Do Carts and Mowers Count?

[DFB5.0]

Amazing, D. I have a Husqy, but wish I'd bought a Stihl.

I'm mostly a Stihl man, have been since I was a teenager. That old 028 chainsaw is the main reason for that. I have 4 Stihl Chainsaws (one battery, three gas), a Combi power head and attachments, 4 BG 86 blowers (two on their last legs, a brand new one and one set up as a vac), 1 battery blower, 1 backpack blower and 3 hedge trimmers (one gas, one battery, one battery extended reach). Keep in mind I use these commercially.

The whole Husqvarna / Stihl debate is much the same as the Ford vs Chevy type of thing. Both brands have great and not-so-great products. For that reason, I do run a Husqvarna trimmer for it's superior power to weight compromise over Stihl equivalents.

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[kilobravo]

DUDE! Among all your amazing talents, I didn't know you were also busy dropping TREES, too! Whoa! All my stuff is Echo to include an edger, straight shaft trimmer, two blowers (one backpack), and a pruner.

 

[Rapid Red]

I'm mostly a Stihl man, have been since I was a teenager. That old 028 chainsaw is the main reason for that. I have 4 Stihl Chainsaws (one battery, three gas), a Combi power head and attachments, 4 BG 86 blowers (two on their last legs, a brand new one and one set up as a vac), 1 battery blower, 1 backpack blower and 3 hedge trimmers (one gas, one battery, one battery extended reach). Keep in mind I use these commercially.


The whole Husqvarna / Stihl debate is much the same as the Ford vs Chevy type of thing. Both brands have great and not-so-great products. For that reason, I do run a Husqvarna trimmer for it's superior power to weight compromise over Stihl equivalents.

Stihl, there is a reason land scrapers consistently are seen using the brand. Have three gas-powered machines and a pole saw.

 

[DFB5.0]

Considering this seems to be Outdoor Power Equipment Detailing thread, this will be my latest project.....................

This Rover Regal with a Briggs and Stratton Quantum has sat in a client's garden shed for 15 years, I was the last person to use it. From what I remembered, it was left there because of a running issue, so I knew it was going to need some work.

Decoding the model, type and code numbers -

Model - 12cubic inch/Design 1/Vertical Shaft/Plain Bearing/Rewind Starter

Type - These seem to be non-decipherable.

Code - The engine was built on 16/12/1992.

My first port of call was to attempt to start the engine. The oil still looked like brand new 30 weight oil, a little overfull but fine for what I wanted to do. The fuel tank was empty but smelled terrible.

I put a small amount of fresh fuel in the tank, removed the air filter cover and filter and sprayed some carb cleaner into the throat of the carb. I pulled the cord with the throttle in the choke position and it fired and died. I couldn't believe it started first pull, so I repeated the process and got it run and die again. I repeated these another two times and it continued to run. Unbelievable! I left it to run for a while, it idles right down unlike newer versions of this engine, and actually has a strong top end.

I then mowed my front lawns, and then began to remember why it was put away. The engine surges on full throttle, elevated by reducing to half throttle or having the choke half on. This to me means its not getting enough fuel when the throttle is wide open. I then noticed the fuel tank was leaking, a very common problem for these Quantum engines.

The base of the mower is very good, it does need a new handle screw knob though. And the engine is super strong, even if it does smell a little oily, not something I'm worried about as these older Briggs engines all burnt oil anyway, even if it wasn't visible out the exhaust.

The plan is to clean it properly, replace the fuel tank, replace or refurbish the carb, change the oil and plug. I think the quality of the Rover base during these years and the fact the engine is super strong warrant the effort.

 

[kilobravo]

Are you sorry I started this thread, D? <smiling> I suppose I shouldn't be surprised but I'd never heard of the brand although it looks very similar to multiple US makes. That seems to be the theme between here and Down Under.

Roger on B&S, ran many of them on mini bikes as a kid not to mention all the mowing.

TOTALLY amazed that it ran enough to mow your front lawn though!

