I Need a Low Fuel Alarm for My Wifes Riding Lawn Mower

or this, this is portable extra fuel tank for your missis.

Get a small 5 pound fire extinguisher. Throw away that crappy powder, and fill it with some gasoline. Now mount it to a safe place on the 20 hp mower, and tell her you are worried about her safety. Next time it runs out of gas, the gas can will be there waiting for you.

That's just plain Bad and Dangerous advice.

The engine going in my wifes 99 F250 super duty 4WD four door is my old heavy towing Ford 460 that pushes 400+ HP and 500+ ft/lbs of torque that is coupled to a built up E4OD transmission that runs off a dedicated PCS controller.

The nice part is the 800 CFM carb is easy to modify so that it doesnt open the secondaries and I can program the PSC transmission controller to have a very conservative shift pattern as well.

Reason being this is the same woman who complained that the speedometer in her car wasn't working right because it went up too fast.

Come to think of it I might just make an adapter plate that would let me put one of my old 300 CFM single BBl industrial carbs where the big 4 bbl sits.

That oughta reduce any speedometer and running out of fuel issues to a point.

Think adjustable throttle stop. WOT could be only 20%.

Hey WTH just put a block of wood under the gas pedal. What are the chances she will figure it out?

How about one of these deuce and a half?

She could drive it to the area to be mowed, have plenty of fuel, won't have to lift the fuel can, you could put a radio in it for her driving enjoyment (Sirius) would be best, when she ran out of gas the gas can be driven to the mower and of course it is gravity fill so she doesn't have to fuss with a pump!

I'm sure she would love it if you painted it a gentle shade of pink! She might have to take it to the station to refill it (I doubt you would ever be caught dead in a pink truck) but she could proudly show off how wonderful her husband treats her. It is certainly larger than a diamond ring so she would be the envy of all the ladies in town and she would make them jealous because of the big gifts you buy her.

Put a hitch on the back and a tow bar on the front of the mower and she could take all of them to and from the mow area as one. Put a figurine of a female Bull Dog on the front of the hood and she can be a real MOTHER TRUCKER! It has mud/snow tires on it so she could enter lawn tractor races, lawn tractor pulls, giant truck rallies, truck pulls, mountain climbing races, mud races and even haul hay during the week to pay for all these events she would be entering.

Good Luck, Old Salt

Convert to a style of carburetor that doesn't need priming. My lawnmower is over 40 years old and has an automatic choke and doesn't need priming and it has a mixture screw on it. My neighbor's lawnmower has a carburetor that needs priming, has no mixture adjustment, and fouls out the sparkplug about once a year. They both have the same Briggs & Stratton engine.

why not store the full gas tanks on the seat of the mower so she will have to move them to sit down?

how about a cheap mower with a fuel alarm already built in

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=puaCuzfor80

or never worry about filling up again

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vkk-sOo8Hqw

Avidly agree with the points that you have brought out with this post! I love a good joke just as much, if not more than the average engineer/mechanic/scientist/interested person. I'm certainly not the best at creating the good ones but really enjoy them. I'm relatively new to this forum, 2007, but I have never seen any other posting with over 100 replies! It must be a good one, and I readily agree that it is. Hope to see more of them!

What bothers me is the somewhat blatant "off-topic-ing " of many of the posts that have been also rated as good by others (4 rating is a posting that has been given a "GA" and one Off-topic or 4 GA's, likewise with other mixed ratings). One could sense that the person giving so many off-topics is "bullying" the posters or some other unnecessary tactic. I don't know but it certainly is a possibility!

Yes, I am crusty in some respects. Don't like people with personal vendettas at the expenses of others, can't repel down 10 story buildings anymore, can't run marathons (bad knees), wife is always telling me to stop doing some of the physical things I love (using ladders. etc.), racing sailboats, etc. What really pis_es me off is posters that attack the intelligence, personal character, lineage, and other similar things about another person based on a technical disagreement or keyboarding skills no matter how minor it may be. They have never met or talked with the other person, just read a small posting. Yes, this has happened to me but I never cast the first stone! KEEP THE JOKES COMING!

