Riding Lawn Mower
I always thought it would be great to have a home with a little land with it. That is until we bought a home with almost three acres of yard. It turned out to be a huge headache and I spent much of my free time moving that yard. One day my father-in-law felt sorry for me sold me his riding lawn mower after purchasing a new one. Even though he had used it several seasons, the mower was in very good shape because he carefully followed the manufacturer’s preventive maintenance program. When he delivered it, he gave me very specific instructions about taking good care of the motor, so I wouldn’t have any problems. He especially emphasized checking the oil regularly and changing it after so many hours of use. I was excited to finally have a riding lawn mower, but paid little attention to these warnings and never opened the maintenance booklet.
Toward the end of the first summer of use, I went out to start the engine, but found that it was totally frozen. It would not even turn over. I called my father-in-law and asked if he had any idea what could be wrong. He asked a question that immediately brought to mind his previous instructions. “Did you check the oil?” I quickly changed the subject, got off the phone, and ran outside to check the oil. Wouldn’t you know it? It didn’t have one drop showing on the dip stick. I thought–you dumb lawn mower! I asked the mechanic if there was an “easy way out of this.” He laughed at the question. After spending almost $300 to replace the engine block, I learned to check the oil. I never did like the lawn mower after that.
For the next three years the mower was nothing but trouble. I wasn’t going all that fast when I hit a little tree stump, bending the rod that controlled the steering. This required another expensive trip to the mechanic shop. I’ll admit I may have been going a little faster than I should have when I hit the stump the second time, but it shouldn’t have torn the whole blade system out as it did. That was one sorry excuse for a lawn mower!
I did learn, however, to check the oil occasionally, adding more when it was low. Then one day as I was out mowing some very high grass, I heard a strange knock in the mower’s engine. As I continued to mow, the sound grew louder. Finally there was a very loud noise and the engine quickly died. I looked back to see the piston actually coming out of the engine block. Again I talked to the mechanic to see what had happened and if there was an easy way out. He asked if I had followed the safety guidelines and changed the oil as I was instructed to. I tried to change the subject, but we both knew the answer to the question.
After spending another $300 to replace the engine block, I had an even more intense dislike for that undependable mower. After further troubles, like bending the frame after sliding into a ditch and having the seat deteriorate because I left it outside in the heat and rain a little too often, I ended up giving the lawn mower to my brother. It never was anything but a piece of junk anyway! It never occurred to me until much later that possibly the operator was the problem.
