Hayter 21
I have recently bought a really good Hayter 21, I don't think the machine hs done very much work at all judging by the lack of wear on the front paint work!
I help run a small fishing club so my plan is to use the machine to cut the grass around some of our lakes. So after servicing the engine, new oil and plug and rebuilding the carb with new gaskets etc gave it a pull and 3rd time she fired a little tinkering later and its running quite well.
I have a few questions though if anyone can help, firstly does anyone know the correct starting place for the carb jet screw? I have set it by trial and error but its always nice to know if im heading in the right direction. Secondly is the travel speed which I can only describe as 'bloody fast!!' under perfect conditions in short thick grass the speed is fine BUT.....where the geese have just left the stalky weeds it is too fast - the daft from the blades im guessing is pushing the stalks away before they are cut and in the very long think grass it either cuts only some of the grass or just stalls. I have found a reference in a forum to a two speed gearbox???? if anyone knows anything about this i would be very interested, my other ideas are to either change the v belt pulleys to slow the travel speed or possibly add another set of blades to the disc? I have just sharpened the blades but im wondering if having 8 blades would help? I would be very interested to hear if anyone has had similar problems or your ideas?
James
Forums
Yes it still has the original
Yes it still has the original 5hp briggs lump, my guess was about 1 1/2 turns out on the screw so will have another play later. Thats interesting about the belts, I assumed it was a twin speed gearbox but twin pulleys makes sense, I have no idea of the age of my machine but im guessing fairly late as the general condition is so good, it even still has most if the stickers intact! It only has the single drive pulley and my idea was to simply change the pulleys to alter the ratio but I might change them for twin pulleys, with some careful working out I should be able to keep the belt length the same on the two new pulleys so I can change the speed with out retensioning the belt each time. Not a perfect solution but should work and will be more forgiving on the machine. Unfortunately just slowing the engine will reduce the cutter tip speed too so will make things worse. I will give the number of blades some more thought by adding more it should reduce the load as each tip will be cutting less material, I did it years ago on an old kuhn hay mower, the disc's only had two on each and I had huge trouble with belts slipping - fitted 4 blades to each and it solved the problem, it even allowed me to increase to working speed.
Adding to everything that
Adding to everything that Hortimech has said . The two speed machines were very much in the minority , can only remember seeing two in forty odd years. Yes the belt was like a bootlace , cogged and made of a "nylon " type material, pt No 4031 . As for modding your machine to two speed , that's two pulleys on the crank in addition to the cutter belt and two on the gearbox - rather you than me! As for extra blades with only five HP - I'd forget it, flog the 21 and find something with a hydrostatic drive or a proper multi-speed gearbox.
It all depends on how old the
It all depends on how old the machine is and I take it we are talking about the machine with two rear inflatable wheels and a large aluminium cutting disc.
If this is the machine, examine the belt that drives the gearbox, if it is very thin (I have heard it described as looking like a boot lace), you should find that there is more than one pulley and you can alter the groundspeed by moving the belt into different pulleys. The only other way of reducing the groundspeed is by reducing the engine speed.
Don't fit more than 4 of the swing blades (part number 2779, bolt set, part number 590), it wont cut any better and will add load to the engine.
As for the jet starting position, it all depends on what engine is fitted, they came with a 5HP Briggs & Stratton as standard, but someone could have changed it. If it is the B&S, you need to screw it in all the way (without force) and then back it out about 1 1/2 turns, then with the engine running, tune by ear.