Shanks Silver Comet
Mowing Wurzel
Sat, 04/02/2023
I was kindly given a Shanks Silver Comet this week, I see a few other members have them.
Please see photograph; alas no deflector plate and box, nevertheless still an uncommon and "All British" machine.
made by such a historic company, Shanks so important to the development of the Lawn Mower.
Forums
Thank you for the…
Thank you for the advertisement and info. It seems the body was originally green.
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Excellent photos; thank you,…
Excellent photos; thank you, now I know what the box looks like!
Who has seen one of these…
Who has seen one of these before?
A comet Mk2. The frame design is shaped like the later silver comet (no middle brace), but is cast in iron like the original comet
Yes a not often seen machine…
Yes a not often seen machine, very short window of production only around 3yrs or so 1947 to 1950, introduced to replace the Comet, the Silver being an attempt by Shanks to produce a lightweight alloy domestic mower costing £8-12-9 in 1947 compared with the Panther at £6-13-7, plus the others on the market at that time, Ajax, Greens Monitor & JP Super.
The only alloy available in post war times & apparently used for the Silver Comet was taken from the scrap produced from crashed German & British war planes.
Not widely advertised & certainly one of Shanks less successful mowers.
Silver Comet was most likely replaced by the 'Emu' in 1951.
Ad from 1947 below.......