Suffolk Super Swift
Hi everyone, I’m new here and was delighted to find the club.
We have just bought our first house and as I was driving past a garage sale I saw and purchased a Suffolk Super Swift push cylinder mower. I used to use my parents’ one when I was a teenager and it seemed ideal for our small lawn.
It seems in excellent condition, however before using it I would like to get it serviced with a new bottom blade and the cylinder sharpening as/if necessary. Can anyone recommend somewhere in the Lancashire area (near Clitheroe) where I could have this done?
I would also like to ensure that the grass collector and general metalwork of the mower are preserved. I would rather not repaint it as I rather like the aged look, however I really don’t want it to rust any further. Is there any kind of preservative anyone could recommend which I could put on it? Especially inside the grass box… I can see I can purchase transfers through the club. Would this fit the side of the mower body? The one on the grass collector already seems in good condition.
Many thanks for your help everyone!
George
Forums
Hi George. Nice looking…
Hi George. Nice looking mower. I have used a product called Owatrol Oil on some of my mowers to help with rust issues. I live in Shropshire so am unaware of anywhere in Clitheroe where you could ger a Bottom Blade and a sharpen/service, however, the British Lawnmower Museum is about an hour away from Clitheroe and they may be able to help you. Cheers. Rob
Greetings George, As far as…
Greetings George,
As far as the transfers are concerned the Club Shop does not have the chain-case version at the moment. This is a different size and design. It is on the list of projects ( the grassbox version is a relatively recent addition ) but we are currently working through a little bit of a backlog, so it's not going to be available for a while. Keep your eye on the online catalogue though - this is updated as appropriate.
As far as preserving the machine is concerned all you really need do is use something like Waxoyl. Other brands are available and may be variously recommended but other Members. You may be able to obtain a copy of the original operating instructions - there isn't a lot of it frankly but the parts list and diagram could be useful. Often overlooked is the correct setting of the cutting cylinder to bottom blade. Once this is correct it may not be necessary to have the machine sharpened or the bottom blade replaced.
It seems an obvious thing to say but un-necessary maintenance can be avoided by keeping the machine clean and dry. .At the time the Manufacturers recommended wiping the blades and screws over with an oily rag after use.
You may be lucky these days to find a suitably equipped and experienced lawnmower repair/service shop for the cylinder sharpening. Sadly this is very much a dying art. You are just as likely to find a knowledgeable non commercial enthusiast who can assist. Perhaps another Club Member in your area will come forward.
You should find the Super Swift perfectly satisfactory for a small lawn area. Personally I think the ' swinging ' handles are a slight dis-advantage manoeuvring in a tight space though there is an advantage from the storage point of view. In time, after some experience, you may fancy upgrading to something like a Ransomes Ajax.
Hi everyone, Thank you so…
Hi everyone,
Thank you so much for all of your replies! I will give the Owatrol oil a go as it sounds like a good preservation tip! Sorry for the daft question but would I put this on the painted parts too as some of the paint is a little old and flaky?!
Hopefully someone will come forward who knows somewhere or someone in Lancashire but I will check out the museum too.
Many thanks again,
George
Hi George. I have put…
Hi George. I have put Owatrol Oil on the painted parts of some of my mowers after giving the paintwork a good clean first. If you have a look on the Owatrol Uk website there is plenty of information on their products which you may find useful plus I have spoken to them on the phone to clarify stuff and they were very helpful.
Not sure how much your Super Swift differs from the Swift model but if you are interested there is for sale on E Bay at the moment an Instructions and Parts List for the Swift. Details as below.
Suffolk Swift Roller Mower Instructions & Parts list L2960-353 vintage
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/124788947348?hash=item1d0e003994:g:368AAOSwy…
Cheers.
Rob
Hi again! Thank you for the…
Hi again!
Thank you for the eBay link, I will definitely purchase the operating instructions, the two mowers seem identical apart from possibly the handle and the curing width.
I have also contacted the Land Mower museum in Southport to see whether they have any contacts who would be able to service my lawn mower. As people have said above, it may be that it just needs adjusting but I am not sure as I am experienced enough to know yet! How often do blades need sharpening etc? I intend to use the mower weekly on a probably smaller than average lawn and will make sure I always clean it thoroughly as per the advice above, thank you!
Thank you also for the advice about the transfer for the side of the mower, I will keep an eye out!
Many thanks again,
George
Perhaps just the oily rag…
Perhaps just the oily rag treatment.As it suggests, a wipe over with a soft rag soaked with clean engine oil. Brush grass etc off after use and store it in the dry. A bit more heavy duty preservatives are Morris Lubricants Ankor Wax or Owatrol.
Does it really need sharpening or just adjusting? If it’s just rusty rather than actually blunt, perhaps just a case for back lapping, but if the cutting edges of the blades are rounded off it will need a grind. Flat bottom blades can sometimes be given a second life by turning them over. Without seeing the machine or more detailed images it’s a bit of guess work. Meanwhile enjoy owning and using a nice old machine that appears to have been cared for.