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Collection, Preservation and Display of Old Lawn Mowers

The Garden Roller article

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I found the article in the latest Grassbox on garden rollers informative and interesting - Thank you Christopher Proudfoot.

Started having a snoop around the usual auction sites, there are some nice examples, asking prices vary from "please just take it away" to somewhat delusional... It was also a bit amusing to see how staged a few photos were.

I'm looking at a Ransomes and a Lion (says knowingly as he read the article) but think I'll wait for something with more ornate spokes if the price is right. As a working ornament, I think one would look quite nice in a garden with mild restoration / waxing depending on condition.

What I really need is a new wheelbarrow :-)

 

hdtrust Tue, 10/11/2020

Come on Christopher,NEVER,never are rollers used on gravel paths,any gardener worth his salt would use a rake on gravel paths.Infact in the days of carriage drives,the gardeners would have been raking nearly every day (for those of you who do not know what a carriage drive is,it one with a turning circle)

One thing I did not see in your article is how rollers were sold,which of course is by weight,so the most popular size garden roller which was sold was the 1CWT,which also derived from this is how much they were sold for,as most if not all agricultural manufactures worked out the cost of their inventions by their weight.

For those of you who have fallen asleep,how much does a 1 CWT weigh?

Kind regards

Andrew 

Chris G Tue, 10/11/2020

For those of you who have fallen asleep,how much does a 1 CWT weigh? 

Is that the ye olde hundredweight or the more modern 14lbs per stone version? - yes I had to look it up, interesting on the 1380ish conversion to fixed standard 14lbs per stone for wool exports.

Very good reminder on your other post re transport securing preparation.

 

wristpin Tue, 10/11/2020

 1/20 of a Ton !

Edit. Just occurred to to me that there’s a clue in the edition number of the current Grassbox.

hdtrust Tue, 10/11/2020

Well done,on the question of a 1 CWT,though just remember when you say 1/20th of a ton you mean an imperial ton,not a metric ton which is only a 1000 Kilos.

wristpin Tue, 10/11/2020

Well done,on the question of a 1 CWT,though just remember when you say 1/20th of a ton you mean an imperial ton,not a metric ton which is only a 1000 Kilos.

Metric tonne, 1000 kg (2200 lbs)

Long ton, (UK) 2240 lbs

Short ton ( American ) 2000 lbs

Clive1997 Wed, 11/11/2020

Whilst I didn't plan to respond to this thread, by chance I was offered another roller today, whilst I usually decline these, as many I have taken in the past end up being weighed in, todays was a Follows & Bate Ltd, so with the mower connection thought it would be 'ideal' for our display, apologies for the pun!

Whilst not a particularly large roller, it was at the far end of a rather long lawn, it did not live up to its name as it didn't roll! Luckily the grass was wet & when outside on the pavement a layer of wet leaves helped with dragging it around 50 metres, the rollers being well seized. The donor did remark that it weighed a ton, but I resisted asking if they meant Metric Tonne, Short Ton or Long Ton !! The roller appears to be early 20th century design.