Mowing ..

[Ford17]

Noticed the deck on the Victa was cracking, due to stress and rust.



Removing the handle bars revealed it was a lot worse than it looked.



Thought it might be time for a new mower - or maybe not.



Put some additional bolts in to secure the handle bars, as just having the original two had it feeling a little wobbly.



Still seems to work okay - at least for the time being:

[DFB FGXR6]

Originally Posted by Ford17

Noticed the deck on the Victa was cracking, due to stress and rust.

image

Removing the handle bars revealed it was a lot worse than it looked.

image

Thought it might be time for a new mower - or maybe not.

image

Put some additional bolts in to secure the handle bars, as just having the original two had it feeling a little wobbly.

image

Still seems to work okay - at least for the time being:

image

It's a high stress area and very common for 18 and 19 inch steel base Victa's to rust out in that spot. Victa do sell strengthening plates that are stamped to fit into the groves of the deck, but you need to catch it early enough, clearly yours has gone a bit far from that.

I'm so glad you made the effort to repair it though. The two-stroke engine on yours would be one of the last, NOTHING cuts grass like a two-stroke!

[DFB FGXR6]

Put in a full day attempting to catch up! My business was sidelined during the floods and last week while running the nursery. Some jobs I had not visited in a month. Raining every day is not helping the cause.

I sort of knew I was going to be dealing with thick, tall grass. Normally, I grab my two-stroke Victa Mustang for these conditions, but I'm tired and didn't feel like pushing a mower all day. My Bushranger struggles in this sort of grass, the half chute not dealing with thick and wet grass.

The only choice then was to resurrect my old Rover. Except, there was a problem. Last time I went to use this machine it would not start, so it was put away in some frustration and left ever since. We are talking about 18 months here.

I kind of knew it was most likely due to stale fuel, so that was the very first thing I did before even pulling the cord, emptying and refueling with fresh unleaded. I then removed the air filter and sprayed some WD-40 down the carburetor throat and pulled the cord, the engine coughed. I repeated with some more WD-40 and the engine fired and died. At this stage, I knew we had spark and that this was a fueling issue.

Even so, I wanted to remove the plug and promptly snapped the ceramic insulator trying to do so. Never had that happen before. I divided into my spare parts department and found a suitable replacement. This time I sprayed WD-40 directly into the cylinder before reinstalling the plug and pulling the cord. The engine fired and run briefly before backfiring and blowing the baffle off the airbox. Baffle re-installed, I sprayed more WD-40 into the throat and repeated the process several time, the engine running for longer and longer with each restart. By this stage I knew what was happening.

So with each restart, the bowl of the carb was slowly getting filled with fresh fuel to the point where the engine would continue to run. In a technical sense, I should have removed the bowl of the carburetor and drained away the stale fuel, this would have negated the need for the WD-40 as a starting fluid. I started and stopped the engine a few times to make sure it was going to be a reliable workhorse today.

I had forgotten what a great mower this is. I still hate that engine though, it needs more torque and has always been harder to spin over compared to every other mower engine I have used.



It's such a shame Rover no longer make commercial grade mowers, they really had a fantastic workhorse with this model. The robust alloy base on mine is still in great condition, making me want to replace the engine with a Briggs 850 and put the thing back into service. I floated that idea before I bought the Bushranger but was told not to bother. But the way it cuts and catches in ALL conditions is unbeatable.

[DFB FGXR6]

Apparently Honda will not be making lawn mowers for much longer. I'm not sure if this is a USA only thing, but a pretty big decision to make considering the market share they hold in the mower space.

https://www.rurallifestyledealer.com...n-mower-market

[Citroënbender]

I’ve seen the needle valve on those carbs get sticky with disuse, particularly with lower grades of fuel. It’s one of the things which sold me on fuel stabiliser.

[janddbone]

A common issue. Its not hard to find another deck, however your repair is probably good enough for another decade anyway! Ha ha.

[Tonz]

is WD-40 betterer than 'Start Ya Bustad' love that name and what it does to old car engines.

its damn good as a fire starter too.

