Mowing ..

[Blue Ice]

Originally Posted by DFB FGXR6

Hmmmm, not dangerous at all................

Can't got wrong with the safety thongs....

[Rallye Sport]

Originally Posted by danzvtil

A client of mine has a 200m long driveway lined with mature spotted gums. I’ve just spent the second day in a EWP cage getting up into the canopy with my husqvarna pole saw to cut out dead wood and tidying up, we’ve dropped probably 10 or 15 t worth of firewood, and we’re only halfway there. The huski saw is the MVP, followed closely by the customers wife who insisted I wear a hard hat. She bought one and “donated” it to my van safety kit. It got hit twice on its first day. Smart lady.

Hard but satisfying work no doubt. I bet they've come up a treat

We had the second best day of the working year this week... Lighting the fire pile. With permits and safeties in place we headed out just before dawn on a damp, foggy morning. All went well except for one of the locals calling the fire brigade, even though everything was in order we couldn't help but get that sinking feeling when we heard the sirens getting closer and closer.
The fire fighters were all good though, they had to respond to the call and after a quick check told us to enjoy our marshmallows We duly waived at the houses on top of the hill and the residents inside.



Next day was the best day of the year, roast spuds for smoko cooked on the remaining coals.



Spring is defiantly here with an outbreak of Bill bugs in our tee's.
Theres two schools of thought on this, the 'Nuke em all' response or the economic loss approach. I'm a fan of the later, the turf is healthy enough to recover from a small attack, so I can't see the point in using fifteen hundred odd dollars of product and a mornings labour aswell as causing collateral damage to beneficial soil fauna. We'll keep monitoring and see how we stand over the coming month or two.

[John 13]

Originally Posted by Citroënbender

Good time of year to do it, too. Will they start to occlude fairly quickly now?

BTW spotted gum is great for handles - hammers, axes, shovels… Maybe a few bits with fiddleback can be sold to artisans?

So true re. tool handles. Recently looked around for a replacement handle for my brush hook. I never really had much hope, so was not disappointed. During the search both physically and on line, found that Kruger’s are still in business now based near Grafton NSW. They appear to have dropped the Slash brand for which they were famous. I think that they are the only remaining manufacturer of wooden handles in Australia. I lived in Ipswich QLD for years and so was familiar with their large saw mill and Slash brand handles.
I have kept the brush hook handle going with wood glue and nose clamps, incidently I wouldn’t mind a new (mid sized) handle for my Kelly 3/4 axe.

[Tonz]

[B][ incidently I wouldn’t mind a new (mid sized) handle for my Kelly 3/4 axe./B]

might be worth asking on https://www.woodworkforums.com huge aussie based forum, lots of very helpful people

[John 13]

Originally Posted by Blue Ice

Can't got wrong with the safety thongs....

Brings back memory, as a 13 yo using a early model Victor mower to mow a rough yard. Mower, as I recall, had a minimum or no skirt at all. Mower started to vibrate seriously and became hard to push. One blade had failed and been thrown off spearing into a rear wheel. This caused vibration and stopped the wheel turning making the mower hard to push.

[DFB FGXR6]

1997 Rover in the USA...................





It's amazing how the American's find the concept of a blade disk and swing back blades a foreign concept.

I remember trying to convince one of my American friends that this blade setup was superior in terms of cutting performance and safety for the crankshaft. His thoughts were that it would be too hard to sharpen and too costly to replace.

[Tonz]

them americans can be dumb at times

[Interceptor]

Dont ya just love Honda small motors.... Picked up a very nice looking G300 on the weekend, taper shaft, perfect to repower a genset thats been taking up space with a dead Breaks 'n' Scrap'em motor, dropped a couple of litres in the tank, pulled the string and it coughed as if to say "bugger off, I'm old".... pulled the string again and it started!

Somehow I dont think I'm going to have such an easy time separating the Armature from the POS briggs it'll be firmly attached to....

[Citroënbender]

Are used motor mower prices softening? They were “ambitious” (or at least I thought so) some months back.

[DFB FGXR6]

Originally Posted by Interceptor

Dont ya just love Honda small motors.... Picked up a very nice looking G300 on the weekend, taper shaft, perfect to repower a genset thats been taking up space with a dead Breaks 'n' Scrap'em motor, dropped a couple of litres in the tank, pulled the string and it coughed as if to say "bugger off, I'm old".... pulled the string again and it started!

