Mowing ..

[.:4:.]

Originally Posted by DFB FGXR6

Today, I spotted this ex-client mowing the lawn herself with an older Pope lawn mower with a 148cc Briggs. She was struggling to push the thing and it was also stalling. Had to smile a little, perhaps she now understands that it's harder than it looks.

Thats kind of relatable to me having a laugh at my mate who rents my grannyflat.
So when he offers to do the lawn for me i always say use my mower. He refuses. He has a poxy 14' sprinter chassis with a 148cc briggs on it.
My mower is nothing flash, 18' victa chassis with a 158cc briggs. But, mine has been maintained.
So when i get up my mate to maintenance his mower the standard response is why, as it still runs. I checked his oil and it didnt make the dipstick, did him the favour of putting in some sae30.
My mower has reasonably fresh oil, reasonably new spark plug, air filter and blades. So starts 1st time everytime and is all good.
My mates mower, well, that requires effort and swearwords to start, bogs down cutting dandelions and stalls out on grass left a week longer then the 'i should probably cut that' stage.
The thing would be fine with a service and new blade. Service kits for briggsys you can get from bunnings which have plug, air filter and oil in them. My mates crappy mower is a straight blade, but pretty sure theyre cheap as too. I know swingbacks for my mower arent expensive.

[DFB FGXR6]

Originally Posted by .:4:.

Thats kind of relatable to me having a laugh at my mate who rents my grannyflat.
So when he offers to do the lawn for me i always say use my mower. He refuses. He has a poxy 14' sprinter chassis with a 148cc briggs on it.
My mower is nothing flash, 18' victa chassis with a 158cc briggs. But, mine has been maintained.
So when i get up my mate to maintenance his mower the standard response is why, as it still runs. I checked his oil and it didnt make the dipstick, did him the favour of putting in some sae30.
My mower has reasonably fresh oil, reasonably new spark plug, air filter and blades. So starts 1st time everytime and is all good.
My mates mower, well, that requires effort and swearwords to start, bogs down cutting dandelions and stalls out on grass left a week longer then the 'i should probably cut that' stage.
The thing would be fine with a service and new blade. Service kits for briggsys you can get from bunnings which have plug, air filter and oil in them. My mates crappy mower is a straight blade, but pretty sure theyre cheap as too. I know swingbacks for my mower arent expensive.

Every time I go to the tip, there is always a line of those "Sprinter" type mowers ready to be thrown away. Built to a price, designed to look like a mower and sound like a mower but struggle to do what a mower is designed to do.

As for bar blades, they are purely down to reducing cost of manufacture. For example, a Victa blade arrangement will have a disk/carrier, 2 or 4 blades, along with mounting hardware like bolts, washers, bushings and nuts. A bar blade reduces that down to one long blade, a bolt and a washer. Less parts, less assembly time, less R&D to design these parts or provide them as spares. All so consumers can buy cheap, shiny new mower at Aldi, Big W or Bunning's.

Pro Tip - It's better to buy a well-maintained secondhand mower from a reputable brand than it is to buy one of those "Sprinter" toys,

[.:4:.]

Originally Posted by DFB FGXR6

Every time I go to the tip, there is always a line of those "Sprinter" type mowers ready to be thrown away. Built to a price, designed to look like a mower and sound like a mower but struggle to do what a mower is designed to do.

As for bar blades, they are purely down to reducing cost of manufacture. For example, a Victa blade arrangement will have a disk/carrier, 2 or 4 blades, along with mounting hardware like bolts, washers, bushings and nuts. A bar blade reduces that down to one long blade, a bolt and a washer. Less parts, less assembly time, less R&D to design these parts or provide them as spares. All so consumers can buy cheap, shiny new mower at Aldi, Big W or Bunning's.

Pro Tip - It's better to buy a well-maintained secondhand mower from a reputable brand than it is to buy one of those "Sprinter" toys,

By no means will i say my 2 blade victa chassis with its 500 series briggs, so not commercial grade. But for domestic it works.
Feel free to call me stupid, but my understanding is the risk with a cheap straight blade mower, wang something hard enough and unlike swingbacks, it'll take the brunt and potentially bend the crankshaft of the mower.
Anyhow, my prevous post wasnt about crap mowers, it was more towards periodic maintenance thats not expensive to keep thing running well.

