Mowing .. - Page 36

**FTE217** · 02-09-2021, 12:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pis-ton broke

i remember at the servo, when oil was in the glass jars outside for the motorists. 1/2 litre or 1 litre. for engine oil top up. we didn,t fuss about its viscosity, it was there, you just used it without question..(well i did)

yep how easy it was, wish I kept a few of those nice shaped plastic coned jars.
Wasn't it 1/2 and 1 pint ?
Damn I can't recall.

Yes those tempramental 2strokes, love em.
You used feel like a wizard mechanic once you got the bugga going and smoke billowing out lol, after you've floaded it, pull after pull, then F it, out with the plug best way to beat it.

Pis-ton broke · 02-09-2021, 01:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FTE217

yep how easy it was, wish I kept a few of those nice shaped plastic coned jars.
Wasn't it 1/2 and 1 pint ?
Damn I can't recall.

Y.

yes , sound right, it was a long time ago.

slowsnake · 02-09-2021, 01:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FTE217

yep how easy it was, wish I kept a few of those nice shaped plastic coned jars.
Wasn't it 1/2 and 1 pint ?
Damn I can't recall.

Yes those tempramental 2strokes, love em.
You used feel like a wizard mechanic once you got the bugga going and smoke billowing out lol, after you've floaded it, pull after pull, then F it, out with the plug best way to beat it.

Was a pint and a quart!

Cheers Billy

Tonz · 02-09-2021, 01:53 PM

sure was pint and quart. I used to refil them from a 44 gallon drum. My dad bought a servo when I was 6 years old.

**FTE217** · 02-09-2021, 02:17 PM

yes it was long ago, thanks that it, quart !
Nice and simple.

**janddbone** · 02-09-2021, 03:37 PM

Sorry to confuse. I say castor oil, instead of a particular brand. As in any castor bean based oil, including Castrol R.

MercuryT · 02-09-2021, 06:01 PM

I maintain my current mower best I've ever had.

It cost $199 with 2 year warranty and sure appears cheap crap but really it's just perfect for a medium sized garden.

Light, starts first time every time, runs like a champ.

Much prefer it to my previous expensive, too heavy and hard to start Victa and Honda mowers.

**DFB FGXR6** · 02-09-2021, 06:05 PM

I'm only 34 but I remember servo's still sold pre-mixed Two-Stroke when I was a kid, sold by the litre. You would take your fuel tin and they would fill it up for you.

BP Zoom 25 was the approved fuel for Victa's in those days.

MercuryT · 02-09-2021, 06:10 PM

Wish I knew this 2 or 4 stroke thing previously.

I bought a Victa trimmer years ago and blew it the first day.

Well done me......ha

**DFB FGXR6** · 02-09-2021, 06:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MercuryT

Wish I knew this 2 or 4 stroke thing previously.

I bought a Victa trimmer years ago and blew it the first day.

Well done me......ha

Don't stress it, you wouldn't be the first to have done that.

MercuryT · 02-09-2021, 06:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DFB FGXR6

Don't stress it, you wouldn't be the first to have done that.

Ha! Yeah thanks.

Got my "ratios" wrong as blew it up within an hour.

Tonz · 02-09-2021, 07:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DFB FGXR6

image

is that $285 on the can? did you buy it for that? crazy I threw one in the dump 3 months ago.

**DFB FGXR6** · 02-09-2021, 07:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tonz

is that $285 on the can? did you buy it for that? crazy I threw one in the dump 3 months ago.

Not my can, just got it off Google. Although I do have a few of those down in the shed.

whitelion65 · 03-09-2021, 08:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tonz

is that $285 on the can? did you buy it for that? crazy I threw one in the dump 3 months ago.

Don’t stress, it’s only $28

.:4:. · 03-09-2021, 04:12 PM

Ive said it before, and ill say it again. The peice of crap whipper snipper i was gifted is reliable as anything. So it was a 99$ thing. Gifted to my brother then years later gifted to me. The reason it was gifted to my brother was because it was a raging peice of crap, too hard to start, all that business. So when i got it, it needed fuel lines, and a primer bulb. $18 for that. Full kit, fuel filter, fuel line, return line and primer bulb. I did shell out another $9 for a spark plug. Too hard to start? Thats spastic. The thing is mint. It had been sitting for a hot minute, granted the tank was dry, i fill them before use not after. And it started like nothing, and i forgot to prime it. But its a great peice of crap.

**DFB FGXR6** · 03-09-2021, 06:01 PM

Just helped a friend choose a new mower. I gave her three options, and the Victa Corvette 300 was the happy middle ground.

https://www.victa.com/au/en_au/produ...vette-300.html

This is an 18 inch cut with mulching function and the 163cc Briggs and Stratton engine. This family of engines replaced their ancient side valve motors. Also important, the mower has 8 inch wheels all round for easier pushing and two piece handle for strength.

**FTE217** · 03-09-2021, 06:11 PM

Love BS motors.
For the average weekender a sound performer and easy starter.
You wouldn't have even thought a BS motor on a Victa in the ol days.

MercuryT · 03-09-2021, 06:15 PM

Briggs and Stratton are s'it now.

They are Chinese made not USA as claimed.

Still a decent choice but they are way overpriced now the motor is rubbish.

MercuryT · 03-09-2021, 06:16 PM

Sure it should be ok.

For a while......fancy stickers look good.

pottery beige · 03-09-2021, 06:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MercuryT

Sure it should be ok.