Somehow I dont think I'm going to have such an easy time separating the Armature from the POS briggs it'll be firmly attached to....

Oiii! I'm very fond of my Breaks 'n' Scrap'em's!

[DFB FGXR6]

Geez, I want a 500i.....................

[Interceptor]

Originally Posted by DFB FGXR6

Oiii! I'm very fond of my Breaks 'n' Scrap'em's!

I'v got 2 dead ones here that you're quite welcome to!

Interestingly, I've seen several briggs powered mowers lately with bearing issues at the blade end of the motor..... god alone knows what people are doing to them!

[DFB FGXR6]

Originally Posted by Interceptor

I'v got 2 dead ones here that you're quite welcome to!

Interestingly, I've seen several briggs powered mowers lately with bearing issues at the blade end of the motor..... god alone knows what people are doing to them!

Let me guess, broken camshafts, which then leads to a snapped rods?

Such a shame, Brigg's made improvements in some key areas, making them easier to start, but then cheaped out in others, you know, the important areas like casting thickness and material quality.

[Interceptor]

Originally Posted by DFB FGXR6

Let me guess, broken camshafts, which then leads to a snapped rods?

Such a shame, Brigg's made improvements in some key areas, making them easier to start, but then cheaped out in others, you know, the important areas like casting thickness and material quality.

No idea, never opened one up to find out.

Infuriatingly, 6hp BS Vangard motor has a 35mm shorter tapered shaft than my 7hp Honda..... and just when I dont have a convenient lathe.....

[Rallye Sport]

Originally Posted by DFB FGXR6

Geez, I want a 500i.....................

Thanks for that I haven't seen these before and will do a bit of homework on them. We need to remove some large pine trees from our site that are contrary to our environmental plan after being declared a weed species. The quote for removal is in the tens of thousands so I'm putting together a business case to do them in house, the aim being to save some money and keep whatever saws we need to buy once its done.

Ventured into my neglected backyard today and got a couple of surprises.

First pineapple of the season! This ones got pineapple upside down cake written all over it



These aren't what they look like, same family though, my beer hops have started to sprout. This is my second year growing them and I have 4 varieties now. One of my long term goals is to buy some land in South West WA and possibly use it as a small hobby farm, the craft beer scene is getting big down there now so hops may be the way to go.

[DFB FGXR6]

Originally Posted by Rallye Sport

Thanks for that I haven't seen these before and will do a bit of homework on them. We need to remove some large pine trees from our site that are contrary to our environmental plan after being declared a weed species. The quote for removal is in the tens of thousands so I'm putting together a business case to do them in house, the aim being to save some money and keep whatever saws we need to buy once its done.

The 500i is the first and only fuel injected chainsaw on the market at the moment.



A lot of pro users like them for the power to weight/size ratio. Not cheap though............

https://www.stihl.com.au/STIHL-Produ...3/MS-500i.aspx

I occasionally see them on Marketplace for $500 cheaper, but still a lot of money. They rip though...............

[DFB FGXR6]

They certainly sound nicely responsive on the throttle tip in. I also like the lack of fuss with the cold starting, settling into a smooth idle. I find my 271 needs to be warmed up carefully to hold a smooth idle from dead cold.

[Rallye Sport]

Originally Posted by DFB FGXR6

The 500i is the first and only fuel injected chainsaw on the market at the moment.

Thanks for that I'll wade through those videos this evening.
From what I'm reading it's a coin toss between the 500 and the 661.
Price is the same, however I'd have to option the 500 with the 63cm bar and chain. Not a bad thing though keeping the smaller one as a back up.
The weight, for me, is the main drawcard at the moment. Theres alot of work to do and it'll make a difference at the end of each day.
It'll all come down to the boring stuff first though, putting a good case forward to the committee.

[DFB FGXR6]

Originally Posted by Rallye Sport

Thanks for that I'll wade through those videos this evening.
From what I'm reading it's a coin toss between the 500 and the 661.
Price is the same, however I'd have to option the 500 with the 63cm bar and chain. Not a bad thing though keeping the smaller one as a back up.
The weight, for me, is the main drawcard at the moment. Theres alot of work to do and it'll make a difference at the end of each day.
It'll all come down to the boring stuff first though, putting a good case forward to the committee.

