Steam Power Lawn Mower

This mower runs on steam a simple boiler running on coal make steam to run a modified briggs and stratton 150cc .
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[@DktheWelder]

Sorry guys it is a Briggs and Stratton motor , not a tecumseh like I say in the video

[@gunhole7059]

Fire box needs a chimney an the exhaust run in the the chimney same direction as flow an the engine will pull the fire 😊

[@josephderusso1678]

How dare you deceive us. I thought this was a quality channel with no shenanigans. ❤😂

[@MakingStuff]

"Runs on coal just like a Tesla", Love it!

[@DktheWelder]

Haha thanks 👍

[@aquacruisedb]

Meanwhile, at the next-door neighbors house... "don't worry darling, it's just DK mowing the lawn"

[@DktheWelder]

They we’re watching I think the huge could of steam was hard to miss

[@BruceLyeg]

I've love the idea of using steam to power the boat. It would take some figuring and calculations but I think it would make and awesome project that would just seem "right" when complete

[@DktheWelder]

A steam boat would just be awesome I think

[@daverudolph7777]

Powered boats, in order of dangerousness: 1. Steam 2. Gas 3. Electric 4. Diesel

[@markt9028]

So awesomely dangerous, respect. Did the presure release valve stay on there for the 180psi?

[@DktheWelder]

I took the pressure relief out haha to add to the danger

[@randomname4726]

​@@DktheWelder Lol while watching this part the "dumb ways to die" song was playing in my head.

[@Ben-Dixey]

When petrol runs out we will all be cutting grass with eco-friendly coal fired lawnmowers. This is the future, DK is ahead of his time.

[@DktheWelder]

I know we have gone full circle back to steam power haha

[@Zomby_Woof]

"Eco-friendly?' Sarcasm or are you a dope?

[@Ben-Dixey]

@@Zomby_Woof Cant it be both ?

[@matallan5096]

Cool concept definitely needs more heat but still worked pretty well I think the best part about it would be you could make dinner on it when your done.

[@DktheWelder]

I need to set it up so I can cook and mow at the same time👍

[@kiwi_welltraveled4375]

Excellent to see you've upgraded to safety Crocs Safety Jandals, wouldn't have been up to scratch for this job And safety Gumboots, would have been way over kill But of course they have been known to provent pleurisy..... 😀👍

[@DktheWelder]

Also the gum boots could get filled with steam croc have vent holes for safety 👍

[@offgridas]

Looks like they handle around 375 psi max based on the pressure relief valve standard rating. 180 was well within acceptable limits. Looks super sketchy when you dumped all that steam though haha

[@DktheWelder]

Yeah I looked up the specs for the tank and I am well within still felt dangerous though

[@offgridas]

@@DktheWelder fuck I bet man, the heat might make the psi it can handle a different amount or some crazy unforseen thing could happen, I was sketched out watching it haha

[@DktheWelder]

@@offgridas yeah there is no limit to how much pressure you can make until it explodes haha

[@brw4940]

Boiler maker used to be the profession with the highest mortality rate. Please be careful brother. Always make sure theres a relief.

[@DktheWelder]

Wow I didn’t know that ! I ran out of parts to get the pressure relief on there I should have waited to get it but was to excited to see if it ran haha

[@licencetoswill]

you've gone full Colin Furze on this one

[@DktheWelder]

Yes did you see the wood gas mower he made ? Super cool hope he has another go at it

[@johnlewan6950]

You need to try a woodgas one next

[@bwise609]

Looks fun been wanting to do a steam project and I have an old mower I think I might make a generator for my patio lights

[@DktheWelder]

There is a better way of doing it than what I did too you can put double lobes on intake and exhaust making it more efficient

[@KnowArt]

Cool idea to iterate on. Would love to see it work

[@DktheWelder]

I’ve been watching a lot of steam train videos for ideas haha

[@tuqe]

Don’t fuck with pressure vessels or hydraulics, rule 1

[@Rebar77_real]

Hence the pressure relief valve. But yes, take it very seriously! (3:20)

[@AzzasBuildsandadventures]

Wow that was intense watching that pressure get up so high,so glad it didnt explode on you otherwise there would of been no one to edit the video. I think that was awsom..thats thinking outside the box i rekon...awsom.

