Speed Mower Vs Race Mower?

I know this will cause some heart ache and I think the viewers of this forum are well mature to give positive feedback without insults..

I firmly believe that we (community of mower modding and builds) should seperate the terms "Race Mower" and use "Speed Mower" when identifying what type of build we are doing.
My logic behind this, Is technically "Race Mowers" are/should be built within the restrictions of what circut that it is racing in. the IMOW rules are strict and so are the other various mower racing leagues..

Whats my point? I feel the refering your build as a "Speed Mower" lets me know that its built without guidlines or rules restricting its creation. Does that make sense?
Refering to it as a "Race Mower" will help when researching for the select members that are actually competing or want to compete..

I personally will be initiating a upcoming "Speed Mower" build highlighted on my youtube.. I plan on taking that crappy MTD frame and FNR transaxle with the small 12.5 eng and using left over front tires and rims , over sized drive pulley and undersized rear pulley...Obviously it isnt going to be a "race mower" but it will be fast..

So, I put that out there...I think it would give the community more structure..but then again, I over think things..

Be on the look out for the Speed Mower... and thanks again for having a really cool forum!

But I race my non-rules race mower.... We don't do rules, but we are all cheap, and try to make the mowers the same for ease of repair and parts.

Ours are speed/trail designed, kind of an all around machine.

I'd consider those speed mowers that you race..I just think there is a big difference between a race mower and a mower that's been modified for speed..and having that logic, people trying to build race mowers can talk to race mower builders..and those that just want to go fast talk to speed mower builders..
I'm not trying to completely redefine things..just tightening up the community
I too have an off road mower, but I call it a trail boss..because its not set up for mud, climbing, and extreme terrain..etc.
It is more suited as a hunter mobility vehicle....I do have a true off road machine in the works though!

IMHO, making this distinction cheapens the "speed mower". Not offended or anything, just what my feeling is on this.

Just because we don't follow a specific set of arbitrary rules in our builds does not mean they aren't racing mowers. I think if someone is going to post about their sanctioned racer, they are more than likely going to specify that they are making an IMOW racer, etc. so it shouldn't matter anyway.

Again, this post is just my opinion, so grain of salt required.

When you say speed mower, I am thinking of a mower that has a pulley swap done, and not much else. Machines that are tippy, stock or close to stock steering and brakes.

Ours are close to being sanction machines, they would not be competitive due to using stock engines. For quite a while they were about halfway between, and a bit of a mess.

I guess you can call them whatever you want, and we can do the same. I kind of see the logic in you thinking, but I am thinking their are too many mowers that fall in the grey areas to be labeled that way.

Not much chance of a sanctioned machine being on here, they have their own forums.

Think of all the youtube people calling a mower with only a bigger pulley, calling it a "race" mower...just because it goes a little faster then stock..sounds unfair to compare it with your mower..

you would probly be a race mower stock modified? We could start a new trend...I would kinda call your mower a "Rally Mower"

What do you think about that? "Rally Mower" seems thats about how you race yours..off road and fast...

I kinda like that..something new..

Sampling....

Wafting, wafting...

Hmmm....

Rally Mower, eh? Not bad. I kinda like that... denotes an unorthodox race type, and is relatively descriptive....

While I don't think we really need to break things down into such specific categories, I don't mind that one.

It does help to call things by names that help you to know what they are.
How many times have you clicked on a craigslist ad for a race mower for $700 thinking it would be a true race mower, only to find out its just a backyard basher with a pulley swap , hood scoop and a crappy paint job (and not worth more than $50)
Another thing that pulls my chain is the people who call RERs garden tractors. they are just barely lawn mowers

Anything speed or otherwise modified from an original factory tractor i call "experemental" , which is basically what they are because i end up going back and changing things later on.

I dont like calling a fast tractor a racer - because its not. I dont race against anyone and its not to any sort of guidelines , altho as of late im building anything with any sort of speed quite a bit safer to drive ( bones wont heal as fast when i was younger, plus the fact that I enjoy breathing and walking around - aint worth dying for or paralyzed being stupid).

The idea of making a fast lawntractor actually started years ago before moving south - when i was settled in, i built a couple quick tractors ( pulley swaps on a stock tractor) - not really safe in the slightest sense.

My last tractor actually scared the hell out of me to drive, being 90% stock and being the fastest yet - i didnt dare opening it up in 6th, barely made it to 3rd half throttle - got alot of odd looks, but after only a few runs I parked then disassembled it . Nearly flipped it over more then once with the stock loose steering - was the last straw.

Made my mind up to build the next one safer, which actually was, as brief as that was together. I could whip that thing around corners and it would handle beautiful , when it wouldnt break a belt. I ended up needing the chassis for a stock mower.

I started to ressurect the super fast tractor, but havent had time lately to even look at it, much less anything else.

Dont get me wrong, Im not bashing this guy, I think his ride looks great! let me be the first to give credit to a decent ride.

But, this is an example of what Im talking about, watch his video and take note of the drive pulley, It is a stock pulley still has the blade drive..

I firmly feel this should have just been called a "speed Mower" or something equivilent...definatley not "Racing"
Racing Murray first ride! or https://youtu.be/v3Bfc5mb_mA

Rally mower is a good term, I was thinking of another good term.

