Mowing ..

[Tassie f100]

Originally Posted by XB GS 351 Coupe

Well that's what councils used to do, collect the green waste, mulch it and sell the mulch.

Now they got greedy and they charge to dump green waste and then sell it back to you.

Mind you if you have unsorted waste it's nearly $500 per tonne.

Bloody hell where are you.Ours has a general fee of $157 tonne up to $230 tonne for asbestos and $260 for medical waste

[XB GS 351 Coupe]

Can't be bothered going back any further than a few pages, anyone using EGO battery powered garden tools/'mowers?

I finally bit the bullet today at Sydney Tools Tradie day.

Bought the Ego LB7654E blower, supposedly the most powerful hand held blower on the planet, including petrol or battery. It cost $789, but today only had $100 store credit that can be used after today to buy more tools.

https://sydneytools.com.au/product/e...ower-combo-kit

It came with two 5ah batteries worth $331.50 each = $663

Turbo charger worth $189 each Making a total of $752 so the blower effectively only cost me $37 Considering the $100 Store credit they paid me to take the blower away.

Also if you buy any commercial EGO tools after tomorrow they come with a free 5ah battery worth $331.50.

So let's buy a $500 tool, get $100 off making it $400, and you get a $331.50 battery. Making the tool almost free.

Thinking of grabbing the commercial Line trimmer next week with my $100 store credit and claim my free 5ah battery. So then I will have three 5ah batteries and a commercial blower and line trimmer to get me started on my battery powered tool adventure.

I suppose it beats giving the money to the tax man.

EGO STX4500 56V POWER+ Cordless Brushless 450mm Commercial Line Trimmer

[XB GS 351 Coupe]

Originally Posted by Tassie f100

Bloody hell where are you.Ours has a general fee of $157 tonne up to $230 tonne for asbestos and $260 for medical waste

NSW Mid North Coast Council.

Asbestos is $441 per tonne.

Unsorted waste $419 per tonne

Unsorted Commercial waste $662 per tonne.

Green Waste Sorted $89 per tonne.

Believe it or not this tip was completely free to use for private users not too long ago I used go there with trailer loads form my property for free.

[DFB FGXR6]

Originally Posted by XB GS 351 Coupe

Can't be bothered going back any further than a few pages, anyone using EGO battery powered garden tools/'mowers?

I finally bit the bullet today at Sydney Tools Tradie day.

Bought the Ego LB7654E blower, supposedly the most powerful hand held blower on the planet, including petrol or battery. It cost $789, but today only had $100 store credit that can be used after today to buy more tools.

https://sydneytools.com.au/product/e...ower-combo-kit

It came with two 5ah batteries worth $331.50 each = $663

Turbo charger worth $189 each Making a total of $752 so the blower effectively only cost me $37 Considering the $100 Store credit they paid me to take the blower away.

Also if you buy any commercial EGO tools after tomorrow they come with a free 5ah battery worth $331.50.

So let's buy a $500 tool, get $100 off making it $400, and you get a $331.50 battery. Making the tool almost free.

Thinking of grabbing the commercial Line trimmer next week with my $100 store credit and claim my free 5ah battery. So then I will have three 5ah batteries and a commercial blower and line trimmer to get me started on my battery powered tool adventure.

I suppose it beats giving the money to the tax man.

EGO STX4500 56V POWER+ Cordless Brushless 450mm Commercial Line Trimmer

I have the 765 Blower, Power Inverter and the Fan, but no other tools.

I would have no issue buying the line trimmers and hedgers, but I don't like the way they orientated the battery on the chainsaws, don't know what they were thinking with that one as it makes it very unbalanced.

[XB GS 351 Coupe]

Originally Posted by DFB FGXR6

I have the 765 Blower, Power Inverter and the Fan, but no other tools.

I would have no issue buying the line trimmers and hedgers, but I don't like the way they orientated the battery on the chainsaws, don't know what they were thinking with that one as it makes it very unbalanced.

image

I do not do much chain saw work.

