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beep-beep car is go
Apr 11, 2005

I can just eyeball this, right?



Anyone care to offer an opinion on a lawn tractor?

1990 Deere 175 hydro on its second owner supposedly. Guy wants $500 but my FIL thinks he’ll take less. Any idea what to look out for? Is $500 fair?

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Fermented Tinal
Aug 25, 2005

by Pragmatica
Consider that $1000 buys you a brand new one without the bagger.

beep-beep car is go
Apr 11, 2005

I can just eyeball this, right?



Fermented Tinal posted:

Consider that $1000 buys you a brand new one without the bagger.

What? Where? Most ride on lawn mowers around here are $1500 and up. Deere’s are like $2500 and up.

But it is 30 years old at this point (ouch). Eh, I’ll see how bad he wants to get rid of it and lowball him or something. I’m on the hunt for a end of season deal anyway. I can wait.

Fermented Tinal
Aug 25, 2005

by Pragmatica
Okay maybe I was exaggerating a little but some of the low end riders are in the 1000-1500 range. I'd consider a 30yo JD rider to be low end.

Elviscat
Jan 1, 2008

Well don't you know I'm caught in a trap?

I would like a link to a $1500 brand new lawn tractor.

If that old Deere is in as good a shape as it looks $500 is fair, all replacement parts are available from some sort of online scombag for not much.

Dagen H
Mar 19, 2009

Hogertrafikomlaggningen

Elviscat posted:

I would like a link to a $1500 brand new lawn tractor.

okay

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Troy-Bi...-CARB/307894303

it's not even the cheapest one

Elviscat
Jan 1, 2008

Well don't you know I'm caught in a trap?

Okay, I admit I'm spoiled by my local Lowes only having Husqvarna and Deere.

But read some of those reviews on the one you linked, I'm not sure they're better than the $500 old Deere...

Fermented Tinal
Aug 25, 2005

by Pragmatica
I'd offer the guy selling the JD $250, maybe $300 because of the bagger, and walk otherwise.

These things just generally don't get serviced that often, if at all, so a 30yo one is probably overdue for a lot and likely has three decades of PO jankiness to sort out. The only real plus is that seat looks recently replaced.

Slick
Jun 6, 2003
Is this for mowing, or shenanigans? cause that changes the budget drastically. That front tire looks pretty shiny.

Fermented Tinal
Aug 25, 2005

by Pragmatica
I don't know but I am seriously considering this one:

https://www.kijiji.ca/v-lawnmower-leaf-blower/owen-sound/mastercraft-14-5hp-lawn-tractor/1459096917

Only registered members can see post attachments!

Motronic
Nov 6, 2009

Slick posted:

Is this for mowing, or shenanigans? cause that changes the budget drastically. That front tire looks pretty shiny.

All of the tires are lovely. They are 30 years old. Some may be shittier than others.

beep-beep car is go
Apr 11, 2005

I can just eyeball this, right?



It’s for mowing, not shenanigans. At least, mine is.

slidebite
Nov 6, 2005

Good egg
:colbert:

What's the story on Lifan motors? Supposedly decent Honda clones?

Powershift
Nov 23, 2009


beep-beep car is go posted:

It’s for mowing, not shenanigans. At least, mine is.

I bet you've never played your guitar with cheese either, hank.

I've got a 20 year old honda generator that was under water in the calgary floods, then sat for 5 years. The generator part is full of silt and completely screwed, but the engine just fires right up, it's unreal.

Now i've got to figure out something cool to do with it. I'm thinking of finding a big compressor head and making myself a nice sandblasting compressor.

sharkytm
Oct 9, 2003

Ba

By

Sharkytm doot doo do doot do doo


Fallen Rib

slidebite posted:

What's the story on Lifan motors? Supposedly decent Honda clones?

Yes, Honda clones which share most parts with Honda GX motors. I've run a ton of them over the years in less-than-friendly conditions. Never had any major issues, certainly nothing I wouldn't expect from a Honda in similar situations. Predator from HF are similar.

betterinsodapop
Apr 4, 2004

64:3
My father-in-law asked me if I could get his snowblower to start up again.
It's a Toro CCR 2400 GTS, which has a 2 cycle Briggs & Stratton engine.
I was thinking just order and install a new carburetor kit and a new spark plug, drain the gas and replace with fresh gas. Does that seem like a good place to start?

Dagen H
Mar 19, 2009

Hogertrafikomlaggningen
You probably won't need a kit, a thorough cleaning should do (unless the innards are clear full of gooey varnish or powdery corrosion).

