Firewood splitting injury...(stupidity)

[Wow]

Two things you mention are worth commenting on. The rest of the post is good too. As far as cleaning carbs you are not far off with how I address them. I will warm them up often to get the best results too. Some times hot water or just set them where it is warm. Bulk oven cleaner or many house hold cleaner like tile cleaner on a warm carb works wonders. Some times you need to soak them and other times be ready to rinse them with water and dry. Many carb cleaners work OK on a very warm carb too. I have found that it is necessary to have compressed air ready to blow out passages otherwise cleaner can build up in passages causing blockages.

If you want the gasoline to cushion the float you have to leave the gas on because the gas in the float will slosh around causing most gas to be spilled out. I have just not worried about that because I am always looking for old carbs to use for backup parts.

What I would really like to know is what you are doing with your mowers. Here there are always John Deers Craftsman etc. available for $200 to $500 which seems very practical. I am wanting to add front brakes, hydraulic winch, hydraulic loader bucket and a little more stability for front end. What is your plan Thanks

I have two residents to keep up. I like to have 3 mowers ready to cut at all times. I like to have one with 22 inch knobby tires to pull a trailer. I found that a cheap Riding mower set up right beats the Honda Three wheeler I had. In fact I sold an old truck. 1985 Nissan and gave the guy my Honda 3 wheeler. I never wear a mower out exactly. Just cycle parts. Ha. Ha.

 

[rarefish383]

So sorry! I wear Steel toe boots but they might not have helped here. I ABSOLUTELY will NOT have a double bit axe on my property. Here's why. They scare the crap out of me. I was raised splitting firewood and my story will blow your mind. We Coon hunted at night and after working and saving I was able to buy a miners Lamp and cap. We are talking around 1957 ish. Batteries were out of my budget but a can of carbide could last longer so it was my choice. The light made a flame. Water in a top tank, dry carbide bottom tank light the flame and you could barely see at night but I got by. The cap had a metal lamp holder riveted to the top of the bill bent up and lapped slightly over the top. Dad had dropped me off in the woods alone. Hell at 10 or 11 we worked like men. So in a while I decided to stick the Axe in the top of the stump. Wham! I hit that stump and BOUNCE back up flew the axe. It was like hitting rubber. A couple more tries and because I don't give up I was determined by gosh to drive that axe blade into the stump. This time I took a deep breath, let it out and gave that axe pure hell from a little boy who thought he was a man.
BAM then Bounce up and BAM right into my forehead.
The hit made me blink. Realized I was hit hard by the other sharp side of the axe I just dropped the axe and sat on that stump. After blinking and thinking I just knew my head must be laid open so I removed my cap and felt of my head. Had a knot but no blood. I picked up my cap and saw the Lamp holder was mangled. In fact it had kinda wrapped around the axe blade. There was a cut on part of the bill not protected by the metal. That cap might have extended my life. After that I would purposely dull one blade of the axe. I never told Dad. He was a slave driver. He'd have beat me. I'm 74 and still working. He probably did me a favor. I was never coddled. Can't much remember being a boy. Hard work is all I ever knew and somehow it makes a man feel better. I've got lots of scars but scars are for survivors. Take it easy. You learned from this. You'll be a better man for it. They need to build metal protectors for Boot tops. When I run my wood splitter I wear Shin Guards right on my boots. Had gloves on and still lost a finger nail a few months ago. Good luck.

You mean like these? I only have had one close call with a double. I used to throw doubles in competition. I had the double over my right shoulder, I don't know if I let the bit get that close to my back, or if the wind blew my shirt up. As I came forward I heard this loud zipper sound. I made the throw and my buddy came over and asked what I did to my shirt. The tip of the bit sliced my brand new Pendleton flannel shirt in half like a razor hit it. When I was 16 I learned that if you had a Super EZ that was idling a bit fast, and the chain was spinning, and you step over a log, pick your hands up. I didn't pick my hands up and stuck my leg right into the chain. I was way too afraid of telling my Dad I did something that stupid. I wrapped it up, went home for "lunch" to "Dump the truck" and put a new pair of jeans on and went back to work. Still have the scar, it's about 3 inches long and half an inch wide.