Viewing 26 posts - 1 through 26 (of 26 total)
  • Which lawnmower?
  • burko73
    Full Member

    Lawnmowers…..

    I’ve got two rotary mowers I got cheap over the last few yrs or inherited. They both have the same Briggs and Stratton petrol engine on them, the one with a fixed throttle( governor) and no choke. They have a big red rubber primer button.

    Neither of them ever work properly. Drives me mad. Last yr I had both of them serviced and the guy replaced the carburettor diaphragm on both as they had gone hard which contrive buttes to poor starting, idling, running.

    Thing is, both of them are the same again. One won’t start despite a new plug etc, one starts badly but won’t idle properly and has no power.

    I’ve had enough of both of them and consider that the design must be rubbish if every yr I have to replace the diaphragm.

    Any ideas on petrol mowers with alternative engines than b&s? Would one with a throttle instead of a governor be better.?

    I need a metal deck as I have a stony garden.

    All mowers seem to be made by a few manufacturers these days and repainted. The one I have is a fly on but says made by husqvarna but has the same Briggs and Stratton as the mountfield I have which has a yellow grass box that has been painted black.

    I’ll avoid Chinese rubbish ones so I can get spares easily if needed. I have a medium size garden so would appreciate the merits/ demerits of push yourself vs propelled if anyone has any relevant experience.

    I’ll buy a new mower if it’s sensible and get rid of the other two on eBay after I fix the carb ( looks simple on YouTube but I can’t be assed with the hassle/ have the inclination or time to keep doing this)

    Help me….

    Del
    Full Member

    honda izzy self propelled. takes the pain out of it all.

    sweepy
    Free Member

    Honda, but you do run it dry before putting it away for winter? that can help.

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    sam_underhill
    Full Member

    I think that design of engine is very common, and the B&S is on so many mowers.
    Get the diapragm off ebay for a few quid (worth getting a real B&S one) and replace yourself, it takes about 5 minutes.

    boblo
    Free Member

    Have a look at Kaaz. They make a Japanese copy of the Honda c/w metal deck and Honda motah whereas Honda have gone to some sort of plastic. The Contractors round here use em and I was convinced a few years ago. Mine is self propelled and has a roller. It’s been very reriable being Honda powered.

    This one

    JoeG
    Free Member

    B&S engines are usually pretty good. It sounds like you have varnish building up in your carb. This is usually from old fuel and/or not being run enough. The same would likely happen with a new mower, too.

    How often do you run the mower and for how long?

    Fuel stabilizer may help. As will buying fresh fuel and only using that in the mower. If it sits for a while, dump it in the car and buy a new 1/2 gal for the mower.

    I had that issue with a gas powered edger this year. It doesn’t get run a lot. And the fuel tank is huge. Plus the bottom of the fuel tank is warped, so nearly impossible to get empty. I took the fuel tank off, emptied it, cleaned it out real good and let it dry. Fresh fuel, and it runs great!

    bol
    Full Member

    Husqvarna do one with a Honda engine. Looks nice and is cheaper and better specked than the Izzy. I’ve had it for a year and it’s been good so far. Pretty big and quick. Not the lowest cutting deck though if you’re worried about that sort of thing.

    bruk
    Full Member

    Just gave up on old Mountfield with B&S engine as replaced diaphragm, cleaned carb, replaced spark plug, flushed fresh fuel and still wouldn’t run. Needed blade sharpening and a wheel fixing too.

    Bought a basic Viking by Stihl push mower and it’s been good so far. Started easily and did a good job on the uneven mixture of grass, clover and moss that masquerades as a lawn. Coped fine with some pretty long stuff in the paddock too. Honda looked good but too pricey given the main principle of my lawn maintenance is cut it short so I don’t have to do it too often!

    Got a good deal as I bought a strimmer/brush cutter at the same time. Spent several hours this morning attacking the overgrown bank behind the garden fence that our neighbours are supposed to maintain as I was sick of the bloody brambles invading the flower beds.

    mrblobby
    Free Member

    Husqvarna

    Do they come with a steel deck? Looks a bit plastic like to me.

    bol
    Full Member

    Yep. Steel.

    flip
    Free Member

    Honda izy.