Or just buy a new carb off Amazon/ebay for like $15

Fermented Tinal
Aug 25, 2005

by Pragmatica
Most of the time it's just a stuck needle. Just take off the float bowl or the diaphragm depending on which it has and see if the needle is loose or not. When you're in there you can tell you whether or not the carburetor needs more than some clean gas.

If the carb looks clean then I would check for spark.

Dark Solux
Dec 8, 2004

Old School Saturn God
I just picked up this leaf blower:
https://www.homedepot.com/p/ECHO-215-MPH-510-CFM-58-2cc-Gas-2-Stroke-Cycle-Backpack-Leaf-Blower-with-Tube-Throttle-PB-580T/205894359
What precautions should I take when I store it after this season? I'm running ethanol free (and obviously 2 cycle oil) fuel if that matters. Hoping to get many years out of this. As of right now I'm using it every day and storing it on the floor of my garage.

Fermented Tinal
Aug 25, 2005

by Pragmatica
Drain the fuel tank and then run the engine dry: start it and let it idle until it dies, repeat until it won't start. You should do this before storing it for more than a week or two.

I like to empty the tanks on my 2-stroke stuff, run them dry, put in some Trufuel and then run them dry on that but it's not necessary.

Motronic
Nov 6, 2009

Fermented Tinal posted:

but it's not necessary.

Just highly advisable.

Colostomy Bag
Jan 11, 2016

:lesnick: C-Bangin' it :lesnick:

Dark Solux posted:

I just picked up this leaf blower:
https://www.homedepot.com/p/ECHO-215-MPH-510-CFM-58-2cc-Gas-2-Stroke-Cycle-Backpack-Leaf-Blower-with-Tube-Throttle-PB-580T/205894359
What precautions should I take when I store it after this season? I'm running ethanol free (and obviously 2 cycle oil) fuel if that matters. Hoping to get many years out of this. As of right now I'm using it every day and storing it on the floor of my garage.

Not up on echo blowers, do they have a "pack" of 1 gal or 2 gal bottles to mix with the gas?

And like the others said, run it out. You will shortly find out (if you never used a backpack) running it out won't be a problem at full tilt. :v:

DearSirXNORMadam
Aug 1, 2009
I didn't see a car recommendation thread out there, but this is ironically probably the more appropriate place to ask:

I used to be quite averse to doing mechanical work on my own, however I got a bike and there basically no reputable bike mechanics in a 100 mile radius from me, so I've learned to do basic maintenance tasks and found out that it wasn't that scary to change oil or whatever on a small japanese engine, followed by brake bleeds, fork rebuilds, etc.

However now I might be in the market for a car, and I wanted to ask:

Setting aside questions of pure reliability, since I'll still have my bike to get around in case a car shits the bed temporarily, what is the ABSOLUTE EASIEST car to work on?

I'm talking, the car with the most easily accessible engine bay ever, every single component is on ebay for 30 dollars, and you can do an entire bottom end rebuild with no specialized tools whatsoever. Preferably with a simple engine and layout, but something reasonably modern, like from 2000+ would be a plus. Another plus is if diagnostics is easy, without a bazillion mystery sensors where a busted trunk sensor somehow means that you need to flush your coolant.

Edit: I just realized you guys mean like... REALLY small engines. I'll show myself out.

DearSirXNORMadam fucked around with this message at 00:42 on Nov 2, 2019

Uthor
Jul 9, 2006

Gummy Bear Heaven ... It's where I go when the world is too mean.
My dad has a Toro 518 ZR:
https://www.toro.com/en/homeowner/snow-blowers/power-clear-518-zr-38472

I'm having trouble getting it started. I'm guessing the fuel had been sitting in the tank untreated since it got put away last year (I can't explain why my dad doesn't want to use Sta-bil, but I'm the one stuck getting his engines running every year), but I drained it and poured in something a little fresher bought this summer.

I checked the oil and it's full.

I've pulled the spark plug a half dozen times, sprayed in some started fluid, and it will run for ~10 revolutions and promptly die.

I'm using the electric start to turn the engine over because :effort:

I'm not a mechanic, so don't know what to try next. Any help would be appreciated.

Motronic
Nov 6, 2009

Uthor posted:

My dad has a Toro 518 ZR:
https://www.toro.com/en/homeowner/snow-blowers/power-clear-518-zr-38472

I'm having trouble getting it started. I'm guessing the fuel had been sitting in the tank untreated since it got put away last year (I can't explain why my dad doesn't want to use Sta-bil, but I'm the one stuck getting his engines running every year), but I drained it and poured in something a little fresher bought this summer.

I checked the oil and it's full.