[DFB FGXR6]

Originally Posted by Tonz

is WD-40 betterer than 'Start Ya Bustad' love that name and what it does to old car engines.

its damn good as a fire starter too.

Start-Ya-Bastard is an ether-based product that is very harsh and generally only used when absolutely necessary.

I only had WD-40 on hand and it has started engines for me before. Having said that, I don't know how safe or otherwise it is to use.

[DFB FGXR6]

Continuing to catch up today with lawns that had been delayed by rain several weeks in a row. This is easily my worst spring on record in terms of cashflow, it just won't stop raining.

My last job of the day was the worst. I knew it was going to bad, but not as bad as it turned out to be. The grass was so tall that I had to double cut it, well it was actually triple cut in some places.

Expanding on that a little further, I always start with edges. In this case, I also doubled back and slashed down the worst of the tall stuff. Cut one.

With the Rover on the tallest setting, I ploughed through entire lawn, cut two then. I then lowered the height down to a more appropriate length and re-cut the lawn again, cut three. This is a large yard so mowing it twice was not a quick exercise.

Doing it this way has a couple of benefits though. Firstly, it's easier on the machine as it's not straining to cut and process the clippings into the catcher. This means you keep moving and don't have to empty a packed catcher as often. It will also keep the engine spinning at full speed for longer, which increases airflow and therefore catching efficiency. On a self-propelled machine like the Rover, it also keeps the walking speed up.

It's also less messy cutting like this, the mower not struggling to catch as it bogs down and then leaving a trail of grass behind. Once the first cut is done and the deck lowered, you are then moving quicker and cleaning up the finish as you go.

This method is more time consuming but less frustrating in my experience. I HATE a clogging mower and the mess it leaves behind. I also HATE emptying an overfilled and heavy catcher. Yes, you are covering the same ground twice, but it's easier on the machine and easier on your body.

I was once told that what I do is "not rocket science". This shows there is more to mowing that just cutting grass. There are times when skill, technique and experience are involved, especially when dealing with situations like today.

[Citroënbender]

I think of a lot of garden care/curation as artisanal work. People imparting elements of their own preferences/ideas within a working brief. A general lack of respect for arts is manifested in where people put their dollars and backsides, even if they say otherwise.

[roKWiz]

Originally Posted by DFB FGXR6

Start-Ya-Bastard is an ether-based product that is very harsh and generally only used when absolutely necessary.

Often referred to as "Cosby Sauce" in the US.

[DFB FGXR6]

Lord help me, I am having very unnatural urges to buy a chainsaw! And not a toy one either! One that's not going to leave me wanting.

Thanks Rallye Sport for the tips.

[Citroënbender]

How many cc? Or electric?

[Rallye Sport]

Originally Posted by DFB FGXR6

Lord help me, I am having very unnatural urges to buy a chainsaw! And not a toy one either! One that's not going to leave me wanting.

Thanks Rallye Sport for the tips.

I'll be intersested to hear what you decided on

I've been slashing the firebreaks this week on a machine you don't see used much anymore, a Flail mower.



Underneath is a drum with a series of individual blades hung by shackles.



They're a bit of a one trick pony but they do that one trick like no other, slashing the toughest and longest of grasses aswell as grinding the odd stump if they happen to get in the way

Theres some pro's and cons to this type of machine. As I said it'll cut anything, but is also works really well on uneven ground. The blade setup gives it deflection and unlike fixed blade mowers it won't jam or bottom out on uneven surfaces. Being able to replace blades individually is alot more cost effective if they are damaged.

Downsides are it is loud, noisy and dangerous. Its a front discharge and has the ability to pick up and sling rocks, sticks even bricks for quite some distance. I find the odd golf ball in the long grass and it drives them like a pro. You also need to be prepared for things to ricochet back at you from trees and fences.

I got through unscathed this week and was glad to put it back in the shed until next year.

[FTE217]

I'm with you DFB on Stihl, brilliant brand and delivers.
Only one wish, as much as I can do, someone else sharpen the chain when needed yes just buy a new one lol......

