OutdoorKing Repair Forum Forums Restoring, Customising and Modifying Victa Walk-Behind Rotary Mowers Early Victa: Oddities and Anecdotes

Great story from March, 1967. I Wonder if 4097 is still going strong...

A great piece, thanks for sharing Bestseller. I note the carby on this one is the "later" style and not the circlip type. Engine number 4097. I wonder when the hinged clip style of carburettor was introduced ?

Hello bestseller and Paul

These stories are just sensational.
History comes alive when person stories reveal the
'Golden Age' of Australian lawnmowers.

Good ol' 4097.
-----------------------
Jack

Cheers fellas. Regarding the carby, it would have had the brass nut originally, but were mostly replaced due to unwanted loosening, I've heard.

I think the clip-on style arrived around the 2a/model 3, so late '57ish.

Since you liked that one...

September, 1961

Hello bestseller

I have but one Victa - a Model 1.
It's serial number is ... (drum-roll) ... 4697
How about that!



All very interesting.
---------------------------
Jack

BAH! So close!

Interesting story....I wonder if she still exists and what actually happened to the 1" on ole number 8s Plaque?

The ciclip style finished with the 2a. Although many have been changed to the later style due to cap wear.

The latch top carby was introduced on the Model 4 Auto. Obviously Twin port for the predicta system. The second port was closed with an alloy plug, when returned for warranty and the removal of the predicta system was carried out.

Due to the Autos demise the twin port cap wasnt necessary. So one port was not drilled and kept permantly closed until CC could retool for the single port top.

The model 4 std and model 3 were fitted with these twin port tops until the single port was released around or just before the model 5 series 1. Twin port tops could be seen on those models in between, around 20,000-30,000 mowers.

Hello again HT6, I have missed you and your wealth of knowledge. What would Model 3 Rotomos have had, I thought circlip. Would it be a mix of circlip for early and then latch type for later runs ?

Hey Paul:)

The whole run of model 4 Autos had all but ended at the release of the model 3. This carb was well in service already. While the 2a pulley was a carry over and correct for early model 3, Im unaware of the earlier circlip carby being used this late. Remember there are often discrepencies in early Victa models especially in transition stages. So there is a minute possiblity the last 2a mowers may have had the newer latch style 3f, but highly unlikely the model 3 got the circlip style (but I wont discount 100% that a few wernt used if original examples can be shown). Also Approx 20,000 mowers had been released since the new carbs intro prior to the Model 3 release.

Great info there HT6, thanks for sharing your knowledge!

I may as well add another obscure vintage Victa article to keep this thread going. I've seen some crazy modifications on Specials over the years, but this one takes the biscuit:

December, 1968

Hello Bestseller

That was a personal treat for me. And a real surprise!!!
I met Cedric many times in the late 1970s. He was the biggest
stockist of Briggs parts in Brisbane. I remember him as a quiet,
decent man, with vast experience and knowledge. Air Cooled Engines
was in a narrow street in Fortitude Valley.

AS for multiple wheels? It wasn't a new idea ...
https://www.outdoorking-forum.com.au/forum/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=51528

Although the Minter's production 6 wheeler could not match Ced's ad-hock 10.

Ced was a true wheeler and dealer.
--------------------------------------
Jack

Surprised to have found a personal connection there - bloody small world!

Last one for the night - one of my personal favorites:
April, 1966

What is this bestseller ... memory lane!

As a 'lil kid it was a treat to visit Uncle Jack's poultry farm.
It looked just like this - rows and rows of cages. The fowls didn't
look like they were ready to preen their feathers either. I now feel
sorry for them. They looked dazed - like the audience at a Frank
Ifield concert:

It was not a favorite job - sweeping the floors.
If only uncle had a Brushmatic!

There is no end to Aussie ingenuity ...
https://www.outdoorking-forum.com.au/forum/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=58306

Thanks for sharing.
-------------------------
Jack

Love the brushmatic. Only in Australia

Frank Ifield sounds like a 125 with a blown bearing! Loved the thread on oddities there Jack.

Speaking of oddities, here's a nice little article on the complex life of Special engine AC54244:

April, 1968

Yet another Rotomo with a long and distinguished career:

October, 1964

Hi bestseller

Thanks again for these entertaining insights!

I love the description, "Mr. Mitchell, a methodical man"
I think his record keeping is verging on what is coined 'anal'.
Just imagine his workshop - everything labelled and in place.

-------------------------
Jack

It is amazing how things change with time with these people carefully maintaining their machines and the fact it got reported in the newspapers. Nobody would bother maintaining a mower these days, cheaper to get a new one than pay somebody to repair it

These stories might bring back some memories for a few of our more 'senior' members:

June, 1961



January, 1960 - Peter and Barry Hayward, Carnegie, Melbourne

These light-hearted stories were used to great effect by Victa.
Icon building meant that Victa was a part of everyday life,
and building community.

I like the reference to the "Victa Sweep" technique.
[from Mower Guide below:]

1000 Victa mowers sold every day,that is over 350,000 per year, staggering figures, would be interesting to know how many mowers of all brands are sold per year in Australia these days, I wouldn't think it would be near those figures, could be wrong.

The Outdoor Power Equipment Association is about the only crowd who collect these sales stats by units sold. As they only publish these to their members, the only public access to this data is that which makes its way into government reports.

The most recent stats available by this route are for FY's 2002-2009, and these list new petrol rotary mower sales from a low of 223,609 [2002-3] to a peak at 421,000 [2007-8]. So much in the same ballpark, really.

The full document is HERE - 5.3MB PDF of an OPEA submission from 2010.

Still staggering figures, the early Victa figures are understandable because it was a revolution in mowing lawns but to keep selling year after year at that rate is hard to believe. I guess a lot of it is due to mowers being much cheaper these days and not worth the service/repair costs so they go to landfill/scrap bin

I think the mower sale are only going to go down has anybody looked at the new suburbs
Over size houses on under size blocks of land no room for a lawn what lawn there is is the foot path I would not buy a mower to mow the council land
Ian

Your right on there Ian about those big houses and tiny blocks. I do a bit of work on apartments in Melbourne putting up privacy screens so you can't see your neighbours because of privacy laws. Most of the people that buy those houses have artificial turf or an electric mower. I can't get away from those places quick enough.

Just wait till they jam another 4 million people into Melb over the next 20 years or so, I bet that front and rear yards are not on the agenda. If anything many yards are getting reduced due to duel housing on existing blocks

What's it like in your area of Melbourne Norm?
My closest neighbour is the best part of a KM away. I love it.

Slash, my area is fine, except for the drug dealing/ice user next door living in a house owned by his father who moved out years ago Apart from that I have nothing to do with the area, drive in and out with my blinkers on. Been here 36 years now and not interested in what anybody else does

Sounds a bit like my mums neighbourhood. Blinkers on keep your nose clean and it's all good. If however you do have a hankering for a midnight deal your in the right neighbourhood.
This might seem like a silly question but do you have much grass? I live on 5 acres and not a bloody thing.

Slash, I have a mate who moved up to Linton in May last year, I think he has about 5 acres, I was up there a couple of weeks ago and he doesn't need to do much mowing, that is for sure, the few sheep he has keep it bare. I rebuilt him a Greenfield Anniversary for around the house but he has only used it once. As for lawn here, I'm on a big block, only lawn here is the front which is at max 20ft x 20ft and a nature strip of 20ft x 4ft and years ago my wife lined up the Jims man and he cuts it and does the edges for $10. I do feel guilty some times for only giving him $10 but it doesn't last long