OutdoorKing Repair Forum Forums Restoring, Customising and Modifying Victa Walk-Behind Rotary Mowers Victa Commercial 21" 850 I/C SP

It wasn't long before the Victa C21 was being put to work dealing with two weeks of summer Kikuyu growth. I wasn't sure how the new unit would travel, so I took the old Rover with me as well.

After starting the run with the Victa, I then switched to the Rover at the next stop which is notoriously thick and tall after two weeks. Annoyingly, the Rover was not driving properly, I got through the job but it warranted investigation. That sort of meant the C21 was thrown into the deep end!

It's at this point I decided it was all or nothing! As predicted, the shipped governor position yielded about 2800 - 2900 rpm................



Two small adjustments to the spring tab had it running at above the 3600 sweet spot.



Now, before this adjustment, the engine would grunt through thicker stuff, but it wasn't powering through, and the walking speed was a touch too slow for my liking. After the adjustment, now we are in the ballpark!

The engine is now powering through thicker grass, which improves catching ability, which in turn clears grass from the deck and prevents the engine bogging down. The walking speed is now much better, not running speed but a decent brisk walk.

Now, just because I have the full throttle revs set at 3600 rpm, that doesn't mean I need to run the machine at that all the time. But the good thing is, I now have options. On lighter growth, run it at half throttle. On thicker grass, go full throttle and get on with it!

What I love about the Briggs 850 engine is that while it has the power, about 6.0 - 6.5 hp, the larger 190cc capacity means it has torque too. That means it doesn't bog down under load in the same way the smaller 163cc Honda and 173cc Krohler do. Both of those engines can make power and spin hard, but they just don't have the same grunt to get through thicker stuff. The 850's slight mark against it is the fuel consumption, but I would rather deal with that over an engine that doesn't cut the mustard............or grass as it were.

That doesn't mean I hate the Honda, I'm a big fan of the GXV 160, its built like a tank, is ultra smooth and is fuel efficient. It's easy to work on too and feels like a high quality product............... yes, there is some American Jank to the Briggs.

The Krohler? I've pounded that thing for years now and it's been extremely reliable................but I've always hated it! As mentioned earlier, its always been hard to pull over, often needed a second or third pull to fire. The thing has used oil from the beginning, never in a smokey way, but it just seems to consume it. The muffler is too small and makes it very noisy at full tilt. The dipstick is hard to read and made from nasty plastic. Overall, it just looks and feels cheaply made. But to be brutally honest, I'm surprised its lasted this long.

Anyway, here is a shot of the Victa Commercial 21 tackling one of my most challenging lawns. And the half chute? No blockages!