Farm and Garden

[lil_Blue_Ford]

Well, I put some gear in the lawn cart and got my lawn tractor started (the big green GT) after airing up the tires. Took a snort of starting fluid to get it started the first time, not sure why. Once it was running it was fine though other than a couple hiccups and a small backfire when I throttle down.

Put the new coil on, hooked up the new wiring and the key switch I got on the TO-20. Still gonna have to make a couple wiring adjustments at some point but I was just trying to see if it improved starting/running. I need to take some more gas down there, but it fires and runs hard on starting fluid. Either there’s not enough gas in it right now or the carb isn’t doing carb things despite being new.

Got most of the yard cleared of sticks, mostly just a couple places where the tractor doesn’t really fit yet where I left them (I was getting tired of picking up bundles of sticks and moving them to a bonfire pile or the burn barrel). Few things need trimmed, but I wasn’t trying to get into that today. Buzzed around on the tractor and knocked the weeds down. Was going to do a little push mowing but somehow there’s no gas in the mower. Guess I’ll have to haul gas over for the push mower too now.

 

[racsan]

mowed the other day, under a hour for the first time. She had the new zero-turn and I trimmed with the lawn deere then got my allis out and put it to work. Sure the ztr will go faster, but boy will it beat you where the yard ain’t smooth. The allis just lazes along at 1st gear full throttle biting off 6ft per pass. The steering isnt as easy, always gets to my shoulders. The ztr is a 54” deck, it made it to its first 5 hours so did its break in oil change. Damn fleabay oil filters I ordered weren’t the right ones so had to go in to town to tsc, they had many. But wow- $20 for a kohler spin on filter thats smaller than a 3.0 V6 filter? crazy. And craizier yet was this oil change kit, 2qts of amsoil 20-50, and filter for $54. Supposed to be good for 300 hours of service though. Also seen a armrest kit for my particular ztr. Its a bit difficult for either of us the get out of the seat so Im hoping it will help. Going to put it on today. It was almost $100. I had considered a new seat for a bigger bad boy that had armrests but they were 3-4 hundred. I noticed the display mowers outside and the same one I bought has gone up $200 in price since I bought mine just 2 months ago. Still havent mowed the huge septic mound area, it’s nearly the whole north/south length of the property, has to be push mowed and takes a good hour in itself. Ive been trying to get clover to grow there, let the deer mow it!

 

[rumblecloud]

Seems like we're all doing about the same things -- cleaning up.

Me too. Clean-up included multiple large branches from the white pines around the house, courtesy of heavy wet snows, ice and high winds. Mother's way of pruning. She's not real neat about it though. That meant I had to get up in the limbs and trim off the ragged edges and seal them to help prevent the borers and beetles from infesting (at least the ones I could reach). That in turn meant the burn pile was a bit larger than normal, took most of the day to get it all burned down. Then was able to get on the mower and do most of the lawn.

Took all the porch furniture out of the storage shed and put it back in its place around the porch.

Geez long day. But it's all done and just in time for the final snow storm of the spring

 

[sgtsandman]

I ran the string trimmer for the first time this year. I think it’s time for a valve lash adjustment (Stihl 2-Stroke). Once it gets warmed up, it doesn’t want to stay running without coaxing it with the throttle.

 

[Blmpkn]

.. I think it’s time for a valve lash adjustment (Stihl 2-Stroke).

 

[lil_Blue_Ford]

I hate string trimmers. If I can’t get it with the mower, I’m not sure it really needs cut. Maybe mulched. But that also comes from having to string trim a steep bank at my parents old house all the time growing up. Took over an hour just to do it and the string liked to find rocks and fling them at sensitive areas. Presently I do not own a string trimmer.

I have, however, wondered if I could fit an M18 powered trimmer with a brush blade for clearing shooting lanes for hunting season…

 

[sgtsandman]

I hate string trimmers. If I can’t get it with the mower, I’m not sure it really needs cut. Maybe mulched. But that also comes from having to string trim a steep bank at my parents old house all the time growing up. Took over an hour just to do it and the string liked to find rocks and fling them at sensitive areas. Presently I do not own a string trimmer.

I have, however, wondered if I could fit an M18 powered trimmer with a brush blade for clearing shooting lanes for hunting season…

I’m not familiar enough with them to know if they would support a brush blade. It’s more of a question of being able to bolt one on, regardless of if they have enough power to cut with it.

 

[lil_Blue_Ford]

I’m not familiar enough with them to know if they would support a brush blade. It’s more of a question of being able to bolt one on, regardless of if they have enough power to cut with it.

So now that had me searching and apparently they now produce a brush cutter head for their quik loc trimmer…

 

[racsan]

I tired of 2-cycle string trimmers long ago, Have a electric one now, “worx” brand. Has 2 battery packs, when 2nd ine is exhausted the 1st is almost ready to go again.

 

[sgtsandman]

Turns out the carb needed adjusted. Valve lash was good, air and fuel filters and spark plug were changed last June. I checked the spark arrester too just to make sure it wasn't plugged. Nothing worked until I monkeyed with the carburetor screws. Though the throttle cable did need adjusted, cable stretch was not allowing full rotation of the throttle lever.

 

[19Walt93]

Turns out the carb needed adjusted. Valve lash was good, air and fuel filters and spark plug were changed last June. I checked the spark arrester too just to make sure it wasn't plugged. Nothing worked until I monkeyed with the carburetor screws. Though the throttle cable did need adjusted, cable stretch was not allowing full rotation of the throttle lever.

You're joking right? Never seen a 2 stroke with valves.

 

[19Walt93]

You guys are mowing already and our snow just melted about 10 days ago. I raked all the downed branches off the lawn, mowing won't happen for a while.

 

[Josh B]

Seems like we're all doing about the same things -- cleaning up.

Me too. Clean-up included multiple large branches from the white pines around the house, courtesy of heavy wet snows, ice and high winds. Mother's way of pruning. She's not real neat about it though. That meant I had to get up in the limbs and trim off the ragged edges and seal them to help prevent the borers and beetles from infesting (at least the ones I could reach). That in turn meant the burn pile was a bit larger than normal, took most of the day to get it all burned down. Then was able to get on the mower and do most of the lawn.

Took all the porch furniture out of the storage shed and put it back in its place around the porch.

Geez long day. But it's all done and just in time for the final snow storm of the spring

Looks to me like it's the lawncare equipment business that's "cleaning up"!
I just saw an ad for a new lawn mower, over $5,000.00!

 

[Josh B]

Turns out the carb needed adjusted. Valve lash was good, air and fuel filters and spark plug were changed last June. I checked the spark arrester too just to make sure it wasn't plugged. Nothing worked until I monkeyed with the carburetor screws. Though the throttle cable did need adjusted, cable stretch was not allowing full rotation of the throttle lever.

I didn't know anything about them was adjustable, maybe the carburetor. This'll be year 3 on my latest Stihl, I guess it won't be long till I need to learn how

 

[Josh B]

I tired of 2-cycle string trimmers long ago, Have a electric one now, “worx” brand. Has 2 battery packs, when 2nd ine is exhausted the 1st is almost ready to go again.

I have an uncle who's always bragging about his electric. I haven't even seen it yet (they were early covid casualties but fortunately both survived) and thinking it must be ten feet tall