Thank you for the opportunity to use a soap box replying to your posting. I'm not crusty most of the time, although I am over 50 and my kids say I am, and enjoy this forum if people do not intimidate or attack others. Keep the funny ones and serious ones coming. We need all them for our sanity!

Good Luck, Old Salt

I understand and agree with most of what you state and wish more contributors agreed and acted that way. My aggravation peaked a day or two ago, after monitoring this subject from it's onset with its obvious humor mixed with truly good mechanical and physiological solutions. Someone has gone in and prolifically placed "off-topics" on a very large percentage of the contributions, and many of them were there for more than a day. I may be wrong but this doesn't appear to me to be self off-topicing. I too have used the self declared "off-topic" on some of my postings where I felt it appropriate. To have so many from a variety of posters that one day are acceptable or have a GA or two now become "off-topic" overnight, to me at least, someone is letting their emotions or a vendetta interfere with the purpose of the forum. Would it be acceptable if I went through all of the contributions and marked all of them as "off-topic"? I don't think so nor would I do that.

It has also been my experience that one "off-topic" is rated as a minus 5 and a GA is rated as a plus one. The sum of these are then what is placed on the posting. Please let me know if I am incorrect. It would then only take one persons opinion to wipe out five people who have given a GA's.

Many contributors such as yourself apparently and myself attempt to give good answers to the questions posted even with the majority of the original questions not providing enough information to give a good answer to the contributor. When something humorous is posted lets all enjoy it! I like a joke as much, if not more, than the other person!

Yes, I am sometimes "crusty" but when I see it multiple times (at least 30 times in the last few years, not a exact count but an estimation) and have seen others post their frustrations with the few people who proliferate the "off-topics" it nocks some of the crust off and I take an attempt to make others aware of it. I'm not crusty all the time though, never when I am sailing. I'm always young at heart when afloat! I also am aware as to how fragile life is so I try not to let the small things bother me.

My other b_tch about some persons attacking the intelligence, mental status, lineage and lineage of one's mother simply because the attacker doesn't agree on a minor technical matter or the contributor has made a simple keyboarding mistake is self explanatory. This is a contributory forum. Some may think I am being petty on this matter but I have seen too much of this. Others and myself have been attacked by some for very small and insignificant differences. One of them is in a currently open forum.

Sorry to take up your time but I just wanted to clarify why I am pis_ed off at a very few people and why I feel my frustration is warranted. Their actions detract from the purpose of the forum, prompt people to not frequent the forums and waste my time, your time and almost every other ones time. Maybe I have too much wind in my sails but I always enjoy a good reach. Running is not my preferred. I also don't like it when someone cuts across my tack and forces me to go in irons. May your sails always be filled with wind, may your spinnaker always be on the correct side and may you never tangle your mainsheet and main halyard on your backstay.

Good Luck, Old Salt

Hey now this is my thread and for what its worth I don't see anything that is off topic here.

In fact I generally don't have any real vaid topics in most any of my threads and what little I do contribute, ............ ,,, um.

Ah forget it I wasn't paying enough attention to myself to remember what I was going for here.

Continue on!

"It has also been my experience that one "off-topic" is rated as a minus 5 and a GA is rated as a plus one. "

The two are not always connected as you say. OTs issued by Admin. don't cancel GAs.

If an individual votes you OT, a GA is subtracted from your total, if you have any. Any member can vote you OT.

Thank you for the clarification, I appreciate your time taken to post the correct information. One question though, where do the 5 point OT come from? I have seen them in the past and have seen them in this forum. I would think, but not know, that a posting must have been off the wall if 5 contributors all thought at the same time that a posting was really bad off topic. If you could clarify this I would appreciate it.

The major irritation to me is not the proliferation of OT's but a few people's actions to rip apart another contributor just because they disagree on some minor/major aspect of the posting. Some examples are: "You are still laughable when you write"

"That you obviously do not understand why is a further problem....."

"You remain with your old wrong assumptions.....that is your problem.....not mine."

"it demonstrates a deep misunderstanding of the possible problems."

