Now that I’m finally able to shelter in place like a good Texan (what a week it’s been until now), I decided today would be a good day to mow as much grass/weeds as possible. In preparation for this, I checked the mower at the store yesterday. Yes, I’d put the battery on the trickle charger over the winter. It should be fine. I’d need gas, though. Not a problem, I’ll bring a can with me tomorrow.
This morning, I topped up the gas tank in the house mower and headed off to the store. I removed the trickle charger, filled the tank, climbed on, pushed the brake, and cranked. Nothing. I checked all my connections and lever positions. Tried again. Nothing. I trudged out to the truck for my tools. I disconnected the battery, shut the doors, and headed to the small engine shop in Dutchtown. Yes. They had a battery. I exchanged $54 for a battery and was on my way. Yee ha! That did it. I backed outside and began mowing. By the time I got back around front to the driveway, something was very wrong. I’d forgotten to check the air in the tires after a long winter’s nap, and the left front tire was flat. I retrieved my trusty battery-powered inflator from the truck and hooked it up. Rats. It’s a tubeless tire. I needed to get enough grip between the edges of the tire and rim so the air pressure could lock it on. I got the jack out of the truck and jacked the front of the mower up enough to lift the tire off the ground. Not enough pressure and the little compressor was exhausted. I moved the truck closer to the tractor so I could use the 12V adapter. I had to move the mower to be able to reach the tire from the truck. I got it moved so I could reach, and about that time, my neighbor comes bopping across the yard in a truck and asks if I could use any help. I explained what I needed, and he said, “That exactly what this truck is equipped to do.” He looked younger than my neighbor, and I was having trouble placing him, but he knew exactly what needed to be done with my little tire, and he had exactly the tools he needed to do it — including a compressor with a lot more oomph than mine. As he finished up, I thanked him for the help, and he said, “Mom sent me. He said you were up on the hill and it looked like you could use a hand.” That’s when it dawned on me that this adult-sized young man was the same little boy I’d seen riding all over the property six years ago on a 4-wheeler and mini-bikes and the lawnmower. I was thankful today that he also knew how to maintain tractors, even if the ones he works on are a lot bigger than mine. With that final repair, I was able to mow the store property without further incident. Time to head home. But first I filled the gas can.
After getting back home and getting the gas can put away, it was time to mow. I had charged this mower’s battery a week or two ago so it should be fine. Nope. I got on, pushed the brake pedal, and cranked. Nothing. I grab my tools from the truck, remove the battery and head for the small engine shop. Expecting them to have two batteries I needed on the same day was too much, so I headed out for CarQuest. Yes, they had one with more cranking power. I exchanged $57 for this battery and returned home. I installed the battery, and the rest of the mowing session was uneventful. Time to relax.
