OK, I'm not a quitter by nature, but the deeper I dug into our ancient tiller, the worse it got. It's totally dismantled in the shed and I can't find replacement parts for the old beast.
I thought about loading all the pieces into my truck and taking it to a repair shop, but I feel certain the repairmen would speak poorly of my linage and have a great deal of fun at my expense.
Meanwhile, the grass in the garden was getting tall enough to bail for hay. So I did the only sensible thing....I looked on Craig's List for another tiller.
I found one about 40 miles north of here. The guy who owned it was a retired fireman who'd hurt his back and could no longer use the tiller.
Yesterday after lunch, I headed north through the rolling hills of central Alabama. I'd called for directions and fortunately the guy was very good because I drove directly to his house. The last few miles were on a dirt road with no name.
The moment I saw the tiller, I knew I'd buy it. It's like my old one except about 15 years newer. He'd apparently kept it in his barn because all the original stickers and labels were still attached.
When he pulled the cord, it cranked.
I reached for my wallet and peeled off $300 and pushed the tiller onto my trailer.
This morning, I after I'd written for a few hours, I stepped out to the shed and fired up the tiller. I worked for an hour and tilled most of the weeds. I can now see our peas, squash, tomatoes, and peppers.
I plan to load up the old tiller and store the parts in the barn. Hopefully it will keep the new (old) tiller running for a long time.
I felt a little bad about giving up on the old workhorse, but sometimes you have to know when to quit.
I thought about loading all the pieces into my truck and taking it to a repair shop, but I feel certain the repairmen would speak poorly of my linage and have a great deal of fun at my expense.
Meanwhile, the grass in the garden was getting tall enough to bail for hay. So I did the only sensible thing....I looked on Craig's List for another tiller.
I found one about 40 miles north of here. The guy who owned it was a retired fireman who'd hurt his back and could no longer use the tiller.Yesterday after lunch, I headed north through the rolling hills of central Alabama. I'd called for directions and fortunately the guy was very good because I drove directly to his house. The last few miles were on a dirt road with no name.
The moment I saw the tiller, I knew I'd buy it. It's like my old one except about 15 years newer. He'd apparently kept it in his barn because all the original stickers and labels were still attached.
When he pulled the cord, it cranked.
I reached for my wallet and peeled off $300 and pushed the tiller onto my trailer.
This morning, I after I'd written for a few hours, I stepped out to the shed and fired up the tiller. I worked for an hour and tilled most of the weeds. I can now see our peas, squash, tomatoes, and peppers.
I plan to load up the old tiller and store the parts in the barn. Hopefully it will keep the new (old) tiller running for a long time.
I felt a little bad about giving up on the old workhorse, but sometimes you have to know when to quit.
I love to read your words...
ReplyDeleteHugs!
I agree with Sush. And knowing when to quit is just as important as knowing when to start.
ReplyDeleteYou didn't give up on it...it gave up on you lol.
ReplyDeletewow you guys must have rain if you have grass tall enough bail.
ReplyDeleteHoorah!! You have a new tiller - and your garden's all the better for it! Take care
ReplyDeletex
You sound like my husband with his beloved chainsaw. He kept telling me he was buying a new one and then he would try one more repair. I finally added up the cost of the repairs and said "get the Cadillac of chainsaws because that is what you spend trying to bring this old one back to life"
ReplyDeleteHe got a new one but grumbles that it doesn't work as well as the old one.
Glad your new toy works well!
My husband won't give up either.. He has a Toro riding lawnmower, but still loves his big wheel lawnmower and looked everywhere for new tires for it, including craigslist. The big wheels allow him to attach the lawnmower to a long rope which is then connected to a stake in the center of the yard. He then lets the lawnmower go round and round to mow and he then just cuts the edges.
ReplyDeleteDon't you just love it when something works like it should?!
ReplyDelete