Outdoor Power Equipment (Lawn Mowers, Snow Blowers, Chain Saws and more) Discussions

OK, we've all done stupid things with a piece of our OPE whether it's trimmers, snowblowers, mowers, blowers, tractors, pressure washers etc. You know, the kind of thing you look around when it's over to see if anyone was watching? 

One of mine involved a slide that's part of a wooden swing set in my backyard. I was mowing on my Snapper RER and was trying to get as close as I could to the end of the slide, pointing toward it, before I would back-up and then mow closely down the side of it.

We'll right when my left foot decided it didn't like being on the clutch, it decided to slip off the clutch which resulted in the thing doing a wheelie and running right up the slide. I was very lucky that it didn't tip over to one side and end up on top of me. Well, I instantly let off the blade engagment with my right foot and while sitting there at a 35-45 degree angle,  feeling so damn stupid, I started looking around to see who all was laughing and pointing. I would have never lived it down.....hey, did you see what dad did........ Hey, did you see what Dad did? I could here it already.

Thankfully, I was not seen, got off and backed the RER down off the slide while feeling very sheepish and acting like I meant to do it, just in case I missed someone. 

What's some of your stupid happenings?

not ope but hilarious after the fact, none the less: a lady i know who shall remain nameless (my wife would probably break my arm if she knew i told this ) picked up some cans of spray paint at one of the local discount stores. keeping in mind the spray paint selection was at the end of an isle & across the cross isle began the displays of clothing. Putting her cans of paint in the shopping cart, she dropped one, and the can struck the edge of the basket, puncturing a hole in it,  (just what are the odds of this happening???) then falling on the floor and went spinning down the clothing isle spraying paint all over clothes hanging on racks, AND chasing some old lady that was approaching her, down the isle, back the way she had come.

to make matters worse, when the store help came to clean up the mess the employee tried to clean it up with a dry mop......and the mop stuck to the floor, (duhhhhhhhh) , i just had to turn and walk away........

I learned a lesson early in life. About age 14, I was cutting the grass at the house I grew up in. The mower clogged and you guessed it. I thought I could clean it with my hand. Blades didn't look that close. Well, lucky for me, it just hit the tip of my fingernail, but stung real bad. I went running into the house mildly swearing and my father asked what happened. When I told him, I thought he'd say, are you OK or something like that. He just said, "you dumb azz, what in the hell did you do that for"and walked out of the room. You can be sure I never put my hand near a chute again, and whenever I unclog one, I think of my fathers kind words.  LOL                                                             Kevin

Mine involved an electric hedge trimmer and a long cord. Well, it started off as a long cord and through the season got shorter and shorter. Each time it happened I was impressed by the sparks.

Jerry

I have made a simular mistake. This is why I don't like a clutch system! Iwas mowing a persons yard with my LT. I wanted to get as close to a tree as possible. Usually when I do this, I put it in gear one, and let off the clutch barely. Well, the mistake I made was that I did not look over when I changed the gear and thought I had it in gear one, when actually it was in gear 3! I barely let off the clutch when WAAMM! I hit the dam tree. I felt the same way you did and looked around to see if anyone saw it, but I was lucky. No one did!

Edit to add more info...

When I first get out in the morning to mow the lawn, I like to start the LT and let it run for a couple minutes at low idle. Usually when I do this, I have it in park. Well, I have no saftey switches on this LT because it is from the 80's. It was not in gear at all! But it was not in park and was on a hill. I quit late that night and just left it on the hill instead of putting it away. All the sudden, I turned my head to see the LT rolling down the hill. I was like SH**T. I was running after it. My mom saw it! She was laughing so hard she had to sit down. As I was running after it, I was thinking to myself, I am such a dumb A**

Anyone ever try to start your engine and it would not start and after checking lots of things, it took you an hour to find out that it did not have any gas lol?

Vangellis wrote:

Kevin

I bet you scared about 10 years off your dad's life......might explain his response.

Paula

        Marshall

        You just had to start this post

        We were patroling a line this afternoon and I had to get across a small river with a four wheeler. Water was almost up to the top of the motor and I was getting nervous. Everything went fine until I got to the other side. The darn thing wouldn't pull itself up out of the water . I finally jumped off on the bank and used the front winch to pull it out of the water. All went well till I noticed the guy working with me was rolling on the ground laughing. Then I thought about this post !!

                    Tom    

sawme wrote: But a memory you made!   

I learned my lesson with swing sets about 5 years ago. On my old Snapper RER trying to cut in and around it. The handle bar got hung up in the swing chain and it rasied it all the way up and i fell off the back. I didnt get hurt but from that moment on i used my string trimmer to keep the grass cut around it from then on. Thank God the wife didnt see i would still be hearing it

Jody, nice pic in the sig line!