Lawn mower

Can you not mend the leak in the mountfield tank? Mind, IIRC mountfields used to use plastic tanks so that may be difficult. Could you fit a replacement tank?

I have an Atco with a B & S engine. Did nothing to it for three years (four summers). Still started this year but I thought I had better service it, if nothing else, the blade needed a sharpen. Atco don't appear to be making rotaries now.

It has a plastic tank. It is likely to cost more to repair the lawn mower than to buy one ( there could be a number of other things wrong too - dont know and am not about to have it serviced for nothing.

I searched the interernet and couldn't find anything as big as I want ( needs to be minimum 53 cm cut.)

Can't you steal the tank off the dead Champion?

Andy

You mean can HE take the tank from one and put it on the other? I havent asked , but I could wait all year for that. I was under the impression it wouldnt fit but I dont know. I wouldnt know where to begin myself.

I need a lawn mower before the grass gets up around my neck. Its already burried the septic tank access points. I will need to hunt for them before I try and mow around them. I will have to order the Mc Culloch and hope for the best. Thanks.

Depending on the Mountfield Model Ebay has a tank at £24...and £19. (Seach Mountfield petrol tank)

Look up Pacey Mowers in Orpington, Kent and ask Ian how much for your model and to post the tank to you Also might have a mower suitable if you don't want to have the old one repaired.

Seems daft to junk a working mower because of a leaking tank without looking at replacing the tank.

What model is it? Have you tried eBay? Is this any use?

Too late, it seems. Over >Obviously no one has experience of this mower. Well I have bought it now. I

Chris

Um, are you limbless? This is a DIY group you know. Mending a mower is hardly rocket science.

Tim

Yes I know this is a DIY group and I have had some very useful advice for fixing things ( most recently my new glass cabinet for my aunts porcelain collection.) I can manage small things. A petrol tank might as well be rocket science. I might manage to get my OH to do it eventually. I could probably then keep the mountfield as a second machine in case of accidents or similar. My old Trojan is biting the dust with rust. The champion is knackered beyond repair ( engine gone) and I had a Bosch ( again my mothers) which failed the lawn test here.

A new lawn mower will mean I get on top of the garden before it burries me. Thanks.

I see you bought one. Replace the tank on the mountfield and you ahve a backup. Its a trivial job costing about nothing, all sorts of containers can hold petrol. In some countries its popular to use 2 litre drinks bottles as petrol tanks.

NT

OK so my lawn mower arrived on Tuesday. OH set it up and put oil in it. I ran it two rings round the grass and it worked. Today I asked it to mow the lawn in full . It managed the back lawn - an hours work. Got stuck a couple of times in long grass, so I didn't ask it to do that. I took it round the front ( another large lawn) . The petrol tank was empty so I put some in. Tried to start it and ..... a big fat NOTHING.

Don't buy a Mc Culloch. It wont do the job. I don't know whats wrong. There are no choakages. The blade is running free. The Briggs and Stratton engine seems to be the problem. It is turning but wont fire. So is this the fourth one for the tip or can someone tell me what might be wrong?

Thanks for any advice.

If you bought it online or by mail-order there's still (only just) time for you to reject it under the Distance Selling Regulations and get a full refund - including delivery charges.

Can't you take it back to the dealer?

Also: once you've turned it over a few times without it starting, best to leave it for a few minutes before trying again. Otherwise you get a lot of juice in the cylinder and it won't start like that. Needs a minute or two to dry out.

Are you *sure* it was petrol you put in? Not parafin or diesel...

Did it stop whilst mowing?

If so the float chamber(*) would probably be empty and you'd need a few pushes of the prime button to refill it. With the engine hot or warm one wouldn't normally need to use the prime button that is only needed when stone cold.

It was deinitely petrol. It did stop whilst mowing but that was because I choaked it with long grass. I cleared the choakage and it started.

Anyway, OH reckons I over filled the petrol or spilled some and it got on the spark plug and I had to wait for it to evaporate. I left the machine on the front garden for an hour and then he went and started it. I now have my lawns done.

I dont have one of these. Its called a " ready start " engine and its choak and all such matters are supposed to be automatic.

With the engine hot or warm

The engine was warm . I ironically it seemed to need to be cooler.

Anyway, other than that, the machine did its job. I wouldn't call it a light machine though. It doesn't turn on a sixpence either. But it did make short work of the garden ( except for the 3ft high patch round the septic tanking area. . I left that. It will have to be strimmed first.

The mulcher amazingly worked well. I did use the grass basket for most of the cut though. So I wont rubbish it entirely. It is just a bit not ready to start sometimes.

Honda.

Indeed. Probably the reason why it didn't start.

Once it had cooled, you got it.

Next time it runs dry, just keep pulling. The fuel gets there eventually.