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Happymovin, you are like us, we are trying to find a better mower after using Honda for many years. We now have tried Husquarna, a cheapie from BBT and now bought a Rover 560 SP. We have sold a few movers, as I hate to have them all sitting in the shed. We like the Rover for it's power and wide chute ... but it is not suitable for every day, as you can't adjust the speed ... gets a bit tiring to run after it!
If you have the thumb lever it just takes a bit of time getting used to controlling the speed
I find I can control the speed by using the clutch bar, takes a little while to get used to it but when you get to thick stuff just ease back the pressure on the bar until it nearly stops then it will just crawl through the long grass. I carry a cut down wire brush in my back pocket when mowing wet grass, when I empty catcher I scrub the grille on catcher. This is easier than banging and gets it cleaner. For small yards I have a 510 Rover SP which has a 650 B&S I/C, this is faster than a Honda too but is not as big and is better for tight yards. Just think of all the weight loss and how fit you will be after a few months of using this mower, don't have to pay Gym membership LOL
nah mate not jungles as such, and youre right its not STALLING all the time, but i find the clutch slips when mowing up a big hill against lush long thick grass ( keep tightening the thumb wheel whe i otice it happening)
if i was doing the same hill and grass with the honda i could put it in first or second, and mow slower,
i find it goes over grass so quick sometimes that the blades havent got time to cut it all, and it doesnt leave as good a finish.
on well maintained lawns it leaves a superb finish
(i also suspect the mechanic on its free first service lowered the revs on me. gonna get em to check that - it doesnt roar like it used to when new.)
i did complain to them about how fast it was, maybe they thought they were doing me a favour by slowing the revs (which i could have done with the throttle when i needed to)
cheers guys
Happy, maybe it's your drive belt that's slipping and not the clutch. It's easily adjusted under the gearbox cover. Also next time you have the blade disc off, pull the belt cover off and clean out any chaff around the belt.
Like David, I control the speed by using the SP bar but I go full on/full off. If you look at the clutch plates with the gearbox cover off and the engine running, you will see that they aren't rotating at any big speed so 'riding the clutch' probably isn't as big an issue as you would think.
It's the power of that engine that makes the Rover work so well. I'd rather work a bit harder on the SP bar to slow down the drive when needed, or take bigger strides to keep up with it, than slow the engine to my pace.
maybe find out how much a new clutch disc costs and if its cheap then just ride it and make your life easier...if you have to change it once a year wont be that bad.. but if they want $1000 for it then maybe just mow half a strip lol
Anyone in Sydney looking for Rover 560 S/P with Briggs engine Hoppings Mowers at Rydalmere 9638 5777 have got some for $1100.Spoke to them last week, not sure how many they have left.
thanks for the ideas on the clutch guys, i was gona ask the mechanic just that, whats it cost to replace, and whats the deal with riding it.
lol, ive never put new blades on it yet, the mecanic put some on at the first service, and ill get him to chuck another set on when he looks at the axle,
the 4 bolts are a pita, i liked the hondas one bolt,'
thanks guys
Stick a set of the big thick commercial blades on, less blade changes and you will be able to sharpen them a lot more than the standard blades.
BTW with 4 bolts stops the blade plate from spinning and shearing the pins off. I was sick of having to replace blade carriers on the hondas.
BTW with 4 bolts stops the blade plate from spinning and shearing the pins off. I was sick of having to replace blade carriers on the hondas.[/QUOTE]
Why would you need to replace the blade carrier...I've got 7yrs on one Honda and 150hrs on the new one and still use the original carriers...
The new one has 2 bolts holding it on..
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Specialising in small and Large area collection mowing with Walker Mowers.
i only wore thru one carrier on my honda, and the whole centre sheared out where the washer sits, it never broke a pin thing
Why would you need to replace the blade carrier...I've got 7yrs on one Honda and 150hrs on the new one and still use the original carriers...
The new one has 2 bolts holding it on..[/QUOTE]
I have done some feral lawns and had the blade carrier catch on things like an old bike wheel for instance, the engine stopped instantly and tore the pins off. The carrier spun and tightened so much that I couldn't remove the bolt . Without the pins it will self tighten every time you hit some hard stuff. Could be the reason the new honda has 2 bolts.
Happy. The blades I'm talking about are a lot thicker and wider than any blades I've use on a pushy before. Will have to get the part number. Only problem with them is the shape, I have to raise the cutting height by notch or 2 to give the same cut as a honda.