The Mast-Head: Harvey’s Mower

The old $50 lawn mower that I bought quite a few years ago from Harvey Bennett may have mowed its last lawn. At this point, I don’t remember if I had spotted it in the Star classifieds or if Harvey had mentioned that he had one to sell. But for $50, how bad could it be?

It was a White brand, made in Canada. Red deck with a black motor and a starting cord that had to be teased back into its coil after each pull. It looked like hell then — and it looks worse today — but it worked and still does.

It is something akin to a miracle that it has lasted the eight years or so that it’s been mine. Other than drain the fuel in the fall and change the oil, if I remember, maintenance has been minimal. I don’t even really put the thing away for the winter; I just tip an old washbasin over it out by the shed and let the snow cover it up. I can tell from the beach plum pits they leave behind that the mice find it a suitable home.

The cool and rainy weather this spring has got the grass and weeds in my lawn growing fast. And, like all those springs before now, I gave the mower’s carburetor a quick cleaning, blew a little solvent into the sparkplug hole, and put everything back together. After a dozen or more pulls on the finicky cord, it started and ran, only briefly sputtering and fogging the immediate area with a blue smoke. And so I mowed the lawn.

But it was time, I thought, to retire Harvey’s mower. The blades are a dull mess from the stones and sticks and kids’ toys it has run over, and at some point the cord is going to just refuse to be wound back into place. I had noticed the other day that my sister had a new-looking mower in her garage. Would she loan it to me before my weekend guest arrives?

Bess’s mower is in the back of my truck now, and I’ll take it home and give it a go after work. Harvey’s mower, having performed far above all reasonable expectations, will be given a decent burial — among the metal recycling at the East Hampton Town dump.