[DFB FGXR6]

Originally Posted by .:4:.

By no means will i say my 2 blade victa chassis with its 500 series briggs, so not commercial grade. But for domestic it works.
Feel free to call me stupid, but my understanding is the risk with a cheap straight blade mower, wang something hard enough and unlike swingbacks, it'll take the brunt and potentially bend the crankshaft of the mower.
Anyhow, my prevous post wasnt about crap mowers, it was more towards periodic maintenance thats not expensive to keep thing running well.

Bar blades serve two purposes -

-As mentioned, cheaper to make
-Better suited to mulching

I wasn't having a go at your mower, the design of the Victa blade carriers is the best in the business and the overall chassis ideally designed for Australian lawns. A lot don't take that into consideration when choosing a mower, the blade arrangement is a key factor in how a mower efficiently cuts grass.

With Sprinter mowers, they are aimed at a certain demographic. They are bought cheap and treated cheap. So, if the oil runs out and burns up the engine, then it's thrown away. Hence the tip reference. Same concept with cars like the Hyundai Excel, early Kia's and now those horrid little MG's.

[.:4:.]

Originally Posted by DFB FGXR6

Bar blades serve two purposes -

-As mentioned, cheaper to make
-Better suited to mulching

I wasn't having a go at your mower, the design of the Victa blade carriers is the best in the business and the overall chassis ideally designed for Australian lawns. A lot don't take that into consideration when choosing a mower, the blade arrangement is a key factor in how a mower efficiently cuts grass.

With Sprinter mowers, they are aimed at a certain demographic. They are bought cheap and treated cheap. So, if the oil runs out and burns up the engine, then it's thrown away. Hence the tip reference. Same concept with cars like the Hyundai Excel, early Kia's and now those horrid little MG's.

Dude, my mates mower is a raging throw away. He just thinks because it starts eventually its the ducks nuts and refuses to use mine as trying to big man himself or something.
By no means is my victa vantage gods gift to lawn mowing, but ive maintained it. As i have said previously, took me a long time to work out the ez start thing, so you dont need to rip the guts out of it to start it.
If you maintain stuff, it works better.

[DFB FGXR6]

More chainsaw action today, this time the little MSA 140C -





This was a cleanup of a neighbor's garden, trimming and removing larger material that she can't deal with. This included removing the remains of two ancient fruiting grape vine. Access to make the cuts was limited, so the smaller MSA 140 was ideal for this job.

I also used it to trim back a neglected Ligustrum hedge, the saw slicing through branches too thick for a hedge trimmer. For smaller jobs like this, the smaller, lighter and run-on-demand battery saw is brilliant.

[danzvtil]

Originally Posted by DFB FGXR6

Today, I spotted this ex-client mowing the lawn herself with an older Pope lawn mower with a 148cc Briggs. She was struggling to push the thing and it was also stalling. Had to smile a little, perhaps she now understands that it's harder than it looks.

Was she standing next to an overfull green waste bin?…..weirdo.

[DFB FGXR6]

Had the Mulchmaster out today. The grass is starting to dry out a bit now, so using a mulching mower can save plenty of time..............until the belt snaps!



Pushing a heavy, self-propelled mower is hard going without the drive assistance!

Then, at the last job of the day and nearly finished mowing, I was attacked by a swarm of angry bees. Stung a dozen times, bees in my hair, in my ears........not fun, don't recommend it.

[Citroënbender]

Bees have got it in for you. Do you have trouble with horses being a bit aggressive as well?

Speaking of lawns, the ground here has now dried so rapidly it’s fissuring heavily. I’d be curious to know the “structural” reason for it, whether to do with particle movement or changes to colloids. Tony Greig Memorial Pitch Report:

[hackney]

Originally Posted by DFB FGXR6

Had the Mulchmaster out today. The grass is starting to dry out a bit now, so using a mulching mower can save plenty of time..............until the belt snaps!

image

Pushing a heavy, self-propelled mower is hard going without the drive assistance!

