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Collection, Preservation and Display of Old Lawn Mowers

Atco Standard 18"

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Hello All

I realise it's bad form to join the forum just to ask for bits, but here goes anyway...

I have just acquired a lovely old Atco Standard 18", the version with the cooling fan and tank mounted fore/aft.  It is in gorgeous original condition and only really needs a good clean, a bit of TLC and a very few parts.  I have no intention of painting it, it will look magnificent when smartened up.

To complete the mower I need:

  • A grass box!  No surprises I suppose...
  • An exhaust.  I have the down-pipe that passes rearwards beneath the engine, but I need a silencer.
  • The tool box.  Mine is completely absent.  I would love an original, or maybe some pictures and dimensions to make my own.
  • The throttle lever.  The base is still fitted to the right hand handle, but all the removable parts are missing.  A clamp-on Villiers throttle lever is fitted.
  • A wooden grip.  The left-hand grip is missing.  I can make a replacement, but if somebody had an old one missing the rest of its mower I could give it a new home!

If anybody can help I am quite happy to pay a fair price, plus P+P.

 

I was also very lucky to pick up an early (I think - gear not chain driven, no name casting) Alexander Shanks hand mower at a recent sale.  It's tiny, and absolutely delightful.  It will be joining my Alexander Shanks engine in the engine shed...

All the best, Martin.

 

P.S.  Forgive me, but I've just measured the cylinder, and my Standard is 18", not 22" as I had thought...

Forums

Keith Wootton Wed, 25/05/2011

Martin

Don't worry about the posting - this is just what the forums should be used for.

Grass box: I suspect it will be difficult to source an original grass box unless you are very lucky. Like yours, most mowers turn up without them and when our members (or collectors in general) have them they are reluctant to part with them. However, it's not impossible so well worth asking. 

Exhaust: this should be easier, if only because exhausts - like so many components from this particular model - were largely interchangeable between the different sizes in the range. There's a good chance someone out there will have one. One proviso - the 22" was made in two forms, the scarcer "oval frame" model from 1921 and the more common "H" section frame model from 1922 onwards. The first has the straight fin Villiers engine and its exhaust comprised two similarly sized cylindrical chambers joined by a short tube and mounted at the front of the engine. The second looks very much like the fuel tank and was mounted underneath the engine on the frame. I'll assume this is the one you need.

Tool box: these can be found but in any case are relatively easy to fabricate. Early models were made of wood with a steel lid while later models were all steel. Both were more or less the same size.

Throttle lever: should be quite easy assuming you have the single lever Atco carb. These are very easy to find and many members should be able to help.

Wooden hand grip: similarly very easy to source off a scrapped mower. Alternatively, quite easy to turn one up on a lathe.

See www.oldlawnmowerclub.co.uk/spares/spareshome for possible sources of some of these items.

MartinPaff Thu, 26/05/2011

Thank you for the reply Keith.

It seems that the simplest way to recognise the parts I need would be for me to post some pictures - I'll look into it...

The silencer is indeed the style that looks much like the tank; a narrow cylinder with rounded ends, the exhaust enters through the side and exits at the left-hand end.

If any readers are able to help with the simple bits; the handgrip, throttle lever parts, even the tool box, from a scrapped mower than I would be delighted to hear from you - and another mower will be back from the brink!

Regards, Martin.

MartinPaff Sat, 28/05/2011

Here is my Atco Standard, and my problems;

http://i159.photobucket.com/albums/t135/martinpaff/Atco%20Standard/P1000410.jpg

http://i159.photobucket.com/albums/t135/martinpaff/Atco%20Standard/P1000412.jpg

http://i159.photobucket.com/albums/t135/martinpaff/Atco%20Standard/P1000408.jpg

The space I am hoping one of you will fill with a silencer.

http://i159.photobucket.com/albums/t135/martinpaff/Atco%20Standard/P1000407.jpg

...and the missing throttle.

...er... OK, the image insert didn't work - I'll keep trying until I work it out.

 

 

MartinPaff Tue, 07/06/2011

Thanks to the kindness of a couple of forum members, I now have a hand grip and the makings of an exhaust.

I have been having a little look-see, and the first thing that I have found is (predictably) the coil is shot - 1.8 ohms on the primary, but o/c on the secondary.  Can anybody please point me at the best (cheapest!) source for a replacement coil?

Many thanks,

Martin.

MartinPaff Tue, 07/06/2011

Thanks to the kindness of a couple of forum members, I now have a hand grip and the makings of an exhaust.

I have been having a little look-see, and the first thing that I have found is (predictably) the coil is shot - 1.8 ohms on the primary, but o/c on the secondary. Can anybody please point me at the best (cheapest!) source for a replacement coil?

Many thanks,

Martin.

 

topgunhorse Tue, 07/06/2011

 Jon Cruse at the mower centre hailsham is a club member and sold me a coil for £46. His full contact details can be found under the technical help, spare parts section on the right hand side of the screen. Admittedly is was slightly shorter and the poles needed shims to make them fit. These were provided with the coil. It was however brand new and works just fine. Give him a call he's a very helpful guy to deal with. There are cheap ones on ebay, but I don't believe they are the correct size.

 Andy