[alan]

I’ve just looked up Emery in newspaper archives and info is a bit thin on the ground.

They did have a 14″ Universal Rotary Cultivator at Chelsea Flower Show in 1951. Apparently it was described as having a 3hp engine and a low price and was ‘just the job’ for nursery and market-gardening work.

A 1955 advert says that Loxhams of Lancaster were selling new and reconditioned Emery Rotary Cultivators (as well as new Singer and OTA 10hp tractors).

There are a few Emery adverts for lawnmowers, one attached here. But not much else!

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[alan]

Also, any ideas on this machine?

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[alan]

Google is thankfully incredibly good at indexing the VHGMC stuff.

For example try the following link to search for Monro Tiller and see the search criteria in the search box:

site:vhgmc.co.uk monro tiller

[alan]

Searching the site can be done from Google too, go to Google and type in:

site:vhgmc.co.uk followed by what you are searching for, as an example:

site:vhgmc.co.uk qualcast panther

Google will search through the images too.

[alan]

More:

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[alan]

And yet a few more:

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[alan]

And a few more:

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[alan]

There’s some Gunsmith images in the gallery which may be of interest:

https://vhgmc.co.uk/photo-galleries/gunsmith/

I’ve just found a couple of new images this week showing some interesting attachments, the first is a sprayer exhibited at the 1950 Smithfield Show. The second from 1951 is a 5cwt tipping skip which could be lowered and emptied from the drivers seat.

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[alan]

I think Charlie may be right that it’s a Stothert & Pitt roller, they did many rollers powered by Villiers Mk12, Mk25 and Mk40 engines. They did make a vibrating self propelled roller and also a 28 inch one too both with Mk25 engines certainly in the early 1960’s onwards. Also, Greens did a Unirol pedestrian roller with a Villiers Mk25 engine.

[alan]

Chris, next time I’m searching I’ll see if there are any private adverts for Bolens 4-wheeled tractors. Like the Australian extract on the article where someone had imported a Bolens 2 wheeler even before Bolens had, there may be tractors in the UK before 1959.

[alan]

Thanks for the question.

The database is held securely and also since the site doesn’t take payment details – they are securely processed by Paypal – any security risk is on a par with any other website.

As a reminder to all, we do advice members not to post their email address or phone number on the website. It also reminds me that years ago we were asked if we’d do a members map on the website, however it was a great way to pinpoint members and their machines so we did not proceed with that function. However I know of one machinery forum that has a members map and it is a major security risk for all the members involved.

[alan]

I remember when I studied proper design work (this was just before I did landscape design and then everyone was allowed to be “artistic” and draw like 4 year olds) we had to show our ability at technical drawing and copy out existing plans of equipment – lay it out on paper and do the proper presentation, lettering, etc. One of the images was certainly Stephenson’s Rocket. I just wonder if Chris’ thoughts about it being a design exercise or something along those lines may be in the right direction.

[alan]

I completely agree with your comments, Martin.

Although we do have to stray onto the internet and some of the big high street retailers sometimes it’s certainly one reason to use independent retailers and knowledgeable parts suppliers where possible and local dealers too where the person behind the counter knows the customer.

[alan]

Ah yes, of course Husqvarna and Jonsered were the companies I couldn’t think of!

I’ve found some newspaper cuttings regarding Flymo in my archive which ties a few businesses together, and I quote from them:

In 1980 The Electrolux Group purchased the Norweigen Norlett Group, this was to strengthen the outdoor power equipment activities of Electrolux in all countries and compliment their Flymo product range. At the time Norlett also owned the Guddena Company of Denmark and had a 50% share in Amnor, the Belgian manufacturer of Wheelhorse tractors. Flymo said they could now offer a complete range of wheeled and air cushion mowers, cultivators, nylon line trimmers and chainsaws.

In 1981 the Flymo organisation announced that they planned to lead the UK lawn mower business. Flymo was a member of the Electrolux group which was one of the worlds largest suppliers of outdoor equipment producing 700,000 mowers per year. Flymo marketing predicted that within the next twelve months 50% of the UK market would be air cushion mowers.

Acquiring Norlett also gained them the garden lighting division.

Following on from the earlier purchase of Norlett, in 1981 Flymo Ltd launched a subsidiary company called Flymo-Norlett Commercial Products Ltd. This was to market a new range of garden care products through a network of specialist lawn and garden dealers. They were to be based at the company headquarters at Aycliffe, County Durham. The product range consisted of mowers either air-cushioned, wheeled rotary, cylinder or ride-on as well as larger cultivators. “It combines new Flymo products with well-established Norlett models“.

In 1981 Norlett Ltd was quoted as being located in Oxfordshire as manufacturers of garden machinery and as stated were to merge operations with their sister company, Flymo Ltd, at Darlington.

There may be more but I cannot find it!

[alan]

The Qualcast E30 of my childhood!

I have attached a Flymo and a Qualcast 1970’s images from the Argos catalogue.

The Qualcast was £16.25 in 1973 but had risen to £35.49 in the 1978 catalogue.

The 1979 Flymo images has, on the left, a GLE 15″ cut at £63.99. The DLE in the centre of the image has a 12″ cut and was £45.99. Both had 52′ of cable. The Black and Decker mower on the right was a D808 ‘Super T’ and retailed for £32.99.

The Flymos were at the upper end of the price range for electric mowers.

Think the lady in the image had better get some steel toe capped boots on if she’s thinking of mowing.

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[Author]

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