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Collection, Preservation and Display of Old Lawn Mowers

20" Atco with Kohler K101

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I'd appreciate any help with the restoration of my old mower 20" cut.

It has a Canadian Kohler K101 side valve engine - i have sourced engine spares as it seems to be very similar to the K90/K91 4HP.

Could anyone identify this mower - I'm sure it is an Atco ?

I have overhauled it many years ago and so its now due for another rebuild.

I'm after springs on the split drum drive ratchet. I did replaced them on the first rebuild but the mower shop who supplied them is now closed.

I've enclosed photos.

Many thanks

Pete

 

HUTCHEON Fri, 08/05/2020

I tried to upload two photo's without success - please see the springs I need.

Many thanks

Pete

Please feel free to text or call if anyone could help !

07795 331100

 

wristpin Fri, 08/05/2020

It is an Atco, probably a Heavy Duty 20” but possibly a Club, need to see the cutting cylinder or back roller to be sure. I’m surprised to see a Kohler on a machine with the bar operated clutch but Atco did fit Kohlers at one time.

The part number would have been F106L12432 and your best bet for those would be Jon Cruse at the Hailsham Mower Centre.

However when Bosch sold the manufacturing rights to the cylinder Mower Range to Turfmech / Allett they continued to make similar machines under the name Westminster and Buckingham and they have similar rear rollers . However they appear to have modified the spring design and they are now handed. F016L59648 LH and F016L59549  RH. You will need to find an Allett dealer and investigate the compatibility 

hortimech Fri, 08/05/2020

The K101 was only fitted to one Atco, which was a 20" machine and I think a club (age dims the memory), but I don't remember it having the bar operated clutch as shown. I seem to remember it having the cable operated clutch (along with the covers). My opinion is that whilst it is a 20" Atco, it is also a bitsa, seeing the cutting cylinder and rear roller would help.

There wasn't a lot of similarity between the K91 and K101, I seem to remember being told the K101 was the only cast iron industrial engine Kholer made in Canada and it was only produced for Atco.

 

HUTCHEON Fri, 08/05/2020

Thank you for you reply, much apprecioated.

I'll try Hailsham as you recommend.

Are you able to guestimate the age of my "good old girl",  I rescued her from a local tip 20 ish years ago.

Many thanks

Pete

HUTCHEON Fri, 08/05/2020

Thank you for you reply, much appreciated.

Are you able to guestimate the age of my "good old girl",  I rescued her from a local tip 20 ish years ago.

Many thanks

Pete

hortimech Sat, 09/05/2020

The age of your machine is a bit debatable, without seeing the cutting cylinder and rear roller, the main machine appears to be from the late 60s, but the engine is from the late 70s to early 80s

wristpin Sat, 09/05/2020

The K101 was only fitted to one Atco, which was a 20" machine and I think a club (age dims the memory), but I don't remember it having the bar operated clutch as shown. I seem to remember it having the cable operated clutch (along with the covers). My opinion is that whilst it is a 20" Atco, it is also a bitsa, seeing the cutting cylinder and rear roller would help.

Not that dim !

But I'm still inclined to think that with the bar clutch control that machine would probably have had a Villiers Lightweight and had been re-engined with a Kohler.

HUTCHEON Sat, 09/05/2020

Please find cylinder photo.

Hopefully these will help to date the mower,

I hear the views being it has been re-engined, but all I can say it all feels right and original, no extra drill holes, odd bits that don't fit etc. but what do I know - that's why i'm asking you gentlemen who are experts and appreciate your help.

 Many thanks

Pete

wristpin Sat, 09/05/2020

That is an ordinary domestic spec 6 bladed cylinder . However the rear roller sections are those from a Club or Golf Green Special . What you have is of mixed parentage !! 

I’m inclined to think that it started life as a Club with the Kohler engine but st some stage acquired a domestic 6 bladed cutting cylinder, now fairly reduced in diameter by re - grinding. Just leaves the question of the bar clutch lever unanswered.

EDIT..  I’ve been doing a bit more research and it does appear that where as those cast alloy rear rollers would indicate Club or GG Special parentage on a later machine , they were standard  on earlier   Heavy Duty ( domestic) 20 and 24” machines before they switched to rubber covered rollers.  They would then fit with the bar clutch era and the six blade cylinder. 

However, all indications are that a Heavy Duty 20 with a bar clutch would have been fitted with a Villiers Lightweight engine .  Research continues!

 

hortimech Sun, 10/05/2020

I think it could have been an early machine that was re-engined with the Kholer. They didn't just use the Viliers lightweight engine, they also used the MK12, so the machine could be earlier than what is thought. The Bottom block is cast alloy, I am fairly sure that machines produced after 1970 used a steel bottom block. A view of the handles and the rear roller shaft ends would help rule out it being a golf or bowling green machine. If the roller shaft has extensions for transport wheels (or they have been removed), then it originally was a fine cut machine and if there are extensions on the handles to store the wheels, this will confirm that it did have a multi blade cylinder as standard.

It has wooden front rollers, I seem to remember that the fine cut machines of the 60s had metal sectional rollers.

 

HUTCHEON Sun, 10/05/2020

Thank you for your help - you gentlemen have an encyclopedic knowledge of mowers.

Much appreciated.

Regards Pete

Clive1962 Tue, 12/05/2020

Good to see the Atco with Kohler, Canada, engine.  I remember being asked to look at an Atco with such a Kohler on back in late 1980s.   Until seeing the photos here it was the only one I had seen with Kohler, Canada.   It too was with the flat bar handles and bar clutch lever, memory tells me it was a 24".  It had sat out for a few years and I remember it arriving with a rust pin hole repair to the tank with a bolt and rubber washers..  It was missing its air filter cover and we could not source one, we fitted what we could source which was a backplate, filter and cover of a slightly larger size.  I remember too seeing the coarse grassed lawn it was then going to have to tackle..... smiley

C. 

 

David Peters Mon, 28/09/2020

Joined Club in July seeking help to restore a late 50s Atco.
Just noted your postings in May and from your pics realise your model is the same as mine but in my case I have a Mk12 Villiers engine and instead of wooden front rollers I have a badly corroded metal one piece which I have been advised is 'non standard'.
I am about to have wooden rollers made by a colleague but need some spec. details which are not available on the parts list.I have nothing on the steel axle.
I note from your pics that you have wooden rollers.
Can you provide details of the axle please. Length/ diameter; length and thread size at each end and any special washer details.
I have the lengths of the wooden rollers as 2x 8 1/16 and 1x 5 7/8 but have no OD can you help? ID of the axle hole would also be appreciated.
Also, as the roller support plates at each end had been modified to accept the one piece metal roller a picture of the plate would be helpful, especially the hole diameters for the pivot bolt etc.