so your last one lasted 22yrs and you can get a new one for $220?
I wouldn't be quibbling, I'd get the new b&s for another $10/yr
Before I start, I'm not interested in changing to a battery operated lawnmower.
I have an old ride-on and use a smaller mower for the edges and a couple of small grass areas.
My trusty MTD mower has been going for 22 years and is now using oil and smoking worse than a 2-stroke. Piston rings and a few gaskets start to get expensive (Briggs & Stratton Sprint 375) and to be fair the motor is probably nearing the end of its life.
It's had minimal maintenance, a few oil changes over it's life, air cleaner cleaned once or twice and still on the original blade & sparkplug. Still starts & runs OK, just the smoke. The throttle lever broke some years back (plastic) so it's been run on fixed revs since.
The young bloke had a couple of mowers he was playing with plus I was given an alloy deck Flymo with the same Sprint motor. Got this one going after cleaning the carby but it also smokes.
Also have a Chonda (Chinese Honda) young bloke got off hard rubbish and a replacement motor also from the young bloke. After an engine swap and a carby clean I now have one that's working without smoke signals. Remarkably quiet but not great condition.
I can buy a Briggs & Stratton OHV replacement for the Sprint motor for about $220 delivered. I'd fit it to the alloy Flymo deck and probably get years of use.
I can also buy a new Sanli (Chonda) mower from Big W for $229.
I probably have some life from the Chonda I've repaired and I'm trying to make up my mind whether I should just buy a B&S motor and dump all the others.
Briggs & Stratton 3.75hp (550EX Series) Lawnmower Engine – Small Engine Warehouse Australia
Colin
'56 Series 1 with homemade welder
'65 Series IIa Dormobile
'70 SIIa GS
'76 SIII 88" (Isuzu C240)
'81 SIII FFR
'95 Defender Tanami
'58 Series II (sold)
Motorcycles :-
Vincent Rapide, Panther M100, Norton BIG4, Electra & Navigator, Matchless G80C
so your last one lasted 22yrs and you can get a new one for $220?
I wouldn't be quibbling, I'd get the new b&s for another $10/yr
I bought a Sanli years ago when they first came out - probably around 8 or so years ago now and it still starts first or second pull every time and I’ve never done a thing to it other than change the oil every other year. I think I paid around $300 back then from a mower shop before big W and Bunnings started selling them but it’s probably the best value mower I’ve ever bought.
If you need to contact me please email homestarrunnerau@gmail.com - thanks - Gav.
Why don't you just buy a new mower for not much more? I you are going to **** about swapping engines make sure you get one with a flat base plate on the crankcase not a corrugated one. Flat is made in USA at the Milwaukee plant. Corrugated is made in the celestial kingdom.
URSUSMAJOR
this is why we have become the biggest waste country . everything is cheaper to replace than repair
If you go down the replacement line, keep an eye on gumtree. My next door neighbour sold a near new Honda for 300 bucks.. Wanted a quick sale. I'm not fussy on what things look like so second hand is the way for me.
Used the hard rubbish Sanli today without issue.
It's a 'Gardener's Choice' which might be K-mart ?? It's stood outside for a year or two and only when mine started smoking did I swap out the motor. The other Sanli motor the young bloke gave me had coil pack problems, once it got hot it died and refused to restart. Internet search came up with numerous Sanli coil pack problems, mower shop wanted $70 for a coil pack !! Couldn't find one online at the time.
The question was more do I take a punt with a Chinese copy of a Honda or buy a B&S motor ? Not a big job to change a motor, 3 bolts, fit the blade and the throttle cable. The unknown for me is the B&S OHV motor vs. the old sidevalve motors. Thanks for the heads up about the baseplates.
They turn up cheap at the local Trash & Treasure market but unfortunately it's closed for the time being.....
Most of the ones on Gumtree locally are from people who repair them for a living or near new prices being asked for old mowers.
The hard rubbish Sanli will do for the time being.
Colin
'56 Series 1 with homemade welder
'65 Series IIa Dormobile
'70 SIIa GS
'76 SIII 88" (Isuzu C240)
'81 SIII FFR
'95 Defender Tanami
'58 Series II (sold)
Motorcycles :-
Vincent Rapide, Panther M100, Norton BIG4, Electra & Navigator, Matchless G80C
My first machines was a ROVER brand, all aluminium deck and with a properly proportioned handle which made one handed-about-face turning effortless - as quick and painless as it should be.
Engine was a Bang & Stop side-valve thing... Very VERY average in starting. Eventually.
Mercifully, it died after 15 or so years of boring if not faithful performance. Catcher was a solid black plastic moulded thing. Worked fine.
Replacement engines were unknown back then, at least economical ones... so #2 was a
- Chinese Bunnings brand , yellow and black abomination. Heavy, unbalanced to the point of being painful to use, and another disappointing engine, despite appearing to be OHV...
I've got an OHV B&S engine on the current (#3) piece of rubbish that's supposed to be a 'Professional' mower.
It's not.
Had trouble with the self-drive, belt fallling off and/or drive cable parting company from drive gearbox...and it trundles at a too-fast gallop... And the handle could be a tad longer and more securely mounted.
The rear catcher fabric is... a consumable item. Even being out in the sun as a domestic machine (it's touted as being "Industrial") is sufficient to visibly damage the material. Estimating a MAX 5 year life.
But, credit where it's due,,, engine is a willing , 3.75HP and starts first pull. Every time I find that it runs better overall on 95 or 98. Don't understand why, but it does.
Yes, if the deck broke I'd dump it and save the engine.
-- I'm not looking, you understand, but if I see another (road verge) ROVER alloy deck in good nick ...
Worst feature apart from weight, is poor 'balance', makes turning more difficult than it needs to be. A bit like driving a great car first, then stuck with Holdens thereafter...
My long-winded suggestion is to go for the GENUINE Briggs & Stratton engine replacement, if you reckon the wheels and 'balance' of your current one is otherwise satisfactory.
Or a real Honda... their engines all seem to run quieter, my personal problem with modern mowers. - I'd even go to a bigger $ HP engine if losing power in a great muffler was the price for peace !
Thanks for the link to the engine mob, Colin. $2160 for a new V-Twin for my ride on means that I'll be repairing the old one.....
JayTee
Nullus Anxietus
Getting involved in discussions is the best way to learn.
2000 D2 TD5 Auto: Tins
1994 D1 300TDi Manual: Dave
1980 SIII Petrol Tray: Doris
OKApotamus #74
Nanocom, D2 TD5 only.
The cheap Sanli from Big W has the net catcher, my hard rubbish Sanli has a traditional plastic catcher.
I've also noticed a motor that looks remarkably like a Sanli on other brand mowers (e.g. Victa). Maybe made under licence or they provide the motor ?
About Us — Sanli Lawn Products
Decisions, decisions......maybe I'll try and wear out the hard rubbish mower....
Colin
'56 Series 1 with homemade welder
'65 Series IIa Dormobile
'70 SIIa GS
'76 SIII 88" (Isuzu C240)
'81 SIII FFR
'95 Defender Tanami
'58 Series II (sold)
Motorcycles :-
Vincent Rapide, Panther M100, Norton BIG4, Electra & Navigator, Matchless G80C
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