I am invested in the Ryobi 18 volt system for basic hand tools, simply because it was cheap and fairly reliable with a long no questions asked warranty.

I have fried a drill and a driver and they were replaced with brand new items at the Bunnings service counter I have also had a battery fail and it was just replaced with a new one at the counter. All tool were a few years old.

I have used the Ryobi 18V blower for about five years no issues I also have a Brushless chain saw, hand drills, rattle gun, driver, tyre inflator, BT Radio, lights, torch, spot light and fan. All work great.

But Ryobi prices have doubled recently. A new blower would nearly cost me as much as the Ego one I just bought. My 2 stroke line trimmer is getting tired and I am getting tired of mixing two stroke.

Todays deal made be do it. I will check it out on the week end, it's still in the box, only bought it on the way home from work. The two batteries charger and $100 cash back sold me. I think I will buy the commercial line trimmer as they have the free battery deal starting tomorrow, so it will cost the same or less after cash back than buying a more base model Ego trimmer.

Sick of pull starting and mixing two stroke and then there is the noise and smell.

I will report back with my thoughts once I have used it a bit.

PS yes that battery seems unbalanced on the chain saw.

[DFB FGXR6]

I had been waiting for this, but it finally happened today....................the Mulchmaster's belt snapped. Thankfully, it was on the last mow, right across the road from home. This was the belt compromised by a botched repair, I'm surprised it lasted this long. With the belt in stock, I thought this would be a quick repair. But.....................

One of the tensioner pullies had separated from the bearing, the pully itself munted. Actually, the belt itself was still in tack, just, the pully had worked itself off the bearing and unhooked the belt. Looking at it, I would say the damaged belt heated the plastic up, galled up the lower skirt then popped off the bearing.









With how damaged the plastic pully is, pressing back in place would simply shred a new belt in no time.

With that, I loaded up the parts manual, and of course, Victa only sell the complete tensioner pully arrangement.

https://bwmachinery.com.au/wp-conten...Parts-List.pdf

Victa CH86896AW -

https://www.outdoorking.com.au/index...oducts_id=8845



While I have a belt in stock, I also ordered another to make the shipping worthwhile.

Victa CH85666A -

https://www.outdoorking.com.au/index...oducts_id=8534

[DFB FGXR6]

Oh, and pushing a 42+ kg Mulchmaster through thick grass with no drive is hard going!

[Trendseeker]

Just out of curiosity, how much more robust are these commercial mowers compared to a decent domestic mower like the Mustang? Is there a rough estimate on how much longer they last than a domestic mower put through the same amount of work?

My Victa Mustang is about 16 years old but I only use it once a fortnight on my lawns(sometimes weekly on the backyard in summer), but lately I’ve been mowing my parent’s lawn as well so it’s getting twice the workout now.

[DFB FGXR6]

Originally Posted by Trendseeker

Just out of curiosity, how much more robust are these commercial mowers compared to a decent domestic mower like the Mustang? Is there a rough estimate on how much longer they last than a domestic mower put through the same amount of work?

My Victa Mustang is about 16 years old but I only use it once a fortnight on my lawns(sometimes weekly on the backyard in summer), but lately I’ve been mowing my parent’s lawn as well so it’s getting twice the workout now.

A very good question, and one that varies depending on the brands/models in question.

Speaking about the Victa Mustang vs Victa Commercial, depending on the engine, a Mustang usually has the higher spec engines. A 16-year-old Mustang would have had either the cast-iron 2-stroke or the Briggs 190cc 6hp Quantum, which were no different to the commercial grade engines. Some were fitted with the Honda GC160, which doesn't have an iron bore. A modern Mustang on the other hand uses the Briggs 850 Commercial engine with a cast iron bore, but some have the domestic 163cc alloy bore Briggs or the terrible Victa V170 non-commercial engines.

