OutdoorKing Repair Forum Forums Repairs and Maintenance Questions on Walk Behind Lawn Mower Frames Victa Lawn Mower Frames Mustang 20 thoughts/opinions

Hi all

I have seen an ad for a Mustang 20 with an Australian PT and wondered what everyone's thoughts were on them seeing that they are a semi/real professional machine.

Did the Mustang 20 have the high compression head or the standard low compression head and do the HC heads exist as an aftermarket purchase

If I go ahead and buy the thing are the following things still avail for them:

Catcher

4 blade disk

Genuine or aftermarket

With all the talk of the Honda's HRU 216 issues with poor performance in long wet grass/gearbox issues I was thinking that either a Mustang 20/505/510 with a high compression head would be more that a suitable competitor with probably as much or if not more power and with a 4 blade disk has the capability of being just as good if not better a cutter.

Hi Greg,
Any PT will blow the doors off pretty much any other mowers out there and at a fraction of the cost and then with a carby mod they will cut down trees, well I guess that depends on the size of the trees LOL

I'm Sold.

Ok if anyone knows of a 2nd hand 505/510 that is coming up for sale in the Sydney/Wollongong area through a dealer. I have alerts in play to cover off fleebay. So perhaps the way to go would be to:
Get a unit that has a good base.
Get it home and then pull off the starter and head to inspect bore.
If any scoring get a new piston, rebore and install with oversized rings.
IF 2 blade install 4 blade disk
obtain 2 new catchers.

Are the 505/510 gearboxes stronger than the HRU216?

BTW what carby mods are you talking about?

Hi Greg,
Don't overthink the PT's , they are a dime a dozen , I have picked up countless numbers off the side of the road and the majority fire up with a bit of tweaking. I do not bother repairing them if they won't start after testing because that is an indication it has been straight fueled, easier to just grab another mower. The carby mods are on the forum here and once you get to this stage we can go through them with you.

NormK , GregR, I remember the days in the late 80s when new Aussie PT Victa mowers were incredible sounding motors that were absolute child's play to start. The first one I ever got to use was a silver streak back in the early 1990s and it felt like I was driving a high end model of car. It belonged to a lady's late husband and she also had an expensive self propelled four stroke available to use but I didn't even think of using anything but the 2 stroke Victa. It was a pleasure pushing it through foot long kikiyu in parts while emitting a great sound doing it and it would fire up with ease with a gentle pull only half the way along the rope! It's still a memory I treasure.
Yet I have two Powertorques now that don't start like that. My best Powertorque ever which started and ran like that first one I used, I sold on EBay soon after finding it. I kind of regretted that sale and wish I held onto it. The buyer was appreciative though.

I have a mustang GTS as pictured in your profile that my parents had from new in 1988. ( I need to fix a crack up Which can be welded and puttied back to new) And its a much more enjoyable unit to use than my Inlaws Masport combo with a B&S XLS 50. I rank that Mustang as a near equal to a Honda HRU 196/7 in performance with a 4 blade disc it would be the equal. I looked at some images of a Huski and it looks like they using vortex ideas in their models. The only unit that cuts better was the VC160 Which IMHO had the best catching system devised.

GregR you were so fortunate to have experienced the unboxing of a Mustang GTS from new. I used to constantly admire them on display in the appliance stores and Grace Bros who used to have a great range on display in that period.
I have the white Mustang V40 which uses the exact same base and it's been a trouper.
An English guy actually wrote a lengthy article on E bay about choosing a mower and he described some pretty fancy equipment we don't generally see in Australia and he spoke highly of the red Victa Vortex mentioning how nice they are to push around.
The VC 160 has the best high arch shute in the business. It is cavernous when you look underneath. No wonder they made the claim it could handle wet grass. It's shaped like a pipe which is what water passes through. The clippings were shot upwards and down into the catcher for maximum filling.
I think Victa whittled down the size of the high arch shutes with subsequent models. Also note how they deleted the two piece rear flap on high arch models? I only recently learned that was designed so you could immediately insert the bottom lip of the catcher onto the mower without having to lift the lever first. I always lifted the lever slightly regardless but tried it for the first time the other day and lo and behold its true. It goes straight in. I guess it's fortunate I'm used to doing it the other way, but I now view the earlier high arched decks with more esteem than I already did.

PS you can easily fit a four blade disc on the GTS. I have one on the V40, but I honestly think four blades are overrated which is why I only have two on that mower now. It makes a nice purposeful whirring noise to accompany the engine note though.

My Father-in-law was a bit shocked when I told him that I view Masports as being over rated compared to older Victas but the proof is in the pudding as they say.

Shocked? More likely offended to hear anyone even imply there could be better choices than a Masport brand of mower.
He probably thinks he's pushing a Rolls Royce around his front patio. I'd rather push a Mustang around.