OutdoorKing Repair Forum Forums Restoring, Customising and Modifying Reel-Type Mowers Another SB45 resto next in line

Hi all,
I picked up this great SB45 today.. Not bad for $150...:)
The blades don't look too bad a nice sharpen should be fine..
Also the bucket is in very good nik unlike my first purchase...

Im not sure the year of manufacture on this one but it had a Kirby engine rather than the B&S on my 1st SB45..

Engine runs fine..But the clutch will need to be replaced. The previous owner mentioned there was some slack in the cotter pin so he re drilled a bolt through the clutch half beside the cotter pin to stop it slipping?

Im dredding the cost of a whole clutch half.. hopefully I can pick one up cheap somewhere.

Pictures posted below..

Hi Scatman84,

What you have there is one of the first twin rail (Series 2) Model 45's with the Kirby-Tecumseh H4-4A, 3HP engine fitted. This is unusual, as it is a 14" machine and usually came with a 2.5HP Silver Briggs and Stratton fitted.

You will need to check the rails for fatigue cracking under and around the engine mounting points...the twin railers are prone to this, particularly if they suffered from a flogged out cutter clutch.

Thankyou for posting some pics, but I would really like some pics of the inner clutch half where the previous owner drilled it, and what that has done to the engine PTO output shaft.
We may need to remove the engine temporarily and split the cutter clutch to examine the area....not a bad thing, because we can then assess the condition of the cutter clutch components at the same time.
Don't worry, it is a quick and easy job to do that and we can step you through it.

on a good score for the price, and the fact you got a great grass box with it!

WE now know the 450407 came fitted with this Kirby motor.

Hi Jack,

Where did you get this document from ?, "Hallelujah"!!!!!!!!

I've always argued til I'm blue in the face that the Silver Briggs did get dropped for a short time on the 14 inch machine and replaced by the Kirby on the twin rail chassis until the whole range crossed over to the "Orange" Briggs & Stratton power plants.

I must admit though the 3 HP unit on a 14 inch machine is quite an overkill.

Cheers,
BB

Hello BB,

Mate the document was hidden in these wonderful forums.
I found it by chance.

I am in the process of moving these documents to the History Forum,
so that there will be one known place to access them.

Glad you're happy about that.
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JACK.

Sorry I've never seen this thread and didn't realise you were after clarification on alternative engine fitment for this model,as I have most of these sheets. I'm sure I also put most model nos and there engine styles cost starter type etc in the SB Model no thread about a year ago:)

Hi Blu,

It's been a bit of controversial issue about the 14 inch unit and what engines were fitted, solid deck vs twin rail, and it's ultimate demise leaving just the 17 and 20 inch models available.

Cheers,
BB

Hey BB,

Cool...Great its been resolved.

If you come across any more discrepencies, I possibly may be able to help confirm what went on what, although Im sure most sales brochures are on here now....How to find them all is the hard part lols.

Hi Blu,

Must admit it would be great to have a section on the forum that is purely Brochures under each brand name, as you suggested they are here there and everywhere at the moment.

Cheers,
BB

Hi to CyberJack, BB, Blue and ODK members,

I have seen this sheet before, but did not get to excited with the info, as you should realise that the sheet does NOT contain a release date and the Model Number 450407 was a carry over from the solid deck machines....

As you will see on the sheet, it refers to the 17" and 20" machines as having Kirby's fitted, by the time the twin railers were introduced AFAIK most were fitted with Briggs and Stratton engines.
So guys, we are still in the dark.....

Hi Darryl, also Blu, and Jack

Great to have you back again !!

I guess the point I'm trying to bring across is that for a very short period of time the whole range used Kirby's on the twin railers and then the whole line up crossed over to B&S power plants, somewhere around that period the 14 was dropped from the lineup as there weren't many later orange B&S units fitted to the 14's until it's sudden demise.

Cheers,
BB

Hi Deejay, BB and Blue,

I think this one will be made clearer with time.
I can only agree with BB that Kirbys were the exclusive engine for a period,
but I suspect it was much more than "a very short period of time".

My initial research shows that the Kirby was being used on the 14 from early 1972.
We have a primary record that shows a Kirby exclusive 45 range for the 1974-75 season.
This would infer exclusive Kirby usage for at least 4 seasons!

I suspect Briggs became the exclusive engine for the 1976-77 lawnmowing season.

All very provisional.
-----------------------------------
JACK.

Hi Jack, Blu and DJ

I'd say you'd be pretty well spot on with your dates there. Just as proof that the 14 inch machine survived up until the 1976 era here's a photo of what I believe to be one of the very last 14 inch units to be assembled in Adelaide using the last Alpine Green colour scheme that Scott Bonnar used. Note the transfer on the engine stating the unit is a 14 inch. This is proof that the Orange Briggs power plant did make it back for its last hoorah on a 14 inch machine after the Kirby demise along with the 17 and 20 inch units across the board. When exactly the the 14 was deleted is still somewhat not precisely clear, but I'd say it would have to have been at some point in 1976

Photo courtesy of Gumtree Adelaide.



It's the most modern looking 14 inch machine I've seen as the look is very much associated with the 17 inch machine. By this point in time the 14 was no longer in favour and strangely enough neither was the 20 inch machine, while 17's were sold by the semi load. Interesting that the 14 inch machine was really the flavour of the month in the late 1960's and lost popularity by the early 70's.

Hello BB, DJ and Blue,

BB, That's a great find and conclusive photographic evidence of a
late 14 inch with the last logos and colours.

What is interesting to me is your comment about the demise of the
14 and 20 inch machines.

My personal view is that, since 1948, reel mowers were living on
borrowed time. Scott Bonnar reels survived as long as they did because
SB was the market leader and captured the remnant sales of smaller
defunct manufacturers as the reel market contracted.

What once were warriors is now a niche market.

All very interesting.
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JACK.