Mowing ..

[janddbone]

I would have said that you have a 'new' pricing structure. Then offer to do a clean up for a set price, you said triple, then to only do it as a regular job, at your normal sensible price. Or, as a $400+ 'one off' call in price. Then also offered the alternatives, that will be even more! Ha ha.

[DFB FGXR6]

Originally Posted by janddbone

I would have said that you have a 'new' pricing structure. Then offer to do a clean up for a set price, you said triple, then to only do it as a regular job, at your normal sensible price. Or, as a $400+ 'one off' call in price. Then also offered the alternatives, that will be even more! Ha ha.

I can't be bothered playing mind games with prices. I'm a big believer of paying people what they are worth to represent what they are doing.

To be honest, I screwed up with the quoting of this job and broke a number of my own rules, I must have been tired that day. I learnt 15 years ago to never take on "walkups", they are ALWAYS more trouble than they are worth. Aim high on price and never compromise, the price is the price or goodby. And never take on a job because you feel sorry for the person, it only ends up being you who gets walked on.

Because I have 9-5 job 4 days a week, I don't need to be chasing customers and have a set group that I have been servicing for 17 years now. Any time I have taken on walkups or additions to my schedule that I don't know beforehand, they have always been trouble.

I have one now who has been trying to get hold of me, being in hospital and then two weeks of flood activity meant I was not available anyway. While the town was under water, she wanted me to come around and clean her pond filter because she didn't like getting her hands wet, suggesting that "it's daylight till 8pm and that I could surely come around after work". No thanks........

[DFB FGXR6]

Went in to pick up my old BG 86C this morning. At first, I thought it wasn't mine as the unit had the model badge on the recoil housing, mine having lost that a long time ago. Then I spotted the tech screws holding the tube on and realized what they did.



A secondhand recoil housing costing me all of $30. I actually went looking for something similar online, but none were available for sane money or in the country.

Importantly, there will be NO MORE TOOL LENDING!

Whilst I was in the Stihl shop, I bought my two-year-old cousin a chainsaw.......



The little guy is just too cute pushing his toy lawn mower around the yard, exactly like I did at that age. I joke to his mother that he will be a gardener one day and that I will be offering him a job soon! Apparently, he loves anything that makes a noise or go's vrooooom. I think I'm going to have to start influencing him with Mustang's and XR8's........

[DFB FGXR6]

I'm just a big kid really..........

https://www.stihl.com.au/STIHL-Produ...-Operated.aspx

[Citroënbender]

One for your mate Schlemiel (the starter cord buster). I’ll wager he can injure himself or another with that rubber chain.

[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:

[janddbone]

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

[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.

[DFB FGXR6]

Originally Posted by 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.

I actually got some fuel stabiliser recently. I have a lot of machines sitting for extended periods that something like that is kind of a no brainer.

I only use non-ethanol 91 octane in my equipment. I see no reason for 95 or 98 ron fuels in these small air-cooled engines. I have read some suggestion that premium fuels cause small engines to run hotter.

[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?

[xkxlxm]

Hyundai Getz: unusual tow vehicle for a lawn-mowing man (towing a standard size box trailer) seen this morning.

[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.

[DFB FGXR6]

Originally Posted by xkxlxm

Hyundai Getz: unusual tow vehicle for a lawn-mowing man (towing a standard size box trailer) seen this morning.

That will have been what industry calls a "beer Bob".

[DFB FGXR6]

Originally Posted by Rallye Sport

I'll be intersested to hear what you decided on

Originally Posted by Citroënbender

How many cc? Or electric?

I already have a battery MSA 140 which has been such a great little saw for light pruning jobs. It's also very convenient to just grab and go, no servicing, no fueling.



I also have an old Stihl 009L that has done a lot of work cutting firewood and the like. They are a weird saw with a completely different layout to other Stihl saws. Despite the compact shape, they had a decent bar on them and a 40.8cc engine. Most small saws have a 30 something cc engine, so the 009L had great power to weight.



I want POWER with my next saw. Something I can grab with confidence and know it's going to get through what I have in front of me. I'm not considering anything other than a Stihl for this purchase, despite wavering here and there, I'm a Stihl boy to the core and grey up in awe of my neighbors big Stihl chainsaw.

I was all set to buy a 45.6cc MS 251 until Rallye Sport suggested the 50.2cc MS 271 for just that little bit more. Both will be more than enough for what I have in mind, but I think it's clear I don't do things by halves.

MS 251 -

https://www.stihl.com.au/STIHL-Produ...72/MS-251.aspx



MS 271 -

https://www.stihl.com.au/STIHL-Produ...72/MS-271.aspx



I need to go in and get my hands on both to get a feel for the weight difference between the 251 and 271. I also want the Stihl carry case so that the saw will always be ready to go when required and with everything needed kept together.

https://www.stihl.com.au/STIHL-Produ...arry-Case.aspx



There is just something so satisfying about the scream of a lusty chainsaw.............excuse me, I think I need to visit the bathroom...........

[DFB FGXR6]

Originally Posted by Rallye Sport

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

image

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

image

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.

I don't want to be anywhere near when that thing is running, looks and sounds deadly!

[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.

[.: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.

[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