generators
 

On 1/10/2018 12:37 PM, wrote:
On Wed, 10 Jan 2018 06:30:59 -0800 (PST), John H
wrote:



Pretty sad when you can't perform routine maintenance on a lawn mower.

Funny. The lady across the street has a John Deere riding mower. She does all her own maintenance, including sharpening the blades, etc. Her husband has somehow gotten totally out of the yardwork arena. I've never seen him lift a finger to do anything in the yard. I'll go over and blow her leaves for her, and he won't even say 'thanks'. Alcohol does play a role.

My father in law is 94 years old and he still sharpens his own mower
blades. He drops the deck at least once a month in season, hoses it
out, sharpens the blades and lubes everything.



I had a JDeere riding mower "tractor". Piece of crap. I bought it at
Lowe's or the Home Depot (forget which) and didn't realize that the
Deeres they sell are not the same as those from a JD dealer.

It had a design problem with the steering arms and links. If you backed
up while turning and hit a paver or rock, the damn thing would allow one
of front wheels to spin around almost 180 degrees so the inside of the
rim was facing outward. I'd have to jack up the front and force it back
into the correct position. Simple rack and pinion system with a "stop"
that was supposed to prevent the wheel from spinning around.

I contacted JDeere about it and that's when I learned the Lowe's/Home
Depot versions are not really JDeere mowers. A couple of years later I
was looking at the same model on display at Lowe's and noticed that the
steering linkage had been totally redesigned.

generators
 

On Wed, 10 Jan 2018 12:41:54 -0500, "Mr. Luddite"
wrote:

On 1/10/2018 12:19 PM, wrote:
On Wed, 10 Jan 2018 05:16:50 -0500, "Mr. Luddite"
wrote:

On 1/9/2018 10:19 PM, wrote:
On Tue, 9 Jan 2018 19:33:54 -0500, "Mr. Luddite"
wrote:

On 1/9/2018 7:09 PM, True North wrote:
On Tuesday, 9 January 2018 19:51:52 UTC-4, wrote:
On Tue, 9 Jan 2018 21:48:33 -0000 (UTC), Bill
wrote:



Harbor Freight has one they claim as quiet as Honda. $500.
https://www.harborfreight.com/engine...tor-62523.html

Like most things at Harbor Fright this is a chinese knockoff but it
might be all anyone needs if it is just for a rare power failure. I
doubt you would want it if you were a camper or something you wanted
on your boat.

I see Yamaha has a neat looking copy of the Honda EU2000i for $50.00 less. Not sure if anyone deals with them around here so I stuck with the Honda.



Don, several companies have introduced inverter type generators due to
the popularity of the Honda inverter series. They probably are all very
good compared to a conventional, noisy, generator that has to run at
full RPM all the time.

If it makes you feel like you made the right decision, I've had mine for
over 13 years and it has gone through hell, especially when the stone
cutters for our pool installation used it for a full summer, 6-7 hours a
day to power the stone saws.

Still has the original spark plug in it. I took it out last year and it
still looks like new. Even the gap was to spec. I've changed the oil
twice in 13 years. I've stored it for long periods with gas and Stabil
in it. Other than last week (before the recent storm), it always starts
with 3 or 4 pulls. I mentioned here that when it wouldn't start last
week I warmed up the carburetor area with a hairdryer for a few minutes,
pulled the cord and it fired right up. It was about 5 degrees out, so
it wasn't unexpected.

I think you made a good investment.

The only thing I would question is not changing the oil more often and
this is old "don't fix it if it ain't broke" me.



Yup, I wouldn't recommend following my oil change schedule, but it
hasn't caused any problems yet. Doesn't burn any oil, and has never
shut down due to a low oil level. Maybe I'll give it a treat this
spring and give it it's third oil change. :-)


The real issue with oil, beyond hours, is condensation. Water can form
acids in the oil that eat your engine from the inside out and these
small engines are not sealed up like a modern car or outboard engine.
Every "breath" they take brings in moisture. (heat cool cycles)
Not running it is worse for that problem than using it all the time.



True but it's almost 14 years old and still going strong. I don't
expect it to last forever. It's initial purpose was for hurricane
Wilma. When the contractors used it all summer a year later to power the
stone saws while installing the pool, I figured it would pretty much
sacrificed for the project. It's cost was chump change compared to the
cost of the pool project. It was so dusty and dirty with bluestone dust
your couldn't even see that it was red. But, cleaned it up. still runs
fine and generates electricity. Amazing little generator.


