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I'm getting my back yard professionally done in a few weeks, will have like 1300 SF of sod, but only have the lawn tractor up here. Out of the blue this morning my next-door neighbor rode her horse to the fence and asked if I would like her non-running lawn mower, that maybe I could get it running (she'd been thinking of throwing it out). I told her I'd be glad to see what I could do, but if I got it going, that we would share ownership and use. Craftsman 917.370431 mower.

Anyway, it just needed a spark plug cleaning and gapping, new gasoline added, and it started right up. So then I just sharpened and balanced the blade, and cleaned out the bottom, and it's ready to go !!! Score !

1300sf backyard with a lawn tractor? Do you park in the middle, turn the blades on, turn the blades off and park the mower? You really love your couch time LOL. You probably back it into the yard so you don't have to turn around LOL LOL.

slomo said:

1300sf backyard with a lawn tractor? Do you park in the middle, turn the blades on, turn the blades off and park the mower? You really love your couch time LOL. You probably back it into the yard so you don't have to turn around LOL LOL.

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No, the lawn tractor is for the 1.5 acres of tumbleweeds and weeds (which really wreaks havoc on the lawn tractor blades). I'll be getting 1300 SF of grass soon, the "new" mower will be for that !

I'm not familiar with the tractor but it sounds like a fair agreement with the neighbor.

olgeezershonda said:

I'm not familiar with the tractor but it sounds like a fair agreement with the neighbor.

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Neighbor is 74-year-old widow, manufactured home on 2 acres, which she maintains. 1 horse, 3 dogs. She was going to discard, asked if I could work my "magic" to try to get it running.

"We" are about a week in to seeing/testing if adding a trickle charger/maintainer (which she already had) to her utility vehicle will keep it ready to run when she needs it. I installed that so she does not have to access the battery, just plug it into the outside receptacle. Battery was tested as good, loses charge over time. Charging system reads a little low - like 13.2 volts, and it does have a parasitic draw of 3.8 mA. So far, so good.

Cusser said:

Neighbor is 74-year-old widow, manufactured home on 2 acres, which she maintains. 1 horse, 3 dogs. She was going to discard, asked if I could work my "magic" to try to get it running.

"We" are about a week in to seeing/testing if adding a trickle charger/maintainer (which she already had) to her utility vehicle will keep it ready to run when she needs it. I installed that so she does not have to access the battery, just plug it into the outside receptacle. Battery was tested as good, loses charge over time. Charging system reads a little low - like 13.2 volts, and it does have a parasitic draw of 3.8 mA. So far, so good.

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She's a bit older than me. I'm sure she appreciates having a good neighbor.

I keep a .75A smart charger on my motorcycle during the off season. I have a short lead permanently attached to the battery and when not attached to the charger tucks neatly out of way and out of sight. From my own experience a battery tender prolongs the life of the battery and is something that doesn't have to be baby sat so I think that's a good idea for her sake (and yours).

slomo said:

You probably back it into the yard so you don't have to turn around LOL LOL.

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My rider has Reverse??? /s

olgeezershonda said:

She's a bit older than me. I'm sure she appreciates having a good neighbor.

I keep a .75A smart charger on my motorcycle during the off season. I have a short lead permanently attached to the battery and when not attached to the charger tucks neatly out of way and out of sight. From my own experience a battery tender prolongs the life of the battery and is something that doesn't have to be baby sat so I think that's a good idea for her sake (and yours).

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Another vote for the Battery Tender brand float charger..
I have used a couple of them for over 10 years to keep my vehicles batteries charged, all year.. They sell all the parts, wiring, to permanently connect to the car battery posts, with a fool-proof plug for the other end that is also the same type of plug that goes to the little Battery Tender itself.. They make these plugs in several lengths, so you can have the charger inside the closed garage door in winter, and just the, well coated, wire with plug outside plugged into the other end that is permanently attached to the battery...
My car batteries are float charged 24/7, and last a lot longer before a cell fails, etc., and they start acting up..
The Battery Tender little boxes have run continually and never had an issue, acted up, or just quit working..

Stokdgs said:

They sell all the parts, wiring, to permanently connect to the car battery posts, with a fool-proof plug for the other end that is also the same type of plug that goes to the little Battery Tender itself.

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That's what she had, what I installed for her; so she doesn't have to go near the battery.