So, did the client give it to ya or sell it? Then again, maybe you're just getting it back in running order for the previous client. In any event, I am sure that old mower is in good hands. :-)

 

[DFB5.0]

Now, you could assume that it's plain idiocy to clean a lawn mower, and you would be correct in that assumption. :lol In my defense, the mower was covered in mouse droppings, so the cleaning was as much making it safe to work on as it was making it look pretty.

First port of call, I soaked the whole mower down with Shine Supply Wise Guy at 50/50 dilution. After a short dwell period, I hosed the mower down with water. This easily stripped any oil and grease accumulated on the engine and deck over the years.

Next, I scrubbed the engine, deck, wheels, catcher and handlebars with Brake Buster at full strength.

I even used a wire brush and some Koch Chemie Magic Wheel Cleaner to brighten up the muffler. At some stage, I will be removing this part and cleaning it further with some metal polish.

After a thorough rinse, I applied some Hydr02 to the whole thing, then I doused it with Hyper Dressing. I then dried it with the EGO and a towel.

For some reason, the left side of engine cover/fuel tank has deteriorated at a different rate to the right side. This whole part is being replaced due to the fuel leak, so it won't matter in the long run.

I'm now waiting on some spare parts, and this 31-year-old mower will be back in action.

 

[DFB5.0]

Are you sorry I started this thread, D? <smiling> I suppose I shouldn't be surprised but I'd never heard of the brand although it looks very similar to multiple US makes. That seems to be the theme between here and Down Under.

Roger on B&S, ran many of them on mini bikes as a kid not to mention all the mowing.

TOTALLY amazed that it ran enough to mow your front lawn though!

So, did the client give it to ya or sell it? Then again, maybe you're just getting it back in running order for the previous client. In any event, I am sure that old mower is in good hands. :-)

I had previously mentioned that I would like to get it running again, when I picked it up yesterday, he told me that it was mine. I sort of want to get it running properly again so that I can keep and use it at their property without me having to unload one of mine from my truck.

As for the Rover brand, they are a 65 year old company that were a leader for a long time. They are owned by MTD, so there is some crossover I suppose with the US market. I say they "were" a leader, well the brand is a shadow of it's former self now.

About Rover

About 6 or 7 years ago, they started to cheapen the range by moving a lot of production overseas (China), and then replaced their well-respected Pro-Cut commercial mowers with a new and unproven range made in China. Now, they have discontinued the commercial mowers entirely and just offer cheap looking residential machines fitted with crappy "Chonda" type engines.

On the original Pro-Cut's, the gearbox was mounted on the deck and not between the wheels, permitting a full width discharge chute, meaning it could cut and catch in any conditions, wet/dry/tall/short.

I have had one of these since 2014, which I am determined to keep running as I just can't go out and buy a new one. Every other self-propelled lawn mower has a half-chute which tends to clog unless the grass is COMPLETELY dry and only moderately tall.

Below is why I wont buy a Honda, completely unsuited to how Australian's cut their lawns.................

Although not a Rover, the rear chute is like this particular Honda, improving airflow and reducing the likelihood of blockages.

I have tried to replace this Rover, and while I am happy with the tank-like build quality and exceptional Honda engine on this Bushranger, with a half chute, I find myself grabbing the Rover more often.

The only thing I have never liked about this Rover is the crappy Chinese-made Kohler engine. To be fair, I have given this mower and engine a pounding over the years and it's still running fine. When the "Krohler" finally gives up, I will be replacing it with a Briggs and Stratton 850 engine, an engine Rover actually fitted to the ProCut before they switched to crappy Chinese made engines.

Now, are you sorry you started this thread?

 

[kilobravo]

Now, are you sorry you started this thread?

HECK no! <smiling> I learn so much from you and the extras like this post are icing on the cake, really.

I have only seen half chutes here but obviously, the Aussie way is definitely more better. We have very thick turf, (St Augustine) that a full chute would make things a WHOLE lot easier, too.

I like the rigid catch can on the Rover. The cloth ones wore me out until the last mower quit and I simply began mowing the close areas with the zero turn.

Perhaps the best self-propelled I ever had was an Ariens.

Rock On, D!

 

[DFB5.0]

HECK no! <smiling> I learn so much from you and the extras like this post are icing on the cake, really.