I am just saying it would be a shame to lose it over $3 worth of oil.

generators
 

John H wrote:
On Wed, 10 Jan 2018 15:40:00 -0000 (UTC), Bill wrote:

John H wrote:
On Tue, 09 Jan 2018 19:30:14 -0500, wrote:

On Tue, 09 Jan 2018 19:17:57 -0500, John H
wrote:

On Tue, 9 Jan 2018 16:04:40 -0800 (PST), True North wrote:

Finally pulled the plug and bought the Eu 2000i at lunchtime. The
sales guy had made up the order and assigned it to me when it arrived
yeaterday. I had been out there on Friday while stillout of power and
with another 20 hrs of same facing me. I would have bought the unit
with no questions then if one was available. Anyway, when we got
there salesman was looking after another couple. We all ended up
discussing the pros and cons of the Eu200i vs a bigger model. Then
another guy gets in on the discussion. Back and forth it goes with the
guy from the couple waffling as much as me. Crowd starting to gather
at the desk looking for parts or whatever. One other person trying to
help them. Finally I tell the salesman to cash me in on the 2000.
Got up to the desk and started waffling again so I tell him to order
me in an EG 2800 and I'd decide between the two. Go back and the
couple guy is frantically searching the internet on his phone for
advice and calling an engineer friend. I
make
the mistake of asking the wife what she thinks. She just wants to get
out so says buy the 200. I tell the salesman to ring me up..then he
has to do the pre-delivery inspection , adding of oil and gas and
supposidly running the unit. The poor couple. the other guy and the
half dozen people milling around the front counter are starting to
give me dirty looks. Anyway, salesman does his thing, tells me the
unit is at the door ready to go. Go up and I see the generator but no
manual etc. One of the guys milling around points to a package on the
counter near the cardboard box. I put the unit in it's box, toss in
the manual and wires with clips? into the box and get the hell out.
I won't do that at lunch time again.

That 200 she wanted to buy must have been a little bugger, eh?

This is the engine it uses.
https://tinyurl.com/ybnn39ld

;-)

I grew up with the little Cox .049. Those things were indestructible.


I still have one somewhere. And an .o49 diesel airplane engine and an .049
outboard. My brother and his kids lived for a couple years in the house I
grew up in, so my .36 and .60 engines disappeared.

Hopefully they're having fun with them.


Nope, they probably left them outside years ago.

generators
 

wrote:
On Wed, 10 Jan 2018 06:30:59 -0800 (PST), John H
wrote:



Pretty sad when you can't perform routine maintenance on a lawn mower.

Funny. The lady across the street has a John Deere riding mower. She
does all her own maintenance, including sharpening the blades, etc. Her
husband has somehow gotten totally out of the yardwork arena. I've never
seen him lift a finger to do anything in the yard. I'll go over and blow
her leaves for her, and he won't even say 'thanks'. Alcohol does play a role.

My father in law is 94 years old and he still sharpens his own mower
blades. He drops the deck at least once a month in season, hoses it
out, sharpens the blades and lubes everything.


Me, I j ust pay the mow and blow guy monthly.

generators
 

On Wed, 10 Jan 2018 12:51:43 -0500, "Mr. Luddite"
wrote:

On 1/10/2018 12:37 PM, wrote:
On Wed, 10 Jan 2018 06:30:59 -0800 (PST), John H
wrote:



Pretty sad when you can't perform routine maintenance on a lawn mower.

Funny. The lady across the street has a John Deere riding mower. She does all her own maintenance, including sharpening the blades, etc. Her husband has somehow gotten totally out of the yardwork arena. I've never seen him lift a finger to do anything in the yard. I'll go over and blow her leaves for her, and he won't even say 'thanks'. Alcohol does play a role.

My father in law is 94 years old and he still sharpens his own mower
blades. He drops the deck at least once a month in season, hoses it
out, sharpens the blades and lubes everything.



I had a JDeere riding mower "tractor". Piece of crap. I bought it at
Lowe's or the Home Depot (forget which) and didn't realize that the
Deeres they sell are not the same as those from a JD dealer.

It had a design problem with the steering arms and links. If you backed
up while turning and hit a paver or rock, the damn thing would allow one
of front wheels to spin around almost 180 degrees so the inside of the
rim was facing outward. I'd have to jack up the front and force it back
into the correct position. Simple rack and pinion system with a "stop"
that was supposed to prevent the wheel from spinning around.

I contacted JDeere about it and that's when I learned the Lowe's/Home
Depot versions are not really JDeere mowers. A couple of years later I
was looking at the same model on display at Lowe's and noticed that the
steering linkage had been totally redesigned.