Mowercross.

Think about it

Mowercross is pretty good. Good name for the sport as a whole. Encompassing off road, rally, mud, rompers, etc.

I found another name floating out there, the "romping mower". I don't actually have an opinion on this one, but I have seen two or three videos of a "romping mower" that was basically stock mower minus the deck. What gives?

What happens when that term is lost and a new word is used? Idk?
When I was young, about 10, we used the term "romp" as referring to throwing down or fighting. I used to fight with my cousins a lot. Good times back then. Lol

Its a sharp looking mower - really clean - its similar setup to my first 'fast' tractors - 90% stock .

I never bolted my front axle - could be one reason why mine was all over - the other was i was driving in dirt , even on my first few machines i wore a helmit tho .

Im tired of mentioning any sort of saftey - when youre younger i guess you dont think about it when youre older .


Anyway, i used to take all my 'new' mowers thru the swamp behind my folks place - basically a test to see if theyd stay in one piece, for a while i used my agway, i abused the snot of it - its retired from mudding to be a mower again actually.

Ive herd people say 'romping mower' before.

UK has a 24hr race that does basically all that - when the tractors are done with the race- they look like a big pile of mud , barely reconizable.

See! there is another type that one person could go out and build..

An "Enduro Mower"

A mower built for long, rugged, fast, and distance racing..

24hr race across some off road terrain on a mower sounds awesome...

Id love to set up a 2 day race over 400 miles long...It would be cool, just like the Baja race ... just on a off road mower...

dangeroustoys56 wrote:

UK has a 24hr race that does basically all that - when the tractors are done with the race- they look like a big pile of mud , barely reconizable.

Junkstarbuilds wrote:

See! there is another type that one person could go out and build..

An "Enduro Mower"

A mower built for long, rugged, fast, and distance racing..

24hr race across some off road terrain on a mower sounds awesome...

Id love to set up a 2 day race over 400 miles long...It would be cool, just like the Baja race ... just on a off road mower...

The British Lawn Mower Racing Association do a 12 hour endurance night race (3 per year) :D:D
They also do 3 and 6 hour day races. The best one to to watch is the relay races they do at every event, talking about mower madness

Don't know about the 24 hour endurance race. Would surprise me though. dangeroustoys56 do you have the name of the group that do the 24 hour race?

mlwinters wrote:

Junkstarbuilds wrote:

See! there is another type that one person could go out and build..

An "Enduro Mower"

A mower built for long, rugged, fast, and distance racing..

24hr race across some off road terrain on a mower sounds awesome...

Id love to set up a 2 day race over 400 miles long...It would be cool, just like the Baja race ... just on a off road mower...

The British Lawn Mower Racing Association do a 12 hour endurance night race (3 per year) :D:D
They also do 3 and 6 hour day races. The best one to to watch is the relay races they do at every event, talking about mower madness

So, Is there any "special" set for these mowers? Could you provide a link to some of the sites that might have some tips involved?

The British Lawn Mower Racing Association, http://www.blmra.co.uk
Northwest Western Lawn Mower Racing Association http://www.nwlmra.org (less regulations on mower types but still a shed load for safety)

"special" ????

Don't quite get what you mean but that but there is a huge book of regulations on mower types, engines, gearboxes, ride height, safety ect. There are 4 classes, Class 1 old engine powered push mowers, class 2 spinning drum and roller driven mowers, class 3 ride on mowers with engine at front or back, class 4 lawn tractors like most of ours. see pics below
The BLMRA and the NWLMRA do championship style racing, kinda like F1 but there are no qualifying sessions and only around 15 races per year. They do around 15 heats per day over a 2 day weekend plus a knock-out and relay race at the end of both days, Not sure if these count to the championship or not.

Pics
Class 1


Class 2


Class 3


Class 4


Images copyright to BLMRA

Hope that helps

mlwinters wrote:

"special" ????

Don't quite get what you mean

What I meant was referring to engine setups. For instance, race mowers and drag mowers have lighter flywheels, and some off road mowers use snorkels and sometimes Puke tanks...
I was wondering if there was anything "special" the an endurance mower gets to make it run fast and for long periods of time..

Junkstarbuilds wrote:

mlwinters wrote:

"special" ????

Don't quite get what you mean

What I meant was referring to engine setups. For instance, race mowers and drag mowers have lighter flywheels, and some off road mowers use snorkels and sometimes Puke tanks...
I was wondering if there was anything "special" the an endurance mower gets to make it run fast and for long periods of time..

Ah right, sorry.

No i don't think so and i don't think your allowed because the endurance mowers have to comply with the same regulations as the normal championship mowers.
As for lighter flywheels ect. Nope your not allowed to do any engine turning at all. The only mod you can to do the engine is remove the governor but most of the racers leave it on. Everything on the engine must be stock, your not even allowed to fit increased flow air filters.
The only real choice you have with engines is engine size and type, 308cc OHV or 410cc side valve max. You can mod most other parts on the mower like clutches, gearboxs, pulleys, fuel tanks, tire tread ect. As for running for long periods, really there's only the fuel tank you can make bigger to help that.