[DFB FGXR6]

Originally Posted by FTE217

I'm with you DFB on Stihl, brilliant brand and delivers.
Only one wish, as much as I can do, someone else sharpen the chain when needed yes just buy a new one lol......

I have a client who just buys a new chain, can't be bothered sharpening it.

[.:4:.]

So my mate, not my inept mate who is a retard with power tools, asked me a few days about borrowing my chainsaw. I also have a pole saw. So nothing more then a refresher, as in chainsaw takes 6 primes and has a 3 stage choke, pole saw takes 10 primes and has a 2 stage choke. Simples. This mate knows, hit the dirt chain is pretty well stuffed. If its flapping about, chain needs tensioning. If it friction burns through stuff, again chains stuffed. I do always have a spare chain.

[Rallye Sport]

Originally Posted by .:4:.

So my mate, not my inept mate who is a retard with power tools, asked me a few days about borrowing my chainsaw. I also have a pole saw. So nothing more then a refresher, as in chainsaw takes 6 primes and has a 3 stage choke, pole saw takes 10 primes and has a 2 stage choke. Simples. This mate knows, hit the dirt chain is pretty well stuffed. If its flapping about, chain needs tensioning. If it friction burns through stuff, again chains stuffed. I do always have a spare chain.

Ahh dirt, the kryptonite of chainsaws. Funny how even the angriest of saws can be bought to its knees by a bit of garden soil

I've always sharpened by hand, had plenty of practice and thought I was pretty good at it. That was until I found one of these in the workshop of my new shed.



I knew they existed but always scoffed at them thinking it was the lazy way out. Man was I wrong, they give perfect angles, depth and pitch every time. I thought my saws were sharp before but these things are next level and all done sitting in comfort on my milk crate at the work bench, taking half the time it did before.

[Tassie f100]

Originally Posted by Rallye Sport

Ahh dirt, the kryptonite of chainsaws. Funny how even the angriest of saws can be bought to its knees by a bit of garden soil

I've always sharpened by hand, had plenty of practice and thought I was pretty good at it. That was until I found one of these in the workshop of my new shed.

image

I knew they existed but always scoffed at them thinking it was the lazy way out. Man was I wrong, they give perfect angles, depth and pitch every time. I thought my saws were sharp before but these things are next level and all done sitting in comfort on my milk crate at the work bench, taking half the time it did before.

Thought exactly the same,then saw a secondhand unit on Gumtree just down the road $30-40 later chains get sharpened much better.I presume if I had bought a more expensive new unit it might be even better,but I’m pretty happy with it

[DFB FGXR6]

I mentioned previously my now departed neighbor I had growing up. He was like me in a couple of ways, never doing things by halves when it came to gadgets and tools.

He had a wood fired heater for the winter months, and that meant he needed a chainsaw. I remember my Dad and I tagging along to help him collect firewood for his and our garage potbelly stove. We supplied the big Mazda T3500 and labor, meaning he could collect more than the little box trailer he normally used. He supplied the chainsaw. We then split the load, he taking 2/3 and us 1/3.

I always wanted a chainsaw like he had. To a 12-year-old boy, it looked and sounded so big and powerful. This is that saw, a Stihl 028AV Super -







From what I can gather, this model was made from 1979 to 1990 and in Super guise, used a 51.5cc engine with 3.2hp. The "AV" designation refers to Anti-Vibration, a feature most saws have as standard these days. It also has a full magnesium case, rather than the plastic used for most modern saws.

As you can see, she is in need of some attention. While it may look dirty and unloved, he looked after that saw very well so I have no doubt it would still be a very good machine. It's likely not been used in ten years or more and now hangs unneeded on a hook.

[DFB FGXR6]

Originally Posted by DFB FGXR6

I mentioned previously my now departed neighbor I had growing up. He was like me in a couple of ways, never doing things by halves when it came to gadgets and tools.

