Vintage Horticultural and Garden Machinery Club

Hi
Dates for lawn mower manufacture can be acquired freely by coming to The Hall and Duck Trust, go to our web site http://www.hdtrust.org and send an email from there (the site is being changed so take no notice of dating costs)
Regards
Andrew Hall Archivist

Nothing like lighting the touch paper then standing well back!
As said previously you own it, so please do what you see fit, there are no hard or fast rules. Just one point I need to pull you up on. original condition is brand new, not pulled out of a barn with rust on!
There are those which say they conserve for the future (what ever it holds)…[Read more]

Hi mitzygolf
The number you have indicated on the casting is its part number not a machine number.
Atco never had registration numbers.
Your Atco 22 inch Standard started production in 1921 and finished in 1929, although Atco dealers were still selling the model as new to as late as 1932.
Through the production time line of the Atco Standard 22…[Read more]

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…[Read more]

I’m sure somewhere in our store I will have an original copy, I will have a dig and let you know
Andrew

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…[Read more]

Thank you Marc
I think the main problem again when identifying early machinery is always matching it to any paperwork that is available, and peoples memories, As has been stated already in their history that the early days, the cost of producing the machinery nearly broke the company. also unlike in the modern world we live in, every machine made…[Read more]

Well done Robert, what a fine start, just goes to show, if we put our trust within our younger members, after all they are our future!

Hi
Yes we will have all the manuals you require in our archives, but would help if you add a photo as there were different models post-war, you can contact me via our web site http://www.hdtrust.org

Hi
What model do you have? the answer is yes but without your model it is difficult to point you to the correct source
Kind regards
Andrew

Try a picture of the whole lawn mower with the engine on, it just might help

A true gentleman and a fountain of knowledge not only with Mayfield products but was a highly respected member of The Small Holders Society, his interests spread far to include buildings of antiquity abroad, he will be sadly missed by our team here at The Hall & Duck Trust.

I would suggest your answer is in the title of your machine, the tractor unit was designed for one use, that of lawn mowing, nothing else.
Yes it will have certain power, but not the kind you are expecting, most certainly I would not stick a snow plough anywhere near it, as the chassis of the tractor is not designed for snow ploughing, you will…[Read more]

Hi send me some photos of your machine and the lawn

Nice picture. This machine was introduced by Thomas Green of Leeds & London, known as a Greens Patent, also in the Patent it says Silens Messor (Silent running coming from the chain drive) The style of the chain drive on this machine depicts the Improvements which were added in 1862. From the picture it is difficult to work out the width of cut,…[Read more]

The rollers would have been only painted inside and the sides, not the surface area,(circumference) I have seen many painted which are incorrect, but again its your machine so ultimately its up to you! If you do paint and try and use it, you will find that the machine will not grip, and slip and slide.

Guaranteed after shot blasting you will find more holes, its time to fabricate a new tank, as cost over time filling holes it will be a lot cheaper!