Mowing ..

[DFB FGXR6]

This video provides several mechanical reasons why you shouldn't remove the guard from your line trimmer. Common issues caused by removal of the guard include burnt clutches, failed shaft bearings, increased driveshaft wear, ..................... all caused by overheating. For some reason this is more pronounced on curved shaft machines.

[DFB FGXR6]

Oooo, I love it when new parts arrive!



This lot came from Power Mowers, which I've been buying more from lately. They tend to favor OEM parts over aftermarket stuff. Yes, you do save money by going aftermarket, but you also gamble with the possibility of lower quality as well. I much prefer OE as it usually fits better, which is important for stuff like air filters. Annoyingly, most retailers stay aftermarket as the parts are easier to get than dealing with Briggs, Honda, Stihl ect.

On this order -

2 OE Briggs 850 Oil Filters -
https://powermowers.com.au/products/...60b111c9&_ss=r

OE Briggs E-Series Air Filter (this is actually cheaper the aftermarket) -
https://powermowers.com.au/collectio...25daccba&_ss=c

OE Briggs Quantum Air Filter -
https://powermowers.com.au/collectio...25daccba&_ss=c

2 OE Briggs Quantum Pre-Filter -
https://powermowers.com.au/collectio...25daccba&_ss=c

Champion RC12YC (For modern Briggs engines) -
https://powermowers.com.au/products/...6a50f175&_ss=r

Rover 18-inch Blade Set -
https://powermowers.com.au/collectio...9b779f4b&_ss=c

Victa 19-inch Blade Set -
https://powermowers.com.au/collectio...9b779f4b&_ss=c

And not pictured, a Briggs Quantum head gasket, which despite my attempts, I had to go with aftermarket from Green Acres.
https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/171115783675

The next project will be the Rover Combat with the Quantum 35 ES, I'm going to pull the head to de-coke it, then fit a new plug and filters. Probably unnecessary, but I enjoy it.

[swamp]

hi
""After market parts "" are very often repacked as genuine . This is the case for v twins and diesel . Ie Baldwin Donaldson etc

Most of the Genuine Briggs parts can be sourced from
Japan ,, China , USA , there is another as well name escapes me

Generally the lesser the series of engine the lesser quality parts
Briggs spend alot on the engine block in the top series but nothing on the bolt on parts . Typically China

But dont blow up certain PTO boxes because the parts are a 1 time assembly only . Disassembly typically =destruction . 20,000--40,000$ mowers Pto box is $1500

Decent mower 1.250inch spindle shafts in a cast steel housing with a 9 inch diameter reinforced flange with
Tapered roller bearing ............Same retail value mower can have alloy housing 3/4 shaft with ball bearing

[DFB FGXR6]

Got rained out yesterday, so it was back on the tools today. Despite it being warm over the last two weeks, the lawns I cut today were relatively tame. With the long soaking rain yesterday, I doubt that will be the case at the next visit in two weeks.

On the last lawn of the day, instead of the usual 3 - 4-inch-high Kikuyu, I was dealing with a metric sh.t tonne of leaves shed from two dirty gum trees on the nature strip. Once blown onto the grass, which is difficult because the flatness of these leaves makes them resistant to blower, in some places all you could see was leaves and not grass. I filled a 240-litre green waste bin 3/4 full with leaves.



I'm not great at identifying gums, probably because I have little to no interest in them, but I think these two offenders are Eucalyptus leucoxylon. Not only do they constantly shed foliage, but they shed bark as well. I have always hated just about all Corymbia/Eucalyptus trees. The are a select few that I actually like, including eucalyptus caesia Silver Princess for its draping white stems and red flowers caps, Eucalyptus scoparia Willow Gum for its white trunk and dappled canopy, and Corymbia citriodora Lemon Scent Gum for that delightful aroma, especially after rain. The rest do nothing for me, they are ultra messy and prevent other plants from growing underneath.