From there, a current model Mustang won't have the steel wear plates on the deck, the fabric catcher, stiffer handle bar and mounting points, or the higher-grade wheels. A self-propelled model will have a less robust gearbox too, verified by separate part numbers. Apart from that, the Mustang and Commercial 19-inch share the same basic chassis.

Speaking more generally, commercial grade mowers typically strengthen and upgrade the key failure and points.

One such example being the axle mountings. Most domestic mowers have axles supported by plastic bushings and held in place with tension clips, which have a habit of popping off with heavy usage. A commercial mower such as my Rover, Bushranger or alloy-based Victa's (Mustang, Commercial 19 or 21, Mulchmaster) have the axles bolted to the chassis.

Domestic steel base Victa -





Bushranger 21-inch alloy base -



Rover 22-inch alloy base -



In terms of wheels, a commercial mower will often have larger/equal size wheels, some cheaper mowers use smaller front wheels. Having larger front wheels helps keep the front "planted" and less likely to lift off the grass and cause sloppy cutting. The wheel itself will be higher quality construction, or even made from steel on the Bushranger's. They also have double ball bearing inserts instead of single.

Older Rover with smaller front, larger rear wheels -



Mustang with equal size front and rear, domestic wheels -



Victa Commercial wheels -



Bushranger cast steel wheels -



For self-propelled mowers, the domestic mowers are usually single speed units. Commercial mowers are often multi-speed gearboxes, sometimes driven by a drive shaft (Honda's, Bushranger) instead of a belt (Victa's, Masport's, Rover). The gearboxes are usually higher quality "commercial grade" units.





For some reason, commercial mowers are supplied with fabric catchers instead of plastic, this is apparently for superior airflow. They also hold a greater volume of clippings. The catcher flap is often steel instead of plastic.

In addition to the bolted axles, commercial mowers have stiffer handlebars with superior/stronger mounting points. The height selector lever is usually strengthened, and the decks are often fitted with wear plates to limit damage to the alloy deck over time.

My poor old Rover with no wear plates, the deck has been scalloped over the last ten years of use...................



The wear plates are replaceable, which the ones on my Mulchmaster probably due for replacement..............



As you can see, the plates bolt to the chassis................



Engines, on commercial models you get a cast-iron cylinder for increased life. An alloy bore engine will start smoking waaaay before an iron bore engine will. Honda GXV-160 OHV and GSV190 OHC, Briggs DOV and 850-series, some Krohler's (XT775, XT8) and some Loncin (196cc) engines come with a cast iron bore. Except I/C Quantum's, all other Briggs engines have an alloy bore, be that side valve or OHV engines. Honda GC160/170 OHC engines have an alloy bore.

Some models are also fitted with a blade brake clutch, which acts like a ride-on mower in deactivating drive to the blades, which is handy to when using the mower all day long. The Bushranger fitted with the Loncin engine, most commercial grade Honda's, and the very last Rover ProCut's came with these.

Long story short, the Mustang is a bit of hybrid in that you get a some of the commercial grade stuff like the engine (850-series), axle mountings and alloy chassis, combined with more cost-conscious components to keep the price down.

[Trendseeker]

Thanks DFB for such a detailed and informative answer.

[DFB FGXR6]

Originally Posted by Trendseeker

Thanks DFB for such a detailed and informative answer.

My absolute pleasure!

[DFB FGXR6]

Just like the ceramic coating on this mower, the latest "modification" is completely pointless, but oh so necessary for my enjoyment.



Yes, that's a muffler exhaust tip! Briggs and Stratton fit these to engines depending on what the customer is asking for. For example, a lot of Masport's with the earlier versions of the 850 engine came with one as standard.







The one on my Mulchmaster has been on a few mowers now, I grabbed it off a Masport before I traded it in.

Briggs and Stratton also sell these as a spare part. There are now two versions of this tip, the earlier example above has a smaller diameter outlet, the latest is much bigger and fits the newer engines. This larger version will also fit the domestic engines with the QPT muffler, mostly the 163cc variants.

