Almost time to mow the lawn but first........

Oldpath05 · May 13, 2018

Getting almost pass time to mow the lawn so this afternoon I pushed my riding mower out of the shed, tried to start it and no go, the motor wouldn't turn over but the starter was turning. Ok so the starter was making a noise but wasn't engaging the flywheel, must need more juice so tried boosting with power pack, Rhino, then lastly the tractor, nothing, just the starter making noise.

So dragged it the garage and noticed there's no good place to hook a chain on the front end, fix that later. Once in I check the battery with multimeter, 12+ volts, must be something wrong with the starter, I got the plastic off where I could see part of the problem, got it all cleaned out, spray with Gibbs penetrating oil, then pried the starter gear up and down, got it unstuck then took the plugs out and the starter whirled the right motor over. Put it all back together hopping the pickup coil and flywheel wasn't to rusty, then turned the motor over about a minute and finally started, thought it would where I put StarTron in the tank last fall.

I sprayed peppermint oil all over that mower, the stuff must not be long lasting, this fall when I put in my storage shed I'll load it down with moth balls and put a tarp over it see what that does.

Jstpssng · May 13, 2018

Based on experience, the tarp will just give the little buggers more courage, because it gives them cover. About the only thing which keeps them down is a cat. Or D-Con, but I try to avoid using that.

mcfarmall · May 14, 2018

Tomcat bait chunks. Ive had mice build nests on top of moth balls and your essential oil trick is nothing short of hocus-pocus. Save the dryer sheets for the dryer too.

TheMan419 · May 14, 2018

We had mice all in the horse barn. We tilled the field next to the barn so we killed their cover. Only thing that got rid of them was mouse bait. Just remember every 2 months change the active ingredient in your bait or you will end up with resistant mice. Not kidding. The packages are generally different colors. The same company will put out different compounds at different times of the year to help you with this.

The peppermint oil makes things smell nice.....

cdaigle430 · May 14, 2018

Oldpath05 said:
Getting almost pass time to mow the lawn so this afternoon I pushed my riding mower out of the shed, tried to start it and no go, the motor wouldn't turn over but the starter was turning. Ok so the starter was making a noise but wasn't engaging the flywheel, must need more juice so tried boosting with power pack, Rhino, then lastly the tractor, nothing, just the starter making noise.

So dragged it the garage and noticed there's no good place to hook a chain on the front end, fix that later. Once in I check the battery with multimeter, 12+ volts, must be something wrong with the starter, I got the plastic off where I could see part of the problem, got it all cleaned out, spray with Gibbs penetrating oil, then pried the starter gear up and down, got it unstuck then took the plugs out and the starter whirled the right motor over. Put it all back together hopping the pickup coil and flywheel wasn't to rusty, then turned the motor over about a minute and finally started, thought it would where I put StarTron in the tank last fall.

View attachment 554126

I sprayed peppermint oil all over that mower, the stuff must not be long lasting, this fall when I put in my storage shed I'll load it down with moth balls and put a tarp over it see what that does.

I have mice and chipmunks in my garage all the time...I put dcon and glue traps...kill about 20 each winter that way----they never have time to make a home. I keep my mower and tractor in the garage-the mower under and ATV cover and knock on wood-never had a nest in 15 years I had this house.

oosik · May 14, 2018

Up until four years ago I had two barn cats and the mice were under total control. Then the dam cats decided to work at night - BIG MISTAKE. They became barn owl snacks. So last year I put out a five gallon mouse trap. Got forty of the little critters. No help at all - the forty were replaced by the eighty waiting out in the wings. I'm in the market for barn cats.

Teachu2 · May 14, 2018

My barn cats get fed (in the barn) every night at dusk. They hunt all day, come in to eat, get locked in for the night. I've only lost one that way.

They kill everything in the barn.

4570Man · May 14, 2018

Where do you live that just now needs mowed? I’ve been mowing since Easter. Here’s a field that hasn’t been mowed yet.

oosik · May 14, 2018

I kept food & water for the cats in one of my outbuildings. They could come and go as they pleased from the building. Simple fact - they got too bold. Backlit barn owls sitting in my pine trees - look as big as a tombstone.