Mowing ..

[290GTP]

Originally Posted by 290GTP

Sorry if this has been discussed in here earlier but I'm looking at updating my tired Greenfield ride on.

It's still running but burns a fair bit of oil, needs 4 new tyres, battery etc. So I'm thinking of sending it to my dads place down the road and buying myself a new one.

So looking for recommendations on a decent ride on. I'm on a gently sloping block, approximately 1500 square metres (although once a month or so I cut the clearing behind my house, about 700 square metres). Preferably no bigger than a 38 inch deck and it must have a catcher.

Cheers guys

Ended up with another Greenfield. 13 32 Evolution. 249 hours, in really good condition. Even comes with a catcher and mulch plug.

Pretty happy, especially as it was only 500 metres from home.

[DFB FGXR6]

Originally Posted by 290GTP

Ended up with another Greenfield. 13 32 Evolution. 249 hours, in really good condition. Even comes with a catcher and mulch plug.

Pretty happy, especially as it was only 500 metres from home.

image

Looking good!

Briggs & Stratton engine?

[290GTP]

Originally Posted by DFB FGXR6

Looking good!

Briggs & Stratton engine?

Cheers, it's pretty clean. Yeah 13hp Briggs in a east West layout.

[Interceptor]

Picked up a homelite edgetrimmer from the local recycling centr today as a friend is needing one for around his place, had to replace the primer bulb in it, and discovered its that much of a disposable item that it doesnt even have a proper air filter, only a mesh leaf trap!

[danzvtil]

Serviced the old cox ride on today, the blades replaced not long ago were munted on account of the owners kids ploughing it thru dirt and rocks with no mercy. Upgraded to 4 blades, so hopefully they take twice as long to die.
Also got to fang around on his kubota tractor/loader/digger thingy for a few hours digging tree holes and moving top soil, much fun was had!

[DFB FGXR6]

Originally Posted by danzvtil

Serviced the old cox ride on today, the blades replaced not long ago were munted on account of the owners kids ploughing it thru dirt and rocks with no mercy. Upgraded to 4 blades, so hopefully they take twice as long to die.
Also got to fang around on his kubota tractor/loader/digger thingy for a few hours digging tree holes and moving top soil, much fun was had!

How is the Bushranger treating you?

[DFB FGXR6]

Ok, so many will know of my troubles with small engine mechanic shops over the last 9 months, which has led me to doing the work myself and buying parts online.

Of course, buying online doesn't always go as smoothly as you would hope. At least I didn't have to deal with a grumpy store owner.

In this case, the replacement fuel tank I ordered for the Rover Combat has only just been shipped, with the order placed on the 6th of March.

Being an earlier Quantum, it uses a different tank design to the later units. As such, the aftermarket doesn't make one, and the ONLY one I could find being sold from an Australian vendor was a Briggs & Stratton OE part. Fine, I stumped up the $157 for one...............

https://www.allmowerspares.com.au/ge...43-699392.html

Except, they don't clearly state that while the part is orderable, but not actually in stock and therefore is backordered once they take you money! And then, when they do get the part, and sent it out, they put the part on sale, cutting the price by 30%.

[danzvtil]

Originally Posted by DFB FGXR6

How is the Bushranger treating you?

Yes! Very good, still trundling along.

[roKWiz]

Originally Posted by DFB FGXR6

Ok, so many will know of my troubles with small engine mechanic shops over the last 9 months, which has led me to doing the work myself and buying parts online.

Of course, buying online doesn't always go as smoothly as you would hope. At least I didn't have to deal with a grumpy store owner.

In this case, the replacement fuel tank I ordered for the Rover Combat has only just been shipped, with the order placed on the 6th of March.

Being an earlier Quantum, it uses a different tank design to the later units. As such, the aftermarket doesn't make one, and the ONLY one I could find being sold from an Australian vendor was a Briggs & Stratton OE part. Fine, I stumped up the $157 for one...............

https://www.allmowerspares.com.au/ge...43-699392.html

Except, they don't clearly state that while the part is orderable, but not actually in stock and therefore is backordered once they take you money! And then, when they do get the part, and sent it out, they put the part on sale, cutting the price by 30%.

