Show me your mowers!

[tig1]

Nick R, How is the welding job on the block holding uP?

 

[afoulk]

Isn't there someone on here with a collection of old snapper push mowers?

 

[Quattro Pete]

2009 Toro Recycler RWD with the 190cc B&S engine, bought new in 2009.

 

[Nick R]

Originally Posted By: tig1

Nick R, How is the welding job on the block holding uP?

Tig, so far so good, they did a good job on it. It definitely doesn't look pretty, but it's holding up fine.

 

[lexus114]

Originally Posted By: Quattro Pete

2009 Toro Recycler RWD with the 190cc B&S engine, bought new in 2009.

That`s the same one as mine.

 

[afoulk]

Ok guys, here is the latest addition. Picked it up last weekend for $40 (good deal?). Needs a few odds and ends, but most of it can wait atleast a season or two yet.

 

[afoulk]

well, finally got a chance to use the snapper for the first time this weekend and it worked great. Had to get a governor spring for it. I had the engine cover off the other weekend to clean the cooling fins out and found that someone had the governor link on backwards and the wrong spring on it. I wondered why it would die if I backed the throttle off even close to half. Got it all fixed up now and it runs great, although I think it drinks gas a little faster than the techumseh on my lawn boy. Wish the bag was a little bigger too. Guess I'll have to try and find a used Pac n Sac for it

 

[Hokiefyd]

Boy, that is a classic old Briggs engine (in fact, they call them "Classic" models today). Interesting that it has the swell in the fan shroud for an electric starter; maybe some Snapper models had that. Is that a side discharge plate on your Lawn-Boy? If you are interested in mulching, you can get a mulching plate for it pretty easy. Then you have a mulching mower and a bagging mower. That's how I have my two set up. My Lawn-Boy is a great mulching mower, and I have a mulching gator blade on it. My Honda HR215 is a great bagging mower, and I have a high lift bagging blade on it.

 

[afoulk]

Originally Posted By: Hokiefyd

Boy, that is a classic old Briggs engine (in fact, they call them "Classic" models today). Interesting that it has the swell in the fan shroud for an electric starter; maybe some Snapper models had that. Is that a side discharge plate on your Lawn-Boy? If you are interested in mulching, you can get a mulching plate for it pretty easy. Then you have a mulching mower and a bagging mower. That's how I have my two set up. My Lawn-Boy is a great mulching mower, and I have a mulching gator blade on it. My Honda HR215 is a great bagging mower, and I have a high lift bagging blade on it.

I might give the mulching blade idea a try. That kick out on the Briggs engine cover is actually where the pull start bolts fast. It works kind of like an electric starter, it has a gear or Bendix that comes up and engages the ring gear on the flywheel when you pull the cord. It doesn't use the typical pull starter on tip of the engine cover. It had me wondering when I bought it too:-)

 

[TFB1]

Originally Posted By: afoulk

Isn't there someone on here with a collection of old snapper push mowers?

Yup... Maybe not the best picture but anyway... One on the left belonged to my grandfather... Dates from approx '78 or '79, it's old enough as to not have a dead-man control... Unfortunately the orig engine is long gone, the 1980 3.5 B&S was robbed from a Mont Wards junker back in the '90s, otherwise it's mostly original... Will run all season without adding oil... One in the middle is assembled from three different Snappers and the Honda GCV160 from a Craftsman(MTD) front drive lump a friend gave me(have I ever mentioned how I despise anything front drive?)... I assembled it in the summer of '11 after the regular runner kicked out the rod, thus becoming a parts doner... Had to buy approx $80 worth of odds and ends including carb, differential bearings & seals, drive pulley & Snapper blade hub to fit the Honda crank, belts etc(more than I've ever spent on any mower in my life and that includes buying one new one)... Only parts original to the 1983 deck are the front wheels(but not adjusters or axle), mid section of the handle and it's supports... This one wasn't originally self propelled, drive parts, rear wheels etc were donated by two parts mowers(paid $30 for the second one, just realized I've spent $110 total on it )... The differential was dissembled, bearings & seals were replaced, it's still dry as a new one(leaking diff is a common Snapper issue and are wet on my other two)... The one on right is a mostly original 1987 model, traded another late model Craftsman lump my neighbor gave me for it... It uses some oil but runs OK, generally only use it to bag...

