Extension Notes: Time to get that lawn mower moving
It seems it was only a few weeks ago I put the lawnmower in the garage for the winter. It looks like that it may be time to get it out this weekend and see if the darned old thing will start.
Now I don’t really mind mowing the yard all that much but I can sure get mad if my mower doesn’t cooperate. It seems like I always plan to do the right things when I put the mower up in the fall of the year. You know, clean it up, sharpen the blades, and those other maintenance items that the experts say need to be done. I think last fall I had to get through and get back to the TV to see the end of a Tennessee football game. I guess I just forgot about the mower and the weed eater and the tiller. I wonder if any of them will start this weekend.
Dr. Jim Wills, an UT Extension Engineering Specialist says the many types of lawn and garden equipment are powered by small engines that require periodic maintenance and service for proper performance and a full life.
“Depending on the type of equipment, you will find both four-cycle and two-cycle engines as power sources,” according to Dr. Wills. Small, lightweight equipment like chainsaws that are picked up and carried during use will be equipped with two-cycle engines. They have no oil crankcase, so the engine can be operated in a variety of positions. Equipment that is larger and heavier will usually have a four-cycle engine. Lawn mowers, garden tillers and garden tractors normally have four-cycle engines.
“Knowing the difference between engine types will enable you to perform the proper maintenance,” says Wills. “You need to change the oil in a four-cycle engine periodically. This is not needed for a two-cycle engine.
“Two-cycle engines use a mixture of oil and gas for fuel. Mix the proper amount of two-cycle oil with the gasoline for easy engine starting and full power. Never use motor oil mixed with gasoline in two-cycle engines. This will damage the engine and shorten engine life,” Wills says.
Four-cycle engines use motor oil that should be drained and replaced every 50 hours of use or less.
“Use the proper viscosity of oil or you can damage the engine” says Wills. SE-30 oil is usually best when engines are operated in temperatures above 40 degrees. For temperatures below 40 degrees, he recommends using an SE 10-30 viscosity. Wills says the air filter should be cleaned or replaced at least once each season or when it appears to be very dirty. Also, since two-cycle engines use both gas and oil for fuel, he recommends replacing the spark plug more often, especially if it looks black and greasy.
Failure to use clean, fresh gasoline is the most common cause of hard engine starting, says Wills. Gasoline more than 90 days old is stale and will cause hard starting or no starting. By adding a fuel stabilizer you can keep gasoline fresh for up to two years and gas-oil mixes fresh for up to one year.
“Keep the fuel clean,” Wills adds. “Small amounts of dirt, grass, water or other foreign material in the fuel system will cause problems.”
Proper maintenance of small engines will lengthen their service life. I wish I had considered all these things last fall when I put that mower up. I’ll bet I wouldn’t be wondering if the darn thing will start this weekend.
Producer Meeting Tuesday, March 23
We’ve got an interesting program coming up Tuesday March 23 at the extension office. Tim Towns, beef cattle manager at the University of Tennessee Agriculture Experiment Station at Crossville is going to be here to discuss beef breeding programs that they use to manage the hundreds of cows at the experiment station.
The herd at the station is a mixture of Angus and Gelbievh cattle and they are bred for a short calving season of about 65 days. Now a lot of beef producers tell me they can’t keep the bull out of the pasture. Those folks need to come out Tuesday night and here Tim talk about how they do it.
The cattlemen’s association is working to help provide these programs each month on the fourth Tuesday evening. Make plans now to come out Tuesday evening and take part in the program and support the Warren County Cattlemen’s Association.
Commodity Prices
I talking with Dr. Delton Gerloff, UT Extension Economist, last week about corn and soybeans and he’s really pushing farmers to get about half of this year’s expected production priced. The December futures price for corn closed at $2.92 last Thursday less than a cent above the previous Thursday’s close. Cash contracts for September delivery range from $2.75 to $2.89 across Tennessee. Dr. Gerloff says that world supplies of corn remain tight, and much depends on the U.S. crop this. He advises farmers to consider pricing up to 50 percent of expected 2004 production now using a combination of cash forward contracts and put options. A put option would place a price floor of around $2.50, assuming a 15-cent harvest time basis.
Looking at soybeans, Dr. Gerloff is less bullish on next fall’s soybean price. Tennessee cash prices ranged from $9.15 to $9.49 Thursday.
Thursday’s November futures price closed at $7.39, down less than a cent compared to the previous Thursday. Local cash contract prices for fall delivery range from $7.13 to $7.31 across Tennessee.
You can get up the latest market prices in Tennessee for crops and livestock by calling Tennessee Market News at 1-800-342-8206.