OutdoorKing Repair Forum Forums Repairs and Maintenance Questions on Engines Questions On Briggs & Stratton Engines Levy bank grass

Hi guys,just wandering at what is a safe angle to mow grass with a small briggs push mower,safety is allways my first consideration but my concern is the oil level and flow in the mower its-self.on some peoples back yards is a levy bank which is part of piscures back yard grass on the murray/darling rivers.i do use my victa two stroke mowing side ways where it is to steep (45 deg)...ken

As usual B&S are not completely specific, but they do say that operating the engine at a tilt angle exceeding 15 degrees to the horizontal may cause it to blow smoke:
http://www.briggsandstratton.com/engines/support/frequently-asked-questions/answer.aspx?p_faqid=1378

Personally I would say that they seem to be suggesting that exceeding 15 degrees is not acceptable practice. That is a 27 percent slope: about as steep as it is possible to restart a car with manual transmission on, and about as steep as a good handbrake will hold on, with a really huge amount of force on the handle.

If you need to mow beyond 15 degrees, I suggest you use a 2 stroke. The carburetor probably won't work properly of course, but that shouldn't actually break anything.

Thanks grumpy,interesting link...goes to show that the old vics come in handy...ken

Since I use throw away mowers on my jobs throughout summer I can say that it does take its toll on a briggs after a while, one of my yards I mow has a embankment infront of a shed I mow It is only a 10m run or so but the motor is nearrly on its side, that along with a few extra revs has slowly killed the current motor on this particular utility.

I would use a victa 2st but I enjoy using my viking base too much.