In addition to a mechanical crash course on small engines, participants learned how to troubleshoot common problems by listening to their motors. A loud reeving sound most likely means oil needs to be added. It’s always important to stop the machine immediately to prevent metal parts from melding together. A sputtering engine could mean too much air is getting mixed in with the carburetor, and the choke needs to be adjusted, or the air filter needs to be replaced, or the carburetor needs to be cleaned.
Diagnosing an engine problem isn’t an exact science, as the example above makes clear, but the field day attendees learned what steps to take when their machines aren’t working properly and while they did not learn how to clean a carburetor, they did learn how to test and replace the spark plugs.
Educational Takeaway
It’s important to understand your small engines even if, ultimately, you may need to take them to a mechanic. You can do the first pass in troubleshooting on your farm, which has the potential to save you hours in downtime and money spent on potentially simple repairs.
Follow the hyperlinks to get in on the action and learn more about mixing gas and oil, how to change the primer bulb, and spark plug replacement. Remember, before beginning work on any piece of equipment, reference the owner’s manual for part numbers and operational tips.
