Persons North of the equator.

Not sure how you pull these antics off HRM, couldn't pull this behavior off even when i had a full mop of hair! You must be hung like a rutting donkey or your wife is mail-order, ha. Moose, doing OK i suppose. Had to have the septic tank leach field piping replaced yesterday, money down the drain!! Try a container of your favorite beverage in that cup holder and you'll be wearing more of it then drinking it, hehe.   

Wookie58 wrote:

hardrockminer wrote:

The gas mower broke so I bought Sweetums this... www.homehardware.ca/en/18-push-reel-lawn...er-5-blade/p/5122001

Can see where your priority's rest HRM - $180 for a new mower for your good lady, £450 for your toaster (breakfast is important )

I don't know if I mentioned it before, but the toaster is British...a hand made Dualit.  It comes on automatically at tea time!  It was the only non-Chinese toaster I could find online.  You Brits really know how to make good toast!

hardrockminer post=910923 userid=49877The gas mower broke so I bought Sweetums this... www.homehardware.ca/en/18-push-reel-lawn...er-5-blade/p/5122001

   Grandpa had a (now antique) belt driven, self propelled reel mower circa late 1940's early 1950's that had a Briggs vertical thumper on it. Rope pull-start.  Rope had a knot in the free end that was slid into an angled notch in a wide pulley that was bolted onto the end of the crank, outside of the screen of the cooling fan.  Starting regimen was:
( #1 ) Best-guess diddling of choke & throttle combined.
     {#1-A} Is engine cold?  Diddle different best guesses than hot. Or, maybe same.
     {#1-B} Is engine hot?  Diddle different best guesses than cold. Or, maybe same.           
( 2  Find starting rope. (Best done before commencing (#1).
( 3 ) Insert knotted free end of rope into the angled notch in pulley.
( 4 ) Wrap rope around pulley approx. 5 ~ 6 turns IIRC.
( 5 ) Place one foot on mower.
( 6 ) Heave a mighty pull.
( 7 ) Dodge the knot in the free end of the rope as it exits the notch toward one's head at high speed.
( 8 ) Did it start?
    [8-A] Yes**.
         [8-a1 Step 1] Place rope... somewhere.  [8-a1 Step 2]  Commence mowing.
                ** Note - If, after running for an indefinite period of time engine stops, check fuel tank.  Is empty?
                  (**-1) Yes.  Refill. Go to ( #1 ).
                  (**-2) No. Find Grandpa.  Grandpa goes to ( #1 ). Ask Grandma or Mom what those words mean Grandpa said a couple times after he'd gone  to ( #1 ) many times. Item ( 2 ) could be skipped here.
    [8-B] No.   
     [8-b1]  Return spark kill ground tab to -RUN- postilion (see [9-A] below).
         [8-b2] Return to ( #1 ).  Note: No need to repeat {#1-A} or {#1-B} if one is optimistic. Yet.
                    <8-b2a> Is is flooded? Who knows?  Walk away for a day or three. Begin again at ( #1 ).
( 9 )  Done mowing?
    [9-A] Yes.  Take a couple steps to the front of the mower & flick the little metal 'spark-kill' grounding tab so it touches the exposed tip of the spark plug where the plug wire connects.  Motor stops.  Attempt to push now-inert mower against residual belt friction to the garage.  Give up. Find Grandpa.
       #!# Note to self - Only touch exposed tip of spark plug when the engine is running no more than two (2) or three (3) times , to make sure the first (1st.) and second (2nd.) and third (3rd.) times weren't flukes when doing so that knocked me on my little ass each time, and Grandpa even chuckled.  Begin childhood wonderment at such an on-my-ass thing that would help lead to becoming a lifelong motorhead.
    [9-B] No.  Why are we even here? Go to [8-a1 Step 2].

Miss you, Grandpa.  R.I.P.

Good Ridin'
slmjim

Oh the Humble necessary beginnings Jim! I started my beginning with similar because at 3 dollars a yard, had to figure it out myself for roller-skate keys from the TG&Y. Rember the Briggs that one would "Crank" and flip the handle over? Smacking the pre-tensioned handle would automatically spin the engine over. Or, like mentioned Knotted rope with Wooden handle, for the Clinton or Tecumseh engines. Can still remember the Leaded fuel smell..      

I still see/repair/restore these old Briggs Jim. Although later manual for the L heads, same principals apply. And Moose! I have a FSM for that Husqvarna Intek if needed, Husky hasn't been Swede made for years and a pity. They used to make Killer chainsaws.    

hardrockminer post=910964 userid=49877

wrote:

hardrockminer post=910923 userid=49877The gas mower broke so I bought Sweetums this... www.homehardware.ca/en/18-push-reel-lawn...er-5-blade/p/5122001

Can see where your priority's rest HRM - $180 for a new mower for your good lady, £450 for your toaster (breakfast is important )

I don't know if I mentioned it before, but the toaster is British...a hand made Dualit.  It comes on automatically at tea time!  It was the only non-Chinese toaster I could find online.  You Brits really know how to make good toast!

Where is this allegedly-superior toaster referred to? Can't find the reference. Hungry minds & tummies need to know!

Good Ridin'
slmjim & Z1BEBE

Here is a link to the brand, but you might need to sell a Z1 to pay for a new toaster.  But MrsSlmJim will love it too.

www.google.com/search?gs_ssp=eJzj4tLP1Tc...ceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8

So far Sweetums has done the lawn twice with her new machine but I'm getting tired of giving her back rubs afterwards.  This morning I mentioned to her that the garden needs turning so today she's out there with her new chevelle.  What's that you ask?  Think French!

Hey slmjim, my grand-dad owned an upright reel mower like the one you describe!  Same starting routine.  As I remember it had a Clinton engine on it, with the knotted rope and wooden handle for starting.  (I don't think the rope and handle was the original, haha) This would have been in the early and mid 1960's so it was most likely made in the late 1950's.   I have similar stories of an eight year old vs that shocking kill switch strap, but I think Grampa pretended he didn't see me, that way Gramma never knew.  Wish I had that mower today, because I'm mowing the same yard!