I inherited my FILs old Craftsman Lawn "tractor". It was made by
American Lawn Products that makes a lot of these things. (probably
your JD). He used it for 25 years before he bought a Troy Built (2011)
and gave it to me. It is still going but I needed to rebuild the deck
shortly after I got it. (replaced all of the moving parts and the
parts they move in)
I am really surprised the old Briggs engine is still going. I do give
it a quart of oil every year but I haven't done much else to it.
There was something wrong with the carb about 3 years ago but if I
left the throttle in one spot, it starts and runs OK so I haven't
touched it since. It may be OK now but why chance fate ;-)

generators
 

On 1/10/18 2:14 PM, Bill wrote:
wrote:
On Wed, 10 Jan 2018 06:30:59 -0800 (PST), John H
wrote:



Pretty sad when you can't perform routine maintenance on a lawn mower.

Funny. The lady across the street has a John Deere riding mower. She
does all her own maintenance, including sharpening the blades, etc. Her
husband has somehow gotten totally out of the yardwork arena. I've never
seen him lift a finger to do anything in the yard. I'll go over and blow
her leaves for her, and he won't even say 'thanks'. Alcohol does play a role.

My father in law is 94 years old and he still sharpens his own mower
blades. He drops the deck at least once a month in season, hoses it
out, sharpens the blades and lubes everything.


Me, I j ust pay the mow and blow guy monthly.


How many times a month does your lawn need mowing in growing season?
Mine needs a weekly mow from the end of April through the middle of
November. Guy down the street has a crew hit his weekly, runs him $75 a
cut, or it did a couple of years ago.

generators
 

On 1/10/2018 2:20 PM, wrote:
On Wed, 10 Jan 2018 12:51:43 -0500, "Mr. Luddite"
wrote:

On 1/10/2018 12:37 PM, wrote:
On Wed, 10 Jan 2018 06:30:59 -0800 (PST), John H
wrote:



Pretty sad when you can't perform routine maintenance on a lawn mower.

Funny. The lady across the street has a John Deere riding mower. She does all her own maintenance, including sharpening the blades, etc. Her husband has somehow gotten totally out of the yardwork arena. I've never seen him lift a finger to do anything in the yard. I'll go over and blow her leaves for her, and he won't even say 'thanks'. Alcohol does play a role.

My father in law is 94 years old and he still sharpens his own mower
blades. He drops the deck at least once a month in season, hoses it
out, sharpens the blades and lubes everything.



I had a JDeere riding mower "tractor". Piece of crap. I bought it at
Lowe's or the Home Depot (forget which) and didn't realize that the
Deeres they sell are not the same as those from a JD dealer.

It had a design problem with the steering arms and links. If you backed
up while turning and hit a paver or rock, the damn thing would allow one
of front wheels to spin around almost 180 degrees so the inside of the
rim was facing outward. I'd have to jack up the front and force it back
into the correct position. Simple rack and pinion system with a "stop"
that was supposed to prevent the wheel from spinning around.

I contacted JDeere about it and that's when I learned the Lowe's/Home
Depot versions are not really JDeere mowers. A couple of years later I
was looking at the same model on display at Lowe's and noticed that the
steering linkage had been totally redesigned.


I inherited my FILs old Craftsman Lawn "tractor". It was made by
American Lawn Products that makes a lot of these things. (probably
your JD). He used it for 25 years before he bought a Troy Built (2011)
and gave it to me. It is still going but I needed to rebuild the deck
shortly after I got it. (replaced all of the moving parts and the
parts they move in)
I am really surprised the old Briggs engine is still going. I do give
it a quart of oil every year but I haven't done much else to it.
There was something wrong with the carb about 3 years ago but if I
left the throttle in one spot, it starts and runs OK so I haven't
touched it since. It may be OK now but why chance fate ;-)



My experience with Briggs and Stratton engines has been "iffy". Some
run fine, last a long time. Others are problematic.

Tecumseh engines always seemed to make consistently good small engines.

generators
 

On 1/10/2018 2:09 PM, wrote:
On Wed, 10 Jan 2018 12:41:54 -0500, "Mr. Luddite"
wrote:

On 1/10/2018 12:19 PM, wrote:
On Wed, 10 Jan 2018 05:16:50 -0500, "Mr. Luddite"
wrote:

On 1/9/2018 10:19 PM, wrote:
On Tue, 9 Jan 2018 19:33:54 -0500, "Mr. Luddite"
wrote:

On 1/9/2018 7:09 PM, True North wrote:
On Tuesday, 9 January 2018 19:51:52 UTC-4, wrote:
On Tue, 9 Jan 2018 21:48:33 -0000 (UTC), Bill
wrote:



Harbor Freight has one they claim as quiet as Honda. $500.
https://www.harborfreight.com/engine...tor-62523.html

Like most things at Harbor Fright this is a chinese knockoff but it
might be all anyone needs if it is just for a rare power failure. I
doubt you would want it if you were a camper or something you wanted
on your boat.