Whether or not I think you are an ass is immaterial

you certainly fit right in our little band of people who know & have done shyt

you seem to be one of the "someone's" who piis you off

The difference, which perhaps continues to elude you,

I just realized that English must be a second language for you,

By saying "bunk" I was simply saying that your statement makes little sense. (Broad ≠ Narrow) Perhaps, being unfamiliar with English, you thought bunk was an insulting term (perhaps slang for some sexual deviance), and therefore that caused you to become insulting in retaliation. Rest assured that the only meaning I intended was that what you were proposing made little sense from a practical engineering perspective.

You continue to assert the superiority of your theory, but have yet to provide any actual data to support that claim & then get all butt hurt when xxxxxxx calls Bullshine

I certainly take exception with your notion that you in any way represent "the forum".

You might be whining to yourself.

I have never initiated and intend on never attempting to ridicule another person, and all the other things that I have mentioned in previous posting on this forum. It detracts from the quality of the forum and has nothing to do with the matter at hand. If a person can't stick to the subject (or a humorous deviation) and not attack another person then perhaps we should hand out brass knuckles to some contributors. This may seem petty but have you ever had another call you a son of a b_tch on this forum? I have seen it address to another and think it (and the person saying it) have no place here.

No offense to coal miners but my grandfather was one and he taught me a lot of words I don't use in public or even in private. Also most people haven't heard them and don't understand them so I am not a "goody two shoes". My mother, his daughter, also taught me a few words I don't use in public!

Thank you for your clarification. If possible, please provide me clarification on my new question if your time permits.

Good Luck, Old Salt

As I tell my wife, There are some very good medications that make concerns like this far less concerning.

My thread so I can say whatever I want and still be on topic!

Now as far as most level 5 OT scores go that is usually self inflicted by rating yourself as being at 5 on the off topic rating selection for your own post. It does not take 5 others not liking what you said to get that number.

If anything you should be pleased that people actually read what you post and take it to such a degree as to warrant bothering with voting anything for what you said!

To be honest at least half the people here skim read and never catch what was already posted or discussed as is so if they are taking the time to actually read your posts and put them in a context (proper or otherwise)at a level to feel you are worth voting on you should be thrilled.

TCMTECH-

Thank you very much for the explanation! It makes more sense now.

My philosophy is to enjoy life to the fullest while you can, so this apparent inequity at the time seemed to be rather retaliator. Your explanation certainly clarifies it for me and probably many others.

I like to try and give as good an answer as possible or not give one at all if I don't know or am not sure. Hopefully this helps the OP since I am not adding to his/her confusion.

I found your postings and replies both interesting and humorous. I love humor! I have been on my way to meet my maker, once almost there, so I try to enjoy life to its fullest and humor is the best medicine. I have to take too many of the doctors pills so I prescribe humor to myself. I works better!

Thanks again.

Good Luck, Old Salt

This happens to me also. The bigger issue is: having to lug a 5 gal jerry can 1/4 mile to fill it up. We usually let the grandkids do it. Great kids.

Well anyway....

At least I am not the only one who will ponder on the possibilities of how to over engineer a simple thing to solve problem.

So far yesterdays debates between me and the Mrs tech was that the last time the gas cans were empty she went to town and filled four of them and that she paid for the gas (with my credit card of course but that not the point.? !..?).

That's fine but we only have three gas cans of which she took with, so whose gas can was number four?, or is all of this all just a problem in her mind due to her lack of wanting to pay attention to details like numbers and such?

I feel your pain. My wife's a 142.

Lets just say my wife scored lower than my 11 year old niece and leave it at that.

If you have ever watched Big Bang theory I thought I was marrying Amy.

Turns out I married Penny, but without the perky attitude and motivation, which I think does sort of explain the gas can miscounting and whatnot.

Unfortunately my wife has found what she considers to be an excellent solution to this problem. No messy fuel can, no walks with empty fuel cans, no long walks , no worrying about the oil level in the engine and all that other bothersome stuff.

Her answer- MAKE ME MOW THE LAWN, while she is out doing therapeutic shopping! Says the shopping is easier to handle than anti-depressants or other philological medicines. Maybe for her but not me, she uses my credit card!

