles evaporated out.
Another common problem is that if the blade hits something solid, the key between the crankshaft and the flywheel shears, which screws up the ignition timing.
Old ones frequently got so they wouldn’t start due to worn ignition breaker points. A few minutes with an emory board and readjustment will put that right. New ones have solid state ignition module…have yet to come across a failed one, but it must happen.
I had one that the blade was dull it wouldn’t cut warm butter. Stalled the engine when it hit grass.
Running them out of oil pretty much kills the engine, but I’ve had a couple that would still cut grass even though the engine was rattling like a tin shed in a ball bearing storm.
Generally it seems that the issue is preventive maintenance and pretty obvious stuff, except for the carb (reading up/youtube on that) getting gummed up. Thanks for the tips everyone! Now that I am on the look for discarded lawnmowers, I probably won’t see one for a while, but I’ll keep checking. I like giving new life to things that others throw away, its a slight hobby, I have to keep in it check so I don’t ever become a pack rat.
Thanks for all the responses!
I hit a tree root, bent the shaft. That killed it good. No small engine shop wanted to take that on.