Mowing ..

[DFB FGXR6]

Originally Posted by cs123

I happened across this youtube channel. A Canadian couple who repair small engines. Pretty interesting

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rIUaZKtTiP0

I've seen their videos popping up on my feed but haven't watched yet, looks like I'll have to.

[Interceptor]

Question for those here who maintain ther own gear, do you have any suggestions for larger B/C section riveted pulleys? A customer is after a few and my regular sources are unable to supply a couple of sizes

[XB GS 351 Coupe]

Originally Posted by Interceptor

Question for those here who maintain ther own gear, do you have any suggestions for larger B/C section riveted pulleys? A customer is after a few and my regular sources are unable to supply a couple of sizes

What is the issue with the pulleys? I was sick ion buying new pulleys for my JD Ride on mower, so I drilled the rivets out and replaced them with small grade 8 bolts, replacement bearings were $4 from the local bearing shop, and JD was charging $45 for a new pulley each time the bearing needed replacing.

[Citroënbender]

Originally Posted by FTE217

Done the lawns again over the easter break - hopefully with autumn slowly turning up will decrease the fortnightly cuts.
Sure has been a busy summer the growth has been quicker than I can recall - anyone notice that ?

Grass is slowing down now, I’ve removed about one-third of my typical summer bulk from the front lawn. A relief!

[DFB FGXR6]

Originally Posted by Citroënbender

Grass is slowing down now, I’ve removed about one-third of my typical summer bulk from the front lawn. A relief!

I'm now in that golden period where the heat has disappeared, which makes it easier to for me to work in. While the grass has slowed, its still growing enough to continue my fortnightly services. And rather than having to plough through tall Kikuyu, I'm now just clipping back the top layer. I even did the majority of my run today using the Mulchmaster, so no bin/clipping's management.

And I say golden period because it's genuinely great to be working outdoors in Autumn, sunny days but not too hot, not too cold. It's also that period before all the leaves start dropping and making some of my jobs a two-step process of leaf removal and grass cutting.

[danzvtil]

I’m very much loving the milder weather, I’ve been on heart meds this summer which have reduced my heat tolerance to zero. Under normal circumstances I change what I am doing mid 30s, this year low 30s = dead.
I’m having a heart op in a month, need to take 3 weeks off. Looking forward to the holiday

[Tonz]

friday eve entertainment.
Add in the local FB buy swap sell.....................



another Ive had lying around

[Rallye Sport]

Originally Posted by danzvtil

I’m very much loving the milder weather, I’ve been on heart meds this summer which have reduced my heat tolerance to zero. Under normal circumstances I change what I am doing mid 30s, this year low 30s = dead.
I’m having a heart op in a month, need to take 3 weeks off. Looking forward to the holiday

Speedy recovery mate, enjoy that time off first though

Autumn is here in that the days are getting shorter, the sun lower and the trees are starting to change. With sunny days in the low to mid 30's and ground temp still at 19 degrees the grass is still growing. This is 10mm of growth in 4 days.



And my view for the week as we follow the leader, double cut ready for the coming competitions. We do mix it up though with a sneaky overtake or bump and run through out the day



We've had our first rain, problem being it rained too much. The Friday before last, ahead of the first round of club champs and with the course immaculate we had 80mm in 45 minutes.



With the first round called off this is what we were greeted to the next morning.





Gladly though alot of members turned up to help and the majority of the damage was cleaned up by the end of the day.



We were back in on the Sunday and we've put alot of long hours in this week to have the course ready for champs this weekend. We're all exhausted and I'm looking forward to a sleep in and a long drive in the Escort tomorrow.

The same hole as the pictures above as of yesterday afternoon, 7 days later almost to the minute that the storm hit.

[DFB FGXR6]

Originally Posted by Rallye Sport

Speedy recovery mate, enjoy that time off first though

Autumn is here in that the days are getting shorter, the sun lower and the trees are starting to change. With sunny days in the low to mid 30's and ground temp still at 19 degrees the grass is still growing. This is 10mm of growth in 4 days.

image

And my view for the week as we follow the leader, double cut ready for the coming competitions. We do mix it up though with a sneaky overtake or bump and run through out the day

image

We've had our first rain, problem being it rained too much. The Friday before last, ahead of the first round of club champs and with the course immaculate we had 80mm in 45 minutes.

image

With the first round called off this is what we were greeted to the next morning.

image

image

Gladly though alot of members turned up to help and the majority of the damage was cleaned up by the end of the day.

image

We were back in on the Sunday and we've put alot of long hours in this week to have the course ready for champs this weekend. We're all exhausted and I'm looking forward to a sleep in and a long drive in the Escort tomorrow.

The same hole as the pictures above as of yesterday afternoon, 7 days later almost to the minute that the storm hit.

image

I know that feeling of turning up to see your hard work destroyed in a blink of a moment. Mother nature is truly cruel sometimes. Over the last twenty years I've been with my employer, we've been smashed by storms multiple times.

