Lawn Mower Casualty

Maeve Drogheda · Posted: Mon Mar 07, 2011 10:23 am Post subject: Lawn Mower Casualty

Hi Fellow gardeners,

My husband got the lawn mower out of the shed over the week end to discover it is banjaxed!! The cold weather froze the petrol and oil in the motor and the engine is gone. So it may be a good Idea to check out your lawn mowers sooner rather than later.

Maeve

ormondsview · Posted: Mon Mar 07, 2011 11:20 am Post subject: thawing out

Drain all the gas and oil. Neither of these freeze. Oil gets thick but doesn't freeze. Same as alcohol. Water expands and cracks the block. - garbage, can't be fixed. It must have had moisture or water in it. Which cracks the head. I leave mine out all the time just covered by a tarp and under pounds of snow (Canada) and our engines don't freeze in 50 degrees below. Try warming the oil in a sunny sheltered spot to get it to its normal consistency. The weather has been fine enough lately. Good luck.

Maeve Drogheda · Posted: Mon Mar 07, 2011 11:29 am Post subject:

I have passed on the information to my husband and he tells me that it is knackered. I will do as you suggest and leave it in a sunny spot and see if it can be resurected.

ormondsview · Posted: Mon Mar 07, 2011 11:32 am Post subject:

Check the timing too. I have woken the ol fella from his sleep (6:30 am in Canada) to get this info and he is all over the repair as he has been through it all. He services "my mower" !!

Maeve Drogheda · Posted: Tue Mar 08, 2011 8:55 am Post subject:

Thanks for all your help ormondsview, I asked my husband again if there is any chance, but he agrees with the 'oul fella in Canada', moisture must have gotten in to the engine and it is knackered. The pull cord broke also and even though he fixed that he tells me the mower is beyond repair.

But he asked me to find out how to avoid future problems with a new petrol mower, would you or our Canadian friend have any suggestions?

Thanks.