Tuesday ToolTalk: The Lawnmower

When the time change took effect last month, it was still pitch black when I left for work in the morning. I’m happy to report today, within minutes of boarding the bus, the sun is rising in the sky. That’s a very welcome change.

What hasn’t changed from about a month ago is the temperature. It’s in the 30s this morning, quite cold indeed. I’m beginning to think that winter is never going to end.

The grass is green and growing at an alarming rate, so much so that I know the lawnmower is going to come out very soon. Maybe even this weekend. I was going to buy a new mower this year, but I’m going to see if I can’t limp this one along ‘til next spring. Next spring when, ideally, things like raises and bonuses are back.

That means I’ll need to do a few things to get the mower running:
1. Replace the oil. I usually drain the engine every season. This is something Young Tom did religiously and he would haunt me if I didn’t.
2. Check the filter. I’m usually pretty good about cleaning the filter before I put ‘er away in the fall, but frankly, with everything that was going on last year, I’m not sure if I did. It’s really not a big deal though. Rinse it off with a little soapy water, coat it with a thin layer of engine oil, and put it back in place.
3. Buy some gas. The good news is that gas is cheap, so I’ll probably top out my 2-gallon container. I’m usually pretty careful though about not buying too much, regardless of price, because “old” gas can make a mower run badly. I usually don’t keep gas more than 30 days, though I think you’re safe up to right around 60 days.

At this point, the forecast is calling for dry weather and highs in the 60s for the weekend, so maybe I can not only give the lawn its first cut, but also get back to work on the shed and get it finished. That would get those boards out of the family room and I could begin to think about how to make sense of the mess that’s down there.

You’ve got to start someplace, right?