Picked up a beat-up Coleman lantern for $5 and got some solid advice

Found this old green Coleman 200A lantern at the Springfield flea market last weekend, and the seller saw me looking it over. He told me I was checking the wrong parts and to always test the pump cup and generator first, not just the globe. I took it home, followed his tips, and had it running that night. What's the best piece of repair advice you've ever gotten from a vendor?

3 comments

3 Comments

the_blair4mo ago

My local hardware store guy saved me a ton on a lawnmower carb. He said to skip the rebuild kit and just soak the old one in pine-sol overnight. It worked perfectly and cost like three bucks. That trick is now my go-to for any small engine.

graceprice4mo ago

That pine-sol trick @the_blair mentioned is a lifesaver for old tools.

kim_patel892mo ago

Wait, isn't pine-sol just for cleaning floors though? I mean, it's got all sorts of chemicals and stuff in it, right? @the_blair, I'm not trying to call you out or anything, but I feel like using pine-sol on carb parts could leave a weird residue even after rinsing them off. Idk, maybe it's just me being paranoid, but I've always used stuff like carb cleaner or even just kerosene for soaking old carbs. It's like three bucks for a can of spray cleaner too, and it's made for that purpose. I mean, if it worked for your lawnmower, then cool, but I'd be worried about tiny bits of pine-sol gumming up the fuel passages later on.