Pellet heads!! What's up today?

Used to be able to find it at the local marina, unfortunately most smaller places here in NH no longer sell fuel due to State / EPA requirements for underground tanks, just too cost prohibitive. ... Last I checked, non-ethanol fuel was about a two hour drive away.

re: Seafoam, Stabil: I use both here also, the full-strength Seafoam can ( the $$$ one ) still has value, and has helped out here also in the past. The craftsman mower also always had 1st start of season issues also here B. Carb is shot on the one here, too old / NLA part, on it's way to the dump ("recycling center") next week. Fully agree, Ethanol fuel sucks. Gotta run them dry, before storing.

Picked up a used (older model) Lawn Boy "self-propelled" mower off CL last month, basically new for under $100. Works well, aluminum body: not heavy / built like a steel frame model, but is doing the job for the moment. Trying hard not to abuse it when mowing "the side of the mountain" to give it a fighting chance to last the full season.

 

On those lines...
Got the bike out yet?

Dan

 

See, the funny thing is, I've had zero problems with first start up of the season. I have zero issues starting it if it hasn't run that day. Only when I take a break and the engine is warm do I have issues - sometimes it will start, most times it won't. It is just temperamental.

I tried using stabil on one of the snow blowers a couple of years ago (I think I had a coupon for it), and that b*tch just hated that stuff and ran like cr*p until most of that tank was gone and I was able to mix in more gas. I've never had anything that didn't like seafoam (YMMV)

 

If you'll remember, I never road at all last year because I was having issues with my eyes, and in fact tried to sell it last fall (bad time of year to sell and I didn't HAVE to sell so didn't take any of the low offers). Still has the same tank of gas in it that it went into storage with November 2019.

The issues seems to have settled down somewhat (good enough that since my last eye apt, I only have to see the eye doc every 6 months instead of every 3 months now). On April 20 (day of my last eye apt), I rolled the bike out to the driveway, checked the air in the tires and let it run for a while. I finally couldn't stand it and my left eye was in a good phase, so I jumped on and rode to the next town over (7 miles) and back. It probably took more time for me to find and put on my gear than I actually rode. Although it was very windy, I knew the traffic was very light that day.

But, I still have so much detritus in my left eye that at times a lot of my vision is blocked or at least blurred significantly. Sometimes it settles for a while (days) but I always have partial blockage in the center.

 

For me, SeaFoam is just like Franks Red Hot sauce....I put that chit in everything!

 

Most people have issues with things like Stabil, etc, because they go by the "if a little is good, more must be better" thought process. Not so with these products. Too much causes it to turn to gel in the fuel (carb). 1 capful for 2 1/2 gal.

 

I hope you don't have to...
Good luck..

Dan

 

Just sayin..

 

Yeah, the Stabil is not for every small engine motor. Generator (11hp Briggs) eats it up: garden tractor (18 hp Briggs) .. not so much. (Of course the garden tractor is like 30+ yrs old now.) I only add it to a full 5 gal. fuel can, and a small amount does go a long way like Pete said above.

That could be the carb to engine gasket, or the carb bowl gasket (if it has one) - breaks seal after motor gets hot / after running. The craftsman here is one of those stupid transitional year designs, and would still be a nice mower if the carb / "plastic spacer" / mounting wasn't some cheaped-out POS design. Not worth putting any $$$ into.

*Finished getting the garden beds prepped for Betsy yesterday - 320 lbs. of manure, (3) beds 5x12, 5x12, 6x14 roto-tilled (2) times down to 10" , then a final till, after being amended w/ the good stuff.
Betsy's a happy girl, Rob's a hurtin' pup today. Back is wrecked .. Happy wife, happy life.

That's Awesome sauce!

 

Maybe that is it - I don't measure anything, even when I cook, so maybe I over did it that one time.

 

If it starts fine while cold, then I think your issue is probably in the carb itself. Like Rob said above, could be a gasket that leaks after the engine gets warm & parts expand a little, could be a flaky coil that has high resistance when warm.

