Vintage Horticultural and Garden Machinery Club

  • Home
  • About
  • Forums
  • The Cultivator
  • Survivors
  • Club Shop
  • Photo Galleries
  • View New Content
  • Ploughing
  • Member Downloads
  • Contact
  • FAQ
  • Join the VHGMC
Profile picture of Alan

Alan

@alan Active 7 hours, 1 minute ago
  • Activity
  • Profile
  • Groups 0
  • Forums
  • Personal
  • Mentions
  • Favorites
  • Groups
  • Profile picture of Alan

    alan wrote a new post 1 day, 11 hours ago

    Manufacturers Of Tillers – Part 1 Not long ago on social media, someone asked for help with what they referred to as their Merry Tiller. As it turned out, it wasn’t one at all but just a m […]

  • Profile picture of Alan

    alan wrote a new post 4 weeks ago

    The History of Mr Challis's 1899 Lawn Sweeper We are all probably familiar with the early pony-drawn lawn mowers of the 19th century. These machines transformed the maintenance of large grounds, making […]

  • Profile picture of Alan

    alan posted a new activity comment 1 month ago

    In reply to: running-mg2 posted an update HI anyone have a any information on the Ransomes TS30B Plough – Handbook / User Manual Etc as currently restoring one and not sure if anything is missing View

    https://vhgmc.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/ts.3030b-ts.3131b-Plough.pdf

  • Profile picture of Alan

    alan replied to the topic Bridges of London in the forum Garden implements 1 month, 1 week ago

    As you’ll know, Bridges became Stanley Bridges as in the later Stanley tool company.

    The cultivator was advertised from the late 1950s for about ten years. Adverts say it fitted a Stanley ‘Neonic’ drill.

    They also made a lawnmower that fitted a drill, but this later had a fixed motor and called the Lawnmaster. A hedgetrimmer called the…[Read more]

  • Profile picture of Alan

    alan replied to the topic Ride in Mower identification in the forum Ride-on machines 1 month, 2 weeks ago

    It is the cutting width of the blade from tip-to-tip. The deck will be a couple of inches wider than the cutting width.

    The measurement may not be exact either, a 30″ blade may measure 29.5″ or just be converted from centimeters to the nearest inch for putting on a brochure.

  • Profile picture of Alan

    alan replied to the topic Ride in Mower identification in the forum Ride-on machines 1 month, 2 weeks ago

    Urbanalfa – Yes, there was a Westwood Gazelle with a twin cylinder Briggs engine, it was the 16hp W16, and it had electric start and a 48” angular deck. This would be the later 1970s, replaced in the mid-1980s with the similar T1600 with the same engine but a smaller 42” rounded mower deck. At the same time as the T1600 was the identical T1200 but…[Read more]

  • Profile picture of Alan

    alan replied to the topic Ride in Mower identification in the forum Ride-on machines 1 month, 2 weeks ago

    My Westwood tractor list gives initially the:

    W6 – 6hp – 28″ deck
    W8 – 8hp – 28″ deck
    W11 – 11hp – 36″ deck

    Then from 1984-86 the:

    S600 – 6hp – 30″ deck
    S800 – 8hp – 30″ deck
    S1100 – 11hp – 32″ deck
    T800 – 8hp – 36″ deck
    T1100 – 11hp – 36″ deck

    All had Briggs & Stratton engines – all electric start apart from the basic W6 and the basic S600.

  • Profile picture of Alan

    alan replied to the topic Ride in Mower identification in the forum Ride-on machines 1 month, 2 weeks ago

    Hello

    The Westwood is usually an easy machine to work on and get replacement bits like belts etc.

    I take it that it is a twin-blade mower deck? And 36″?

    The mower deck is the earlier version with the angular sides, rather than the later rounded deck. That indicates it might be a later W11 model with the black front nose. This would be late…[Read more]

  • Profile picture of Alan

    alan wrote a new post 2 months, 1 week ago

    A Scottish Seed Order In recent issues of The Cultivator magazine, Andrew Hall wrote about seed packets and the people and companies behind some of the famous names, such as […]

  • Profile picture of Alan

    alan wrote a new post 3 months, 1 week ago

    Rare UK Ride-on Mowers No matter what someone collects, there’s always that one item or model that proves elusive – and garden tractors and ride-on mowers are no e […]

  • Profile picture of Alan

    alan replied to the topic Trusty steed with electrics in the forum Ride-on machines 4 months ago

    I have looked at Geoff’s scans of the original factory records for the Steed.