Breaks & Scrapem Part Number - 594563

I'm not going to post a link for the part as that would show how much I shelled out for two of these things from the USA!

Before -





So the question is, pointing down or to the side?











I think to the side.............or maybe pointing up?

[Citroënbender]

Up! It’s only natural.

[DFB FGXR6]

I also received my order or Rover Pro-Cut wheels today.





The two front wheels are pretty self-explanatory and relatively easy to find. The geared rear wheels are much harder to find. To my surprise, they are actually still available from Rover. I think what happens with these is that they are not generally stocked by retailers because of how specific they are and how much they cost. Having a set of these sitting on the shelf indefinitely would be a foolish game to play. As such, searching for these via part numbers alone yielded only one hit, and they were listed as special order. Reaching out to my previous Rover contact and the same applied. So, I ordered two sets!

If you will remember, despite replacing the drive cogs, I gained back then lost two-wheel drive, so the unit was single pegging and pulling to the left. When I pulled the wheels, one was engaging, and one wasn't. As soon as I opened the box, I knew what the problem was, the new wheels not spinning withing the "tyre" so to speak, meaning the left wheel had failed internally and was free spinning rather than engaging with the cog.

So, the unit will be pulled apart again and hopefully this puts things right. Having said that, with how the new Victa Commercial is performing, I think I may have found its replacement.

[DFB FGXR6]

Originally Posted by Citroënbender

Up! It’s only natural.

Careful, you'll make me blush!

[Tassie f100]

Originally Posted by DFB FGXR6

Just like the ceramic coating on this mower, the latest "modification" is completely pointless, but oh so necessary for my enjoyment.

image

Yes, that's a muffler exhaust tip! Briggs and Stratton fit these to engines depending on what the customer is asking for. For example, a lot of Masport's with the earlier versions of the 850 engine came with one as standard.

image

image

image

The one on my Mulchmaster has been on a few mowers now, I grabbed it off a Masport before I traded it in.

Briggs and Stratton also sell these as a spare part. There are now two versions of this tip, the earlier example above has a smaller diameter outlet, the latest is much bigger and fits the newer engines. This larger version will also fit the domestic engines with the QPT muffler, mostly the 163cc variants.

Breaks & Scrapem Part Number - 594563

I'm not going to post a link for the part as that would show how much I shelled out for two of these things from the USA!

Before -

image

image

So the question is, pointing down or to the side?

image

image

image

image

image

I think to the side.............or maybe pointing up?

What does it achieve anyway?

[DFB FGXR6]

Originally Posted by Tassie f100

What does it achieve anyway?

Two fifths of f-all.

On a mower anyway. In some applications where the engine has to fit a certain space, having one of these to direct the exhaust gas is desirable to prevent blasting carbon all over the machine. These engines power everything from a mower to pressure washers, small ride-on mowers, log splitters ect, so this part allows Briggs to tailor the engine without producing a separate muffler for each machine.

You will see that on some very old mowers which had the engine positioned with the muffler facing the operator, the exhaust plasters the rear of the mower deck with black carbon. Same reason why most diesel cars have exhaust tips facing down to stop staining the rear bumper (hello Hyundai Santa Fe).

[DFB FGXR6]

Originally Posted by Rallye Sport

Heres my recipe for spraying fleabane, its actually the same mix I use whenever I'm spraying glyph.
Glyphosate at the label rate, a sticker/ extender like Pro film at label rate, add the water and check pH, then with a buffer correct to pH 5.
Haven't met a Fleabane I can't kill with that formula.
MCPA, Dicamba in pure form or a mix of both like Cutlass or Spearhead will also kill it stone dead. These two are probably the most effective, the plant will show signs of wilting within a couple of hours and are usually cactus within a week.

Would you mind sharing what pH buffer you use?

[Rallye Sport]

Originally Posted by DFB FGXR6

Would you mind sharing what pH buffer you use?

