OutdoorKing Repair Forum Forums General Discussion Forum Off Topics Thank God for Big Bob

Apologies in advance for the poor photos - took them through safety glasses and they looked fine on the camera's small screen. Was too dark to get an after photo - will try for one tomorrow.

Thought I had better slash down the council verge down the side of the lot. I deliberately put it off a bit to give Big Bob a work out. Left it a bit long this time and I was worried. Shouldn't have been.

I dragged him out of the shed, checked oil, filled tank (stored drained) opened fuel tap, down on choke and fired up first pull. Shut down and put on another set of blades - has 1 set of flat but I put on another 19in victa blades.

Go down to verge, restart, leave idle for 2-3 minutes to warm whilst I check for any possible projectiles (3/4 of a hubcap, mt franklin bottles and mcdonalds boxes were kicked out)

Just over half throttle the whole way through. Only thought about stalling 2 times - when a wide thick patch was cut and the next line blocked the chute.

With the fluted blades, he shoots a good metre further. The weeds were very thick and taller him at times.

wd40'd the deck before and didn't stick as much.

Will give a better clean tomorrow, drain fuel and drag out again in a month or so

I'd want to put a Powertorque though that but if big Robert likes an outing, why argue hehe?

Your photographic skills need work no denying it. I hope the after shots are better .

Sorry Tyler,
I wouldn't call that much of a workout for your Big Bob, more like a walk in the park

Yes, not a significant work out. But, thats the only slashing I have to do.

If I had a PT ute, it would get first dibs

The camera was set in super macro, with the WB set at fluorescent - that will stuff it up everytime

And with the correct camera settings it goes a fair bit better

It was very thick - the tufts are where there are divots and the grass falls over and doesn't always cut. Will do the edges with the whipper snipper as I had other things to fix today (Steel deck Rover Classic 37 Briggs and Victa line trimmer - both now running well)

And before anyone says it - I would do the neighbours one as well - but he likes torturing his 18in sanli on it (especially after it sliced his arm open severely a few years ago)

Nice pics. It still looks untidy without the edges done.
It looks more like a cluster of weeds than a lawn.

If Tyler had have used a Victa it would it would be lawn !

The verge doesn't worry me guys - it is on the main road so I only see it 1 in 10 times I leave as I normally go the other way. Its just the councils verge - I don't bother with it

I wouldn't risk any of my victa's on it as I have had all sorts of stuff thrown in there before - beer bottles, branches, school books, etc

I don't get harped at so long as the side verge is under 1ft. We're busy trying to keep the garden nice through winter (if you can call it that so far), fill 2x skip bins, clean out 3 sheds.

This is the new favourite. I hit my head on it whilst mowing and almost snapped it - I almost got killed

Hi Tyler
Trying to stay on top the garden as well, I don't like winter, the Freaken weeds !!! every year there seems to be something new. I go through and manually remove the winter grass in the lawn before it goes to seed but it comes back every year. Might prune the roses today.

Cheers
wce

Same boat wce - front lawn getting weeds through it.

The only reason I like winter is the rain

Thankfully there was some rain last night

I am not allowed to touch the roses - I would do them wrong

In fairness, I would do the Don Burke method - petrol hedge pruners haha

Good to see!

I'll have to resurrect a Big Bob very soon [a little bitserising is indicated], as part of my back yard got a bit out of control last growing season.

The Mayfair 160 FC Ute turns out to need a lower snorkel rubber, which is just too exy new; so I'll have to come up with a workaround, to get that one going. The Masport 550 catcher mower can't really handle stuff as long as it has got; and the line trimmer is too slow, and so beyond my current standing tolerance...

Hi Gadge - I bet the bitsering involves some handle mods. Even though mine has the extra weight distributing 'straps', it has cracked both handles sometime in its previous life. Didn't look closely enough to see it before Both have been internally sleeved and welded very well compared to some user fixes I have seen.

Shame about the mayfair - is that a FC with the short stubby 15-20 degree bend?

My Maxicatch 450 has coronaries looking at grass over half as high

G'day Tyler,
Not quite mods in this case - swapsies of chassis/handle bits, from a '3rd gen' Big Bob.
Those 'straps' on yours are a user mod, tho' a well executed one. The factory brace looks like this ['before' pic of my donor Big Bob];



Yup, that's the one. '82-3 vintage MK326A1.

The Maxicatch 550 I have will cut it OK [Quantum XTS50 donk], but can't chuck the clippings out, or catch them efficiently...

What about trying that silicone tape that self welds over itself? I've used some to mend a couple of Victa snorkels, one the ribbed type for the LM carb, and one for a rubber one for the G3.

Thats interesting Gadge - it is indeed a very well user modification

I would have liked to have the chance to talk to the guy who owned it before, unfortunately he was in a hospice by the time he told his wife to get rid of some of his stuff. He also made up a very interesting mounting bracket for his FC corvette

I also have had some luck with silicone tape, but I am not sure how well it would go in this application, as I know all too well how some of these snorkels crack in inoportune ways

It's definitely not a permanent fix, but it can keep you mowing while you source a replacement.

Sure, that might be worth a try.
I have both 3M silicone, and Nitto butyl rubber, self-fusing tapes on hand.

The rust rats have had a wee gnaw at my original 1985 vintage Big Bob, despite washing after every mow...



I'll patch this with Devcon metal filled epoxy resin, after a Garnet grit blast back to bare metal.

That's a shame Gadge - but I suppose after 30+ years of service was a pretty good run.

I also clean mine after each use - put a rock on the handles, wire brush all the grass off, then liberally spray wd40 on it.

Got one of these https://www.bunnings.com.au/wd-40-330ml-non-aerosol-trigger-spray_p0108296 non aerosol, managed to bypass the locking lid and refill with some repco LP1 I got at a very good price.

Is there an aluminium Big Bob? Yeah, the epoxy is a good fix for that while it's early. A shame to see it though.