Our lawn was making me feel like a terrible neighbor last week. Sure, I had good reason (i.e. the ol’ newborn excuse) but surely the people driving by our house everyday didn’t know my airtight excuse. So to put my guilt to rest I resumed my Friday evening mowing routine. That is until our mower started spewing white smoke and sputtered to a stop. I was left with a dead lawn mower and two buzzed stripes in our yard. Awesome.
To be honest, I was more annoyed at my incomplete mow job than my busted equipment. In fact, some of you on Twitter and Facebook probably saw us seeking recommendations for mower replacements mere moments after the incident.
Why so quick to ditch our current clipper? It was a super old hand-me-down from a friend and we frankly never grew that attached to it. They were moving and we happened to be closing on our house in the same week so it was easier for them to offload the mower on us for a few bucks than transport it to their new casa.
For the four years that we’ve owned our Troy-Bilt it’s been the “mower to tide us over until we buy our own.” We even have big dreams of upgrading to something greener when that time comes. In a way, we’ve kinda been hoping it would kick the bucket so we could get something newer and more planet-friendly. Maybe that’s why I inadvertently / subconsciously neglected any sort of care or maintenance on our hand-me-down (after all, in my mind it’s been “on its last mow” for a while). That means – prepare to gasp – no oil changes, no filter cleanings, no blade replacements, literally no more than simply dusting off grass clippings since 2006. I know, it’s not like us at all.
But even though I went to bed dreaming about what shiny new (electric? reel?) mower would be coming home with me on Saturday morning, somehow I woke up the next day with a Mr. Fix-It attitude and decided I’d put in one last ditch effort to repair ol’ smokey. You know, in the spirit of working with what we have and keeping a perfectly workable mower from the landfill. So I grabbed a bunch of tools (since I had no idea what the heck I would need- a hammer might come in handy for changing oil, right?) along with my computer and crossed my fingers that Google would somehow magically turn me into a lawnmower mechanic.
Well, it didn’t. But YouTube came close. Thanks to this video from Lowe’s I actually managed to change my mower’s oil. Sweet victory indeed. I didn’t end up needing my hammer, but I was able to use some old cardboard to substitute for a drop cloth and an empty paint can for a used oil receptacle.
My first ever oil change solved half of the problem. It breathed life back into the mower, but unfortunately that breath was still white and smoky. Boo!
That’s when I turned to another tactic suggested by our friendly and always helpful Facebook and Twitter folks: cleaning the air filter. First challenge: finding the air filter (yes, I really was that helpless). Luckily the Briggs & Stratton website came to my rescue (they’re actually the makers of our lawn mower’s engine). With this diagram I was able to figure out where my air filter was (eureka!), unscrew it, and do my darndest to clean it by hand (it desperately needs a new filter, but that’s obviously not something I had on hand).
Notice how I’m not showing you any pictures of this. Not just because I didn’t take any pictures of the process, but also because I think I’ve embarrassed myself enough without you seeing exactly how dirty my old oil-clogged air filter was. But my embarrassment ends here because (shockingly) my efforts paid off. Within a couple of minutes my mower was running smoke and sputter free. Victory!
I celebrated my new status as amateur lawn mower mechanic by completing my previous day’s mow job and shelving my dreams of a new mower (at least temporarily- we still have our eye on some non-gas options for the future). Plus now that I’ve learned a bit of lawn mower care by experimenting on this guy, I feel better equipped to maintain the next one that comes home with us.
Have any of you found yourselves in a similar lawn mower pinch? Any other lawn care equipment maintenance tips to pass along to hopefully help us and a slew of other readers avoid situations like this in the future? Here’s to all of us moving one small step closer to being mower mechanics!
candace says
My friend brought her mower back from the dead that exact same way! Nice work!
Lisa says
I have a battery powered Neuton mower and I love it! It’s great for the environment and is extremely quiet. Perhaps the best thing about it is that we bought a trimmer attachment for it that allows me to trim, edge and mow all with the same equipment. Can’t beat a multi-tasker!
Beth says
Great job on fixing the lawn mower! We had a similar experience with our washing machine when it started acting a fool. But we fixed it thanks to the Intrawebs. You can read all about it here in case anyone else is having washing machine problems:
http://peachesandcurry.wordpress.com/2010/05/15/699/
I’ll definitly be bookmarking this post. We also have a hand me down mower. You never know when it might go!
Carmen says
Well, I guess congratulations are in order (for fixing your mower). I know one thing for sure, that my husband would never have the patience to try and fix it, but then again maybe because I just said he will have some re-found patience. I keep coming back to your website for soooooo many ideas…hmmm next point/idea that I had. I think you guys should write a book and include all your tips and great, fabulous ideas in it. I, for one would surely buy it. Maybe one day.