In the nursery, when asked if a customer wanted an evergreen or deciduous tree, 9 times out of 10 they would say evergreen, and almost always it that response came from males. My response was always along the lines of a deciduous tree sheds only once a year, an evergreen tree will shed all-year-round. Anyone with a Magnolia grandiflora relative (Little Gem, Kay Parris ect) will know what I mean.

[DFB FGXR6]

Gave the Rover Combat its head job today.....................

https://www.fordforums.com.au/showpo...postcount=2944



Carbon looks worse than it was, the piston was remarkably clean.





Block, valves, piston and head cleaned up. I also "machined" the head on the bench with sand paper.





New gasket......................



Head bolts torqued in a cross pattern, first to 10 Nm then to 17 Nm.



New Champion J19LM spark plug, a CJ8 would also work.



Old aftermarket filters swapped for new OEM items.....................







Back in one piece and running as sweet as ever.

[Citroënbender]

Nice tidying on the head. Have you thought about a small blast cabinet with glass beads?

[DFB FGXR6]

Originally Posted by Citroënbender

Nice tidying on the head. Have you thought about a small blast cabinet with glass beads?

Only briefly. I did however buy a small benchtop parts washer.

https://sydneytools.com.au/product/d...c-parts-washer

[swamp]

hi
What degreaser are u using ??
Kero is great but getting pricey where I live in 20lt drums .

[DFB FGXR6]

Originally Posted by swamp

hi
What degreaser are u using ??
Kero is great but getting pricey where I live in 20lt drums .

On the bench today was cheap carb spray -
https://www.repco.com.au/oils-fluids...117/p/A8368856

I also have the same brand degreaser, but I hate using that style of degreaser -
https://www.repco.com.au/oils-fluids...001/p/A8228973

I've get excellent results using Bilt Hamber Surfex HD. This is a water-based degreaser and all-purpose cleaner. It can be diluted up to 100:1, but for this sort of thing, I'd favor 1:1 to 5:1. It had no problem cleaning up that Stihl 028 AV Super.

https://detailingshed.com.au/product...6eb1590c&_ss=r

















I have also used Kerosene in the past, you can see it sitting to the side in a few shots above. It works fine but like degreaser, I hate how the odor hangs around.

[Citroënbender]

We use the “correct” narrow cut kerosene in the parts washer but like regular kero - as you say, the odour hangs around. I can easily still smell it on my arms.

[swamp]

hi

Luv the smell of kero and burnt gear oil in the morning . Mechanics after shave and deodorant. LOL

But seriously what ya all using to clean greasey hands
5ltr pump bottle Loktite costly for home but great for larger all day jobs
Solvol soap dries out ,, was very hard to get
Now buying Gritmits soap bar works better than Solvol

[EBSXR6]

Has anyone had any experience with a recent model Corded Electric Mower?
My old petrol mower is on its last legs and the area I need to mow is not very big.

[mad2]

Originally Posted by swamp

hi

Luv the smell of kero and burnt gear oil in the morning . Mechanics after shave and deodorant. LOL

But seriously what ya all using to clean greasey hands
5ltr pump bottle Loktite costly for home but great for larger all day jobs
Solvol soap dries out ,, was very hard to get
Now buying Gritmits soap bar works better than Solvol

i use dishwashing liquid from aldi for cleaning the hands of oil/grease, works well & doesn't cost alot in bulk.

Originally Posted by EBSXR6

Has anyone had any experience with a recent model Corded Electric Mower?
My old petrol mower is on its last legs and the area I need to mow is not very big.

no ..... but i do want to find out what you end up with

[whitelion65]

i use dishwashing liquid from aldi ...
...mild on yor hands while you do the dishes....

[DFB FGXR6]

With minutes of its first use back in 2016, I've ran the Mulchmaster without the stupid plastic deflector shield.

https://www.fordforums.com.au/showpo...postcount=2946





I found the shield would get hung up on paths and garden edges, making it very cumbersome to use. With mulch block installed, this posed no issue. However with it removed for side discharge, it did pose a danger risk. Victa later redesigned the deflector, moving back to a steel flap similar to older 550 Mulchmaster's.



