I've recently stumbled upon an interest and subsequent hobby for small engines. I started fixing 4 stroke mowers about 7 or 8 months ago and progressed from chondas (I only fixed one and never again) to B&S pulse pimer engines and more recently victa 2 strokes PT and just got my first Victa 2 stroke FC. Now that I type it it seems that I have gone backwards in time.
Anyway, this forum seems to have a great wealth of knowledge and although I don't anticipate becoming a guru but Iook forward to picking brains of those who are, and, sifting through the info already within the forum.
Here are some pics of my Commando FC after I gave it a basic rest. The catcher is somewhere in the garage.
Many thanks for your festive remarks. Welcome to these forums.
Yeah, there is a wealth of knowledge here. Your post reminds me that there are folks who still take reference from gardening and classic garden machinery.
I can also see how this hobby can become an obsession. My house has certainly looked like a reclaim/recycle yard at times. I think I have had upwards of a dozen mowers at any one time not to mention whipper snippers, blowers etc.
A few more pics of the work I did today, wish I'd taken a pic of what it looked like when I first picked it up alas I was to eager to start cleaning it!
As hobby it is not bad but as a main source of income it becomes work. I kinda wish at times it was still just a hobby here where I could fully restore some of the older equipment as you can in a lot work for little pay. It sorta working vehicles when I was a young man I had a fair paying job and my weekends were free if left the gals left me alone. I fix up several autos over the years just to prove something was repairable or modifiable.
Hi Lockstock, Cyberjack and AVB,
you did THAT from detailing?
I would be interested in hearing more details of this detail! It looks almost restored in the last picture without being restored! Ultimate patina.
AVB I'd be interested in what you had to say if I could only decipher some of what you wrote, depressing as it is on two fronts -this hobby being work in your mind and your success with the (un)fairer gender in your youth!
Ahh, if only victa had kept producing the thumblatch catcher series, they would be in better shape today!
It was a few hours of elbow grease to go with a can of degreaser. There are definitely some imperfections such as minor chip on the fly wheel, some bolts missing (1x 3/8 cowling bolt and a spark plug protector bolt) along with general wear and tear on paint and plastics.
I really wanted to simply give it a good clean and touch up so it popped. I was going for a well used but well cared for look, came up nicely I think.
There was no rust under the deck either so I cleaned and dried it then gave a light coat or two of flat black to seal it a little better, a spray of Inox silicone should help the clippings fall away after washing.
The exhaust has been wire wheeled and will get a cost of high temp enamel tomorrow.
I didn't touch the carb at all yet, it ran pretty well after a shot of aero start down the snorkel and I ran a quarter tank of fuel through it after that. The side start plastic cog is a little loose (maybe they are like that??) and I really want to get another 'commando' decal, does anyone on here reproduce them?
Oh the hobby to work happen as neighbors wouldn't leave me alone plus our economy turn sour in 2008. I basically forced into small engine repair as a 10 hr a day, 6 days a week job. The only difference is that I am my own boss and I don't need to put all the bull working someone else requires. I got initial got layoff due to corporate downsizing., then no one was hiring a guy with 16 yrs of field experience repairing equipment. Even our unemployment office didn't want to pay up demanding a three job history. I only had two.
I never was really interested in the dating line. Just too many rules to figure out. And now that I am 60+ I have lost all interest in even trying. Besides it is even worst now.
Hi Lockstock,
The people who are going backwards in time are all the people buying new mowers from Bunnings who think they are helping the planet by not using a 2 stroke. They are kidding themselves because the pollution created by the manufacture of millions of cheap junky mowers that only last a year or so and then need to be replaced. The good old Victa 2 stroke even though a bit smokey will outlast dozens of the junky Chinese stuff
Fair comment Norm.
There is also something romantic about reviving something mechanical that is 40,50 or 60 years old.
I have thoroughly enjoyed my journey thus far
And they are the best mowers ever built so tough and rugged and capable of tackling anything The pullstarts are a pretty ratty design and always flop around, I find the cup starters are such a better design once modified
