davetranter
Well-known member
Gasoline mower problems
My first gasoline (petrol, for us UK users ;-) ) mower (a 20" AYP, with B&S engine) came to me from a friend because it had a bent shaft, and he had bought a new replacement for roughly the same price as a repair. I was able to (gently) hammer the shaft almost perfectly straight, then made a slightly offset blade carrier, so that the blade itself ran 'true'. Result- virtually no vibration for about five years of regular use. Eventually the shaft began to bend again, and vibrate, at which point I scrapped the engine before it took my feet off.
On this side of the 'pond' the guys who maintain the road verges (pretty much always at a silly angle) exclusively use 2-stroke gasoline 'hover' mowers, since they are immune to lubrication problems. They also make their lives easier by attaching a rope to the handle, and walking along the top edge of the verges, swinging the mower in a huge arc below them. Pure genius!!
All best
Dave T
My first gasoline (petrol, for us UK users ;-) ) mower (a 20" AYP, with B&S engine) came to me from a friend because it had a bent shaft, and he had bought a new replacement for roughly the same price as a repair. I was able to (gently) hammer the shaft almost perfectly straight, then made a slightly offset blade carrier, so that the blade itself ran 'true'. Result- virtually no vibration for about five years of regular use. Eventually the shaft began to bend again, and vibrate, at which point I scrapped the engine before it took my feet off.
On this side of the 'pond' the guys who maintain the road verges (pretty much always at a silly angle) exclusively use 2-stroke gasoline 'hover' mowers, since they are immune to lubrication problems. They also make their lives easier by attaching a rope to the handle, and walking along the top edge of the verges, swinging the mower in a huge arc below them. Pure genius!!
All best
Dave T
