Thread: New Lawn Mower.

Jim if you're looking at whippersnippers, pop into your local Stihl dealer. They sometimes have the bottom of the range bent shaft model on special. I got one a couple of years ago for $200 and it's a great bit of kit.

Just had a look and They have them on sale for $199 rrp $249

Originally Posted by Debacle

Jim if you're looking at whippersnippers, pop into your local Stihl dealer. They sometimes have the bottom of the range bent shaft model on special. I got one a couple of years ago for $200 and it's a great bit of kit.

Thanks for that mate, but there is really not that much wrong with my current "Homelite" brand whippersnipper. The salesman I talked to said there is a repair kit available for under $15 that contains all the basics I need to keep it going. They will be getting more in next week as they are out of them at the moment. My whippersnipper works fine except the plastic tube from the petrol tank to the carby has gone all soft and is letting air in. My whippersnipper is nearly twenty years old. I'll try the repair kit first before deciding on a new whippersnipper. I like 4 stroke small motors but at nearly $500 for a 4 stroke whippersnipper, I'll give that a miss. The salesman showed me 2 stroke models at well under $200.

I paid less than $200 for a 4-stroke whipper snipper at Masters. It, so far, starts well and runs well. The first job was to clear a suburban block of 500mm high grass and it didn't miss a beat.

My mower is a 6yo GMC with Briggs and Stratton engine from Bunnings - it cost around $265 back then. Every now and again I whip the carby off and clean out all the crap (it stays outside 24x7 and rain water gets into the carb) and away it goes - first pull. I gave it a new set of blades at Christmas time - the old ones weren't really too bad - certainly so given the rough time the mower has had over the past 6 years. I may buy it a new spark plug next Christmas...

Less than $200 for a 4 stroke whippersnipper!! The cheapest one at our local Bunnings was about $450 from memory. If I decide to buy a new one it might be worth the half hour drive to the nearest Masters store.

Originally Posted by Ausfree

Thanks for that mate, but there is really not that much wrong with my current "Homelite" brand whippersnipper. The salesman I talked to said there is a repair kit available for under $15 that contains all the basics I need to keep it going. They will be getting more in next week as they are out of them at the moment. My whippersnipper works fine except the plastic tube from the petrol tank to the carby has gone all soft and is letting air in. My whippersnipper is nearly twenty years old. I'll try the repair kit first before deciding on a new whippersnipper. I like 4 stroke small motors but at nearly $500 for a 4 stroke whippersnipper, I'll give that a miss. The salesman showed me 2 stroke models at well under $200.

I'm with you on that one Ausfree.I have had a Homelite, straight shaft,since 2001, it's still going strong and over the years I have given it a hiding living on acreage.All I have done is change the head but it is good to know that a repair kit is available.Thanks for that info.

Originally Posted by Disco44

I'm with you on that one Ausfree.I have had a Homelite, straight shaft,since 2001, it's still going strong and over the years I have given it a hiding living on acreage.All I have done is change the head but it is good to know that a repair kit is available.Thanks for that info.

Hope I didn't mislead you Disco44, the repair kit is a generic one for all whippersnippers (not just Homelite) and apparently it contains things like plastic tubing and rubber bulbs for the carby etc. I have just used my whippersnipper this morning (it is the bent shaft model Homelite) and I think once I have replaced the plastic tubing from the fuel tank to the carby, it should be right!! I wouldn't imagine you would get too much in the kit for under $15.

1965 Rover, maybe a "Lawn Rover".
It had an engine transplant in the 80's when it was twenty one years old, after the original motor threw a leg out of bed!

Cheers, Mick.

Since this Thread has been resurrected, I might state that I have bought the repair kit for my Homelite whippersnipper and it works a treat. The whippersnipper now goes like a brand new one, I might get another 20 years out of it!!