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Arrived home just a couple of hours ago, still fully loaded, with a few extras,Now got to get ready for our open day on Sunday for the Somerset Land Rover Series One Club.
Found a cracking gardening book for 1941, which has a cracking picture of the Royal Albert monument opposite the Royal Albert Hall Kensington London,with soldiers tending cabbages all around.
Could this be a picture for the future! Less air miles!

[hdtrust]

Hi
The proper name for your pruner is a tree prop, they have come in various guises over the years, most horticultural tool manufacturers sold them as part of their range.
As long as the wood is sound, they work fine. The modern versions, have ropes instead of the wire from the handle to the cutter.
There are many different lengths, ours are from 3 feet to 25ft(the latter takes practice to use)We still use these in our buisness today for commercial apple tree pruning, in which we can do a far superior job than anything with an engine strapped to it

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Dear Angus
Never say your to old!
The motto for The Institute of Groundsmanship is ‘Through Training to Service’, I’m in my 42nd year of the now Grounds Management Association.
Kind regards
Andrew

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Hi Dave
The answer is yes, as we hold all the dating records from Ransomes.

Your machine is a Ransomes Marquis 20 Inch model MK 4A, The 4A started production in August 1967 and ended in March 1974,
Your machine carries a late number which was built in the factory in late December 1973, which would have been sold new into the spring season in 1974.
Hope this information helps
Regards
Andrew

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If you like reading Wristpin and Charlie, then you might just have a good read about the history of Automower timber tractors in Old Glory the August issue, showing all their winches.
Charlie you have more than once sat on that crate full of Automower printing plates, while sifting through goodies in Mr Walling field’s caves!

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Hi there just noticed this post, you should find that most internal parts are uniform on these old brass sprinklers, washers are easy to replace if you know where to look, you need to go to a hardware supplier and get an assortment of tap washers they come in many sizes.
Even the famous Pluviette sprinklers that Lloyds made were all made up with British standard pipe fittings.
It is always best to just coat the washers with a little Vaseline, but dont use KY jelly as its not water resistant, keep that for internal door hinges!

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I am with the info above on Trusty Tractors, but to go back to Ransomes push mowers, all their hand push mowers never were cast with individual numbers, what Clive 1997 is referring to are Ransomes version of their truth about sales.

Anyone who has worked in sales in any industry or the lawn mower trade as I have will know, that round figures to the nearest thousand are circumspect.

To actually date these machines, there are two ways, firstly to define the introduction year, then to check for improvements made,via Patents. Secondly Ransomes changed its name on known certain years, which were cast into the lawn mower arms, eg Ransomes Sims & Head 1869 to 1881.

On hand machines it will always be difficult to define an end of production date, the year will be no problem with our dating records, but it has to be said that all Ransomes machines had spares available for up wards of 7 years after production, and we all know in the trade where machines were still being sold as new, after being stored by wholesalers by up to 5 years.

[hdtrust]

Hi
Yes The Tudor Lawn Edger sold during the second half of the 1960’s, mainly through hardware shops and Horticultural Agents. The design came from the USA type trimmers rather than English which dealt with a dropped edge. Looks like it has been looked after. As for value – well it still cuts grass!

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When researching company history, it can help when original sales material turns up, but please always remember, Sales material is there to sell an item, the further you go back in history, you will find that the stringent rules we have today did not exist over a hundred years ago, so when it reads sold items, you really have to be circumspect with the year and the amount sold!

Ransomes sales brochures are well known to have used the same pictures over many years.

Fortunately in the case with Ransomes we hold all the original records of the company, which are also duplicated with Merl Reading.

The Hall & Duck Trust was established in 1982, and was founded in part by the Directors of Ransomes PLC to help save their vast history which include many actual machines

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Actually they are Mason jars, to them that know they are a little cheaper than Kilner but just as good

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Well Mr Chairman, I can now reveal what Thomas does in his spare time, within a well locked shed!
Perhaps you could say the feminine side is coming out!
Or the correct things to do with all the produce we grow

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All I will say is I’ll keep you all in suspense, or is that suspend********

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Well Mr Chairman, you just dont know how close you are with your answer! You will just have to wait till the new series of Thomas in the capital, comes out! (be careful with the last bit, it is not a typing era!)

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Just finished reading mine, though had a little trouble finding the end of Thomas’s article as starts on page 11, but finishes on page 6.
Lucky for me, I can read in two other languages which helped greatly (Cantonese and Mandarin)

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Thanks wristpin and john-e-w for picking up typing era, as you should both know better centrifugal refers to the clutch.
I say typing as it reflects both your ages!

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