The worst was about 12 years ago, a massive supercell that was later determined to be a tornado. The whole town and was destroyed. Nothing was spared in the nursery, every plant blown down, destroyed all the shade sails (even pulling the poles out of the ground), the display gardens flattened. It took months to put it all back together. We were also going for 4 in a row Best Nursery Award, but the place just wasn't ready in the end despite a massive effort.

The most recent being last Christmas eve, followed a week later on New Years Eve. The first storm ruined all but two of our shade sails (which were on their way out anyway), the second storm finished off the remaining two. The boundary fence was blown over, the shop flooded. This all happened while several staff were on leave, the guys were in there on Christmas day as well. As always happens, the clean-up and repairs take forever, we only just got the fence replaced, the shade sails replaced a month ago. So, it basically took 4 months.

All of that is wasted time and money that could be better used on other improvements. Not to mention the emotional toll, its so disheartening to see what you work so hard for destroyed.

[Rallye Sport]

Originally Posted by DFB FGXR6

Mother nature is truly cruel sometimes.

She sure is.
I'm not going to say it isn't disappointing but I've learnt to accept it as its in my powers to fix it.
My 20 min drive everyday is through national park and rural areas, whats really sad is watching the Forrest decline over the last few months.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-04-...t-wa/103682304

They're saying its akin to coral bleaching on the land and fear an ecosystem collapse. It's beyond fear now. Its happening. The feeling of helplessness not to be able to fix it is the real shame to me.

[DFB FGXR6]

Originally Posted by Rallye Sport

She sure is.
I'm not going to say it isn't disappointing but I've learnt to accept it as its in my powers to fix it.
My 20 min drive everyday is through national park and rural areas, whats really sad is watching the Forrest decline over the last few months.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-04-...t-wa/103682304

They're saying its akin to coral bleaching on the land and fear an ecosystem collapse. It's beyond fear now. Its happening. The feeling of helplessness not to be able to fix it is the real shame to me.

I used to take it so personally, but I'm much more accepting of the fact that it's out of my/our control. Just have to roll with the punches.

[DFB FGXR6]

Originally Posted by cs123

I happened across this youtube channel. A Canadian couple who repair small engines. Pretty interesting

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rIUaZKtTiP0

I've watched most of their video's now, thanks for the recommendation. I can't wait for the promised videos featuring a Stihl 028.

The latest was quite amusing really. The customer complaining about a lack of power. Turns out a completely blocked air filter, recoil cover and cooling fins would do that to an engine. A relatively simple fix, one that would surely be one of the first things you would check as a chainsaw owner? A MS 362 is a pretty serious machine to be treating like that, $1789 in Australia.

https://www.stihl.com.au/en/p/chains...s-362-c-m-2327



She also fired up two customer ordered MS 881 Magnum's. Imagine ordering those at $3,299 each! 121.6 cc producing 6.4 kW / 8.7 hp, the "most powerful series-production chainsaw in the world". Looks like a bastard to start though.

https://www.stihl.com.au/en/p/chains...-magnum-122436





Look at it rip with a smaller bar and chain!

[Citroënbender]

That first start-up video, initially it reminded me of a small motorbike engine.

Good to see a bimbo-free product demo. The one from last year was so tacky! (It was also funny because of the OTT perve factor!)

[DFB FGXR6]

Originally Posted by Citroënbender

That first start-up video, initially it reminded me of a small motorbike engine.

Good to see a bimbo-free product demo. The one from last year was so tacky! (It was also funny because of the OTT perve factor!)

This one?

[Citroënbender]

My eyes!

Yes, that one. Tackier dress sense than Dr Mondragon.

[DFB FGXR6]

This guy is the lawn mowing equivalent to me and my obsessive detailing endeavors. I could say "just cut the bloody grass and be done with it", but then I suppose the same could be said about me turning a car wash into an overcomplicated multi step affair.

And I'd dare say his neighbors would be laughing and wondering why you would destroy a completely healthy-looking lawn, just like mine wondering why I'm always cleaning clean cars.

[DFB FGXR6]

Interesting video on aftermarket parts vs OEM -

[DFB FGXR6]

After multiple teasers, I've been waiting for this video to drop on the Stihl 028. Interestingly, the story behind the saw is similar, that the owner wanted it running again for sentimental reasons.



In this case, it turned out to have a leaking crank seal and general old age on various components. I got lucky with mine, most replacement parts were for perished rubber parts, a new plug and filter. I also requested a new bar and chain, but mostly for cosmetics.

While it's much heavier, I can't help feeling my 028 AV Super runs stronger than my new MS 271. Some of that would be down to the 271 still running in, but I also find the 028 is better balanced. This makes sense when you take the overall construction into account.

The older saws, and the current pro level Stihl's, have a full metal case. The case is split in two and houses the crankshaft and connecting rod, as well as the oil tank, and sometimes the fuel tank. A cylinder and piston then bolt down to the case.





Modern Stihl saws, at least the homeowner and landowner versions, are very different. The case of the saw is plastic and is basically a sled for the contained power unit. The sled includes the oil and fuel tanks, rather than being cast with the lower part of the engine. The engines themselves can be removed as a single assembly from the sled, rather than having to disassemble the whole saw.