Then, at the last job of the day and nearly finished mowing, I was attacked by a swarm of angry bees. Stung a dozen times, bees in my hair, in my ears........not fun, don't recommend it.

Get yourself a pin self propelled Electric mower! I purchased a Ryobi 36v & never looked back! So easy to mow with.Actually makes mowing enjoyable!Just need to charge the batteries every now & then.Stuff having a petrol mower!

[DFB FGXR6]

Originally Posted by hackney

Get yourself a pin self propelled Electric mower! I purchased a Ryobi 36v & never looked back! So easy to mow with.Actually makes mowing enjoyable!Just need to charge the batteries every now & then.Stuff having a petrol mower!

There are three reasons why I have not pursued electric mowers, despite expanding into other battery electric equipment.

1- Range and stamina. I can't afford running a machine flat mid-way through a job.

2- The second reason is just a little bit silly. I LOVE engines, any and all engines. For some reason, I feel like I get more of a connection with an engine over an electric motor. Obviously, this not a measurable performance factor, but I like how each of my mowers has a character of its own. Some just purr away, some scream their head off, some need nursing in their advanced age, some just grunt through it.

3- Most, although not all, electric mowers on the market are geared towards the US market and struggle on Australian lawns unless you are mowing very regularly and only tipping the lawn.

[hackney]

Originally Posted by DFB FGXR6

There are three reasons why I have not pursued electric mowers, despite expanding into other battery electric equipment.

1- Range and stamina. I can't afford running a machine flat mid-way through a job.

2- The second reason is just a little bit silly. I LOVE engines, any and all engines. For some reason, I feel like I get more of a connection with an engine over an electric motor. Obviously, this not a measurable performance factor, but I like how each of my mowers has a character of its own. Some just purr away, some scream their head off, some need nursing in their advanced age, some just grunt through it.

3- Most, although not all, electric mowers on the market are geared towards the US market and struggle on Australian lawns unless you are mowing very regularly and only tipping the lawn.

I use to have a Honda buffalo, mulched as well.But in the end it was so heavy I had just had enough of getting up our steps on our retaining wall.I purchased the Ryobi (biggest they have)36v brushless & self propelled.Comes with one battery,but another one($499 36V 12.OAH), so it has two.Moved into our new home, the front nature strip was very, very thick & in some places nearly as tall as me(all the rain).I thought the mower is going to struggle, it went through with no issues, took quite a few loads as you would imagine but really no effort for it.I just mow it once or week or so(pretty long nature strip btw).I am sold well & truly, never ever get me near a petrol mower ever again. As far as power goes it packs a punch, extremely light to use & manoeuvre.Highly recommend them.

[DFB FGXR6]

Originally Posted by hackney

I use to have a Honda buffalo, mulched as well.But in the end it was so heavy I had just had enough of getting up our steps on our retaining wall.I purchased the Ryobi (biggest they have)36v brushless & self propelled.Comes with one battery,but another one($499 36V 12.OAH), so it has two.Moved into our new home, the front nature strip was very, very thick & in some places nearly as tall as me(all the rain).I thought the mower is going to struggle, it went through with no issues, took quite a few loads as you would imagine but really no effort for it.I just mow it once or week or so(pretty long nature strip btw).I am sold well & truly, never ever get me near a petrol mower ever again. As far as power goes it packs a punch, extremely light to use & manoeuvre.Highly recommend them.

Yeah, those Honda's were very heavy, so I can certainly understand that.

I'm guessing the constant torque of the electric motor would make cutting thick grass easy.

Is this the one you have -
https://www.ryobi.com.au/garden-tool...e=All+Products

If you have a chance, would you mind sharing a pic of the rear discharge chute?

I also like the look of the Victa battery electrics based on their petrol model chassis. These keep the virtues of the Victa chassis with modern battery electric power packs.

https://www.victa.com/au/en_au/produ...200w-skin.html

[janddbone]

Yep, i think the Victa would be the way to.