Guess something like that would be difficult to find locally but would have thought you would have a local bricks and mortar store supplier for all your other parts needs ?

[roKWiz]

Originally Posted by danzvtil

Serviced the old cox ride on today, the blades replaced not long ago were munted on account of the owners kids ploughing it thru dirt and rocks with no mercy. Upgraded to 4 blades, so hopefully they take twice as long to die.
Also got to fang around on his kubota tractor/loader/digger thingy for a few hours digging tree holes and moving top soil, much fun was had!

Kubota make great tractors, the little mini's are strong beasts equal to some larger flasher well know brands that struggle doing certain work.

[DFB FGXR6]

Originally Posted by roKWiz

Guess something like that would be difficult to find locally but would have thought you would have a local bricks and mortar store supplier for all your other parts needs ?

Not really.

The two remaining multi-brand mower shops have changed hands over the last 18 months.

One has gone from my go-to for everything to a poorly run shambles of an operation that is now resorting to heavy discounting to generate sales. If they burnt me and the postman, then we can't be the only ones. Even the previous owner told me that he hears nothing but bad things.

The other has basically gone from sales and service of multiple brands to just focusing on selling machines two key brands. No parts backup, or interest in looking at anything else.

The Stihl dealer is tolerable, but also badly run. We waited 4 months to have a simple repair on a blower performed.

The Honda dealer is no better.

So no, I don't really have any other avenue. A lot of this is from a dying trade, where consumers simply replace rather than repair. And with the move to electric, it's only going to go further in that direction.

You would think if you had a business built around small engines, an industry in decline, you would hunker down and make sure you delivered for your customers. As it is, all they are doing is accelerating the move to electric by treating customers like trash.

[Interceptor]

So.... had a Honda HRU196 dropped off in my carport over the weekend with a message "cbf dealing with this, wont start, carby is locked up"....
Poor thing... undid the clamp on the throttle cable, pulled the seized throttle cable to get the carby to the run position...... and thats how it mowed my back yard.
I swear.... some people are hopeless.

[janddbone]

A great mower for you!

[Interceptor]

Originally Posted by janddbone

A great mower for you!

Funny thing is, I already have one, a 2 year old HRU19 with a GCV(160?) motor with the blade brake, which I'm still stoked about having.

Weird thing, is that I'm seriously considering selling the newer model and keeping the older one, basically because I know its the better motor with less complicated innards!

The only thing I'd keep the newer one for is the mulching plug, which doesnt seem to fit the older deck

[DFB FGXR6]

Originally Posted by Interceptor

Funny thing is, I already have one, a 2 year old HRU19 with a GCV(160?) motor with the blade brake, which I'm still stoked about having.

Weird thing, is that I'm seriously considering selling the newer model and keeping the older one, basically because I know its the better motor with less complicated innards!

The only thing I'd keep the newer one for is the mulching plug, which doesnt seem to fit the older deck

I the only Honda mower I have owned was the Buffalo Buck HRU19R with the larger OHC GCV190 engine on it. Loved the engine, so smooth and quite running. I really liked that it would actually idle unlike Briggs engines.

https://www.productreview.com.au/lis...series-hru19r1

Build quality was good, the chassis built like a tank, although I did have issues with the catcher just falling off. In the end, I traded it because I found it too heavy and the angle of the handle was just too low for my frame, which was giving me back issues.

The OHV GXV160 on my Bushranger is more powerful than they give it credit for, especially with a little tune up! Doesn't burn a drop of oil either, unlike the Krohler that's always needed top ups, and its great on fuel as well. Power, fuel economy, reliability, smooth, quite...........what's not to like?

[DFB FGXR6]

Originally Posted by DFB FGXR6

Have been part shopping over the last couple of hours!

