How does CCs affect blade power and torque?

[GearHead36]

You mentioned the bag chute, which, I assumed, you wouldn't be using or even mentioning if you were side discharging.

Sucks to always have wet grass.

Years ago, I had a 20" Murray mower with a Briggs engine rated at 3.5HP. This may be what's on your Craftsman. It was side discharge only, and did fine if the grass wasn't too tall. Newer mowers (less than 20 yrs old) are generally more powerful than older ones. My current push mower is a Toro Recycler with a 190cc Briggs flathead, which is considerably larger and more powerful than that 3.5HP Briggs. I try to never mow wet grass, but I have mowed grass that was WAY too tall with the Toro. With sharp blades, and the mower set up for side discharging, it had zero problems with dry grass. I don't mow if the yard is wet, but sometimes I will encounter wet spots, and in those spots the Toro would struggle, and I would have to slow way down, or mow narrow strips.

Swapping engines for a homeowner is not easy. For a shop that has a huge pile of junk/spare parts, it's much easier. I'd find a local flipper (you know, the place with 20 mowers sitting out front, all used), and see what they had. Tell him your needs, and let him suggest something for you. If this flipper is selling it, then that means that; it is repairable, it is worth repairing, and he can repair it. It will be cheaper than anything new, and probably last longer. If you don't try to mow tall wet grass, you don't need commercial. I suggest something with side discharge, which will flow grass much better than mulching or bagging. My philosophy is, buy a better (I hope) piece of equipment, but keep the old one. Find out which one works better, and then sell the other one. Repeat until I'm happy with the results.

Sounds like your Craftsman is a working mower that could be sold for actual money. After an engine swap (that may or may not go well), that could change. In the automotive world, project cars often get sold at scrap prices. A project mower generally has to be given away or thrown away. In the long run, it is usually cheaper to buy what fits your needs, and sell what doesn't, as opposed to modifying what you have. Modified equipment is usually worth less than unmodified.

 

[Little Fish]

How big of a lawn are we talking here? I have 3 neighbors that have lawns about 50'x75' and they use riding mowers. It takes them longer to mow than it would on foot lol. But I guess it makes them feel like "a man"? That's the only reason I can figure.

About 60x80 and the front 50x30. Only reasons I can think they would take longer than a walk behind is they are underpowered, slow, or the yards have a lot of obstacles.

And the difference is that I would be able to sit and enjoy the breeze, as opposed to walk all over and push something while suffocating in 100% humidity LOL (at least that's the idea).

 

[GearHead36]

How big of a lawn are we talking here? I have 3 neighbors that have lawns about 50'x75' and they use riding mowers. It takes them longer to mow than it would on foot lol. But I guess it makes them feel like "a man"? That's the only reason I can figure.

On the small subdivision yards I've had, I've always used push mowers. But... I can't say I wasn't tempted to get a rider. They are faster and often have headlights, which would allow me to get the mowing done starting at 6:00 in Sept, where I wouldn't have time to get done before dark with a push mower. I never went with a rider because of the space required to store one. I also had neighbors who I thought were stupid for having riders, as they never took advantage of the mower's ability to get the mowing done in the evening in the Fall. They would only mow on sunny Saturday afternoons, apparently so that the most people could see their fancy (usually green) mower. I had one neighbor who I couldn't fault for his decision to get a rider. His mower purchase resulted in his wife doing all the mowing.

 

[GearHead36]

Would a lawn tractor be able to do anything? (And if I got a cheapo one, would any random horizontal shaft engine work? Or would I need to match hole patterns ans things? (I'm handy, but have no welding equipment)

Somehow I missed this. Cheapo lawn tractors tend to mow better than cheapo push mowers. I used to have a riding mower with a 36" or 38" deck (it's been a long time) and 12HP engine. It mowed better than my Toro Recycler. It was almost useless on the hills in my yard, so I got rid of it, but it impressed me that it mowed as well as it did with only 12HP. That could be due to most push mowers having the engine speed set too low.

Getting a lawn tractor, IMO, is a much better idea than an engine swap on a push mower.

BTW, almost all mower engines are vertical shaft.

