FAQs
What Is An Old Lawn Mower?
We do not put a date on what constitutes an "old" lawn mower. However, in general, most collectors tend to be interested in machines made before about 1970. Some of our younger members are interested in machines made after this.
Can I Join The Club?
The Old Lawnmower Club is open to anyone with an interest in the collection, preservation and display of lawn mowers made from 1830 onwards.
Can You Identify My Mower?
Perhaps. Our knowledge and information archive helps us to identify many British lawn mowers. We will try to help but if we cannot we will pass your query to someone else who can.
Can You Help If I Am In North America?
We can only provide basic advice on North American lawn mowers made before 1960. If we cannot help directly we will pass your query to someone else in our club. We are unable to provide any help for any North American mowers made after 1960.
Can You Supply Spares?
Generally no. We do not stock spares for any mowers. If you tell us what you need we will try to put you in touch with someone who can help.
Can You Value My Mower?/How Much Is My Mower Worth?
In line with most museums we are unable to provide a valuation. However, we may be able to tell you how much similar machines have fetched at recent auctions.
Do You Want My Mower?
We are club for collectors not a collection of mowers. The club does not own any mowers. However, we will be happy to advertise your mower in our Grassbox newsletter free of charge as long as you provide suitable information.
Can You Help Me Sell My Mower?
We will be happy to advertise your mower in our quarterly Grassbox newsletter. We need certain information to do this, specifically the make and model of the mower, the cutting width, the type of engine, whether or not the grass box is present, your name, and an evening telephone number. You can also provide an email address if you wish. You can also use our Online Advertising Form to submit the information we need. We cannot include images with an advert so please do not send them.
How Can I Send You An Image Of My Mower?
We can accept images in most of the major formats including jpg, tif and gif. Please keep images sizes to less than 600x400 pixels to minimise the file size. If you prefer, keep file size to less than 50 kilobytes. We will ask if we need higher resolution for any reason. Also, in the first instance only send a single image. We will ask if we need more.
Can You Help Me Restore My Mower?
We can provide general advice on the preservation of old lawn mowers. The Restoration section of our website provides information that you may find useful.
Can You Provide Engine Settings?
If we have the settings then you will find them on our website in the Technical section. If your mower is not listed we do not currently have the information. If you have the correct settings for a mower that is not listed we will be happy to add them to the database.
What Colour Should My Mower Be?
This is a tricky question. Paint colours were not consistent in the old days and manufacturers would often use the best available product. Only in recent times has paint and colour reproduction been more consistent. However, we do provide some colour information on the Technical section of our website. If your mower is not listed we will be unable to help. However, our website does include some additional information on what you can do to find the right colour.
Can You Supply An Operating Manual?
We have a small selection of operating manuals for motor mowers made by companies such as Atco, Ransomes & Suffolk. Please email us to find out more.
What Sort Of Petrol Should I Use In My Old Mower?
The lead in petrol was principally to prevent pre-ignition (also known as "pinking") and to lubricate and protect the valves and valve seats in four stroke engines. From this it follows that leaded petrol is not required for two stroke engines. We understand from a variety of sources that leaded petrol has little effect on small, single cylinder four stroke engines used in older lawn mowers because they are not run for lengthy periods and do not run fast enough, hot enough or at high enough compression for the presence of lead to be a factor. Unleaded petrol is therefore suitable for two and four stroke engines. We have heard from collectors and enthusiasts that some adjustment to the carburettor jets and ignition timing may be necessary when using modern fuels although it is unclear whether this is to do with the absence of lead or the different ratings of modern fuels compared with older equivalents. However, we also understand that there is no problem with using a lead replacement additive to replicate the performance of traditional leaded petrol.
What Mix Of Petrol & Oil Should I Use In My Two Stroke Engine?
Two stroke engines are designed to be used with a mixture of petrol and oil. Manufacturers specify the correct ratio of petrol to oil in the engine operating manuals. There is some evidence that modern fuels when used in older engines may require slightly lower amounts of oil than the original recommendation. