OutdoorKing Repair Forum Forums Repairs and Maintenance Questions on Walk Behind Lawn Mower Frames Question On Scott Bonnar Cylinder Mowers Diplomat 430 bedknife issue

Hi all
I casted a set of rollers again but this time we made them solid so our machinest can be confident it won't flex. I am a little disappointed how the plastic ones are difficult to lubricate so i think I might get fitter in the assembly area to fit grease nipples to the roller ends.. I will keep you's updated..
Foreign orders take time

Hi Jason, good work on the castings mate, please don't forget to post some pics when you get a chance.

Newsflash! A mower bloke who sharpens reels etc wants me to get him a qoute on a alloy roller gear drive. He said he simply wants just to able to keep these diplomats going. my manager seems interested anyway see what happens.. For anyone who doesn't know the diplomats have a piss poor plastic roller gear drive that strips or slips.

Jason, the ones made out of a stack of steel stampings screwed together look quite servicable, and may be both cheaper and more durable than aluminium ones. The steel ones seem to be readily available.

Check this thread for pictures and details:
https://www.outdoorking-forum.com.au/forum/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=22699&page=3

Hi Jason, as grumpy has suggested, there is a steel replacement ring gear manufactured by Turf Machinery Services in Victoria and is priced at $132.00+ freight.

Good! I will pass on the message than. I think he would have pulled out anyway, buy the time the pattern would have been made it would have blown his budget out the door : o he only wanted half dozen..
Cheers

I don't think anyone would have been happy with sand-cast gear teeth anyway, Jason. Those are rather fine teeth, and they have to run at speed. You'd have had an unhappy customer. If you were going to hob the teeth on a gear cutting machine, the cost of that alone would have pretty much eaten up the factory price he'd have wanted to pay per gear. Look at the way the steel ones are made: simple stampings, if he sources them in China the cost would be negligible. Then he sells them for $132 plus freight. Pity there aren't a lot more Diplomats around, it could be a good business.

The SB Diplomat 430/590 was not a success...unfortunately the company changed its ideas of build quality in the domestic cylinder mower market and did silly things like the nylon ring gear and belt drive in lieu of chain drive....and as for the rear catcher....sheer lunacy!!

I haven't heard from mower bloke I guess he had time to think about it. I would have got the teeth machined properly but the cost would have been out there

I like the idea of the rear catcher, All that grass in the 45's catcher, all that weight on the cheapo plastic rollers dear oh dear. Good thing that plastic ones are cheap to replace. If i see diplomat 590 POP up for sale in my area I will be temped

Hi Jason, you are placing so much importance on the plastic end caps.....mine on the SB 45 are original...and the machine is over 30 years old....and in season I mow sometimes twice a week...you are tempted by a machine that have very few spare parts available; was an absolute failure, has more bits on it made of plastic, nylon etc...has a 'V' belt drive and no cutter clutch....and a plastic rear catcher....there is more to a SB 45 than the front roller, but if that is your wish, mate....go for it!

So what made the diplomat a failure
- nylon gear drive
- can be difficult to setup reel& bedknife (once you loosen the reel is hard to centre it yourself) a mower bloke said I won't be able to do it myself! Just got to fiddle around with it for a while.

I don't see the rear catcher as much of a real problem yes they maybe difficult to find replacement but its not like it drives in reverse to bump into anything.

How wide is the 590's reel?? Mower man said the diplomats popular in WA.. he also said he sells at least three roller caps a week

There are mower places out there that refuse to work on a Diplomat 430/590 because of the time taken to perform routine maintenance...they are labour intensive and most owners baulk at the quote.

It is not only the nylon ring gear that is the problem...the build quality is not as good as the SB45....very few parts are available and the parts available for the SB45 (which is all parts) are not compatible with the Diplomats.

The SB590 is 17" cutting width.

Re: the plastic caps, with mine, I just drilled a 1/8" hole on an angle through the roller cap, so as can squirt some oil in...that keeps the cap and shaft lubricated.
It works a treat!

BTW, more SB 45's were sold in WA than in any other state..and second hand machines over there sell for high prices and are highly sought after.

I'm surprised to hear that the mower machanics turn them down. I won't disagree on how the 45 easyier to work on but it seems the diplomat has less working parts to go wrong. Its so basic in design. I was qouted $140 for a reel& bedknife sharpen plus fitment which I thought was reasonable where just to get the same on the 45 and i put it back together cost $90..
mmm the 430 width is the same as my model 45's I thought.. must investigate later..

Hi Jason, this discussion has gone way off topic, if you wish to continue, could you please start another thread in the 'Questions on Scott Bonnar Cylinder Mowers forum.
Thanks mate.
I will now close this thread.