DFB's Garage

Klasse Act said:
^^^ First place at ANY mower show^^^

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Brrr said:
2nd place. First place was the other mower he did.


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I don't have a problem................much.....................





And there's two missing from those shots. :laughing:

Someone asked me recently how many mowers I have........

Current (order of acquisition)-

Victa VC Mustang 2-stroke (1970's vintage)
Victa Corvette Series 400 Sprint 375 4-stroke (2000's)
Rover ProCut 560 Kohler XT8 (2014)
Victa Mulchmaster B&S 850 (2016)
Victa Mustang 2-stroke (2015)
Victa MasterCut 2-stroke (2019)
Victa Commando 2-stroke (1990's vintage)
Bushranger 800SP Honda GXV160 4-stroke (2020)
Victa Mustang B&S 750iS 4-stroke
Rover Combat B&S Quantum 4-stroke (1992)

Past and present list (rough order of acquisition) -

Morrison B&S 148cc (1980's vintage)
Victa VC Mustang 2-stroke (1970's vintage)
Victa Razor B&S Qauntum XTS (2005)
Honda Buffalo Buck GSV190 (2007)
Masport ST 750 B&S 850 (2008)
Victa Mustang B&S 750 DOV (2010)
Rover ?? (This was a bitsa to cut feral's)
John Deere JS48 (2011)
Masport Utility 530 B&S 850 (2010's vintage)
Victa Corvette Series 400 Sprint 375 4-stroke (2000's)
Rover ProCut 560 Kohler XT8 (2014)
Victa Mulchmaster B&S 850 (2016)
Victa Mustang B&S 850 (2014)
Victa Mustang 2-stroke (2015)
Victa MasterCut 2-stroke (2019)
Victa Commando 2-stroke (1990's vintage)
Bushranger 800SP Honda GXV160 4-stroke (2020)
Victa Mustang B&S 750iS 4-stroke
Rover Combat B&S Quantum 4-stroke (1992)

All of those are push mowers by the way, spread over 24 years. Do I need to have 10 lawn mowers? Probably not. But think of it like having a collection of different wheel cleaning brushes, each has a specific usage case.

Favorites? The Victa Razor was brilliant, I worked that into the ground and got my money's worth many, many times over. Check out the drink bottle holder, so handy for mowing hours on end in summer. Mine was the Briggs version.






The Rover Pro-Cut, almost the perfect lawn mower. This would be the longest I have owned and have hammered the thing for 9 years now. The Krohler engine has been very durable, but its hard to pull over, is noisy and overall feels very cheaply made. When I do blow up that engine, I'll be fitting a Briggs.




And my Victa Mustang 2-Stoke is the one I grab when I need ultimate grunt, nothing smashes through thick, tall grass like this mower.




The worst? The Honda I bought to replace the Victa Razor in the late 2000's was a piece of junk. Too heavy and with narrow wheels, it would sink into the grass and made it hard to push. The angle of the handle bar was all wrong, the catcher would constantly fall off and the engine needed repair work within two hours of use, which the dealer wouldn't cover under warranty. Don't get me wrong, the GSV190 engine was very nice, it was smooth and quiet, powerful and great on fuel. But I ended up trading it in within a year and I've sworn off Honda's ever since.




The Honda's replacement was also a big disappointment, I only got 12 months out that Masport before I had worn out the axle mounts on the chassis. That engine was a beast, in fact I kept it and scrapped the rest of the mower.




And this John Deere JS48 was absolute trash. The personal pace self-drive was excellent, the key start handy and the big Briggs was a honker. But the thing just wouldn't catch (bag) on anything less the completely short, dry grass. It also wouldn't go low enough, and on the lowest setting, it would drag the axle bar across the grass, jacking up my client's lawns. The side discharge chute was completely useless as well, it would just block up and then stall the engine in the same way as the rear chute. Again, a machine I had to ditch, it was costing me more time unblocking the discharge chute than the larger cut and self-drive saved.



I still have a couple I would like to track down one day. A 1970's Victa Utility would be up there on that list..................



I would also like to find another Victa Razor, mainly for sentimental reasons, that mower made me a lot of money!




While I have a 4-stroke Mulchmaster, I would also like a 2-stroke one as well. :D




And a Victa Twin. These had a two cylinder 170cc 2-stroke engine on them. These were made during the mid to late 70's, not many were sold due to the excessive noise and horendious fuel consumption. Obviously, I want one then. :laughing: They are very rare to find now.



 
^^^Greatest thread ever on AG^^^

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Unexpected day off. I managed to fit in a wash of the Ranger amongst running all over town and and a couple of hours of work first thing.

I'm using ECH20 more and more recently, today as a drying aid, to wipe down the tray and the door jambs. It smells nice, is ultra slick and highly lubricious. Not to mention adjustable to suit your preferences.

