OK was able to get the serial # off when I got home tonight. I am also attaching a picture, don't hold it against me for how far down I have let it go, I promise I am in the process of bringing it back to glory. Serial # GX110-1769633. In finally really checking it out tonight on the left side from the operators position under the guard is a chain not a belt so I would assume I have the Trimmer Original 20. from your earlier response I think I need the #40 chain 46 pitches. Just wanting to make sure I am correct. Thank you for sharing all of your knowledge.

Hello nice machine, seems like I have a similar lawn mower but the engine on mine is a gx120, was wondering if you were able to get nore info, im trying to get a make and model of mine and also were can i buy a repacement grass catcher

hello all,

I have a 20" 3HP B&S Trimmer Original Model in decent shape - runs and cuts well. Any ideas on what it is worth today?

First of all, yours is not a Trimmer "Original" model. It is a "Home Owners", meaning it has a belt drive off the engine and other downgraded features from the "Original". Secondly, the mower looks like it has been repainted. Could be color rendering on my computer, but the paint looks like it has too much blue.

I'm guessing your mower is from the late 70's to early 80's making it 35 to 40 years old. You can tell for sure by looking at the numbers on the Briggs engine. Numbers are located on the fan housing, and should read 80202 XXXX-XX XXXXXX. The last set of digits will be the year and month of manufacture, and plant location.

Given that the mower is a "Homeowners", it's age and condition, I would expect it to bring $100 to $150.

Thanks for the input ggoyeneche - you seem to be the authority on these machines! The colour is likely a function of me taking the pictures with my cell phone - the paint is original.

I really like using this lawnmower but our yard has quite a few huge oak trees which are constantly dropping nuts, twigs etc. The reel mower doesn't like hiting those things so I end up having to rake before every mow which is a pain. I have switched to a Honda Commercial mower which basically just mulches everything.

Have a homeowners model bought in 1980. When I had the blade sharpened last time, the shop said that would be the last time they could sharpen it since not enough blade left. Does that sound right? Can I replace the reel?

Could be true, but not as likely with a Homeowners. They don't get enough use. Why not post a picture? I have seen some Trimmer 25" Originals used commercially that had the reel sharpened down to within an 1/8" of the spiders, but again these were rode hard and put away wet.

And yes, both the reel and bed knife are replaceable, but won't be cheap. Reel is HO205 or HO207 and is about $200. Bed knife is HO401 and am unsure or price. Both should be replaced at same time.

Yes and no. I'm surprised that a Homeowners has been ground down that far. You must have sharpened rather regularly over the past thirty years. On the other hand, the shop sharpening the reel is doing a "relief grind", which is the superior way the sharpen a reel. Relief grind is a two-step process, where the first grind is a circumferential grind ("spin grind") and the second cut is done with a smaller wheel to remove material from the backside of the blade. If you blow up the picture, you can see where only the front edge is bright and doing cutting. The relief grind is superior because the reel makes less contact with the bed knife, and has lower friction. Also, back lapping is easier and faster due to the smaller contact patch.

When I say "YES", I mean there is probably not enough meet for a full relief grind. The small, secondary wheel would begin to interfere with the spiders. As for "NO", the reel could be done with a spin grind and then back lapped. I'm guessing you have enough blade for two more spin grinds, and then you're looking at a new reel and bed knife.

However, the reel appears to be true, and could probably be back lapped for additional mileage. Do you back lap the reel between sharpenings? Normal practice is to sharpen (with a relief grind) and then back lap two or three times in between, unless the reel or bed knife are dinged or otherwise damaged. Back lapping removes very little metal, and if the geometry of reel and bedknife are correct, will dress the pair to a very fine cut. Think of back lapping as the equivalent to honing a knife on an oil stone, while spin or relief grinding is similar to sharpening a knife on grinding wheel (bench grinder, etc.).

