I only ever mulch, so no time lost for stopping and emptying.
I think that why the drive belts and pulleys etc have lasted so long.
I engage the blades carefully once.
Cut the whole thing without stopping. Done.
I've never even adjusted them, yet!
That seems remarkable, when I read other blogs and Toro maint threads.
Can do the over 1/2 acre in 35-40 minutes. It's just over a 2 mile walk.
That includes all the trees, flower beds and borders we've put in, that have to cut around.
Nextdoor have a small ride on. I think it's 32"
Takes longer, as ride on first and then a small mower to do all the fiddly bits.
With mulching though, have to do reasonably often.
If it gets very long, I use the side exit and then mulch next time.
Side exit eats grass🙂
It does clog up a bit under the deck, UK moist grass (they are known for that), but it's only to hose off underneath when done.
Don't know what I'd replace it with when it dies - if I can't repair it..
Probably another one.. until I'm too old to walk😂
I've looked at zero turn ones and even big electric ones are becoming more available..
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Installed a new capacitor in my home AC unit condenser.
Unit was blowing warm air and staying on constantly. Hooked my DMM up to the capacitor and it was 1.5 uF. There are several electronics and appliance stores around town (thanks to being located near two national laboratories), and drove the old 1953 Chevy pickup to buy one. It's been close to 100F everyday for over a week.
Unit was blowing warm air and staying on constantly. Hooked my DMM up to the capacitor and it was 1.5 uF. There are several electronics and appliance stores around town (thanks to being located near two national laboratories), and drove the old 1953 Chevy pickup to buy one. It's been close to 100F everyday for over a week.
Yes, sharp blades do give a clean cut and aid mulching.
Unfortunately the blades are not Samurai sword steel quality🙂
I tend to do a quick sharpen after a couple of cuts and a deeper blades off one every few months.
I'm not into very short grass, so never pick up stones etc, so the blades don't have many dings.
I'm still on the original blades too.
Here's it with the striper kit cut.
Toro make one, I DIY copied it..
A few years ago now.
No wait, that's not it😂
Here we are🙂
This was before we'd done much of the landscaping..
Not like I'm obsessed or anything 😂
Sometimes I don't know why I try. None of my neighbors gives a crap about their yards. Weeds and all. I should be happy that theirs are at least green. Same with my wooden fence. I built it myself 16 years ago and keep it looking like new. It really isn't that much work if you do it right to start with.
Replaced the motor on my electric cargo bike. The old one was working, but I burnt the winding on a similar 350 w one on the 60th hill of 77 on the back road to my summer property 7/2022. I had 4 350 w motors at $36 each, but pedaling the bike the last 7 miles & 17 hills is not fun. Steep hills located near the summer camp end. Been riding flatter Ste Hwy 3 since burned a motor, but state is paving, reduced lanes to 108", which means everybody drives 70 in a 55 zone. Last time I rode through a 100' construction zone in a 108" lane, got passed by a pickup with lawn trailer and forced out of the lane. So been staying home.
Haven't been to summer property for 9 weeks now. Bought a 500 w motor from overseas, it came without a wheel. Took apart some wheels to measure the for new spokes, couldn't buy 2.5 mm spokes in the USA. Will take 6 weeks from *****. Bought another motor, siimilar to the 1000 w motor I had in 2021 when a rain burnt the harness off the controller into the motor harness. 1000 w motor been fighting me all the way. Came in with boogered threads, and a freehub, which means it has to install on the back. After I bought another triangular file, the threads were a 2 minute problem. Figuring out how to install a cassette on a freewheel was another 2 days. 8th gear stuck off the end of the freehub, too wide for dropout. I had to file down 8th gear .020", which took hours. I also had to file down a 2 flat nut on the freehub end, .060". I had the old motor on the front: putting a motor on the back adds 8 lb where I really don't need it. I carry 18 lb tools supplies water rain gear back there, also 60-80 lb groceries or ag supplies. Mounting the 10 lb toolbox on the front battery bracket is for another day, with suitable modifications to make it theft resistant. After wiring motor took off backwards. Flipped 2 phase wires, stuttered forwards which meant hall effect wires had to be swapped. Put phase wires back, used something I learned from the controller that came with the 1000 w motor, plug together the white "learning" wires briefly. Motor now stuttered forwards. ! Still need to swap 2 hall effect wires. Pulled the black one instead of the blue one, then installed it upside down about 8 times. ** 73 year old near vision. Had face grease on the reading glasses, it was 92 F 90% humidity today. Finally got the blue & green hall effect wires swapped about 2100, got a nice powerful 30' ride forwards in my back yard. Probably don't need to upgrade controller from 10 A (500w) to 20 A (1000 w) to avoid burning this motor. Hope so, going to try the hilly back way to summer camp this weekend.