(Sorry, I know, but I like how they look and function)



And another Amazon delivery today....................oooo this rabbit hole is getting deeper and deeper. :wowwow:





The only thing I'm struggling with is organising all this neatly. My ideal solution is, of course, ruined by excessive shipping costs. I think it would end up being cheaper to just move to the USA. :laughing:
 
Going back to Victa lawn mowers - I bought (from Bunnings) one back in 2009 when we bought our first house.

It has 158ccm.

14 years latter, this thing always start from a first go, even if not used for 3+ months at all.

Incredible machine in my view.

I have only replaced the blades once or twice, that's all maintenance vise (and regular oil change, of course).
 
Danube said:
Going back to Victa lawn mowers - I bought (from Bunnings) one back in 2009 when we bought our first house.

It has 158ccm.

14 years latter, this thing always start from a first go, even if not used for 3+ months at all.

Incredible machine in my view.

I have only replaced the blades once or twice, that's all maintenance vise (and regular oil change, of course).
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Taking a punt here on it being one of these.............





Those engines are pretty reliable. The only thing you will have to do at some point would be to replace the carburetor diaphragm, they lose the ability to pump fuel once they get old and brittle, rev surge or hard starting are the give aways. I hate the oil-soaked air filters on those engines, so messy and harder to clean properly. I always just replaced them instead of washing and re-oiling.




I would also check the torque on the cylinder head bolts every now and then, especially the ones closest to the muffler as they can back out faster due to the heat. Set them nice and firm..............or 16 Nm to be precise. :xyxthumbs:



 
DFB said:
Taking a punt here on it being one of these.............



Those engines are pretty reliable. The only thing you will have to do at some point would be to replace the carburetor diaphragm, they lose the ability to pump fuel once they get old and brittle, rev surge or hard starting are the give aways. I hate the oil-soaked air filters on those engines, so messy and harder to clean properly. I always just replaced them instead of washing and re-oiling.
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You bet, this is the one I have !!


Oil filter ?? :wowwow::wowwow:

Where is it, I never thought of that - meaning I did not clean or replace it in 14yrs !!
 
DFB said:
Taking a punt here on it being one of these.............



Those engines are pretty reliable. The only thing you will have to do at some point would be to replace the carburetor diaphragm, they lose the ability to pump fuel once they get old and brittle, rev surge or hard starting are the give aways. I hate the oil-soaked air filters on those engines, so messy and harder to clean properly. I always just replaced them instead of washing and re-oiling.
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Danube said:
You bet, this is the one I have !!
Oil filter ?? :wowwow::wowwow:

Where is it, I never thought of that - meaning I did not clean or replace it in 14yrs !!
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Ahh sorry, no oil filter on those engines, rather the air filter foam element is soaked in oil to trap dust.

Standard procedure is to take the filter out of the housing, wash out in soapy water (not petrol or a solvent), allow to dry and then re-oil before putting it back into the housing. I just buy a new foam element, you still need to oil it though. Not too much, just enough for it to be sticky. Best way to do it is to put the filter in a small plastic bag, add some oil to the filter and then scrunch/squeeze the filter in the bag to distribute it, this will also remove any excess.




There are a few different versions of this filter, I prefer the (usually green, sometimes yellow) OEM one with the extra foam lip to properly seal the lid from the base of the housing -

Air Filter for Briggs & Stratton Sprint Quatro Classic Motors 272235 (greenacresmowers.com.au)
Lawnkeeper Air Filter Element - Bunnings Australia

Briggs & Stratton Replacement Air Filter - Bunnings Australia
Air Filter for Briggs & Stratton Sprint Classic Quatro Motors 698369 799579 (greenacresmowers.com.au)
 
DFB said:
Unexpected day off. I managed to fit in a wash of the Ranger amongst running all over town and and a couple of hours of work first thing.

I'm using ECH20 more and more recently, today as a drying aid, to wipe down the tray and the door jambs. It smells nice, is ultra slick and highly lubricious. Not to mention adjustable to suit your preferences.

(Sorry, I know, but I like how they look and function)



And another Amazon delivery today....................oooo this rabbit hole is getting deeper and deeper. :wowwow:





The only thing I'm struggling with is organising all this neatly. My ideal solution is, of course, ruined by excessive shipping costs. I think it would end up being cheaper to just move to the USA. :laughing:
Click to expand...

If you get a chance, check out Olsa for tools and organizers.
 
DFB said:
Ahh sorry, no oil filter on those engines, rather the air filter foam element is soaked in oil to trap dust.

