Enthusiasts Prefer Unrestored Mowers

The results of our latest visitor survey suggest that a minority of enthusiasts prefer to collect (or see at exhibitions) mowers that have been restored. Of the 177 site visitors who voted just 25 per cent preferred restored mowers whereas 36 per cent (almost half as many more) said they preferred unrestored machines. The remaining 38 expressed no clear preference.

To restore or not always makes for heated discussion when collectors and enthusiasts get together. The arguments vary but generally fall into two broad camps. On the one hand is the point that by restoring a mower to something like original condition the collector is preserving it for the future and making a nicer exhibit for the events they attend. On the other hand the collectors who do not restore argue that machines in original condition are more authentic and by leaving alone they are not destroying (or covering up) ancient paintwork and other evidence of old production and engineering techniques that might be of value to future generations. It's a debate that's likely to continue for some time. In the meantime the results of the poll are presented below.