OPE that won’t die.

[jhellwig]

What is a piece of ope you have that won't die so you can justify getting a newer better one?

I have an old Weedeater featherlight leaf blower that I found in a barn next the 318 I resurrected that just keeps running. When I found it in 2008 all I did was put gas in it and it fired up. I use it infrequently and just shut it off when done. Most of the time the fuel that goes in it is old fuel out of my other two stroke equipment that is getting stale and it just burns through it. About 5 years ago the fuel lines rotted off but I spent a couple of bucks to put new ones on and it keeps going. It will start after a few pulls no mater what unless the pull cord won't retract due to cold. It makes my hands numb from the vibration. When it finally dies I am going to get a Makita handheld four stroke unit.

 

[atikovi]

Originally Posted by jhellwig
What is a piece of ope you have that won't die so you can justify getting a newer better one?


What the [censored] is an ope?

 

[jhs914]

Originally Posted by atikovi
Originally Posted by jhellwig
What is a piece of ope you have that won't die so you can justify getting a newer better one?


What the [censored] is an ope?

Outdoor Power Equipment

 

[dbias]

I have a perfectly running 1994 Toro Personal Pace lawnmower that i still use every week. Not only is the thing now 25 years old, up until 2007 it was used to cut grass at 6 different rental properties that i owned so it has a ton of use on it. In its time i've replaced the blade twice, the rear tires/wheels once and the spark plug and air filter once. The GTS (Guaranteed to Start with 2 or less pulls) now takes about 3 to 4 pulls but i'm not complaining. OIl changes once or twice a year with left over Euro oils from the VAG products i've owned.
About 5 years ago i thought the wife killed it when i was working 10 straight 24 hour shifts at the Fire Department when she called me saying that it blowing white smoke so bad that she couldn't see to mow. (i had told her to make sure and check the oil as i had used it quite a bit the week before) Turns out she filled it with gas and then proceeded to FILL IT WITH OIL!!! After some draining of oil and cleaning the filter its ran fine ever since.

 

[atikovi]

That's a new abbreviation for me. Know it as LAGE, Lawn And Garden Equipment.

 

[zfasts03]

I have a similar mower, 1987 Toro 21" self propelled GTS with the Suzuki 4 stroke engine. 32 years old and running strong. Used it today for the 1st mowing of the season.

Valve cover gasket is leaking and the part is no longer available. So if the leak gets much worse I'll make one from a sheet of gasket material.

Hoping I can keep it and myself going another 32 years!

 

[SZR48207]

Hitachi CG22EASSLP

(rebranded Tanaka)

Can't complain.. every other weed wacker I've previously owned died at some point.

 

[gotnogunk]

Had a Lawnboy 21" pusher from 1977 to 2016 when I gave it to a friend. I'm sure it still runs.

 

[eljefino]

I have an ancient rototiller that runs about 2x a year. The rest of the time it sits under a sheet of metal roofing with the handles sticking out-- and when it snows, sometimes the handles poke through like a rusty periscope.

The evil little thing needs starting fluid to get going, and jumps from neutral into gear (with tines spinning) when one isn't looking. A vise grips on the gear handle keeps this to a minimum. Total widow-maker!

Garden's nice, though. Gets so fluffy that during the spring thaw it's quicksand.

 

[John_K]

I have a TroyBilt push mower I think is 23 years old. Rescued it from the neighbor's trash about 14 years ago. Still starts on first or second pull with just normal maintenance.

 

[Chris142]

I bought 2 of those featherlight weed wackers when big lots had them on sale about 10 years ago. Both were junk. Neither ran well enough to wack weeds.

 

[Linctex]

Murray 22" push mower with a Briggs 3.5 HP

I think it was 10-15 years old when I bought it for $25 at a yard sale almost 20 years ago.

I change the oil once every 10 years or so. It uses very little oil.

 

[krismoriah72]

Husqvarna 223L string trimmer bought about 15 years ago. I think it is a 300hr EPA rated one. Has well over 500 hrs on it runs great.

I bought a non working 223L at a yard sale about 5 yrs ago for $10.. took it home and cleaned the carb. It is a 50hr EPA rated engine. I have been using it on brush for the past 5 yrs.. runs like a new one.

Will probably buy an Echo 225 when the first of these ever breaks down.. maybe never.

 

[izualangel]

I have a 1977 or 78 Honda HR21 that needed a carb cleaning when I bought it. Rings are wearing out, so it burns a little oil at first, but the cut quality is still fantastic.

Parts availability will stop me from fixing it someday.

 

[Win]

I have an ultra cheapo 21 or 22 inch something ( Murray? ) that I got for $90 ish at a big box ( somebody had bought it, probably used it hard for one task, and returned it ) with the ultra cheap 3.5 HP aluminum Briggs.

I use it for mowing between portable buildings that I have for sale on one of my lots, and other tight / undesirable spaces where I can't use better equipment.

Had it down in a ditch, and hit an embedded rock so hard it seized the engine up solid. I expected that I had bent the crank, but after it cooled off for a few hours, it freed up and ran, albeit as shaky as a dog pooping peach pits.

Treated it to a new blade, an oil change with Mystik 30 weight ( probably its first ever, haven't changed it since ), and it is still going strong several years later.

Might check the oil level sometime this year. If this type of abuse can't kill it, I'm not sure what would.

 

[andyd]

My '75 Stihl FarmBoss Has its original points and condenser. The ' 89 Toro 3 spd GTS and the '88 Lawnboy 7073 were Freebies. '99 322L needed a complete fuel line replacement last year. The '77 IH Cadet 80 sitdown is a wreck but it starts great and has done the main mowing duty since '00.