No worries at all. I'm using Maxi-buff, having problems finding any info or links, I'll take a picture of it for you when I go back to work on Monday.
A little bit goes a long way, I'm using 6mL to 10L to correct my pH of my water and mix. The one I'm using lowers pH but I'm looking into one to also raise it for use in foliar fertilizer applications.

[LG17]

I can't believe the number of brands of zero turn mowers and the number of options for each one.
My 2246 Husky ride on is 11 years old now and has done a fair bit of work getting our property from a crappy, overgrown poor excuse for a block of land to something anyone would be proud of for a small acreage.
Before it dies I want to get a new zero turn. I like the idea of suspension like the Ferris but they're a bit on the high side, dollar wise.
I have also made implements (a grader and a front bucket that fit on my Husky) so I don't want to totally kill the old girl.
Any recommendations from those who may have one?

[danzvtil]

My brand new huski ride on had its run in oil changed last week at 7 hrs. Had a call from the owner, said his kids had been riding it around and “flattened the battery”. No problem, easy to jump start, but it was flattened by leaving the key in the on position, current hours reading? 52.5.
I was given permission to remove the key so only I can use it. The kids can thrash the cox.

[DFB FGXR6]

Originally Posted by Rallye Sport

No worries at all. I'm using Maxi-buff, having problems finding any info or links, I'll take a picture of it for you when I go back to work on Monday.
A little bit goes a long way, I'm using 6mL to 10L to correct my pH of my water and mix. The one I'm using lowers pH but I'm looking into one to also raise it for use in foliar fertilizer applications.

This one?

https://ocp.com.au/product/maxi-buff...0to%20pH%204.5.

I stumbled on this, which can also be used for foliar feeding, "acidifying and penetrating surfactant" -

https://apparentag.com.au/product/apparent-buffer-700/

[DFB FGXR6]

Originally Posted by LG17

I can't believe the number of brands of zero turn mowers and the number of options for each one.
My 2246 Husky ride on is 11 years old now and has done a fair bit of work getting our property from a crappy, overgrown poor excuse for a block of land to something anyone would be proud of for a small acreage.
Before it dies I want to get a new zero turn. I like the idea of suspension like the Ferris but they're a bit on the high side, dollar wise.
I have also made implements (a grader and a front bucket that fit on my Husky) so I don't want to totally kill the old girl.
Any recommendations from those who may have one?

We have a Ferris with the 3-cylinder diesel engine, I like it but the guys won't be buying another. Personally, I think they went the wrong direction choosing the diesel because it makes it considerably heavier (and more complicated than it needs to be) than the petrol-powered models. That weight makes it hard to use after rain (it basically sinks into the grass). Its also water cooled, which is another maintenance item, in fact we poured nearly $3000 into the thing recently because of poor radiator design that was not covered by warranty.

The Ferris won't be replaced for a while, but they want to go back to Toro. In my opinion, I would still be looking at the petrol Ferris, in addition to the Toro, Bushranger or Husqvarna with the Kawasaki engine.

[Rallye Sport]

Originally Posted by DFB FGXR6

This one?

https://ocp.com.au/product/maxi-buff...0to%20pH%204.5.

I stumbled on this, which can also be used for foliar feeding, "acidifying and penetrating surfactant" -

https://apparentag.com.au/product/apparent-buffer-700/

Thats the one I was finding too, it could well be the same stuff but ours is in a different container.

The second one could be handy, we use a surfactant in foliar sprays so it could kill two birds with one stone. I'll have a read up on it
It makes sense to me to adjust the pH of foliars, alot of nutrients can be locked up by pH on either end of the scale essentially just wasting time and money by putting them out in an unadjusted state.

[DFB FGXR6]

Originally Posted by Rallye Sport

Thats the one I was finding too, it could well be the same stuff but ours is in a different container.

The second one could be handy, we use a surfactant in foliar sprays so it could kill two birds with one stone. I'll have a read up on it
It makes sense to me to adjust the pH of foliars, alot of nutrients can be locked up by pH on either end of the scale essentially just wasting time and money by putting them out in an unadjusted state.

