Mowing ..

[DFB FGXR6]

In addition to the Briggs and Stratton sign, I managed to find a classic orange Stihl sign to go with it.

[danzvtil]

Bought the bushranger. Feels like the landcruiser of mowers.
Going to spend the arvo building a new cradle in the back of the van to store it.
Will report back tomorrow night, I have a few lawns to cut in the morning.

[DFB FGXR6]

Um, well, I sort of inherited another lawn mower.....................







This Rover Regal with a Briggs and Stratton Quantum has sat in a client's garden shed for 15 years, I was the last person to use it. From what I remembered, it was left there because of a running issue, so I knew it was going to need some work.



Decoding the model, type and code numbers -

Model - 12cubic inch/Design 1/Vertical Shaft/Plain Bearing/Rewind Starter

Type - These seem to be non-decipherable.

Code - The engine was built on 16/12/1992.

My first port of call was to attempt to start the engine. The oil still looked like brand new 30 weight oil, a little overfull but fine for what I wanted to do. The fuel tank was empty but smelled terrible.

I put a small amount of fresh fuel in the tank, removed the air filter cover and filter and sprayed some carb cleaner into the throat of the carb. I pulled the cord with the throttle in the choke position and it fired and died. I couldn't believe it started first pull, so I repeated the process and got it run and die again. I repeated these another two times and it continued to run. Unbelievable! I left it to run for a while, it idles right down unlike newer versions of this engine, and actually has a strong top end.

I then mowed my front lawns, and then began to remember why it was put away. The engine surges on full throttle, elevated by reducing to half throttle or having the choke half on. This to me means its not getting enough fuel when the throttle is wide open. I then noticed the fuel tank was leaking, a very common problem for these Quantum engines.



The base of the mower is very good, it does need a new handle screw knob though. And the engine is super strong, even if it does smell a little oily, not something I'm worried about as these older Briggs engines all burnt oil anyway, even if it wasn't visible out the exhaust.

The plan is to clean it properly, replace the fuel tank, replace or refurbish the carb, change the oil and plug. I think the quality of the Rover base during these years and the fact the engine is super strong warrant the effort.

[DFB FGXR6]

Originally Posted by danzvtil

Bought the bushranger. Feels like the landcruiser of mowers.
Going to spend the arvo building a new cradle in the back of the van to store it.
Will report back tomorrow night, I have a few lawns to cut in the morning.

Bloody brilliant mate!

I'm assuming the GXV160 version?

You will notice the gearbox engagement to be very firm, this is due to the shaft rather than belt drive, so don't be too alarmed if it feels a little harsh. I tend use mine of gear 2 and 3 only, gear 1 is a crawl.

Also, run the engine in for at least until the first oil change, you can then give the governor a slight tweak to up the rev's. This has a couple of benefits, one it increases the walking speeds, two it improves the bagging performance. We are not talking about "throw a rod" type increases here, just enough to improve its usability. Most lawn contractors do this to their engines without issue, including Honda GXV's.

[DFB FGXR6]

Have been part shopping over the last couple of hours!

Despite the basics staying the same, these engines were made for such a long time with minor changes over the years, so tracking down parts specific to this engine is important.



Like the smaller 148cc and 158cc side-valves, the 190cc Quantum's were renamed, covered in plastic and manufactured in China. The one on this Rover is an earlier, US made model with the full cover fuel tank. For whatever reason, Briggs made 3.5hp and 4.0hp versions of Quantum, the same output of the smaller 148cc and 158cc engines respectively. I don't really understand why they bothered doing that, I guess the larger 190cc had more torque?



Quantum's also had a few different fuel tank designs, again, mine sits in the middle and has the full cover version -





This compares to the later design that ran until production stopped in the mid-2010's.



I have the full cover tank ordered, along with new fuel hoses and clips, air filters, spark plug and carby rebuild kit. In addition to that, I found some new handle locks.

I also tracked down the parts manual -

https://www.thepowerportal.com/ipls/..._IPLURL_LO.pdf

[Citroënbender]

Do you know where I might get decent wheels for my ancient Rover chassis (Baron 45)? I’ve repaired them a couple of times but they’re the cast alloy hub type and the area which holds the bearings is breaking up.

