So I mowed yesterday. For those who don't know, we own just under 3 acres and unfortunately a lot of it is lawn. We have a lawn tractor for mowing, but there are areas that can't be reached with the lawn tractor, so I push-mow those areas first. Then, after I do all the mowing there's the trimming of the areas I can't get with the push-mower. I use hand clippers for that because I am weed-wacker-incompetent. It's a very tiring and time consuming job, but I have cool hearing protection that I can plug my ipod into, so at least I can catch up on podcasts that I like. And I look stylin'. It's what all the lawn care specialists are wearing these days.
The hardest part of all this is getting the push mower started. It's not like I'm a weakling or anything, in fact, whenever someone doubts my strength I remind them that I'm, "strong like bull" (said in a Hungarian accent). I've lifted plenty of heavy things in my life, I even once was a "man" on a two-man auger when DH was building the shed. However, this lawn mower tries to get the best of me every time. And it's a decent lawnmower - it's not a rusty old Kmart mower or anything like that. I prime it 3 times as per DH's instructions (and I HAVE tried priming it more, but it doesn't seem to make a difference), then I roll it over to the downward sloping area of the driveway to get gravity on my side. I grab the pull handle with one hand. I then push the mower away from me down the driveway as hard as I can with my left hand, while yanking with all my might with my right hand on the pull cord. I think I also kick my leg out or something, I'm not sure. (Once I hit myself in the teeth with the pull handle, I don't know how, but thank goodness I didn't hurt myself.) This whole process takes incredible strength and coordination. Despite this, today it took me 15 pulls to start it, which is average, sometimes it takes me as much as 20-25 pulls. I count. I know I'm getting close when I hear "putt putts" and smell gas. Sometimes I mow when DH is home and he starts it for me. He can often get it started in one, ONE PULL. Even he doesn't understand how "strong like bull" me has such trouble. I mean, I am seriously using all my might each time I try to start it.
So basically, once I get it started I'm totally exhausted.
Maybe I can get my Dad to make me one of these:
Lawn Mower Bike
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In order of importance:
ReplyDelete1. Install a brand-spankin' NEW spark plug every spring.
2. Make sure air filter is not dirty. Clean it or get a new one every spring.
I'll make a lawnmower bike if you promise you'll wear a helmet...that thing looks kinda unstable.
ReplyDeleteDa...d
When I used to mow the lawn (can't now, vertebra problems--- but I am still "strong like bull" too... and oddly enough, I say so with the same Hungarian accent. Wow, weird. You really MUST be my twin sis... anyWAY), I had the SAME problem. I could whip my husband in arm wrestling (he had a desk job, I was renovating the house), but not start that dang mower.
ReplyDeleteI don't know if this helps any, but we found out it was the cable that attaches to that safety bar-- the bar you hold back when you run the engine, and shuts off the engine when you let go. The cable is a little slack, and only a monster yank would start the engine.
The cable is taut enough to keep the mower going, but not enough to start it up.So now we always push back that small tab of metal by the engine, to stretch the cable where it's slack.
?? Go figure. 3 acres of lawn, UGHHHHH. We have 1.5 and have no riding machine. Used to take me 5 hours to mow. My 14-yr old son does it now, heh heh.