The pH scale is so important in horticulture, it can be extremely hard to get that across to customers.

Quite often I get a customer who asks me why their xyz plants are not growing or are looking sick. In situations like this, the first question is "is this a brand-new garden" or "did you buy in soil", the answer nine times out of ten is yes to either. To which I suggest we need to test the pH of the soil. I then get the usual line of "its great soil, it cost me a fortune" type of reply. Or "I fed the plant a few times".

It's then a matter of attempting to explain that the pH of the soil could be (and often is) out of balance and that no matter what fertilizer you apply, if the pH is not corrected, the nutrients within the soil become locked up. I then ask did the plant go backwards slowly, which is often a yes. As the plant starts to venture away from the potting mix it was grown in and exhausts the slow-release fertilizer in the mix, the plant then can't latch onto nutrients, which then begins the decline of the plant.

All of the above could and probably does in some cases come across as an excuse to sell soil additives. Some customers will listen and take it in from people who have seen this a thousand times over, others really seem to be blase about it.

So why is this a common question? Because all of the landscape suppliers in this area source their garden soil mixes from the same place. There are three components to this mix: raw soil, sand and compost from Western Composting. One of the three is causing excessive alkalinity. Two of those are variable, one is coming from the same place over and over again. I'll let you figure that one out.

In any case, people are buying or having this soil installed unknowingly, the alkalinity only shows up several months down the track in the situations explained above. The customer then has to pay for additives to remedy this situation over and above the $80+ per cubic meter they have already paid.

Below is a common sight with this soil....................





For those reading, you ideally want soil between 5 and 8 for plants to grow and flourish. Some plants like it on the acidic side, most prefer neutrality.

I'm actually ruled by the pH scale in both professional and afterhours endeavors. In detailing, the pH value of a chemical will achieve different results. If I want to cut through greasy tyre dressing or dirt, I need alkalinity above 10 for effective results. If I want to remove mineral deposits, I need acidity. If I need to be gentle and clean without stripping everything from the paint, I want neutrality.

And thus concludes today's lesson...................

[danzvtil]

Originally Posted by DFB FGXR6

The pH scale is so important in horticulture, it can be extremely hard to get that across to customers.

Quite often I get a customer who asks me why their xyz plants are not growing or are looking sick. In situations like this, the first question is "is this a brand-new garden" or "did you buy in soil", the answer nine times out of ten is yes to either. To which I suggest we need to test the pH of the soil. I then get the usual line of "its great soil, it cost me a fortune" type of reply. Or "I fed the plant a few times".

It's then a matter of attempting to explain that the pH of the soil could be (and often is) out of balance and that no matter what fertilizer you apply, if the pH is not corrected, the nutrients within the soil become locked up. I then ask did the plant go backwards slowly, which is often a yes. As the plant starts to venture away from the potting mix it was grown in and exhausts the slow-release fertilizer in the mix, the plant then can't latch onto nutrients, which then begins the decline of the plant.

All of the above could and probably does in some cases come across as an excuse to sell soil additives. Some customers will listen and take it in from people who have seen this a thousand times over, others really seem to be blase about it.

So why is this a common question? Because all of the landscape suppliers in this area source their garden soil mixes from the same place. There are three components to this mix: raw soil, sand and compost from Western Composting. One of the three is causing excessive alkalinity. Two of those are variable, one is coming from the same place over and over again. I'll let you figure that one out.

In any case, people are buying or having this soil installed unknowingly, the alkalinity only shows up several months down the track in the situations explained above. The customer then has to pay for additives to remedy this situation over and above the $80+ per cubic meter they have already paid.

Below is a common sight with this soil....................

image

image

For those reading, you ideally want soil between 5 and 8 for plants to grow and flourish. Some plants like it on the acidic side, most prefer neutrality.