 

Thoughts on those never change oil mowers? My own is that they've found a way to sell burning oil as a feature

Seems nuts to me, unless someone has some insight I'm totally missing.

 

Totally insane, unless the mower has a lifetime warranty, in which case, go for it! Otherwise, pay no attention to that nonsense.

 

I had one of those a Honda it was used at the last three places I owned the chassis gave out first.

 

^^ +1 w/ STB, the Honda Harmony 225 mower here is "never change", oil level goes from top of fill to bottom of hatch-mark (dunno, couple of ounces, maybe?) at the end of season. I tip it over on it's side, and drain -> fill fresh each year.

Got it 4? years ago, PO was dropping it off @ the metal can at the town dump: he was in landscaping, mower was "well used", but not beat - wouldn't start, he was done-with-it. Got it home, opened up the carb.. filled w/ old Ethanol gelled fuel - gave it a few days soak in clean fuel w/ SeaFoam ( Awesome Sauce! ) .. oiled / graphite / lubed all the other Kibbles & Bits, starts first or second pull every time. No bagger for it so it's relegated to 'brush mower' duty. ( Does a halfway decent job on the lawn w/ a sharp blade still. ) It's old (circa early 2000's), ugly.. and well abused - just like the present owner.

 

In 2014 bought a new Troy Built gas mower, "guaranteed to start 1st or 2nd pull". After 2 years of hard to start, cutting out, rebuilding the carb, replacing the carb, in 2016 bought an Ego battery powered mower. Works great, still using the original battery (did buy a spare in 2019), much quieter. If their snowblower worked well for the amount of snow we usually get (most user reviews say it's no good with more than a few inches of snow) I'd buy one too.

sam

 

Hey folks.

Weather is lovely...warm for a few days.....then rain and lows near 40 F for 4-5 days.

Crazy weather.

Another tid bit......
The other day I was getting under the Kitchen sink and noticed as wet streak along the baseboard trim

Removed the dishwasher lower valance panel....Ohhhhhh !@#$% Water leaking out of the Dish Washer......
Floor slopes ever so slightly toward the wall...

Yupppppppp...Water had been soaking up into the wall for a time.

NEW DISH WASHER......BIG AZZ MESS TO CLEAN UP

I installed a 3 sided catch pan under the new machine.

Any water will run out the front onto your feet......

If yours does not have one...GET ONE....will save you an ugly mess to clean up.

The sheet rock was wet up about a foot in places.

Gonna let it dry out....then use kills on what I can get to......

Far more fun working on the pellet stoves.

Plumbing is always a pain in butt.....Every new appliance is slightly different and the hoses are just enough different that the new ones you installed a while back will not fit.

The new washer did not come with a power cord.....Gotta buy that separately .....

Went to snap the strain relief/cord into the electrical box on the washer....Entire plastic strain relief gizmo bresak into pieces.

I go get the standard metal unit with the nut and screw clamp ..

Drain hose needed a modification to fit onto our sink drain line connection......

All finished up at 6:30 this morning and sitting out of the hole doing a test run....

Dish washers are tough to find....OUT OF STOCK

The Depot had ONE stainless steel Whirlpool in stock...../Yeah...we grabbed it.....

I hate washing dishes by hand......

So here in a while I will get the insulation blanket back on and nurse that beast into the hole and fasten it to the counter top....

Of Course there is no way to reach into the cabinet to guide the hoses and power cord in so they don't get pinched.

Vibrosaw standing by to enlarge the power cord mouse hole into the cabinet/outlet so I can reach in and gitterdone.

Get a drip tray.....you will be thankful you did.....

 

Got my place up in Smokey the Bears neck of the woods opened up about a month ago. Stripped and re sided the whole place with Certainteed Cedar impressions siding. Great product. Yard is done. Golf carts serviced. Going to wait another couple of weeks on the dock. Water is still cold and lake level is still rising. Looking forward to the entire summer here. Retirement is great....

 

What do you have, a lake front cabin?