Garfitts La-Crosse

I expect like many lawnmower enthusiasts out there I was well aware of the name Garfitts Ltd of Sheffield. Like Ransomes their origin goes way back to the 18th. C. and they developed a reputation for manufacturing a wide range of blades, agricultural fittings and associated machinery. What I didn't know until very recently was that Garfitts also produced a couple of lawnmowers. 

I spotted on eBay a Garfitts catalogue with some good photo's of the contents, dated 1931, and thought it would be interesting. Luckily nobody else was interested so it came into my possession. To me it makes for very interesting reading. Amongst other things at that time one could buy seemingly every part for Greens Silens Messor, Supreme, New Century and Multum In Parvo. Furthermore, most if not all the parts for Ransomes and Shanks models of the day - all the ' classics '. In addition spares for Follows and Bates, Barford and Perkins, Crowleys and Qualcast. Also a number of U.S. machines.

What surprised me though was the sight of a couple of machines apparently manufactured by Garfitts. One didn't seem to have a model name for some reason :

The other, more up-market, machine is the La-Crosse with the benefit of ball bearings.

You may be forgiven for thinking that these look rather like Silens Messors' and one assumes that a lot of those parts were used. Has anyone come across these machines or ever seen a La-Crosse ? It might just be that you saw one from a distance and dismissed it as an SM.

This got me thinking and reminded me of Keith Wootton's Ratcliffe Reliable ( great name ) which he displayed at the Bedford Rally.

This machine is dated around 1926 and has familiar elements though also updated with ball bearings. I can't help wondering if Ratcliffe's obtained some of the parts from Garfitts.