    Number 422 was sent to the agricultural dealership F. C. Adamson, Swanland, East Yorkshire, and is dated 13/04/1965. It was sent out fitted with grassland tyres.

    On the same date, the preceding Steed 421 with standard motor car tyres was also sent to F. C. Adamson.…[Read more]

  • Profile picture of Alan

    alan wrote a new post 4 months ago

    Quiz 2025 – As Seen On TV Here are twelve questions for a short quiz. The theme this year is mowers that have been on TV or in magazines, and sometimes associated with well-known […]

  • Profile picture of Alan

    alan posted a new activity comment 5 months, 1 week ago

    In reply to: mike-berry posted an update @alan .MY 1966 howard mini gapper is on ebayand is only one known to be complete .its ashame but illness forces your hand when its to hard to use some thing you own .now have 2 BMB […] View

    Thanks for mentioning the Howard Mini Gapper. I have had a look at your listing and see that the Minni-Ho in the website article became the Howard Mini Gapper. I’ll update the article.

  • Profile picture of Alan

    alan wrote a new post 5 months, 2 weeks ago

    Rare Hoes and Thinners? Occasionally, a long-forgotten machine may turn up in a book reference or a magazine article, and if we are lucky, an actual example may appear in the […]

  • Profile picture of Alan

    alan replied to the topic LEA FRANCES UNIHORSE CLUB in the forum General talk and discussion 6 months, 1 week ago

    I am not aware of any Uni-Horse clubs or groups.

    There is the Lea-Francis Owners Club, which mentions the Uni-Horse, but the club generally seems more geared towards the cars that were made.

    https://lfoc.org/index.php/unihorse-tractor

    I hope you manage to find a tractor and a plough to continue your ploughing.

  • Profile picture of Alan

    alan wrote a new post 6 months, 1 week ago

    Video: Malvern Autumn Show 2025 On the 26th-28th September 2025 the VHGMC put on a show stand at the Autumn Show at the Three Counties Showground at Malvern. A good range of machines […]

  • Profile picture of Alan

    alan replied to the topic can anyone identify this tiller? in the forum Pedestrian operated machines 6 months, 3 weeks ago

    Thanks for the extra details.

    If any members want to correct the following information, then please do so! Info is a bit scarce and hard to search for.

    Indeed, the USA company Troy-Bilt uses the Bronco model name – although, as far as I can tell, there’s no connection between them and your machine. It really muddled things when I were doing…[Read more]

  • Profile picture of Alan

    alan replied to the topic can anyone identify this tiller? in the forum Pedestrian operated machines 6 months, 3 weeks ago

    Also, to the right of the Bronco name on the casting it says J.S. and then a number. What is that number?

  • Profile picture of Alan

    alan replied to the topic can anyone identify this tiller? in the forum Pedestrian operated machines 6 months, 3 weeks ago

    An interesting machine!

    There seems to be very little information on the internet. However, from what I have seen, I assume that the tiller is the Bronco brand, possibly with an address in Villareal, Italy?

    Do you have any further details which may narrow down the search?

    I see that there is an ID plate on the engine. What are the details on…[Read more]

  • Profile picture of Alan

    alan replied to the topic What model of Shay? in the forum Grass Cutting Machinery 7 months, 1 week ago

    Thanks for the extra information.

    I couldn’t find anything in online archives for your machine; it’s a bit of a mystery at present.

    Parts of the machine match other Shay products; these include the handles and wheels.

    I’m unsure if Shay manufactured products for any other manufacturer, potentially the machine may be listed under a different…[Read more]

  • Load More

VHGMC Forums

Got a machine and need info or have a question? Then a post in the VHGMC forums is a great place to start!

Who's Online

There are no users currently online

Recently Active Members

Profile picture of John Wickenden
Profile picture of hdtrust
Profile picture of littlerascel
Profile picture of Alan
Profile picture of andyfrost
Profile picture of dave clark
Profile picture of Charlie Moore (aka charlie)
Profile picture of IRC
Profile picture of Philip Barlow
Profile picture of David Bliss
Profile picture of Pete Cornish
Profile picture of Peter Roat aka "Roatavator"
Profile picture of PHILIPPE LARDIER
Profile picture of Ransomes256
Profile picture of Alan Rogers (Will-Haggle)
  • VHGMC 2026
    – Terms & Privacy
    – Cookies & GDPR

Website Design by Dales.Net