I've pulled the spark plug a half dozen times, sprayed in some started fluid, and it will run for ~10 revolutions and promptly die.

I'm using the electric start to turn the engine over because :effort:

I'm not a mechanic, so don't know what to try next. Any help would be appreciated.

Carb is likely clogged up on nasty ethanol gas.

You can take it apart and clean it - plenty of youtube videos. Or you can tell your dad to spend $40 on this: https://www.amazon.com/BestPartsCom-Carburetor-127-9352-127-9053-SNOWBLOWER/dp/B07L2SXCTG

Uthor
Jul 9, 2006

Gummy Bear Heaven ... It's where I go when the world is too mean.
That's my thought. I don't really have the ability to mess with it other than on the weekends and my dad doesn't get around to well anymore, so I'll tell them to take it to a shop.

(or let my mom buy a new snow blower to replace a two year old one, :wtc:)

Fermented Tinal
Aug 25, 2005

by Pragmatica
Two years old? Probably just a stuck needle, I'd pop off the float bowl and see if it's that before buying a replacement carb or taking the whole thing off to clean it. If it's stuck it should come free with a little prodding and then you can try running it like that or take the float off and clean the needle and seat with some carb cleaner.

Motronic
Nov 6, 2009

Fermented Tinal posted:

Two years old? Probably just a stuck needle, I'd pop off the float bowl and see if it's that before buying a replacement carb or taking the whole thing off to clean it. If it's stuck it should come free with a little prodding and then you can try running it like that or take the float off and clean the needle and seat with some carb cleaner.

It may be the fuel we get in the US, especially in the winter, but I've never been lucky enough for this to work. I take the carb apart and inevitably find white stringy shmoo that I need to clean out.

Fermented Tinal
Aug 25, 2005

by Pragmatica
My snowblower started up for its first start of the season so easily today that I was surprised. I barely blipped the button on the starter. Usually takes a little bit to get going. Glad I ran it dry on trufuel.

sharkytm
Oct 9, 2003

Ba

By

Sharkytm doot doo do doot do doo


Fallen Rib

Fermented Tinal posted:

Glad I ran it dry on trufuel.

This has been my mantra for the past 5 years. Hasn't let me down yet. I buy VP SEF in 5 gallon cans. Sure it's $75-$90, but that's cheap insurance and I can mix whatever I need.

Motronic
Nov 6, 2009

sharkytm posted:

This has been my mantra for the past 5 years. Hasn't let me down yet. I buy VP SEF in 5 gallon cans. Sure it's $75-$90, but that's cheap insurance and I can mix whatever I need.

Seriously this. I run small occasion stuff on trufuel all the time, and keep track of what needs to be drained/run on trufuel before the end of its season.

Gothmog1065
May 14, 2009
Hey all, I'm trying to find the load drop on my Big Dog Alpha MP zero turn. The basic issue I'm seeing is the starter is turning, but it's not engaging the engine. So basic research shows that there may be a large amount of voltage drop that may be happening, and I'm just testing to see if that is indeed the case. However, when I start testing, I'm getting voltage where I shouldn't be.
Video I'm using is here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ixe0hkcl6dw
First I look to test the positive side through the solenoid to see if there are any major drops there. So I throw the positive lead on the battery, and put the negative lead on the contact bolt where the wire from the solenoid attaches to the starter, and I get a voltage of 12v. From what I'm seeing, I should get 0 until the key is engaged.

Same thing happens in reverse. I put the positive lead on the starter case, and the negative lead on the negative battery terminal, and I get a voltage reading. Nothing that I know of has been touched in terms of the electrical system, no work has been done since I last used the mower.
Shorting out the solenoid has the same effect, the starter spins but the engine won't engage.

glyph
Apr 6, 2006



Is there a way to load test a snowblower when it hasn't loving snowed 10" and I need to get to work?

For the second year in a row (my parents' last year and this year, mine) I've been sidetracked for hours dialing in a new to me/ used snowblower that seemed to run well leading into the winter.

BUT

As soon as I actually put a load on the fucker, it's either starving itself and the gas cap need stl be cracked, or the needle needs adjustment or the governor just isn't having it.

I've actually become really proficient with the mowers, whackers, cutters and all the of the 2 and 4 stroke stuff we use on the family acreage and [schlepp to] mine, but holy poo poo, these snowblower things are a pain in the dick.

Is there some super secret way to load these things up to get them dialed [in NOT michelin man suit weather] BEFORE you actually need them?

