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Collection, Preservation and Display of Old Lawn Mowers

A Pre Covid Steam Engine Rally

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I thought it was time to see a Pre Covid Rally,just to jog every ones memory,and all the fun we use to have!

This is Mike Duck from The Hall & Duck Trust with our 1907 Patent 30 inch Motor mower,which was new to Somerset County Cricket Ground.The scene was the Late Bill McAlpines birthday bash.

Come on lets see more rally shots

Kind regards

Andrew

 

Messorestore Fri, 11/12/2020

That is a great shot of a great mower. I have done a couple of personal virtual displays which I have posted on the forum this year. I plan to do one on Christmas Eve and get another dozen mowers out weather permitting. It'll give members the chance  to see some old mowers ' in the flesh'   I hope you enjoy the photos when I post them. Regards Sean

 

hdtrust Fri, 11/12/2020

Come on Sean

Its weekend lets have a preview,I'll dig some more out

Best Andrew

hdtrust Fri, 11/12/2020

Well done Sean,

AS we both know a mower part for every season (or even company) a lovely rare beast,from the land of Robin Hood.A Mitchell I presume.

Mitchell's first came to the fore in 1926 when they won their section in the Motor mower trials held in Kew Gardens,for their Automo machine which was mainly made from parts under license from JP Mowers Leicester.The machine above dates to a later period of around 1934,though still rare as can easily be over looked as a bitsa.They did trial a hand machine but never took it to market.Most mainly sold to order.I also believe a gang mower was made by them as well.

Kind regards

Andrew

Messorestore Fri, 11/12/2020

Excellent, a Mitchell indeed. Believed to be the only one in existence. However when one says that sort of thing then hey presto ( another fine mower) fifteen turn up. It's an 18 inch example and as heavy as a depleted uranium keel ! Your knowledge yet again is superb - not bad for a Friday night in.

Messorestore Fri, 11/12/2020

Couple more for the album. To think this was sold to me as a Silens Messor lol

hdtrust Sat, 12/12/2020

Hi Sean

Its now a Saturday night in with a tipple of vintage port,after a very long day cutting a tree back that had grown around telecom cables for one of my clients.

Yes that's a nice machine but as you say not a Silens Messor,but close being the same company,I would say a late 1930's Multum in Parvo,but alas from the angle,I cannot work out its width.They did produce gear forms as well,which are more scarce.

I remember well many years ago leaving Christopher Proudfoot's house, in the dark one winter,travelling down the road to find a skip with a set of handles sticking out,and pulling out an early Green's gear driven Multum in Parvo. Just to put this story in context William Proudfoot is our editor,he was then in his Primary School year's,and yet now a proud Father!

Messorestore Sat, 12/12/2020

Hi, yes mines a Madeira. The machine is indeed a Parvo 8 inch. All my other Parvos are cog driven so imagine my surprise when I came across this chain driven one. Are they a commonly found mower ? 
I must contact Mr Proudfoot as he is a member. I have seen photos and articles about some of his collection and I understand he doesn't live far from me in Kent. Keep an eye out for my post on Christmas Eve and associated photos - all weather permitting. Sean

hdtrust Sun, 13/12/2020

Hi yes the latter parvos which your picture shows,were more akin to chain rather than gear,which was pushed due to production costs.

Through years of manufacturing within the lawn mower industry,as well as their larger family agricultural machinery there were principals gained.The first principal was weight to cost.The heavier the machine the more raw materials had to be used pushing up the cost of engineering.Even as early as the 1870's Ransomes was using this principal for selling their ploughs.

Now as then there are and will always be fluctuations in raw materials for what ever the reason but between those peaks and troughs, many large companies had internal societies that they belonged to,to try and peg the market,we now know today this under other names,like insider dealing! Ransomes,Shanks, and Lloyds had this agreement in which the prices remained relative the same across the sizes of their individual machines,so it was up to the customer to purchase from the company they liked.However Greens never belonged to this grouping for other important issues in their history,so their way to market was predominantly via the Ironmonger trade.

There endeth my surman for this holy wet day they call Sunday!

Kind regards

Andrew