I love living in North Carolina...

No snow blower.
When it does snow the whole city shuts down for 2 days and everyone stays home. Hell sometimes they cancel school when snow is predicted.

I tried to start my snowblower twice without turning it "on" once. The fireball was impressive once turned "on."

Or start a push button car after you put the key in the ignition. I'll give a hint, there is no ignition

Thanks for the memories! Have done all the small engine things everyone has mentioned!
The snow blower I had in eastern Iowa, I outsmarted the pull rope starter concept, it had a 110 v. starter! Or so I thought ?
Starter cranks but doesn't start when the switch is off, the fuel shutoff is off, or it isn't choked, or is out of fuel! All four the first year! And big directions numbered 1 - 4 with picture decals on the motor nearest the handles! My wife had a humerous winter that year!

Finally caught a snow day where the wife could stay with the kids a few weeks ago. Didn't have the tractor set up for snow yet so I pulled the 'new' to me snow blower out. To it's credit, I fueled it primed and choked it and it started on the first pull.

That's when I knew it was going to be a long day. (Recoil start engines never start easily for me.)

First line went ok, but it didn't seem to be throwing enough snow. I figured it was older and the snow was wet from being on the ground for a while. Second line, It was dumping a ton of snow out the clean side. Third through fifth lines I progressively took smaller and smaller bites. Finally I was only taking an inch or two and it was STILL pushing snow out the side of the bucket. I knew something was wrong, but being alone I had no way to operate and watch the auger. My mom arrived and told me the auger was running backwards. Pushing snow out the sides instead of into the second stage.

That led to me pulling the deck from the Deere and driving it to the shed to put the blade on in the snow.
I've since loaded the rear tires with windshield washer fluid and installed the rear cylinder lockout and new shoes on the blade.

Today's plowing went MUCH better. Plowed five driveways in about 2.5 hours. (Many elderly neighbors) Temp was in the teens, windchill around -10F. Quite cold, but I've come a long way from using a shovel a few years ago.

Trying to start a riding mower with the blade engaged is another way to test your trouble-shooting skills.

Or worse yet, you get it started, start clearing the driveway and have the auger suck up the newspaper wrapped in plastic that was thrown on the driveway before the snow fell.

quote:

Originally posted by Skull Leader:
If you don't mind I would just like to rant a bit about snow.

I keep telling myself, "I'll just buy a snow blower in the spring when they are on sale." And every year when spring comes I think, "Hopefully I'll get a job back in the SE between now and winter."

So here I am, I spent a couple hours shoveling my driveway and walkway yesterday. And what do I find when I got up this morning? All that snow drifted back into my FUCKING driveway!

And more snow is on it's way.

Mrs. DennisM points out that every year, we're a year older than the LAST time we shoveled this stuff.

Get a snowblower. Sell it if you move.

quote:

Originally posted by SpinZone:
Hypothetically, not turning the on/off switch on your generator back to the on position means your arm is going to get tired.

So I've heard.

That'll happen with your edger as well.

So I've heard.

Though not as impressive results-wise, I can report as CIO (Chief Ironing Officer) of my household that turning one's ironing device "on" will greatly enhance the overall ironing experience, already chore enough without the frustration of an iron that "doesn't work."

About 2 years ago I bought a Ariens 24" Compact from a contractor that does work with me, he keeps all his stuff in tip top shape so I couldn't give him $400 quick enough for the unit... A week later and I see him and he told me he bought a $1,400 unit because he had to have hand warmers on the grips (I didn't want to tell him that it was an option on the unit he sold me and it only cost around $75)

Done that more than a couple of times trying to start a motorcycle with the kill switch engaged.

It could have been worse....you could be half way into tearing the engine apart when realizing it.

Not as dumb as what I did years ago. I had put a couple 2 oz plastic bottles of 2 cycle oil in the chute of the snowblower for storage during a move to a new house. That occurred in May, and needless to say I had forgotten by winter. When started it produced a great spray of oil. The blower wasn't damaged but I sure felt like an ass.

quote:

Originally posted by ASKSmith:
Like trying to start a street bike with the kickstand down?

Mine starts, but shifting into gear trips the engine shutoff. How about not remembering to turn tbe fuel petcock to the on position, then try a highway merge? How about forgetting you have an auto retracting kickstand? Don't ask me how I know. Good times.......

Years ago we rowed around a mountain lake fishing one day as my buddy couldn’t get the motor on his tin tub started. At the end of the day, as we were getting ready to head back and had the entire lack to row across, we asked him to try and start his motor one more time. This time it started up first pull - he remembered to turn on the gas this time.

heard a good one today ,
Elmore plugged his two stage thrower in to the socket and tried to start it up , nothing ,turned the switch on and off a couple of times and tried the other outlet holes, ...nothing .
so he went out and shoveled his two drive ways .

when he got done he checked the breaker box and plugged a drill in the outlet....nothing.

the g.f.c.i. outlet was bad, it wasn't tripped , it was just bad.

Thank goodness it was only your snow blower and not your airplane or you wouldn't be going anywhere. LOL

Years ago I upgraded the little 18" flapper-style Toro to a 20" Toro Power Curve. Paid $100 extra for the 5HP Suzuki engine. Worked great the first couple or three years we had it. Then not so much.

After about the dozenth time of the thing letting me down, last season I said "Enough is enough! New snow blower." Bought a Toro SnowMaster.

Never had enough snow to bother with more than a shovel the entire rest of the season.

To add insult-to-injury: Since the old 2-cycle wasn't worth much, I decided to have it serviced one last time and keep it. Sure enough: First time I went to use it this season, because there wasn't enough snow for the Big Guy, it wouldn't start.

Then, a few weeks later, I decided to give the little snow blower One. Last. Chance. Only this time I did something I'd never thought to do before: I did not prime it.

Started right up. It's stated right up every time since then. Looks like I've been over-priming it all along

Looks like Real Snow today. I'm gonna let it pile up until it's worthy of the new snow blower we bought last season

When starting your lawn mower...Make sure the spark plug is connected! It only took six pulls to reach that conclusion.

And yes, the sharper SF members will recall I posted this last year or the year before. A mind is a terrible thing to waste.