I received this Briggs and Stratton lawnmower from my Father in Law who bought it from a flea market 7 years ago for $40. In those 7 years I’ve abused the dickens out of it and only done 2 oil changes in that time. It started being hard to start or randomly shutting off. I figured I finally killed it, but decided to clean the carb, changed the oil, etc, and saw the governor spring had been stretched out. Seeing as I had already given up on it, I clipped it shorter and tried to start it. Second pull and started purring like new.
No one around me cares, but I figured this group would appreciate how good these small engines really are. I’m sharpening the blade and going to cut the yard tomorrow.
“They dont make em like they used to” … because they make them disposable now. Consume. Obey.
I bought a water tank trailer for cheap off Facebook market place to water our fruit trees before we could set up something permanent. It came with a 80’s or 90’s vintage Mitsubishi petrol water pump. The seller had stopped using it and replaced it with an electric pump and told me it didn’t work any more. I replaced the rusted out petrol tank, cleaned the carb and lubricated the governor and it started right up. Very satisfying
It’s funny how simple these old machines are that just some TLC and a push to get started makes them run just fine. Im going to start looking at old carb motorcycles on sale.
i love reading stuff like this, repairing things is always so satisfying, if a little frustrating at times.
I have an old stationary engine from sachs that I got from a junkyard. Already bought a new muffler but can’t make time to get to it . Maybe this winter.
Congratulations on your lawnmower project
Please sir, I am begging you to remove the blade and file it sharp 🙏
Well isnt that something.
Damn, good job. I was struggling with an old Briggs and Stratton and haven’t had time to get it working yet. It’s probably from the late 80s early 90s. (Snapper brand, nothing fancy, no self drive or what not, wasn’t out yet I don’t think). I pulled the carb out and tried cleaning it with gas/starter fluid, replaced the spark plug. Got it to start up and start running but I assume it was running off starter fluid from the carb. It cut itself off after about 15 seconds (which was longer than I expected for just running off the carburetor ether. The springs are probably all stretched out. Need to try to get new ones in spring and actually put some time into it. It’s hard to convince myself to put the time/money into it when it’s that age
Mmm hmm
I find fixing my lawn mower to be an incredible dopimum hit.
I was very surprised how good it ran even after all the abuse.
What you probably hasn’t realised yet is that old Briggs don’t die of abuse, they thrive.
That’s awesome. I don’t miss having a lawn at all, but I can kind of see the appeal in having something like that to take care of and all that comes with it, and that’s awesome that you’re getting mroe life out of the thrifted mower that won’t die!
I have a third dedicated to wildflowers and going to try milkweed and some clover next year. Love waking up to all the bees buzzing around. We gotta help these little pollinators as much as we can.
I love that idea! I hope you get lots, butterflies too!
