Are you a TRUE mower and small engine addict?

I developed a passion for engines when I was 12 years old.:smile: I started out buying lawnmowers from a local junk yard and was immediately surprised at what people threw away. I would fix some, salvage others, and made a good profit for a 12 year old.:thumbsup: I am now 66 and still run or work on them nearly every day.:biggrin:
I will always remember nailing the engines down on the basement steps and getting them to run. I was really doing good until I couldn't convince any of my nephews or nieces to hold the plug wire for a test--the second time--
I am truly ashamed of that now.:ashamed::ashamed::ashamed: But they always let me know and they still remember it today know:thumbsup:
 
Giles said:
I developed a passion for engines when I was 12 years old.:smile: I started out buying lawnmowers from a local junk yard and was immediately surprised at what people threw away. I would fix some, salvage others, and made a good profit for a 12 year old.:thumbsup: I am now 66 and still run or work on them nearly every day.:biggrin:
I will always remember nailing the engines down on the basement steps and getting them to run. I was really doing good until I couldn't convince any of my nephews or nieces to hold the plug wire for a test--the second time--
I am truly ashamed of that now.:ashamed::ashamed::ashamed: But they always let me know and they still remember it today know:thumbsup:
Click to expand...

Thinking back to your early years working on small engines, which brands or other characteristics do you remember as your favorites at that time?

I remember the two-stroke Jacobsen mowers (among others) and I'm always looking for one of those on CraigsList now.
 
Giles said:
I developed a passion for engines when I was 12 years old.:smile: I started out buying lawnmowers from a local junk yard and was immediately surprised at what people threw away. I would fix some, salvage others, and made a good profit for a 12 year old.:thumbsup: I am now 66 and still run or work on them nearly every day.:biggrin:
I will always remember nailing the engines down on the basement steps and getting them to run. I was really doing good until I couldn't convince any of my nephews or nieces to hold the plug wire for a test--the second time--
I am truly ashamed of that now.:ashamed::ashamed::ashamed: But they always let me know and they still remember it today know:thumbsup:
Click to expand...

Did I just read this over at Yesterdays Tractors ?
 
Two-Stroke said:
Thinking back to your early years working on small engines, which brands or other characteristics do you remember as your favorites at that time?

I remember the two-stroke Jacobsen mowers (among others) and I'm always looking for one of those on CraigsList now.
Click to expand...

I don't know if it would be considered a favorite, but the ones that stood out in my memory was the Mcculloch mc10.
I guess it was because at about 14 years old, I built a "crude" Gocart, and installed a MC10.
It had a front suspension:laughing: that was made from a single leaf spring from an automobile, and was steered by my feet:eek:
Still scares me today when I remember some of the things I did:eek:
Oh yeah, I remember the Jacobsen--but the first one I had, I thought it was Jacolsen, because of the messed up decal, or paint
 
There's an old joke that goes something like, "What's the difference between an alcoholic and a drunk?"
Ans: The drunk doesn't have to attend meetings.
If there was a local meeting place for unrecovered small engine people, I'd probably be asked to attend.

I remember as a kid about 10 years old doing battle with a Sears reel self-propelled walk behind that had a wind-up spring starter on the side where the starter rope would normally go. :thumbdown:You would set the catch, wind up the crank some 17 times, and then release the catch, and hope it would start.:frown: The whole process took about 30 seconds to do, and it was tedious. I guess they built them that way so that just about anyone could start the mower, but jeez!:eek:
 
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