With that newer part being a direct fitment to older Mulchmaster 560's, I ordered one and fitted it today.







This should make it safer when side discharging without hampering its usability.

[OneMadMan]

Originally Posted by EBSXR6

Has anyone had any experience with a recent model Corded Electric Mower? My old petrol mower is on its last legs and the area I need to mow is not very big.

Yes, I have (cordless electric that is). Read this:

https://www.fordforums.com.au/showpo...postcount=3076

and if that fails, scroll back through this thread a few posts.. and you will see my review.

Cheers,

One Mad Man

[DFB FGXR6]

Originally Posted by EBSXR6

Has anyone had any experience with a recent model Corded Electric Mower?
My old petrol mower is on its last legs and the area I need to mow is not very big.

Have you considered something like the Victa Razor? My next-door neighbor has one to maintain a very small patch of lawn in her backyard, she's over 70 and can use it no problem. These retail for about $160, but they often pop up on marketplace for $80 - $100. No cord, no battery, no petrol, no oil.

https://www.bunnings.com.au/victa-16...YBXv-89HJQH8Ym

[Interceptor]

Originally Posted by Interceptor

*sighs* had a bloke complain about the price I've put on a Honda HRU196, $350

And 5 days later, another bloke asked if I had any mowers for sale, swung past his place with it in the ute....
"Yep, sweet! Hondas are great, I'll take it! How much?"

Didnt even blink at the price, he has a good machine and only wants me to find the part number of a mulching plug so he can buy one!

[DFB FGXR6]

Originally Posted by Interceptor

And 5 days later, another bloke asked if I had any mowers for sale, swung past his place with it in the ute....
"Yep, sweet! Hondas are great, I'll take it! How much?"

Didnt even blink at the price, he has a good machine and only wants me to find the part number of a mulching plug so he can buy one!

I was only just explaining this earlier today, but I think once you breach a certain price point for any given item, you tend to weed out some (not all) of the riff raff.

When I sold the Honda powered Bushranger late last year, I priced it as a decent discount on the original $1799 purchase price, but well above the price where you get a constant stream of "is this still available" messages. Most bargain hunters are not going to be considering a near-new heavy duty lawn mower priced about their pay grade.

I did get someone say he would take it, but because he lived 10.5 minutes out of town, he would have to contact his brother's girlfriend's uncle's best mate to come and get it next Thursday, but if someone else came before he would be fine with that. The next day, someone local came around, paid the asking price, and left with an absolute cracker of a mower, I even fitted new blades and gave him spare air filters, even the owner's manual. Then the other guy was like WTF! There should be a license for people to breed.

[DFB FGXR6]

Seriously tempted by this one.......................





Yeah, like I need another one.

[Rallye Sport]

Originally Posted by DFB FGXR6

Seriously tempted by this one.......................

Yeah, like I need another one.

Of course you do

Seriously though, worth every penny if it helps keep the passion alive.

Picked up a lovely little Stihl 009 today, previous owner said it just stopped one day and I could have it if I wanted to fix it. Turned out chainbrake had stuck on. Fifteen minutes and a bit of tweaking and it runs like a charm
Still supposed to be taking it easy but looking for an excuse to use it now

[DFB FGXR6]

Originally Posted by Rallye Sport

Of course you do

Seriously though, worth every penny if it helps keep the passion alive.

Picked up a lovely little Stihl 009 today, previous owner said it just stopped one day and I could have it if I wanted to fix it. Turned out chainbrake had stuck on. Fifteen minutes and a bit of tweaking and it runs like a charm
Still supposed to be taking it easy but looking for an excuse to use it now

Those 009's are quite strange.

Dad bought a 009L back in the early 2000's, the salesman convincing him it was a better saw compared to an 018C or similar because you could use it one handed and that it had a two-ring piston. I didn't want him to buy the 009L because it didn't look like a regular orange Stihl chainsaw (I was 15 at the time). I still have that saw even though it very rarely gets used.