For a while......fancy stickers look good.

stick with ya $199 mowers ye peasant!!

**DFB FGXR6** · 04-09-2021, 06:18 PM

Delivered the new Victa to my friend this morning, fired up and put to use straight away. I have not had anything to do with these newer small OHV Briggs engines, I was pretty impressed with how quite they are now.

I did a swap and took her old machine to try and get it running again to hopefully sell or have as a back up, she is a gardener like me so having extra machine would not be a bad idea.

I got it running again, and gave it a clean for her. While designed for wheel cleaning, P&S Brake Buster worked real good here. Also slathered it in Meguiar's Trim Detailer and Hyper Dressing for good measure!

This is a 90's 18 inch Victa fitted with the 5hp 190cc version of the Briggs side-valve engine. She is feeling and sounding tired and certainly burning oil.

Talking oil burners, I got my old Corvette out for a run today.

This has the same base as the silver Victa, they made that chassis for decades and only mildly updated it late last year for the newer Victa's.

**hawkgirl** · 04-09-2021, 06:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DFB FGXR6

Just helped a friend choose a new mower. I gave her three options, and the Victa Corvette 300 was the happy middle ground.

https://www.victa.com/au/en_au/produ...vette-300.html

image

image

image

image

image

image

This is an 18 inch cut with mulching function and the 163cc Briggs and Stratton engine. This family of engines replaced their ancient side valve motors. Also important, the mower has 8 inch wheels all round for easier pushing and two piece handle for strength.

Good choice

I bought the Corvette 500 InStart model a year ago as I have issues with a pull cord. Awesome mowers.

Had no issue with the grass/ burrs/ thistles that were here.
It looks like its now unavailable in Aus, only in a self propelled version. Prob because most yards are tiny & dont need a 19" cut.

John 13 · 04-09-2021, 10:21 PM

Universal de-thatching blade for rotary mowers.

Interested to 'hear' if anyone has seen one of these or better still used one. The device appears to be a bar with a spring loaded tine on each end, replaces blade assembly on a typical rotary mower.

**DFB FGXR6** · 04-09-2021, 10:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hawkgirl

Good choice

I bought the Corvette 500 InStart model a year ago as I have issues with a pull cord. Awesome mowers.

Had no issue with the grass/ burrs/ thistles that were here.
It looks like its now unavailable in Aus, only in a self propelled version. Prob because most yards are tiny & dont need a 19" cut.

InStart is a pretty handy feature.

Key start mowers would generally have a separate battery mounted to the chassis. With these, there is a removable and chargeable battery integrated into the engine housing.

slowsnake · 04-09-2021, 10:28 PM

What happened to a sheep on a rope?....free fertiliser too, poo as you chew, and you can eat it when it's too fat to work eh!......

Cheers Billy

**DFB FGXR6** · 04-09-2021, 10:47 PM

Talking key-start, I had a John Deer JS-48 self-propelled for a short period.

This mower was a beast, it had the HP version of the 190cc OHV Briggs, the thing ran hard and would often have fuel cracking off into the hot exhaust when shut down. The self-propel system was variable "personal pace", lean in to the handle and it would take off, the harder you leaned, the faster it went. These mowers could mulch, catch or side discharge. The key-start was nice to have too.

I had to get rid of this pretty quick. Being an American style mower, the deck would not go low enough and half of the rear discharge shoot was taken up with the gearbox. Americans tend to have quite tall lawns and generally use a mulching mower to take the very tips off each mow. At this, the JS48 was excellent. But for Aussie lawns, it just could not effectively catch lawn clippings on our preferred lower cut heights. Both the rear and side discharge shoots were to small, blocking them up frequently and bogging the engine down until it stalled.

In the end the time I saved with its wide cutting width and fast ground speed were was wasted with me having to clear blockages far too often. I really wanted to love this thing but I gave up and bough a Rover ProCut instead.

I think my experience was echoed by many others because these things are no longer for sale.

hayseed · 05-09-2021, 03:06 PM

I've got 2 of those John Deere JS48 Mowers.. 1 For the House & 1 for the Depot. the catcher or side discharge shute have never been fitted to either one of 'em. The mulching Plug has been Installed in both from the get Go, though..

I reckon they're a Good thing. As you say that Mowmentum variable speed drive is Good setup. Good strong Motor. leaves a nice (toMe) finish. Plus I hate emptying Grass catchers & disposing of Grass clippings..

roKWiz · 05-09-2021, 03:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hayseed

I've got 2 of those John Deere JS48 Mowers.. 1 For the House & 1 for the Depot. the catcher or side discharge shute have never been fitted to either one of 'em. The mulching Plug has been Installed in both from the get Go, though..

I reckon they're a Good thing. As you say that Mowmentum variable speed drive is Good setup. Good strong Motor. leaves a nice (toMe) finish. Plus I hate emptying Grass catchers & disposing of Grass clippings..

Catcher, whats that ??

Citroënbender · 05-09-2021, 03:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by roKWiz

Catcher, whats that ??

It comes from the French word cacher, which means to hide or conceal. So it’s where you hide your grass - not unlike a boogie board soft bag.

roKWiz · 05-09-2021, 03:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Citroënbender

It comes from the French word cacher, which means to hide or conceal. So it’s where you hide your grass - not unlike a boogie board soft bag.

Mines never been attached to the bl**dy thing since I bought it. I guess its been hiding in the shed since new.