Puttering around with mechanical equipment is is one of my pursuits. I bought an 853 with 12 hp Lombardini diesel new about four years ago, a badly in need of repairs 710 with a Honda 8hp about five years ago and an early vintage 737 with a dead Acme engine about three years ago. I don't use the 710 much because single speed BCS tractors are not much fun. It takes too long to get from the shed to the garden, across the yard, etc. The 737 was repowered with a 13hp Honda and is a joy to use with the power wheelbarrow and sickle bar mower as its easy to actuate reverse lever makes manuvering forward/backward around trees and ditch banks easy.
Here's my take on engines for BCS tractors. The Lombardini diesel is powerful, thrifty with fuel, loud and a bear to hand crank when the engine is cold. Honda engines hand crank easily, are quiet and thrifty with fuel.
The past two weeks I've let a handyman down on his luck clear the brush out of a nine acre parcel. He started out with the 853 running a 34" Palladino flail mower. The first day he was mowing kudzu vines when a vine snagged on the reverse lever, at the same time he slipped and the mower came back into him. He is okay but his knee hit the electronic controls breaking the key off in the electric starter switch, breaking the lower bolt holding the electronic key/starting/charging control flush with the fan housing. He saw where the key was broken off but was able to inset the broken key head into the control to start and turn off the motor charging/starting control. He kept running the tractor for several days and the vibration did a number on the wiring and starting/charging control such that no charging is taking place. Accidents happen and we are fortunate he is not hurt. However, I've not yet been able to get the charging up and running even after checking all connections in the multi-connection quick disconnect block. I'm figuring replacing the electronic key/starting/charging control box will also be in the $200 to $350 range. He made matters worse by operating the flail mower with missing "Y" blades. The flail mower got about ten years of wear and tear in one week. I have the parts for replacing the wear parts and bearings so it will one day be like new again as it is my go to mower around the garden and back field.
I love the diesel engine but the only time the full power provided by this beast is needed is when running the 34" flail mower in second gear in 36" tall, wet fescue. The next closest power hog is the 38" BCS lawn mower with bagger. I figure a 13hp Honda would power that mower quite well. Next down on the power need list is the Zanon 28" brush mower. I believe an 11 hp Honda would run it well based on how the Lombardini seldom barked when hitting heavy brush yesterday. The rest of my equipment - Berta rotary plow, Bios 80 chipper, 26" tiller and 30" sickle bar mower could be powered by an 8 hp Honda. The chipper can be a power hog if one is trying to quickly process stuff, but if one is patient and lets it stay in the "fast flywheel" zone by avoiding choking the chipper, 8hp probably is plenty adequate.
Yes, the diesel can allegedly handle greater side hill slopes without oil starvation, but that alone is not a good enough reason for purchasing a diesel. If I had it to do all over again, I'd go with a non-electric start 13 hp Honda or other equivalent 13 hp to 14 hp easy cranking gasoline engine. Having said all this, the Lombardini is going to get restored to like new condition sometime later this year and will likely only leave my garage after I'm dead. My purpose in writing these thoughts is to provide information to anyone looking for real world feedback on electric start diesel versus manual start gasoline for powering various BCS/Other brand implements.
Bill in NC
Here's my take on engines for BCS tractors. The Lombardini diesel is powerful, thrifty with fuel, loud and a bear to hand crank when the engine is cold. Honda engines hand crank easily, are quiet and thrifty with fuel.
The past two weeks I've let a handyman down on his luck clear the brush out of a nine acre parcel. He started out with the 853 running a 34" Palladino flail mower. The first day he was mowing kudzu vines when a vine snagged on the reverse lever, at the same time he slipped and the mower came back into him. He is okay but his knee hit the electronic controls breaking the key off in the electric starter switch, breaking the lower bolt holding the electronic key/starting/charging control flush with the fan housing. He saw where the key was broken off but was able to inset the broken key head into the control to start and turn off the motor charging/starting control. He kept running the tractor for several days and the vibration did a number on the wiring and starting/charging control such that no charging is taking place. Accidents happen and we are fortunate he is not hurt. However, I've not yet been able to get the charging up and running even after checking all connections in the multi-connection quick disconnect block. I'm figuring replacing the electronic key/starting/charging control box will also be in the $200 to $350 range. He made matters worse by operating the flail mower with missing "Y" blades. The flail mower got about ten years of wear and tear in one week. I have the parts for replacing the wear parts and bearings so it will one day be like new again as it is my go to mower around the garden and back field.
I love the diesel engine but the only time the full power provided by this beast is needed is when running the 34" flail mower in second gear in 36" tall, wet fescue. The next closest power hog is the 38" BCS lawn mower with bagger. I figure a 13hp Honda would power that mower quite well. Next down on the power need list is the Zanon 28" brush mower. I believe an 11 hp Honda would run it well based on how the Lombardini seldom barked when hitting heavy brush yesterday. The rest of my equipment - Berta rotary plow, Bios 80 chipper, 26" tiller and 30" sickle bar mower could be powered by an 8 hp Honda. The chipper can be a power hog if one is trying to quickly process stuff, but if one is patient and lets it stay in the "fast flywheel" zone by avoiding choking the chipper, 8hp probably is plenty adequate.
Yes, the diesel can allegedly handle greater side hill slopes without oil starvation, but that alone is not a good enough reason for purchasing a diesel. If I had it to do all over again, I'd go with a non-electric start 13 hp Honda or other equivalent 13 hp to 14 hp easy cranking gasoline engine. Having said all this, the Lombardini is going to get restored to like new condition sometime later this year and will likely only leave my garage after I'm dead. My purpose in writing these thoughts is to provide information to anyone looking for real world feedback on electric start diesel versus manual start gasoline for powering various BCS/Other brand implements.
Bill in NC
