Lawn Mower Tools

I imagine that the more you paid for a machine then the more likely you'd find a spanner/screwdriver type tool to go with it, early mower tools were thick heavy old things and quite often as you say, unmarked in any way, odd earlier ones may have even been made for them by other companies it must be remembered, castings/forgings perhaps for the very early types maybe and simple stampings for the later ones. 

At a family home where tools of any sort were rare, the ones supplied for the mower were often used by other family members on their bicycles, motorbikes and cars even, believe it or not.

The 1960's onwards saw very simply pressed or simple welded up bits of flat and tube together to make a simple spark plug removal tool, some did have other hexagonal slots for adjusting early rotary mower height adjusters etc.

I have a few myself, all of different makers and ages.

I think this is my oldest, I don't profess to be an expert on old tools, but I do believe this to be an early lawnmower spanner.

This one is fairly old and is in rather poor condition, I'm sure there are plenty of others much older about, but I am showing you what I have here. Still fairly thick and sturdy though, a flat screwdriver facility is included.

These three appear to be very similar and one is marked "Qualcast" I'm not sure why two are marked L34A and another very similar item is marked H34A?

This one may very well have been part of a motorcycle tool kit, I cannot say, maybe a mower wouldn't need quite so many different sizes?

These two very simple plug spanners came with early Hayters, maybe Hayteretts etc. one is the early Hayter green I believe. The hexagonal hole is for the bolt head holding the wheels on I think.

Something like the middle one here came with my father's new Ginge rotary in the 1960-1970 era.

This cheap and nasty style which has been through an hydraulic press to strengthen it, soon wears out, 1970's on I think, there were many thousands made and misused and thrown away! But, no plug hexagon on it, so maybe not a mower spanner at all, for a bike maybe even?

"Frankby and Co Ltd" tongue in cheek here, my least mower looking, model, but easily used on a mower, in case of need.

What do other folks have?

Hi

Thanks for that you have some interesting ones, I have some very similar to those with numbers on but have never really tied them up to any make. I will go through your pictures in detail and see if i can do some research on them using different workshop manuals and other information it would be nice to have a section on this topic as i am sure there are more people in the club who would love to have the correct spanner with their restored mower.

What do other members think? 

Thanks

Mark 

Hi

In answer to your question regarding H34A this is a spanner for the Folbate Model J2 push lawn mower. I am still working through some of the others but interestingly as you would expect Atco sent a tool box with 5 spanners, screwdriver and a small oil can plus other spare parts. Doese anyone have the box and all its tools?

Allen Scythe also sent a tool box with all of their mowers.

Mark

Thanks for your interesting reply Hagar100, I don't have any machines that go with any of these spanners, so if anyone is interested in making an offer for any of them I'm happy to talk.

I have an original spanner on the back of a Greens Monitor. I can have a look at it tomorrow if you're interested

Alway interested many thanks

One of my Ransomes Ajax MK5's ( circa 1970) has the original tool kit.  One open ended flat spanner 1/4" by 5/16"  with no other markings, a rod, threaded at one end to screw into the drive gear as a handle for backlapping and a 'plunger' type oil gun.

Harvey