Despite the basics staying the same, these engines were made for such a long time with minor changes over the years, so tracking down parts specific to this engine is important.

image

Like the smaller 148cc and 158cc side-valves, the 190cc Quantum's were renamed, covered in plastic and manufactured in China. The one on this Rover is an earlier, US made model with the full cover fuel tank. For whatever reason, Briggs made 3.5hp and 4.0hp versions of Quantum, the same output of the smaller 148cc and 158cc engines respectively. I don't really understand why they bothered doing that, I guess the larger 190cc had more torque?

image

Quantum's also had a few different fuel tank designs, again, mine sits in the middle and has the full cover version -

image

image

This compares to the later design that ran until production stopped in the mid-2010's.

image

I have the full cover tank ordered, along with new fuel hoses and clips, air filters, spark plug and carby rebuild kit. In addition to that, I found some new handle locks.

I also tracked down the parts manual -

https://www.thepowerportal.com/ipls/..._IPLURL_LO.pdf

Finally, after 107 days, I have the part that's been holding me back from bringing the Rover Combat back into service.



As a reminder, the original fuel tank was leaking, emptying its contents within 12 hours. The only replacement I could find was a OEM part as the aftermarket don't make a replacement for this version.

I will now be able to strip the fuel system from the engine, replacing the fuel tank and fuel hose, remove and dissemble the carb, rebuilding it with a new seal kit. I will then put it back together with a new air filter and finish off by changing the oil. Hopefully the work on the fuel system will solve the surging issue when the engine is at operating temperature.

The big question is, which decal should I apply to the recoil cover? Maybe I should wait until I give it a test run before making that decision.

[whitelion65]

Taryl is a legend!

[DFB FGXR6]

Originally Posted by whitelion65

Taryl is a legend!

This is one of my favorites...............

[Tonz]

[DFB FGXR6]

I'd lucky to have got $5 for my childhood lawn mower.

[DFB FGXR6]

Today was a planned day off, effectively giving me a "weekend". And I had every intention of doing nothing other than tinkering in the garage!

After waiting 107 days for a replacement part, I was finally able to get the Rover Combat back to operational order.

That part being the replacement fuel tank. Because this is an early Briggs & Stratton Quantum, I needed the earlier version of the fuel tank. The problem here is the aftermarket doesn't make a replacement part, so shopping OEM was the only avenue. This meant waiting for it to arrive in the country, although I strongly suspect the later version of the fuel tank would have fitted this engine, but I wanted to keep it original.

https://www.allmowerspares.com.au/ge...43-699392.html

Newer style -



Older style -





To recap, this mower was given to me by my longest serving client. It was actually last used by me more than 17 years ago and had sat at the back of the garden shed ever since. At the time, the engine would surge when at operating temperature and there was a fuel leak from the tank, enough to empty the contents within a few hours.



When they cleaned out the shed a few months ago (107 days in fact), he offered it to me, otherwise it would have gone to the tip. Let me say that would have been a huge shame as even though the engine needed some work, the alloy base was in perfect condition and the blade boss even has its original coat of red paint on it.

The first step, previously documented, was a clean to remove 17 years of dust and mouse droppings! (That's Shine Supply Wise Guy for those here for the "detailing".)





For a 31-year-old lawn mower, it looks fantastic. Granted, a 17-year slumber probably has something to do with that.

I then replaced the spark plug with a Champion J19LM, the modern replacement for the CJ8. The old one wasn't too bad, but I was on a roll.





I then made sure to re-torque the cylinder head bolts as these have a habit of backing off over time, especially the exhaust side.



The handlebar locking handles had cracked and were not offering enough tightness, so I replaced those with some aftermarket cam-locks. These are not brilliant, so I will probably look into some OEM ones.





I then waited...........and waited...........and waited........and emailed...........and waited..........and then emailed..........and finally the fuel tank turned up, joining some new fuel line, air filters and a carby rebuild kit. Which is where to take off from today.

https://www.greenacresmowers.com.au/...nd-stratton-qu
https://www.greenacresmowers.com.au/...s-briggs-strat
https://www.greenacresmowers.com.au/...max-quantum-mo



My plan was to simply replace the tank and see how this went. After researching, it was looking likely the fuel leak was causing the surging issue. When the throttle was cracked into the choke, the engine would smooth out, leading me to think that the carby was not the issue and that the engine was simply running lean due to a lack of fuel flow.

First step, I removed the air filter cover, followed by the throttle cable.



