I had a look at some Victa models on display at Bunnings in Hillsdale, Sydney that could be fitted with a Powertorque down the line. As we know, there are a lot of good Powertorques that outlast their bases and a lot of Briggs that give up the ghost before the bases fail. I have highlighted the extra mounting hole evident on these mower's bases that are used only by Powertorque motors. There is even a combo blower and mower pack with a "classic cut" Victa on the box.
Ahh, if only victa had kept producing the thumblatch catcher series, they would be in better shape today!
MF I have a brand new Victa base here and it is completely different, won't take a Victa catcher and the axles ate stepped with nuts on them like the older Masports. Been trying to work out what I can use it for. The first pic shows the Victa sticker and the axles the second pic shows the rear discharge that has been narrowed down like MTD's etc. It does not have the hole for the PT motors as a lot of the other later bases I have seen. I'm wondering if the ones you saw at Bunnings might be old stock
NormK, there were other bases that certainly didn't have the Powertorque hole that I didn't photograph (maybe I should have), but more than half on display did, so they are most likely still churning out Powertorque compatible bases for lowest end models at least, capitalising on existing presses at the factory. Developing steel base pressings is a significant cost, so why not use a design that takes the Briggs? I guess it's not worth it to them to blank out the hole.
Ahh, if only victa had kept producing the thumblatch catcher series, they would be in better shape today!
Hi Tyler you are probably right, looks like it still has the mulching plug in it I never looked hard enough at it. It is probably made in China in millions for all over the world and they just put a Victa sticker on it for ones being shipped to Aus
There is one american (chinese made) one that is almost identical - I think Murray or MTD that looks almost exactly the same. For some reason the US like those plastic front bits
Problem is I can't bring myself to throw it in the scrap, it has never been used but without a catcher and wheels that is probably where it will end up
Problem is I can't bring myself to throw it in the scrap, it has never been used but without a catcher and wheels that is probably where it will end up
NormK, you may be able to fit Sanli wheels on that one as they also have stepped axles with the nylock nut retainer. Tyler that is along the lines I was thinking. A generic import with Victa printed plastic sheath glued on.
Ahh, if only victa had kept producing the thumblatch catcher series, they would be in better shape today!
It occured to me where I had seen something similar to the Bunnings special Victa Rapid Mulcher - the Ryobi mowers Bunnings also sell.
Same handle mountings and folding points, same basic design (including the catcher spring located in the same deck anchoring location). As you said MF, they all source the same basic crap out of some chinese factory, and change/add what suits them (robin engine/briggs engine, bull bar/no bull bar, washport/no washport).
See the similarities (not quite the right model of ryobi - the 2 pictures on there website show 2 different mowers - slight differences.)
Hi Norm, Wheels are a problem, I'd bodgie some , and wait for a B&S that needs a home... would that fit. Or use a 3 lb hammer and do some panelbeating and make a PT motor fit...... And give it to a Relo for a present.........
My PT starter was jamimg every second start,,, specially when I was on a small job...... THe starter cord had worn a groove in the two pronged thing that that the starter bolt fts in....... So I drilled out a bigger hole , with smooth edges.... It's working.
happy new year speedy
........................Keep your blades sharp......................
Hi Speedy, at the moment I have a bit of a glut of B&S motors looking for good bases, wheels I could certainly do a bodge on but the no catcher puts it back in the throw out bin again. I'm trying to build a few Masports because I have heaps of those catchers and the Masport catcher is the best catcher by a mile, the inner screen is always as new and for some reason the catcher bodies don't seem to get broken and cracked like the others Happy new year to you as well
No catcher clinches it as a space waster. What are the chances of getting a catcher? Dice the thing I say, unless you can jam it behind a cupboard somewhere out of sight out of mind.
Ahh, if only victa had kept producing the thumblatch catcher series, they would be in better shape today!
The masport catchers have some lifetime warranty thing - very good because they build them tough to reduce warranty claims. Maybe something like an Aldi mower catcher would fit - the newer 18 inch models seem to have a quite similar catcher (but probably not quite similar enough)
I have a number of those Aldi type Chondas and a couple of Lawn Beetles and Sprinters here that I have never bothered to try starting because I don't have catchers for them. I have a pile of odd bag catchers I have no idea what they are of. I did modify a Lawn Beetle one to fit a Sprinter but I would not bother with that idea again
I have had quite a few of those Sanli Lawn Beetles here, they are a plastic body that I usually cut in 4 pieces so they fit in the rubbish bin easily. You have to remove the wheels to adjust the height and they are fitted with a Chonda. Here is my Beetle Beetle pile
That is a tad harsh, I have repaired a couple for people who are still happy with them and in most cases it is just the badly designed choke. It's horses for courses, some people have to carry their mower through the house to get from the front lawn to the rear courtyard/lawn area. Some yards are only 3m x 3m but if it is a grassed area it still needs cutting