Bought this Trimmer in 2001 from a local lawn mower repair place. It was used, and had been overhauled by the shop. I think we paid $250 for it. Have not used it in years; it has been in the garage. We've moved away from St. Augustine and no longer need it.

I just talked to the repair shop where I bought it and asked if people buy old Trimmers. They said yes, they have three customers who own them and won't use anything else. The shop said the commercial Trimmers can sell for as much as $900. Geez. The place I bought it charges $110 to bring it back to working order and another $70 or so to sharpen the blades.

Is it worth it to do it and then sell it on CraigsList?

Next, should I try to start it up, even though it hasn't been started in years?

Thanks for any help. It's a cool looking machine. I can tell they were built to last a long time. Some pics below.

Karen

Yours is a good, albeit older machine. I'm guessing from the late 1980's, making it 30 years old. It has the earlier "Tee" push rod clutch, and was fitted with the 3.5hp Honda, where most later mowers had the 4hp. I think the mower is worth about $200 on Craigslist, and wouldn't sink $180 into it to prepare for sale. May be a good deal for the repair shop, but you're getting hosed.

I'd suggest you try to see if you can start it and get it running. If it runs, it will probably sell on Craigslist come spring. See how it cuts and be prepared to show it to customers.

Good luck.

hi karen, in my neck of the woods, there's not a lot of interest in the reel mowers not too say they aren't used. the quote for "bringing it back to life", you may not need that service. was there gas left in the tank? if the gas tank is empty, put fresh, underline fresh, fuel in it and see if it starts. if there's gas in it, i wouldn't try and start it until you drain/siphon the old gas, on your engine there's a fuel shut off lever, if that is in the open/on position you might have to drain the carb. look at craigs list and see if there are any similar mowers listed and see what they're asking. as far as trimmers go, your's is a 20" (homeowner), but a deluxe unit, honda gx110 is a very good, reliable engine. 70.00 sounds good for sharpening.

I agree with 300ft_anin, a little carb cleanup and some fresh gas might be all you need. There are plenty of YouTube videos guiding how to open up and clean these carburetors. However, from my view, this is not the homeowner model. What you have is the 20” “professional” mower. You can tell because it is chain drive from the shaft instead of a clutched belt. The flared bottom end of the handle where it attaches to the mower body is also a giveaway that it’s not a homeowner.

Many thanks to the three of you, Sam, 300ft_anin, and ggoyeneche, for your detailed replies. I really appreciate it. More in a bit. My tea kettle is going nuts.

hi, see if this helps

http://caltrimmer.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/RL205-207dpl.pdf

Thanks. That may be the rear roller wheel chain I need, however my model has a belt drive that engages when the reel clutch lever is lowered, not a chain. I think I need the parts diagrams for that belt drive reel model.

You have a "Home Model" which is belt drive off the engine. The correct parts list as follows:

http://caltrimmer.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/Old-HO-DPL-2.pdf

my mistake.

I have. a Home Model with a Briggs and Stratton 3HP engine. I have been having troubles starting the engine. I have to put a few drops of gas in the spark plug to start. Does anyone know what the issues may be? And where can I buy a carburetor kit for this mower? What part number would that be? Thanks in advance....

hi, without seeing it, i think you have a float bowl on that 1? there's a hex bolt on the bottom of the bowl. remove it and inspect the bowl for crud. look at the bolt and see if there are holes, they have to be clean. take a bread twisty and strip to the wire and poke out ALL the holes. remove the bowl carefully so you don't ruin the gasket. give that a try. a pic of the carb would help.

• The carburetor does not look like a typical one with a bowl. It’s a elongated type? Is it where I need to take apart? Again, what carburetor kit can I buy? It’s not easy to find parts since I don’t know what to reference this model with...