No, I don't keep a car anymore. Converting one from industrial sludge (Reformulated Gas without the butane) to propane is on the to-do list, delayed by theft of all the conversion parts kit 2020.
Haven't been to summer property for 9 weeks now. Bought a 500 w motor from overseas, it came without a wheel. Took apart some wheels to measure the for new spokes, couldn't buy 2.5 mm spokes in the USA. Will take 6 weeks from *****. Bought another motor, siimilar to the 1000 w motor I had in 2021 when a rain burnt the harness off the controller into the motor harness. 1000 w motor been fighting me all the way. Came in with boogered threads, and a freehub, which means it has to install on the back. After I bought another triangular file, the threads were a 2 minute problem. Figuring out how to install a cassette on a freewheel was another 2 days. 8th gear stuck off the end of the freehub, too wide for dropout. I had to file down 8th gear .020", which took hours. I also had to file down a 2 flat nut on the freehub end, .060". I had the old motor on the front: putting a motor on the back adds 8 lb where I really don't need it. I carry 18 lb tools supplies water rain gear back there, also 60-80 lb groceries or ag supplies. Mounting the 10 lb toolbox on the front battery bracket is for another day, with suitable modifications to make it theft resistant. After wiring motor took off backwards. Flipped 2 phase wires, stuttered forwards which meant hall effect wires had to be swapped. Put phase wires back, used something I learned from the controller that came with the 1000 w motor, plug together the white "learning" wires briefly. Motor now stuttered forwards. ! Still need to swap 2 hall effect wires. Pulled the black one instead of the blue one, then installed it upside down about 8 times. ** 73 year old near vision. Had face grease on the reading glasses, it was 92 F 90% humidity today. Finally got the blue & green hall effect wires swapped about 2100, got a nice powerful 30' ride forwards in my back yard. Probably don't need to upgrade controller from 10 A (500w) to 20 A (1000 w) to avoid burning this motor. Hope so, going to try the hilly back way to summer camp this weekend.
No, I don't keep a car anymore. Converting one from industrial sludge (Reformulated Gas without the butane) to propane is on the to-do list, delayed by theft of all the conversion parts kit 2020.
You can get propane kits from old fork lift trucks.
Here the auto LPG cars were being filled with much cheaper domestic LPG, and CNG is now widely available.
So LPG car kits go for scrap value...about $30 for the vaporizer, tank, pressure indicator and bi-fuel switch (gasoline / LPG).
New ones would be $200 or so, labor extra.
Italian makes are popular here, aluminum and plastic housings, I had a metal one.
Sold the car long back after a bad accident. Use CNG now, much cheaper here than gasoline.
Here the auto LPG cars were being filled with much cheaper domestic LPG, and CNG is now widely available.
So LPG car kits go for scrap value...about $30 for the vaporizer, tank, pressure indicator and bi-fuel switch (gasoline / LPG).
New ones would be $200 or so, labor extra.
Italian makes are popular here, aluminum and plastic housings, I had a metal one.
Sold the car long back after a bad accident. Use CNG now, much cheaper here than gasoline.
Never ever buy from ACER, their commercial practice is unacceptable.
