OP
OP
Non reefing update, but it's on my list of stuff to do before I get the tank set back up so it's kinda related... that and I haven't been posting much and since when has one of my threads stayed on track...
I FINALLY got my lawnmower fixed. Well, until something else breaks. Last time I tried to get the grass cut the battery was D-E-D. So, I went and bought a battery. Put that in start it up get one pass in and the deck spindle belt slings out from under my butt.
Ehh, its old... no big deal. Ride up to Lowe's and pick one of those and two new blades up. Might as well, they are old and I'm gonna be under there anyway. Put it all on and start cutting again. This time I get about two more passes in, make a left turn and the right front wheel falls off...
Thats right, the Wheel. Comes. Off. Right off the axle and I'm now leaning to the side, stuck in the front yard and gouging my centepede. Great... Murphy doesn't just single out my reef tank.
Ok, so the little plastic bearing broke. A front tire cant be too much.... $40 later and I have a new front tire. Start cutting once again.
Mind you here in SC, you cut grass from sun up to about 9am, then from about 5:30-6pm to dark. Middle of the day is guaranteed heat stroke, even on a riding lawn mower. All this week is going to be 99°F with a heat index of 110°F. Don't forget the humidity that is like breathing hot pea soup. Oh you wanna sweat to cool off, you're already drenched from the humidity.
Anyway, its getting late as I've already made three trips to town to buy parts and had to put said parts on. I get most of the front yard cut when I run over a root, break a piece of said root out of the ground which locks up the blades, and the engine to deck belt slings out from under my butt. Hey there, Murphy. I see you're still hanging around.
This isn't the belt I replaced earlier in the day. That one is still under there. Check out the belt and it's mostly intact with just one little fray on it. Take my knife and trim that off so it doesnt get caught on anything. Put it back under the mower and go to cut and as soon as I engage the PTO the belt makes a bunch of flopping noise and when I disengage the PTO the belt slings out again, missing a chunk.
Duck it. I'm just not going to finish the front yard, nor even come close to touching the back yard. Weed eat around the azaleas and the house and call it a day.
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.
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.
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Fast forward about two weeks to today. (Yea, imagine two weeks of exceptionally rainy summer in SC without cutting grass on top of extremely fertile soil. Seriously, my neighborhood is an old pecan orchard. They picked really good soil to grow them. Pecan trees are still in pretty rows all down both sides of the dirt roads. Its really pretty and super old south. I happen to have five pecan trees in my yard. Oh, and we're in SC. It is pronounced pee-can. You can take that wierd pi-con nonsense out of here. Also, the back yard had been about two weeks since I cut it due to crazy rain every day I was off, plus the two weeks I was working crazy hours and didn't have time to look at the mower.... yea.) Get off work and go straight to Lowe's. Find the right part number for the belt I need. It's $30... oh well I need it. I go up to check out and there's no barcode. The guy calls the lawn and garden desk and says he's got a 42" drive belt and needs a number... few seconds later and he's punching in something. The price comes up as $2.43. Wait, $2.43!? Hurry and pay before they call back with the right number!
Get home and put my belt on and in the collision with the root two weeks ago, a pulley got whacked out of alignment. Straightened it and got my grass cut. You know, if it wasnt a free lawn mower, I'd say I got ripped off. Guy gave it away because it wouldn't start. All it needed was the starter gear was rusted in place and wouldn't kick out. Can of WD-40 and it started right up. It pays to know how to fix your own stuff. I think I have everything fixed now where it'll last me a while before needing anything more than gas.
I tell you that whole story so I can show you this picture...
Welcome to the jungle baby, you gonna die!
The back yard was knee deep... anyone have a hay bailer I can borrow?
I FINALLY got my lawnmower fixed. Well, until something else breaks. Last time I tried to get the grass cut the battery was D-E-D. So, I went and bought a battery. Put that in start it up get one pass in and the deck spindle belt slings out from under my butt.
Ehh, its old... no big deal. Ride up to Lowe's and pick one of those and two new blades up. Might as well, they are old and I'm gonna be under there anyway. Put it all on and start cutting again. This time I get about two more passes in, make a left turn and the right front wheel falls off...
Thats right, the Wheel. Comes. Off. Right off the axle and I'm now leaning to the side, stuck in the front yard and gouging my centepede. Great... Murphy doesn't just single out my reef tank.
Ok, so the little plastic bearing broke. A front tire cant be too much.... $40 later and I have a new front tire. Start cutting once again.
Mind you here in SC, you cut grass from sun up to about 9am, then from about 5:30-6pm to dark. Middle of the day is guaranteed heat stroke, even on a riding lawn mower. All this week is going to be 99°F with a heat index of 110°F. Don't forget the humidity that is like breathing hot pea soup. Oh you wanna sweat to cool off, you're already drenched from the humidity.
Anyway, its getting late as I've already made three trips to town to buy parts and had to put said parts on. I get most of the front yard cut when I run over a root, break a piece of said root out of the ground which locks up the blades, and the engine to deck belt slings out from under my butt. Hey there, Murphy. I see you're still hanging around.
This isn't the belt I replaced earlier in the day. That one is still under there. Check out the belt and it's mostly intact with just one little fray on it. Take my knife and trim that off so it doesnt get caught on anything. Put it back under the mower and go to cut and as soon as I engage the PTO the belt makes a bunch of flopping noise and when I disengage the PTO the belt slings out again, missing a chunk.
Duck it. I'm just not going to finish the front yard, nor even come close to touching the back yard. Weed eat around the azaleas and the house and call it a day.
.
.
.
.
.
Fast forward about two weeks to today. (Yea, imagine two weeks of exceptionally rainy summer in SC without cutting grass on top of extremely fertile soil. Seriously, my neighborhood is an old pecan orchard. They picked really good soil to grow them. Pecan trees are still in pretty rows all down both sides of the dirt roads. Its really pretty and super old south. I happen to have five pecan trees in my yard. Oh, and we're in SC. It is pronounced pee-can. You can take that wierd pi-con nonsense out of here. Also, the back yard had been about two weeks since I cut it due to crazy rain every day I was off, plus the two weeks I was working crazy hours and didn't have time to look at the mower.... yea.) Get off work and go straight to Lowe's. Find the right part number for the belt I need. It's $30... oh well I need it. I go up to check out and there's no barcode. The guy calls the lawn and garden desk and says he's got a 42" drive belt and needs a number... few seconds later and he's punching in something. The price comes up as $2.43. Wait, $2.43!? Hurry and pay before they call back with the right number!
Get home and put my belt on and in the collision with the root two weeks ago, a pulley got whacked out of alignment. Straightened it and got my grass cut. You know, if it wasnt a free lawn mower, I'd say I got ripped off. Guy gave it away because it wouldn't start. All it needed was the starter gear was rusted in place and wouldn't kick out. Can of WD-40 and it started right up. It pays to know how to fix your own stuff. I think I have everything fixed now where it'll last me a while before needing anything more than gas.
I tell you that whole story so I can show you this picture...
Welcome to the jungle baby, you gonna die!
The back yard was knee deep... anyone have a hay bailer I can borrow?
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