I used to enjoy working on equipment, rebuilding motors, etc. Now that I am 74, however, it seems like even working on my zero turn can be a major headache. This morning I set out to change oil and balance the tire pressure; 30 minute job, right?

Some idiot put the drain hose on the Kohler 7000 on my Exmark on the left side with the hose too short to put a pan under the engine and making it necessary to put the hose over the side if the frame into a plastic jug that had to be set at an angle and had to be held in place until it all drained.

Next, this 74 year old idiot accidently kicked the piece of 2 X 6 that I had placed the drain hose cap nut on. I spent 20 minutes on my hands and knees grubbing through the grass like a squirrel looking for an acorn before I found it. All I could think was that this is probably a one of a kind part with a 90 day order window.

Oil change done, I plugged in the air compressor and took care of the two back tires in 5 minutes and then moved to the front ones. The valve stems did not clear the wide front wheel braces so I had to go through three different inflator chucks until I ended up with the smallest ball chuck I had. Then, without a built in gauge, it was fill/check/release/check several times because those little tires will jump by 15lb if you just look at the air hose.

Bottom line is it took me 1 1/2 hours for a 30 minute job. My back was killing me and I had to put up with the wife continually standing on the back patio with her hands on her hips.

Next, it’s time to change the blades!

I hate getting old!

I checked the oil in my walk behind Kohler lawn mower a few weeks ago and found it to be a little low. I added the only oil I had within arms reach which happened to be bar and chain oil for the chainsaw. I figured it would be straight 30 weight oil and would work long enough to get the grass mowed. After mowing a quarter of the lawn, I noticed the cutting deck was swimming in oil. It’s like more oil had leaked out than I put into it. Anyway, to change the oil, I had to tip the whole dang mower on its side and watch it drip all over the place. I’m all for cost savings, but they could have added a plug under the cutting deck so you can drain it without covering the driveway in oil.

Dang Chinese don’t know how to design anything right.

Edit….have you ever changed the air filter but put the cover back on wrong and end up running over the new air filter when it falls out without you knowing?

I do change the oil in my Honda mower every year, clean the filter, replace spark plug, ya da ya da. Anything that I know will cause me grief or literal pain, I pay someone to do it

I’ve had my riding mower break the last 5 times I’ve used it: tire split, hit a stump and bent a blade, broke the deck belt, blew other rear tire, hit a rock and bent the blade & broke the mandrel. Mowed this place 75-100 times and everytime rocks and stumps seem to just miraculously raise up out of the ground.

No, but I did run over my only pair of prescription glasses and didn’t leave a piece bigger than a toothpick. I also replaced a bad spindle on an old Snapper and then discovered I left off the washer on top. I figured it was no big deal and started using it rather than refoing the whole process. About 10 hours later I had ruined the new spindle and the pulley.

My favorite TV personality used to be Tim the Tool Man

I just cleaned the deck on my Hustler Fastrak 54" ZTR. It gets clogged up pretty bad in the spring with all the weeds that are full of moisture. I have been jacking it up and blocking it up so I can chisel that dried grass and dirt from the bottom of the deck. Big pain in my a$$. Takes at least 2 hours from start to finish. I spend the whole time on my back, under the mower trying to pry the dried grass/dirt loose. Today I decided to lift the front up with my Kubota FEL and use my pressure washer. It was so much faster and easier. Took 1/2 the time and that included giving my ZTR a wash job. Work Smarter___Not Harder.

meh, wimpy problems, one of y'all tell me how an rpm limited pto can overrev to the point the warning comes on the digital dash.

kept telling me pto was spinning extremely fast (j.d.s words not mine)

this is on our 15' batwing

Don’t get me started. I’m waiting for a Honda carburetor as I type this. Damn lawnmowers. They may be worse than a boat trailer.

Take care of you Honda mower. This is the last year you will be able to buy one. They are going to end their lawnmower production completely. You can thank California lawsuits for that.

Bought a new Deere riding mower last year. Changed oil/filter last month. Deere claims a 30 second oil change system on this engine - you buy the filter preloaded with oil and just swap out the old one. 30 seconds become 30 minutes if you got rid of your auto filter-size wrench because you quit changing your vehicle filters yourself 20 years ago and have to research youtube for a workaround.

I don't know what type of tractor your running but i had a 5075M John Deere that had a lever to put the pto in economy mode , could get the 544 rpm at the pto at 1500 rpm of the motor instead of the normal 2200 rpm

Never done that but I have bought a new weed eater on the way to the deer lease. Get to the dear lease put new weed eater in bucket on my tractor. Started brush hogging, bounce weed eater out the bucket they run over it with the shredder. Ran over a chainsaw like that too.

I need a Honda carb too

Getting old sucks when you like to do your own maintenance. I spent a couple of hours under my boat console installing a new 67 lb AGM battery, switch, and cleaning up some wiring. I can barely get 2 arms in there and even though I thought I had planned for the tools I needed I made several trips back and forth to my tool box in the garage. Each trip meant getting in out of the boat and then back under the console.

Be very careful doing that. Guy I know had mower fall on his throat and instantly kill him.