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Collection, Preservation and Display of Old Lawn Mowers

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Hi one and all, hope you're having a great summer. I joined OLC today. 

I've always been enthusiastic about old lawnmowers and found what I thought to be a potential restoration project on ebay for my son and me to work on. I'm due to collect it tomorrow, I'm told that it is an Atco. The seller doesn't know what model. 

Can anyone help identify it from these pictures? 

 

Thanks,

Kevin

wristpin Mon, 30/07/2018

It's an Atco Twenty Four with a Tecumseh engine, probably an H50, which has been fitted with a non standard recoil starter. It has the brackets and foot brake showing that at some time it has been used with an Autosteer seat.

Hopefully, the rubber casing on the rear roller is intact  - they tended to suffer from fuel dripping from the carburettor and heavy footed application of the brake. The dog clutch/ratchet mechanism on the drive end of the cutting cylinder was a weak point and suffered from poor maintenance and unsympathetic use. I'm told (but can't confirm) that replacement parts for that mechanism are hard to find. 

Early machines had BSF and BSW threads, later models UNC and UNF.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/15btmznoy2l2uv2/Atco%20HD%2024%20etc%20BSF%20…

wristpin Tue, 31/07/2018

Pleased to be of assistance. I've stripped, repaired and rebuilt dozens over the years, so should be able to advise on most issues.   

Kevin McCann Tue, 31/07/2018

I might be picking your brains a bit then sir !

Managed to get the mower home, the serial number is :

H50-6538-1K SER 3179R

It needs a lot of TLC, the blades are very dull and it needs a good lick of paint. Are you able to confirm the model/date of manufacture from the above Serial Number by any chance Wristpin ?

Really appreciate your help

wristpin Tue, 31/07/2018

That’s the engine serial number. Never really got to grips with Tecumseh’s system but I’ll have a look at a couple of books.

Kevin McCann Tue, 07/08/2018

Hi Wristpin,  thanks for your help with this, that would make it my birth year.

The Mower is in pretty good working order apart from being a bit noisy and smoky. I back lapped the cylinder and have stripped everything down and sanded off the rust and primed it. Really interesting process. The gaskets were really worn so I'll need to get replacements, do these come in packs? Are you able to recommend anywhere to order them from?

 

Thanks,

Kevin

wristpin Wed, 08/08/2018

I think that the part number for a Tecumseh H50 gasket set was 33235a, but as Tecumseh are no more it will be a matter of finding someone with old stock or pattern non-genuine items.

A couple of suggestions

Peter Elliot at https://www.meadowbrooklawnandgarden.co.uk/

or Jon Cruse at the Hailsham Mower Centre

or

a trawl round ebay

Kevin McCann Thu, 09/08/2018

Thanks again for your help. I'll search.

Ebay is a dangerous place for me now ! I stumbled across this yesterday for £10.50, couldn't resist so I bought it. One question, the grassbox is of the non plastic type, is it the original one ? What date as an estimate would you put on it ?

Sorry for all the questions mate, I'm learning and enjoying the process.

 

wristpin Thu, 09/08/2018

The alloy box is original but I would think that the Briggs is a fair bit younger than the mower.