He had a wood fired heater for the winter months, and that meant he needed a chainsaw. I remember my Dad and I tagging along to help him collect firewood for his and our garage potbelly stove. We supplied the big Mazda T3500 and labor, meaning he could collect more than the little box trailer he normally used. He supplied the chainsaw. We then split the load, he taking 2/3 and us 1/3.

I always wanted a chainsaw like he had. To a 12-year-old boy, it looked and sounded so big and powerful. This is that saw, a Stihl 028AV Super -

image

image

image

From what I can gather, this model was made from 1979 to 1990 and in Super guise, used a 51.5cc engine with 3.2hp. The "AV" designation refers to Anti-Vibration, a feature most saws have as standard these days. It also has a full magnesium case, rather than the plastic used for most modern saws.

As you can see, she is in need of some attention. While it may look dirty and unloved, he looked after that saw very well so I have no doubt it would still be a very good machine. It's likely not been used in ten years or more and now hangs unneeded on a hook.

Well, this chainsaw is now mine!



There is a longer story to this, so here goes.

Overnight, the neighbor across from me had all of his carpentry tools stolen from his locked toolboxes. Chatting to my next-door neighbor about this, I told her that she should probably put that Stihl chainsaw somewhere more secure, it's been hanging on a hook in an open carport for a year now. Before he died, her husband always had this thing locked in a secure cabinet. While it's old and beat up, it's certainly still a valuable item.

She nodded in agreement and then asked if I wanted it. In no way was I wrangling to buy it, or have it given to me, so I was a little surprised by that. There is a sentimental element to this saw, it's what got me mad about chainsaws in the first place. I would have hated for it to be thrown away, stolen or given away to someone who wouldn't appreciate it as much as I will. Or put the effort into recommissioning it.

Yes, it needs a lot of work to bring it back to working order. I have not even bothered to crank it over. I pulled the air filter cover off and noticed a perished/disintegrated fuel line so that will absolutely need attention before I even think about having it running again.

I will pull the thing down and clean as much of it as I can, replace the bar and chain, sprocket if necessary. I may even touch up some of the lost paint, although there is some charm to that.

I will then have to decide if I strip and rebuild the carb myself or take it to the Stihl dealer and have them take care of it. After past experiences, I'm not sure I want to do that. (Different dealer to the one I have had trouble with.) At least it will be clean for them if I do go that route. I'm going to watch some video's on this model and see what I'm up for and make a decision soon.

I love the muffler design on these, from memory it had a very stout bark to it.



It would also be nice to find out the age of this machine, hopefully I can find some identification markings or numbers along the way.

So, I have another chainsaw, not that I needed it. However, I'm really excited to have this old girl running again, it's a special saw with a special place in my heart.

[DFB FGXR6]

Originally Posted by .:4:.

So my mate, not my inept mate who is a retard with power tools, asked me a few days about borrowing my chainsaw. I also have a pole saw. So nothing more then a refresher, as in chainsaw takes 6 primes and has a 3 stage choke, pole saw takes 10 primes and has a 2 stage choke. Simples. This mate knows, hit the dirt chain is pretty well stuffed. If its flapping about, chain needs tensioning. If it friction burns through stuff, again chains stuffed. I do always have a spare chain.

Never, ever lend a chainsaw.

I would rather give the person the money to go and rent one rather than screw up mine........because that will be what YOU spend to get the thing fixed.

I will soon have my old 009L up as a loaner, no one is going to lay a finger on my new one.

[.:4:.]

Originally Posted by DFB FGXR6

Never, ever lend a chainsaw.

I would rather give the person the money to go and rent one rather than screw up mine........because that will be what YOU spend to get the thing fixed.

I will soon have my old 009L up as a loaner, no one is going to lay a finger on my new one.

This was my mate who is mechanically minded. And has ears. So listens. So i was giving a hand as in supervising, but no dirt drops or anything. Roped the tall stuff and i just directed the fall. Yes it was my equipment, but my mate used it in the propper fashion. Chainsaw has a chain brake, so when he finished a cut chain brake on. Polesaw doesnt have a chain brake so flicked the switch after a cut. Proper use, no abuse. The end game was to help his mum out. I have no issue helping her out. My mates 32 and still lives at home, so thats why i lend stuff but make him do the work.

