lawnmowers

[dzcook]

ok any one got any ideas on lawnmowers ?

a foot or 2 of rain and the grass just gose mad

have to old victas 2 stroke ( what i use on the rough stuff )both refusing to start got new plugs and one ran for about 2 hrs then went to use next day dead as ! plug is black and covered in crap cleaned it put back in and ran for 5 mins stoped again cleaned plug , covered up again with black soot wont run for more than 5 mins with no power and plug is black each time has new fuel from garage mix so right amount of oil tried a new air filter still no go
the other wont even turn over

any suggestions ( apart from making achors of them )

also
what are the costs etc on a ride on ?
I mean like what are average blades belts etc and what are they worth ? and average cost to service u ask at the dealers and they all say not much but .....
and anything thats not good about them ?

what the opions of new to second hand ?

seen a few on ebay but all are to far south

anyway any ideas would be great
thks
david

[journeyman Mick]

David,
it sounds like there's too much oil in the mix. I wouldn't trust anyone else to mix it for me. Get some Stihl oil, it's good for 50:1, I run it in all my 2 stroke motors (7 of), even the ones that are meant to run at 25:1 like my old Victa. No problems yet after 5 years. Most ride on mowers are overpriced toys with pressed metal chassis's and tinny cutting decks. If you are after 2ndhand try to get an old Deutscher. I've got one that's 22 years old and has needed minimal repairs. It has grease nipples on everything including the seat pivots and the grass flap pivot. It's not as user friendly as the more modern mowers but is strong and repairable.

Mick

[Farm boy]

david

we bought a second hand john deere ex council for $2500,18h/p,48 inch cutting deck at the auctions give your local council a ring and find out when they replace there mowers
greg

[Daddles]

If your old Victa is ancient enough, it might need decoking. Easy enough to do yourself. Just pull all the bits off until you can get to the head, then pull the head - do this carefully so you don't muck up the gasket. Use a screwdriver to scrape off all the carbon, keeping the piston to the top of its stroke (to stop crap getting down into the cylinder). Then oil the cylinder, turn it over slowly a few times - any crap will stick to the oil and you can wipe it off as you go. Then bolt it all back together, trying to get some sort of even tension on the head bolts.

Of course, theoretically, you should replace the head gasket and use a tension wrench, but if you don't have these, and the old girl is stuffed enough, you can get away without them. The last Victa I treated this way lasted a couple more years and was still roaring happily when I replaced it in a fit of fiscal enthusiasm.

But first, make sure you've got the right mix oil, the air cleaner is clean (that can make the mixture very rich) and you've got a new plug (again). Never lay a spanner on a Victa that makes consecutive roaring noises.

Richard

[The Big O]

If the mower's old like my old victa it probably needs new ignition points which are hidden under the finned flywheel.

regards, Lionel.

[Cliff Rogers]

G'day.

If it runs when you clean the plug then it is oiling up & has a weak spark.
Check the fuel mix again & check the spark.... pull the plug out & stick it in the plug lead & lean it against the motor somewhere & give the starter a pull & watch the spark in the gap in the plug. If it's fat & blue, it's good, if it's thin & yellow or orange, it's crook, check you points & condensor.

Do the same thing for the one that won't run.

Hope that helps.

We have a big old Masport self propelled walk behind that I'd sell for a couple of hundred but I don't know where you are 'cos rural QLD is a bludy big place.
It's also ready only good as a paddock mower, doesn't do a real neat job on fine cooch.

We had a Cox 13Hp rideon & I killed it on the hills at our place. It's about $3.5K new & about $1.5K to $2K 2nd hand BUT, while it works (drives) well on hills, the motor is a splash oiler & can starve if you go downhill for too long.

We now have a Kabota 4WD 18Hp tractor with a deck & a slasher & that works well for mowing a couple of acres but a bit exxey for small jobs.

[Iain]

Got a Viking 13hp, new about $3k, exactlet the same as a Cox but a different colour and bonnet, headlights (wow, these are blinding 15w globes) and for another $200 we have a cute little tipper trailer for gathering horse poo.
I like it and its confortable with heaps of safety features, only problem, no cup holders

[goat]

hi just thought I add a back saving tip here .instead of repeatedly pulling your cord (unless you like that sort of thing) do as I did get your cheap socket set (you know the $10 one you thought would be handy and broke the ratshit and split the sockets) get the extension bar weld a piece of round bar or cut off bolt to it or just grind the end down to fit in your power drill and add a 21 mm or a 13/16 spark plug socket to it. Now with your lawn mower brake the plastic grill over the fly wheel to access the big nut ,put socket on nut pull trigger on drill hey presto electric start mower . Please excuse the poor pictures fficeffice" />>>

[ozwinner]

The piccy of the mower belongs under the " Redneck " title.


Al

[Wood Borer]

Brands of Sparkplugs can make a big difference - I didn't believe it when I was first told but do yourself a favour and buy an NGK plug other well known brands don't even rate compared to the NGKs.

I love your mower Goat. I reckon the most pious of people would make the likes of me blush if they tried to start it - even with the drill.

I got rid of my Victa about 12 years ago as it was a hazard to my hammers, blood pressure and pedestrians on the footpath. Only after it wouldn't start though. The Honda starts first or second time for Meg and no fits of temper from me.

[scooter]

I'm with Daddles, sounds like it's coked up. When it's used hard for a while carbon in the combustion chamber will start to break loose and bridge the plug gap. As Daddles said re remedy. The Victa carb ain't exactly a precision instrument either, which doesn't help.

As kids, we always pulled the plug out, dipped in the fuel tank and put back in - usually started no probs after.

Agree with Mick on Stihl oil, used it exclusively as a contractor, don't bother with cheapo oils, VERY false economy. I'd probably run a bit more oil though than 50:1 in the Victa, maybe 25 - 30:1, help to prolong the old dunger, and as mentioned, they aren't a shining example of fine close tolerance mechanicals.

Having slagged them off though, they are simple mechanically and will usually run for ever.

Kept a Honda buffalo when I sold up, can't beat Honda for quality engines.


Cheers.............Sean

[Iain]

Spark plugs, NGK's are very good but if not available buy anything except those crappy pommy pieces of crap, Champion.
They would have to be the worst example of anything electromechanical on the market today.
And Honda engines are brilliant, even if they are expensive.