Anita says
Do I hear a Daft Punk refernece in there?
http://www.last.fm/music/Daft+Punk/_/One+More+Time
If the answer is yes, I know who to invite to my next living room dance party. Yes, I’m talking to J, S, C & B!
YoungHouseLove says
You know it, Anita. We are totally down for the Daft Punk dance party!
-John
Kristen says
Our 2 year old lawnmower recently gave up the ghost, too. After trying everything we could think of to fix it, we admitted defeat and took it to Sears to be repaired. But Sears just called to let us know that it couldn’t be repaired because — this kills me! — it’s too new, and parts aren’t available. Aaargh!
Nick says
I read somewhere that most lawn mower engines fail because of a clogged air filter.
I really wanted a new mower this season, a wide deck mower with a sulky (one of those carts you stand on behind the mower). We have a newborn as well, so I went the cheaper route too.
I ended up changing the oil, air filter, and spark plug. Looks like I’m gonna stick with this one for a while longer.
Jennifer M says
I admit it; I asked for an old-fashioned rotary mower for my birthday a couple years ago. (Actually, I asked for about a decade, and my husband finally gave in.) We have a HUGE backyard, so I only really use it in the front (which is a postage stamp) but did do half the back lawn with it over the weekend, when I couldn’t get our ride-on tractor going. I love how it is SO relaxing to use, how it “swishes” when it cuts – basically everything but the fact that it jams up when you hit a stick. So, when your gas-powered mower finally really does die, I totally recommend a rotary one!
Alicia says
My husband used to mow lawns when he was a kid and we had that lawn mower up till last year. We had purchased a brand new one off of a friend for $45 because this one was on its last legs, one of the wheels was going to come off at any moment. Well, we decided to see if anyone would be interested in buying it from our garage sale for $20. My husband put it out in its dirty rattiness and we had NO takers. So, he went into the garage and got the windex and some armorall and made it look lovely and shiny. Low and behold, not even 5 minutes later it was wheeled off our property for $20 and they knew all of its ailments!!! Just a funny lawn mower story for you.
joanne says
hey there,
we also had a hand me down mower… that my parents gave us when we bought our house. it just wouldn’t start a couple months ago. my hubs did some research and bought a cut reel. we are very happy with it since it was a quarter of the cost and we don’t have to buy oil, filters, spark plugs or gas for it anymore. also, our dog no longer has the compulsion to chase the mower since this one barely makes any noise. and since the cut reel doesn’t spew the grass around it’s much better for our allergies :)
good luck in your future lawn mower hunt!
Claire says
We inherited my father in law’s old Craftsman mower when we bought our house two years ago. The thing is actually older than my husband! It works well except for the fact that the handle is almost entirely busted. We are certainly not hauling it to CA when we move in a couple of months! I’m sure it will go on to live another life in the mid Atlanta region though.
My parents have one of the rechargeable electric mowers. They LOVE it. Its easy to start (just hold in the handle!) and is so so quiet. Not to mention no nasty gas powered engine stench! The downside is that it takes a little bit more than one charge to do their entire lawn and its super heavy. But, in their opinion, the benefits far outweigh the pitfalls.
Amy Y says
Good for you John! I always feel better when I am able to resist the urge to shop and replace it with the urge to repair. Now you have even more time to research your replacement and save money for it.
Kara says
My husband and I bought our first house with a (what we thought) tiny yard. We decided to go green and bought a push mower- you know, the old kind that are essentially scissors. The push mower worked great for a few weeks, until the rain came. Then the weeds shot up so quickly that they were over a foot high before we had time to mow again. And the lawn mower failed. instead of cutting the weeds, it just pushed them over, cutting the shorter grass beneath. I felt so bad for my husband- he had spent the time cutting the grass and it looked just as bad as it had when he started. Loath to buy a lawnmower that wasn’t good for the environment and needed maintenance, we did some research only to find that cordless electric mowers are both hard to find in stores and super expensive (and we didn’t want to drag a cord around, seeing as to how our yard was bigger than we thought). We ended up buying a $200 gas lawnmower. I’m hoping by the time we are ready for another lawnmower purchase there will be milestones made in the green front and we’ll be able to switch then. Good luck to you!
Kasey at Thrifty Little Blog says
We actually have TWO lawnmowers- the old fashioned push-reel kind and a gas version. You really have to stay on top of things to use the push-reel mower because it won’t do anything on long grass or weeds, but it’s super quiet and great for the environment!