[DFB FGXR6]

Originally Posted by janddbone

Yep, i think the Victa would be the way to.

Masport do something similar, although the Victa chassis is better.

https://masport.com.au/category/outd...wer-equipment/

[hackney]

Originally Posted by DFB FGXR6

Yeah, those Honda's were very heavy, so I can certainly understand that.

I'm guessing the constant torque of the electric motor would make cutting thick grass easy.

Is this the one you have -
https://www.ryobi.com.au/garden-tool...e=All+Products

If you have a chance, would you mind sharing a pic of the rear discharge chute?

I also like the look of the Victa battery electrics based on their petrol model chassis. These keep the virtues of the Victa chassis with modern battery electric power packs.

https://www.victa.com/au/en_au/produ...200w-skin.html

image

Yes, that is mine(Ryobi)

[hackney]

Originally Posted by DFB FGXR6

Yeah, those Honda's were very heavy, so I can certainly understand that.

I'm guessing the constant torque of the electric motor would make cutting thick grass easy.

Is this the one you have -
https://www.ryobi.com.au/garden-tool...e=All+Products

If you have a chance, would you mind sharing a pic of the rear discharge chute?

I also like the look of the Victa battery electrics based on their petrol model chassis. These keep the virtues of the Victa chassis with modern battery electric power packs.

https://www.victa.com/au/en_au/produ...200w-skin.html

image

mulch plug, no mulch plug or catcher.

[DFB FGXR6]

Originally Posted by hackney

mulch plug, no mulch plug or catcher.

You will want to keep your mowing regular with that chute to prevent blockages.

How do you find the self-propel speed? Is it fixed or variable?

[hackney]

Originally Posted by DFB FGXR6

You will want to keep your mowing regular with that chute to prevent blockages.

How do you find the self-propel speed? Is it fixed or variable?

Don’t really have any issues with blockages.Speed is variable, slow, medium & fast.You can adjust to what you like.I don’t tend to use the self propelled function.Has a battery meter, overload function.Eco, setting(more for battery saving) smart function & power function.

[Tonz]

some of you may find this guy interesting.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vmdjilICYI4

[DFB FGXR6]

Frustrating Day!

I put my Rover lawn mower in for a pull rope repair and a check over the axle bushings 3 weeks ago. I got sent a text message the my "repair" was ready for collection on Friday last week.

When I went in to collect it today I was told it was determined as "uneconomical" to repair. Cue confused expression on my face. Surely a piece of rope is not that expensive? It was explained that to properly replace the axle bushings that the engine had to be removed and it wasn't worth it considering the age of the machine. I asked had they at least replaced the cord, only to be told no. I was then charged $40 for an inspection fee.

It took the guy far too long to go out back and retrieve my supposed worn-out machine. When he brought it back out, the cord actually HAD been replaced, but the front axle was hanging loose. I was rather ****.d off by this stage and just wanted to get out of there.

Well, it turns out the hardware used to mount the front axle are NLA from Rover and are not made by the aftermarket, despite an extensive internet search. Because the Pro-Cut is different to the other Rover models, these parts are unique to this model. So now I have a fully functioning self-propelled lawn mower sitting completely useless because the front axle is not attached to the still fine deck.

https://www.outdoorking.com/lawn-mow...ng-kit-a03516k



The shop that attempted this repair has recently changed hands. Where previously, despite the grumpy husband and wife owners, they always did their best to get professional customer machines back online ASAP, this lot are in over their heads. The shop is a mess, and the outdoor display area is littered with shipping crates and old decommissioned machines.

I probably should have gone back and asked for the mounting hardware that they decided to pillage from my mower, but I'm already feeling like an idiot for even paying them to have my mower for three weeks and returning it in worse condition than it was when I left it there.

If you have one of these clips or know where to send me, I would be most grateful. Or perhaps I should go in there and burn the place to the ground!

[Citroënbender]

There’s an old Dumbtree advert from Kew Mowers which is still up, might be worth phoning them? $10/kit

https://www.gumtree.com.au/s-ad/kew-...kit/1084611612

[FTE217]

This is what I don't like about gpoing EV garden tools depending what/which.
Incl the battery and charger int he price ya mugs, some do some don't.
Its false advertising those advertising their you beaut price but wait, here's the battery/charger price you need to buy as well And FFS talk about battery price rort.
I wonder what their margins are.
I don't expect to pay pittance but come on.

