Mice in the machine

[pnyberg]

I know I'm not the first mill owner with mouse problems, but somehow that doesn't make me feel any better. 

I was getting the mill ready for a good sized job tomorrow, and in the course of things started the engine.  My recollection is that it ran as it should for a brief moment, and then started sputtering.  At about this same time what looked like shredded paper towel and some mouse parts were rapidly ejected out of the back of the engine. 

The engine is the Kohler 28 EFI.  It just sputters whether idling or under load.  I figured out how to get the diagnostic light to do it's thing, and it gave me a code 56, which indicates a wiring problem with the pump relay.  It's possible that if I spent a few hours tearing the engine down I might find something as simple as a loose wire, but this strikes me as a low probability play.  I've made arrangements to bring the mill to a power equipment place on Monday.  The Kohler website says he's an 'Expert Dealer', so I'm sure to be in safe hands.

Is there anything that can be done to reduce the likelihood of mouse invasions? 

I didn't have a milling job over Memorial Day weekend, so it's been almost two weeks since I had started the engine.  But it seems to me that mice could move in and establish a nest overnight, so I'm not sure that starting the engine every day would help.

Also, I haven't been putting the engine cover on lately.  I'm sure that I should be using the engine cover for a lot of reasons, but I doubt deterring mice is one of them.  If anything, I would think that the engine cover would create a more attractive environment for the little ^%$#s.

As usual, any and all suggestions are appreciated.

On the bright side, the customer was very understanding when I called with the bad news, so I probably haven't lost the job.

Thanks,
    Peter

[stonebroke]

moth balls

Stonebroke

[terrifictimbersllc]

Did you have time to ask Woodmizer tech service? I've found them excellent for diagnosing anything electrical. On another tack, does anybody know about those devices that supposedly scare away mice with sonic waves?

[Radar67]

You need a mill cat. 

[fishpharmer]

You need a mill cat. 

Or several :D

I had a great running, old pickup sitting for several months.  I went to crank it.  Nothing. 
I opened the hood and a huge rats nest was right on top of the engine.  Several vacuum hoses and several wires had large sections chewed out of them.  I got rid of the rat and haven't seen anymore sign.  What a hassle. >:(

[EmannVB]

You need a mill cat. 

Chickens will do the job as well as give you eggs.  Those suckers are like Velociraptors when they see a mouse...

Might be worth taking a look at the wiring before bringing it in.  Even if it a chew wire, whice is highly probable, it a pretty easy (and far cheaper) fix.

~Mark

[carykong]

Had an old 78 Ford 250. Left in the field over the winter. Field mice chewed the electrical harness to bits,plug wires,hoses,all rubber. Sold the old truck to a restorer.  My only advice is to use your equipment frequently and/ or inspect frequently. 

As an aside, I had a little thrush bird build a nest inside throddle linkage and saw blade movement box,LT 25. Had to use the mill but did not want to pull the bird nest. So I fired up the mill with the bird sitting on her little babies. The bird would exit the mill everytime the motor was started but would return instantly after I cut the motor off. The bird never strayed more than 25 ft from the mill all day yet would return to the mill with regularity. After my mill session the little bird returned to the mill again and sat on the nest with her family. Fortunately I did not have to use the mill for another week and by then the little birds had fledged. I guess those little birds are a bit deaf.

[beenthere]

I continually "salt the earth" with poison pellets in my sheds and around anything with a motor in it. Has worked well for me, to keep the mice at bay.

When they come looking for a place to set up home, they find some pellets. Either eat them or carry them away. But whatever, it works and they die somewhere else.

If I wait to see them nesting, or running around and dropping things, I find that the poison helps them die there but then often stink the place up.

So, it is a regular diet of poison pellets in little packets placed every two weeks or so. They'll clean out a package quickly, and apparently squirrel it away for later dining. IMO

[Warren]

You need a mill cat. 

Or several :D

Ditto, Ditto....

[simplicityguy92]

i second the chickens. mine go nuts for mice

[PineNut]

I had a problem with birds building nests in the belt guard for my mill. I found it easier to remove the guard when I finish sawing and reinstalling it before sawing again.

[D Hagens]

Buy a few of these, they work great. 8) 8)

[pnyberg]

The mill went to the power equipment dealer this morning, and came back home shortly after lunch.  What was the problem with the engine?  I don't know.

When I dropped off the mill, I gave the mechanic a quick tour of basically just the ignition auto-clutch switches.  During this, I cranked over the engine and it didn't catch.  He said he'd work on it right away, and I went home.

The mechanic took off the outer covers and cleaned out what was left of the mouse nest.  He said there was enough crap in there to affect engine cooling, so this needed to be done anyway.  Now that he could see everything, he looked for damage to the wiring harness but didn't find any.  He started checking circuits, and discovered that a fuse was missing.



That's the open fuse holder with a green fuse in it.

After installing the missing fuse, the mechanic cranked the engine again, and it starts and runs as it should.  Case closed.  He puts everything back together and calls me to tell me to come get my mill.

We spent some time speculating as to how that fuse could have gone missing, but really there is no plausible explanation.  It's just a mystery.

I paid the bill for one hour of labor and took the mill home.  Once there I started the engine and exercised it some.  I played around with my recently mod'ed hydraulics some, and then shut it down.  Out of curiosity, I removed the fuse and cranked the engine again.  It started right up and ran as it should.  I let it keep running for several minutes, and it never skipped a beat.

All very strange.

--Peter

[bugdust]

I had a similar problem several years ago with a WM LT40, but the varmits came up the control support and into the back on the electrical panal. It wasn't enough for them to pack it full with nest and poop  :-\, they ate the insulation off several wires causing shorts and blown fuses. A little black tape took care of the wires, but was it ever a stinking mess to clean up. I later sprayed foam in the square tubing support and that seemed to take care of the problem. NOW IT'S ANTS! >:(

If I'm not sawing for a few days I now start the engine and let it run wide open for a couple minutes. Little buggers have to live somewhere I guess.

[Busy Beaver Lumber]

My vote is for moth balls. We have a camping trailer we keep at a campground all year long. Come spring time, many of our fellow campers tell horror stories about how mice got in their campers and made one heck of a mess over the winter, but we have never had that problem because every year I put about a half box of moth balls in the trailer when we winterize it and put the other half a box under the trailer on the ground. Have had 3 different trailers over the past 25 years and never had a unwanted winter guest in any of them thanks to the moth balls.

You may want to take some and wrap them in cloth and put them on the motor and by your control box or any where else they could do damage to keep them away

[pnyberg]

You may want to take some and wrap them in cloth and put them on the motor and by your control box or any where else they could do damage to keep them away

That is exactly what I have done.  Thanks for the advice.

--Peter