I had a lawnmower blow on me once. Not quite that dramatically; I was mowing, the engine started running faster. I hit the kill switch - it sped up even more. I stepped back looking at it and "POP". Blasted a small hole through the mower deck. Never ran again.
It looked like a firework “shell” from a mortar was in the path of the mower. The high velocity strike from the mower caused the black powder mixture to detonate. Perhaps flash powder.
Most times, a Briggs & Stratton engine will run until the Second Coming if... IF... you change and check the oil once in a while... My wife and I were bushwhacking the corral when my wife came over to me and said "My bushwhacker stopped running." I walked over to it, contemplating the fact that blue smoke curling out of the side of the engine is NEVER a good sign. The engine had thrown a rod... right out the side of the crankcase...
The mower in the vid; my bet is that the output shaft of the engine sheared. A mower blade that's free to go where it wants can do A LOT of damage!
If you go to full screen and stop action the video, just before the BOOM you can see a small white something on the ground in front of the right wheel on the mower. I agree with whoever deduced a leftover and unexploded firework, perhaps the "report" charge from an aerial mortar round that didn't go off and feel back to the earf.
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After the initial flinch, dude walked away like "I'm glad I'm done mowing"
ReplyDeleteHidden landmine :D
ReplyDeleteWell, that one threw a rod. . . or hit an old firework. Definitely scared the life out of him.
ReplyDeleteLast time I hit an aerosol can while mowing, my commercial walker simply tanked the blast and vented it out the chute without any damage.
-Arc
I think he might want to have an EOD unit check his lawn.
ReplyDeleteI had a lawnmower blow on me once. Not quite that dramatically; I was mowing, the engine started running faster. I hit the kill switch - it sped up even more. I stepped back looking at it and "POP". Blasted a small hole through the mower deck. Never ran again.
ReplyDeleteYou experienced a 'runaway'. The old Detroit two-stoke diesels were pretty famous for that, running backwards. Pretty wild.
DeleteDon't use avgas in a Briggs & Stratton
ReplyDeleteCatastrophic failure Never had one do that Impressive
ReplyDeleteA neighbor tired of him mowing at 8 a.m. placed an i.e.d. in his front yard?
ReplyDeleteIt looked like a firework “shell” from a mortar was in the path of the mower.
ReplyDeleteThe high velocity strike from the mower caused the black powder mixture to detonate. Perhaps flash powder.
Most times, a Briggs & Stratton engine will run until the Second Coming if... IF... you change and check the oil once in a while... My wife and I were bushwhacking the corral when my wife came over to me and said "My bushwhacker stopped running." I walked over to it, contemplating the fact that blue smoke curling out of the side of the engine is NEVER a good sign. The engine had thrown a rod... right out the side of the crankcase...
ReplyDeleteThe mower in the vid; my bet is that the output shaft of the engine sheared. A mower blade that's free to go where it wants can do A LOT of damage!
The Ukrainian neighbor boy planted H100 mower mines
ReplyDeleteThat's not something you see every day....
ReplyDeleteJD
Never a good idea to run nitrous in a stock lawnmower. Blew that boy's shirt clean off.
ReplyDeleteNever mow in flip flops.
ReplyDeleteIf you go to full screen and stop action the video, just before the BOOM you can see a small white something on the ground in front of the right wheel on the mower. I agree with whoever deduced a leftover and unexploded firework, perhaps the "report" charge from an aerial mortar round that didn't go off and feel back to the earf.
ReplyDelete