Hi MS,
I guess as they are both Series II frames it's really going to be horses for courses and it all depends on whether you prefer the wider cut of the 17 or the smaller machine at 14.
I originally cut my teeth on a Series 1 14 inch machine which incidentally I've still got and to tell you the truth I loved it to death but now I use a 20 inch machine and wouldn't go back. It all depends on how much lawn you have and also how much time you will eventually want to spend behind a mower as you can't think about just now as you'll spend heaps while you've got a keen interest and want to spend less once the novelty wears off and it merely becomes a chore.
I still very much love my time with the mower and it's been 39 years now since I got my first Scotty and I still haven't looked back.
You'll find that the 14 inch chassis will probably have less frame damage opposed to the 17 which there aren't many without stress fractures in the rails.around for sale.
BTw that 14 inch machine doesn't have it's original engine as that one would've had a Kirby fitted from day one.
Also the 17 doesn't seem to have it's original 2.5 Hp engine either. 3 Hp's were fitted on the later Series II's, but then there were some oddball engines fitted over the lifetime of the Model 45's production run which was a very long run indeed.
Cheers,
BB.
