Recommend me a lawn mower

INEEDABEER · Post by **INEEDABEER** » Sat Feb 28, 2009 8:50 pm

I got a little honda with a plastic body and 98cc's of pure grunt and a big Toro from Bunnings for the rough stuff.

nncoolg · Post by **nncoolg** » Sat Feb 28, 2009 8:58 pm

Go down and see Barry Reed at Macksville Mower Center on the highway mate, and get a new victa 2 stroke, they are simplicity itself.
Support the locals mate, it'll be worth it.

Gannon · Post by **Gannon** » Sat Feb 28, 2009 9:09 pm

I drive through macksville several times a week, but cant place a mower place on the highway. The only one i can think of is Peter Halmers Motorbike and mower shop, but i think he closed down.

Im gonna try fixing my current one up, and if i fail, i'll get a cheap 2 stroke victa from somewhere

chubby37 · Post by **chubby37** » Sun Mar 01, 2009 11:10 am

i had an MTD mower till it got stolen....4 stroke.....fantastic or any victor....i own a victor panther 2 stoke now....kicks the butt on any 4 stroke...it has auto torqur control so it does not die in long thick grass

rob83ke70 · Post by **rob83ke70** » Sun Mar 01, 2009 7:35 pm

I bought a cheapish ($400 isn't too bad these days for a new mower) victa mower, i think it was a greenskeeper or something like that. There was one there with a catcher, and a victa motor, or on the same platform there was one with a briggs and stratton motor and a mulching attachment. I went with the one with the mulching attachment, and I haven't even put the catcher together!!

starts first go every go, the motor looks the same as old mowers that we've had for years and years, and its a victa body. I figure victa have been making mower bodies for long enough to know what they are doing and briggs and stratton have been making engines for long enough to know what they were doing so I should have a good mower. I've used it a fair bit since moving to this new house as the lawn actually grows a bit and I really like it.

If money is not a problem, I'd go with a dedicated mulching mower with a bigger briggs and stratton engine. My dad had one and it was really good until the local scum/thugs/gangs in narromine stole it (and reckoned they were going to dump it in the river).

Robert.

nncoolg · Post by **nncoolg** » Sun Mar 01, 2009 8:21 pm

next to the chinese, opposite the Bananacoast ATM. The Raditaor shop is there too. Good Ol' fashion soivice.

Gannon · Post by **Gannon** » Sun Mar 01, 2009 11:25 pm

Of course, i forgot all about him.

So how often do you travel through Macksville?

Ben · Post by **Ben** » Mon Mar 02, 2009 4:51 pm

Another vote for the Honda, I have one after my old victa caught fire. It is as good as Honda say it is!

That said, can't beat the $40 rebuild for the old victa 160's!

Gannon · Post by **Gannon** » Mon Mar 02, 2009 5:08 pm

Ben wrote:That said, can't beat the $40 rebuild for the old victa 160's!

It looks like that is what i'll do

nncoolg · Post by **nncoolg** » Mon Mar 02, 2009 8:09 pm

I used to live there.

Ben · Post by **Ben** » Tue Mar 03, 2009 5:58 pm

Gannon, if you want a hand let me know, it can be a little tricky getting the crank cover off, you shouldn't need to though, pop the head and pull the clinder off, check it for wear, have it bored if needed then take the cylinder with you to the mower shop cos there is a few oversize options and you'll need to trial fit cos you';ll never know if the engine has been bored in the past.

Gannon · Post by **Gannon** » Tue Mar 03, 2009 6:31 pm

CAUTION!!! Im about to vent!!!

Dad rang me this arvo and said i can have my grandmothers mower (a green Rover with a 3.5HP Briggs) to use till i fix mine, so i drove out, picked it up and drove home.

Got it out of the car, and tried to start it.... chug chug chug.... chug chug chug. Pulled off the air cleaner and the choke was stuck shut. I got a hairpin and wedged it open. Pulled the starter cord and 'SNAP'

I was fuming

So i got out my spanners and tried to take the top off, damn imperial bolts (i have only ever worked on Subaru's so i only have a metric toolkit) Burred 2 out of 3 bolts and gave up

I went back to the Victa in the corner of the yard and started to dismantle it. Tried to undo one of the screws in the top cover and snapped the tip off my screwdiver...... GRRRRRRR!!!!!!

I grabbed the screwdriver in a fit of rage and bashed the top of the mower, only to break the fuel tank.

Fed up, i stood up, picked up my tools and went inside.

Tomorrow im lookin for either a reconditioned Victa 2 stroke with a catcher, or a Honda of some description.

Subaman · Post by **Subaman** » Wed Mar 04, 2009 7:33 am

Just spend the bucks and get the honda, you wont look back, like posties, mowing contractors use Honda`s for a reason.

Ben · Post by **Ben** » Wed Mar 04, 2009 4:59 pm

Gannon. come n give mine a pull on the weekend

you'll understand why they are so great. Starts first time every time...

Ben · Post by **Ben** » Wed Mar 04, 2009 4:59 pm

Oh yeah, be sitting down when you get a price....

rob83ke70 · Post by **rob83ke70** » Thu Mar 05, 2009 4:54 pm

If you were a bit closer or I had a new rear tyre on the bike I'd come up on a weekend and help you pull it apart...

I know how you feel about breaking things, I have those days too and I'm a motor mechanic.... normally when I break something it belongs to somebody else too which makes it worse!!! I go for months at a time with everything ok, then all of a sudden you strip a bolt, stuff a thread, break something, lose a tool, drop a tool or component, everything can go pear shaped pretty quickly.... the older the thing that it is you are working on the worse it is. Old plastic... ....shudders.....

by the time I get a new tyre, your lawn will probably be up to your waist...

Robert.

Post by **Captain Obvious** » Thu Mar 05, 2009 8:01 pm

wow who thought a mower thread would get so big!! lol

Willie · Post by **Willie** » Fri Mar 06, 2009 12:29 pm

Anything with a Briggs and Straton 4 stroke will be good. Picked mine up at Cash Converters for less than half price only 8 months old (had original sales docket) about 10 years ago and has not missed a beat. Only thing ever done is change oil, plug and blades. I always run it on premium, also.

Gannon · Post by **Gannon** » Sat Mar 07, 2009 8:49 am

Captain Obvious wrote:wow who thought a mower thread would get so big!! lol

Yeah it has surprised me too.

I dont like briggs n stratton, we have always had problems with the pull cord squeeling and wearing out.

Ben, i'll have to take a raincheck on giving yours a pull (but are you going to the drifts on sunday?)

At the moment, im considering on buying a 2nd hand, reconditioned victa 2 stroke for $130

Im a tight****, but the less i spend on a mower, the more i can spend on the Leone

Gannon · Post by **Gannon** » Wed Mar 11, 2009 8:17 pm

Problem resolved

I was in Big W and saw a Briggs n Strat mower and catcher for less than $200 so i bought it.

For the small amount of yard i have to mow, i doubt i will wear it out.

Thank you all for your advice, it was much helpful