[@DktheWelder]

It is scary because it can just go unlimited pressure until it blows , but it seems you need quite a lot of heat to get the pressure higher

[@Fred_Zepplin]

Very Nice Work!.... This Project Made Me Think Of Those "Gasifier" Videos.

[@DktheWelder]

You mean the wood has one like Colin furze made? I hope he has another go at it

[@johnlewan6950]

Woodgas is a much better alternative if it’s done right

[@Jahee-Official]

Not sure how serious you want to get with this setup. But you could most likely get massive improvements in at least runtime, if you would change the exhaust flow. Like, weld some exhaust tubes onto the boiler. Because now, you're using only a small contact area. Making the (hot) exhaust gasses pass along the sides of the boiler, would heat up the water faster and you'd be extracting more heat. You could also look into insulating the boiler some more. Sidenote: didn't see a blow-off valve?

[@DktheWelder]

I have been looking at heaps of steam train videos for ideas haha. I didn’t have enough parts to put the relief valve in just had to watch the pressure constantly!

[@blakebennett9904]

Thanks again drift king

[@nadronnocojr]

Awesome work!

[@DktheWelder]

Thanks👍

[@mickmuzzmkmz1628]

So efficient and effective, I need one!😅 I couldn't believe the plastic cams though.

[@Rebar77_real]

You might be able to use the air cooling from the Briggs as a blower for the fire, eh? Kickassingly fun project man.

[@Rebar77_real]

And/or a 2nd flywheel stacked on for the mass? Could weld weight to the blades or add to the one flywheel? And/or all three... ooh look, a bong! xD

[@DktheWelder]

Yeah that is a good idea ! I want to see how the ones on trains work

[@naisbyw3276]

Anther excellent video Dan👍 my favorite yet

[@DktheWelder]

Thanks 👍

[@tyronerautahi9705]

At least it sounds like the old days growing up. LOFL😂😂

[@DktheWelder]

I went on a steam train as a kid but can barely remember it

[@rogerscottcathey]

Great proof of concept. 👍 I'm sure the Victorians I've shared this with will get the idea, and look to coal fired steam to generate electricity, for sure

[@DktheWelder]

Yes I quite enjoyed this project and would like to try it again with abit more effort. A generator setup would be great

[@daverudolph7777]

Brilliant vid

[@DktheWelder]

Thanks 👍

[@michaelcrebbin7328]

Can't wait to see your next crazy project 🥰🥰 awesome concept loved it ya mad Dawn 👍👍

[@DktheWelder]

Thanks it’s been a fun project

[@michaelcrebbin7328]

That was meant to say mad dawn lol 🤣🤣🥰🥰

[@DktheWelder]

@@michaelcrebbin7328 what is mad dawn ? Haha

[@fasted8468]

Holy cow. This is amazing

[@DktheWelder]

I think it is pretty cool too , I might make a better one soon

[@josephderusso1678]

Huge fan but you are nuts ❤❤😂

[@danielbert1925]

Dude was so bored he wanted to go back to the 1800s🤣🤣

[@pete3897]

LOL!! 😂 Mate you live on the wrong island. You'd fit in so well down the west coast ;-)

[@DktheWelder]

Yes ! Also living in town isn’t great , luckily my neighbours are good

[@joshuadelisle]

Nice. Cheers J

[@All2Skitzd]

I had a mower that sat with no gas cap for years, got it running and would mow lawn with so much oil in it that it would smoke out the who neighborhood just for laughs. It barely ran and would kill the grass from oil coming out the exhaust if i left it still but it made mowing fun.

[@DktheWelder]

Haha it is pretty funny having a whole lot of smoke or steam coming out

[@SolarSeeker45]

A boiler with no safety relief valve is a bomb. A boiler explosion is quite a spectacular and catastrophic thing they didn't have OSHA back in the 1800's.

