Mowing .. - Page 35

**janddbone** · 29-08-2021, 09:32 PM

They also have the deck within the wheelbase more, so you can get away without trimming in alot of areas as you can get realk close. The blades are also set a bit lower in the deck than a catcher mower, for similar reasons.

hayseed · 30-08-2021, 01:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by roKWiz

No Seed, Clarendon 2016 You can just make out Blackstone genset on lowloader in the backgorund. (top right).

Thanks, I know the Bloke that Owns that Blackstone genset. He lives In Dubbo. Which is what made me think the Pic was taken at Dubbo Truckshow..

hayseed · 30-08-2021, 01:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by janddbone

Yeah if I get a four stroke its a Honda for me.

I'm fairly certain that Victa is now owned by Briggs & ****ten..

**janddbone** · 30-08-2021, 02:07 AM

That's correct. Have been for a long time now.

**FTE217** · 30-08-2021, 10:10 AM

Good ol Victa's.
I took over the ol man's Commando a 70's model.
As we know built to last back those days.
Used it for over 30yrs, I cried when I updated it but I always wanted a Briggsy 4stroker and still do.
Love em.

Citroënbender · 30-08-2021, 10:17 AM

I inherited a 1981 Rover Baron 45 four-stroke, it’s a veritable “Paddy’s axe” now but hanging on.

Thanks to posters here, I now would like a utility mower for my place.

**janddbone** · 30-08-2021, 02:25 PM

They are also different enough you can justify having both! Ha ha.

**FTE217** · 30-08-2021, 04:01 PM

I have no need for a utitility mower but IF I went the same grain as I do with detailing products I just could end up with one lol......

**DFB FGXR6** · 30-08-2021, 06:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FTE217

I have no need for a utitility mower but IF I went the same grain as I do with detailing products I just could end up with one lol......

Careful, you might end up with a "collection" like this.

DaveD · 30-08-2021, 07:06 PM

I've also seen on YouTube that the older Victa two-stroke utility mower's can go down to dirt level as a cutting height. Guy was using it to scalp his couch green as part of a spring renovation.
But that's quite a specific use case, most people probably don't need to go down to 0mm height of cut

**DFB FGXR6** · 31-08-2021, 09:29 PM

Here is a couple of videos showing the use of Utility mowers.

The mower in this one is a Bushranger 53TKU7, basicalyl a re-branded Big Bob, even the same price. These are fitted with either a Honda GXV or the crappy Kohler engine.

https://bushrangerpe.com.au/browse-p...-utility-mower

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jWjNB15eFnU

This one is an older Two-Stroke Victa Mastercut, the later ones did not rev as hard as the one in the video.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kjGJZ08gblw

Citroënbender · 31-08-2021, 10:53 PM

I was waiting to see how he cleaned up that pool!

Lucky there wasn’t old fencing wire caught up in that feral Kikuyu. Or brown snakes!

roKWiz · 01-09-2021, 08:32 AM

Was watching a recent youtube vid showing the lastest innovations regarding councils (county) maintenance equipment and they stated in the US, Kubota bought Subaru and is building their ride on mowers using their old plants.
Is that true ?

John 13 · 01-09-2021, 12:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Work Horse

After years of service I turn over my Honda mowers after the bases give up. Never had an engine problem (touch wood), oil, plug, filter and clean fuel they start first time, every time for years!

#No1 Honda fanboy

In 1978 I purchased a vertical shaft Honda GV35 4 stroke engine. At that time I had not seen any Honda mowers. Put the engine on a Rover chassis (that engine was worn out) Eventually that chassis cracked up, put the engine on a pressed metal Pope chassis. Eventually the wheels gave up. Anyway several sets of wheels, a scrounged set of handles and a heavy metal four blade disk later, the motor still runs perfectly. In about 1989 the valves required resetting, (I think just a bit was ground off the stems. Incidentally the original plastic air cleaner cracked up and I replaced it with a fabricated elbow, some flexible pipe onto an industrial type dry element unit mounted on the handles. It was always too much trouble replacing the recoil starter cord so for years I have started it with an electric drill.
AND just recently I had to make a new slide arrangement for the throttle, I don't think the engine came with a throttle cable etc. so that too was scrounged.
I also have a Lawn Beetle(LBP350)engine on a Masport chassis, but that's another story.

**DFB FGXR6** · 01-09-2021, 04:49 PM

Managed to fire this one back into life today.

Anyone who has had anything to do with a Victa Two-Stroke will know they can be a very temperamental. I went to start this one a few months ago and it just would not start, even with starting fluid or clearing the combustion chamber with the spark plug removed. I put it back in the shed in disgust and it has sat ever since. With time on my hands today, I pulled the fuel line off and allowed it to drain a little bit, refitted and filled it back with fresh fuel, pulled the cord and off it went. Don't know what I did, but it's good to have it back in the rotation.

Citroënbender · 01-09-2021, 05:12 PM

So you went commando today, and here you are telling everyone about it?

**DFB FGXR6** · 01-09-2021, 05:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Citroënbender

So you went commando today, and here you are telling everyone about it?

Yes, I went Commando today, that's why I was so annoyed it stopped working.

**janddbone** · 01-09-2021, 05:38 PM

Some days they like a day off, other days thy are keen to go with half a pull. True Aussies!

**DFB FGXR6** · 01-09-2021, 06:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by janddbone

Some days they like a day off, other days thy are keen to go with half a pull. True Aussies!

Too true! Even the newer ones can be a right bastard to start sometimes.

