OutdoorKing Repair Forum Forums Welcome to Outdoorking Forum HELP Area Introductions Alvin - AUS - Scott Bonnar 45

Hi,just new to all this.
I did not even know a site like existed,it's awesome.
After a long time wanting one I just purchase my very first Scott Bonnar.All I know is that it is a 14"
I wonder if someone can help me find out more about it.
The ID plate on the chassis reads:
45 20582
What does it mean?
The motor is a Briggs and Stratton and can not find the id plate,(I'll keep looking)
Even the stickers are not legible,only says easy start, its red and has a round airfilter.I notice that most of them have a square flat air filter!
It may not be original?
Please help
Thanks Alvin

Hi Alvin, welcome to Outdoorking.

Our reel mower guru, Deejay, is interstate at present but will get back to you remarkably soon despite that. Meanwhile, could you post some pictures of your SB45 please, so we can work out just what you have.

The 45 on the model plate means Model 45. The serial number is unfortunately undecipherable because SB used no particular system for allocating them. We normally identify them from the photographs, plus if it has a Briggs and Stratton Engine, and it is the original one, from the long series of numbers stamped on the cooling air cowl. These tell us the engine's date of manufacture. However the early 17 and 20 inch ones, and the slightly later 14 inch ones, had Kirby Lauson engines and those did not have serial numbers which are as easy to decipher. Because you say you have a red engine with a cylindrical air cleaner, it sounds as if it has a Kirby Lauson engine, but the pictures will clear this up with certainty. Please include a picture of the engine identification plate on the crankcase.

With pictures in front of him, Deejay will be able to tell you quite a bit about just where in the series of design changes your mower can be found. He can also tell you whether it has non-original parts. If you supply pictures specifically showing the blades of the cutting reel, and if you remove the chaincase cover and take pictures of the chains and sprockets from a camera position in line with their mounting shafts, he will be able to assess their state of wear.

Ok thanks for your advise. I'll be posting a few pictures in the next couple of day
Thanks again

Hi Alvin, and a warm welcome to the forum. It's great to have another Scott Bonnar owner on board.
I am looking forward to seeing the pics and then give you some answers!
Once again, to OutdoorKing.

Finally manage to post some pictures I don't know why they are upside down. Sorry
The name and numbers on the chassis are :
Model 45. 20582
And the numbers on the engine:
60102
0443 01
80051401
Any help would be appreciated
I'm more interested in , hp, original colour and correct decals I think the made year is 1980 but not sure if is the original engine
It runs really well no smoke and appears to have plenty of power ( for a small engine)
The reel and bottom blade seem to be ok and cuts really well
Thanks in advanced
Alvin

I don't recall a red Briggs in that period, so I suspect it has been repainted. It is not the original engine in any case: you have a single deck SB45, which means it is quite an early one, late 1960s to early 1970s, but that engine was made on the 14th of May, 1980. It has a cylindrical air cleaner, which AFAIK was only applicable to the heavy duty air cleaner, which had a pre-filter around the outside of the paper filter. The normal flat Briggs filter is single stage, using a foam element. So, at this point we don't know whether it originally had a Kirby Lauson or a Briggs engine, and we can't tell the date of manufacture of the mower except that it is an early one.

The Briggs 60102 was actually fitted to some early SB45s, though I can't recall one with that air cleaner. The ones I have seen were advertised as 2 hp. They had a Vacu-Jet carburetor The 60202, which came to SB45s slightly later, was advertised as 2.5 hp. It had a Pulsa-Jet carburetor.

Here is the Operator's Manual for your engine:
http://bsintek.basco.com/BriggsDocumentDisplay/lrvvA-wU7eL7hAxB91ObQ.pdf

Here is the Illustrated Parts List:
http://bsintek.basco.com/BriggsDocumentDisplay/18lowGXBnfBhU7y.pdf

I'll leave Deejay to comment on the mower itself - I think he will be able to find some clues as to when it was made because of running changes that were made in some of the details. It looks to have been badly repainted, but otherwise looks promising to me. Could you add a picture or two of the chains and sprockets, though?

Thanks very much for the information
Considering all that , does the non original engine devalue the rest of it?
Is it worth repainting to original colours or? It runs and cuts superbly, to my standards anyway.
I'll be posting more pictures of chain and sprockets soon in the meantime I'm interested to know what resident guru Deejay thinks

Hi again Alvin, and thanks for posting the pics.
Grumpy has pretty much covered all the bases with his reply, there is not much I can add.
Your machine was manufactured in the SB factory at Thebarton, Sth Aust. sometime between mid 1968 and 1975. It has a solid engine deck which is more desirable than the later Series 2 twin rail design.

It has been given a below average paint job and the colour scheme and decal placement is incorrect. On a personal note, if it were mine....I would re-paint it. The amount of over-spray on the machine now...would drive me insane! Lol!

There are stacks of Scotty Model 45's out there, but well maintained are valuable....having the original engine is important to some....I have a Honda engine on mine, which made my machine a better mower I believe...It's what makes you happy!
Looking forward to the next pics.