Lawn mower question

Hawkbox

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So mechanical people, how bad is it that I hit something with the lawn mower and it stopped the engine cold. Then smoked for a minute or so after I did a quick health check and started it back up? It finished ok and I might pull it apart later (this week) but am not sure if i fucked it long term or not.
 
You should be fine. With a small mower engine, if you damage it you'd generally know right away. I'm usually more concerned about getting debris in the gas or oil.
My boys manage to bog ours down at least a couple times a session. I can't stand the newer mowers that don't have a discharge on the deck and bagging or mulching are the only options.
 
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That's somewhat of a relief, it was a piece of steel I didn't see in the grass and the engine stopped pdq so I was concerned about damage. Based on how it smoked for a minute or so I expect I pushed some oil past the rings but I'm hoping that's about it. Damned first mow of the year is dangerous.
 
I just had that happen too and it was the chamber where the belt pulley is was packed in grass causing the belt to slip and burn and also stopped the motor, I found it by accident, I thought it was the clutch
 
It can happen for sure. I hit a t-post once that had been cut a little above ground level for some reason. Stopped my mower dead in it's tracks. Busted the mandrel and that was about all she wrote for that mower.
 
Yeah that is my concern, I knew a girl back in the day who hit a water shut off and bent the drive shaft first day having it. Luckily that doesn't seem to have happened.
 
Bent connecting rod? Scored crank shaft? probably not these things take a licking and keep on ticking... mine is electric...
 
I'm sure hoping not, this thing seems to be made of fairly stern stuff.
 
I'm sure hoping not, this thing seems to be made of fairly stern stuff.
Check the blade for balance and any signs of it being warped... if it's in good shape; no harm no foul
 
Yeah that is my concern, I knew a girl back in the day who hit a water shut off and bent the drive shaft first day having it. Luckily that doesn't seem to have happened.
I cut off a sewer shutoff pipe on a brand new mower I just bought that day. I was mowing the lawn of the house I was buying. The grass hadn’t been cut in weeks. I got lucky. I hit it with the end of the blade. It was folded straight down. No shaft damage.
 
Nice. That's some luck. I'm hoping I didn't do any permanent damage but I'll probably see about removing the blade this afternoon and if nothing else sharping it cause it damned well dulled a nice big spot on the blade.
 
My wife hit "something not that big" and ended up shearing a pin and cracking the flywheel on our mower last weekend. After 2 hours online and another 30 min on the phn I discovered a new mower is only about $50 more than getting the old one fixed. Maybe the will be on sale for Fathers Day :))
 
Yeah, my oldest son insists on using the metal poking stick/hook that came with our portable fire pit. No one else ever used it. But he did. And he left it out. And then he ran over it. And I got to buy a new $50 tire and wheel.
 

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