That's a tough choice for the same price.

MS 500i - 79.2cc / 5 kW / 6.5 kg / 1.3 kg/kW

MS 661 - 91.1cc / 5.4 kW / 7.6 kg / 1.4 kg/kW

For me, my angle here would be lower fatigue with minimal power loss compared to the bigger engine MS 661. I would also favor the easier starting and improved throttle response of the 500i.

[Rallye Sport]

Originally Posted by DFB FGXR6

That's a tough choice for the same price.

MS 500i - 79.2cc / 5 kW / 6.5 kg / 1.3 kg/kW

MS 661 - 91.1cc / 5.4 kW / 7.6 kg / 1.4 kg/kW

For me, my angle here would be lower fatigue with minimal power loss compared to the bigger engine MS 661. I would also favor the easier starting and improved throttle response of the 500i.

Agree on the starting and idle. Our 271, whilst it starts first go, takes a while to warm up and even when warm is prone to stalling. Always at an inopportune moment, put it down to knock in a wedge only to have to start the saw again.
The 66's I've used in the past have a violent idle, jumping around on the ground, they tend to only run flat out or not at all. Although at full revs theres nothing else like them.
The 500 looks much more flexible.

[Citroënbender]

Actual mower question.

I’ve been pushing a lightly used 19” Madsport President the last two days. It seems awful. Am I on point or should I be looking for actual faults? Hopeless at picking up, doesn’t seem to cut that great and the chassis front lip likes to catch and dig in. It starts easily and doesn’t bog down, can’t deny it has power.

[DFB FGXR6]

Originally Posted by Citroënbender

Actual mower question.

I’ve been pushing a lightly used 19” Madsport President the last two days. It seems awful. Am I on point or should I be looking for actual faults? Hopeless at picking up, doesn’t seem to cut that great and the chassis front lip likes to catch and dig in. It starts easily and doesn’t bog down, can’t deny it has power.

Is it a steel or alloy deck?

Steel -
https://masport.com.au/outdoor-garde...s19-combo-ic-1

Alloy -
https://masport.com.au/outdoor-garde...l-s19-combo-ic

I had a steel 19'' Masport that flogged out the axle mountings in the deck, which in turn made it cut unevenly and dug into the ground. The bushings they use are terribly cheap, wearing through in short order. If not picked up on, you end up destroying the deck. I got less than 12 months out of mine before junking it.

[Citroënbender]

3000 Series 19 and definitely a steel deck. I checked the bushings, they’re OK.

Wondering if it just has the wrong catcher on it, perhaps that’s why it blows so much out the sides and doesn’t pick up.

[DFB FGXR6]

Originally Posted by Citroënbender

3000 Series 19 and definitely a steel deck. I checked the bushings, they’re OK.

Wondering if it just has the wrong catcher on it, perhaps that’s why it blows so much out the sides and doesn’t pick up.

Scrape and hose out the deck and catcher vents/front lip. Sometimes when those areas have a lot of built up grass, you don't get the correct airflow, which tends to hamper a clean cut and catching ability.

Other than that, I'm not sure.

[Citroënbender]

Thank you. I’m flogging it for a few hours tomorrow as well, will eyeball it for buildup and take a couple of photos. Looking forward to new wheels on my ancient Rover - I’d happily use it instead, then.

[DFB FGXR6]

Originally Posted by Citroënbender

Thank you. I’m flogging it for a few hours tomorrow as well, will eyeball it for buildup and take a couple of photos. Looking forward to new wheels on my ancient Rover - I’d happily use it instead, then.

Yeah, not a huge fan of Masport's either, for obvious reasons.

[DFB FGXR6]

These newer Brigg's & Stratton OHV engines are still pretty new to me, so it's taking me a while to figure out the ins-and-outs.

The key with these engines that replaced the old L-Head/Side valve engines is that they are supposed to run cooler and use less fuel. The fuel use in standard form is in easily better than before, and they seem quieter as well. But they don't rev high enough for my liking. Now, this is in no way restricted to Briggs & Stratton, or even the newer OHV engines.