I'm actually ruled by the pH scale in both professional and afterhours endeavors. In detailing, the pH value of a chemical will achieve different results. If I want to cut through greasy tyre dressing or dirt, I need alkalinity above 10 for effective results. If I want to remove mineral deposits, I need acidity. If I need to be gentle and clean without stripping everything from the paint, I want neutrality.

And thus concludes today's lesson...................

Same with the pools I maintain “ you just wanna sell me acid and soda ash”, yeah, nah it’s literally science.

[DFB FGXR6]

The new wheels went on the Rover today!

You can see here, the 10 year old fronts are completely bald and had lost half an inch of tread in that time.







The rears had lost a fair amount of tread too, but it was indeed the left side that had failed internally and not locking to engage drive.







Both wheels are now turning, either in the air or under load. Job done!

I was actually saying to someone this morning that pi.sing off the local repair shops has been a blessing in disguise, I'm now learning how to do this myself. How much money I'm saving by doing these repairs myself is questionable, but I'm actually finding it enjoyable.

[roKWiz]

Originally Posted by DFB FGXR6

The new wheels went on the Rover today!


I was actually saying to someone this morning that ****.ing off the local repair shops has been a blessing in disguise, I'm now learning how to do this myself. How much money I'm saving by doing these repairs myself is questionable, but I'm actually finding it enjoyable.

Good stuff, I was stupid enough to trust truck repairers with my vehicles once, finding out they knew not a lot more than me.
I like to share the money (so to speak) with people who have a reputation for doing great work...but...unfortunately these guys are disappearing and being taken over by the useless inlaws pretending to know what they are doing.

[DFB FGXR6]

Originally Posted by Tassie f100

What does it achieve anyway?

Originally Posted by DFB FGXR6

Two fifths of f-all.

On a mower anyway. In some applications where the engine has to fit a certain space, having one of these to direct the exhaust gas is desirable to prevent blasting carbon all over the machine. These engines power everything from a mower to pressure washers, small ride-on mowers, log splitters ect, so this part allows Briggs to tailor the engine without producing a separate muffler for each machine.

You will see that on some very old mowers which had the engine positioned with the muffler facing the operator, the exhaust plasters the rear of the mower deck with black carbon. Same reason why most diesel cars have exhaust tips facing down to stop staining the rear bumper (hello Hyundai Santa Fe).

Came across these images of an ancient lawn mower for sale on Marketplace. As you can see, for some reason they orientated these Briggs engines with the muffler facing the operator. As such, the exhaust blows against the back of the deck and turns it black.





That's what muffler deflectors were designed for, to redirect exhaust gasses away from certain areas. In this case, Rover should have paid the extra $1.00 back then to have the deflector on the muffler.



Briggs make a variety of different deflectors. The one above was for the older mufflers with the "pepper pot" outlet, so basically any 148, 158 and 190cc side valve mower engines. The newer ones like I installed are tubular to fit over the more modern round muffler outlets fitted to OHV motors.

https://www.briggsstrattonstore.com/...er-deflectors/

[XB GS 351 Coupe]

Wasn't working today so I decided to give my lawn care gear a birthday.

Only have a lowly Masport 270 2 in 1 Mower from Bunnings, had it for about 18 months, came with a five year warranty and runs like a Swiss Watch.

Cleaned everything, removed wheels, adjusted wheel nylock nuts and lubricated axles, oil change, new plug, washed air filter in carb cleaner and fitted new blades.

Ryobi 25.4cc 2 Stroke Easy Start Straight Shaft Line Trimmer, removed spool, cleaned and lubricated everything and fitted new string of correct size.

Fitted new Edger Blade to the Edger attachment.

Fitted new Brush Cutter Blade to Brush Cutter attachment.

Everything is like new again.

Played with my new Ego LB7654E Blower, this thing is an animal compared to my five year old Ryobi 18 Volt blower.

Blew out my shed, garage, driveway and anything else I could think of, it's like a jet blaster, you really have to hang onto it in turbo mode and watch where you point it.

Unfortunately I did not take any photos for those that are more visually minded.