Unknown Garden Tractor

[ticketyboo998]

Hi,
I have recently acquired an unusual garden two wheel tractor which I aim to restore however in the meantime would like to idenify its make.

It looks well made not a DIY item. Colour is blue like Ransomes sims and Jeffries, It has a Raleigh two stroke side valve engine with lucas magneto(suspect not original one) with a belt driven cooling fan coupled to a three speed transmission. Came with a plough and grubber.

Any information would be much appreciated.

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[andyfrost]

In over 50yrs of collecting , I can’t say I’ve ever seen one of these , all I can add it is a fourstroke engine and not twostroke. Let’s hope someone can identify what it is.

Andy.

[davidbliss]

Looks a early engine, as it has the separate valve caps, twenties to early thirties. A bit odd seems to have a air filter snorkel and pipework, but carb not for having one, I had a similar thing with I think Villiers engine and Albion gearbox with reverse.It had a small plow and cultivator, as completely worn out apart from the gearbox that was the same as I think Douglas motorcycle so only motorcycle with reverse and the rest ended up as a really handy thing to mount a pressure washer on.

[andyfrost]

Yes David , the engine does seem to have the timing cover that resembles some of the early Raleigh motorcycle engines , that as you correctly say dates from mid 1920s to mid 30s , also a non original Villiers carb. I can’t help but think it’s a Bitsa , but appears to be a reasonably well thought out one.The engine to me is early , but the rest seems much later
I hope I’m corrected , and it proves to be something really rare.

Andy.

[hdtrust]

Yes a bitsa in America they call them doodle-bugs. The engine is a 350 cc JAP which possibly came off a late 20’s Raleigh motorcycle, as they were belt driven. JAP did produce a 2 stroke with chain drive to the magneto called an Aza but it is not this engine, the gearbox does look Albion of sorts. Lawn mowers were made by back street engineers so why not 2 wheel tractors
Andrew

[ticketyboo998]

Hi everyone, thanks for your help with trying to identify this machine.

Looking closer at it in shed today I’m not sure it’s a bitsa! as it all seems to be well constructed with no odd bolts nuts etc or poorly made metal work some of which is quite complex. I may be wrong though.

I have been searching for similar machines or images and forums chat on web and so far it would appear that gearbox is maybe Strumey Archer. I also found Raleigh motorcycles with same or very similar engine dated 1920-30’s.
Interesting there was also a ransomes mower and early MG crawler with strumey archer engines very similar to this one.
Apparently Raleigh bought strumey archer and copied their engine and sold them to ransomes etc for use in various machines.
I’m going to clean the machine and engine to see if There are any serial numbers etc and post clearer pictures back here.

Thanks again for your help

[andyfrost]

What we’re all sure about is the very early engine , however I think a machine of that age would of had steel/cast wheels , the wheels on yours appear to be much later aircraft wheels , also the front weight/tray assy looks decidedly homemade.
Another clue that could help us would be a picture of the plough and cultivator.

Andy.

[ticketyboo998]

Hi Andy,
Photos of plough and cultivator attached. I don’t know whether they would have been original or just added later .
Thanks

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[andyfrost]

To me they appear to be from two different machines , the plough is most certainly much later than 1920s/30s , which I’m sure the engine on your machine is. The cultivator I can’t say I recognise , the mounting brackets on your machine , look homemade to take these implements.
Out of sheer curiosity , have you checked the thread rate on any of the main gearcasings, it may help tell us a bit more.

Andy.

[hdtrust]

You are a little off track over the Sturmey Archer engine history.Ransomes purchased the Sturmey Archer engines up to 1932, but from that date they gained a license to make them, nothing to do with Raleigh as their intervention came later, there are some engines which are floating around which Ransome’s made under license which have no markings on the crank case, which date to 1933.

The plough you are showing in your photo looks like an early Brinley made in the USA

[Author]

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