  

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hi, different carb, sorry. in the first picture, you'll see a plate with 4 screws, that where your pump diaphragm is. that's probably the problem. it'll require your removing the carb/tank and clean things up. if your unsure there are video's that show you step by step. not a hard job. look for parts by googling B&S tank mount carb, readily available. have fun, good luck.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Carburetor-Carb-rebuild-overhaul-kit-for-Briggs-Stratton-495606-494624-3HP-5HP/312098934992?epid=10017374757&hash=item48aa8bd0d0:g:ycsAAOSwt21avh9i

You don't have a float feed carburetor. Instead you have what is known as a Pulsa Jet carb. Uses a diaphragm pump to lift gas from the tank, and spill it into a small well under the carb. A second two picks up the gas an sends it through the main jet to the intake.

This is an improvement on the old, but simple suction carburetor. Fuel level remains constant in the well, to the engine doesn't lean out as the tank level drops. Also the diaphragm pump does the heavy lifting, so the short feed tube only has to lift gas an inch or so, and therefore can produce more horsepower. You engine with a Pulsa-Jet produces 3hp while same engine with a Vacu-Jet is 2 1/2hp.

You are going to need to remove carb from engine. You can't get to diaphragm because muffler is in the way. I would replace the diaphragm and spring, and would also remove and clean both long main pick up, and shorter pickup from the well. Both have screens on the end. Soak them in carb cleaner and make sure you can blow through them when done.

Also, remove the main adjustable jet, and the fixed brass jet behind it. Clean the jet with the appropriate size welding tip cleaner. Also clean out the two small holes behind the fixed jet. Larger is for hi-speed running. Smaller (easily clogged) is for idle.

I would not purchase the fit listed above. My experience with Chinese aftermarket parts has been poor. The fit and finish is poor, and your results will be affected. Also you are getting several parts you don't need, and are for a later engine. Get OEM Briggs parts and just get what you need. Won't be that much more expensive and the results will be better.

Thanks 300ft-anin and /ggoyeneche for the guidance. I was able to clean the carb. It’s a simple carb but the removal process was a pain. I had to remove the entire gas tank assembly and the muffler to get to the carb. All is good now and I am able to start it up with just one pull. Again, How do I order the parts like the diaphragm and springs for this particular engine? I would like to also replace all the gaskets in the future. What do I use as a model reference to order the parts I need since this is such an old machine?

paul, glad to hear to got her running. as greg said the carb is a pulsa jet. parts are readily available.

the card kit i left above was only ment as an example. it would be better to bye authentic B&S parts.

Does anyone know what green spray paint is closest for a 1972 25'' trimmer? Trying to find the closest to the original green color. thanks rich

Rich,

good luck!

I don’t know exactly the match because when I needed to touch up, I was matching a heavy patina finish. I ended up with a more olive/sage/moss colored rustoleum product. looks great, but not that brand new machine green color youre looking for.

Years ago Trimmer used to provide a touch up paint in a spray can. It was called Trimmer Green and could be had at the factory in Compton or South Gate. However it was discontinued when the Trimmer product line was sold to the folks in Fresno (late 1980's - 1990's).

The best replacement I found is Krylon Satin Italian Olive p/n 53522. It is about the closest match to the original Trimmer paint from the 1940's to the 1980's. However, if your machine is later vintage, and manufactured by Eastman (Maine) or Evergeen (Washington State), they now use a somewhat deeper green with more blue. I don't know of a good matching paint.

thank you very very much , now does anybody know a good color match for a Kohler k91 thanks again rich

Some K91's were painted bright red, but I'm sure you're talking about the dark blue-green color. Kohler used to sell a rattle can with Kohler p/n 221295S, but I understand it has been No Longer Available for may years. You might find some old stock in a mower shop, but even then the can might not work.

Some guy on EBAY is selling rattle cans of paint which he claims has been color matched to Kohler. However it is expensive: $21.50 plus $11.00 shipping. If you're OK with a $33.00 can of paint, knock yourself out, but bear in mind he offers no returns or guarantees. If his idea of color match differs from yours, you are out of luck.