Good Luck, Old Salt

Withdraw her use of the credit card - ie sh'e no longer authorized to use it......but then again BAD MOVE .. !

Yes, it is cheaper to let her therapeutic shop than it is to pay a divorce lawyer and support payments.

Good Luck, Old Salt

I was just browsing through the comments and I noticed you had to lug the gascan a quarter mile to fill the tank. The solution is obvious. Get a smaller lawn!

Put on a bigger fuel Tank

We just went out tonight to eat to celebrate that she made it through mowing the lawn without running out of gas!

Now there is a new problem. Apparently the AC in her car does not work very well with all of the vents closed. Any ideas?

Yes I am serious. Five miles on into town she asked if I could look at her AC and possibly recharge it being it hasn't been working very well even on Max High setting the last few days. ( I opened the vents, little levers below the dash vents, and it was icy cold before we got to town.)

Do any of you ever get sharp shooting pains in one of your eyes sometimes? Recently I have started to get them for some reason.

Don't worry. Those sharp pains will go away after 20 or 30 more years.

Well, they'll get fainter anyway. They never go away completely. Women have this wonderful creative way of coming up with other "problems", as we become desensitized to the last "closed vent episode".

Kermit THE Frog put it best: "You can't live with 'em; you can't live without 'em".

Actually I made it to 36 without ever getting married. I am pretty sure I had the living without part mastered.

I just cant remember why I thought not being single would be better?

Oh yea I remember now. I thought the woman I married had at least one magnitude of order higher self responsibility and at least 40+ more IQ points than she turned out to have.

At least we know who "married up" in this.

Reminds me of the woman years ago who complained about the high fuel consumption by her new car.

The serviceman looked in her car and asked what the knob pulled out was for - her response: "it doesn't do anything, I keep it pulled out to hang my handbag on" .... you guessed .... it was the choke (when cars had such manual devices!)

My wife has the same 'problem' with her AC. First, I asked her why the vents were closed - "I don't like the air blowing on me." I'm still waiting for the reply to the second question, "How can the AC cool if you don't let the cold air out somewhere?" If you solve the riddle, please share it with us all. (At least you're not alone.)

This video helps me cope with the apparent fact that a lot of us share the same issues.

It's not about the nail.

LOL. Thanks, I am not alone.

Aren't the vents steerable?

Well yes but thats a whole new nail in the head to deal with.

If she moves the vents the sparkly little heads on the itty bitty air fresheners won't look as symmetrical and you know the looks are more important than manly common sense.

How about you make some manly hidden vents

I prefer to let her suffer with her own self inflicted misery over such things. Some days the amusement value alone is priceless!

Some time ago before she had her own car and we had a joint bank account with cash cards I left her with my old pickup which that day had enough gas left in it to easily make it to town and back once.

Latter that day I was at work and I got a phone call from her that the pickup ran out of gas while she was in town.

I met up with her with a 5 gallon can of gas to get her home. I asked, How much driving around town did you do? There was more than enough gas to make it to town and back and probably more than once on top of it.

She then said, "This was my third trip to town. I went once and didn't run out of gas so I came back to get a few other things. Then I figured that since I made it twice I can go one more time to pick up something I forgot to get at the dollar store." (Which was where I met her.)

That's my wife.

This is a way cool question and it has some conversation and some humor. All all beneficial.

We don't seem to have a solution and I think one of my posts never made it.

I'm a migraine sufferer with food triggers and an environmental trigger I cannot control, the weather. The magnatude of the second derivative of barometric pressure sets it off.

The stabbing pain behind the eye, I think I got only 1x or 2x in my life and I think I had the flu at the time. That type of headache really hurts.

I'm not married, but tcmtech seems to be doing "OK" in that department.

---

I was going to suggest a thermister based low fuel alarm. That self-heating thermister alarm existed on my 80's vehicle. Sloshing won't do anything, The gas gage could not be used to help fill the tank though because of it's 90 second response time. It was filled with a fluid.

Here is the "gas cap gauge" people are talking about.

Or how about: low fuel alarm

Here is a better description of the technology.