    I run them everyday, they take loads of abuse,

    They will last a residential customer a life time.

    A self drive 18″ costs about £450.

    Job done.

    TrekEX8
    Free Member

    I was in the same sort of position, bought Honda Izy, haven’t regretted it.

    hamishthecat
    Full Member

    Think you may be unlucky with the Husky (or I have been particularly lucky with mine). I’ve had it for 18 years – changed the oil about three times and it’s still going strong – mows nearly 1/3 acre garden with plenty of stones and never had a problem with the plastic deck. B&S engine too.

    burko73
    Full Member

    Might just try a diaphragm and gasket set in it one more time and clean the tank. It’s solid apart from the fact it’s not running! Diaphragm and spark plug set is £4.50 off eBay – b&s own brand.

    I guess cutting our lawns is about 45 minutes running and it’s a combo of moss grass and other stuff. So it gets run for a while once a week. I’ve got diesel cars so no option to bin the petrol in them.

    I think the husky I have is a generic mower from a few yrs back as it’s badged as a flymo and has the same engine as the mountfield I have.

    That Kazz looks great but it’s about 3-4 times what I’m looking to spend if I buy a new mower.

    I like the idea of a different brand engine perhaps if I do buy a new one. Didn’t think about stihl.

    glasgowdan
    Free Member

    Get a honda or kawasaki engine. Briggs are awful. I run mowers 30 hours every week and my experience is that honda are the smoothest and easiest to use. If you dont need stripes then definitely avoid a roller as the drive mechanism is always a weak spot.

    If its not a fine finish have you considered a mulch mower? It’ll save time and much easier to use.

    glasgowdan
    Free Member

    Ps I use a kaaz pro 21″ roller (honda) for fine lawns and a viking mb755 (kwak) for wet collection or mulching. Both have great engines but have bodywork and drive issues after a few years regular use.

    soobalias
    Free Member

    wow.
    like a few above, a couple of years ago i got fed up with maintaining the poor old pieced together mower.
    i bought a new one which is much better, for now.

    there is a limit to how much stale petrol and manky oil can be made to turn from a rusting spark and clogged air filter. oh and the blade needs sharpening too.

    JoeG
    Free Member

    Mowing 45 min per week is a decent amount. Your gas shouldn’t go bad if you’re buying a gallon or less at a time.

    What do you do over the winter? That’s what gets a lot of folks; the fuel is pretty stale after say 6 months.

    I’ve never tried this, but may be worth a shot as a last resort

    glasgowdan
    Free Member

    Winter you should run the mower down to empty the fuel and clear the lines. Change the oil, clean and sharpen, fit new plug and grease wheel, change any old cables and wash out the bags.

    boblo
    Free Member

    Ah. So not do last cut and stick it in the shed then?

    burko73
    Full Member

    Thing is, the previous mower was a briggs engine and it was last cut, bugger its raining, finish quick and get inside, put in the shed later (or sometimes left out in a lean too) and then next spring, squirt of easy start and job done. This one seems to eat diaphragms.

    New diaphragm kit came sat am but wife in labour so an hour in the shed was out of the question. Will hopefully fit tomorrow….

    JoeG
    Free Member

    New diaphragm kit came sat am but wife in labour so an hour in the shed was out of the question. Will hopefully fit tomorrow….

    Hurry! Get the mower running ASAP! With the mower going, you won’t be able to hear the baby… 😉

    boblo
    Free Member

    And get an additional diaphragm for the wife while you’re at it. Save anymore expensive baby incidents 🙂

    burko73
    Full Member

    Very good, didn’t see that coming……. 🙂

    boblo
    Free Member

    Predicable I know. But If you set em up, I’m happy to knock them down 🙂

    Clobber
    Free Member

    Honda, mine gets abused… put away after last cut, not cleaned, drained or any of the above.

    Starts on the first pull on the first cut like clockwork… Would never have anything else…

Viewing 26 posts - 1 through 26 (of 26 total)

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