How I spent My Saturday

I spent an entire Saturday getting my lawn mower started. It began when I finally decided to replace the old dry rotted rear tires. I was tired of going down to the shed and seeing the two back dry rotted tires flat once again. So I pumped up the tires and jump started the engine. Did I mentioned I needed a new battery too?

Oh well...I figured a few new parts were cheaper than buying a new lawn tractor at $1500. I like keeping what I got and like (aka the wife and St Croix) and besides I pride myself in maintaining things. In my truck and Jeep I change oil when it is due, same for tires, brakes, parts etc.

But a mower is a source of misery so I walk a fine line between keeping it working and avoiding buying a new yard misery machine.

I jacked up the back of the tractor, popped the pins and carefully laid the parts aside for reassembly. I kept the Woodard pin or Johnson rod or whatever it is called in the axle.

The first place I went to was closed. I swear I thought Cross Roads Tire was open on Saturday. I drove the opposite direction to the local lawn maintenance company. They had one tire in stock.

"No Problem I'll take it."

It took them 40 minutes to get the new one on. The bead wouldn't seat so they had to use an inner tube.

Off to the second place and they were out of my size completely. I did notice two Russian fellows here that I saw at the first shop negotiating equipment prices.

The third place was in midtown Charlotte and they had my size. Another 45 minute wait but this time the two Russians came in so I watched them argue the price down on a blower.

By now it was noon and I headed home. I installed the wheels but was missing the aforementioned key that I left in the axle. While I was gone the horse boarder had seen my filthy neglected tractor and taken it upon himself to wash it thereby washing the key away in the gravel. The wheels won't turn without it.

I head out and three stops later I find a replacement key for 45 cents. I put it all together and it works like a charm....but I forgot to buy a battery.

One more trip...battery installed and the tractor is as good as new and it is 4:30 and I am lighter $200 and not a blade of grass cut yet.

8 comments:

AmyK said...

I thought my husband was the only man that did these things. When we first bought our Mi. house with 2 acres, he traded a guy from work, canning jars ( I had hundreds I had inherited) for a "Forest Gump" lawnmower. Really, the same brand and age, that Forest rode. He then trash picked a rototiller from the side of the road. He kept both running for years and only bought a new rider tractor a year before we sold that house. The rototiller he put out for the trash and it got "trash picked" again.

Ken said...

My lawn tractor also has some very bad moods directed at me. I've put the spray goop in 3 leaking tires twice now so I'm expecting an added bummer when the time comes for replacement. Unless of course I can keep the beast at bay. My deck is held together with bungees, other old mower parts and recently, where a spindle bolt goes, rusted out so I found some large rectangler plate stock with a hole in it that let me just get enough threads on to not replace the bolt. That will come later of course!

Jay said...

That's a pretty manly day right there.

Stacy said...

I think I would have just given up.

Reggie Hunnicutt said...

Did I mention that I drank beer while I cut the grass? That was motivation.

Ken said...

I NEVER cut the grass without beer. I'm going to post a pic of my beer holder. The beers sometimes get a little, grassy around the edges but I just blow it off.

Phfrankie Bondo said...

...for me it is definetly a love/hate relationship with the lawn tractor...when she's hummin' I'm in heaven; when she's cranky I want to throw her in the river...

Reggie Hunnicutt said...

Phfrankie....thanks for stopping by.