First cut of the year.

Wow!!!!

Run for the Hills ! lol.

After adjusting and leveling the deck and putting the right size wheels on it (5" instead of 4") it's mowing great. The 8hp engine handles it pretty good. Just need to get new blades now.

Yeah, your comment that the 8HP handles it.... is very thought provoking. With our mania for "bigger is better," mower engine size has kind of got ridiculous. Suppose it's like Farm Tractors. I remember when we had a John Deere A and B and they did everything we needed. The HP on those was 14 and 22 respectively. Now, even on a small farm, 80-100 HP diesel, 4WD, power "everything" and climate control is the norm.

Suppose no one has time to cut grass or plow a field anymore, gotta do it at warp speed?

I think it's very ridiculous, I looked and couldn't find a 42" cut lawn/garden tractor under 23hp. This tractor is advertised as 10hp and the Wisconsin engine ad I posted on here also says 10hp, but all technical and service documents say it's 8-1/4hp. Not sure what to believe. But like the farm tractor's exmar mentioned, it's all torque and heavy flywheels.

Exactly Yt Flywheel effect transfers into low end Grunt !

Small engine HP has long been an area of smoke and mirrors. In the final analysis, all we have to go by is the manual and a decal on the engine. e.g. When Briggs did a warranty replacement of a 22HP for me, had to take it to a "Certified Briggs Repair Facility." The engine was shipped in, they called me, hauled the GT over there. I observed as two "Certified" techs, removed the old one, and unpacked the new one. OOPS, Briggs sent a 26HP. The engines were side by side, we all looked them over, TOTALLY IDENTICAL except one had a 22HP decal, the other a 26HP decal. I can't tell any difference in performance, but with a new engine that doesn't suck dust, not going to complain.

Now they don't rate small engines in HP, but in displacement, maybe that'll make a difference. I've read that the only true engine power rating is in watts. Someday, maybe I'll refer to a 22HP as a 16.45KW......Nah, not me, too old and crotchety. The thing that would interest me however, is finding out by how much they've lied to us over the years.

Speaking of low end grunt, I remember seeing similar engines around when I was a kid. Amazing that a little one cylinder would run a cut off saw.

http://www.antiquengines.com/images/Aermotor_HD_Davis_001.JPG