I then went to remove the fuel line from the tank, which I immediately found the problem...................



So, the leak was caused by a perished and cracked tank outlet, which finally separated when I went to remove the clamp and hose.



The three top mounted bolts and one side bolt were removed, and the tank lifted off the engine.



New tank ready for install. At this point I realized I had the later version of this tank, which offers a slightly bigger volume and extends further rearwards. Thankfully, it still fitted this engine. The larger fuel volume is not a bad thing, from experience, these engines are pretty thirsty. '



While I was this far in, I wanted to take a look at the carb. This meant removing the air filter housing, which I took the opportunity to clean while it was off the engine. That housing was changed to plastic on later engines. I also cleaned that part. I then removed the old fuel hose from the carb. Also note the breather hose comes away from the metal pipe and remains with the housing.



That hose was well past it, so I'm glad I thought ahead and ordered a replacement.



I then removed the bowl, which is held in place by one single nut which also functions as the main jet. You will also note I had installed the new hose to the carby.



The bowl was surprisingly clean, no sediment or varnish.



Main jet / bowl nut, which was cleaned.



Because of the condition of the bowl, I decided to not go any further. I did however replace the perished bowl o-ring, and replaced the main jet gasket, both included in the kit.



The old carb inlet gasket was in bad shape and was replaced with the item in the kit.



Once the carb was back together, I installed the new tank. I cut the new hose to length and fitted it to the tank nipple. Using the heat gun to warm up the rubber was a stroke of genius!



With the air filter housing reinstalled, it was then time for the new air filter.



This engine was only fitted with the one paper element, but some were also fitted with a foam pre-filter, which I decided to include for thoroughness.



The green filter fits into the plastic cover, the paper filter is then placed over that and then installed back on the engine.



I then installed the recoil cover, which this engine was missing for some reason. The throttle cable was also re-installed.





While it should have had a "Quantum 35 XE" decal, I couldn't find one for sale, so I used the Briggs & Stratton logo supplied with the new tank.





It was then time for a test run. I filled the tank with some fresh fuel, thankfully no leaks from the tank, new hose or from the carb bowl. A this point my heart sank because the thing wouldn't fire.

I removed the plug and sprayed some starting fluid into the cylinder and got it running. I then realized the choke was not engaging, causing the cold start issue, a quick adjustment to the throttle cable solved that. After letting it run for a while, I was confident the replacement fuel tank had solved the surging issues.

It was then time for an oil change.................



I'm not a big fan of using SAE30 mono-grade oil in small engines, this stuff is so thick and syrup like. But these older Briggs had looser tolerances and really needed this type of oil.

The old oil that came out still had a red hue to it, leading me to a theory. I suspect this mower had been serviced before it was put away. Newish looking oil, brand new blades and a decent looking spark plug. I think the thing was serviced in an attempt to address the surging issue, but whoever did it didn't dig deep enough.

Because this is an older Quantum, the carby still has high and low speed adjustment screws. Briggs frustratingly removed those on the later engines, presumably for emissions and to stop owners messing about with them. Those newer engines really don't idle, the throttle only controlling high and low speed running. But this engine can be throttled down to a nice tick over, making catcher emptying much nicer. It also has a more pronounced top end without having to play with the governor to extract those extra revs.

Top end adjustment............



Idle adjustment..............



A little video demonstration.................



That video was taken before I fine-tuned the carby, managing to get the engine to hold a stable idle without compromising the top end performance. I did want to check the rpm's with my digital tacho, but I have somehow managed to lose the dam thing.

People have been telling me to sell this mower. After mowing some lawns with it today, giving it a decent workout with and without load, this thing rips! Despite having a claimed 3.5 hp, low for the 190cc capacity, it has a great top end to compensate. It's not going anywhere!

Such a satisfying little project, one that I would have liked to have completed earlier, but good things come to those who wait.

[danzvtil]

Originally Posted by DFB FGXR6

Today was a planned day off, effectively giving me a "weekend". And I had every intention of doing nothing other than tinkering in the garage!

After waiting 107 days for a replacement part, I was finally able to get the Rover Combat back to operational order.

