Can't wait for the great mow off. Sounds like you got a ripper with your FleaBay purchase.

I'm betting the PT takes the crown. They are incredibly capable. Councils used them for years.

Maybe a large capacity Honda OHV may give it a red hot go but no hope for any domestic grade for stroke.
Would love to see a pic of this fabled spongy lawn.

I love my red thumb latch with the retrofitted later style black top I showed here recently. It has a deep sporty engine note to it as well. It might be a bored out jobby as well. I took it off a rusted steel base as well as the motor on the white one.

Ahh, if only victa had kept producing the thumblatch catcher series, they would be in better shape today!