DFB as you know I needed to replace my long extension Ryobi brush cutter.
Yes I finally got the Ryobi again
https://www.bunnings.com.au/ryobi-on...-only_p0098556
Feels heavier when dealing at fully extended that is most of its use, whilst there I was checking out the nice lightweight alloy Makita extended one and the kicker is the batteries/chargers damn it.
I know would have been a better product to buy and use, having the RyobiOne+ blower and like 3/4batteries it just forced my hand going the Ryobi cutter again BUT it sucks.
Its gutless really imo and wish I cut the hole in my pocket going the Makita and the expensive battery upgrade but I knew also SWMBO would have coranary no matter saying its my chrissy present.
Petrol is king for power still for me in the big picture.
Got a ryobi petrol blower.

Hindsight since the post, I think I'll post up in our street chat group and see if anyone is keen to buy the ryobi blower and hedge cutter One+ soft stuff, f them right off through Jan hopefully and get Makitas or EGO gear for eg........
The mower buy talked about is coming up so deciding which will help me decide some.

[DFB FGXR6]

Originally Posted by Citroënbender

There’s an old Dumbtree advert from Kew Mowers which is still up, might be worth phoning them? $10/kit

https://www.gumtree.com.au/s-ad/kew-...kit/1084611612

I spotted that earlier, the listing is from 2015 so I have sent them a message to see if they are still available.

How do I buy stuff from Gumtree, never used the platform before?

[.:4:.]

The main disadvantage towards brushless battery garding equipment is simple. As a domestic, its all good. Batteries charged off you trot.
Not the same in a comercial setting. Yes if you have charged batteries, thats fine, but unless you have a bunch of spare batteries to do x amount of lawns every day, ehat do you do? Ask the client to let you in for a cuppa whilst you wait for your batteries to charge? The 4 stroke mower runs dry, no issue, get your mate jerry and its good to go again. Same with 2 stroke stuff. Worst case tail between your legs and head to the servo for fuel. But even still, thats way faster then the wait for batteries to charge. To be fair, even if you work commercial and have a stack of batteries, enough to do the daily, you will still need to charge them on your off time. Thats not an issue for domestic duties as, well, who does the lawn/garden more then once a week?

[DFB FGXR6]

Originally Posted by FTE217

This is what I don't like about gpoing EV garden tools depending what/which.
Incl the battery and charger int he price ya mugs, some do some don't.
Its false advertising those advertising their you beaut price but wait, here's the battery/charger price you need to buy as well And FFS talk about battery price rort.
I wonder what their margins are.
I don't expect to pay pittance but come on.

DFB as you know I needed to replace my long extension Ryobi brush cutter.
Yes I finally got the Ryobi again
https://www.bunnings.com.au/ryobi-on...-only_p0098556
Feels heavier when dealing at fully extended that is most of its use, whilst there I was checking out the nice lightweight alloy Makita extended one and the kicker is the batteries/chargers damn it.
I know would have been a better product to buy and use, having the RyobiOne+ blower and like 3/4batteries it just forced my hand going the Ryobi cutter again BUT it sucks.
Its gutless really imo and wish I cut the hole in my pocket going the Makita and the expensive battery upgrade but I knew also SWMBO would have coranary no matter saying its my chrissy present.
Petrol is king for power still for me in the big picture.
Got a ryobi petrol blower.

Hindsight since the post, I think I'll post up in our street chat group and see if anyone is keen to buy the ryobi blower and hedge cutter One+ soft stuff, f them right off through Jan hopefully and get Makitas or EGO gear for eg........
The mower buy talked about is coming up so deciding which will help me decide some.

I have just added two new battery systems to my arsenal, so I completely understand the pain in relation to battery costs. It's annoying because no one tool brand produces the best tool in each class, meaning you end up compromising on certain tools, or having to buy another battery system.

