[vhgmcbuddy]

@vhgmcbuddy, I’m facing the same problem, not able to find the oil seals and they are already removed and damaged. Any tips on how you solved this issue with the rotary attachment?

[vhgmcbuddy]

Yes I had the same problem on the air compressor for the brakes on a brand new Bedford TL coming out of Windsor SALTEX one year. The problem was solved by sprayed new paint which had got into the non return valve, so releasing the air pressure. Unfortunately to get to the answer was extremely expensive, as the lorry fully loaded with exhibits from The Hall & Duck Trust, did not stop at a roundabout writing off 3 brand new cars! At a test track the following day the Police took the lorry through its paces and wrote off a brand new squad car, yes the lorry failed to stop! It was only when they stripped the compressor in the Police workshops that they found the problem. Due to the way we packed the lorry we had no breakages! The insurance bill at the time was astronomical, which the hire company for the lorry had to pick up. My license was fortunately clean, the best news of all no one was seriously injured.
The moral of this story is never trust anything brand new!

[vhgmcbuddy]

Got mine, what a cracking picture on the front cover of two extremely rare cultivators, just goes to show there are survivors out there still, I wonder who the owner is?

[vhgmcbuddy]

Before going any further on this subject, is it worth asking the validatory of this report, Although Old Glory may have a far better way of reporting than the internet, they are still subject to media mistakes or not listing a balanced view!
As The Hall & Duck Trust we have to apply to the letters of the law, when releasing items listed in the Trust. They are stringent to say the least. The very same rules apply to the Science Museum,
The release by the Science Museum of I believe 5 items, does not equate to the immediate closure of Wroughton!
However I do think questions need to be asked and tabled at the correct levels to how and why this situation has come about. Without stating in depth the correct way of disposing of artefacts from accreditation lists. As far as I can see there was plenty of legal ways that could have been found without the sale by auction to the public.
Andrew Hall
Trustee The Hall & Duck Trust

[vhgmcbuddy]

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

[vhgmcbuddy]

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

[vhgmcbuddy]

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

[vhgmcbuddy]

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

[vhgmcbuddy]

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

[vhgmcbuddy]

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

[vhgmcbuddy]

Great thanks, yes going to take the clutch off for the time being.

Any sources of information or any manuals are much in need.

[vhgmcbuddy]

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

[vhgmcbuddy]

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

[vhgmcbuddy]

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!

[vhgmcbuddy]

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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