Outdoor Power Equipment (Lawn Mowers, Snow Blowers, Chain Saws and more) Discussions

I have a 1990 Echo lawn mower with 4.5 horse power at 2900 rpm, 140cc two cycle engine (I believe built by Suzuki).  It's been a great mower although has somewhat slow self propelled speed.  Lots of cutting power but slow.  This weekend, I gave the mower a bit of a make over.  Cleaned the bottom down to bare aluminum, painted it, greased wheels, lubed drive gears, pulled the carb, air filter and muffler to clean each.  Put it all back together with a bit of an adjustment to the governor.  No problem with speed now.  I can throttle the engine from 1800 idle right up to 6000 rpm.  Machine seems to be handling it very well.  No more vibration than running at 2900 rpm but much, much more power and speed.  It's has a clutch to engage the blade so I can set the machine to run at a specific rpm before engaging the blade.  I find it most comfortable to use between 4500 and 5000 rpm.  At 6000, I have to jog behind it.  Here's a clip of the engine running after the adjustments:

Didn't know you can run that engine that 6000+ RPM without throwing a piston out.  Quite amazing.  I was expecting the mower to hover off the ground at those kind of tip blade speed.  I've been recently bitten by the vintage Lawnboy bug so listening to your Echo mower really tempted me to get a 2 cycle lawn mower.  I'm just not ready to deal with working on those old engines at this time.  Thanks for posting the video of your Echo mower.

I just got a 6 year old 21" Snapper mower.  The engine is quiet and smooth that I'm thinking about raising RPM  from factory setting of 3000 up to 3600 max recommended to see how well it mulches.  The engine and the cast aluminum deck combo gives it a deceptively quiet sound that it's hard to judge the engine RPM.  I'm thinking of adding a tachometer / hour meter to it.  I noticed that you had one installed.  Where did you get it and how much?

I'm beginning to really like this Snapper mower.  It is a Snapper ELP21702BV, Briggs & Stratton Intek 7.0 HP, 3-speed Tuf-Torq drive, and cast aluminum deck.  Not as nice polished and good looking as the Honda HR215 Master Series or the John Deere 14SB, but solid build quality, nonetheless.  I really like the cut height adjustment, one single lever raises or lower all four wheels at once, quite effortless.  Anyways, I will be doing all due maintenance required to get it operating to factory specifications.

Two strokes are wonderfully simple, reliable and powerful.   At 2900 rpm the Echo's engine's claimed rating is 4.5 h.p.  I suspect that at the very least, I've doubled that.  I have a 175cc two stroke dirt bike that makes 26 h.p. at 9000 rpm.  So, deducting the 35cc difference in displacement and 3000 less in rpm, it would not be unreasonable to estimate 10 to 12 h.p. from the 140cc engine at 6000 rpm.   Speeding yours up to 3600 wouldn't be a burden for the machine.  You just have to put a tach on the machine, find the governor and tweak it a bit.  I think I bought my tach from Jack's Small Engines.  Here's a link to the manufacturer of the tach I have.  Be careful in you selection.  Some tachs only go to 9000 rpm.  The one I have goes to 20000 rpm which is good for testing the chain saws, weed eaters etc...

http://redingtoncounters.thomasnet.com/item/all-categories/del-51-electronic-lcd-hour-meter-maintenance-meter/5140-0311?&plpver=10&assetid=g2

I guess those laws governing blade tip speeds are just buzzkills meant too compromise our personal freedoms.
Make sure you get some pictures when that 20 year old bbc assembly flies apart and sends the blade though the deck.
And dont forget too pay that homeowners insurance premium just in case you happen too pick up a rock and launch it through some kids head.
Pretty cool stuff too lay on people that dont know any better.

clint wrote:

Well, well, well..... If it isn't our old buddy Clint. 

Tell me something Clint.  From reading one of your previous posts, you claim to be a mechanic of sorts for some 30+ years.  Why is it that the only time you have something to say is to be condescending or critical?  With your vast experience and knowledge, why don't you ever provide mechanical assistance to members who are asking for it.  I might be wrong but I don't recall ever seeing anything from you helping someone with a problem? 

Now, regarding your comments:   

I Don't know what you're trying to say but I'll address some of your points nonetheless.  This mower has a clutch driven blade.  I can select the engine speed prior to blade engagement.  Therefore, if I choose to cut grass at 4000 rpm, I set the engine to that speed prior to blade engagement.   Being that the engine is very robust and apparently well balanced as is the the cutting system, I doubt that it will be flying apart any time soon.  Regarding you remarks about  "launching a rock through some kid's head"  I doubt that will happen considering the size of our lots, the minimal amount of traffic/human activity etc. and the time I choose to cut grass.  

For your information, this engine is relatively new compared to the old Yamaha two strokes I restore.  I have several 35 year old Yamaha twin cylinder two stroke 350 to 400 cc bikes with modified engines capable of sustained 11,000 rpm operation.  I choose to run them with a 10,000 rpm cut out.   I'd say running this engine at 6000 rpm is relatively tame.  I'd bet that with some carb work and a small expansion chamber, I'd get the Echo engine to 10,000 rpm as well.  However, I'm perfectly satisfied with the rpm range that I now have available.   

I'm very well insured, have no rocks where I cut grass and use this mower for trimming only.  I have a Husquvarna Lawn Tractor with a massaged twin cylinder Kawasaki engine for doing the majority of the cutting.

It would appear that you're not a suitable candidate for this type of experimentation.  You'd be wise to stay with milk-toast, mainstream, mediocre outdoor power equipment.  That way you won't frighten yourself  as much as you're frightening me....

It's a safety issue.
Sorry that you take it personally.

clint wrote:

I see your point Clint.  Today's products are optimized so close to the safety margins that I am cautious to stress a product beyond manufacturer's cautions and warnings.  Although I'm really fed up with all the safeguards that are on modern lawn mowers.  I'm going to get carpel tunnel trying to hold on to all these bails and levers so that the damn thing will cut grass.

Wasn't blade brake clutch introduced not too long after mandate that requires mowers to have flywheel brake and ignition shutoff when operator is not pulling on a lever?

clint wrote:

And your reasons for not sharing your vast store of knowledge and experience with the group is??????