Renae says
Nice work! I personally don’t think it gets more green than fixing what you’ve already got. I realize someone could have taken it off of your hands and allowed you to purchase an electric version, but this is just as good in my book. Not to mention I can hear Tim the Toolman Taylor making his “arh arh arh” noise! :)
superartsy says
Your post couldn’t have a better timing. This past weekend while my dear husband was lawn moving our hand me down lawn mower went kaput as well. Actually it seems like a electric fault since it keeps tripping the breaker.i was thinking of visiting the local RESTORE and picking one up since I heard they had some in stock. Well, now i am going to have DH try some tricks before we officially give up.
Elisa @ whatthevita says
Another one for the Neuton team! We bought it with our wedding money and we love it. It’s LIGHT, so it’s perfect for my 5’3 self. And it’s cordless! And it’s cute. And it’s lime green. How can you say no? A bit pricey but worth it, since we save on gas and we’re saving the world at the same time.
The Virginia House says
You’re supposed to change the oil and filters in those things?! Hmmmm, maybe we should give it a try;-) Great post!
Jen Z. says
yup ours just died last weekend and we went out and bought a new one. Half gift cards to Home Depot/half cash. We did the same thing with ours, bought house and 2.5 yrs later, we never took care of it. Previous owners just left it for us. It was a Craftsman, so it lasted. We now have one of those key start battery ones. YAY! We love it and it’s quieter & eco-friendly. ;-)
Jennifer says
I say, sell the gas mower and get yourself a reel mower. Put a call out on Craigslist. A friend scored a NIB for $50.
Martha says
I totally did a double take when I read the comment about “Martha” recommending the fiskars mower! I own the fiskar mower and love it. It works amazingly well.
That said, I work during the day so my lawn mowing time is pretty limited and I’ve only mowed once.
My husband however works at night and has ample mowing time and has used the mower a half-dozen times.
He doesn’t love it as much as I do.
Margaret says
It is good to know that such a simple fix solved the problem. I have a brand new mower, as a brand new lawn-and-homeowner, so it hasn’t had any problems and hopefully won’t for a long time.
One caveat for those who think electric/battery power is greener/cleaner than gasoline, however. A true comparison of power use for an appliance/tool/vehicle depends on how your electricity is generated and the efficiency of the device itself, plus consideration of the toxic materials in the battery. Most power plants in this country are coal-powered (and “clean” coal is nonsense), so unless you know you are paying for power from another source (renewable, natural gas or nuclear), using electricity instead of a gasoline-powered whatever only moves the emissions from your yard to someone else’s. Note, natural gas is not the same as gasoline, which is derived from oil.
Sorry about the off-topic rant, but that electricity-is-greener-than-“gas” misconception is a pet peeve of mine. Sincerely, energy industry geoscientist.
Karen says
My hubby and I are first-time home owners like you two (in Virginia, no less!). We also have a hand-me down lawnmower; my dad gave it to us as they were in the process of selling their house and down-sizing. Since I do all the yard work and mowing (the hubby and I are all about switching up traditional gender roles), my dad passed on some good advice to me that has kept that mower running since he bought it 16 years. Every year in the dead of winter (off-season maintenance = cheaper + less turnaround time!!), he had a local small-engine repair shop pick up the mower for:
1. Air filter change
2. Oil + filter change
3. New spark plugs
4. Blade sharpened
5. Replace/repair any misc. parts on the fritz
(Of course, as you’ve figured out with your own mower, all this can be done by yourself as well!)
Take-home message: a lawnmower has an engine and moving parts just like a car so it needs routine maintenance too in order to operate for a loooong time! Hope this helps, good luck:)
Alice says
Congrats, John, on your newly-acquire lawn mower repair skills!
When my parents divorced and my 3 older brothers moved out/went to college when I was a teenager, guess who got to mow the one-acre of grass? Me and my twin sister, that’s who! Let me tell you, you haven’t lived until have you have mowed grass (with a push mower no less) when it was 115 degrees out. If not for the periodic dips we would take into the backyard swimming pool while mowing, Sis and I would have died of heat stroke. Oh, and I almost forgot that after gophers took over the yard, we had to set traps to catch/kill those ugly creatures. I’ve never had a yard to mow since moving out, thank goodness!
Julie - A Fine Tooth Comb says
I never cease to be amazed at the way you and Sherry just roll up your sleeves and dive in to projects that would scare the mess out of most people! Congrats on breathing a little more life into your mower!
Lisa says
funny you posted a somewhat lawn-related post today as I was thinking about asking you about your lawn yesterday. I know you all are not big fans of chemicals, so how do you keep your grass so nice, full, and green without the use of chemicals?