[@DktheWelder]

Luckily there is no OSHA at home or I would be in jail haha

[@Highlandwoodandmetal]

Sketchy as... Love it! 😂

[@DktheWelder]

Thanks 👍

[@TradieTrev]

ROFL!! Mad setup!!

[@brucebaxter6923]

I have often thought about using superheated water injection to make a steam engine. So for a 100cc engine, injecting 1cc of water gives 1000cc steam so 10 bar pressure at full stroke. So 175c theoretical without losses. I know, the head and injector have to be kept at about the 150-200 to be effective but it’s still a fun idea, low pressure water feed at 150psi and injector pump of 1cc at anything higher.

[@DktheWelder]

That does sound like a cool project! Google says one litre of water gives 1600 litres of steam! I think using an injector is a cool concept!

[@brucebaxter6923]

@@DktheWelder Yes. I know. I rounded down for losses. And if you look at the steam being 250c it’s going to be 3 litres. But let’s not worry about that. I’m sure you are far smarter than me so I’ll leave you to it. Have fun. But be careful supercritical water aka dry steam is not a toy.

[@brucebaxter6923]

@@DktheWelder Oh the other thing is the pressure throughout the stroke is more stable.

[@DktheWelder]

@@brucebaxter6923 I don’t know about being smart I just have a go . It did get dangerous because I was getting frustrated with it not working and I started taking risks. I’m think about doing a bit more serious steam project but I need to get back to my other projects

[@brucebaxter6923]

@@DktheWelder Well, smarter than me. Lol. Yes, risks. The starting point for my idea of the super critical water injection was safety, by having cold water stored and not a boiler the risks are lessened. The thought was to only heat the water at the injector/cylinder head area. Never really worked out how apart from heating the entire cylinder.

[@BeamerTheFox]

dude thats awesome lol, gotta be careful with steam, its some bad shite m8, great work on it she puffed like a train !

[@DktheWelder]

It’s cool aye, but I just found a pressure gauge that goes up to 3000psi

[@kajpaget3180]

So cool love it!

[@DktheWelder]

Thanks 👍

[@RustyInventions-wz6ir]

Nice. Just came across your channel and subscribe. Interested in steam myself.

[@DktheWelder]

Thanks! I want to do another steam project one day I enjoyed this one

[@ABCustoms]

Check your shutter speed Daniel, you can work the flickering away

[@DktheWelder]

I have tried that and got it better and then it runs weird outside, I’m not into filming I just hit record and go . I may just get some different lights for my shed

[@AgentWest]

If you add an exhaust pipe to the burner and route exhaust steam from the engine into/through it, it will create draft and pull more fresh air for the fire. Basically a steam-era turbo charger, just like how trains used to do it! As a side note, if you mowed an overgrown lot, gathered cut grass, dried it, and pressed it into pellets, would that be enough fuel to cut the grass again once it grew out? Highly doubt it, but would have been neat if it was.

[@DktheWelder]

Yeah a superheated steam pipe , this setup is super inefficient. You could probably dry grass out and use it to cut itself which would be cool but like you say I don’t think it would be enough

[@kingmarz3635]

Steam powered yacht You could have a massive furnace with a massive tank on board

[@DktheWelder]

Yes! Would be a cool project

[@selwynellison8504]

Great idea there mate 👍 as green as any electric car

[@DktheWelder]

Haha I know

[@HobkinBoi]

A suggestion I have, is using the engine to drive a draft fan to induce more air into your firebox. Alongside the other suggestions of superheating the steam, and integrating tubes in the boiler for the hot gasses.

[@DktheWelder]

Yeah this was a lazy attempt at making it, I think what your saying is dead right I want to have another go at it👍

[@CorndogBrownie]

Bro really said, fuck it, steam punk bogan mower baby!!!

[@DktheWelder]

It just needs a beer holder and a way to bbq while mowing

[@gametogether0073]

Really cool

[@dansw0rkshop]

You need a superheater. That's where you run the steam through a coil of pipe that is right below the boiler, just above the fire. The steam comes out "dry" then and with much more power.

