Recent content by Evil Spirit

Or work around a disability that doesn't allow me to use conventional yard tools. If I really had too much time on my hands, my post count on here would be higher.

I think I might have an old B+D 18v trimmer in my shed that would make a good "sacrificial lamb" for this test. If - or when - it fails, then Greenworks has a 24v trimmer fairly cheap if bought tool only. Called a friend that ran VW engines in sand rails and dune buggies. He said he commonly...

Unfortunately, Kobalt is one of Lowes "stepchild" home brands which often have little actual product or parts support. Sometimes they have no intention of selling individual parts for it, so they don't release parts or full assembly manuals.

As a disabled senior (and on fixed income) it get's harder every year to do yard maintenance. Had to quit using gas string trimmers years ago, due to the weight. Since my mobility scooter has a large 24v amp/hr power supply, I was considering using it to power a string trimmer for yard...

I like using the cheap fingernail dressing boards (like they do manicures with) that you get at the dollar stores to dress the deck and head gasket surfaces - a 10 pack is only a couple bucks. They are basically 1/2"w x 6"l sanding boards, and sometimes you can find them with different grits on...

Other brand engines also use the dipstick tube to provide the pulse, but I'm not familiar which ones may interchange. Many of the clone engines simply put a hole in the valve cover and put a hose in it. Crude, but it does work. The couple times I needed to do this, I drilled a hole in the...

Some manufactures require you to use their oil to maintain the warranty. They put specific dyes in their chemicals to ID them. Hmmmm. I'm 60+ years old and have never filled out a tool or appliance warranty card, so their warranty threat means nothing to me. From dabbling in small engine repair...

I've used the 1 gallon packets of Opti-2 for years and love it. It's a 1 mix, meaning it is not necessary to mix different ratios for different equipment. I put one packet in a gallon of 90 octane alcohol free recreational fuel - ends up being about a 70-1 mix - and use it in several different...

I used to buy both male and female ends in bags of 10 on Ebay for about $30 including shipping. To be honest I never changed the whole links, only the ends. Changing the threaded ones are pretty much a no brainer. For the "non-replaceable" ends I cut the bad end off, welded an all-thread nut...

Something to keep in mind when sourcing parts is that many times the "knock-offs" were made by the same suppliers as the ones that made them for Sears/Craftsman - well, actually AYP. And I can tell you this - I've ordered deck mandrels - among other items - from both Sears Parts Direct and then...

Now that you have P/N's I would shop around for the links. For instance, Amazon lists a kit with both links for $47 with free shipping. That is pretty much what you pay for 1 side after shipping from Sears.

Not a mower build, but hopefully kinda neat. Building a Predator 212 powered trike to help me get around the yard, and I want to use a rear axle with a differential. A Peerless 100 series differential/axle looks pretty promising. I actually have one in a Homelite parts mower, but it is narrower...

Rebuilding the deck on one of my lawn assault vehicles and looking for options to coat the underside of the deck. Not really wanting to spend the coin to get the deck blasted and powder coated. So what's a good Plan B? Surface prep will probably be a good scraping and wire wheeling, with a...

Howdy - In case you're wondering, the "Evil Spirit" name come from me racing an AMC Spirit for years under the same name, and it's easier to just keep the same name on forums. I live in southern Mi between Detroit and Toledo, Ohio. I'm a 60 year old kid that repairs mowers and small equipment...