Note to forum: More time should be allowed for editing. Seems like it's nanoseconds after submission.

The gas cap is under the hood on hers and it already has a sight gage on the side of the tank that can easily be seen as well. Just not while sitting up straight.

As far as my eye pain goes it's clearly triggered by my wife. Sort of how I cry inside a little every now and then when certain problems come up.

Hm open the Vents maybe?

I have i stabbing pain behind my left eye now and then, time for new glasses or my left brain is shrinking?

Use a low oil indicator float type sensor inside the fuel tank and use the reed contacts for alarm. Fix this at a level high enough so that she can reach back to the storage fuel.

Gajanan Phadte

My neighbor purposely left the gas tank empty onther wise his wife would keep driving until it was anyway. Save a lot of money that way.

This thread is beginning to take on the appearance of a broken bathtub.

Too small yet. I would barely classify it as a crack around the drain.

"Number sequences" posts haven't even begin to pop up.

A bathtub without a crack can store a lot of fuel!

I could also drowned a wife in it too! ..

(Come on. You all have thought about it with your significant other at least once.)

Once a year, month, day, hour, minute, second?

Where's the "kill switch" for this thread?????????????????????

Just be quiet and this thread will run out of gas.

This thread is powered by the combined frustrations and bewilderment that every man who has any form of engineering mindset experiences when dealing with his non engineering wife.

It's been disabled just like the ones on the riding lawn mower.

It makes it easier to start that way so you don't have to remember to put the clutch in turn the deck off sit on the seat and all that other annoying things to do first before you can get going.

There is no kill swtch on this thread. It got so bizarre I posted it on Facebook.

How about a solar powered lawnmower?

We live out in the country and our yard is about 3 acres and mostly hills at that so I don't think so.

How about a trolley lawn mower?

Or a high speed one to cut that grass before the gass runs out!

Well I have always wanted an excuse to build a racing mower just to have one!

OK, let's make an engineering change in the thread ... leave the mower in the shed,
go out for a nice lunch with the other half, (cheaper than a divorce), and let the UAV
swarm take care of the whole task, automatically, flying low enough to trim the grass
with enough redundancy not to worry about the odd dud and thud.

And if keen, you can do the remote quality control with your smart phone
between the main course and dessert!

Do they make a Zoomba for cutting grass?

Or something like this?

http://www.robomow.com/en-UK/

Going by the numbers I would need three of the big ones which would set me back some $8200+.

No thanks. For that amount of cash I will do it myself.

Eco style?

No gass issues!

Do the scythes come too with the 3 of them?

I have serious doubts about that method.

I am dealing with the same woman who has complained about the key and the choke being too hard to operate some days.

Where is the proper PPE? Steel toed shoes, shin guards, chain mail pants, gloves. ear protection, face protection, hearing protection, hard hat, eye protection, dead-man switch on handle, PFD (class 4), reflective vest, caution signs and sun exposure preventative lotion for dermal application?

Better check 29CFR1910 before start cutting! Oh, also provide signed records of satisfactory training records.

It's Mr. OSHA Time.

It's Mr. OSHA Time.

Bob Smith and Mr. OSHA Do

Say Mr. OSHA to you.

Let's give a rousing cheer,

Cause Mr. OSHA's here,

It's time to start the show,

So kids let's go!

Good Luck, Old Salt

Since he's apparently using slave labor (OSHA has no standing unless you have more than 10 employees) he can tell them to pound sand if they stop by.

Lyn-

Excellent idea! Why was I so dumb (as some on these forums have accused me of being) to not think of that myself! I am so familiar with that having worked for some real slave drivers for piddling wages during my career. We could also have someone stand near them with a whip in his/her hand, just like "Cool Hand Luke"! Put some striped shirts on them and it would be even more accurate!

When the OSHA inspectors arrive, if they are brave enough, the guy/gal with the whip could be sent over to greet them. For this position a lineman from the NFL would match the job description very well. He could even bring his rugby friend along. If the OSHA inspectors should choose to obtain a court order permitting them to be in the work area, it wouldn't do them any good because the Sherriff is on our other set of payroll books.