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Lisa,
First of all, thank you for assuming our grass is always nice, full and green. I wouldn’t say it’s quite that picturesque, but we did get lucky in that we have the right type of grass for our region planted and we get a good balance of sun and shade (so we don’t get burned spots, but get enough sun). It took us a few seasons of overseeding and watering to get to a place we were happy with (plus there was some starter fertilizer and lime treatments in the beginning, before we were stricter about using chemicals). But our lawn is hardly weed free and still has some patches I’d like to fill in a bit more nicely. So unfortunately I don’t have a silver bullet answer, but have been doing some reading about it lately and will share some of my findings once I’ve got some good advice to share. Hope that helps… for now at least!
-John
Kristen says
I am off to buy a mower tonight…my husband and i just moved into our first house and have yet to buy a mower. I hate to say it but we have turned into “those neighbours” you know the ones with the terrible looking front law!
Miranda says
Mower talk leaves me wanting another post. :)
LucyJoy says
I’m with the person who’s FIL recommended the goat. We have a field that takes me 3 to 4 hours to mow on a rider. It is kind of fun, but at the same time, tedious. I suggested to my husband the last time I mowed, maybe we should fence the place & get a cow to share with some friends that we could later butcher. We could have wonderful, hormone free, grass fed beef for our freezer! He looked at me, and said, “We can’t even kill spiders. How in the world could we have someone butcher a cow!” He’s right. I guess I’ll keep mowing.
Rebecca Raymond says
We have a Home Depot brand Homelite Battery mower. I LOVE it! My husband works way too much, so the lawn is left up to me – the stay-at-home-mom! That mower is always ready to go when I need it, no pulling the starter cord thingy, no going to the gas station to fill up a red container! Just plop in the battery and Woohoo! We actually bought it off the sales floor – a return, for $75 less than out of the box! Can’t beat that! Since we knew I’d be the one doing most, if not all, the mowing we knew a battery one was the way to go. We did look at Neuton, but didn’t like that the battery was not removeable (here in Massachusetts we’d have to put the whole mower down in the basement for the winter!) And the only other feature we didn’t like about the Neuton was the cutting height. It only goes to three inches, whereas our Homelite goes to four.
Anywho, it’s awesome you fixed yours! Keep at it!
Wendy says
Maybe you should get rid of your gas mower now ( don’t resell it). I know that an electric mower is using electricity which can be dirty at source but a gas mower puts out alot of pollution as you are using it and you are right in the path of most of the pollutants. Here is a link to Ecomowers – http://www.ecomowers.com/Types_of_Pollution_a/121.htm
Jenna Bentley says
Big fan of your projects, especially the ones that are environmentally conscious, however, I would recommend you retire that mower ASAP.
Why? According to the U.S. EPA, operating a gas-powered lawn mower for one hour can emit as much pollution as driving a car more than 320 kilometers!
For more information on how gas mowers can affect you health and the environment, visit our program website which has been running in Canada at The Home Depot for 10 years at: http://www.mowdownpollution.ca/eng/ and change that gas guzzling, smog emitting mower!
YoungHouseLove says
Jenna and Wendy,
We look forward to upgrading to something a lot greener! It’s definitely on our list…
xo,
s
Dee says
We used a reel mower for some time and were frustrated with the fact that if you let the grass get even slightly longer than the mower is capable of, you won’t be able to mow the grass at all. We were also looking for a green option and scored a cordless electric mower on Craigslist for $80, and it has been a great mower for us. We had to go cordless because I would have certainly run over the cord with the mower if it had a cord!
Erin says
My husband is overseas for a year and I’ve been taking a crash course in yard maintenance. With Daddy gone, my teenagers suddenly look to me for expertise, regardless of the area of focus. Yard equipment? Ack! My first thought when I read your post? “My lawn mower has an air filter? Oh, c**p!” My second thought, “He found instructions online? Maybe I can find out why the 4-stroke engine for the weed whacker loves so much won’t stay started for me!” I think your post is awesome…thanks for sharing the trials and tribulations of REAL LIFE.
Ebonn Hixson says
You look just like my husband. He is the most determined man I know. He fixed our fridge with you tube and online tutorials…amazing! Congrats on added lawnmower repairman to you title of many :).
misty says
Keep in mind that when it is time to get rid of your mower, a local person may want to take it off your hands (rather than taking it to the landfill). We have folks around here who fix up old stuff and then resell them.
Also, I’ve been reading up on Permaculture lately. Its a type of gardening where you don’t have a lawn (or you have very little).
