This isn't about weight lost but i do need help

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tammietifanie
tammietifanie Posts: 1,496 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I've never mowed a lawn in my life and my honey is gone right now and my yard is starting to look like a jungle we have HOA and i don't want them knocking at my door yelling at me for my lawn not being mowed... So my question is how the hell do you start a lawn mower Pull cord and is there's a certain way of cutting the grass??? i know im 25 years old and can't figure out how to mow a lawn i guess that's what i get for never having a dad to show me :grumble:

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  • leighoconnell
    leighoconnell Posts: 217
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    make sure there is gas in the mower, then depending on what type of mover you have hold down the bar by handle then pull cord hard and fast. you might need to do it a couple of times. start from a corner and go up the yard, let a little of the mower hang over the edge of the yard as you do it. when you get to the end turn around and go back, let part of the mower over lap the area you just cut so you dont miss anything. repeat until done. if grass chunks start coming out of bag turn off mower, empty bag into trash can, reattach and begin mowing again. don't go over rocks, it can fling them at you. clean up all dog poop before hand too. and wear shoes you dont mind being stained green or go bear foot and scrub your feet later.
  • Kamille84
    Kamille84 Posts: 32
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    It's really not that difficult and it's a good workout if you have a push mower(not a self-propelled one) Make sure there is gas int it, pull the cord and it should start right up(if your mower is older, it may take 3 or 4 pulls before it starts) I don't think it really matters how you cut the grass, you can go in straight lines or diagonal, it's up to you. If you have a grass catcher, then you will probably need to dump it at least once, depending on how big your lawn is. A good indicator it needs to be dumped is when your mower starts "spitting" grass back out.
    Hope this helps and good luck!
  • dothompson
    dothompson Posts: 1,184 Member
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    Start it just as they say, it's easier to start on the pavement before you take it on the lawn.

    Don't go barefoot. You really should wear sturdy shoes. The mower can kick back rocks or if you're mowing on a hill roll backward.

    Don't do too good a job, you don't want to inherit the task full time.

    Enjoy the great outdoors.
  • Kamille84
    Kamille84 Posts: 32
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    Oops, I forgot the holding down the bar by the handle part...you have to keep that down to keep your mower going and just let it up to stop it...I think leighoconnell explained it a little better than I. :laugh:
  • April0815
    April0815 Posts: 780 Member
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    Make sure you don't have to push a lil rubberknob thingy by the motor to move gas through the motor before you start it. It is either called priming or choking don't remember. But if there is one there will be something saying push 3X or however many.
  • paddlemom
    paddlemom Posts: 682 Member
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    and wear shoes you dont mind being stained green or go bear foot and scrub your feet later.

    Wear shoes!!!! Ones that won't slip on the grass!!!

    A technical point or two...before you put gas in it, figure out if you have to add oil to the gas - you will burn out your motor if you need oil in it but you don't use it and vice versa. Most newer gas mowers use straight gas and have a separate spot for oil (like your car does) - if it has a cap someplace labelled "Check oil, or add oil" then you can be sure that it's ok to use plain gas.

    Here is a good step by step basic how to from http://www.wikihow.com/Start-a-Push-Lawn-Mower
    Make sure you have enough motor oil in your mower. Usually there is a cap on top of the mower body, smaller than the gas cap, that says "oil" or something similar. The cap will probably have an oil gauge attached, so check the oil as you would in a car, that is, judge the level of oil on the gauge against the depth of the reservoir (the length of the gauge).
    Make sure you have enough gasoline. There should be a clearly labeled cap on the gas tank. If you open it, you should be able to look down into the tank and see the approximate level. Add more (preferably using a funnel) if needed.
    Locate the prime button, usually red or black, a squishy button somewhere on the mower's body. Push it between 3 and 4 times in order to force the gasoline into the lines.
    You may need to pull and hold a starting lever (a safety feature), or the lawnmower will not start no matter what you do.
    Brace your arm holding the starting lever, and pull upward on the pull cord, which you should find on top of the mower body. You may have to do this several times before the motor starts up.
  • leighoconnell
    leighoconnell Posts: 217
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    Oops, I forgot the holding down the bar by the handle part...you have to keep that down to keep your mower going and just let it up to stop it...I think leighoconnell explained it a little better than I. :laugh:

    Thank you lol. I only know this cause I've been doing it since I was 10...now that I'm getting married the hubby can take it over. :devil: I always do it in bare feet or flip flops. :laugh:
  • smadag1
    smadag1 Posts: 1,368
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    What they have not told you is this is a great workout. You can burn some serious cals depending on how big your yard is. :bigsmile:
  • paddlemom
    paddlemom Posts: 682 Member
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    p.s. It's ok to ask a nice neighbour guy to help you start it, they can be tricky sometimes, but once you get it going and know how to do it, it's really a no brainer.

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