Vintage Kohler Engine K Series Blue Metallic Paint Aerosol

yeah for 33.00 i can get my friends body shop to mix up a quart of touch up paint

Greg, thank you for the info

@Greg Goyeneche I have a question for you. I have a Trimmer Lawn Mower Home Model with an 18" reel. Any idea where or how I could locate a replacement reel or bedknife? Looks like most of these were 20" or 25". Have not back lapped this at all, but am probably going to attempt it. This is my first reel mower, and Im into it at about $60, so i took a leap for learning more than anything. Any information is appreciated.

Model #: 87002

Honda Engine

When I first read your post, I assumed you were mistaken. Always thought Trimmer only made three machines, 25" Original, 20" Original, and 20" Home Owner. Then I saw your pictures and said "I'll be damned". Did some looking, and found that Trimmer did make both an 18" Home Owner, and a 25" Home Owner. Don't know how long they made the 18", but the 25" was only for a couple of years. Neither really made much marketing sense and that's why they were dropped.

But on to your question: I don't know if the 18" reel and bedknife are still available, but I suspect are expensive. The 20" reel is about $200 and the bedknife is about $150. At those prices, they may not make economic sense, even if available in 18".

On the other hand you reel looks to be in pretty good shape. The digital caliper shows about .400 of meat left on the reel for sharpening. That said I think you are better off having it sharpened. Probably cost you about $125 to $150. Make sure you get a shop that can do a "relief" grind, rather than a cheaper "spin" grind. The "relief" grind is a two step process. Starts with a "spin" grind where the reel is rotated and the grinding wheel cuts tangentially to the reel. Then a second pass is made with a smaller wheel along the edge of the cutting surface. Very similar to the hollow grind you see on a professional chef knife.

The "relief" grind is superior to the "spin" grind because there is less contact between the reel and bedknife resulting in less friction. Also the "relief" grind can be more easily back lapped as you're only lapping away at a relatively small contact patch.

Suggest you get the reel and bedknife professionally sharpened, and then you can do the backlapping yourself. Also with a "relief" grind you can backlap the reel three or four times before you need to resharpen, unless you bugger things up by hitting a rock or a sprinkler.

Backlapping requires sharpening grit, such as Clover Compound which can be obtained in auto supply stores. They sell a double can with coarse and fine grits for about $15. Although Evergreen now has a tool for rotating the reel, you can use a pair of Vice-Grips on the sprocket after you remove the chain.

Good luck.

Thanks @Greg Goyeneche for the info. One more question for you. When i start my mower it will run, but when i engage the reel with the lever it will kill the motor. I have checked contact between reel and bedknife to make sure there is not too much friction. I have even backed the reel all the way back from bedknife. Still kills the engine. I can start the engine with the reel engaged and it will spin for about 3 seconds but then the motor will die. Do you have any idea what could be causing this? The carb is new, the clutch belt looks pretty new. The bearings are greased and spinning. Cant figure out what is going on. The engine is a Honda G100 2.2hp. Thanks.

I've got limited experience with the G100, mainly on edgers and small pumps. It is fitted with a Keihin carburetor. My first thought is that your engine is leaning out. However, since you said you replaced carb this should have corrected problem.

Did you use a new factory carb, or is it an aftermarket carb. Many times the aftermarket ones are poorly machined and assembled, resulting in issues. Beyond that, I can't really make a diagnosis.

I recently got a 20" Special Trimmer Home Model. It cuts or tears grass but wont pass the paper test. The reel blades have some small bends in them and the bed knife has some knicks. It would cost more to get it professionally sharpened than I paid for it. My plan is to adjust the blade knife to reel contact and try backlapping it. I can't find any videos on how to adjust this model. It doesn't look like the reel height is adjustable.

It does look like the bed knife height is adjustable. I think the adjustment is just to the right of the red arrow in the picture below and that someone painted the arrow to remember which way to turn it to contact the reel. There is one on both sides and I would start by turning both the same amount till they make good contact then backlap.