[@DktheWelder]

Yes! The superheated steam pipe, on my next attempt I will try that

[@Echo-mo6nu]

This is just a suggestion. If you can before you send steam into the motor, Have a pipe that runs from the delivery pipe and back through the fire, that should heat up the saturated steam in to unsaturated steam or "super heated steam" creating more thermal yield thus creating more power and if you want you could collect the escaping steam and send it back into the boiler fully recycling all the steam used with a better out come with more power. Adding insulation around the boiler itself would allow the boiler to contain most of the head being generated from the fire below, and a safety valve would keep it from exploding.

[@DktheWelder]

I thinking of building a better version with some actual effort put into it and make a proper boiler as you say , and the safety valve haha like everyone is saying , it’s not as dangerous as you think the pressure doesn’t just keep rising it needs to get really hot and then it rises slowly and predictable I learnt alot doing this , but I will put pressure relief in next time

[@andypancini2130]

You can steam some veggies for lunch while you're at it

[@GuildOfCalamity]

Seems like a totally normal way to cut your grass, I'm surprised this has not caught on. BTW, how the hell does this video not have more views?

[@DktheWelder]

I don’t know I thought it would be a popular video, I guess waiting hours for the boiler to heat up isn’t for everyone haha

[@justtinkering6713]

A steam powered lawnmower? Name it "Flymow" be cause that's what it will do eventually.

[@DktheWelder]

A rocket mower , and uses explosive force to cut the grass haha

[@kingmarz3635]

I once mowed my whole lawn just running on a butane gas canister with gas torch plugged in I could turn it up and down with the torch tap

[@DktheWelder]

Wow that’s really impressive! I didn’t think it would work that easily

[@joelshopefullyhelpfulvideo3010]

Hahaha, good entertainment! At least it ran for a bit 😂

[@DktheWelder]

Thanks, I think with a bit more effort it would run continuously 👍

[@Mr87corey]

Baking soda with super glue is great, can build up solid reinforcement and fill gaps etc.

[@DktheWelder]

I’m actually gluing my drone back together at the moment I will try that

[@oscarverwey]

At 4:30 , it runs on coal like a Tesla does 😂😂 priceless 👌

[@DktheWelder]

Haha , I put a short clip on Instagram about it and there are big arguments about that comment!

[@oscarverwey]

@@DktheWelderthat would be great 👍

[@6liquid6black6]

Add a turbo to exhaust so you can increase air flow to your boiler, maybe she can stay running.

[@DktheWelder]

Like a burn barrel . That is a good idea 👍

[@giovannicesaramorim9adigan961]

The idea is great, but the boiler is not the way to go. I suggest using steel tubing to hold the water, in a "monotube" style boiler. It's an order of magnitude more efficient

[@Transit_Biker]

Gotta find a way to safely add water while it’s under pressure to sustain the pressure need a tach for blade speed too.

[@MsJon52]

HAHA, you never know what's next on the agenda, very interesting and it worked, bonus.

[@DktheWelder]

Haha I have so many ideas of things I want to build

[@avocadoarms358]

New Zealand man blows up shed with homemade pressure bomb

[@DktheWelder]

At one point when I was blowing air in the pressure went up really quickly which was scary haha

[@ozdatman]

Steam is the future!

[@DktheWelder]

I know it’s a revolution haha

[@paradiselost9946]

use a monotube boiler, its just.... safer. hands down, safer.... a roll of 1/4" copper from the plumbing shop. a decent high pressure pump. something like... the pump off a hydraulic jack ;) just wack it on a cam off the crank, with a lil hand lever to start with, and bleed the pressure off before the boiler for the throttle... a cup of water inside at best, they just go "pffft" if they leak.. rocket stove, much better fire. more heat... now, a really neat thing would be throwing a few multi row oil coolers onto the exhaust, and keeping the shroud/fan.... try condensing. and then, for extra complexity.... the fan is blowing the fire.