[DFB FGXR6]

Originally Posted by Citroënbender

Do you know where I might get decent wheels for my ancient Rover chassis (Baron 45)? I’ve repaired them a couple of times but they’re the cast alloy hub type and the area which holds the bearings is breaking up.

First port of call would be looking here -
https://www.greenacresmowers.com.au/?rf=kw&kw=wheels

I'm not completely familiar with that model, but are these the sort of thing you are looking for -

https://www.greenacresmowers.com.au/...ngs-fits-early
https://www.greenacresmowers.com.au/...s-fits-rover-m
https://www.greenacresmowers.com.au/...s-fits-rover-m
https://www.greenacresmowers.com.au/...s-fits-rover-m

Bearing Kit-
https://www.greenacresmowers.com.au/...er-lawn-mowers

[Citroënbender]

That range has massively expanded from what I remember trying to get only three years ago. The bearing kits were NLA from Rover and I improvised my own - which included $50 surgical grade bearings as the nearest fit!

Got to be something there which works - thanks.

[DFB FGXR6]

Rover have pretty much thrown their business away in my opinion, a shadow of their former self. Basically, all Chinese junk now and no parts backup for them either. A shame, as it really only leaves a couple of brands now.

[DFB FGXR6]

Now, you could assume that it's plain idiocy to clean a lawn mower, and you would be correct in that assumption. In my defense, the mower was covered in mouse droppings, so the cleaning was as much making it safe to work on as it was making it look pretty.

First port of call, I soaked the whole mower down with Shine Supply Wise Guy at 50/50 dilution. After a short dwell period, I hosed the mower down with water. This easily stripped any oil and grease accumulated on the engine and deck over the years.





Next, I scrubbed the engine, deck, wheels, catcher and handlebars with Brake Buster at full strength.





I even used a wire brush and some Koch Chemie Magic Wheel Cleaner to brighten up the muffler. At some stage, I will be removing this part and cleaning it further with some metal polish.

After a thorough rinse, I applied some Hydr02 to the whole thing, then I doused it with Hyper Dressing. I then dried it with the EGO and a towel.





For some reason, the left side of engine cover/fuel tank has deteriorated at a different rate to the right side. This whole part is being replaced due to the fuel leak, so it won't matter in the long run.

[Citroënbender]

You tease. We all want to see under its deck!

[ford12]

Originally Posted by DFB FGXR6

Have been part shopping over the last couple of hours!

Despite the basics staying the same, these engines were made for such a long time with minor changes over the years, so tracking down parts specific to this engine is important.

image

Like the smaller 148cc and 158cc side-valves, the 190cc Quantum's were renamed, covered in plastic and manufactured in China. The one on this Rover is an earlier, US made model with the full cover fuel tank. For whatever reason, Briggs made 3.5hp and 4.0hp versions of Quantum, the same output of the smaller 148cc and 158cc engines respectively. I don't really understand why they bothered doing that, I guess the larger 190cc had more torque?

image

Quantum's also had a few different fuel tank designs, again, mine sits in the middle and has the full cover version -

image

image

This compares to the later design that ran until production stopped in the mid-2010's.

image

I have the full cover tank ordered, along with new fuel hoses and clips, air filters, spark plug and carby rebuild kit. In addition to that, I found some new handle locks.

I also tracked down the parts manual -

https://www.thepowerportal.com/ipls/..._IPLURL_LO.pdf

Where did you get your parts from ?
There is a guy called carby doctor, I have the quantum xtl. And got parts from him.
My motor was blowing smoke, hard to start and going through spark plugs.
Couldn't bring myself to throw it away.
New piston, rings honed the bore and it's like a new engine now.
Fkn rapped.

[DFB FGXR6]

Originally Posted by ford12

Where did you get your parts from ?
There is a guy called carby doctor, I have the quantum xtl. And got parts from him.
My motor was blowing smoke, hard to start and going through spark plugs.
Couldn't bring myself to throw it away.
New piston, rings honed the bore and it's like a new engine now.
Fkn rapped.