[DFB FGXR6]

Originally Posted by .:4:.

This was my mate who is mechanically minded. And has ears. So listens. So i was giving a hand as in supervising, but no dirt drops or anything. Roped the tall stuff and i just directed the fall. Yes it was my equipment, but my mate used it in the propper fashion. Chainsaw has a chain brake, so when he finished a cut chain brake on. Polesaw doesnt have a chain brake so flicked the switch after a cut. Proper use, no abuse. The end game was to help his mum out. I have no issue helping her out. My mates 32 and still lives at home, so thats why i lend stuff but make him do the work.

All good mate, just had enough experiences lending tools to people who don't respect them like I would.

(This is not directed at you .:4:., just my observations with how chainsaws should be treated, and why it's always a big gamble lending one.)

Chainsaws are a tool that need to be absolutely perfect to work properly. Chain sharpness, chain tension, bar condition, oil quality and oil delivery all must be in top condition to cut safely and efficiently.

Then the user needs to be in sync with the machine. Keeping the machine spinning rather than forcing the saw, using the chain brake properly without burning it up, being conscious of where the bar is in relation to the ground, knowing when to stop when something is not right rather than forcing the machine to do something it can't, maintaining a safe grounding and not overextending your body and creating an unsafe situation.

These are not toys, they are a deadly serious tool that need to be maintained and treated with respect and care. This is why when old mate borrows your saw and doesn't follow the basics, it will be returned buggered up.

[.:4:.]

Originally Posted by DFB FGXR6

All good mate, just had enough experiences lending tools to people who don't respect them like I would.

(This is not directed at you .:4:., just my observations with how chainsaws should be treated, and why it's always a big gamble lending one.)

Chainsaws are a tool that need to be absolutely perfect to work properly. Chain sharpness, chain tension, bar condition, oil quality and oil delivery all must be in top condition to cut safely and efficiently.

Then the user needs to be in sync with the machine. Keeping the machine spinning rather than forcing the saw, using the chain brake properly without burning it up, being conscious of where the bar is in relation to the ground, knowing when to stop when something is not right rather than forcing the machine to do something it can't, maintaining a safe grounding and not overextending your body and creating an unsafe situation.

These are not toys, they are a deadly serious tool that need to be maintained and treated with respect and care. This is why when old mate borrows your saw and doesn't follow the basics, it will be returned buggered up.

100% on proper maintenance. Pre run, check the bar lube , chain and chain tension, top up the fuel etc. During use periodically check chain tension. In my saws case its 4-6mm chain slap, any more re tension. Most new chains stretch a little in the first few uses so you have to be on it about that.
But yeah, standard issue safety, the obvious 1st is only the user within distance of cutting faces off, chain brake on after every cut. If its being put down for more then say a few seconds turn it off. When it comes to ropes and directing the fall, i have a 15m rope, so long enough to have something fall well away from whoever is on the end of the rope, and common sense, the person making the cut doesnt stand in the direction of the fall.

[hayseed]

Originally Posted by DFB FGXR6

Never, ever lend a chainsaw.

.

Or Your Wife..!! they Both come back.. f#@%&

[.:4:.]

The original tree my mate wanted to fell was only a small unit. Reason being the flowers agrivate his mums allergies. So my crappy 37cc 16 inch bar chainsaw, chain was ok, it did that. Then me mates mum sticks her head out and asks if the taller tree beside the one felled could be done. So nothing more then a quick planning meeting. Because of the proximity of the fence, carport and house it was simple. Pole saw with extention to lop the high branches, then the top.
Ive only tested the polesaw attachment for my whipper snipper, never had to use it properly. So my mate doing it for his mum, i was just lending equipment and giving a hand. So righto, 10 inch bar pole saw with a new chain. Granted this things 51.7cc. My mate did the bulk of the work. For a crappy piece of equipment, it ****ed. For the high stuff yeah the extention was on, but for the main trunk it was extention of and my mate preffered using that over the chainsaw.