[@kandilx]

Next time you may want to direct air coming from the motor's flywheel into the furnace, and it would be very nice the grass cut from last time as a fuel into the furnace after it sit to dry

[@DktheWelder]

Yes that would make it run alot better! Big fan of steam engines would like to try this project again

[@SeishukuS12]

Mowin' the lawn like it's 1779!

[@DktheWelder]

Haha yes ! I wonder if they had steam powered mowers of some sort

[@nonenone9493]

A+ intro

[@DktheWelder]

Thanks , I really enjoyed making this video steam power is so cool but a bit dangerous haha

[@crankhandle]

Wow that's the most dangerous thing I've seen all day!

[@Laqota]

now make a supercharger and blow air in to the fire lollll

[@SuperPN1]

Cool!!! Dangerous af hahaha

[@DktheWelder]

It was a bit scary

[@TimsBitsnPieces]

Daniel, nice idea but I doubt it will mow your lawns anytime soon..

[@DktheWelder]

I don’t think it spins fast enough to cut properly, I think 1000psi would do the trick

[@glumpy10]

Interesting! If you want a powerful and controllable burner, check out some of mine. You may be able to take the steam from the exhaust and use that to fan up the fire even if it is by vaccuming more oxygen into the fire through a venturi. Laying the boiler bottle on it's side may give more surface area especially if you welded a flue through the middle to give more surface area. Really amazed ( horrified!) this engine had a plastic camshaft. How much more cheap and garbage can they make things?

[@DktheWelder]

I have watched your channel before actually! Definitely the boiler isn’t up to the task , I like the Venturi idea . Even though it has a plastic cam the mower shop guy said that motor is one of the best motors you can get

[@99cachorro]

I think the word is "nutter" but I'm the same way. I like to experiment like this and the kids love it. Mom, not so much🙃

[@DktheWelder]

Haha , I am obsessed with these strange projects I and going to have another go at this one

[@99cachorro]

@@DktheWelder Looks like maybe woodgas is the next step, just cutting and welding tanks and tubes

[@madddog7]

Luv the Steam Engine chugga .. oh wait, it is a 'steam engine' :-)

[@DktheWelder]

It’s not really a steam engine it was just the easiest way to do it👍

[@jeanlawson9133]

Multi tool mow lawn and cook hot dogs and hamburgers 🍔 when done mowing,,, warm the shed on those cold winters... AIN'T IT JUST AIN'T IT 😜 lols

[@emil.honganmaki5461]

Boiler more efficient. how about a bigger steam hose to make the engine run faster, etc., etc

[@matthudson1724]

Next time 180 both cam lobes. Feed pressure into the intake. No wasted steam.

[@DktheWelder]

Yeah that way is more efficient I did everything the laziest way haha

[@joshanderson1019]

WATERMELON!!!!!!!!! I recently have been playing with steam things too, so here's what I've learned so far: 1. Pressure cookers make great boilers. 2. Steam turbines work better for things that need to spin fast. 3. Cheap amazon pneumatic pistons are way easier to turn into piston steam engines than gasoline engines. 4. mango.

[@DktheWelder]

O cool, do you have some on you channel? A double acting cylinder is the way to go the way I have it running is really inefficient

[@joshanderson1019]

@@DktheWelder I don't but I might make some videos on building a new one and operations.

[@gafrers]

Interesting for sure but needs more work. 1👍👍

[@LawnDart98k]

Runs on coal. Just like your cookie cutter electric car.

[@jeep2003]

Did it run out of water maybe thats why it couldnt sustain pressure?

[@DktheWelder]

It still had water , my boiler just wasn’t keeping up. One litre of water gives 1600 litres of steam ! Pretty crazy aye

[@johnlease2369]

Danger Will Robenson Danger.

[@jasonpluta3128]

steam whistle

[@DktheWelder]

A toot toot valve would have been perfect

[@nadronnocojr]

Can you capture exhaust and re use?

