The recoil starter has gone on my self propelled lawnmower so I've been looking at a replacement at B&Q. I thought about buying some petrol additive to make it easier to start, but I couldn't believe how expensive it is - £24.50 per litre!
www.diy.com/diy/jsp/bq/product/product.jsp?CATID=1...e
Any idea what it contains for this price?
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On the bright side, it does treat five litres and that's quite a bit of mowing. The price reflects the packaging rather than the true worth, I imagine, and it sounds a bit like snake oil, if it both extends engine life and helps starting. You could say the same thing of a new spark plug...
BTW, has anyone heard of a ban on the sale of Redex? Someone was trying to buy some in Safeways recently and was told that they didn't sell it any more "for environmental reasons", which sounds a bit perverse to me. I've always found it pretty effective, but perhaps the dispersal of engine deposits via the exhaust is considered a Bad Thing!
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Halfords sell a range of Redex additives. I use some stuff they make for diesel engines that's suposed to keep the injectors clean. Redex it might be, but this stuff's a strong shade of green!.
Cheers, SS
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I think they banned the original RedEx, as they don't sell it anymore, just teh petrol and diesel injector cleaners.
That B&S fuel additive just smells of paraffin or kerosene, my Father once bought some from Machine Mart where I think it was cheaper, but was in a large sachet so maybe a lower quantity.
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I've got nearly a full bottle if anyone wants it!
According to an article I've read, which was written by a retired oil industry chemist, if you want to continuously put a small amount of oil in, a drop of two stroke oil makes more sense. You do gain a small amount of valve seat protection from this as well.
I would have thought the stuff was banned owing to the silly amounts of smoke "cleaning" a running engine produced. It may well have gone better afterwards, but I never saw a dyno test proving it, and apart from freeing gummed up piston rings, I doubt if introducing oil, no matter how high a detergent value would have done much to shift carbon deposits.
According to the chemist the stuff is synonymous with snake oil, as is another (still marketed, hence no names) widely sold water dispersal oil.
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as is another (still marketed, hence no names) widely sold water dispersal oil.
Err, what's wrong with a water dispersal oil, if you're talking about a spray can of stuff...I use it for rusty bolts, although I don't use it for wet ignition points it has been known to work on distributor caps.
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was kev_is_here
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I use WDblank to lubricate my old bike's control cables, because I do'nt want to buy a gadget or mess about with brown paper funnels, and I recon that aiming the jet dwn the end of the outer cable will penetrate further than just about any other product.
Someone will tell me that it's not much of a lubricant, but it has to be better than air.
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Said water dispersant oil works by attacting moisture to it, ie being hydroscopic (like brake fluid).
If you use it, it does clear fluid water as claimed, but if you want to lubricate, you must squirt it with normal oil.
If you use it as a lubricate, it works, but not very well, and attracts moisture.
Normal oil in a can (or a number less than four to one) is what I use for most jobs.
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Are you looking to buy a new recoil, a whole mower or has the rope just snapped?
I work in a repair shop & re coil re rope is a fairly easy task to do.
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Are you looking to buy a new recoil, a whole mower or has the rope just snapped? I work in a repair shop & re coil re rope is a fairly easy task to do.
It's a Tecumseh engine and it needs a new recoil unit. I'm told that a new unit will cost about £45 so I'm undecided about replacing the recoil unit or buying a new mower. It's a Mountfield Laser self propelled mower, which I've had for about nine years.
Since I bought it I've had to replace the pull cord almost every year. It seems to be a weakness insofar as there must be somewhere in the unit that causes the cord to wear. It's always the same place.
What would you suggest?
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How about changing the cord to something much more durable, maybe some braided wire enclosed in a pvc sleeve.
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was kev_is_here
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I put a double dose of the Redex diesel stuff in my Xsara 2000 miles ago and instantly got a 5MPG on the fuel economy. And that was on top of me red lining it every so often too. Fantastic stuff, though says something about the person who owned the car before me... :)
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Err, that should be a 5MPG increase.