That part being the replacement fuel tank. Because this is an early Briggs & Stratton Quantum, I needed the earlier version of the fuel tank. The problem here is the aftermarket doesn't make a replacement part, so shopping OEM was the only avenue. This meant waiting for it to arrive in the country, although I strongly suspect the later version of the fuel tank would have fitted this engine, but I wanted to keep it original.

https://www.allmowerspares.com.au/ge...43-699392.html

Newer style -

image

Older style -

image

image

To recap, this mower was given to me by my longest serving client. It was actually last used by me more than 17 years ago and had sat at the back of the garden shed ever since. At the time, the engine would surge when at operating temperature and there was a fuel leak from the tank, enough to empty the contents within a few hours.

image

When they cleaned out the shed a few months ago (107 days in fact), he offered it to me, otherwise it would have gone to the tip. Let me say that would have been a huge shame as even though the engine needed some work, the alloy base was in perfect condition and the blade boss even has its original coat of red paint on it.

The first step, previously documented, was a clean to remove 17 years of dust and mouse droppings! (That's Shine Supply Wise Guy for those here for the "detailing".)

image

image

For a 31-year-old lawn mower, it looks fantastic. Granted, a 17-year slumber probably has something to do with that.

I then replaced the spark plug with a Champion J19LM, the modern replacement for the CJ8. The old one wasn't too bad, but I was on a roll.

image

image

I then made sure to re-torque the cylinder head bolts as these have a habit of backing off over time, especially the exhaust side.

image

The handlebar locking handles had cracked and were not offering enough tightness, so I replaced those with some aftermarket cam-locks. These are not brilliant, so I will probably look into some OEM ones.

image

image

I then waited...........and waited...........and waited........and emailed...........and waited..........and then emailed..........and finally the fuel tank turned up, joining some new fuel line, air filters and a carby rebuild kit. Which is where to take off from today.

https://www.greenacresmowers.com.au/...nd-stratton-qu
https://www.greenacresmowers.com.au/...s-briggs-strat
https://www.greenacresmowers.com.au/...max-quantum-mo

image

My plan was to simply replace the tank and see how this went. After researching, it was looking likely the fuel leak was causing the surging issue. When the throttle was cracked into the choke, the engine would smooth out, leading me to think that the carby was not the issue and that the engine was simply running lean due to a lack of fuel flow.

First step, I removed the air filter cover, followed by the throttle cable.

image

I then went to remove the fuel line from the tank, which I immediately found the problem...................

image

So, the leak was caused by a perished and cracked tank outlet, which finally separated when I went to remove the clamp and hose.

image

The three top mounted bolts and one side bolt were removed, and the tank lifted off the engine.

image

New tank ready for install. At this point I realized I had the later version of this tank, which offers a slightly bigger volume and extends further rearwards. Thankfully, it still fitted this engine. The larger fuel volume is not a bad thing, from experience, these engines are pretty thirsty. '

image

While I was this far in, I wanted to take a look at the carb. This meant removing the air filter housing, which I took the opportunity to clean while it was off the engine. That housing was changed to plastic on later engines. I also cleaned that part. I then removed the old fuel hose from the carb. Also note the breather hose comes away from the metal pipe and remains with the housing.

image

That hose was well past it, so I'm glad I thought ahead and ordered a replacement.

image

I then removed the bowl, which is held in place by one single nut which also functions as the main jet. You will also note I had installed the new hose to the carby.

image

The bowl was surprisingly clean, no sediment or varnish.

image

Main jet / bowl nut, which was cleaned.

image

Because of the condition of the bowl, I decided to not go any further. I did however replace the perished bowl o-ring, and replaced the main jet gasket, both included in the kit.

image

The old carb inlet gasket was in bad shape and was replaced with the item in the kit.

image

Once the carb was back together, I installed the new tank. I cut the new hose to length and fitted it to the tank nipple. Using the heat gun to warm up the rubber was a stroke of genius!

image

With the air filter housing reinstalled, it was then time for the new air filter.

image

This engine was only fitted with the one paper element, but some were also fitted with a foam pre-filter, which I decided to include for thoroughness.

image

The green filter fits into the plastic cover, the paper filter is then placed over that and then installed back on the engine.

image

I then installed the recoil cover, which this engine was missing for some reason. The throttle cable was also re-installed.

image

image

While it should have had a "Quantum 35 XE" decal, I couldn't find one for sale, so I used the Briggs & Stratton logo supplied with the new tank.

image

image

It was then time for a test run. I filled the tank with some fresh fuel, thankfully no leaks from the tank, new hose or from the carb bowl. A this point my heart sank because the thing wouldn't fire.

