OutdoorKing Repair Forum Forums Restoring, Customising and Modifying Reel-Type Mowers Scott Bonnar 17 inch buying advice

Hi All
I am looking at purchasing this restored SB. It looks well restored. I suppose my main question is in regards to the engine. Is the 2.5 Kirby any good?

Any general advice would be appreciated as I am a complete novice.

ebay

Hello Solirossi,

Welcome to the ODK forums.
The 2,5 Kirby is known for being quite reliable.
The big issue may be spare parts down the track.

The main issue is the quality of the 'restoration' and the particular model.
Has the machine been sharpened and set? Will it be your everyday mower?
Any information may help the experts here.

Hope this helps.
------------------------------
JACK.

Thanks for the reply cyber jack.

I hope it's ok for me to post the description below. It has he re ground/sharpened. The guy has restored heaps from what I'm told and apparently has 30 odd of the engines he can use for parts. He did mention that the hardest part to replace would be the starter, were it to go.

He did comment that the Kirby is a bit louder than the Briggs.

I am not sure of the exact model/era or what I should be looking out for in this regard.

Another possibly stupid question is, do these cut in reverse (going backwards) I have one corner of my lawn that has 2 retaining walls next to it. To get into that corner I imagine I would have to take the catcher off or something?

Full description below.


SCOTT BONNAR 17 INCH SELF PROPHELLED MODEL 45 CYLINDER MOWER. 2.5HP KIRBY TECUMSEH 4 STROKE ENGINE .STARTS EASY AND EASY TO MAINTAIN .NEW CATCHER MADE TO ORIGINAL SPECS . REEL HAS 6 CUTTERS AND HEAPS OF MEAT LEFT ON BLADES.WITH NEW BEARINGS. HAS BEEN PROFFESIONALLY REGROUND WITH NEW BOTTOM BLADE AND NEW SCREWS.ENGINE HAS NEW PLUG,FRESH OIL , NEW AIR CLEANER , REBUILT CARBY WITH NEW GASKETS,RUNS SWEET , NEW KEYS FITTED TO ENGINE,CLUTCH AND REEL , NEW CATCHER RUBBERS .AND NEW GRIPPS ,NEW FRONT ROLLER END CAPS,NEW CLUTCH PLASTIC PAD . BODY HAS BEEN SAND BLASTED PRIMED AND PAINTED IN HAMMERTONE GREEN WITH NEW DECALS . COMES WITH OPERATING AND MAINTENANCE INSTRUCTIONS .

Hello Solirossi,

This sounds like a professional restoration.
As I said, the issue of the motor is less of a concern - because they are
reliable, and readily replaced with a Briggs or Honda if necessary.

The issue of noise may be in issue. I like quiet engines.
It may be that the Kirby's internal muffler baffles have just rusted away.
That is not uncommon. The issue is buying a replacement muffler.

Given that it is 17" it must be a Model 45, a great machine and wearing parts
are procurable. I would confirm with the seller that this is a Model 45 though.

No, these machines will not cut in reverse. No reel mower will.
Yes, tight corners may require the removing of the catcher, and priming the edges
with a line trimmer first.

Hope this helps.
-------------------------------
JACK.

Hello again Solirossi,

I forgot to mention one critical thing with Model 45s.
It is the issue of the soundness of the frame.

In recent times it has been noted that some Model 45 frames with two rails
supporting the engine have suffered from cracking. This is expensive to correct.
[Earlier machines had one rail, a single piece of plate steel supporting the engine.]

So.. it would be important to confirm the engine support frame is sound ...free from cracks.

Hope this helps.
--------------------------------
JACK.

Is it easy to tell if it has the two rails or one?

In turn I assume that the single rail model would be better?

Thanks for the advice.

Looking at the images in the ebay link on my first post it appears the engine is mounted to two plates of steel.....I think.

Hi Solirossi,

Sorry, I missed that link in your first post.
It is a twin rail SB45.

No, I do not believe the single rail machines are better.
Personally, I prefer the twin rails for aesthetic and practical reasons.
[They are easier to clean].

It may be that the cracking in the rails on some machines has been caused by
poor engine tuning over a period of time; or not ensuring the clutch is secure on the
engine crankshaft. The Cracks appear to be due to fatigue attributable to excessive
vibration... There appears to be no single cause or explanation.

Looking at the photos, this looks like a very good restoration, and of the highest
class. But, clearly, no moderator can guarantee that. It presents as a good,
sound machine that can deliver years of faithful service.

An inspection would be needed - checking for a non-smoking, sound engine, and a
close inspection of the rails, chains and sprockets.

I hope this helps.
-----------------------------------
JACK.

Your a legend Jack. Will let you know how I go once inspected.

Hi Guy's
This is another one of Mark's restorations in Parafield Gardens. He is a continual buyer and rebuilder of SB's in Adelaide. Most of his machines are not original rather they are just built up from other machines so you'll never know if this machine left the factory in the same format as it's being sold in.

He just paints everything silver opposed to replating all the hardware and fixings.
One thing is assured is that the reels and bottom blades are of first class machining as he does use a reputable machinist.

Basically what you would be purchasing is a "John H Ellers" car as it was he that brought in "Production Line Reconditioning" and that's what you would be getting.

As far as cracked rails are concerned Mark won't let that slip through, so you can be assured that there are no issues there, but do remember you could restore one yourself at a far cheaper price than what's being asked as he is making a reasonable amount of profit out of it and that's what you could be saving.

