[hdtrust]

Hi its down to you for restoration, but for me I would restore it, good to see the spanner, actually the spanner does help to date the machine, I would say it late 1920’s early 1930’s. If the spanner is what is referred to as a cut away (that means no metal around the letters) then it would be pre 1920.
The main importers of Planets were Lloyds of Letchworth, better known for their Pennsylvania lawn mowers.
I’ll put up a picture of yours from one of our catalogues shortly
Regards
Andrew

[hdtrust]

I would love to see a picture of your find Model 17 Planet Junior, I know were made for several years but 1004 year old! Must be older than the reign of King Edward 111 surely a spelling mistake
regards
Andrew

[hdtrust]

The origins of the Sisis Auto Trak, was first called a Ransomes Hargreaves which would have had a large JAP engine and be from the 1950’s, they then changed the name to Ransomes Sisis Aero Main, from the early 70’s Sisis went out on their own, dropping Ransomes.
Hope this helps

[hdtrust]

Looks to me you have a Sisis Auto Trak which was made for use on hard porous areas, the give away is the shortened handle bars, looks like you have a MAG engine on it, which I think from memory is an SR1, from that I deduce the age to be from 1978 to the early 1980’s, parts and attachments usually can be found in ex- municipal auctions

[hdtrust]

Hi Andy
In answer to your thoughts, the truth probalby being something to do with the time they were given by the production company filming. Cutting cylinders are harder to make from scratch than a lot of people think. We’ve constructed many over the years and getting them right can call for a lot of head scratching at times.
Although 5 in total were made its the first one in the bunch, that they struggled with, the other 4 were commissions through Brian Radam of The British Lawn Mower Museum, a museum worth seeing and if Brian is there worth speaking to with his knowledge of the industry as he was apprenticed with Atco’s.
As I say we made our own cutting cylinder to make it more authentic but also to get over another flaw, the 17 inch Suffolk cylinder was too light in weight, which meant the distribution of weight was all wrong, the mower tended to tip backwards on its handles, so no good.
There is always something when constructing copies, that is never straight forward, as was probalby the same that Budding had when first inventing the lawn mower

[hdtrust]

The peening hammer is used on the blade only when the sharpening has worked back on the width of the blade, at that point the blade gets thicker, by penning all you are doing is thinning the blade again.
Just remember sharpening a scythe blade is not like sharpening a knife blade, its putting a sharp edge which under close looking is a saw edge, and just remember its only the first 3 inches that cuts, the curve and the length of the blade is for removing the cut grass away from the next cut.

I for one use scythes every day in my working life

[hdtrust]

Can you load a picture of your Nickerson please. The early ones were notorious at dropping nuts and bolts all over the grass areas!

[hdtrust]

There were two main dealers near to Kent, Earnest Does in Essex, who are still in buisness but trade under different names and Gibbs of Bedfont who went bust years ago when Textron purchased Ransomes

[hdtrust]

Hi
Nice machine, the Sisis rotorake came with different selectors, you are showing the verticutter, not just a scarifier, when you set this selection correctly, it will scarify but also slice the roots of the grass allowing the grass sward to re germinate without seeding.
Other selectors include a scarifier and also a brush which can be used on hard weather surfaces as well. There should be also a collecting box which sits on the front like with a cylinder mower.

The Rotorake was introduced in the late 1970’s, and is still made today but with improvements, looking at yours it appears to be mid 1980’s. I have a 1990’s version with a MAG engine, which I use frequently in my buisness, and yes they hold their money, in a word to get a good second hand one, is like looking for rocking horse ******
Just one word of warning, dont use in dry spells and dont over set the selectors as if there are slight lumps in the surface of your lawn, it will grind them out!

[hdtrust]

Hi Geoff now you have cut your teeth on the Allett perhaps you’d like to have a go on this one!

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[hdtrust]

Hi John
The Sheffield term for the rear of your van is called a jungle! Especially travelling around the back lanes of Dorset.
All the best Big Ears

[hdtrust]

Well Charlie
I can own up to breaking a shaft more than once on my old Stanley stainless steel spade, the fault was actually the shaft made from a plastic intrusion moulding, plus the fact of digging in coal measure soils of Sheffield (all heavy clay)
The remedy I have now is an old Elwell spade, which when I got it came from an auction at Shaftsbury. I took one look at it, has it has steel grips for digging (saves the soul on your boots when digging) First thing I did was get a file and sharpened the working end, you only need to do that once, then it will always stay sharp. The only other thing needed to keep the spade in tip top condition is not to allow anyone else near it!
When I first was shown how to dig in my apprenticeship days, they also issued me with clogs! Which I still have!
Kind regards
Big Ears

[hdtrust]

There is always another way to go, that is to get a contractor in who knows what he is doing. Get it baled in small bales, then Waite till late winter, when the hay prices go up, then off load your hay to the highest bidder. That way there will be no aching limbs, no blisters on your hands.
But a large limp coursed by the weight of bank notes in your pocket!

[hdtrust]

Dear Sir,
I have seen your questions, and seen the answers, some I may add quite enlightened.
I have a few questions for you, firstly you say you have 10 acres to cut, but you dont have a large budget, most small parcels of land now a days make £10,000 an acre, and with your 10 acres you should still be large enough to get your single farm payment.

Its always good to reminisce about what vintage machines can do, I am old enough to have worked with Allen scythes commercially, in their day they were good, but what you are asking for is in short nothing but trouble, you need a more modern machine.

This is the way I would go, and the reasons
Firstly and most importantly hay is a crop, you have to know the best time to harvest, from cutting to collecting you have to get it right, or you will end up with a crop that no one wants. If baling always bale small bales they make the best price.
As Wristpin suggests you need the two wheel BCS 740 tractor, this will have all the implements you require, to include a mini baler. They are not cheap a whole set up could knock you back £12,000, if you cannot afford the budget, then sell an acre of land!
I run a fleet of 3 BCS 740’s and swear by them, I also crop hay commercially
Hope this helps

[hdtrust]

Hi wristpin, yes cross purposes, The oil in the tank supplied the engine, Cup boxes were on the inside sides of the mower feeding the rear rollers

The width of the cutting cylinders, the largest width was 48 inches which went out of production before the 1880s,42 inches is the largest width used today, but more common to find 36 inches

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