I removed the plug and sprayed some starting fluid into the cylinder and got it running. I then realized the choke was not engaging, causing the cold start issue, a quick adjustment to the throttle cable solved that. After letting it run for a while, I was confident the replacement fuel tank had solved the surging issues.

It was then time for an oil change.................

image

I'm not a big fan of using SAE30 mono-grade oil in small engines, this stuff is so thick and syrup like. But these older Briggs had looser tolerances and really needed this type of oil.

The old oil that came out still had a red hue to it, leading me to a theory. I suspect this mower had been serviced before it was put away. Newish looking oil, brand new blades and a decent looking spark plug. I think the thing was serviced in an attempt to address the surging issue, but whoever did it didn't dig deep enough.

Because this is an older Quantum, the carby still has high and low speed adjustment screws. Briggs frustratingly removed those on the later engines, presumably for emissions and to stop owners messing about with them. Those newer engines really don't idle, the throttle only controlling high and low speed running. But this engine can be throttled down to a nice tick over, making catcher emptying much nicer. It also has a more pronounced top end without having to play with the governor to extract those extra revs.

Top end adjustment............

image

Idle adjustment..............

image

A little video demonstration.................



That video was taken before I fine-tuned the carby, managing to get the engine to hold a stable idle without compromising the top end performance. I did want to check the rpm's with my digital tacho, but I have somehow managed to lose the dam thing.

People have been telling me to sell this mower. After mowing some lawns with it today, giving it a decent workout with and without load, this thing rips! Despite having a claimed 3.5 hp, low for the 190cc capacity, it has a great top end to compensate. It's not going anywhere!

Such a satisfying little project, one that I would have liked to have completed earlier, but good things come to those who wait.

What a cracking post.
You should film and post your mower shenanigans, like an Aussie mustie1.
“HeY gUyS! DeYoN hEre ;)……..”

[DFB FGXR6]

Originally Posted by danzvtil

What a cracking post.
You should film and post your mower shenanigans, like an Aussie mustie1.
“HeY gUyS! DeYoN hEre ;)……..”

"Smash that like button!" or "Like and Subscribe"...........................

[yanknbank]

The Combat’s older cousin. Purchased way back in 1989 and still going strong! Did a bit of a refurb 3 and a half years ago to get it running like new again after three decades of somewhat neglectful ownership. Most recently had to replace the diaphragm between the carby and the fuel tank, which stopped the thing from flooding all the time. It got to the point where it wouldn’t run.
No intention of buying anything else to replace it. It runs great and still does the job. It’ll probably outlast me.
Great write up by the way DFB.

[roKWiz]

Always good information here.

Never owned one but will go back over the mowing thread to check out the comments on chain saws as I will be in the market for one shortly.
Been noticing a lot of subliminal advertising on TV wanting me to buy a Stihl brand.

Any thoughts on what you personally/professionally use ?

Brief......

suitable for trimming red gums upto 200mm thick limbs.

no battery power.

something that is definitely NOT "Made in China"

4 stroke ?????? Do they make 4 stroke ones. ?

Used other people's saws before and can maintain it myself, just would like to own one now.

[Citroënbender]

New or used?

[DFB FGXR6]

Originally Posted by roKWiz

Always good information here.

Never owned one but will go back over the mowing thread to check out the comments on chain saws as I will be in the market for one shortly.
Been noticing a lot of subliminal advertising on TV wanting me to buy a Stihl brand.

Any thoughts on what you personally/professionally use ?

Brief......

suitable for trimming red gums upto 200mm thick limbs.

no battery power.

something that is definitely NOT "Made in China"

4 stroke ?????? Do they make 4 stroke ones. ?

