Some years ago a friend gave me her late father's Masport 635. Was in good nick, far too good for my needs at that time as I was trying to tame rough areas on our rural property using a fleet of roadside found mowers as disposable slashers.
It had a good sized catcher and the only negative was the vertical pull starter mechanism which made cold starts a PITA. Once warmed up it started and ran well.
It was put into storage for several years and a few months ago was dragged out as I now have two thousand square metres around the house which deserve being mowed with a catcher mower rather than mulched leaving ugly windrows.
It wouldn't start, no spark and an old coil off a dead B&S fixed that OK so it was back in action but soon became very difficult to start, and that vertical pull system made me curse and sweat.
Turned out the exhaust valve wasn't closing so fixed that thinking all would be good, but no - the increased compression, combined with the vertical pulling made the damm thing leap around dangerously when given a good tug no matter where my foot was placed on the frame to hold it down.
Have resorted to drill starting .
One step forward, two steps back ;-) Just felt the need to share.......
