sweasel.com

That’s called a primer bulb and no, they don’t. Your new mower has an automatic choke system on it and doesn’t require the richer (more fuel to air) mixture to start that a primered carburetor does. Your torn primer bulb on the old mower is probably the reason it keeps dying. The carb is sucking air through the torn bulb and the mixture is to lean (more air, less fuel) to keep running.

I don’t remember when I first encountered the bulb pump, but I do know they weren’t on the machine I used when I had a lawn mowing “biz” in high school.

No comments about how 2 horsepower was a literal term back in those days thank you.

Your torn primer bulb is DEFINITELY your problem. It’s a five minute job, and costs ninety-nine cents. Uncle B is supposed to know these things. The new mower has an automatic choke which gives it the richer air mixture it REQUIRES to start. When you were a kid, the mower had a manual choke which did the same thing. The primer bulb is simply a different way to do the same thing. As far as the cover to the air filter goes, are you or aren’t you a redneck?

So you scrapped your old mower and bought a new one because you couldn’t replace a $3 bit of rubber held on with a single retaining ring, and you couldn’t figure out to put a longer bolt and a split washer on the air cleaner cover, 20p, or perhaps even chase the threads in the block where it screws in, which might have required you to buy a $7 tap.

PS – duct tape could have held the cover in place, and a few coats of silicon sealer caulk or rubber cement would have fixed the bulb. Probably have all of that out in the shed somewhere.

Um, how much was the new mower?

Hey, we’re a being a little hard on Sweas and Uncle B, aren’t we? Its easy to troubleshoot and diagnose from afar, but perhaps it was simply time to upgrade.

And now that there is a dependable mower, Uncle B has done his part and can justifiably relax while Sweas mows the grass.

Happy wife, happy no-mow life.

Mme. Ermine, I imagine that your Brit spell checker offered carburettor and not carburretor, meaning you’re subtly sticking your thumb in its eye. I applaud you!

(Note to self: Write essay on how a thumb-in-eye can conceivably be subtle.)

And if that spell checker offered manoeuvrable and not manœuvrable (with the fancy-shmancy œ), then the spell checker author failed to acquire a classical education and has never had any use for the OED except perhaps as a particularly handsome and pricey set of door stops.

About that busted squeeze bulb: all the above comments are correct but unnecessarily boorish.

(Note to self: Write essay on circumstances necessitating boorishness.)

Speaking of the OED, I was surprised to see that the “a.” definition of carburettor is:

a. That which carburets; spec. an apparatus for charging hydrogen, coal-gas, or atmospheric air, with carbon, by passing it through or over a liquid hydrocarbon, so as to add illuminating power.

It isn’t until the subsequent “b.” definition that we hear about the now familiar device for “impregnating air with fine particles of fuel” for powering a “petrol” (i. e. gasoline) engine. I wonder how long ago that particular entry was written?

Shoulda bought a two sheep powered device, they mulch a lawn AND fertilize in one go.

I hate to contradict people who clearly know more than me, but that bulb’s been torn for at least three years. Mice ate a hole in it. Why would it present a problem only now?

Sorry to change the subject, but somehow I feel like it’s worth mentioning that Whole Foods Grocery Stores here in Texas no longer require shoppers or staff to wear masks if they have been vaccinated.

Also went out to lunch yesterday to a nice restaurant where no one was wearing masks, there were no socially-distant tables, and which was packed with diners.

Texas, Ya’all!!

Yes, I was in town today and it was RAMMED with tourists. I reckon 1 in 20 was wearing a mask (mostly young women).

Okay, I went out and put a piece of Gorilla tape over the hole. I tucked it in around the edges so I think it was a pretty good air seal. Same problem: eventually starts, then dies.

@someveg, that applies to Arkansas, Tennessee, Kentucky, Ohio and Michigan too. We’re on the road.

Fortunately we all identify as vaccinated so we’re mask free any place that puts you on the honor system.
Since the powers that be have no honor I feel zero loss of face in having none myself.

It’s been torn three years? O.K. My bad. I’ve never seen a chainsaw run with a hole in one. It must be plumbed in differently. I seldom give in to the urge to correct people on the internet. Maybe that’s a good thing.