I have only seen half chutes here but obviously, the Aussie way is definitely more better. We have very thick turf, (St Augustine) that a full chute would make things a WHOLE lot easier, too.

I like the rigid catch can on the Rover. The cloth ones wore me out until the last mower quit and I simply began mowing the close areas with the zero turn.

Perhaps the best self-propelled I ever had was an Ariens.

Rock On, D!

Aussie's tend to mow lawns very short, especially compared to US lawns.

Now, you guys are actually doing it the correct way, as in leaving the grass high to help prevent weed growth and improve moisture retention. It also creates a lusher looking lawn.

Aussies have a sincere hatred for lawn mowing, and the accepted wisdom for those who do hate mowing is to cut it as short as possible to prolong the time before having to do it again. Now, of course that is actually not how it works, cut hard and the plant (grass) will grow back hard. Not to mention requiring more water and more weed control (if any).

As a professional, I of course know all of the technical reasons for a tall, lush lawn. But customers expect to see that their lawn has been cut, so that's what they get.

I mention all that because half-chute mowers, typically fitted with a bar blade and very much geared towards the US market and your style of lawns. Cutting high, often and dry grass, usually with the mulching function, that setup is fine. Once you start to lower the deck and attach the catcher/bag, the small discharge chute and bar blade really struggle. It's especially bad if the grass is even slightly damp. Unblocking a mower ever 30 seconds gets old very quickly and really eats into the profit vs time ratio.

This is why I tend to harp on about full width chutes and four swing-back blades. This blade system is also less prone to becoming unbalanced or risk damaging the crankshaft if you hit something.

 

[kilobravo]

You nailed us gringos, D. Some homeowners do cut very short but I believe they do it to maximize the time before the next cut, as you mentioned. I grew up in the northern states where Kentucky Blue Grass is the most popular strain. It is a nice lawn but the grass is kinda feeble.

In the south it's St Augustine almost every where you go and as you probably know D, it is some mighty tough grass to mow because it gets very thick. It also seriously dislikes being cut too short. Hopefully, this image depicts what I'm talking about.

​

When it's healthy, you literally step UP on to the lawn. :-) And because of this, the cut has to be short because cutting this turf close almost needs a chain saw. I'm guessing even your Rover would be stymied cutting this stuff too short.

I love the four blade idea although a bit more work to remove, sharpen, and reinstall than a bar blade but twice the cutting edges.

I always enjoyed lawn mowing although it did get to be much more of a job down here in the South than it was growing up in Ohio. But the last few years coupled with the oppressive Summer heat, has taken most of the pleasure out of it.

 

[DFB5.0]

You nailed us gringos, D. Some homeowners do cut very short but I believe they do it to maximize the time before the next cut, as you mentioned. I grew up in the northern states where Kentucky Blue Grass is the most popular strain. It is a nice lawn but the grass is kinda feeble.

In the south it's St Augustine almost every where you go and as you probably know D, it is some mighty tough grass to mow because it gets very thick. It also seriously dislikes being cut too short. Hopefully, this image depicts what I'm talking about.

​

When it's healthy, you literally step UP on to the lawn. :-) And because of this, the cut has to be short because cutting this turf close almost needs a chain saw. I'm guessing even your Rover would be stymied cutting this stuff too short.

I love the four blade idea although a bit more work to remove, sharpen, and reinstall than a bar blade but twice the cutting edges.

I always enjoyed lawn mowing although it did get to be much more of a job down here in the South than it was growing up in Ohio. But the last few years coupled with the oppressive Summer heat, has taken most of the pleasure out of it.

We call St Augustine "Buffalo" in Australia, it's pretty popular too. I'm not sure if I'm alone here, but each grass has a different scent when cut, St.August/Buffalo is very sweetly scented.

The four individual blades are not really that much extra work, I tend to just replace them on a regular basis. If you did want to sharpen them, you just drop the blade carrier disk from the shaft the same as a bar blade.

 

[Rapid Red]

I'm wondering when you say short or long what the measured height is.

I have the opposite situation as KB has, I moved from Miami to GA, having green grass year-round, and a stroke of luck. Bought a home that has Fescue, and stays green year-round.

