[CTinline-six]

Originally Posted by pennsiveguy

I have reliable access to 91 octane non-oxygenated gas at a number of different stations, so that's the only thing I use in anything I don't drive on the road. Perhaps it's not widely available. Before storing anything for the season I always run the engine dry and drain the tank, then spray a short blast of WD-40 into the intake and crank or pull it several times. I have very little patience for sh!t that won't start when I have a job to do, so it's good preventative maintenance for the machines and for my sanity as well. If I have to fuel something up every time I use it, it's a small price to pay for having it work every time.

That's awesome you have access to good fuel. Everything in my area has E10. I tell my customers with two-stroke equipment that is only used occasionally to just buy the pre-mixed Tru-fuel. It is ethanol free and the additional cost of the cans will be miniscule compared to carburetor repairs down the road, especially if they only use a few cans a year.

[pennsiveguy]

These little guys are handy to have around, for sidewalks and patios and steps and such.

[pennsiveguy]

Originally Posted by CTinline-six

That's awesome you have access to good fuel. Everything in my area has E10. I tell my customers with two-stroke equipment that is only used occasionally to just buy the pre-mixed Tru-fuel. It is ethanol free and the additional cost of the cans will be miniscule compared to carburetor repairs down the road, especially if they only use a few cans a year.

Yeah, the Upper Midwest is well-steeped in outdoors-y-ness, including a heaping helping of power sports. A couple of my cabin neighbors have collections of power sports playthings - ATVs, dirt bikes, snowmobiles, boats, personal watercraft, yada yada - that are worth way more than their on-road vehicles. And that's not including all the chain saws, log splitters, wood chippers, snowblowers, and tractors they own. There's a lot of demand for non-oxy gas, and the gas stations answer that demand. I can think of 5 outlets for 91-octane non-oxy gas within a 10-minute drive from my cabin. And a couple within about 10 minutes of my apartment in the 'burbs.

[pennsiveguy]

Originally Posted by CTinline-six

The older Honda stuff is indestructible. I always pick up "broken" ones I find on Marketplace for cheap to fix up and give to friends. The newer stuff not so much. They are still nice, but have turned into luxury cars of the power equipment world. The Honda walk behind mowers use a hydrostatic self propel, and the transmission often goes out after a few years. The part alone is $250 from Honda, and a shop will likely mark it up plus whatever their labor is to replace it. The track drive snow blowers also have some expensive parts on the drive system that fail and require complete disassembly, which can be a very expensive repair bill ($1000) for an aging snow blower.

My favorite mower is the Toro Super Recycler with the personal pace self propel, and you can order it with the Honda GCV160 engine. This is the mower I use for my front yard and it's been flawless.

I love the challenge of keeping an old machine working. Especially if it's something that's been passed down. Any dolt with a credit card and a pulse can piss away a bunch of $ on something new. It's way more challenging and rewarding to give a seasoned implement another shot at life through the liberal application of know-how and TLC.

[pennsiveguy]

Originally Posted by CTinline-six

That's awesome you have access to good fuel. Everything in my area has E10. I tell my customers with two-stroke equipment that is only used occasionally to just buy the pre-mixed Tru-fuel. It is ethanol free and the additional cost of the cans will be miniscule compared to carburetor repairs down the road, especially if they only use a few cans a year.

You've got to know your gear and care for it, if you expect it to take care of you.

Are the manufacturers building implements that aren't compatible with the fuels that are available to their customers? Are they knowingly selling oxygenator-intolerant implements in markets where there's no e0 available? That's BS, if so. I can't imagine that it would dramatically increase costs to substitute oxygenator-tolerant materials, as has been done in the automotive industry for 3 decades. An informed consumer would be willing to bear any reasonable costs, given how much longevity it would yield.

[upstatedoc]

Originally Posted by pennsiveguy

These little guys are handy to have around, for sidewalks and patios and steps and such.

I imagine you could get rid of a body with that as well

[pennsiveguy]

Originally Posted by upstatedoc

I imagine you could get rid of a body with that as well

It's a really effective whole-animal meat grinder. Haven't yet found a sausage casing big enough to slip over the discharge chute, but I'll keep looking. Clean-up is a b!tch.