Used other people's saws before and can maintain it myself, just would like to own one now.

If you are buying new -

I think the sweet spot for Stihl is the MS 251. This has a 45.6cc engine, big enough to get through most stuff, small enough to manageable. Save yourself $100 by just getting the MS 251 over the MS 251 CBE, if you are a living breathing male, you won't need the hassle of the spring assisted pull start.

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

I personally wouldn't go any lower than that, in fact that's what I was set to buy before looking towards the MS 271.

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

These saws are made in the USA, not China or Germany. You need to step into the professional line for the German stuff.

If you are buying used -

I'm not sure if you are on Facebook, and there are certainly many reasons not to be, but Marketplace is a rich stream of used Stihl chainsaws. This would get you up into the more powerful saws for the same price or less of a MS 251. However, I would also factor in some remedial servicing when going used.

Frankly, I would just buy new, write off as a business expense and keep it well maintained. You should get decades out of then.

[DFB FGXR6]

As a follow up to yesterday's Rover revival, I managed to find where I had hidden my digital tachometer................

Idle speed -



Full throttle, 3600 to 3700 rpm -



While there was headroom to tune it higher, I decided to back it down a touch...........



Most lawn mower engines don't get near those numbers anymore, you are looking at 2600 to 2900 rpm out of the box. With this older engine, I can adjust this with the tuning screws, something missing from all new mower engines. The way around that is to tweak the governor spring tabs but that tends to lack precision, so you need to be careful. More tension on the spring, more rpm, less tension and less rpm. You also need to be mindful that doing this can make the governor more sensitive to load and cause surging.

If you're going to do this, I would also suggest having a tacho to make sure you're not going too far. Like the Beer-Bob who mows my Neighbours lawns, his Honda GXV 160 sounds like it's about to take off, I reckon he's got it spinning close to 5000 rpm.

[roKWiz]

Originally Posted by DFB FGXR6

If you are buying new -

I think the sweet spot for Stihl is the MS 251. This has a 45.6cc engine, big enough to get through most stuff, small enough to manageable. Save yourself $100 by just getting the MS 251 over the MS 251 CBE, if you are a living breathing male, you won't need the hassle of the spring assisted pull start.

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

I personally wouldn't go any lower than that, in fact that's what I was set to buy before looking towards the MS 271.

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

These saws are made in the USA, not China or Germany. You need to step into the professional line for the German stuff.

If you are buying used -

I'm not sure if you are on Facebook, and there are certainly many reasons not to be, but Marketplace is a rich stream of used Stihl chainsaws. This would get you up into the more powerful saws for the same price or less of a MS 251. However, I would also factor in some remedial servicing when going used.

Frankly, I would just buy new, write off as a business expense and keep it well maintained. You should get decades out of then.

Thanks DFB, was looking over the landowners range and something around the 251 looks the business.

Before settling on Stihl ,thoughts on Husky's ??

Yeah preferably new CB but won't discount a very well looked after secondhand.

[DFB FGXR6]

Originally Posted by roKWiz

Thanks DFB, was looking over the landowners range and something around the 251 looks the business.

Before settling on Stihl ,thoughts on Husky's ??

Yeah preferably new CB but won't discount a very well looked after secondhand.

I have no doubt Husqvarna make great saws, they just never appealed to me for some reason. Personally, I've been around Stihl saws my whole life, so I tend to gravitate towards them over other brands.

The equivalent Husqvarna is the 445 e-series -

https://www.husqvarna.com/au/chainsaws/445-e-series-ii/

Considering that retails for $999, for the same price I would go with the Stihl MS 271 with the larger and more powerful 50.2cc engine.

For the same price as the 2.2kW 45.6cc MS 251, the Husqvarna 440 e-series only has a 1.8kW 40.1cc engine.

https://www.husqvarna.com/au/chainsaws/440-e-series-ii/

Another option, and one I kinda wish I had gone with, the MS 261 is the entry to the pro line. These have captive bar nuts, stronger construction and more power from the same size 50.2cc engine as the MS 271.

https://www.stihl.com.au/STIHL-Produ...S-261-C-M.aspx