Yesterday the rip cord on my lawn mower snapped. The mower is about, oh, seven years old, so I suppose it’s time, so I’m not terribly mad about it. Looks simple enough to reattach, so me and my handy Phillips head went about the task of reattaching this cord after the break (did you know most things in life can be dealt with with a mini MagLite and a Phillips had screwdriver? No, seriously, try it. Clip ‘em to your belt and take ‘em everywhere you go. You’ll see).
The plastic housing came apart easy enough—Phillips head! But then you get to the metal inner housing around the motor—which is attached by custom screws. You need either an Allen wrench or a custom driver of some kind to turn those screws.
This is why I hate everybody.
Why, oh, why couldn’t they just attach the housing with regular, Human Being screws?!? My backyard looks like Guam in August, and my neighbors are shunning me. I’ve contacted four different landscaping companies to come out and cut the backyard and been stood up four separate times. Finally, my will broken, I just drop everything and make the time to pretty things up here, and this is how the world rewards me: custom screws.
I went to Wal-Mart looking for a wrench or something and was told this custom screw business is a common practice to force you to do one of the following: (1) bring the mower into the shop (sure, I’ll get it back by October) or, more likely, (2) get so frustrated I’ll just buy a new mower. Honestly, if I had the cash, that’s what I would have done. I’m much more invested in getting the yard done than in fighting city hall. It just amazes me that a 50-cent rip cord could cost me $150 for a new mower just because these geniuses at Briggs & Stratton decided to use these idiot screws. Life, as I know it, has come to a screeching halt because of four screws.
My Christian convictions notwithstanding, there’s a special place in hell for the guy who thought up this crap.
8 Comments
Ouch, you might google around and see if you can find a screwdriver that can handle custom screws and order off the internet. I don't know if can one, but it would probably be cheaper then buying a new mower or getting someone to repair your old mower for you.
scrawled by JasonD | May 14, 2007 2:06 PM
Hey Priest if you want me to I can see if my uncle could suggest a lawn service that woulndt stand you up I think he is in your area if not I'm sure he would be able find some one for you.
scrawled by mdwaire | May 14, 2007 9:23 PM
Hey, you're back from the dead! (And moved the blog internally, so I never noticed, since I was still pointing at the old link.)
You could try posting a scan of the screw, someone may have that kind of driver lying around. :)
I'd bug you about answering my last email, but I can no longer remember what I last emailed you about....
scrawled by David Van Domelen | May 14, 2007 10:42 PM
I think I last emailed Priest about various folks who wanted to talk to him.:)
Custom screws, the best argument for Sonic Screwdrivers!
scrawled by Scavenger | May 15, 2007 12:49 AM
BTW, the custom screws are probably the fault of lawyers trying to head off lawsuits from idiots who take their mower apart without knowing what they're doing, and then sue the maker for letting them hurt themselves.
scrawled by David Van Domelen | May 15, 2007 10:06 AM
DVD-- yeah, sorry for the shell game and the frames/RSS business. I'm trying to sort that stuff out (cookies not working properly, IE7 hiccups, etc.), but this is rather low priority, do-it-when-you-can stuff.
You're probably right about the screws-- if they can prevent lawsuits AND sell more lawnmowers, that thar's a two-fer.
Sorry about the email snafu. If you remember what it was, try again, I'm actually checking mail now.
MD: sure, if you wouldn't mind. eMail me if you have any suggestions.
scrawled by priest | May 15, 2007 12:17 PM
You wrote "Allen wrench..." in your post. That's a clue. That kind of screw is probably called a "Torx" head screw.
There are wrenches and screwdrivers to turn them easily, and Torx was not invented to keep you out although that is an unintended consequence.
Torx was invented to allow you to deliver more torque _without_ damaging the screw with the screw driver.
That means that it's possible to make a Torx head screw tighter if the metals involved (the screw, the screw hole, and the screw driver) can take that force without becoming deformed.
scrawled by V V Pointer | May 21, 2007 6:55 AM
There's a guy down the block who'll fix it for ten bucks. Waaay worth it.
Thanks for the info, though!
scrawled by priest | May 24, 2007 5:52 AM