 

[Little Fish]

On the small subdivision yards I've had, I've always used push mowers. But... I can't say I wasn't tempted to get a rider. They are faster and often have headlights, which would allow me to get the mowing done starting at 6:00 in Sept, where I wouldn't have time to get done before dark with a push mower. I never went with a rider because of the space required to store one. I also had neighbors who I thought were stupid for having riders, as they never took advantage of the mower's ability to get the mowing done in the evening in the Fall. They would only mow on sunny Saturday afternoons, apparently so that the most people could see their fancy (usually green) mower. I had one neighbor who I couldn't fault for his decision to get a rider. His mower purchase resulted in his wife doing all the mowing.

Oh, that's what I need to do. Find someone to marry who had no idea why I don't like mowing and let her do it LOL.


That makes sense, I suppose. If I had welding equipment, I'd make my own mower deck and strap something on it. But I think you're right about mods like I'm talking about. Though, this is like a $350 mower, new, so I doubt there's much, if any resale value.

 

[Little Fish]

Somehow I missed this. Cheapo lawn tractors tend to mow better than cheapo push mowers. I used to have a riding mower with a 36" or 38" deck (it's been a long time) and 12HP engine. It mowed better than my Toro Recycler. It was almost useless on the hills in my yard, so I got rid of it, but it impressed me that it mowed as well as it did with only 12HP. That could be due to most push mowers having the engine speed set too low.

Getting a lawn tractor, IMO, is a much better idea than an engine swap on a push mower.

BTW, almost all mower engines are vertical shaft.

Even the riding mowers? I know the push ones are (HF has one vertical shaft and like 20 horizontal ones, which is why I'm interested in a rider (since no one would care if I mod a $200 broken rider and effectively make it a sleeper LOL)

 

[GearHead36]

Even the riding mowers? I know the push ones are (HF has one vertical shaft and like 20 horizontal ones, which is why I'm interested in a rider (since no one would care if I mod a $200 broken rider and effectively make it a sleeper LOL)

Even riding mowers. I don't know of a single mower with a vertical shaft engine. I'm sure they're out there, but I'm not aware of them. Every gas powered riding mower at every big box store will have a vertical shaft engine. Now watch someone prove me wrong.

 

[StarTech]

Power levels are stated gross torque at 2600 RPM per SAE J1940 and power levels are stated gross horsepower at 3600 RPM per SAE J1940.

Now this said ft/lb torque starts to drop off after reaching the peak at 2600 rpm and horse power continue to increase on most charts I have seen on small engines. IE your will have less torque at the gross. So when using an engine it will be loaded below the peak hp and will develop more torque. Also gross hp is before any load or optional equipment is added. So it is better to go by the ft/lb torque ratings; unless there is a Net hp rating. This way you are comparing apples to apples.

Now this said manufactures can adjust where the max torque develop by changing engine timing and fuel/air mixtures.

 

[Little Fish]

Power levels are stated gross torque at 2600 RPM per SAE J1940 and power levels are stated gross horsepower at 3600 RPM per SAE J1940.

Now this said ft/lb torque starts to drop off after reaching the peak at 2600 rpm and horse power continue to increase on most charts I have seen on small engines. IE your will have less torque at the gross. So when using an engine it will be loaded below the peak hp and will develop more torque. Also gross hp is before any load or optional equipment is added. So it is better to go by the ft/lb torque ratings; unless there is a Net hp rating. This way you are comparing apples to apples.

Now this said manufactures can adjust where the max torque develop by changing engine timing and fuel/air mixtures.

That all makes sense. Thanks!

 

[Chuckers]

About 60x80 and the front 50x30. Only reasons I can think they would take longer than a walk behind is they are underpowered, slow, or the yards have a lot of obstacles.

Yeah I don't know for sure what exactly takes them so long to mow their lawns alI know is that it takes them forever but I don;t examine them closely when they do it. I'm pretty sure the one guy with the fairly new craftsman riding mower has it because of a psychological testosterone issue. The other 2, I think it's pure laziness. All 3 of them are young, like 40 or under. When they are done their lawns looks like ass, and not a hot chic's a$$, more like a Walmartian's a$$.

I can actually justify a riding mower for myself in terms of my home's property size as well as the amount of other properties I mow, but I don't have a way to transport it nor can I afford said transportation. I also don't have any storage space for it and I always figured a riding mower would cost more to maintain yearly than a push mower. I think about it every couple years, but quickly wake up to reality and just keep push mowing. It's exercise anyhow. I also have a lot of steep-ish banks to mow so I'd still do a lot of push mowing even if I had a rider. I'd say 35% of my mowing is too steep for a rider. But that means it also sucks to push mow lol.