After running it for a while, I couldn't stand it any longer................



Briggs were cunning in how they hid the governor spring tab on these engines compared to the older designs. But I found it and gave it a little tweak, it's now running nice and strong................



Now, do this at your own risk, preferably once the engine has been run in and had the oil changed. The low running revs of these engines in standard form is designed to meet noise and emission standards, not cutting performance. I probably went a touch too far, but I can easily dial that back. The key thing is that it's cutting much nicer now, powering through rather than bogging down under load.

If you want to do this on your newer B&S 125cc, 140cc, 150cc and 163cc engine, this shows how to do it. You don't need to remove the fuel tank as shown, that was to better show the parts in question -

[genebaby]

This doesn't work on the 190cc?

I'm actually looking for a new mower. Masport with the 163cc and no issues other than I want more power and a big, big catcher. This one seems much smaller than the Victa.

Seems the big catcher models have cloth catchers and self propulsion, which I'm not keen on but looks standard.

Was looking at Ego electric, then IC, then Toro electric, now Honda. Can't make my mind up.

The lawn is big and not always easy to mow some sections. So I figure more power and a really big catcher this time.

[Citroënbender]

How big is your big lawn? I’m on a mildly sloping quarter acre in Sydney and my inherited Rover alloy deck jobbie is a great balance between manoeuvrability and capacity.

[DFB FGXR6]

Originally Posted by genebaby

This doesn't work on the 190cc?

I'm actually looking for a new mower. Masport with the 163cc and no issues other than I want more power and a big, big catcher. This one seems much smaller than the Victa.

Seems the big catcher models have cloth catchers and self propulsion, which I'm not keen on but looks standard.

Was looking at Ego electric, then IC, then Toro electric, now Honda. Can't make my mind up.

The lawn is big and not always easy to mow some sections. So I figure more power and a really big catcher this time.

I have covered a bit, but please please please don't get an American style mower, as in the EGO, Toro's, US-Spec Honda's. Bar blade and half chute is not conductive to efficient cutting. I stress this so much because I went there, spent a lot money only to be left extremely frsutrated and buying another mower in short order. Please please please!

And that's not to diss electric mowers, rather the chassis designs are not up to the job. If you do want to go electric, buy one that is based on a traditional mower like these, at least then they will work properly -

https://www.victa.com/au/en_au/produ...400w-skin.html
https://www.victa.com/au/en_au/produ...200w-skin.html
https://masport.com.au/category/outd...wer-equipment/



I have had mowers from Victa, Honda, Masport, Rover, Bushranger and John Deere. The Honda was a dog, as was the John Deere, the Masport's cheaply made, Rover are not really up to scratch anymore. So that leaves Victa, I keep returning for the durability and cut/catch quality. I am also a big fan of the larger 190cc OHV I/C engine. As such, these are my recommendations -

- Any alloy based Victa. I have had a number of these with varying engines and never had a single issue with either the base or engines. They are all 19'' cuts, the sweet spot. All will last you 20 years! At the moment these are you options -

The 850 (My top pick, the 850 engine is unstoppable and has a cast iron bore) -
https://www.victa.com/au/en_au/produ...stang-850.html

The 163cc 725 -
https://www.victa.com/au/en_au/produ...ng-725exi.html

The 725 Self Propel -
https://www.victa.com/au/en_au/produ...sp-725exi.html

The Commercial Spec - (Has a much larger catcher)
https://www.victa.com/au/en_au/produ...19-850-ic.html


If you are happy to stay with the steel base and the 163cc engine, then look at this one -
https://www.victa.com/au/en_au/produ...vette-400.html

Also, avoid the "Victa" V-series engines that they have started using.

Maspot do offer 19-inch mowers with the 190cc engines, both in steel and alloy, but as I said, I don't rate them -
https://masport.com.au/outdoor-garde...0-st-s19-combo
https://masport.com.au/outdoor-garde...s19-combo-ic-1
https://masport.com.au/outdoor-garde...l-s19-combo-ic



To adjust the revs on a 190cc 850 engine, simply move the plate highlighted below outward (for more revs) or inward (for less revs). I have done this a few times with no issue.




But again, please please please don't go American. I've taken one for the team and learnt that the hard way. PM me if you need, happy to help here.