Which is better? I'm not sure to be honest. The full metal case would be more durable in professional use, but the plastic case seems to be a more logical layout and offers lighter weight.

[Citroënbender]

That fake scowl is kiddie-cute.

Originally Posted by DFB FGXR6

Interesting video on aftermarket parts vs OEM -

[DFB FGXR6]

Originally Posted by Citroënbender

That fake scowl is kiddie-cute.

Yeah, she knows how to play the Youtube algorithm.

[DFB FGXR6]

Yep, Autumn is here now.................



Grass has basically stopped, just tipping light regrowth now. The above is the last Ornamental Pear I have to deal with. I once had four properties with a combined 30 Pear trees to clean up every Autumn. Thankfully, they all dropped at different rates, so it spread out my workload across the season, with the last of them holding right up until the start of Winter.

This was the C21's first go at leaf vacuuming, it did surprisingly well. After blowing all the leaves onto the grass, making sure to clear a path around the boarder so as to not blow clippings back onto the pavement, I go in for the kill................





After the rough cut, I then go back over a second time to suck up any remaining leaves. Pointless really, because I'm sure its already littered with leaves again by now, but I have standards...............

[Tonz]

Condition
Used – like new
Ryobi 4 stroke mower very little use suit new buyer located port lincoln. Starts first pull inbox for pick up . Can deliver locally no holds $200 ono









Do I buy this as a Subie? What would Ford badged ones sell for

[DFB FGXR6]

Originally Posted by Tonz

Condition
Used – like new
Ryobi 4 stroke mower very little use suit new buyer located port lincoln. Starts first pull inbox for pick up . Can deliver locally no holds $200 ono

image

image

image

image

Do I buy this as a Subie? What would Ford badged ones sell for

Probably needs a new head gasket like all Subaru's do.

[mad2]

Originally Posted by Tonz

Condition
Used – like new
Ryobi 4 stroke mower very little use suit new buyer located port lincoln. Starts first pull inbox for pick up . Can deliver locally no holds $200 ono

image

image

image

image

Do I buy this as a Subie? What would Ford badged ones sell for

payment on delivery??.

[DFB FGXR6]

This weeks lucky find (cough cough) on a clients nature strip..............



The bloody thing left rust in my tray!




I'm thinking of compiling a special reference guide, The Observers Book Of Crap On Your Front Lawn......................

[roKWiz]

Originally Posted by DFB FGXR6

This weeks lucky find (cough cough) on a clients nature strip..............

image

The bloody thing left rust in my tray!

Wondering where that fell off, can you post it back to me please.

[FTE217]

Ok here goes nothing re ryobi blower of mine.
Model below

Now I noticed my 2 battery’s were starting to drain faster, having checked them one is 2017 the other a 21.


So I thought I’ll get a couple of longer lasting ones instead of 5.0ah.
Ryobi originals cost 300odd bucks for 2 so went online checked reviews etc this Aussie company sells these

Charge em up overnight and slide into blower, it won’t fire up ffs.
Help please - 18v longer lasting why is it so ?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Ben73]

Are standard lawn and garden contractors allowed to spray weeds and apply fertiliser or do they need some form of license or ticket to do it for commercial purpose?

[DFB FGXR6]

Originally Posted by Ben73

Are standard lawn and garden contractors allowed to spray weeds and apply fertiliser or do they need some form of license or ticket to do it for commercial purpose?

Pretty sure that is not regulated, if you can by a product at the hardware store or nursery, then anyone can use it. Where that changes is if its a registered chemical, you need a chemical user's certificate to buy and then use said chemical.

I did a Chem-Cert as part of my coursework twenty years ago, but your card only lasts a few years. In theory, I could do a refresher course and get my card back, but I can't justify spending the time and money to re-cover ground that I tread daily without issue. I found the course so mind numbingly boring and all of it common sense stuff, it's a bit of a rort to be honest.

[DFB FGXR6]

This sort of customer interaction is a frequent occurrence at work................



Same rambling description of a plant with green leaves, or an out of focus photo that took them several minutes of scrolling to find on their phone. Then several back-and-forth questions and suggestions of what it could be, to which there is eventually a BINGO moment after what feels like an eternity. Then, instead of rewarding that time and effort with a sale, the customer goes on to say that they aren't ready to buy today. Which would often be linked to the next example...........................

Last week we had a lady with the most ridicules set of fake eyelashes glued to her eyelids asking a male colleague about a specific plant to fit a specific narrow garden bed. He went on to explain that the plants she had bought at Bunning's would probably end up growing far too big for that spot, then went on to show here some viable alternatives.

After spending 15-minutes with her, the lady batted her fake eyelashes and thanked the staff member for his time. I later heard her say to her children, who had been running amok around the place, that they had to go and "return the plants to Bunnings"......................................... ..........and most likely exchange them for whatever we suggested.

So in other words, came to us for free expert advice, then drives to Bunnings to buy a similar or same product for cheaper. I call this type of customer a "data miner".