Maybe we can help each other with simple do it yourself's projects. We all know how to do something lets share.

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Permalink Reply by Jouk on March 16, 2012 at 3:33am

Hello Lisa,

I think this is a brilliant idea.

Like you I got pleasure from watching Dave do jobs around the house and picked quite a bit up along the way, I have never been afraid of getting my hands dirty, we used to work quite well together.

I had been having problems with my kitchen sink draining all last week, the waste pipes had needed renewing for a while and thought this is the time to do it, I bought all the bits I needed to do the job and then got stuck into it, I was quite proud of myself when I had finished, the sink drains perfectly now and my washing machine spins as it should, I'm also not to bad with car maintainance either, I'm not good at drilling holes but I get by.

I'll be interested to hear what others can do.

Thanks for starting this off Lisa, it's nice to talk about something that is normal.

Hugs Jo

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Permalink Reply by Lisa (lost) Lamb on March 16, 2012 at 4:40am

That's great Jo, I just got done putting up all new fixtures and new lighting in my bathroom, and right now I'm making some regular house lights into lamps. I fixed the riding lawnmower twice last year and a few other things. I know all of us can do something so why pay people when we can do it ourselves.  (((Hugs Jo)))

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Permalink Reply by kimkirt (KK) on March 16, 2012 at 8:52am

I would like to know about maintenance on riding mowers and such. Also, which devices would take the mixed gas. I know the leaf blower does, assuming gas weed eater as well? I'm pretty good on frankenmower (um, that's what we call our push mower because my husband built it by combining several push mowers). I did find a gas can (we have several) marked "frank" on it. I'm assuming it was for regular gas. I went and got gas in the larger can yesterday because our gas powered golf cart stopped in the middle of working in the yard last weekend. Hoping it just ran out of gas, the thing is tempermental. Can change a spark plug in it if necessary, hope it isn't the battery.

We (I - sigh) have so much oil and filters in the garage, I might as well use it instead of paying someone else to do it. Do have a big jack and the tire stops, an oil pan and can take the old oil to the dump for disposal. I know the basics, watched the guys at the shop my husband managed do it enough, but I can't go back there and ask them. Way too hard. They didn't even come to his funeral. We won't even go there. Anyway....

So yes, mechanic help would be nice!

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Permalink Reply by Lisa (lost) Lamb on March 16, 2012 at 9:29am

Well Kim your right all gas weed eaters that I've see take 2 cycle oil mixed in the gas. The lawn mowers should have the oil changed every so many hours. Now my mower keeps track of the hours for me but you just have to jack up the rider take out the oil plug and let it drain. Do you have the book for your mower? If not a lot of them you can find on line, it will tell you how much oil it takes, also the blades should be sharpened or replaced at the beginning of each season. I've been lucky because my husband kept the owners manual to everything, then what the manual didn't show for the mower I called the dealer up and they faxed me a drawing for the parts I needed to fix. What kind of mower do you have?

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Permalink Reply by kimkirt (KK) on March 16, 2012 at 1:56pm

We (I, sigh) have a Cub Cadet, it's pretty new, just a few years old, yes, have the manual. My dad winterized it (put something in the gas) for when it sat this winter. Don't use it much in the winter. It started right up last weekend. I know hubs would sharpen the blades on our old mower, not sure if he did on this one, probably. My folks are moving sometime this year, so can't rely on dad running over to show me stuff. I can work the air compressors and all, so good to go on tires and such. I know last spring we got a new battery for the mower, so hopefully that will last a bit, thought I recall hubs said something about replacing it yearly, but who knows? We have a canoe on a trailer too, and I remember hubs saying there was something wrong with the trailer but now I have no clue what. I've asked two people to come look at it for me (people that have offered to help, ask if I needed anything), and so far nothing. So frustrating! WHY do you offer!
Oh, guess I'm going to need to learn how to use the chainsaw too. Bleh.

 

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Permalink Reply by Lisa (lost) Lamb on March 17, 2012 at 2:03am

Now when it comes to the chain saw you be very careful. You should not have to replace your battery in your mower unless something is wrong with it. If you worry about it over the winter you can put a trickle charger on the battery and that will make them last longer. They don't cost more then a few bucks. I do understand the part about people offering to help and then never coming through. I would much rather they just say up front " I would love to help out but my life is really busy right now"  That I would understand but when they offer then just never have time for you, or they just don't call back sucks.  Talk to you soon Kim.

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