How intelligent of you! Just consider how much payroll, PPE, administrative, FICA, SUI, Health Benefits, federal tax, state taxes and city taxes you have saved the operation. You is da' bos guy of cost reductin'!

Don from OZ-

We would like to thank your for your excellent procedure for evading export or import taxes, or at least what we think you said. Being scientist and engineers or a faction there of, we are not as knowledgeable as you on this subject. We can handle those microns, micrometers, magnesium, momentum and many other things but we haven't the foggiest about what you are saying. Would you be open to taking on some sideline work? You could have the title of "Chief Financial Officer of International Transfer of Masses". We trust that you will keep the financial status of our endeavors foremost in you mind.

As for OSHA, we've got them under the control of "Tiny" and "Gruesome" . Ain't no man 'live dat can woop 'dem butts! They will break the OSHA's pencils, if not their knees, especially the Gruesome guy. Dat boy dun steal da' hat off a Ohio hizway troopa. Gruesome handed the trooper another box of powered donuts and stole his hat at the same time. Nothing keeps a cop away from powdered donuts!

As for the lawnmower, you are an extremely talented guy. Why don't you make it! Besides that, you can submit the patent application with you signature in two places. All those legal eagle patent attorneys will be so jealous of you! They may even genuflect as you approach the judge's bench. Due to a Supreme Court ruling, the judge is not allowed to do so because of his supposed impartiality for your presence. We also have him on the 2nd payroll sheets. He likes the chocolate covered donuts!

One clarification, the gasoline waste stored in the fuel tank can not be stored for more than 90 days and must be clearly marked as RCRA controlled waste.

Thank you for your astute ideas. Without contributors such as yourself, we would not be what we are today!

Good Luck, Old Salt

Looks like I need to come up with a low oil alarm for her car now.

We were on our way home and went around a corner and her car shut down. Cranked over but would not fire and the oil light stayed on the whole time I was cranking it.

Got a ride home with a neighbor brought back a gallon of oil and the car fired up as soon as the oil light went off. Apparently, and fortunately for me, her car is a old rental fleet car that must have a low oil safety interlock that keeps the fuel pump from running unless there is oil pressure.

Seriously if she had wrecked the engine she would have been driving the fire truck to work until she paid for a replacement car.

http://cr4.globalspec.com/thread/73268

Does your wife has a smartphone? maybe you can make an app that if ANY alarm goes off, that it is shown on the phone (ringing/buzzing) 30 times an hour.

Yes she has a Ipad and and Iphone of which neither is ever put down. If one isn't on the other is.

I however have no programing skills with phone related stuff. Industrial PLC is an easy one for me but I have yet to ever have a want or need to learn anything else.

Granted the best thing to get her attention would be to have all our machines set up with virtual identities on facebook and have them send her a message when there is a problem. She would never miss it.

I was listening to Cartalk one day and they had a problem where, someone didn't like the oil light being on, so they put black tape on it and destroyed the engine.

I too, would also like the oil level switch and had once thought about putting a thermister on the DIP stick. My current vehicle has a really narrow dip stick.

So, now what? Internet enable the lawnmower and send a text message? Or have the mower use Bluetooth and pair with the phone?

In any event, this thread has failed to come up with a reasonable sensor. How about a pic of the gas tank area? I kinda liked the reserve fuel idea.

The simplest oil interlock is to just use a basic N.O. type murphy switch that closes and enables a critical circuit like the fuel pump or ignition power relay to get power.

I have suspicions that my wifes mercury grand marquis has something like that rigged into the system someplace but even with all my years of tinkering with the car I have never seen a obvious one or at least went looking for such a device. That and that car has the engine so packed full of wires and whatnot it would be easy to have such a device buried down somewhere I can't see.

That said I have heard of rental companies having their fleet vehicles rigged that way to keep customers from destroying engines due to lack of proper fluid checks which gave me the suspicion that her car may have been set up that way years ago.

Can anyone tell me if there is a word limit on posts in this thread?

My "how to" post just got rejected again.