I see Yamaha has a neat looking copy of the Honda EU2000i for $50.00 less. Not sure if anyone deals with them around here so I stuck with the Honda.



Don, several companies have introduced inverter type generators due to
the popularity of the Honda inverter series. They probably are all very
good compared to a conventional, noisy, generator that has to run at
full RPM all the time.

If it makes you feel like you made the right decision, I've had mine for
over 13 years and it has gone through hell, especially when the stone
cutters for our pool installation used it for a full summer, 6-7 hours a
day to power the stone saws.

Still has the original spark plug in it. I took it out last year and it
still looks like new. Even the gap was to spec. I've changed the oil
twice in 13 years. I've stored it for long periods with gas and Stabil
in it. Other than last week (before the recent storm), it always starts
with 3 or 4 pulls. I mentioned here that when it wouldn't start last
week I warmed up the carburetor area with a hairdryer for a few minutes,
pulled the cord and it fired right up. It was about 5 degrees out, so
it wasn't unexpected.

I think you made a good investment.

The only thing I would question is not changing the oil more often and
this is old "don't fix it if it ain't broke" me.



Yup, I wouldn't recommend following my oil change schedule, but it
hasn't caused any problems yet. Doesn't burn any oil, and has never
shut down due to a low oil level. Maybe I'll give it a treat this
spring and give it it's third oil change. :-)


The real issue with oil, beyond hours, is condensation. Water can form
acids in the oil that eat your engine from the inside out and these
small engines are not sealed up like a modern car or outboard engine.
Every "breath" they take brings in moisture. (heat cool cycles)
Not running it is worse for that problem than using it all the time.



True but it's almost 14 years old and still going strong. I don't
expect it to last forever. It's initial purpose was for hurricane
Wilma. When the contractors used it all summer a year later to power the
stone saws while installing the pool, I figured it would pretty much
sacrificed for the project. It's cost was chump change compared to the
cost of the pool project. It was so dusty and dirty with bluestone dust
your couldn't even see that it was red. But, cleaned it up. still runs
fine and generates electricity. Amazing little generator.


I am just saying it would be a shame to lose it over $3 worth of oil.


Ok, ok. This spring I'll treat it to it's third oil change. Geeze! :-)

generators
 

On 1/10/2018 2:14 PM, Bill wrote:
wrote:
On Wed, 10 Jan 2018 06:30:59 -0800 (PST), John H
wrote:



Pretty sad when you can't perform routine maintenance on a lawn mower.

Funny. The lady across the street has a John Deere riding mower. She
does all her own maintenance, including sharpening the blades, etc. Her
husband has somehow gotten totally out of the yardwork arena. I've never
seen him lift a finger to do anything in the yard. I'll go over and blow
her leaves for her, and he won't even say 'thanks'. Alcohol does play a role.

My father in law is 94 years old and he still sharpens his own mower
blades. He drops the deck at least once a month in season, hoses it
out, sharpens the blades and lubes everything.


Me, I j ust pay the mow and blow guy monthly.



Me too. He also takes care of the snow in the winter.
I just sit here on the computer arguing with Harry while looking out the
window. Life's a bitch, then you die.

generators
 

On 1/10/2018 2:23 PM, Keyser Soze wrote:
On 1/10/18 2:14 PM, Bill wrote:
wrote:
On Wed, 10 Jan 2018 06:30:59 -0800 (PST), John H
wrote:



Pretty sad when you can't perform routine maintenance on a lawn mower.

Funny. The lady across the street has a John Deere riding mower. She
does all her own maintenance, including sharpening the blades, etc. Her
husband has somehow gotten totally out of the yardwork arena. I've
never
seen him lift a finger to do anything in the yard. I'll go over and
blow
her leaves for her, and he won't even say 'thanks'. Alcohol does
play a role.

My father in law is 94 years old and he still sharpens his own mower
blades. He drops the deck at least once a month in season, hoses it
out, sharpens the blades and lubes everything.


Me, I j ust pay the mow and blow guy monthly.


How many times a month does your lawn need mowing in growing season?
Mine needs a weekly mow from the end of April through the middle of
November. Guy down the street has a crew hit his weekly, runs him $75 a
cut, or it did a couple of years ago.


That's because your bull**** runneth over.