A few different places -

https://www.greenacresmowers.com.au/
https://www.allmowerspares.com.au/?g...SAAEgKa-_D_BwE
https://www.outdoorking.com/
https://bwmachinery.com.au/

I wasn't aware of Carby Doctor, so thanks for the link.

[danzvtil]

Originally Posted by DFB FGXR6

Bloody brilliant mate!

I'm assuming the GXV160 version?

You will notice the gearbox engagement to be very firm, this is due to the shaft rather than belt drive, so don't be too alarmed if it feels a little harsh. I tend use mine of gear 2 and 3 only, gear 1 is a crawl.

Also, run the engine in for at least until the first oil change, you can then give the governor a slight tweak to up the rev's. This has a couple of benefits, one it increases the walking speeds, two it improves the bagging performance. We are not talking about "throw a rod" type increases here, just enough to improve its usability. Most lawn contractors do this to their engines without issue, including Honda GXV's.

Yes, the gxv version, I can feel this one already revs harder than my old one.
Put it on an over grown kik lawn today on low speed, on the heavy bits I only cut half the deck width at a time and only clogged the chute once when I over filled the catcher.
Mesh catcher is great, it fills well from all the air flow and I miss the blade brake but beggars can’t be choosers.
The guy at the mower shop tried to sway me toward the Honda equivalent “as the gearbox will go first on the bushmaster compared to the Honda in our experience”. He also made the point at how solid the bushmaster is and that supply of them continued during covid when the Hondas were unobtainium.
Anyways I can’t wait for next week to do my big buffalo lawn and stretch her legs.

[DFB FGXR6]

Originally Posted by danzvtil

Yes, the gxv version, I can feel this one already revs harder than my old one.
Put it on an over grown kik lawn today on low speed, on the heavy bits I only cut half the deck width at a time and only clogged the chute once when I over filled the catcher.
Mesh catcher is great, it fills well from all the air flow and I miss the blade brake but beggars can’t be choosers.
The guy at the mower shop tried to sway me toward the Honda equivalent “as the gearbox will go first on the bushmaster compared to the Honda in our experience”. He also made the point at how solid the bushmaster is and that supply of them continued during covid when the Hondas were unobtainium.
Anyways I can’t wait for next week to do my big buffalo lawn and stretch her legs.

The mesh/fabric catchers easier to empty as well.

As for the gearbox, it's not as if the Honda box is without sin.

Look forward to hearing further thoughts.

[Citroënbender]

Is Stihl equipment now made in China?

Actually looking at used demo saws but trying to gauge if quality has slipped like many products now made there.

[DFB FGXR6]

Originally Posted by Citroënbender

Is Stihl equipment now made in China?

Actually looking at used demo saws but trying to gauge if quality has slipped like many products now made there.

This is a complex question.

Stihl products are made in China, the USA and Germany. At one point they were also made in Brazil, not sure if that is still current.

It's safe to say the battery tools are from China, along with all the residential 2-stoke machines. That would be the 27.7cc blowers, trimmers, hedgers, multi-tools and the lower powered chainsaws.

I know a lot of Chainsaws and certain trimmers are made in the US factory.

Germany produces the higher end equipment, chainsaws and presumably demo saws.

I think where Stihl have gone cheap is at the lower end of the market, as in the residential gear. This has had the effect of cheapening the brand image overall, bringing down the good they do further up the range, especially on chainsaws.

I think it would be safe to assume demo-saws would be either US or German made.

[DFB FGXR6]

Anyone tried one of these..................

https://www.victa.com/au/en_au/produ...ush-mower.html

[roKWiz]

Originally Posted by DFB FGXR6

Anyone tried one of these..................

https://www.victa.com/au/en_au/produ...ush-mower.html

image

image

35 years ago with a yard the size of a one car garage.

[DFB FGXR6]

35 years of Stihl chainsaw technology................



From left to right; 50.2cc MS 271, 40.8cc 009L, 50.5cc 028AV Super and the battery powered MSA 140C.

[Citroënbender]

Agent 008: “Licence to Stihl”.