While these things might look underpowered, the 009L version had a larger 40.8cc engine, so they punched well above their weight. For context, the similar priced 018C had 31.8cc. I will also note they aren't a high-revving engine like other chainsaws, so they can sound underpowered too. That sound is quite distinctive as well, much deeper than most screaming chainsaws.



I just found the period brochure dated 31/07/2002.........................



It only took me 20-years, but I finally got my orange Stihl.........................

[Rallye Sport]

Mine says hi


I've used them before and always thought they were a good thing. You're right on the sound this ones got quite a deep bark but is still crisp on and off the throttle.
The chainbrake design, the original failing of my one, is quite fickled, theres a setup of a lever, cam and spring behind a hatch in the sprocket cover, I'm not surprised it jammed up and hopefully it stays free in the future.

The 271 is one of my all time favourites, worth holding onto that one.

[DFB FGXR6]

Well..............................









It needs some work, but I did get it to lick off on starting fluid.................



Both excited and daunted by this project! Full story here -
https://www.fordforums.com.au/showpo...postcount=2954

[danzvtil]

Originally Posted by DFB FGXR6

Well..............................

image

image

image

image

It needs some work, but I did get it to lick off on starting fluid.................



Both excited and daunted by this project! Full story here -
https://www.fordforums.com.au/showpo...postcount=2954

Thank goodness you got it. It needs a detail, know anyone who can do that for you?

[FTE217]

Absolute rippa classic luv it !


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[DFB FGXR6]

Originally Posted by danzvtil

Thank goodness you got it. It needs a detail, know anyone who can do that for you?

Maybe.....................

[DFB FGXR6]

Work continued on the Victa 18 today.

https://www.fordforums.com.au/showpo...postcount=2959

The carb cleaned up pretty good, just waiting for the gasket kit to arrive before reassembly.



I also removed the blade carrier to clean under the deck and inspect the muffler outlet wasn't blocked.



Then some gentle cleaning using DIY Rinse-less Wash..................



I have also removed the fuel tank to facilitate the removal of the leaking brass fuel tap and clean out the rust in the tank.





Once the tank is cleaned out, it will be a matter of waiting for parts to arrive.

[Citroënbender]

More of a hort question, really.

Because of the massive and widespread suckering of my removed Chinese tallow tree, I ended up applying a picloram/triclopyr herbicide to the remaining exposed roots. Following directions for poisoning via the cambium layer, a total of 4ml diluted at 1:4 was carefully syringed into shallow 3/16” drill holes.

It’s working steadily. I’ve left the lawn uncut as there are/were dozens of suckers popping up everywhere and I want to see the effects of poison as identifying the root lines. I don’t intend to use more of the poison, what (if any) survives should be controllable with glyphosate.

If the suckers are visibly dying, is there any biological reason to leave them standing? Or can I cut them and put into the red bin? I read the warnings on the poison about not disturbing for 9-12 months, but would assume that was generally a proscription against cultivating back into the soil.

[DFB FGXR6]

Originally Posted by Citroënbender

More of a hort question, really.

Because of the massive and widespread suckering of my removed Chinese tallow tree, I ended up applying a picloram/triclopyr herbicide to the remaining exposed roots. Following directions for poisoning via the cambium layer, a total of 4ml diluted at 1:4 was carefully syringed into shallow 3/16” drill holes.

It’s working steadily. I’ve left the lawn uncut as there are/were dozens of suckers popping up everywhere and I want to see the effects of poison as identifying the root lines. I don’t intend to use more of the poison, what (if any) survives should be controllable with glyphosate.

If the suckers are visibly dying, is there any biological reason to leave them standing? Or can I cut them and put into the red bin? I read the warnings on the poison about not disturbing for 9-12 months, but would assume that was generally a proscription against cultivating back into the soil.

I idea would be to leave the treated material untouched to allow the plant to fully distribute the chemical through its system. If you cut too soon, you won't get full distribution. So, leave it as long as you can, at least until the above ground material is dead and dry.