We’ve all done it... things when you realize what happened and said – boy, was that stupid!
Last year I decided not to drain, add any stabilizer, or run out the fuel from any of my outdoor equipment. I have two properties with riding mowers, trimmers, and blowers at each. I only use non-ethanol gas and a trusted small engine mechanic said it would be fine.
Yesterday I went out to the shed to get the gas trimmer and start it up. I primed it, set it on choke, and pulled the cord. Nothing! Tried and tried and tried. Nothing. Took it into my shop and checked the air filter – clean. Checked the spark plug and replaced. Pulled the fuel filter from the tank and cleaned. Went back and pulled the cord some more. Nothing.
By now I was convinced the carb diaphragms were bad from leaving the fuel in it. Came in and ordered a new carb.
A few hours later went back out to try it again on a hunch, thinking maybe the carb was just flooded before. I grabbed the trimmer off the shelf and instantly saw the on/off button and realized I hadn’t switched it to “on”. Did that and BINGO! Then I ran back into the house to my computer to cancel the order for the new carb!!
Did that with a diesel engine on a sail boat. Wouldn't start. Battery borderline that ran down even more. Nada. Found the hand crank. After much cranking effort w/no result I realized that I had shut the fuel line petcock off the last time we returned from sailing.
David, I feel your pain. Have done that with my pressure washer which has an on/off switch kinda "hidden" on the opposite side from the pull cord. Even worse, I've done it more than once! Hope you were able to cancel that carb order. Jim
I did the same thing with my Harbor Freight chipper/shredder. What's really bad is that the flails and flywheel are always engaged, so every pull of the cord meant turning-over 30-40 lbs. of inert weight.
Down the way from the office my friend shares with me there is a drywall company with about half a dozen vans. Their long time foreman couldn't get his truck started and they had it towed to a repair shop. After some sophisticated analysis they determined it was out of fuel. Interesting he ran out of fuel in the company parking lot.
I took my two speed drill to the shop about 20 miles away because it quit. Dead, zip, Nada. Fresh battery did not help. Got to the shop and the guy reached over and pushed the switch to 2. It had been halfway between 1 & 2. I was embarrassed. He said, "second one today" and laughed.
I have a very obvious note taped to my portable generator that says "Turn Switch On" due to starting problems more than once.
Then there is my engineer friend who found his 1/2" drill bit dull so bought a new one, it was dull so he took it back and got a replacement. It didn't work any better until he realized the drill was running backwards!
Yup, you gotta ask, even if it offends some people. I was amazed at how often that was indeed the problem.
On a higher level, our remote office had a telecomm concentrator to run our remote mainframe terminals. Every morning we would come in to see it trying to reboot and waiting for input.
We spent hours on the phone with tech folk, they even sent someone down, he was stumped. Then one night I was working very late and the cleaning crew came in. First thing they did was to unplug the concentrator so they would have a place to plug in their vacuum. AAARRRGGG.
Re: anbody ever install a band saw blade backwards
Wiley Horne
I once unpacked and managed to get a bandsaw blade turned inside out. So it couldn’t be installed to cut—every way you look at it, it still won’t cut.. Stood there staring at it for some time, ticked off at the maker for welding it backwards . Finally, the dime dropped: just turn it inside out.
Had an old Lawn Boy years ago that I sharpened the blade on and reinstalled backwards. All summer it seemed like I never sharpened it and left the grass sort of fuzzy. Next season, went to remove the blade to resharpen it and was amazed how sharp it already was. Then the AHAAAA moment kicked it. Proof positive you can successfully mow a lawn with nothing more than a dull piece of steel bolted on where the blade goes.
Re: anbody ever install a band saw blade backwards
Bruce, a MN Galoot
A friend of mine, a talented engineer, installed his bandsaw blade backwards and called me to ask why his bandsaw was burning through the wood and not cutting.
When my dad was still alive he loved to ice fish. I was his designated fishing partner, one day it almost killed me to drill 2 holes to fish through. I thought man this auger is dull. After 45 minutes, sweat running everywhere and just 1 hole drilled it dawned on me to check the blades. Dad took the blades off to sharpen and had put them back on upside down. Lesson learned that day, check blades before drilling
. Finally, the dime dropped: just turn it inside out.