Yes there is a time limit for accepting posts. Don't know why but it certainly acts that way. Several solutions are posted on the thread CR4 system buggy again. I use word to solve the problem, post # 32, but most of them will work. Choose the one you like.

Good Luck, Old Salt

OK! Here's another go............Re: I Need a Low Fuel Alarm for My Wifes Riding Lawn Mower

Or, the mower without a gas tank.

Feeling better[back from the Dr. ] now so I'll attempt again to let you in on the design we cobbled up some years ago to mow airport run and taxiway verges.

I took a Ford 9inch diff rear axle and stripped it of all bits-and-bobs. Clean.

Left the knobbly M&S tyres on.

Constructed it into a sturdy trailer, with a single tow pole rather than an A frame, and, with the diff pinion shaft pointing vertically down.

Made an adapter and mounted a large disc to the pinion shaft and attached 4 steel[store bought] swing-back cutter blades, and carefully balanced the lot.

Did try a circumferential row of sickle bar mower blades, but it was eventually deemed too fiddly and KO'd the ARTU drills to early, and was difficult to balance.

Cut better tho'.

Add ballast to the trailer bed to increase tyre traction. It's a must

That thing would cut at 50 mph. It would do so in reverse to if your back-up skills allowed.

It wont stop quickly. It won't start quickly. In heavy grass we had to come "up-to-speed' on the runway and then peel off into the work to get started.

The thing sounded like a single engine jet when it was at work. Scared most folks away.

After explaining the possible results of an "event" should something come unstuck, the other natives were scared enough to let the two people who made the thing operate it, so we never had an "event", incident, or accident.

If you make one of these and put it behind your wife's super powerful car, and let her cut the grass with it, it'll remove the neccessity of filling the mower gas tank, as she'll top up when she goes to town for the bread and the papers and mail.

Plus, if you put it right, there could be the possibility of some excitement to be gleaned by her in this new endeavour, ie, to my knowledge no female has ever driven one of these things. Guinness???

Cheers,

Stu.

I was riding my bike through the country and saw this tractor with a mower attachment. The wings were in the up position and you could see these swing arm blades about four feet across.

Surprisingly she has been at it all day and so far has yet to run out of gas plus she even checked and learned how to add oil. Now she also knows what that big blue barrel in the back of the shop with the hand pump is for (10W-30 in bulk) along with those "cute little measuring cans with spouts" are for too.

She did wipe out a mower blade though. No big deal. At least it proves she is actually mowing heavy stuff.

I don't think I need a alarm now. The big white writing on the dash seems to keep her mind on what it should be on.

Oh yea.

she is also amazed at how nice the mower cuts with sharp blades too.

She asked why it doesn't cut like that all the time so I told her that it will if she stops mowing the driveway and trying to grind old tree stumps out of the ground with it.

I'm telling ya. Three summers now and she is almost as proficient with maintaining and using the riding lawnmower as my 11 year old niece is.

I went to visit a friend of mine who was the foreman on this farm and he had drafted his 12 and 13 year old daughters into driving the combines because of the difficulty of finding workers that wanted to do the job.

I started mowing the yard when I was 8 and the riding lawn mower we had back then was a worn out Montgomery Wards POS death trap.

Pull start, worn out 8 Hp B&S engine that burned t least a quart of oil with every 2 gallon tank of gas, 5 speed friction disk transmission that drifted up or down about three speeds from where you wanted it, worn out steering with a bent front axle so it was permanently toed out, bald solid plastic front tires so even if you did turn it didn't always go where it was supposed to, and a pathetic 32" cutting width.

It beat using the 21" push mower, but just barely, and is just one more of the many reasons I look back at my childhood with hatred.

I recall hating to mow the 2.5 acre lot we lived on when I was a teenager. The push mower we had could only be shut off by pulling the spark plug wire (that is how I figured out why it was called a Spark plug!) I didn't get to use a ride on mower until I helped a buddy cut his grass a few years later. I kept asking him if I could borrow his mower from then on (only lived on the other side of town...and I said I would pay for the gas to drive it to my place and back!)

Drew K

Don't become too Placid, keep an eye on it, accidents do happen

BTW lots of gruesome pics when i tried to find a funny accident picture