[.:4:.]

Now im sort of just ranting. But this covers a whole range. From hand tools to power tools. You need to know how much gusto to use to let the tool do the work. So, regardless, not enough, the tool doesnt do much, you dont damage it depending on what it is. Too much, like say a holesaw on a drill, or a chainsaw. Your holesaw will overheat and go blunt and your drill will overheat. Same with a chainsaw. Chain will overheat and go blunt and chainsaw gets hot. If you just get it right, let the tool do the work, you get much faster results.
So im from an electrical background. I know how to use drills and stuff. Get an apprentice and tell them dont go in too hard? They listen but think leaning on the thing will do the job faster as they are trying to impress, but no, they smoke the holesaw and the drill needs a 5 minute break to cool down. So thats an example of not letting the tool do its job.

[DFB FGXR6]

Originally Posted by .:4:.

Now im sort of just ranting. But this covers a whole range. From hand tools to power tools. You need to know how much gusto to use to let the tool do the work. So, regardless, not enough, the tool doesnt do much, you dont damage it depending on what it is. Too much, like say a holesaw on a drill, or a chainsaw. Your holesaw will overheat and go blunt and your drill will overheat. Same with a chainsaw. Chain will overheat and go blunt and chainsaw gets hot. If you just get it right, let the tool do the work, you get much faster results.
So im from an electrical background. I know how to use drills and stuff. Get an apprentice and tell them dont go in too hard? They listen but think leaning on the thing will do the job faster as they are trying to impress, but no, they smoke the holesaw and the drill needs a 5 minute break to cool down. So thats an example of not letting the tool do its job.

I have not had much opportunity to influence and guide a young worker over the years. I do see a certain interest in teaching, because I think I'm good at it, but I also wonder how frustrating it would be.

I look back at how I was "taught" and know that I would approach things differently. For the most part, I was always thrown in the deep end and left to my own devices. In a way, I learnt quick, in another way I didn't get the hands-on tuition that I probably needed........I'm a visual learner. Whenever I have had the chance to guide someone new, I have always made sure to break things down for the person, explain how we do something, but crucially, why we are doing something. From my perspective, if a person knows why they are doing something, then perhaps they will better appreciate what they are doing and therefore do a better job.

[.:4:.]

Originally Posted by DFB FGXR6

I have not had much opportunity to influence and guide a young worker over the years. I do see a certain interest in teaching, because I think I'm good at it, but I also wonder how frustrating it would be.

I look back at how I was "taught" and know that I would approach things differently. For the most part, I was always thrown in the deep end and left to my own devices. In a way, I learnt quick, in another way I didn't get the hands-on tuition that I probably needed........I'm a visual learner. Whenever I have had the chance to guide someone new, I have always made sure to break things down for the person, explain how we do something, but crucially, why we are doing something. From my perspective, if a person knows why they are doing something, then perhaps they will better appreciate what they are doing and therefore do a better job.

From a learning standpoint as an apprentice there was 2 types of tradesman. 1st was the one who would think his offsider was like working with a broken arm. So you were forced to be observent. Second was the tradesman who was a teacher. Explain the why things get done, give an example then you know, keep an eye on you the first few trys to make sure you actually listened and learnt.
That worked well for me. You can look at something 1000 times and not be able to do it. Watch it once, be told the why to do it, and have someone behind you pointing you in the right direction when you try. You learn a lot quicker. The thing about teaching. So apprentices are there to learn. If you dont teach, they will be like working with a broken arm. Their job is to learn and make jobs get done faster. So if you teach them, they dont do your job, they just do theirs and the job gets done faster. Granted mistakes will made, but thats part of the learning process. You do not belittle an apprentice infront of a client, you have a conversation later in the car.
I like teaching. But only to those who absorb knowledge. Theres always the 1%ers who arent in it for the right reasons and cause problems.