Standard procedure is to take the filter out of the housing, wash out in soapy water (not petrol or a solvent), allow to dry and then re-oil before putting it back into the housing. I just buy a new foam element, you still need to oil it though. Not too much, just enough for it to be sticky. Best way to do it is to put the filter in a small plastic bag, add some oil to the filter and then scrunch/squeeze the filter in the bag to distribute it, this will also remove any excess. QUOTE]





Well, mine doesn't look that bad for not being cleaned that long ...

View attachment 76889




For $5.60 is no brainier to replace it however I opted for washing with this miracle APC at the cost of $1.75 from Aldi (please try it and let me know)

View attachment 76890
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Danube said:
DFB said:
Ahh sorry, no oil filter on those engines, rather the air filter foam element is soaked in oil to trap dust.

Standard procedure is to take the filter out of the housing, wash out in soapy water (not petrol or a solvent), allow to dry and then re-oil before putting it back into the housing. I just buy a new foam element, you still need to oil it though. Not too much, just enough for it to be sticky. Best way to do it is to put the filter in a small plastic bag, add some oil to the filter and then scrunch/squeeze the filter in the bag to distribute it, this will also remove any excess. QUOTE]





Well, mine doesn't look that bad for not being cleaned that long ...

View attachment 76889




For $5.60 is no brainier to replace it however I opted for washing with this miracle APC at the cost of $1.75 from Aldi (please try it and let me know)

View attachment 76890
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Good work. Don't forget to re-oil it before to put it back into the housing.
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Prange said:
If you get a chance, check out Olsa for tools and organizers.
Click to expand...

I've spent far too many hours trying to find something that I like and/or I can actually buy. Too many options, too many that are not financially viable. One of those included Olsa, which also carry Tool Grid, which what I really want because of the clean look of the setup. But, to buy what I need is equal to the price of shipping to Australia.........we're talking four figures by the time it lands at my door. :wowwow:

I've decided on something a little more basic for now, and I'll see how it looks once I've played around with the layout.
 
Four figures, wow. Might as well be four fingers. Not worth it to me, either.
 
Washing and oiling went well, good to go for another century.

A freezer bag worked fine for evenly spreading the oil.

While there I also checked the head bolts, no tightening required, all good.

This little Honds bugger from the photo is giving me some headaches lately - when the trigger is full on, it always tends to die. Less RPM's no drama, full on - it dies.

I've changed the spark plug, also shortened the fuel hose to avoid kinking .. no changes at all.

Any thoughts DFB ?!?


View attachment 76891
 
Danube said:
Washing and oiling went well, good to go for another century.

A freezer bag worked fine for evenly spreading the oil.

While there I also checked the head bolts, no tightening required, all good.

This little Honds bugger from the photo is giving me some headaches lately - when the trigger is full on, it always tends to die. Less RPM's no drama, full on - it dies.

I've changed the spark plug, also shortened the fuel hose to avoid kinking .. no changes at all.

Any thoughts DFB ?!?


View attachment 76891
Click to expand...

Two things come to mind -

- First, a blocked exhaust port or spark arrestor in the muffler. This is mostly applicable to 2-stroke engines, but it you don't run the machine at full or high revs often, the carbon doesn't burn off properly and eventually causes it to build up and block, ultimately preventing the engine from exhaling.

I haven't pulled down a small GX25 / GX35 Honda before, but you would need to inspect the small muffler outlet screen, which your unit may or may not have as there are a few different designs for these engines. Remove any built-up carbon with a wire brush or by heating it with a flame and again agitating with a brush.





For the exhaust port, you will need to remove the muffler and inspect the port for carbon build up. Remove by gently scraping the carbon away. In both cases, you will need to remove the engine shrouding. While the muffler is removed, make sure the inlet is not blocked either.



- Secondly, it could be that engine is not getting enough fuel at full throttle. In which case, check the fuel filter in the tank. Otherwise, you will likely need to rebuild or replace the carb. These are a diaphragm carb, which become hard with age and don't pump fuel properly. Usually, you will have starting issues as well. On my GX25 powered Atom Edger, I had the carb rebuilt and fuel line replaced to solve this issue.
 
Thought of you yesterday deyon(wierd sounding...i know lol) after mowing the grass, i hosed off the garden tractor and it it was beading like crazy. Forgot i wiped it down with something at the begining of the year. Didnt have the phone to take a beading shot lol

But i thought...i wonder if all of deyons mowers bead water lol

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opie said:
Thought of you yesterday deyon(wierd sounding...i know lol) after mowing the grass, i hosed off the garden tractor and it it was beading like crazy. Forgot i wiped it down with something at the begining of the year. Didnt have the phone to take a beading shot lol

But i thought...i wonder if all of deyons mowers bead water lol

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Some of them do.....................:D





 
Big Dave said:
Nice, I've always liked them, but I'd never own one.

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I've always liked them too................and wouldn't dare own one either. This particular example has caused the owner a LOT of headaches over the years.
 
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