 

[afoulk]

Originally Posted By: TFB1

Originally Posted By: afoulk

Isn't there someone on here with a collection of old snapper push mowers?

Yup... Maybe not the best picture but anyway... One on the left belonged to my grandfather... Dates from approx '78 or '79, it's old enough as to not have a dead-man control... Unfortunately the orig engine is long gone, the 1980 3.5 B&S was robbed from a Mont Wards junker back in the '90s, otherwise it's mostly original... Will run all season without adding oil... One in the middle is assembled from three different Snappers and the Honda GCV160 from a Craftsman(MTD) front drive lump a friend gave me(have I ever mentioned how I despise anything front drive?)... I assembled it in the summer of '11 after the regular runner kicked out the rod, thus becoming a parts doner... Had to buy approx $80 worth of odds and ends including carb, differential bearings & seals, drive pulley & Snapper blade hub to fit the Honda crank, belts etc(more than I've ever spent on any mower in my life and that includes buying one new one)... Only parts original to the 1983 deck are the front wheels(but not adjusters or axle), mid section of the handle and it's supports... This one wasn't originally self propelled, drive parts, rear wheels etc were donated by two parts mowers(paid $30 for the second one, just realized I've spent $110 total on it )... The differential was dissembled, bearings & seals were replaced, it's still dry as a new one(leaking diff is a common Snapper issue and are wet on my other two)... The one on right is a mostly original 1987 model, traded another late model Craftsman lump my neighbor gave me for it... It uses some oil but runs OK, generally only use it to bag...

Yes, your the guy I was thinking of:) After using mine for the first time this weekend, I must say I really like the self propelled system on these, 100times better than the front drive setup on the craftsman that was given to me (I've since given that to my brother). I'd love to start off with a new commercial series hi-vac snapper someday just to see how many years of use I would get out of it TFB1, do you know what the measurements are for the front and rear wheels on these? and how do the rear ones attach to the drive axle so that they are locked to it? I found some metal ball bearing wheels at TSC with the same tread pattern, but with red centers instead of white, thought that might look pretty cool on it. My stock plastic ones are all cracked.

 

[TFB1]

Originally Posted By: afoulk

TFB1, do you know what the measurements are for the front and rear wheels on these? and how do the rear ones attach to the drive axle so that they are locked to it? I found some metal ball bearing wheels at TSC with the same tread pattern, but with red centers instead of white, thought that might look pretty cool on it. My stock plastic ones are all cracked.

I can get some measurements, I believe there's a couple spare wheels in the parts bin... I assume you are talking wheel diameter and center hole?... The wheel opening is larger than the axle as there is a metal sleeve inside that acts as a bearing, but there is no reason a ball bearing wheel can't be used on the front(there's a pair of Snapper BB replacements on my oldie)... The rear wheels on self propelled models have a double flat that prevents the axle from turning inside the wheel, unfortunately the ones from a push model will not interchange(orig wheels from the '83 pusher were in nice condition, hated I couldn't reuse them)... As for the tread, mine are almost slick as well, been thinking I may clamp 3 or 4 hack saw blades together and try re-grooving them... The '87 does have a good set of rear wheels I've been eying and I mostly swapped for it as a parts mower, but had enough good pieces left from three junkers that was fairly easy to get it going... Except for a $7 head gasket for the B&S OHV engine on the Craftsman I swapped, I have nothing in that one... For online parts look up you can use Jack's, and is where I ordered most of my parts... http://www.jackssmallengines.com/Jacks-Parts-Lookup/Manufacturer/snapper/2094/-1

 

[afoulk]

Originally Posted By: TFB1

Originally Posted By: afoulk

TFB1, do you know what the measurements are for the front and rear wheels on these? and how do the rear ones attach to the drive axle so that they are locked to it? I found some metal ball bearing wheels at TSC with the same tread pattern, but with red centers instead of white, thought that might look pretty cool on it. My stock plastic ones are all cracked.