[CTinline-six]

Originally Posted by pennsiveguy

I love the challenge of keeping an old machine working. Especially if it's something that's been passed down. Any dolt with a credit card and a pulse can piss away a bunch of $ on something new. It's way more challenging and rewarding to give a seasoned implement another shot at life through the liberal application of know-how and TLC.

I love old machines. One of my hobbies is tinkering with antique tractors and engines, I have a few at my grandfather's farm but the one at my place is a 1968 Gravely walkbehind with some attachments. 10hp cast iron Kohler engine and all gear drive. Thing probably weighs 500 lbs with no attachments. I use it most often with a 30" brush hog that has a 3/8" thick blade.

Originally Posted by pennsiveguy

You've got to know your gear and care for it, if you expect it to take care of you.

Are the manufacturers building implements that aren't compatible with the fuels that are available to their customers? Are they knowingly selling oxygenator-intolerant implements in markets where there's no e0 available? That's BS, if so. I can't imagine that it would dramatically increase costs to substitute oxygenator-tolerant materials, as has been done in the automotive industry for 3 decades. An informed consumer would be willing to bear any reasonable costs, given how much longevity it would yield.

It's all about cost. Manufacturers don't care that their carburetors can corrode from ethanol fuels. A lot of issues stem from the fuel itself attracting water and causing varnish which will clog up fuel passages. Fuel injection vehicles aren't as susceptible to this type of damage from their design, but leave anything sitting around with untreated ethanol fuel in it for long enough and it will have issues.

[pennsiveguy]

Originally Posted by CTinline-six

I love old machines. One of my hobbies is tinkering with antique tractors and engines, I have a few at my grandfather's farm but the one at my place is a 1968 Gravely walkbehind with some attachments. 10hp cast iron Kohler engine and all gear drive. Thing probably weighs 500 lbs with no attachments. I use it most often with a 30" brush hog that has a 3/8" thick blade.



It's all about cost. Manufacturers don't care that their carburetors can corrode from ethanol fuels. A lot of issues stem from the fuel itself attracting water and causing varnish which will clog up fuel passages. Fuel injection vehicles aren't as susceptible to this type of damage from their design, but leave anything sitting around with untreated ethanol fuel in it for long enough and it will have issues.

Speaking of old tractors...

This is our old Ford 8n. My dad's dad bought it new in '52; my old man remembers the day they delivered it. Completely restored and repainted about 10 years ago. I've got a back blade for it, which is super handy for knocking down the "hump" that forms in the middle of our dirt driveway and which wreaks havoc on anything that hugs the ground. And a brush hog that's perfect for mowing trails, though I've switched to using mainly the Deere for that lately.

[CTinline-six]

Originally Posted by pennsiveguy

Speaking of old tractors...

This is our old Ford 8n. My dad's dad bought it new in '52; my old man remembers the day they delivered it. Completely restored and repainted about 10 years ago. I've got a back blade for it, which is super handy for knocking down the "hump" that forms in the middle of our dirt driveway and which wreaks havoc on anything that hugs the ground. And a brush hog that's perfect for mowing trails, though I've switched to using mainly the Deere for that lately.

Those things are awesome! Probably one of the most usable antique tractors because of the 3 point hitch that can accept modern implements.

[pennsiveguy]

Originally Posted by CTinline-six

Those things are awesome! Probably one of the most usable antique tractors because of the 3 point hitch that can accept modern implements.

Yup, and I've got a good-sized wood chipper that I drive off the PTO and it mounts right on the hitch or can be towed. Makes short work of storm clean-up. That old flathead four-banger is torquey.

[pennsiveguy]

Originally Posted by Efthreeoh

Love the old Ford 8n's. You probably know this, but for those who don't, Henry Ford invented the 3-point hitch. Tractor-geek talk. Lol.

Actually no, I didn't know that. Thanks! For decades, Ford made a complete line of farm machinery. And medium and heavy trucks, which I drove a lot of. We only recently sold our old '57 F6 that we used to use for hauling firewood.

[Efthreeoh]

Originally Posted by pennsiveguy

Actually no, I didn't know that. Thanks! For decades, Ford made a complete line of farm machinery. And medium and heavy trucks, which I drove a lot of. We only recently sold our old '57 F6 that we used to use for hauling firewood.

