Husqvarna R53SV mower refurbishment

[HDAV]

So wasn’t sure where to put this.....

 

Anyway after doing some repair work to my dads mower see here for info: 

 

 

I quite enjoyed doing it & think they are a decent mower and I was bored on marketplace ???

 

 

I happenEd to find one for sale locally..... a similar machine, I think a slightly newer one? Has a different handle and motor is badged Honda not husqvarna (May have been changed?) 

 

Anyway as I have more time and don need to get it back to mowing after a couple of days I decided can do a bit more with this one and will either sell it or keep it as a spare, might swap it with the old man and finish his properly who knows, anyway thought I would document it here if anyone was interested...

Edited September 18, 2020 by HDAV
Link added

[openspaceman]

I'd be interested in seeing the front drive refurbished. I have acquired a honda engined champion and the drive doen't work. I'm looking for options to get it driving again.

 

Is this one veebelt driven off the engine and drive engaged by tensioning the belt with the bowden cable?

[GardenKit]

HDAV, I admire you for wanting a project to keep yourself from being bored. BUT, that mower is severely rusted and is in a dangerous to use state.
Using it yourself is one thing, but selling it might NOT be a good idea.

Any that we get in in that condition go straight in the skip!

Edited September 18, 2020 by GardenKit
word NOT missed !

[HDAV]

3 hours ago, GardenKit said:

HDAV, I admire you for wanting a project to keep yourself from being bored. BUT, that mower is severely rusted and is in a dangerous to use state.
Using it yourself is one thing, but selling it might be a good idea.

Any that we get in in that condition go straight in the skip!

Yes I know it’s rusted that’s why I’m going to repair the rusted bits.......I’m sure you do chuck them in the skip as we live in a disposable society ???

 

And you will make far more money selling a new mower to the customer than fixing the old one... that’s not the point of what i am doing....... but if you are skipping any R53SV I am after some parts so please let me know

4 hours ago, openspaceman said:

I'd be interested in seeing the front drive refurbished. I have acquired a honda engined champion and the drive doen't work. I'm looking for options to get it driving again.

 

Is this one veebelt driven off the engine and drive engaged by tensioning the belt with the bowden cable?

It’s that yes, not sure how to get the axle off that my next challenge as I need to fix/repalce a height adjuster on a front wheel

[HDAV]

So had a bit of time today and it was sunny so stripped it down and jet washed the deck and left it to air dry anyone know how to get the front axle apart? Circlips on inside and similar clips on outside (by drive gears) do both need to come off? Hoping the drive box doesn’t need to come apart...

[GardenKit]

14 minutes ago, HDAV said:

Yes I know it’s rusted that’s why I’m going to repair the rusted bits.......I’m sure you do chuck them in the skip as we live in a disposable society ???

 

And you will make far more money selling a new mower to the customer than fixing the old one... that’s not the point of what i am doing....... but if you are skipping any R53SV I am after some parts so please let me know

It’s that yes, not sure how to get the axle off that my next challenge as I need to fix/repalce a height adjuster on a front wheel

To be honest there is no way on earth of repairing that rust in a safe manner in a professional workshop. The risk of a repair letting go when hit by a stone is quite high, and if that were to happen and there was damage to people or property the repairer could be sued, or even face the courts. The integral strength of the deck has been lost, and by the time you descale the rust there will be little left.
And as for making money, I guarantee that at my £50hr labour rate I would make far, far more by repairing that pile of rust than by selling an equivalent new replacement, but I would never contemplate it.
Carry on by all means and use it yourself, but not near people or property, and please never consider selling it.

[spudulike]

Probably worth stripping and selling the parts as this can be more lucrative then refurbishing if that is your thing.

GK knows his mowers, sound advice!

[openspaceman]

1 hour ago, HDAV said:

Hoping the drive box doesn’t need to come apart...

Oh go on I want to see how it works, mine is similar but lighter weight parts so that is the sort of thing I am after.

[HDAV]

1 hour ago, GardenKit said:

To be honest there is no way on earth of repairing that rust in a safe manner in a professional workshop. 

Good job I’m not a “professional workshop” then ?

 

57 minutes ago, spudulike said:

Probably worth stripping and selling the parts as this can be more lucrative then refurbishing if that is your thing.

GK knows his mowers, sound advice!

Absolutely more profitable to strip it seeing what people are trying to sell parts for......??? I may keep the deck and sell the rest ?‍♂️ What’s a Honda gc160 motor worth? Carb is probably worth what I paid? 

[GardenKit]

6 minutes ago, HDAV said:

Good job I’m not a “professional workshop” then ?

 

Absolutely more profitable to strip it seeing what people are trying to sell parts for......??? I may keep the deck and sell the rest ?‍♂️ What’s a Honda gc160 motor worth? Carb is probably worth what I paid? 

If you establish a market for these type of mowers as spares I can supply you with dozens each year for £20 each. You would have to collect them though. At present they just get skipped and most are in much better condition than yours with perfect engines.