OutdoorKing Repair Forum Forums Restoring, Customising and Modifying Victa Walk-Behind Rotary Mowers Sanli Wheels on a Victa

I found a Sanli mower frame on a rubbish pile and noticed the wheels are in near new condition so decided to take it home for a closer look.
To cut a long story short, the bearing centre holes are too small to go on a Victa, so I found a way to fit Victa ball bearing sets into the Sanli wheels with a little grinding off the edges.
This only works with the version of the Victa bearing housing with the two locating tabs on the outside as the non tabbed version moves too freely inside the Sanli wheel.
I gingerly ground the tabs down from 1.5 mm to about 0.5mm each. This allows a snug fit which locates them nicely inside the bearing seat. You need quite a few donor wheels to complete a set. Sanli wheels take two bearings where there's only one per Victa wheel. I'm glad I decided to hold onto several pairs of knackered wheels just in case I needed the bearings!
I then cut and ground the black colllar from the inner part of the worn out donor Victa wheel to a whisker over 6mm to serve as a spacer on the outer part of the narrower Talon wheel.
Then it is ready to fit on. The circlip goes on well but is a bit restricted in clearance to remove but can be prised out ok with careful use of a screwdriver.

Hi,
That's interesting , those Sanli wheels seem to be good quality.

I took a different approach. I had a Sanli base very good nick almost new and an old full crank Victa with a completely worn-out steel base, not rusty just metal fatigue.

I cut the middle out of the old base with the 4 holes for the full crank in a circle then bolted this to the Sanli frame as an adapter plate. I had to lower the Victa blade carrier so that it would actually cut grass with another adapter. Its all been good. A Powertorque catcher will fit but falls off easily. No matter to me as I just use it with a deflector to scatter the clippings. I like the Sanli frame. The wheels seem big and turn easily making the unit nice to use.

I got the whole Sanli mower as a non-goer from a neighbour who could not start it. Complete but no catcher. I now have its Chonda engine on my 1979 Rover Regal 19.This is the third engine I have had on this base. The alloy base is still good but the alloy wheels are hard to find. Later Rover wheels can be made to fit though.

All the best
Jeff

The Sanli base I found appears in very good nick. Two problems. It is a very small 16" wide cut and the rear axle has detached from the part where the wheel stub is attached.
It's actually a shame I have to transfer the plastic Victa bearings as the original bearings are full metal casings and the wheels are retained on the Sanli stubs with nylock nuts and washers!!
The fittings for the Sanli base seem well designed and of good materials. I was impressed to be quite frank, and would love to use any other bits I can.
You are right about the wheels. Very good solid construction. They feel more substantial than Victa's. Years will tell but the tread is in near pristine condition and I presume this mower went through a bit of use before being discarded.
Maybe their axle joints are an Achilles heel?

Maybe their axle joints are an Achilles heel?


I had to weld one up yesterday, it had been used twice, most of the weld had missed the mark, I guess you can't expect too much with the price they sell for

The beauty of this is the modification is simple and reversible as long as you keep aside the Sanli bearings.

I just pulled off the front wheels and discovered they don't have bearings at all. They just slip over the axle. I'll have to drill the plastic out to 14mm or a whisker above so they will go on the Victa, so not reversible for the fronts.

Two of my biggest problems with Victas is finding 4 decent wheels and float needles that work, can buy plenty that don't work

For a hobbyist like me, wheels are not a problem so far, but I can imagine they become a headache when you are dealing with many more like you do.
The front wheels would take a battering with many owners.

I still consider myself a hobbyist, I make enough money out of it so that my hobby is cost neutral. My wife still says I spend more on parts than I ever make but you have to do something with your time. I then tell here I will take up golf and once I mention golf club membership and the associated costs she quickly says I can keep collecting mowers

Lol at leasst some family members down the tree benefit from your scrounging of mower "paraphernalia ".
There a retired gent in my area who does mower repairs on the side with a mountain of mowers filling every spare foot of ground in his yard and I honestly marvel at how his wife tolerates it.

Hi Jeff, . I have set up a number of Sanlis with a Victa catcher, I use the Victa catcher flap and hinges and springs, rivet the hinges on and they work perfectly