So I googled it AFTER I wrote that. I was going from memory of reading a biography of Henry Ford, which as I remember stayed Mr. Henry invented the 3-point. The internet says Harry Ferguson patented the 3-point hitch. Apparently Ferguson had to convince Henry to adopt the 3-point as the design element of the N-series tractors. It is my memory from a book I read probably 35-40 years ago, so now I have to double check. Lol. The book is Ford, the Man and the Machine.

More to follow. I can say that most of Ford's tractors we actually built in Ireland... (If I have that right too ). My tractor is a New Holland, which I picked a lot from its lineage leading back to the Ford tractor company.

[CTinline-six]

Originally Posted by Efthreeoh

So I googled it AFTER I wrote that. I was going from memory of reading a biography of Henry Ford, which as I remember stayed Mr. Henry invented the 3-point. The internet says Harry Ferguson patented the 3-point hitch. Apparently Ferguson had to convince Henry to adopt the 3-point as the design element of the N-series tractors. It memory from a book I read probably 35-40 years ago, so now I have to double check. Lol. The book is Ford, the Man and the Machine.

More to follow. I can say that most of Ford's tractors we actually built in Ireland... (If I have that right too )

I always thought it was Harry Ferguson with the "Ferguson system" but even the interwebz says the idea didn't originate with him, so who knows.

[pennsiveguy]

Originally Posted by Efthreeoh

So I googled it AFTER I wrote that. I was going from memory of reading a biography of Henry Ford, which as I remember stayed Mr. Henry invented the 3-point. The internet says Harry Ferguson patented the 3-point hitch. Apparently Ferguson had to convince Henry to adopt the 3-point as the design element of the N-series tractors. It memory from a book I read probably 35-40 years ago, so now I have to double check. Lol. The book is Ford, the Man and the Machine.

More to follow. I can say that most of Ford's tractors we actually built in Ireland... (If I have that right too )

No worries, and thanks for the clarification.

If you've never been there and ever get a chance, go to the Henry Ford museum in Detroit (Dearborn, IIRC). It's spectacular. Allow at least 6 hours for the visit.

[Efthreeoh]

Originally Posted by CTinline-six

I always thought it was Harry Ferguson with the "Ferguson system" but even the interwebz says the idea didn't originate with him, so who knows.

Yeah, I should Google to check my memory, but the internet is not always correct. Just saying. The Ford biography is at home. I'm at my office. Will have to check later...

[Efthreeoh]

Originally Posted by pennsiveguy

No worries, and thanks for the clarification.

If you've never been there and ever get a chance, go to the Henry Ford museum in Detroit (Dearborn, IIRC). It's spectacular. Allow at least 6 hours for the visit.

It's on my list. One of my best friends is a Detroit native, he and I need to take a road trip at some point. The Ford Museum and the Detroit Auto Show are two items on my bucket list.

I have a great story about my friend and his "assistance" with negotiating my Hummer purchase back in 2009.

[Kolyan2k]

What am I doing wrong? Got like 15in of snow today and snowblower wouldn't move even 1 foot. Brand new tires and it's just spinning. Do I need chains or is my blower that shitty?

[Josh-PA]

This is my winter/summer rig. It's a 1995 JD F510 rws with the kawasaki 420. In the summer it rocks a 38" dual blade deck with a bagger. In the winter the chains go on and the 38" single stage thrower gets mounted on the front. I knocked out seven neighbor driveways this morning in an hour and a half. I really love the deck out front and the 8" turning radius. Makes it so easy to poke the mower deck under trees, fence rails, etc and minimize weed wacking. I wish they still made this style. It needs more than its fair share of TLC to keep it running, but when it works it is awesome.

[vreihen16]

Originally Posted by Kolyan2k

What am I doing wrong? Got like 15in of snow today and snowblower wouldn't move even 1 foot. Brand new tires and it's just spinning. Do I need chains or is my blower that shitty?

Did you try pushing down slightly on the hand grips, to raise the front an inch from the pavement?????

[Mosaud1998]

Honda snowblower and Craftsman Lawnmower with the Briggs and Stratton 7.25HP engine.

[CTinline-six]

Originally Posted by Kolyan2k

What am I doing wrong? Got like 15in of snow today and snowblower wouldn't move even 1 foot. Brand new tires and it's just spinning. Do I need chains or is my blower that shitty?

Was the snow a solid block of ice? Sounds like your skids need adjusting, you need to apply some down pressure on the handles to lift the front end up slightly, or you really do need chains.