If they don't start on the first or second prime/pull sequence, then they just wont! You end up having to take the spark plug out, clear the combustion chamber, wipe the plug, re-insert the plug and try again. And even then, they are not guaranteed to start. Cue many profanities.

roKWiz · 01-09-2021, 06:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DFB FGXR6

Too true! Even the newer ones can be a right bastard to start sometimes.

If they don't start on the first or second prime/pull sequence, then they just wont! You end up having to take the spark plug out, clear the combustion chamber, wipe the plug, re-insert the plug and try again. And even then, they are not guaranteed to start. Cue many profanities.

Little petrol genset on the truck is like that.

slowsnake · 01-09-2021, 07:35 PM

Biggest problem with two-strokes is breathing!
I must of fixed a dozen of the damn things, the mufflers fill with a oily black thick gunk, next time it won't start pull the muffler off and it will!
Some of the early basic Victa Mowers had a muffler with the end squashed nearly flat, they need opening up, use a brazing torch and gently burn the gunk out!.....use a bit of coat-hanger wire with little bend on end!
I remember as a kid, everything was de-coked.....

Cheers Billy

**DFB FGXR6** · 01-09-2021, 08:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by slowsnake

Biggest problem with two-strokes is breathing!
I must of fixed a dozen of the damn things, the mufflers fill with a oily black thick gunk, next time it won't start pull the muffler off and it will!
Some of the early basic Victa Mowers had a muffler with the end squashed nearly flat, they need opening up, use a brazing torch and gently burn the gunk out!.....use a bit of coat-hanger wire with little bend on end!
I remember as a kid, everything was de-coked.....

Cheers Billy

I had a lot of problems with my Stihl gear blocking their muffler screens with carbon. It would be a regular thing to remove and hit them with a wire brush to remove the carbon which would prevent them from achieving max revs.

That stopped when I switched to Synthetic Two-Stroke oil, seems like this burns clean. I have not cleaned an exhaust screen in years now. Expensive stuff though at $30 a litre. I run all my small engines on this at 50:1

https://www.stihl.com.au/stihl-hp-ul...ngine-oil.aspx

For some reason, Victa insisted on specifying a smoky 25:1 for their 160cc engine right to the end. I use the Victa branded oil for this, although confusingly, the bottle states it's for 50:1 dilution.

**janddbone** · 01-09-2021, 10:28 PM

I am old school. Everything gets castor oil at 20:1 and a tune to suit. Needs regular cleaning, however next to zero wear and lots of power. Plus the smell is from heaven.... Ha ha.

slowsnake · 01-09-2021, 10:47 PM

It's amazing what different oils are on the market now, but back in the 70's when I worked the servo, I always had to mix the 2 stroke by hand, it was a 3rd of a pint engine oil to a gallon of standard petrol, which gives you 24 to 1 mix.
2 stroke bikes the same, had a guy come in twice a week on a Kwaka 500cc triple, forget tank capacity, but he would get 2 gallons, I would pour the oil in first, 2 3rds of a pint, 2 gallons standard petrol, I said the H1 has oil injection doesn't it?....he said I disabled it?...
I checked the chart and it said it runs 32 to1, I always thought he was a bit screwy, but that's what he wanted, we used to grab a handlebar each and shake the sh.t out of the bike to mix it in the tank?..

Cheers Billy

slowsnake · 01-09-2021, 11:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by janddbone

I am old school. Everything gets castor oil at 20:1 and a tune to suit. Needs regular cleaning, however next to zero wear and lots of power. Plus the smell is from heaven.... Ha ha.

Not castor oil?....Cazzy R...or Castrol R, and I loved the smell of Cazzy R, I lived near Eastern Creek race track, and if I heard the 2 strokes I would head over, be a week day so promotion or practice, this is about 15 years ago, one day I just drove in and parked the car and walked over to the back of the pits, and there's Wayne Gardner sitting in a garage getting a TV interview!

Last time I went to watch the races it was an Australian Superbike round, and you could walk right along the back of the garages, too cool, but when the 125cc were warming up there was no mistaking that sweet, sweet smell of Cazzy R...

Cheers Billy

Pis-ton broke · 01-09-2021, 11:06 PM

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)

**janddbone** · 01-09-2021, 11:45 PM

Castrol R was definitely the traditional one. Personally I used Tritech, local oil from Dandenong.

LG17 · 02-09-2021, 09:40 AM

Used castor oil with methanol to stop carbies gunking up.

slowsnake · 02-09-2021, 10:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LG17

Used castor oil with methanol to stop carbies gunking up.

Well I been around a lot of 2 stroke engines and am going back to the 60's in the UK,
You could pick up BSA Bantam 125cc D1's for a fiver, but, never ever heard of mixing castor oil as a lubricant in the petrol mix?.....that's the first time I have heard that!.....amazing, Castrol R was the go to, but we were kids then, 12 or 13 years old!

Cheers Billy

slowsnake · 02-09-2021, 11:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by janddbone

I am old school. Everything gets castor oil at 20:1 and a tune to suit. Needs regular cleaning, however next to zero wear and lots of power. Plus the smell is from heaven.... Ha ha.

You have me intrigued now, so I need to get it clear in my brain?
So you mix castor oil instead of Castrol R?...
So it's used as a two stroke mix and lubricates the bottom end instead of let's say Castrol R, or are you talking about a fuel additive like "redex" for want of a better word added to fuel on a bike that has oil injection for lubrication and runs on a straight not mixed fuel tank of gas?

Cheers Confused Billy