I needed the drivers to finish a Windows 7 reinstall on an ACER portable ( Aspire 7739G ) that lost its hard drive. ( I shoved in a new 500 GB Samsung SSD ).
The ACER site tells they have drivers and manuals available, asking for the stuff identify.
I did give this from the Acer identity label at the back.....Their site just answers it "is not found".
On the other end, there is plenty for buying new stuff, that works perfectly well.
Never ever buy from sources that give such an unacceptable support.
DO NOT BUY ACER and let it know.
I needed the drivers to finish a Windows 7 reinstall on an ACER portable ( Aspire 7739G ) that lost its hard drive. ( I shoved in a new 500 GB Samsung SSD ).
The ACER site tells they have drivers and manuals available, asking for the stuff identify.
I did give this from the Acer identity label at the back.....Their site just answers it "is not found".
On the other end, there is plenty for buying new stuff, that works perfectly well.
Never ever buy from sources that give such an unacceptable support.
DO NOT BUY ACER and let it know.
My experience is that Acer are not that great product wise. A very little used Acer tablet I bought new developed a screen fault (two thin green lines showing permanently and an Aspire laptop that I had developed a reputation for the lid hinges seizing and cracking the case. While many were failing under warranty I did manage to eek about 5 yrs from mine.
Acer have lots of showroom appeal but I found the products poor.
As to the driver issue. Out of curiosity I looked at Acer support and find it bizarre that all the models are listed but with 0 (zero) showing for all drivers and documentation.
You could always still clean install install W7 if that's what you really want and see what drivers it picks up from the Windows catalogue. The product/license key should be on a sticker on the laptop. Drivers will be 'out there' but you might have to hunt them down.
There is also absolutely nothing to lose clean installing W10 or W11 as a test and see how that performs. Driver support from Microsoft is generally good in my experience.
I have an Acer Chromebook that is ten years old, and has always worked flawlessly.
Even has a matte screen, which I strongly prefer, and is hard to find in lower cost devices.
The original battery is still working well enough for my use as well.
I would buy another one of these new today if it were available and I needed it, without hesitation.
On the other hand, every Windows PC I've ever been forced to use has been a time wasting irritant.
For work I use Macs, which are also highly reliable and without frustration or time wasting.
Even has a matte screen, which I strongly prefer, and is hard to find in lower cost devices.
The original battery is still working well enough for my use as well.
I would buy another one of these new today if it were available and I needed it, without hesitation.
On the other hand, every Windows PC I've ever been forced to use has been a time wasting irritant.
For work I use Macs, which are also highly reliable and without frustration or time wasting.
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I noticed my Pure DRX-701 DAB tuner was dead yesterday. The T100ma fuse accessible on the rear panel had 'parted'' however it seemed something bad had happened as replacement did not bring it back to life.
Removing the top panel revealed a definite 'burnt something' smell. One of the SMD caps looked a bit suspicious around its base and quickly powering it up generated more smell (no obvious smoke) but lots of heat in the cap. It was well and truly frazzled and fell apart when trying to remove it. Looking at the PCB and it seemed to be a simple decoupler on the input to a 7805 reg.
The board has through holes for the caps even though SMD were fitted and so I fitted a new standard leaded variety.
Yay, we have life... all good
Removing the top panel revealed a definite 'burnt something' smell. One of the SMD caps looked a bit suspicious around its base and quickly powering it up generated more smell (no obvious smoke) but lots of heat in the cap. It was well and truly frazzled and fell apart when trying to remove it. Looking at the PCB and it seemed to be a simple decoupler on the input to a 7805 reg.
The board has through holes for the caps even though SMD were fitted and so I fitted a new standard leaded variety.
Yay, we have life... all good
I will say that it is great when you can something to start up at the first attempt. For me, radio has been a part of my life from since I can remember. When I was so very young, I thought that you had to buy a new radio to hear new songs. In this throw away day and aget turns out that I was right.