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Collection, Preservation and Display of Old Lawn Mowers

Ransomes Antelope or Gazelle machines.

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I forget now just how I came to own three of these, they were joined together by an owner built frame I think and were used as a gang mower, I managed to find a trio of new ratchet parts I needed for the power take off from the wheels to the cylinders, by a strange coincidence an Indian gentleman dropped by and asked if I had a small set of gangs to sell a few weeks later, he had a very large garden and his own small dedicated cricket pitch, it transpired, he was very keen to get the machine/s off me at the lowest possible price, I suddenly remembered the new ratchet parts, (which I still have) he seemed frustrated that they were not included in the very cheap[ price, but upon showing him the recent bill for them he calmed down a bit. He left with the gangs but not the new parts, I still wonder just how long he was able to use them properly, or whether he bought sopme himself later, too embarrassed maybe to come back tyo me? I'll put a pic or two on later, they are for sale if anyone needs them.

hortimech Tue, 29/12/2020

They may not be a 'home made' gang set, Ransomes sold the Antelope (without engine, handles etc) as a small domestic gang set (Atco did the same with their powered sidewheel).

wristpin Tue, 29/12/2020

In the early 80s when the Councils were selling off Antelopes we bought all that we could get our hands on. Their Slopers immediately went to a man who would take all we could get which gave us an immediate profit. Over the winter we made up three unit hitches from scratch ( more work than it looked !) and sold them on during the next season.

The genuine Ransomes sets were known as J3 and J5 Junior Gangs and could be hooked together, line astern , for trailing from site to site.

The Atco units, based on the Toughcut were never as popular as the Ransomes and suffered from  flexing issues  between the internal ring gears in the wheels and the cylinder pinions , resulting in stripped teeth in the wheels. The replacement wheels were “ eye wateringly “ expensive , even then. Atco eventually solved the problem with a retrofitt brace between the frame and  wheel back plate. 

DJD Wed, 30/12/2020

Thanks for the very interesting replies, it seems OLC members have a lot of very useful knowledge.