The one video I found on backlapping said to leave the reel height adjustment loose so it free floats on the bed knife while lapping.

Anyone know if I am on the right track? Is it okay to lap this without loosening the reel? Am I going to create any problems i can't fix if I try?

First of all, you're chain is really ugly. Looks like it hasn't been lubricated in years. May be binding and causing the reel to judder, affecting cut. Suggest you lubricate with whatever motor oil you have handy. Use a paper cup and a small (1/2" or 3/4") paint brush and sweep on the chain. Let is soak in and wipe of excess with a rag. Still going to be messy and throw oil when first started.

As for sharpening and backlapping, the best manuals are a three from Toro Turf Division. Meant for golf course mechanics. Lot of technical detail, but will give you the general idea. If not available of Toro's website I have saved copies in PDF format. I can email to you if you message me thru Garden Web/Houzz and provide an email address.

The three manuals are:

Toro 09168SL Reel Mower Basics

Toro 09171SL Reel Mower Terminology

Toro 98008SL Fundamentals of Reel Mowers

Hey all, just picked up this trimmer home owner for $120. Got it home, ran it once, now I can’t get it to start. It will fire for a second, with choke on, then Immediately die. I am going to look at cleaning carb, but also considering slapping a new gx120 on. Is it worth it? I’d still be half the cost of a new one.

Nice looking mower. Appears to be in good shape, particularly the reel. Appears to have been sharpened with a relief grind in the past. Only the leading edge of the blade is bright, rather than the entire edge. Looks like it could use a back-lapping, however.

That being said, let me focus on the engine. First, the Honda GX is a great engine. Your mower is 24 years old, and a new Honda GX would last at least as long. However, the Honda is a serious piece of change. The Briggs 9 CID "Classic" is also a competent engine, and unless abused should have plenty of life left. Here's what I would do:

1) Remove the carburetor, and then separate the tank and carburetor. The long plastic tube is the main pickup, which lifts gasoline from the tank via diaphragm pump and spills it into a small well directly underneath the carb, The second pickup is a casting projecting into the small well in the tank. The long tube has a screen on the bottom, and it must be free and clear. You should be able to blow gently on the tube, On the other hand, if you suck lightly on the tube there will be no flow as one of the flapper valves has closed. The cast tube has a metering jet pressed into ot and it must flow gasoline. I normally use a set of welding tip cleaners to gently ream out the metering jet.

2) While yo have things disassembled, you should replace the diaphragm in the carburetor. You can only do this when the carburetor off of the engine as the muffler is in the way. The diaphragm is inexpensive ($2 to $4) and widely available.

3) Lastly, while the carb and tank are off, I would check intake and exhaust valve clearances. The valve chamber is directly below the intake and exhaust ports and has a cover held by two screws. Proper clearance is .008 intake and .015 exhaust with the piston is 1/4" beyond TDC with both valves closed. Use a feeler gauge to measure. Usually exhaust clearance is OK because Briggs used relatively high quality steel. The intake, however, is little better than a nail and will stretch causing the valve to lose clearance. If clearance is OK, close up the tappet chamber and proceed to reassemble the engine.

4) If you have insufficient clearance in either valve, you will have to remove the cylinder head, and pull the valves out. Additional clearance is obtained by grinding the end of the valve stem. Remember, you can take metal off but not replace it. Grind slowly and measure often. Reinstall the valves, springs, and retainers, and remeasure with a feeler gauge to insure clearance is correct. Now you can reinstall the cylinder head, put the carb back on the tank, and reinstall on the engine.

You should now be good to go.

Hello, I am looking for a used Cal Trimmer around me and found one on a local website. The seller asks to make an offer for it, but I have no idea of how much it would be worth. He says he haven’t used it and the motor is new. The motor looks like a pretty old version. What do you think of it? I would appreciate it if you share your opinion with me. Thank you.

