OutdoorKing Repair Forum Forums Repairs and Maintenance Questions on Engines Questions on Other Engines Interesting Mower - Masport Tecumseh 2-Stroke

This is my Sons mower in New Zealand, wonder why we didn't get these here, I have at least 2 of these 632 Masport mowers here but not with this motor. It is a 2 stroke which he has had for over 15 years and has never touched anything on it, never even taken the spark plug out of it, never misses a beat. The throttle control is by the dial on the top of the motor, would save on all those rusted up throttle cables we get all the time

Might be that the market sector for 2-strokes didn't decline quite as quickly in NZ as it did here. The Kiwis are still a pretty self-reliant lot it seems, at least compared to the average urbanite Aussie these days. So they wouldn't be very fussed about mixing up fuel.
Well, that was really a bean-counter cost cutting exercise in the US, as AVB has mentioned. Masport first tried fitting these on Briggs engines back in the 1970's, but soon realised that the Oz market preferred a cable remote throttle.

G'day GM Gadge and Norm

Yes, it's funny how some markets reject designs.
Engine mounted dial controls did come here from 1960,
but they never proved popular.

Another example is the rotary with a roller at the back.
Masport tried the Rota-Rola here as well. Pace even made one!

WE rejected that idea - but very popular design in the UK to this day!.


http://www.masportlawnmowers.co.uk/...r-self-propelled-rotary-lawn-mowers.html

Even Honda cater for the UK market:-



http://www.masport.co.nz/category/outdoor-garden-products/lawnmowers

Back to the dial control ...
Masport used these controls extensively - including Briggs, Tecumseh,
and the Johnson Ironhorse 2-strokes.

There was a cost saving - but not in the OEM engine price.
Dial Controls made the engine more expensive - perhaps a dollar or so.

The cost saving was in lawnmower production: no extra cable and control,
and no labour for a production worker to fit them.

Masport did a similar thing when they favoured the bar blade design.
[great for reducing production costs; too bad for the end user!]

A final note.
See how many dial controls and 2-strokes are offered by Masport NZ today ..
[Note that the Rota-Rola is not sold in the home market].

http://www.masport.co.nz/category/outdoor-garden-products/lawnmowers

Cheers
-----------------
Jack

G'day folks,
Jack, I see your point as regards the dial controls - but the Masport brand is certainly not pitched at the lower end of the market, these days!

I'd suggest that the compelling reason for Masport no longer offering any 2-stroke options, is the unavailability of any quality two-stroke mower engines. Yamaha and Suzuki have both exited, and they were the last Japanese makers AFAIK.

G'day Gadge. Quite right there ... about 2-stroke availability.

Gadge, the greatest insult is that Masport do cater for the lower end of the market.
They call that product ... the once proud Morrison!

http://www.morrisonoutdoor.co.nz/outdoor-garden-products/lawnmowers

Cheers
Jack

Here is one of those 70s models mentioned. I found it on the kerbside several months ago. It's an old style Briggs motor with a fancy cowl stuck on top.
It looks suspiciously like Masport got some inspiration from Victa for the catcher styling.

It was the pollution controls that finally killed the 2 stroke lawnmower. I read where that was the final straw for the Suzuki 2 strokes. A shame really.