OutdoorKing Repair Forum Forums Finding and Swapping Tip & Curb Side Finds Aldi Gardenline Mower.

Found it on Kerb yesterday. Missing starter. Drill method got it going after stalling on first two attempts. Pressing primer helped. Blade bar is good. Front axle bent.
Used old bearings as spacers to keep cowl secured down.

Hi MF,
I'm pretty sure that a Honda pull starter will fit and you can pick them up for under $20 Just not sure if that cup is a problem

Hi NormK,
I saw one on EBay and the mounting nut spacing was different.

how about a 3bolt sanli starter?

I have been thinking there are probably other brand's starters that will fit this Chonda.
I wish I hadn't chucked a bunch out recently. You just never know if you'll n need them. Hoarding has it's benefits.

Hi MF,
I'm fairly sure this one fits, I can check later today, I put one on a Chonda a week or so ago but there is a slight issue with the starter cup
https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/193816573727

G'day Mf ,Norm, Tyler,

I never buy starters as this Aldi mower serviced I would only get $60. for it with a plastic catcher, so I usually just cut a ring of sheet metal (old computer side wall) and use the sheet metal as an adapter (pop rivet the starter to the sheet metal ring then bolt the sheet metal ring to the mower cowl but sometimes you can just redrill an old starter to fit the cowl or redrill the cowl.



Cheers
Max.

And as it is only worth $60 don't waste any time fitting another type of starter as you can easily end up spending a couple of hours doing it, best thing to do is put it back on the nature strip

Yes mowers aren't worth getting for free if you count the time it takes to fix them but if you see an old Rockwell mower the starter takes 5 minutes to drill and will fit the Aldi mower.

Cheers
Max.

The pull starter on the Aldi mowers are one of their weak points, everyone I see has the pullstart missing

Here's my garden carrier 18 inches wide....... runs well...
You do get lucky sometimes with chondas.. i have had a few good ones.
cheers
speedy

I threw out a Wesco starter and cover only weeks ago. That's what I suspected when I saw an ad for one with a missing starter.

I always keep chonda pull starts of all sizes.... some fuel hoses and carbs.....throttle cables......some blades and bars............
speedy

Hi speedy,
Always grab the stepped hose they put on some Chondas, they are a real pain if you come across one that is split and you have to replace it

Norm, what method do you use to make up replacements? I force victa line into 1/4in briggs line, put a thick fence wire inside, bend to the angle I want then heat up the victa line to develop a 90deg bend

Hi Tyler,
As you say, one hose forced inside the other but I haven't tried the wire inside, just make the hose longer and allow a longer sweep in the hose

Hi Mf ,Speedy ,Norm and Tyler,

Yes I always keep starters and starter cups etc when I throw the old worn out motors into scrap metal.

The last Chonda I replaced the stepped fuel hose, I just went to Clark Rubber and got some 8 mm (5/16) clear
hose and heated the hose before putting on the tank end and it worked well , it had to stretch a bit but better than
using second hand hose like I usually do.

I'd hate to know how many Aldi mowers I've had but most run like new ones, just about 4 that were worn out and the one
Mf has always has a busted starter as previously mentioned.


Cheers
Max

Here are a couple of pics , you just bend the bracket that holds the fuel hose so the hose doesn't rub on the governor arm.

That certainly fixed it Max and I doubt the mower would be around long enough for the clear tubing to go hard

I have used clear, it stretches pretty well i hot water..
Just a built in rip-off item.
speedy

Hi speedy,
It was a clever idea to fit a filter in there, just becomes a pain later on when maintenance is required but I guess to the manufacturers of items like this, maintenance is a dirty word

Some plastic hose must last a long time as I have a Pope with original fuel
hose and that’s over 60 years old and I’m sure I have older ones still working.


Cheers
Max.

If you don't have a starter that you can drill to fit.

Here is the image of the starter adapter ,I just use a compass to mark out the bolt pattern and use tin snips to
cut the sheet metal ,it doesn't take that long to make.


Cheers
Max.

Mw, is that a Briggsy starter you used in that picture? How do you test that it will grip the cup?

The starter in that last Aldi mower image is a Sanli starter or a Victa V40 starter as they are the same starter Mf.


hold the starter in the cup and pull the starter rope to make sure it grips the starter cup .You can usually see if
it's going to grip the cup.

I have changed a lot of starter cups with different starters as sometimes you need a lower starter cup , but I
don't remember what cup I used with that last Aldi mower image as it was from a few years ago but I remember using a few
Tecumseh starter cups with non Tecumseh starters so may be a Tecumseh cup ,that's if the Aldi Cup won't work.

I'd just use whatever starter and cup that will fit even with an adapter plate but I haven't used the side Valve Briggs
starter with the Aldi mower because I had other starters to use up.

Cheers
Max.

II found another Gardenline mower on the side of the road but it was ash 18" model with a different starter, so I modified this three hole starter by drilling holes in the correct position. I then cut about 1cm off the top of the starter cup to fit it on as well as the use of three old bearings to lift it by a few mm to clear the cup.

Starts easily and runs nicely but with a very slight surging that's barely noticeable once the engine heats up.

Thanks for all your inputs.

Good effort MF, always feels good to get another one up and running

Yes looks like the Gardenline was worth fixing Mf , it's a much better starter than the original plastic one.

I've had a lot of mowers that surged slightly and after running some BP ultimate fuel in the tank they stop surging after a couple mows.

Cheers
Max.

NormK yes, despite spending more time then I would have liked working out how to make it work, it felt very gratifying when the jib was successfully done. Another I've saved from needless scrapping -that works.

Maxwestern it's in very good nick apart from a slightly bent axle that a shifter and hammer should sort out.
It revs at the right RPM with it's fixed throttle and runs very quiet for a motor mower. I won't want to sell her now! I even like the kill switch on the handles.

My only issue in cutting the top off the cup MF is I'm nor sure if it might start spreading. I have contemplated doing it over the years but I thought I would have to weld a ring around the top. They are not a bad mower for lawn maintenance where the lawn is cut every few weeks. I find catchers for them always an issue so I fit Victa catchers to them. Bit of work but it helps me get rid of the volumes of Victa catchers here and gets another mower out of the place

It shouldn't be an issue, but I'll measure the distances after a few goes.

I'm sure I would have had at least 15 Aldi mowers and all came with newish catchers but I prefer plastic catcher's to bag catchers so all the mowers that you just rivet the Victa
Back flap onto the base and fit the plastic Victa catcher I would get rid of the original bag catchers.

I still have 3 spare Aldi catchers ,2 Aldi plastic catchers and one Aldi bag catcher.

Cheers
Max.

I threw out a hard Aldi catcher last week for Ann 18" model. Maybe that was a mistake.

Admittedly I don't bother too much with them , it is just the occasional one that ends up here that looks a bit too good to throw out

I use the larger grass catchers for the chicken roosts.

UPDATE: it finally sold after being up for many weeks.
Bloke who bought it wanted to use it as a work mower to run until it drops.