Nearly all the OHV mowers at my recycle centre seem, for some reason, to have had their air filter covers removed. For instance, I have 4 Ryobi/Subaru mowers and all have this problem. A new one will cost anything from $25 up to $75 (spares.bigwarehouse.com). I can get them from China fairly cheap but it takes a long time and well, these days I would prefer to get them somewhere else. But everywhere else is so expensive. So is there an alternative to somehow make my own?
This is one possibility - Silicone Rubber Moulds. I have been watching YouTube videos of people making silicone rubber moulds and then casting the required parts with resin. There are lots of them on YouTube but here is one: Mould making
The stuff for making the mould is expensive so this would only work if you find a need for a part that you need over and over again or a part to also supply other hobby repairers with them. In my case I find I always need to replace these air filter covers. My plan now is to try and make a "universal" or multi-fit mould and use that for casting so that other brands of mowers are also covered. I know this can be done to some extent since the air filter covers from some other mowers can be modified to fit different ones. By my estimate if I fabricate about 10 of these covers I will be in front.
Hi sparker, never tried but often have the problem with missing air filter covers and these mowers don't sell for much so are not worth spending much on them. I have fitted /modified a couple of covers but it always takes a lot of time and in reality it is not worth the effort, but if you come up with a fix it would be great..
I don't make or modify air cleaner lids ,it's quicker and easier just to remove an air cleaner assembly from a dead engine and fit that air filter assembly to the good engine that is missing the lid ,I just sold 25 serviced & repaired mowers and a lot of them were fitted with filter assemblies from other mowers, the carby stud spacing was the same, the air cleaner assembly from a Sanli Lawn Beetle will fit other mowers and I had a heap of dead Beetles.
Yes Max, The Sanli ones are interchangeable around a few of the Chondas, but that cartridge filter is so expensive that sometimes I don't bother. If I had to fit a new filter I would just put the mower aside and wait for another to turn up
Well here they push mower at a price where any repairs makes buying complete new just as cheap; unless, you are doing the repairs for u\yourself. Even then it be costly. A few years ago I quit even trying to resell used push mowers because of the insulting offers. Thing having one restored to operating condition with a price tag of $50 and being offered only $20 at the most for them. When I got $35-$40 in parts alone in them. I send more to recycling center than should be just because no one want to invest in an used mower.
Many manufactures are selling these at near cost if not below cost and then they try to make up their losses in after sales in parts line.
Second hand mowers are still selling well here, I often have people ringing wanting mowers but I haven't rebuilt any since the lockdown started back in Feb, just haven't had the time. I have repaired a few in that time but I have been trying to avoid it, I still have a major list of work that needs doing around this place.
Has it reached "pestering" levels NormK? Any aggro or demanding tone from some of them? It's incredible how thoughtless and self centred some people can act.
Ahh, if only victa had kept producing the thumblatch catcher series, they would be in better shape today!
Yes, my mowers are selling well here in Queensland too. Just had a good shower of rain all morning so that should get some grass growing and mowers going!. I've just switched from Gumtree to Facebook to advertise them and things seem much busier there. As for pests, I get the ones that want to kick the tyres and shake their heads for half an hour and then offer some appalling amount after wasting my time.
I don't like spending too much time making parts for mowers if you are selling them.
Yes I agree with Norm it works out cheaper sometimes to buy a mower for an air cleaner than to buy a new filter.
Interesting AVB ,the struggle to get a good price for a second hand mower in Tennessee USA. I was sent some mower prices about a year ago from Hawaii ,in Tennessee mowers must be a lot cheaper.
50 US dollars is about 69 Aussie dollars , I don't sell mowers under $100 ($73 US Dollars) and find you get a lot less tyre kickers that way.
I have seen Vintage Lawn Boy mowers get good prices in the USA lately.
Yes Mowers are selling well in Aus at this time of year Sparker.
And they are even buying what I call mini zero turns now with decks as small 34" if not smaller. I even seen riders that when a 200 lb sits on them looks looks like an elephant sitting on a mouse.
So far only work on one 34" Ariens Zoom and not seen those mini riders in my shop yet.
Any way some operators here are so lazy that ride their mowers to the mail box and back.
Sparker, bet they start them quick - full throttle, full choke, crank it and as it fires, slam the choke off and slam the stone cold hydrostatic into gear and off they go
Then complain when they are up for $1k+ in trans repair