Andrea says
Erm.. I didn’t even know that had oil or air filter to change. So yeah.. don’t feel bad.
Rachael says
Great job on your repair! Not that I have actually ever used a lawn mower, but I do watch my husband use it sometimes and he keeps our “community” mower (we share a mower and weedwacker with neighbors) going by doing tune ups before each season. If you go to HD or Lowes, they usually have a chart of parts and when they should be replaced. Things like oil, filters, spark plugs…these are all pretty cheap and as long as you replace them on schedule you can extend the life of your mower. Perhaps when it gets to a point where you have to replace a more expensive part (whatever you decide that is), you can finally upgrade to the mower of your dreams!
Sarah says
Next time trying hitting the engine with the head of your hammer – works for my dad!
Great narrow DOF in those pictures – they looked great! Were you using your new dSLR?
YoungHouseLove says
Yup, we’re loving the new camera!
xo,
s
Nick Klaus says
I have to push for the reel mower as the best option. We got ours used for 25 dollars from an ad in the paper (the pre-craigslist era), and it works great. Just be sure to add a little oil to keep everything moving from time to time.
Tashia says
I figured out how to change a spark plug, the air filter and the oil on my lawnmower last summer when it was sputtering and was not willing to start just a year into home ownership (it was a hand-me-down mower). I also discovered the hard way that for those that live in colder climates where the temperatures freeze, and freeze hard (I’m from MN!) one should always remove the gas from the mower in the fall and replace in the spring. Apparently the freeze and time itself can (and will) break down the gas and clog your carburetor (I learned the hard way!).
Alternately you can add something called Seafoam as an additive to your gas to keep the gas stable if you are too lazy and don’t want to waste the gas like me! Worked like a charm!
http://www.seafoamsales.com/
Wendy says
What did we do before google and youtube? =) Congrats, John.
Candace says
I’m gonna choose NOT to reply to any of the questions you posed, (I, um, didn’t know you were supposed to change your mower’s air filter…. WHOOPS!) But wanted to give a shout-out for the electric mowers! I have a hand-me-down mower, too. This sucker is ancient, but works fantastically; the only problems being a crew comes loose (on the handle) or the extension cord falls loose. But the lack of gas, smoke, noise, and dirt can’t be beat. I’m a convert!
Samantha says
I have the Black and Decker CMM1200 24V Lawn Mower. Cordless, gasless, and practically noiseless. I adore my mower. I got it quite cheaply, as it was the floor model, and I had a 10% coupon that I snagged from the post office (check out those change of address kits, they’re loaded with coupons).
Mary Lynn says
My husband has a landscaping mower (48″ deck) that we bought from the previous owners. Last year was the first year we did all the proper winterizing on it and my small mower. So, much to our surprise we couldn’t get his mower to start this spring. Turns out when we installed the new spark plug, we cranked it down too hard and bent it. Then, when we went to start my mower we realized we’d filled it too full with oil and nearly caught it on fire.
It was a rough first mow at our house this year, but things are going smoothly now.
Joshua says
Well, After years of hand me downs, turned to borrowing my parents mower every two weeks, for about two months, as we were renting at that time. My fiance and I finally broke down and bought a nice riding mower….A Troy Built We, rather I, Love it….It is almost due for that “oil change and filter cleaning” But it is amazing, it is just a gas mower, but we will get a more “eco-friendly” mower in the future :)
Amy E. says
i’m glad you dove in and fixed it instead of just junking it. it’s sad to me how many people ditch their mechanical helpers just because they don’t want to change a spark plug or clean an air filter.
in fact, a neighbor of ours makes some decent money fixing dead mowers he finds at garage sales and on craig’s list and then selling them again for hundreds (yes, hundreds!) of dollars in profit! he says usually it’s exactly what you mentioned: dirty oil or dirty air filter, sometimes a dirty carburetor or burnt out spark plug. each of those fixes are fairly easy if we would all just give them a try!
Laurel says
Our hand-me-down craftsman mower’s pull-cord broke for the second time in a year. Replacement of the cord requires removing the engine and all sorts of other stuff, which is a nightmare, but it costs $30 plus a new cord to have a professional do it. After it broke the second time, I decided to put the old mower up on craigslist and buy a push-reel type mower with no engine. It’s actually easier to navigate than the old self-propelled one, is super green, and doesn’t require any kind of maintenance other than occasionally sharpening the blades and keeping it oiled.
foo says
Good job. That’s gotta feel gratifying.
Jessica says
Wow, I feel kind of famous seeing my mug on this post! :) Glad you fixed the mower.