[stevewoollas]

Pictures of what I believe is my Whitman and Barnes push hoe.
It is very much as I bought it some 15 years ago and requires a really good polish up in order to look like yours.
Do you have any knowledge of age Clive?

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[stevewoollas]

Hello Clive, I am really interested to see this post as I am pretty certain it is the same as one in my shed. When I bought it I was told it was French, (although the person said that about several items in his collection), but obviously not as your research has come up with Whitman Barnes. Will take photo and post on here to compare. Regards–Steve

[stevewoollas]

We have one of these in our collection and although I was unable to find any info on it I had worked out it should fit on a wheelbarrow.
It had to fit the wheelbarrow as I proved it would not fit onto the bike !!
I have only seen one other so this one makes three now.
Charlies extra information makes interesting reading–thanks.

[stevewoollas]

As Alan states it is a Pulvo. They were also produced with a flat roller instead of the serrated tine wheel.

[stevewoollas]

It’s very difficult to visualise what happened to the little brown book; Bookknapping is a good theory but I think possibly the Bookworm got it. Bookworm is cousin to Woodworm. You know, the little worm that eats Planet handles when you are not looking. There was a lot of munching going on at the Club stand and it wasn’t all pork pie, although someone close to the book had a large bag of PP.
Some munching was loud and crisp and I am told typical of a Bookworm munching through a hard back book — what a terrible way to go !!
Unless the Fenland Ladies were involved ?

[stevewoollas]

I believe I have seen a picture of this crawler before, possibly on an internet sale site. The rear, smaller, wheels appear to be BMC Mini and I know of another “ITW” that is converted using Mini wheels. I presume the larger front wheels would reduce the tendancy for the front of the tractor to lift when pushing into a pile when loading. Never the less an interesting conversion and well worth restoring to show the inventive nature of man–Steve

[stevewoollas]

This would appear to be a daisy grubber and I remember seeing one once before at an event somewhere. If I remember correctly the spring mechanism allows greater, (to a degree), purchase when levering.
I like the idea of shooting weeds into the neighbours garden, no doubt in the dead of night, — a brand new way of annoying the neighbours without starting an engine !!
Something else to look out for our collection.
A nice find–Steve

[stevewoollas]

Hopefully this tractor will be saved by its new owner.
Until recently only one of these was known to the club, then a second one appeared and know a third, still rare though. It was a pleasure to see two together at Newby Hall this year.
We have a number of items in our collection where I have never seen or heard of another but eventually a second and third invariably appear with the passage of time. It just goes to show–its very unlikely anyone has the only one!!
Good luck to the new purchaser with this project.

[stevewoollas]

Congratulations Geoff. Very kind of the good Lady Ravenhall to treat you so kindly.
By comparison all I got for my birthday was a bottle of Tizer and an electric bill to pay!
I would go with the oily rag resto and safety check and then you can use the roller whilst a full assessment into a factory finish restoration is considered, however, entirely up to you.
Let me know when the roller is available in Lincolnshire as the bumps in the lawn need attending to.
Regards–Steve

[stevewoollas]

Hello Charlie,
I presume this is the same Robert Boby company who produced the little single wheeled drill that I know a number of members have in their collections. If so, they were based at Bury St Edmumds. Their drill is very similar to a model produced by Gower, Market Drayton. Boby’s produced quite a range of agricultural related equipment and I suspect they produced your drawings in order to produce those parts for the Rowtrac, ie as a sub-contract fabricator. I believe Bobys had their own casting foundry.–Steve

[stevewoollas]

Charlie, We don’t think you can get out of it now. All visitors to Weeley will have to see that rare as hens teeth, abundant as rocking horse droppings, secure as the Bank of England leather folding sleeve generally purporting to be your wallet. Rare?, Yes, many believed this to be as extinct as the Dodo but I am assured it is known to manifest itself shortly following the appearance of a rare Simar or similar Munro product, it is unfolded, the Queen blinks, moths flutter, folded notes depart the said wallet and, hey presto, another rare machine enters the Moore collection.
Chair and I remember those early days before you learnt how to spend on rare and unusual must have machines, that unfortunate instance with the RSPB, (Royal Society for the Protection of Butterflies), following that incident when the moths hibernating in your wallet suffocated due to it not being opened in so many months. Never mind, we got you out of that one, promotion to President worked wonders with the Beak!
Chair has asked I remind you of the therapy, open the wallet in public periodically, Weeley the therapist assures us would be an excellent opportunity to demonstrate your ability to overcome this phobia.
Must go, Chair is dribbling all over his Trusty again.
Everyone enjoy Weeley!

[stevewoollas]

Hello Charlie,
I understand The Emery was produced in Halesowen, West Midlands and I worked for many years for a company based there. Despite numerous attempts I could not discover anything about this company or find anyone who knew of them.
Regards–Steve

[stevewoollas]

Hello, This is an early version of a Horace Fuller made at the Feedex Works, Horsham, Sussex. For this to be Granmothers Grandads, that may be pushing it a bit (no pun) but it is earlier than the popular one from the 1950s. I suspect this could be early post second world war ie mid to late 1940s but I am not sure when Fullers started production.
I have never seen an early one with paint on so these may pre-dated the orange and green colour scheme of the later hoes and drills. Equally whilst the handles are of the same design as the later ones I have not seen one of these earlier types with the Fuller transfers on. I recently cleaned some hoes blades from a Fuller hoe and found them to be stamped Fuller so a diligent look in this area may confirm the brand
A nice find
Regards–Steve

[stevewoollas]

From machines I have seen on the rally field I think the only thing missing is the belt. The vee belt fits in a twisted foremat rather like a 90 degree figure of eight (if that makes sense)–Steve

[stevewoollas]

This is potentially an interesting development which may or may not impact upon insurance regulations in the UK. The case is question appears to be (as Geoff points out) based around a situation where there appears to be a lack of suitable employer liability insurance, RTA cover for the vehicle involved or a level of public third party liability. This situation should not happen in the UK with VHGMC club members as public third party liability for pedestrian machines is provided by a responsible insurance company (NFU Mutual). We make it very clear that ride-on machines require an RTA insurance policy in force and the NFU Mutual (and other companies) will provide competitive quotations and policies for ride-on machines so there is no excuse in not being suitably insured at events.
Should legislation change and further levels of insurance be required I have every confidence our insurers will via our broker (BAVCC) advise the club of any such change and policies suitable to continue with our hobby within the constraints of the law.

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