[danzvtil]

Originally Posted by DFB FGXR6

35 years of Stihl chainsaw technology................

image

From left to right; 50.2cc MS 271, 40.8cc 009L, 50.5cc 028AV Super and the battery powered MSA 140C.

Sorry, but all I see is an immaculate tray mat. Tell me you don’t detail the inside of your Ute tray?!

[FTE217]

haha danz thats a silly q - ofcourse he does.

Mowing fellas, man can't wait for the change of season, if I was that anal I could mow weekly, the amount of mositure and good weather here in Syd grass is growing the fastest in years.
I'm normally a fortnight cutter but when I look I think christ could cut it now.

[Interceptor]

Originally Posted by DFB FGXR6

Anyone tried one of these..................

Wheres the motor?

[DFB FGXR6]

Originally Posted by danzvtil

Sorry, but all I see is an immaculate tray mat. Tell me you don’t detail the inside of your Ute tray?!

Naturally! You say that like it's a bad thing?

[DFB FGXR6]

Originally Posted by Interceptor

Wheres the motor?

Not going to lie, the engines form the biggest part of my love of lawnmowers.

[DFB FGXR6]

Last night, I sent an email to Stihl Australia in regard to finding out the production date for the 028 AV Super. To my surprise, thay had responded by 9.30am this morning.

My original estimates had the saw being made from about 1988 to 1990. After attempting to decode the serial number myself, I sent an email to Stihl with the serial number and asked if they could give me a production date and location.

Due to the age of the machine, they could only give me the production date. The saw would have been made in either the Virginia Beach USA factory or the Waiblingen Germany factory in May 1986.

So, a little bit older than I had thought. In fact, it's only 6 months younger than I am.

[.:4:.]

So maybe 2 years ago i gave my brother a hand taming his tiny backyard. Privits (dunno if thats what they were, but he says they are) were tall and everywhere so lopped them down at the time with my chainsaw and in general tidied the place up. That was 2 years ago.
So my brother asked for a hand again claiming 'it shouldnt be too bad'. I spose if he was honest i would have said no.
Dunno what brand of weeds it is, but vine things. Could not even get down the back steps. It took me about half an hour just chopping to free up the banisters and a path down the steps. These vine are no joke between 3 foot to maybe 5 foot all through the tiny yard. No chance in hell will a whipper snipper or slasher make any progress before getting wrapped up. So yes i gave my brother the 25cc snipper that works good, but it has no chance. Not lending my 51cc snipper even though i have a slasher blade for it, that thing also has no chance. These vines are dead down low, but up top are green and like ropes. So realistically hedge clippers or a macette are the better options, but for a start herbicide makes more sense.
So my brother bought the kill everything stuff, and a sprayer. Deffinately going to take a few rounds, but after only 30 minutes the green canopy of the vines had holes burning in it.
How bad this yard is is impressive for all the wrong reasons. Once dead and dried out it will whack down easy, run it over with a mower to chop it up.

[DFB FGXR6]

For whatever reason, Victa don't fit a soft grip handle on their commercial range of mowers. That includes the MasterCut utility, the 19 and 21 inch Commercial models and the Mulchmaster.



That is despite the residential mowers having them, right down to the entry level Corvette 100.



This might seem like a trivial issue, but you certainly notice the absence of the padding with extended use. My solution has been to apply bike handlebar wrapping -



I can't remember when I applied this but renewing it had been on the to-do list for a while.





Removing the old tape left some adhesive residue, so it was out with the Eulex. This stuff simply melts away glue and adhesive residue. I then followed that with some Gyeon Prep, an IPA prep spray, to remove any lingering Eulex residue.





It was then time to wrap the handle with some new tape which I got from Amazon.





Much neater and hopefully more comfortable.

[GasoLane]

Originally Posted by DFB FGXR6

It was then time to wrap the handle with some new tape which I got from Amazon.

image

image

Much neater and hopefully more comfortable.

This turned up on another forum I frequent, although it may not have a tight enough grip on the handle for you.

Can also be found at Jaycar and Amazon.

https://www.benzworld.org/threads/fr...#post-18562081