Have you ever felt just plain stupid?
That was me today. All I wanted to do was fire up my little 3500 watt generator and let it run for a while. Simply to exercise it, make sure everything works.
Opened the gas, fiddled with the choke, wind the starter cord around the pulley. The automatic recoil has broken and I haven't figured out how to get it apart yet. Anyway, pull the cord, and nothin'.
Check the gas, it's got plenty. Check the oil just in case, it has a low oil shutoff. It's okay.
Wind around the pulley, pull it and nothin'. I do this about fifteen times. Grab a can of brakleen, give it a blast, pull on it nothin. I do this about 10 times.
I'm standing there scratchin my head, then my butt, then my head.
And all of a sudden it hits me. Just like a 2x4 between the eyes.
I haven't turned the on/off switch to the on position.
Son of a bitch.
A little exercise each day is generally considered a good thing.
ReplyDeleteThat is true, but I prefer it not be unintentional as this was.
DeleteDon't feel bad. I gave my brother a generator last year that has electric start because he has two huge freezers full of fish and meat and I didn't want him to be having to yank his guts out trying to start his old one in the middle of the night when the power went out. He called me yesterday and said it wouldn't start. He started going down the list of things he had checked and said there wan't a choke on it. I stopped him there, told him it was a lever on the top of the air filter housing. Silence on the phone.
ReplyDeleteTwo seconds later I hear the thing crank twice and fire up.
He comes back on the line and says that's why he has a mechanic for a brother. He is a finish carpenter. I told him the next time I need a couple of boards cut I'd give him a call...
Yep, exactly right.
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