I took the PT 24 out to a friends place to slash though some very long grass, I can't believe it, it is at least 2 feet high and as green as you would expect it to be during the Spring growth period. Anyway started tearing into it and the motor stopped when I pulled it back to idle at one stage. Immediate suspect was the float needle sticking but after checking the plug it had a bit of fuel on it so the next test is spark. No spark at the plug, screwdriver in the plug cap and shaft against the body, still no spark. Packed it up back in the trailer thinking either the module or coil had failed. Go home pulled it out of the trailer thought I would check again as removing the motor from these 24's is a bit of a pain. Then it dawned on me maybe it is the screw in the lead, sure enough, give it a bit of a turn and spark is back. Bit annoying I didn't think of it earlier but at least I didn't end up pulling the motor just to find out it was that silly little screw
Well Normk the comments about taking two mowers reminds of myself taking 3 chainsaws along with extra chains on to job sites. Never know when you going get one stuck and need to cut it out of a bind. Of course the third is just a spare but you never know what you run in to when cutting downed trees. I even had chop a couple saws out before I started carrying extra saws.
But as said it is wise to carry a spare on any project just saves time and headaches.
Good tip there NormK, I still haven't looked at that Mustang I found the other day that has no spark. I will now also check this screw in the end of the lead to make sure it's making good contact with the wire inside.
Cheers!
Zip a dee doo dah, zip a dee ay, another trash picked Victa, hip hip Hooray!
Yes AVB, I would normally take a couple of mowers but in this situation I would doubt that even a Victa PT would struggle the grass is so long, thick and green. The 24's are the only thing that can tackle it and as I only had one working one I tried to run with it. I will have to tackle it again today with the one machine.
MF I can't do anything like a video but I can get some pics as there is still a lot to cut, poor machine was really working hard with all the rubbish in the grass. Motor was doing it easily. You know the grass is long when you come across a wheelchair standing upright and you couldn't see it. When it gets away Kikuyu is a real menace
I agree Kikiyu is a menace and grows like wildfire. Terrible choice of lawn. Buffalo is where it's at. Some before and after shots would be interesting.
Ahh, if only victa had kept producing the thumblatch catcher series, they would be in better shape today!
I can't see any standard victa PT going though grass that thick.
I have pushed my FC commando through grass around half that thick and although it only laboured a bit, I wouldn't have wanted to try anymore (I walk slowly).
Yet the 600 clearly just takes it in its stride Shows they really made them to tackle anything
Tyler the PT on these with the big belt driven blade carrier do it with ease, sure I stalled it a couple of times, it is just hard going pushing it through the grass and I'm doing it a bit tough at the moment waiting on a hip replacement. Yes I would not have attempted it with a normal 18 inch PT. On the areas I have got slashed down I may give a PT a go to get rid of all the remaining kikuyu runners, then maybe spray it
That the same thing i did with the side council verge (corner block with a big verge down the side). Slashed it with a few whipper snippers (1 with 2.4mm line, 1 with 1.3mm and one with tri blade), then the commando (gave up with the masport 4 stroke as it wouldn't do it). Then glyphosate on the edges and a 10:1 mix of sugar & borax to kill the bloody ants.
I know what you mean with the hip - they are quite literally a pain in the bum. I've got hereditary bone tumors (benign so far) that range from small to a bit less than golf ball size. Had 3 removed in 2015 (biggest golf ball sized one from below right knee and 2 that were rubbing together on tibia and fibula). In the morning I sound like a car with stuffed cv joints (click, clunk, crack )
The cold mornings are real buggers - fortunately Hyundai heater cores give out with the hot air pretty quick. Just keep on keeping on as they say
Hope the hospital wait time is just about over - I remember hearing about the absurd times they expect people to wait now.
The advantage of using the 600 is that I can sort of use it as a walking frame, just have to be careful of those big thick kikuyu runners, they get me all the time
I actually find the straight handle bars on the lower end victas slightly more comfortable than the upturned 'comfort grip' ones. Fortunately the back lawn is dead flat, and the front only has a slight incline
Wow, 600 territory for sure. That would have the Mustang throwing up it's arms.