The suggested cut is 3" mowed, early spring to mid-summer, every week it gets mowed. Sounds like a chore, but really is not.

The mower is a high-wheel self-propelled machine. The motor to the blade is belt driven, 28" cut. The high-wheel design is more practical because the radius of the tire does not dig into the turf.

Riders overcome that by having wider tires.

 

[WD Pro]

I've not really got much to add to this thread as my mower is a small puny electric thing, but this post made me smile :

You nailed us gringos, D. Some homeowners do cut very short but I believe they do it to maximize the time before the next cut, as you mentioned. I grew up in the northern states where Kentucky Blue Grass is the most popular strain. It is a nice lawn but the grass is kinda feeble.

In the south it's St Augustine almost every where you go and as you probably know D, it is some mighty tough grass to mow because it gets very thick. It also seriously dislikes being cut too short. Hopefully, this image depicts what I'm talking about.

​

When it's healthy, you literally step UP on to the lawn. :-) And because of this, the cut has to be short because cutting this turf close almost needs a chain saw. I'm guessing even your Rover would be stymied cutting this stuff too short.

I love the four blade idea although a bit more work to remove, sharpen, and reinstall than a bar blade but twice the cutting edges.

I always enjoyed lawn mowing although it did get to be much more of a job down here in the South than it was growing up in Ohio. But the last few years coupled with the oppressive Summer heat, has taken most of the pleasure out of it.

Every time we go to Florida I am amazed how good the lawns look considering the weather, then you walk on one - very thick / dense and you need something on your feet as they are prickly and hurt my office skin ...

Our lawns are completely different, typically kept short (maybe 1" after a cut), very soft (good for lying on with bare skin - if you are not allergic) and they shrivel up and go brown at the least bit of sunshine or with more than a day without water - lucky I'm in the UK

They need cutting every week if you want to keep them nice and if you don't, the weeds move in quickly and they look terrible when they do get cut.

I dug the back one up years ago in favour of chippings / more spare time / fewer weekend jobs, but we kept the small front lawn to keep a bit of colour around the front of the house (between us and the pavement). A lot of UK owners are sacrificing their front lawns / gardens in favour of less maintenance / more off road parking.

After a few years of abuse (training for long course triathlon eats into a big chunk of the weekend), I put some more time into the front one last year. Not perfect, but much better due to an early and late season feed and a cut a week (I didn't miss one through spring / summer autumn). Photos from mid to late summer :

Look at the difference in texture to the stuff in KB's picture and what I typically see in Florida

Although we are back to freezing and snow this week, I did get the first cut done about two weeks ago. It needed it as it was very uneven and the longer grass seems to promote dampness and moss over winter. It will need scarifying, raking, aerating and feeding if I want it to look acceptable again for this summer.

WD

 

[kilobravo]

..as they are prickly and hurt my office skin

TRIATHLON!! Now I'm REALLY impressed, WD!

As for the lawn, yep, they can feel prickly when you first encounter one but almost everyone down here walks on it barefoot all day every day. <bigger grin>

And, if I were to cut mine at ONE INCH, it would probably be dead in a week with this sun and heat. My zero turn deck height is set to 4.25 inches for comparison. You CAN lie down on St Augustine but I wouldn't duit without a shirt. Plus, I've always been allergic to lots of plants and weeds but it really doesn't bother me any longer when mowing, etc.

Finally, it will be awhile before someone makes an electric mower that would work here. I spend two hours and then some on the Scag and another half hour edging 1.5 acres. These days I only do occasional trimmer work as I pay a crew to do that chore for me, too much strain on the shoulders. Paying to have the entire lawn done top to bottom is expensive and only happens when I can't duit.

We really should move to a smaller place but the mere thought of THAT chore keeps me from any action. :-)

So...MOW ON MEN! <chuckling>

 

[kilobravo]

We call St Augustine "Buffalo" in Australia, it's pretty popular too.

No surprse D what with your latitude and climate. Copy all on the four bladers. I'm too cheap to replace vice sharpen. <smiling> But I see what you're saying and it would be no big deal.

MAN I wish my garage floor had that covering..too much work to have it done now. TOO MUCH STUFF.

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