OutdoorKing Repair Forum Forums Collectors Corner Identification of Particular Machines Red Victa Utility: What is this mower?

Hi All

Came across this pic which brought back some memories. I remember my grandfather having one of these when I was a kid, same colour and all. After any info I can get, would love to find and restore one.

I saw that mower on eBay recently. It looks to be a Victa Utility from the early 1970s with 125cc two stroke ( no spark plug sticking out backwards -125 has it out on an angle on the other side).

+1 to Mowerfreak on this one.
Most probably a 1971-3 VictaCode V100 model, as they used the long reach N-21 spark plug. The next V145 Ute model used a UJ-12 plug.

G'day all
I think that's right Gadge.
These Red Utilities were introduced for the 1972 Range.

https://www.outdoorking-forum.com.au/forum/ubbthreads.php/topics/61969/CATALOGUE_-_Victa_1972_Range.html

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Jack

Thanks team

There was a couple of different models starting from 1971 and ending in 1974.I guess the only way to really tell is if you post the engine number the codes will tell all.Unless the engine has need changed.Both models look all so alike,but there was two different models.First model went from 1971 to 1972 model number 71VG victacode V100 and 2nd model from 1973 to 1974 victacode V145.
Have you got any pictures from the other side?

I now realise this is the mower a guy showed me in the late 1980s. It was his domestic mower and was in excellent condition and I remember it had a 125cc with metal G3 carburettor. A neat unit.
It was the first time I had come across the term utility mower.

Hello Mowerfreak
That is a great story you tell

I think Victa coined the name 'Utility' in the early 1960s.
It was a very 'Aussie' name ... the 'Ute'.

What is of interest to me is that Victa had a new category:
the "Skilled User Range" ... And the colour ... 'red'!

For me, these mowers represent the last vestiges of the original
Victa 'toe-cutter' designs of the 1950s.

It is true that a very thin skirt replicated the 'ring guard'
offered on the original toe-cutter bases. But Safety had moved on ...

Along with the Rover Utility, these were the cheapest mowers on
offer in mower stores across Australia at that time.

The Victa 2-stroke will be dead in a few months.
Long live the Victa 2-stroke!

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Jack

My brother has one of this model, that has been in the family from new. It replaced an owned-from-new Rotomo, too!

Can't remember the Rotomo's details well enough to say for sure which variant it was, but I do recall that it had the handle-mounted fuel tank. Probably a 2A, as it did have the cowling over the cylinder.

I found a Rover utility years ago with a similar disc shaped base to this Victa and yellow B&S engine with the side starter and exposed spinning round mesh on top.
It had those classic chrome wheel caps with the small centre and a faux woodgrain cross member that collapsed the handles for storage. It got a few looks from people when I used it and was satisfying to mow with this very rudimentary model.