I love the smell of two stroke in the morning. And the afternoon! Any time of day, really.
Lawn and garden are great areas to feed my addiction, but due to space, everything I own has to be used.
Now, I can live with a 4 Stroke horizontal motor on my SB45 (but a 14" Victa Imperial with a 125cc is where it's at!) but after a season of using an otherwise fine 4 Stroke Greenfield Enduro, I feel empty inside when I go to mow. I also seem to move it incorrectly often enough that I'll tip some oil into the combustion chamber and it'll smoke like a champ when it starts. Clearly, I'm not suited to sumps and valves!
I use a very late model Victa Commando with a Power Torque 2 motor on my neighbour's lawn. They currently have Fairey Ring, so it's not being used on mine for the foreseeable future. If you are familiar with the Chinese “chabuduo” mindset, you'll understand why only three of the wheels match. We all know white walls are the right wheels for mowers anyway. It's almost, but not quite there. Everything has been built down to a price on that thing, then put on a diet.
So I've been thinking about getting a "classic". I've managed to find a very nice VC Auto Drive MkIV. It's all there, but I perhaps feel they want a bit much for it. No negotiations have taken place regarding that, so we can cross that bridge later. But I need it to earn its keep and place in the storeroom. It's in immaculate nick. Some signs of use, but very little.
Who uses their "collectables"? It'll be a fairly easy life, max it'll ever mow in one session will be about 120 sqm of Buffalo. Some will inevitably have twigs and tree nuts through it. The rest the Scotty will do, and the Commando with continue to do the neighbour's until such time I've got it weed and Fairey Ring free. It's going to be a while... The Greenfield will be used when the Box Trees dump all their leaves and nuts onto the lawn during spring, or when I feel like mulching.
I just need it to have a decent cut, I understand it has two blades only, and to be durable. It seems blades aren't a problem, but engine parts? Diff and drive belt? Blade carrier? I cannot imagine catchers of that era being widely available.
It's certainty not going to be abused, but I wonder whether or not I should leave it alone. I don't see many using "classics", probably for good reason?
Last edited by Mystyler; 18/04/2008:04 PM.
I don't collect mowers. I just require Multiple Mowing Solutions™.
Well, it's a full crank 160cc engine, and I really doubt that engine parts for those are going to dry up in a hurry. And that model was the first to be fitted with the G4 carby, so all good there too - G3 carby parts are drying up fast.
BB, ha! From the perspective of the grass, I'm sure it is six of one, half a dozen of the other!
Gadge, thank you. I read your replies this morning and thought to hell with it. I'll take a chance. We met in the middle price wise. I still think it was a tad above market. Never mind, I have trouble finding pre-PT Victas around here. I've popped a picture up. I'll start a new thread, so this one doesn't diverge from the topic at hand.
I don't collect mowers. I just require Multiple Mowing Solutions™.
It looks in good nick you can't deny that. Look at that tread. Sllluuurrrrpp!! They're worth what people are prepared to pay and it really does depend on location.
Ahh, if only victa had kept producing the thumblatch catcher series, they would be in better shape today!
