Large Scale Central

I have a conundrum

at least, I think that is the right word…

It is raining at the moment, and has been, off and on for the last several days.

I mowed the weeds on our plantation last week.

My lovely bride is now of the opinion that the summer mowing season has arrived, and that I should get with the program.

Did I mention that it is raining?

While doing the mowing, I ran over some leaves that had been raked into a pile last fall, in an attempt to mulch them into… mulch.

Imagine my surprise when I noticed that the blades on the mower stopped turning. Upon investigation, I found one of my lovely bride’s empty bird seed bags made of some sort of fiber had fouled the blades.

This necessitated removing the mower deck, so that i could remove the bag.

Upon removing the bag, I noticed that the primary drive belt was on its last legs. Of course, Larry’s Small Engine Repair Shop, my go to place for that sort of thing did not update his computer when he used his last belt, so he is out of them.

Still raining.

The weeds are growing.

Waiting for the belt to arrive.

Sears has one, but they are very proud of theirs.

Lovely bride suggests that I put the mower deck back on and run it until the new belt arrives (a few days) or the current belt breaks, whichever happens first.

Putting the mower deck on or off is a knuckle busting job that cause me to use words that would make a sailor blush.

My conundrum is this, should I have rollers or sliders for lunch?

Thanks for listening.

Its still raining.

All the reasons why I am so happy I don’t have a large yard and hired a landscaper to cut the lawn!

Rain or shine they are here.

And as for lunch…do both!

Have a few beers instead…and the grass won’t look so bad…:wink:

I feel your pain. Sitting here at the computer when I should be out on the tractor. Last year I must have whacked some rocks. The blades are all out of balance and about shake me off the seat. Sears has them in stock; I’m sure they are proud of them here too, but their parts depot is way off my regular route so I put it off.

Jon Radder said:

I feel your pain. Sitting here at the computer when I should be out on the tractor. Last year I must have whacked some rocks. The blades are all out of balance and about shake me off the seat. Sears has them in stock; I’m sure they are proud of them here too, but their parts depot is way off my regular route so I put it off.

Blades out of balance or are the shafts bent ?

I too feel your pain. When the weather is nice, I don’t want to waste my time mowing the lawn. Ours is small, so it takes me 1/2 hour to mow, but it takes me 2.5 hours to weedwack. Then my back and shoulders hurt so much I take a pain pill. When the pain stops, then I feel I should mow. I mean, why waste a perfectly good pain pill? Then it really hurts, so I need another one at bedtime. Then I get up to go to work hurting. Then everyone asks what I did to hurt my back. At that point I am not very sociable, and want to hit someone if it didn’t hurt so bad to move. Well, you get the idea.

Well Steve, do you think it’s still raining?

Last year I bought a lawn tractor - too much yard and all uphill. Wife likes to keep rocks she finds while planting for “projects” - i.e. things she wants Steve to make for her. I’ve told her many times - do not stack them where I mow. Found a big pile of them under some “greenery” (weeds) that I mow over. Bent both blades almost to the point of coming through the deck. Two bent shafts, two new blades, a lot poorer and I need to mow again. Says it’s my fault for not knowing where she piles her rocks…

You should have known better. You lost before you even started!

:wink:

Dave Marconi said:

Jon Radder said:

I feel your pain. Sitting here at the computer when I should be out on the tractor. Last year I must have whacked some rocks. The blades are all out of balance and about shake me off the seat. Sears has them in stock; I’m sure they are proud of them here too, but their parts depot is way off my regular route so I put it off.

Blades out of balance or are the shafts bent ?

Pretty sure it’s the blades. I took them off last fall and tried to straighten them out, but without a forge I was just wasting time.

Steve, Wait till any seeds left over from the “Empty” bag germinate!!!

Dan DeVoto said:

Steve, Wait till any seeds left over from the “Empty” bag germinate!!!

I’m hoping that they will fill in some of the bare spots. :slight_smile:

Not likely. Grass only volunteers where it isn’t wanted, like in the middle of your garden.

I really don’t know how I did it, but my wife like mowing the grass. So she does it. I mow on occasion but she usually does it.

This as a Recuilding Year for Team John Deere…so far two new rear tires and the master belt that runs the mower decl off the PTO…

Bart Salmons said:

This as a Recuilding Year for Team John Deere…so far two new rear tires and the master belt that runs the mower decl off the PTO…

That’s the belt that I’m waiting on…

For the first time since last July we finally have proper rain instead of light showers!

And which week did I book the landscaper to start on the new railway area?

Yup…

It’s a lot simpler in New Mexico… If we don’t water it, it don’t grow! (mostly) .

I trained the young bride how to mow… and she does it 95% of the time. I’m the “Round Up” king and the bug killer, but she does the flowers, and the lawn.

I haven’t yet got her trained on how to replace a sprinkler head, on second thought it’s probably better that she don’t.

Called Sears today to inquire about the blades and tune up parts. They closed the local parts depot but wanted to ship them to me. I said no-thanks and called the local small engine shop. He had them and all the tune up parts in-stock and priced the same or less than Sears.

Picked up 2 new blades, plugs, oil & air filters. First time the oil and filters have been changed in 10 years. Runs like new and the blades are nice and smooth. I bought this tractor in 1997 when my youngest was 5. It looks 16 years old but still does a great job on the lawn. I’ve been jump starting it for the last two or three years. I suppose I should spring for a battery too.

Yours has a battery??? :slight_smile:

A dead one, yes.