Are you going petrol again on your mower?

[Citroënbender]

It’s highly weird to me that nobody has developed a “fits all” modular battery system. And we are staring at an effective global mandate for phone charging ports but there’s no DIN type standard for tool batteries. It’s the Wild West, and unnecessarily so.

Re buying off Gumtree, if they have the part surely someone can grab it and send up if they won’t. But seeing it’s a mower shop I’d think they could invoice, you pay over the phone or by direct deposit and they post? Still the same proprietors as 2015 and their few bad reviews are the usual combination of fruitcakes and fakes.

(Compare with the review history here! https://maps.app.goo.gl/4qaB9nFCj6tgf9bQ7 )

[FTE217]

Originally Posted by DFB FGXR6

I have just added two new battery systems to my arsenal, so I completely understand the pain in relation to battery costs. It's annoying because no one tool brand produces the best tool in each class, meaning you end up compromising on certain tools, or having to buy another battery system.

Are you going petrol again on your mower?

Yes mate leaning more towards benzina.
As mentioned by 4, battery makes sense for those small courtyards and the 700sq home I’m on 1200, split levels - sure a battery one could would cut the mustard but my ol briggsy 4stroke kills it just that the base is shot now and wheels at their last legs.
Your earlier recommended victas look the go and I’ll poop into the 2 good mower shops nearby and suss anything on special offering cash.
Even though my daughter works part time at Bunnings getting a fair discount i just prefer dealing with people who know their product.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Tassie f100]

Originally Posted by FTE217

Yes mate leaning more towards benzina.
As mentioned by 4, battery makes sense for those small courtyards and the 700sq home I’m on 1200, split levels - sure a battery one could would cut the mustard but my ol briggsy 4stroke kills it just that the base is shot now and wheels at their last legs.
Your earlier recommended victas look the go and I’ll poop into the 2 good mower shops nearby and suss anything on special offering cash.
Even though my daughter works part time at Bunnings getting a fair discount i just prefer dealing with people who know their product.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Dunno how you will go for discount if you POOP in the mower shops. Lol

[DFB FGXR6]

Originally Posted by FTE217

Yes mate leaning more towards benzina.
As mentioned by 4, battery makes sense for those small courtyards and the 700sq home I’m on 1200, split levels - sure a battery one could would cut the mustard but my ol briggsy 4stroke kills it just that the base is shot now and wheels at their last legs.
Your earlier recommended victas look the go and I’ll poop into the 2 good mower shops nearby and suss anything on special offering cash.
Even though my daughter works part time at Bunnings getting a fair discount i just prefer dealing with people who know their product.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

If something goes wrong, you end up at the mower shop anyway.

Bunning's are slowly but surely dumping petrol lawn mowers, only carrying 6 Victa's, and only two of them are worth buying -

Power Mulcher 18-inch cut with 163cc Briggs -
https://www.bunnings.com.au/victa-po...mower_p0080735

Easy Walker 19-inch cut Self Prop with 163cc Briggs-
https://www.bunnings.com.au/victa-ea...mower_p0080736



Victa have updated their model line up since I last narrowed down the selection, so these are my latest recommendations -

Corvette 300 675 EXi 18-inch cut with 163cc Briggs -
(Note - They also do a 300 625 EXi with less power, I'd go for the 675)
https://www.victa.com/au/en_au/produ...vette-300.html

Corvette 400 19-inch cut with 163cc Briggs -
https://www.victa.com/au/en_au/produ...vette-400.html

Mustang 725 EXi 19-inch alloy cut with 163cc Briggs -
https://www.victa.com/au/en_au/produ...ng-725exi.html

Mustang 850 19-inch alloy cut with 190cc Briggs -
https://www.victa.com/au/en_au/produ...stang-850.html

The alloy base Mustangs are similar in weight to the steel options and will last much longer. Mustang 850 also has a cast iron bore in comparison to the 163cc engines. Also, please promise me you won't look at the Chinese "Victa" engines (V140, V150, V170). I was actually looking at those engines today and you can certainly see where they are pulling cost out of them.

No prizes for guessing which of the above I would choose.