I decided to till up a small plot for a garden (about 30'X50') so I broke out my old tiller. It had been sitting for a few years and was sure to need some attention. It was old when I bought it 20 years ago so I was not sure what would be wrong with it. The first thing I did was remove the gas tank and flush it out, the valve on the bottom was gunked up pretty good. After reinstalling the tank I flushed the line to the carburetor. I then removed the spark plug and cleaned it. After everything was back in place I sprayed the air intake with a shot of starting fluid and pulled the rope, second try it started and ran like a sewing machine.I like old machinery and I like this old tiller it was originally sold by Sears, I acquired it used but I quickly removed all the shrouds and guards around the pulleys and belts and trashed them, I figure I am bright enough to keep my hands clear (the more dangerous a piece of machinery is the better I like it) and it makes them lot easier to work on. I like to be able to see everything turning and moving.
In a week or so I will turn the soil again, I may water it in between to get any seeds or weeds to sprout. The more weeds I kill now the better.
Just a note: Any small engine that is going to be sitting for a few weeks it is best to shut off the fuel and let it run out of gas. In my experience that will solve about 90% of the problems you could have getting it restarted. I had to drain the tank but the carburetor was clear, that's a big plus.
