AussieSteve
Active Member
I had no idea that these things existed. (Must tell my buddy, too, he was born in 1928. He loved a friend's, ('olkoot+' Ken, I hope I got your moniker right), 1928 Ford Tudor when I showed him a pic.)
For 18 years, I lived in the bush on the edge of a rain forest near Coffs Harbour, (North-East coast of OZ), about 10 years of that without mains power.
Had a 12V solar system with a 3HP (Victa) lawnmower engine belt-driving a car alternator for backup in the often rainy, overcast weather.
30W B&W 14" TV, 12V 60W lights with DC-DC dimmers, but certainly no washing machine.
I used a 5 gallon bucket for the tub and a soup can with holes, screwed onto the end of a short length of broomstick as a plunger. (Picture it - sit in front of the TV with a beer, working the plunger up and down in the bucket. Nothing like my new LG machine that even plays me a tune when it's finished.)
If only I'd known or thought of it..... All those hours.
I've almost got a new hobby. I want one, even now, living in the city with all the usual mod cons.
Yep, I'm an old hippy.
Just saw a couple of the newer posts. Something I liked about old 2-strokes was their low-down torque. Look at this Maytag - 1000RPM, ¾HP, (560W), but I'll bet it would pull like a draught horse.
Try to get my ~2.5HP 66cc HT to even run at 1000RPM, let alone do any work.....
The whole 2-stroke world has gone to the other extreme in recent years.
My first real bike was a (2-stroke) 350cc Jawa twin, predecessor to the Jawa 'Californian', for those old enough to remember. 16BHP at 3500RPM, but tons of torque. Idled at about 600, like a 4-stroke.
One of my dirt bikes was a (2-stroke) Bultaco 'Sherpa T' 360cc trials bike, years ago. (Rode competition trials for a short time.) As mentioned in another thread, more torque than almost any 4-stroke I've ever owned.
Nowadays, it's all 12,000 RPM+. Kills the engine quickly. Give me lower revs, more torque and a slightly higher gearing anytime. (Should buy a Ducati or Harley, I guess.)
Again, my 2 cents worth,
... Steve
For 18 years, I lived in the bush on the edge of a rain forest near Coffs Harbour, (North-East coast of OZ), about 10 years of that without mains power.
Had a 12V solar system with a 3HP (Victa) lawnmower engine belt-driving a car alternator for backup in the often rainy, overcast weather.
30W B&W 14" TV, 12V 60W lights with DC-DC dimmers, but certainly no washing machine.
I used a 5 gallon bucket for the tub and a soup can with holes, screwed onto the end of a short length of broomstick as a plunger. (Picture it - sit in front of the TV with a beer, working the plunger up and down in the bucket. Nothing like my new LG machine that even plays me a tune when it's finished.)
If only I'd known or thought of it..... All those hours.
I've almost got a new hobby. I want one, even now, living in the city with all the usual mod cons.
Yep, I'm an old hippy.
Just saw a couple of the newer posts. Something I liked about old 2-strokes was their low-down torque. Look at this Maytag - 1000RPM, ¾HP, (560W), but I'll bet it would pull like a draught horse.
Try to get my ~2.5HP 66cc HT to even run at 1000RPM, let alone do any work.....
The whole 2-stroke world has gone to the other extreme in recent years.
My first real bike was a (2-stroke) 350cc Jawa twin, predecessor to the Jawa 'Californian', for those old enough to remember. 16BHP at 3500RPM, but tons of torque. Idled at about 600, like a 4-stroke.
One of my dirt bikes was a (2-stroke) Bultaco 'Sherpa T' 360cc trials bike, years ago. (Rode competition trials for a short time.) As mentioned in another thread, more torque than almost any 4-stroke I've ever owned.
Nowadays, it's all 12,000 RPM+. Kills the engine quickly. Give me lower revs, more torque and a slightly higher gearing anytime. (Should buy a Ducati or Harley, I guess.)
Again, my 2 cents worth,
... Steve
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It did have a few engineering problems too....such as the scrubber roller dropping on the wheel before I was onboard after starting it....
