Last month I shared a funny story about a couple’s lawn mower caper. Well, before the snow flies, I figure there’s time for one more lawn mower story. This time it’s about me, and my almost obsessive attitude that if something breaks on my lawn mower, I can’t fix it.

Mowing one Saturday afternoon earlier this fall, I noticed I was leaving a mark occasionally in the grass, with dirt showing. Probably just my imagination.

I stopped to get a drink. It wasn’t my imagination. The mower deck support rod on one side was no longer attached. No wonder I was scraping dirt. The rod was not only out of its slot, it was bent so much, the end was riding inside the front rim.

Repairs needed

Nuts! Not only could I not finish mowing, but I must fix it. I hate fixing anything!

Hmm. Maybe I could straighten the yoke-like rod. It’s a one-piece, U-shaped rod with both ends attaching on either side of the tractor frame, and the center section fitting into the front slot of the mower deck. So, I grabbed a hammer, put the rod in the vise and started hammering. I made some progress, but it was a lost cause.

I threw in the towel. The best option was a new part. So, that Monday I carried my whopper-jawed yoke to the parts counter. The guy behind me in line said, “I’m guessing the new part will look a bit different.”

“I’m hoping so,” I said. “I just hope they have one.”

No such luck. But they could have parts in two days. Great, but how could I fix it? My son lives an hour away. Who could help me?

The part came in. Only it wasn’t just one part. It was a U-shaped rod; two camber-like jobbies, one for each side; two nuts for each side; and two washers. Great! A puzzle!

“How hard is this to put back on?” I asked the serviceman.

Surprise ending

“Oh, it’s not too tough,” he answered. “The hard part is getting the deck level again.”

Just peachy!

Believe me, I tried to find someone else to fix it. But the grass was growing, and no solution was in sight. So, I laid out parts, grabbed wrenches, said a few prayers and got to work. Fortunately, I was smart enough to use the beat-up old yoke as a guide. I tightened new nuts to the same spots as the old ones. Surprisingly, I could slip the “U” of the rod over the deck and tighten the nuts into place.

Some 20 minutes later, it was back together. The deck raised and lowered.

No, I didn’t even try leveling it. I had no clue how to do that. I just tried it out. An hour later, the yard was mowed, and the cut was as smooth as when it was new.

How? Obviously, the yoke was bent and not level for some time. And as for an explanation beyond that? Luck? Divine intervention? I didn’t really care. The late evening sun on an early fall afternoon shone brightly on this mechanical klutz that day.