Chapter 18 – The Current Fleet.
Two years without a new-mower-fix and I was getting itchy feet. I covered most about this latest addition earlier in the thread, having used it for a few weeks now, I’m really enjoying the lighter weight.
The Victa Mustang 750iS is now a discontinued model, which I think is disappointing because it makes a compelling case. Light but durable chassis, decent power and torque from the 163cc engine and the convenience of electric start. I have to say, the price of these is up towards the upper end of the domestic push-mower price point, so I guess a lot of people looking to spend that sort of money bypass Victa on their way to a Honda. After the first few weeks, I have been really enjoying using this machine, and feel just a bit posh using the push button start.
Today I had it on the back of the ute with the Bushranger, allowing me to use the lighter machine on softer ground. It’s also been really good on fuel compared to my thirsty 2-Strokes and big-block Mulchmaster.
And that’s where I’m sitting for now. Far too many mowers for any sane person, but never enough for a nut-job like me. This is the current fleet –
Missing from the shot is my Pa’s green Victa, it being buried in the depths of the garden shed. I would love to restore is one day, along with my little red Corvette. The old green machine would need a new catcher, it being repaired several times by Pa with whatever he had lying around and it’s missing it’s “full indicator”. One of the wheels is also missing a hub cap.
The engine still ran as recently as a couple of years ago, starting on the first full after sitting for several years. I NEVER witnessed Pa use this mower to its full ability, he would just let it idle along as he mowed, I guess that is why even after nearly 50 years, it was still pretty fit. I remember buzzing it up a few times to see what it could do, only briefly, as I really don’t trust all of those rusty bolts holding the blades on. Ideally, I want to strip it right down, repaint the deck, re-chrome the handles, repair the wheels and replace the catcher. The engine I want to strip and re-build too.
In 99% of cases, mowers like my red Corvette would be scrapped. The value of this mower is sentimental, in which case spending the money to strip it down would not be a deciding factor. It really needs new rings, and the carb needs a new diaphragm. Both of these jobs are a “one day” project for when I have more time.
So, what else do I want in the collection? In terms of the commercial mowers, I think it will be a while before I need to replace those. The Rover was kept as a backup, but has not been used in 18 months now, so it really needs to let go I suppose. Both red Corvette’s get occasional use around my yard, the MasterCut serves a very defined purpose, the Mustang 2-Sroke is for heavy duty cutting and the new Mustang 750 is doing it’s thing. The old green Victa is waiting for it’s time.
I would absolutely love to find a Victa Twin one day. These were made in the 1970’s as a high-powered mower for commercial use and, as the name suggests, these are a twin cylinder 2-Stroke engine.
These things are famously noisy and horrendously thirsty. They sound pretty nasty too, could you imagine being woken up by one of those on a Sunday morning! They did not make a lot of these 170cc flat-twin’s, and the ones that do come up for sale are usually on Facebook Marketplace, a place I don’t really like to buy from.
I would also like to get another Razor, this time with the 2-Stroke engine. This mower represents a time where the world was my oyster.
And a MulchMaster 2-Stoke would be cool to have as well. Again, not many of these were made with the 2-Stroke, and any that remain command a pretty strong price.
Writing this recount of my mower history has been really fun, a wonderful escape from reality and a reminder of how far I have come.