Cheers,
BB

Many thanks for that contribution, BB.

That answers the main questions applying to non-factory reconditioning; i.e. does the reco bloke know what he's doing; and does he do a thorough, quality job?

He would seem to be setting his pricing sorta midrange, between fixer-upper SB's and a new 17" Protea at ~$2.5k.

Likely to be attractive to those who can't, or don't want to, overhaul one themselves, for whatever reasons.

I do realise I could do this myself but I don't have all that much time or space to make it happen.

I have no problems paying a small premium to buy one that is already done. That said as long as it is of reasonable quality and will offer some longevity of use.

My only last concern, and this is more in relation to reel mower use, is that my back lawn does have quiet a lot of litter from a gum tree. My plan is to run over it with the rotary mower first, on a high setting, to suck up as many of the gum nuts and leaves as possible. If there are a few gum leaves that have fallen through the lawn do you expect that will be an issue with a reel mower?

Basically ill do my best to have it as clean and free of debris prior to using the cylinder mower, however are the gum nuts that I have missed going to screw the reel up?

Hi Guys,

If you have a really close look at all the nuts and bolts that are mounted to the side plates and also the front roller along with the handle bars you'll see that they already look a tad ratty as they are only painted with silver paint and that pretty much defeats the purpose, especially when he uses that crap line of "No Expense Spared on this Resto". What a load of crock

If you are going to do it properly you send of all the hardware to be re-zinc plated and the handle bars should be re-chromed. This would ensure that the finish stays nice and bright for many years to come and matches in with the repainted chassis.

I will say that his re-manufactured catchers are pretty much spot on apart from the die stamped sides which just add that extra bit of flair and also strength to the steel.

I guess once you've done a couple of these machines you can just make one up in a few hours from all the parts stored in various parts boxes, but that's not how I work that's for sure.

Cheers,
BB

That's why I mention 'reconditioning'.

A functional recondition is of course much lower level than a full restoration, which includes returning all the cosmetic stuff to original condition. Sounds like recos are what he's doing there, despite his restoration claims.

After all, there's no way he could make anywhere near a decent hourly rate on a real full resto!

Don't know anyone that can, even on such higher-value items as vintage bikes/cars. I've known shrewd blokes to do their sums on those, and conclude that they would come out ahead by selling them 'as is'. Even when they have had full facilities, and the skill set, to do them.

A notable one of these was a second-owner 1936 Bentley tourer, in very complete and original condition, always garaged. Still wasn't going to be worth his while to restore it before sale; so he sold it when he 'retired' from his car workshop business in 2000.

Hi Gadge,

That's a fair call I'd say. I did the maths a couple of years ago and with the costs of Electroplating nowadays it's just too cost prohibitive to make any money and make it a faithfull reproduction, but I will say that most people don't give a hoot if it's factory perfect, they just want one to cut lawn with I guess and don't get all tied up in the history aspect like DeeJay and I do.

Cheers,
BB

Hello Solirossi!

To get to the question you asked prior to the deviation:

"If there are a few gum leaves that have fallen through the lawn do you expect that will be an issue with a reel mower?"

I have no direct experience with gum nuts or leaves.
I personally do not believe it will be an issue, provided you prep the
lawn prior to using the reel mower. They are precision machines and even small
hard objects can put them out of set - but generally with no damage.

Reel mowers do require higher maintenance than rotaries.
Best advice is to understand the process of 'back-lapping' and do
this at least once per mowing season, or employ the method to repair
potential minor damage to the reel and bottom blade due to 'gum nut strike'!

I hope this helps.
------------------------------
JACK

Great feedback regarding the differance between reconditioned and restored.

After looking at the quality of some restorations on this board I can see the attention to detail required.

I am also fine with purchasing a reconditioned machaine, as long as it represents value in an overall perspective.

I really like the idea of restoring one on my own, however feel a decent reconditioned mower may be a good introduction for me. Perhaps restore my own once I become more farmiliar with them.

Thanks for the mention of back lapping. Just did a quick google and will look at this further.

Finally can you 'drive' the mower without the reel spinning? Basically I have a steep driveway and it would be great to be able to drive the mower up it. The drive is however 'pattern paved' so is quiet bumpy.

Hello Solirossi

Yes, I think those words are open to wide interpretation.
There is certainly a difference in how the words are used in a technical sense
in some fields and areas, and how we understand and use those terms generally.

Now, to answer your question: No. This machine will not self-propel without the reel engaged.

It is not common to find a true dual drive, residential reel lawnmower.
One great feature on the 45 is the 'hair trigger' landroll clutch - meaning that
you can move the machine at a variable speed. So easy peasy up the pavers!

I hope this helps.
---------------------------------
JACK

Just a quick update. I purchased the mower above and am very pleased with it.

I have used it twice and it does a great job. I have a lot to learn in relation to regular maintenance and looking after it. I'm also paranoid to not go near the paver edges and damage the reel or bed knife.

I'll post a picture when u get a decent shot of it.

The first run over the lawn has revealed a few brownish patches but I suppose that is because iv taken it to a lower level than its used to. Hopefully after a few weeks the lawn will start to grow outwards and not up as much.

Thank's for all the help.

Hi Solirossi,

If you have any issues at all you can call me anytime as I'm also located in Adelaide and can help you out no matter how insignificant you think the problem is.

Only too happy to help SB owners out.

If you want my contact number, just PM me and I'll give it to you.

Cheers,
BB