OutdoorKing Repair Forum Forums Collectors Corner Collectors General Discussion Neat Victa Bitsa I Pulled Out To Mow.

I plan to try and rotate my mowers for lawn duty to give them all a run.

This one probably hasn't been used for near on a year and a half. I forgot it has a four bladed disc.

It's a nice sweet sounding one. I got the motor off a trashed steel base and fitted a later type dress cowl from another mower.
It originally had a B&S with key start that gave up the ghost.
What a pleasure to use. I'm almost tempted to refuel it to use next time!!

MF,
the alloy base certainly gives them a more solid feel

Hey MF,

Thats a nice little unit. The only mower I have used with 4 blades was the old Briggs Masport, and while it made a nice cut, the lack of power in the thick stuff kind of killed that aspect. I will have to try out a 4 bladed Victa to see what the fuss is about.

Yeah Norm, I feel the flex in the steel tornado all the time.

Hi Sapper and NK,

yes this motor didn't know itself after getting promoted from the ratty worn out steel rustbucket of a base to this almost like new 1980s thumb latch alloy base.

NK, this final thumb latch base is an excellent partner to the PT half crank. It just vacuums the clippings, leaving a crisp clean path with zero body flex though the handles. I grew up using alloy Victas and when I used a steel Victa four the first time, I was not impressed by the bendy feel in the body. I couldn't understand why anybody would want this.

Sapper, two blades perform as fine as four. I do like the humming sound a four blade disc makes though.

Hi MF, NK and Sapper

I'm with you MF on the blades, you could put one blade on and it would do the job but would be out of balance and cause problems so how do 4 blades all running on the same plane cut better than 2 ?

cheers
wce

MF, I just used the 4 blade V40 chonda to vac up some leaves - 3 weeks in shed and went first pull - and the disc carries through compression so well. Used a v40 lawnkeeper once and the little straight bar makes it feel awful

I can't stand the Tornado decks - only had 1 myself - took the v40 off and put it on the alloy deck Honda

Just picked up my first PT Thumblatch Alloy deck (not as common over here) for $8 at the tip - 1985 Professional deluxe. Wonky rear wheel, curb rash and needs a clip, but ran mostly fine

Wce, with 4 blades there are 4 wacks per revolution - does tend to leave a nicer cut. No SB 45 like, but better than 2 and infinitely better than a blunt bar

I'd say the Tornado deck was engineered to be as cheap as possible they could get away with producing. An insult to the Victa two stroke.

At least early cheap models were alloy. The first hi arch steel decks with the SPFC motors were made of tougher metal that didn't flex so much and rust through so easily.

Tyler, in my experience, four blades didn't perform any differently. What had made a difference is sharpening the blades.
My 3hp vertical pull Briggs SupaSwift with only two regular 18" Victa blades fitted (it can take four) cuts beautiful -without having been sharpened.

MF, how do you sharpen yours? I bought 2 of the aldi stones you put on your drill - does a nice edge

Initially Tyler, I used a hand file with the blade carrier off and when that was too slow I used a bench grinder to finish it off, grinding about the last 1.5cm to the tips.
Another way I read here is to run an angle grinder over the top of them while on the mower.

I was initially worried about balancing issues - but unlike the yankie bar blades, we have plenty of reciprocating mass (in blade carrier) - so 1 gram shouldn't make a difference ... I hope

I grind off the bottom - like the factory on Victa blades

Hi Tyler,
I had one a couple of days ago cause me to believe I had a balance problem on a Sprinter with a Briggs on it that I had fitted a 4 blade Honda carrier to. I pulled it off, put it on the balancer, was a smidge heavy on one side, couldn't see that little being the cause of the problem, put it back together, no improvement. Then I looked a bit closer and the dial indicator told me straight away that the crank was bent. Out with the grinder and cut the boss off and in the scrap bin with the motor

Saw a Victa 16 inch (vantage?) on gumtree last week- $40, they said 'was running well but hit a pole' - the degree of bend it the crank was pretty noticeable

Shame when its only slight and you put in all the effort before realising