Originally Posted by Tyler
I actually find the straight handle bars on the lower end victas slightly more comfortable than the upturned 'comfort grip' ones. Fortunately the back lawn is dead flat, and the front only has a slight incline
I had my "don't you hate it" today when I hesitated in taking a Victa steel deck with dead looking Briggs (missing air cleaner) with ratty paint and tyres but no play in the front axles and a sound deck. I caused oil to spill out the throat by tilting it forwards to check under for rust around the handle mounts (it was clean). Black oil was dribbling all over the deck and my car was a fair ways away. It had those straight handles which I quite like. While deciding what to do, a car pulled up and a man got out and grabbed it right away. I wasn't going to fight for it as it needed a repaint and the handle knobs were missing so it was difficult to wheel away on foot. Good luck to the new owners.
Ahh, if only victa had kept producing the thumblatch catcher series, they would be in better shape today!
Once at the tip, a guy was looking at a few new in box umbrella bases, after a few minutes, his wife lead him away 'you don't need those'. anyway, i walked over and put all 3 in my trolley 30 seconds later (I probably didnt need them either haha), and he just said to her 'see!'. When she asked him what he would have used them for, and he couldn't come up with an answer, she walked off shaking her head.
That was the best day I ever had at the tip - 2 trimmers, a hedge trimmer, 1 year old leaf blower, 2 new beach umbrellas, the 3 umbrella bases, some retic parts and a couple gregories manuals for $20 couldn't believe my luck
At the same time, they had old 125 cc victas sitting there with no catcher, cracked deck, no pull cord, cracked cowl for $60 - doesn't make sense.
Ok so MF didn't like my idea of spraying the yard with agent orange so my thoughts have now moved on to going to the beach and getting a couple of 44's of salt water and spraying the yard with that, never tried it but it might work. Another way would be to get some bags of pool salt. I'm sure even kikuyu wouldn't like that and if done often enough we might eradicate it.
MF, there is no way I would consider a 4 stroke for this sort of work it spends too much time standing up on the back wheels and there is too much risk of oil starvation because of the angle the motor is on and this is not good when you have it revving hard
I just had a look at those tall grass pics there NormK, I have had a section of my yard that I sometimes leave until it gets to around that height, yes I know I shouldn't let it get that high, but I have slowly mowed through it all with the Victa Commando...lol
I start off with the deck at the most highest setting possible, and start with cutting a layer at that height, then slowly lower the height a bit at a time and knock it all down in layers slowly. Yes it takes quite a few runs over it and many many catcher loads..lol
Revs are usually at full, I almost go through a full tank of fuel in the Victa tank just to finish that one section of tall grass! But the good old SPFC just keeps powering on!
Cheers!
Last edited by Converse; 21/04/1902:25 PM.
Zip a dee doo dah, zip a dee ay, another trash picked Victa, hip hip Hooray!
MF, power wise PT or SPFC much of a muchness, it is just a matter of which base you end up with, performance wise they are the same Converse, a small area of Kikuyu and an 18 inch Victa will get through it but this was a big backyard and I would have taken days to get through it with a smaller machine and make really hard work of it. So far I have used 4 liters of fuel on it but at least I am over half way through it. Getting rid of all the grass is now the next problem so I can run over it again and hopefully chop up all the miles of runners that I have cut over the top of so far. Then I might run over it with an 18 to cut just above the ground and then maybe spray it with salt water. I think it needs a scorched earth policy used on it. Trailer loads of beach sand would be good but you are not allowed to take it.
G'day NormK yes my area is probably 10 metres long by 3 metres wide section. Nothing like the size of a whole backyard! lol
That would be a bit too much area to try and use something like weedkiller on it? For years I used to pull out those runners around certain area's in the yard. Then I was once in Coles and they had some cheap Brunnings weed killer for half price, I thought what the hell i'll buy a couple of these and see if they work. I sprayed the weeds and runners and it looked like nothing happened for about a week, then a week later everything was dead and didn't grow back for ages. It took 2 weeks to work but it kills all the grass down to the roots. Great for when you don't want to use a whipper snipper around poles and edges where the mower can't get to...lol
Cheers!
Last edited by Converse; 21/04/1903:32 PM.
Zip a dee doo dah, zip a dee ay, another trash picked Victa, hip hip Hooray!
I have a couple of hundred liters of old engine oil, that should slow it up. If I could work out how to get my trailer close to the waters edge I could fill a couple of 44's with salt water, I'm sure that would slow it up.
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