I can get some measurements, I believe there's a couple spare wheels in the parts bin... I assume you are talking wheel diameter and center hole?... The wheel opening is larger than the axle as there is a metal sleeve inside that acts as a bearing, but there is no reason a ball bearing wheel can't be used on the front(there's a pair of Snapper BB replacements on my oldie)... The rear wheels on self propelled models have a double flat that prevents the axle from turning inside the wheel, unfortunately the ones from a push model will not interchange(orig wheels from the '83 pusher were in nice condition, hated I couldn't reuse them)... As for the tread, mine are almost slick as well, been thinking I may clamp 3 or 4 hack saw blades together and try re-grooving them... The '87 does have a good set of rear wheels I've been eying and I mostly swapped for it as a parts mower, but had enough good pieces left from three junkers that was fairly easy to get it going... Except for a $7 head gasket for the B&S OHV engine on the Craftsman I swapped, I have nothing in that one... For online parts look up you can use Jack's, and is where I ordered most of my parts... http://www.jackssmallengines.com/Jacks-Parts-Lookup/Manufacturer/snapper/2094/-1

Yes, those are the dimensions I was curious about. I'll have to see if TSC has anything with a double flat in the hub, but I'm gonna guess they don't.

 

[TFB1]

I checked a front axle and it's 7/16"OD with the sleeve that acts as a bearing 9/16"OD, depth is 1 11/16"... For rear, flat is 7/16" and rounded portion 9/16", again depth is 1 11/16"...

 

[Papa Bear]

 

[asand1]

My two pieces of OPE, besides the Stihl 026 pro. The mower I got for free from the neighboring house when the landlord was cleaning up after a tenant moved out. The shroud was off, and there was a million mile cotton air filter (white t-shirt). I took it home, cleaned it up, and fixed it with parts I had lying around already. Pump the primer bulb four times and it starts on the first pull every time. The Weedeater I found at the dump in the scrap metal bin. Someone had ran maybe one tank of fuel in it and then let it sit long enough for the fuel lines to completely disintegrate. I replaced the fuel lines, fueled it up and fired right up. Starts on the third pull every time.

 

[dwcopple]

the new project... got this ^ for $20 and it is getting the engine from this that my dad scrapped the chassis on.

 

[afoulk]

Here is my latest addition Got it from a guy that was the original owner, said it doesn't run. He bought it new about 8years ago and its been sitting the last 2. it was getting harder and harder to start the last season or 2 he used it, so thats when it sat and they got a new mower. He also complained that it was not charging the battery for the electric start. Well, after a little research, it appears that these mowers do not have a means of charging the battery when running, the battery needs to be put on a charger every few months. And as far as the no start goes, again, after doing some research, this thing pulls over kinda hard which would seem to indicate that the valves need adjusted. Judging by the original owners lack of knowledge on this model, and lack of maintnance, I'd say thats probably the main issue, especially if it was getting harder and harder to start over time. I have a feeling it came with a bag when he bought it, but he didn't seem to remember having one. It came with a standard lift blade on it, a side discharge chute, and a bagging chute with a mulching plug. bottom of the deck could also use some paint as it doesn't look like he ever cleaned the underside and it has some rust.

 

[JTK]

afolk, is that Snapper with the intek engine a steel deck? Here's my 2011 model year Snapper mulcher w/ steel deck. Wish it was aluminum.

 

[afoulk]

Yes sir, it is steel. I'm not exactly sure on the year though. I know its 2003 or later because of the wheels. I'm insanely jealous of your commercial mower though I do have a 78 with the aluminum deck though, love it, but it needs some engine work (valve adjustment and possibly a rod), so I think its either going to get sold as is or sort until I can restore it. I do wish I could swing the price of one of those commercial hi vacs though