Tuesday 25 February 2014

Servicing the Autoportée

and some advice about the cost of parts...

Yes, it is that time of year again... Our next door neighbour Antony actually cut his grass on Sunday, keen chap that he is!!!

This coming season will be the fourth for our Autoportée (ride on mower) and it does get some abuse as regular readers will know, so this year I decided to do a little more 'servicing'.

First job was the engine oil change. I normally buy my oil filters in the UK and last year I paid £10 from a local garden machinery company. This year I decided to see what I could buy here in France (basically I forgot to get one!)

To cut a long story short - Amazon.fr cost €45; Amazon.co.uk, £8.62 plus £4.60 delivery. I increased the quantity to two and the postage went up by £0.40. So I ordered two, delivered, for £22,24. They came on Saturday.

Next was the cooling system (air) and the engine air filter. For the first time I removed all the engine cowlings in order to give the area a good clean, although in fairness it wasn't too bad.

The air filter was a different matter...really needs replacing after three seasons of dust. Getting a replacement was the same story as the oil filter. Amazon.fr cost €47; Amazon.co.uk, £7.54 plus £4.09 delivery. It is due to be delivered at the weekend!!

Next up was the drive and the cutters. Last season the cutter drive belt jumped the pulleys, for reasons only known to itself, and as a precaution whilst in the UK I ordered a set of belts from a company on Ebay for £58 delivered... I have no idea what they would be from Bricomarche BUT expensive springs to mind.

The cutters have been sharpened for the third time...

They get very blunt after a season cutting

and are showing the signs of the repeated sharpening.

I am not sure at what point they will need replacing but I will for sure be shopping around for the best price...

....Elizabeth likes the sparks!!

Here's to another good season mowing and the arguments as to who wants to drive the mower round!

As a note, I thought I was early with the servicing... when I looked back at the blog it was 18th Feb in 2012 and 10th March in 2013... Blogs do have there uses...


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