Greg, do you have a shop from your days in southern CA you recommend for sharpening and service for trimmer mowers?

I relocated out of California in 2000, so it's been 20 years. Can't really recommend anyone now. Suggest you contact a couple of golf courses and ask who they use the sharpen their reel mowers. Ask whether they use relief or spin grinds. be prepared for a rather expensive job.

1. I have what I think is an original 20" trimmer. It's circa 1970 according to the previous owner. The chain between the small gear on the motor and the large gear on the axle is very loose. It has come off twice. The manual available on-line (which may be for a newer model) says "Check engine and reel chain tension, adjust if necessary. All chains should have about a 1/4” of play. Loosen chain-tensioner bolt, adjust tensioner setting chain to desired tension and re-tighten bolt." However, it doesn't tell me where the chain-tensioner bolt or tensioner are located. I have search the web and youtube without finding information.

https://youtu.be/JG-c7xt573s

An older Trimmer Original such as yours did not have a idler bearing to tension the chain. Three factors cause the chain to loosen: 1) Chain stretch, 2) Wear of the chain (rollers and pins), 3) Wear of the two sprockets. To compensate for this, Trimmer used a series of shims under the engine to raise it from the frame. The shims were "U" shaped and were installed by loosening the two rear mounting bolts and loosening the two front nuts on the mounting studs. The engine was lifted slightly, shims were inserted, and mountings were tightened.

The actual Trimmer shims are p/n 25811 (1/8") and 25812 (3/16") and can be purchased from Zampree.com or perhaps other Trimmer retailers. Shipping charges may be prohibitive , so cheaper alternative is use standard 5/16" or 3/8" flat washers and cut the sidewall to create a "U" shape. This easier than using uncut flat washers as you would have to complete remove the fasteners and lift the engine off.

I you need 1/4" or more lift, this means you chain and sprockets have worn to the point where your chain is 1/2" too long relative to the sprockets. At this point you are better off removing a complete chain link and then adding back a "half link" (also known as an "offset link"), and then use shims to fine tune the slack. Be sure you don't make the chain too tight, or it will break, and you will increase wear on chain and sprockets. You will need a "chain breaker" or you can separate the chain the hard way using a pin punch and a hammer.

I just picked this up this afternoon and I’m really excited to get back into shape. Previous owner said it came with the house upon purchase. model number: 80202 Type code: 0520 01 7105103. Based on what I've read in this thread it’s a 71’. I cant get it running and will be looking into a pulsa jet carb kit. Anyone know where I can find a manual on the mower? It doesnt seem that I can adjust the mower height. Although thats just based on a quick once over. No previous experience with trimmers or reel mowers.

You can get both Operator's and Parts manuals from the current manufacturer California Trimmer of Auburn, Washington. You have a Homeowners model so make sure you get the correct manual.

As for adjusting cutting heights, there are both a coarse and fine adjustment. The coarse adjustment involves removing and reinstalling the long threaded rod supporting the from axle. There are two holes in the side frames. The lower holes move the rod further from the ground increasing cutting height. The upper holes move the rod away from the ground, lowering cutting.

The fine adjustment is done by loosening the small nut and bolt on the side frame just forward of the chain and sprocket. The nut and bolt clamp a flange welded to the front axle which has a slotted hole. By rotating the from axle, you can raise or lower the front wheels relative to frame. If you shift the thru rod to upper or lower holes on the side frame, you will have to use the second hole to clamp the slotted flange.

California Trimmer

The problem with the reel mowers is nobody but a golf course maintains a lawn that is cut to 1/2". 50 years ago it was done but the lawns had to be really smooth, and that's what those big water-filled rollers you see in antique stores are for. Nobody does it anymore. The golf courses use larger riding reel mowers even for the greens. There's no cut like a reel cut but people today want to cut at 3" and higher.

Found this for $30 is it worth fixing?