Or should I just take the nuclear option and junk this techamesh 5hp anchor and go 6.5 predator for the buck twenty it'll cost me?

taqueso
Mar 8, 2004


:911:
:wookie: :thermidor: :wookie:
:dehumanize:

:pirate::hf::tinfoil:
Can you get access to some part of a rotating shaft that could be temporarily used like a power take off? Then add a load to that, could be a fan or electric motor turned generator with resistive load or a propeller in fluid? or maybe just a tightened leather strap to add friction?


comedy option rent cryogenic snowmaking equipment

taqueso fucked around with this message at 01:50 on Dec 5, 2019

IOwnCalculus
Apr 2, 2003





taqueso posted:

comedy option rent cryogenic snowmaking equipment

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AbSehcT19u0

We've all been there.

TrueChaos
Nov 14, 2006




I've been gifted a 12.5 HP / 33" craftsman snowblower, and can't get it to run right. The only way I can get it to idle is to play with the screw on the bottom of the carb (which has a spring). When it's wound out enough that it'll start & idle it backfires frequently, out the exhaust and the intake. It also started pissing gas out the vent tube, and the oil is full of gas, at which point I stopped loving with it and cleared the driveway with the old one that starts every time.

With the screw at the bottom of the carb wound in farther it simply won't start. It seems like the only way it'll run is with waaay too much fuel going in, and I don't know where to go from here (other than change the oil before anything else). It ran before it was moved to my house, but was drained of gas (and refilled on arrival with non ethanol fuel). I'm wondering if bouncing around on a moving truck messed up the carb somehow. What should I do next?

E: model # Craftsman C950-52113-1. I've found a manual for a C950-52113-0, which I'm assuming has the same engine - it's a Tecumseh 12.5hp 4 cycle model 143.021203.

TrueChaos fucked around with this message at 21:53 on Dec 5, 2019

Motronic
Nov 6, 2009

Pull the carb off. Remove the float bowl and clean it. Pull the float off and clean the needle. Unscrew the jet retainer and clean the barrel out with some stranded copper wire and carb cleaner. Do the same for the jet that comes out after it.

TrueChaos
Nov 14, 2006




Will do. Found the part number from the manual and a new one is only 30CAD on amazon shipped to my door. I'm going to grab that as well, so that I can throw it on and take apart/reassemble the bad one as a learning experience.

carticket
Jun 28, 2005

white and gold.

Holy poo poo, I had no idea this thread existed. Another place for Motronic to give me the answers to the questions.

I recently moved into a house with a 400' driveway in New England. I bought a garden tractor with a 40" snowblower from a guy the next town over that runs a small engine shop. It's an 83ish vintage Ariens HT16 with the Briggs L Head Opposed Twin (vertical). I had to do some minor electrical work and replace the battery to get it starting, but it was running like a champ.

Before the recent 2 ft of snow, I did an oil change, new plugs, greased the fittings, etc. The first foot of snow drops, and I go out to clean up, and I get about an hour into it and the tractor starts sputtering. It eventually stopped running entirely. After letting it sit for a few hours, I managed to get it started and running for about a minute which let me get it back into the garage.

I ordered a carb rebuild kit. The bowl had some crud in it, so I figured it was fuel starved. Go through and do the rebuild and cleaning, put it all back together, and it's running again, though it seems low on power. When I engaged the PTO and starting moving snow, it would really bog down, and then after about 15 minutes it started sputtering (though different than before). Pulling the air box off, there was fuel everywhere, including pooled in the intake manifold. After disassembling, I figured the float had pinholes, but didn't hear any fuel sloshing in it.

I did what I should have done, which is ordered a new carb for only three times the cost of the rebuild kit. I'm hoping that gets things working right. If anything jumps out as "oh, you should check x", please let me know.

Fake Edit: I checked the gap on the plugs before installing them.

E: In doing all my research for this, I learned that there are two things I can do with my tractor aside from snowblowing: lawnmower racing, and all terrain conversion. Apparently with some parts from other Briggs models, I can get this puppy putting out 25+ HP (from the stock 16). I should not go over 4k RPM without an aftermarket flywheel unless I want to die, though.

carticket fucked around with this message at 04:00 on Dec 10, 2019

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Motronic
Nov 6, 2009

First guess if the carb doesn't do it (it's the carb): it's a bad magneto. The running fine until heat loading and then not running right later is a thing I've seen.

Mr. Powers posted:

E: In doing all my research for this, I learned that there are two things I can do with my tractor aside from snowblowing: lawnmower racing

You should absolutely do that.

FYI, don't touch poo poo on your new carb. Just install it. Most of them are coming set well enough that you don't want to even mess with them until you have run thing up to temp.

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