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Going to be a bore again, sorry. If it absorbs moisture it's hyGroscopic.
Ah, the days of driving up to the pumps and my father saying "4 gallons and 4 shots please".
Redex is still alive and well where I live and now and then I rev up one of the bikes with the aircleaner off, wind it up and inject neat Redex through the carb. No question it does improve running.
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My Tecumseh engined mower also needed a new recoil unit after 18 months. The chap servicing it reckoned we'd done well at 18 months and that he's replaced this item on every Tecumseh Spectra motor he's seen.
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My Tecumseh engined mower also needed a new recoil unit after 18 months. The chap servicing it reckoned we'd done well at 18 months and that he's replaced this item on every Tecumseh Spectra motor he's seen.
That's made my mind up for me. I'll get a new mower.
I managed to fix it last night, but I don't know how long it will last. I was told to use a punch and hit the centre bit which appears to have a clip on it. Re-assembled the thing and it worked. I don't suppose it will last long, but if it holds out until September I may be able to get a new mower at a reduced price when they start the Autumn sales at B&Q.
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Go for a Honda. Mrs ND is looking to buy one suitable for heavy domestic and contract use for her business and having looked around they are hard to beat. Forget the lower priced models and concentrate on those from £450 upwards (normal price, but with that all important end-of-season discount, who knows?)
Lighter and quieter than the Briggs and Stratton used by many (including honda on its cheaper models) and very low vibration. Horribly reliable too.
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Can I get a silver one to match my Accord Tourer?
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They're all silver chassis with a red and white engine.
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:: awards self "Anorak of the Day" medal ::
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Sounds nice. But will it have a big H on the front?
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Hi
I work in a repair shop & I have to say everytime spend a little bit more money & get a Honda!
Easy to start, service & very very reliable with a very very long service life thrown in.
The newer Honda GC engines have an overhead cam with a cambelt fiited, dont worry if the belt ever snaps ( in about 15 years time ) You just time it up & fit a new belt.
Avoid at all cost any mower fitted with a Briggs & Stratton engine, They are just rubbish & that my view.
We have a lot of mowers come through the repair shop.
Hondas only ever come in for a service, Blade re sharpen or the odd pull rope.
Briggs & Stratton mowers come in all the time because they wont start, Or it wont keep running, cheap plastic carb is the normal problem, also they are not very friendly to work on & some parts take time to get hold of.
The Tecumseh engines are better then the Biggs & Stratton ones,But service & spare parts are more costly.The air filter alone can cost over £15 when a Honda air filter is around £5
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...don't mention the name(s). Where I live in the typhoon season (right now) with overhead power lines which are the norm it is not uncommon for power outages of several hours.
I have a genset for such occasions to power essentials like the well water pump (no mains here), one air-con in the bedroom and the other bits and pieces in the house. You should get a medal if you ever get the thing to start and hold a Thanksgiving Mass at the local church if having managed this it then keeps going. Infuriatingly noisy too.
I'm going for a big Denso when I can afford it.
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"Where I live.."
You're back then, G? Sounds like a wind generator might be the thing to have...
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If you really want to get a lawnmower that is designed to last 20 years, I suggest you buy a a British H rather than a Japanese H and go for a Hayter!
My brother in-law has had to send back 2 Honda lawnmowers that didn't work (but looked good alongside his new Accord!). My Hayter Harrier is brilliantly designed and seems to be used by pretty much every landscape gardener in Cheshire.
There should be some good discounts at your local dealer - mine even gave me a decent part ex on my on Black and Decker!
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"If it absorbs moisture it's hyGroscopic"
Indeed. And not WD40 either, I should have thought, given that its purpose is to dispel water. I can't see that it would be much good for reviving wet ignition systems or preventing corrosion on rockets if it absorbed water...
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