Many professionals remove the guards and put up YouTube videos using them that way on suburban properties.

I suspect those specialist tools are to discourage you servicing your own machine and getting you take it to a service centre where it's worth buying those tools with unique ends. I had an affable chap the other day do a tune up on my blower vac free of charge using those tools even though warranty didn't cover that. Warranty has now expired.

Last edited by Mowerfreak; 03/07/22 10:55 PM.
Ahh, if only victa had kept producing the thumblatch catcher series, they would be in better shape today!