[@DktheWelder]

Yeah I think a train exhaust pumps more air into the fire , it could be made way more efficient I’m keen to have another go at it

[@mr.pineapple8452]

100hp push mower

[@brenohighland1168]

steam into spark plug hole is a no go--should go into inlet side

[@DktheWelder]

I was going to do that but since the cam shaft is plastic I changed plans . I have another motor that I may do that to in the future which I can make a love out of weld

[@brenohighland1168]

@@DktheWelder kzbin.info/www/bejne/oXOlk4t3oMSnb8U

[@TerraRoot]

3d print a cam that'll open both valves? or cut a hole in the block low down so it'll actually be a two-stroke, not that i know shit about steam power

[@DktheWelder]

Yeah it is more efficient to run it through the intake and have double lobe cams for both. A real steam engine is like a 1 stroke so maybe feeding pressure into the crank might work

[@TerraRoot]

Am actually building a flathead powered motorbike outa the same briggs engine, strange midlife crisis kink but whatever, if you successfully print a cam and it runs i'd be mildly entertained 😂

[@teamidris]

It was good for free :o)

[@carsten4594]

You'd have been better off using the cooling fins on the flywheel as a turbine.

[@DktheWelder]

Yes I saw another video of a guy using an old turbo looked like it worked well

[@user-wv9fc5bj2l]

ich glaube, ich werde bei meinem Benzinrasenmäher bleiben 😏

[@Pan.maruda]

it would be necessary to make a more efficient boiler

[@DktheWelder]

My boiler was super inefficient with a bit of effort could make a lot more steam 👍

[@cadu6267]

Bom dia! Não quero ser estraga prazeres, mais acho que vc descobriu a locomotiva jajajajajaja

[@DktheWelder]

Haha👍

[@MaYbYl8eR]

not a single blade of grass was cut in this video

[@DktheWelder]

I can make a video of cutting grass with a normal mower if you want

[@kokopoppan]

When will the jetboat be back ?

[@DktheWelder]

I fried the controllers and it will be a while before I can afford new ones sorry. I have struggled with that project a lot too and need a break from it

[@kokopoppan]

@@DktheWelder Ahh alright, well it's my favorite project of yours and hope to see it soon again! Good luck with the other projects, they are equally entertaining especially this one :D

[@DktheWelder]

@@kokopoppan thanks mate ! I do feel bad not getting projects done haha

[@kokopoppan]

@@DktheWelder Dont worry about it, we all need a break from things sometimes. I'll be here when you drop the next video 😁

[@OddlyTugs]

TURBO FURNACE TIME 69

[@DktheWelder]

Yes those turbo burn barrels do go well!

[@adrianlivingstone8520]

Locomower huh? LOL 1

[@DktheWelder]

Haha that’s a good name for it

[@fuller-media]

How about a hydrogen conversion?

[@DktheWelder]

I have played with hydrogen a bit it is a bit hard as it tries to burn back through the valves there is a guy on KZbin that did a good job getting a Honda clone running on it

[@madmac5651]

Love it but just wouldn't play with steam

[@DktheWelder]

It’s fine to play with if you know what your doing… which I don’t haha

[@slowstang88]

Plastic cam? What kind of planned obsolescence is this...

[@DktheWelder]

Yeah strange , on an American motor too . Those motors are known for being reliable too

[@slowstang88]

@DktheWelder they have been getting worse. They don't use iron cylinder sleeves anymore in a lot of cases. Plastic carburetors too. I replaced the Briggs&Stratton vertical shaft engine on my mower with a Predator Honda clone and it's so much better

[@the3dprintingkid477]

first

[@aretardridesmotard6128]

I feel like this is a prelude to a DK turbo burn barrel 😅

[@DktheWelder]

I was just thinking that a turbo burn barrel would heat up the steam real quick!

[@arronjohnston742]

have you ever done anything with wood gas?

[@DktheWelder]

No I haven’t. I sore the video Colin furze made trying to get a mower going looks difficult and it didn’t work! I think it needs to be really filtered to run an engine

[@arronjohnston742]

@@DktheWelder the swiss an a few others used it during WW2 to run their cars, when done right it works very well but yes it does need to be filtered, some people use clay balls used in gardens just to take any soot out, it also needs a tar trap all things i'm sure you can work out as you obviously love to think an work things out...... keep up the great work bud.....