Lets talk lawn mowers.

[Tris]

Unsubtle price different @Tris !

True, but if it's anything like the Allen scythe I had way back I could lose half a day trying to start the wretched thing, adds up over a season. If there was a way to fix a modern engine on them like people have on the Howard Gems that'd be the way to go

 

[MikeJhn]

Couple of local lads who keep the local church grass in order have a very old Alan Scythe that seems to start as soon as they look at it, does not seem to be a problem, their main problem is the vibration up through the handles when using it, good job they are young and hardy.

 

[Geoff_S]

True, but if it's anything like the Allen scythe I had way back I could lose half a day trying to start the wretched thing, adds up over a season. If there was a way to fix a modern engine on them like people have on the Howard Gems that'd be the way to go

So apart from the engine, is it OK?

 

[Tris]

So apart from the engine, is it OK?

Once it was going it was brilliant, cut through all sorts of undergrowth and the large wheels meant it rode well on all sorts of ground. If you were to fix a piece of tin over the front to stop the cut grass wrapping on the axles they'd be better than any modern machine I've used. Just my opinion, others may vary

 

[clogs]

when I lived in France the only walk behind strimmer I could buy new was a Husqvarner
very pretty with plastic covers but still had a rubbish modern Briggs N stratton )now the chinese own the brand and are good) just over €900's.........no thank u.......
so made this from junk in a morning....
40 year old Honda engine...still starts second pull.....front pulley from a 50's Massey tractor and the tool bag is a seat air bag n wheels from a w/chair....nothing beats it

morning...

 

[artie]

.nothing beats it

Could we see the blade layout?

 

[dickm]

Spent many years using a Mountfield sickle bar machine on experimental plots. It had a huge Villiers 25 engine and was unstoppable. The later Allens, with, if I recall correctly, a smaller Villiers, were OK, but all suffered from a "back to front" clutch mechanism, which would refuse to disengage in a crisis!

 

[leisurefix]

It should be possible to hire a walk behind flail mower that will tackle that fairly easily, go steadily and watch for which way the grass is lying and you should get a good finish.
Alternatively strim or scythe in late August before it gets totally flattened, leave it to dry like hay and gather it up, most of the seeds will fall off the stems on this process and be left for wildlife

Thanks, interesting that seeds will have already fallen, will make a big difference cutting slightly earlier in the year. Really appreciate that comment.

The Allen scythe looks great if strimming earlier in the year is still a pain. Cheers, Andy.

 

[Stevekane]

We have large greens where we live that people have tried to get the council to do conservation cuts on but so far without success, the problem seems to be that the one thing that seems to generate complaints is if they dont cut the grass,,sad but apparently true.
I dont know anything about these but didnt there used to be a walk behind strimmer type of thing called a “Billy Goat” which I only remember the adverts because it seemed such a clever name?
Steve.

 

[flying haggis]

A "Billy goat" is a large vacumm for collecting leaves etc not a mower

I stand corrected, there is Billy goat strimmer type thing. If you want one here is one to consider
https://www.thegreenreaper.co.uk/bi...l-terrain-garden-tractor-ride-on-brush-cutterthere are smaller walk behind ones available though starting about £3k

 

[flying haggis]

But .....................

 

[Stevekane]

A "Billy goat" is a large vacumm for collecting leaves etc not a mower

I stand corrected, there is Billy goat strimmer type thing. If you want one here is one to consider
https://www.thegreenreaper.co.uk/bi...l-terrain-garden-tractor-ride-on-brush-cutterthere are smaller walk behind ones available though starting about £3k

Yes the Billy Goats a bit pricey,,,if I wanted one I dont think I could resist the lovely old Allen Sythe pictured earlier, would that have been powered drive too? i guess not, but for occasional use I would think it would be fine, plenty of old motorbikes running around, why shouldn't this beastie be turned into a good starter?
Ive just seen the Goat Mower, brilliant,,,
Steve.

 

[flying haggis]

As far as I can remember from my struggles with an Allen scythe they were powered drive and I seem to recall thinking it could do with small wheels either end of the cutter bar to keep the bar at a uniform height and to stop it digging in.
These are supposed to be the mutts nuts when it comes to cutting grass,shrubs,small trees,kids,dogs etc
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/264522136945

 

[dickm]

Yes, the Allen scythe wheels were powered, and as I pointed out above, the clutch didn't always disengage when you wanted to stop. Despite using walk-behind sickle bar for many years, they always scared me!
Of course, if you wanted a REAL nightmare machine, there was a sickle bar attachment for the Howard Bullfinch rotavator!

 

[Marcusthehat]

I am 63, I choose to buy a 22" Stihl, (the one with the off set handlebars to allow easier access to empty the box) rather than a ride-on, purely for the exercise, it takes me 2 hours to cut our grass.
It boxes well, even in dampish conditions, IF one keeps the underside of the deck clean, like after each use, because our always damp NI grass ALWAYS leaves what can only be describes as a build-up of green putty.

 

[artie]

I am 63, I choose to buy a 22" Stihl, (the one with the off set handlebars to allow easier access to empty the box) rather than a ride-on, purely for the exercise, it takes me 2 hours to cut our grass.
It boxes well, even in dampish conditions, IF one keeps the underside of the deck clean, like after each use, because our always damp NI grass ALWAYS leaves what can only be describes as a build-up of green putty.

I put an order in yesterday for a Timemaster 30" cut but it's on back order to July.

Hope it can deal with Co Antrim grass.

 

[Seascaper]

One of most useful garden tools is my Stihl Kombi which one can add attachments for the job in hand. The most useful item for cutting grass is this tool which is about 12 inches long. It is better to use on grass than either a strimmer or hedge cutting attachment. It is light and manoeuvrable and one can cut a lot of grass quickly. It also takes up little shed space.

FH-KM 145° KombiTool - Adjutable scrub cutter

 

[stuart little]

I wonder what an Allen scythe cost new?

 

[artie]

https://www.facebook.com/marketplac...wse_serp:b7960693-e9ca-4677-94a1-9e82a52fe41a

 

[dickm]

I wonder what an Allen scythe cost new?

Trying to remember how much we paid for the work Mayfield (to my mind, a much better, but fairly rare, machine). It was something exorbitant like £200. But that was in 1968....