Unsexy Spending

I swear I made every effort to avoid a gummed up carburetor–a recurrent small engine nightmare already experienced once on this very saw. I bought small volumes of gas, mixed it in 50 ounce batches and used it quickly. Even so, it was going to cost me $220 to repair a $300 saw.

Powerzone will sell the old one for parts on eBay, which will help recoup some of the “investment” of the replacement. I was tempted to say t’ell wittem and buy wood and use the bow saw. But that doesn’t make sense where and how we live.

The only bright moment while I waited for my saw extras (not even a cap this time around) was the guy who came in with a Homelite.

“This thing worked great for a while, but now it won’t cut a darned thing” he complained. I watched from the string-trimmer accessories rack. The guy behind the counter grinned briefly before growing serious and business-like.

“It’s your chain. It’s on backwards.” I bit my lip.

I’ve done it myself, but figured it out before even cranking the saw–much less having it become part of the PowerZone book of Homeowner’s Dumb-it-Yourself Moments.

SO: I’m hearing about Sea-Foam–a Stabil-like additive. And maybe I’ll keep the saw in the bedroom with us over the winter. And play classical music for it. And give a term of endearment. Maybe we can stay friends for a while before the next great divorce and remarriage. Dunno.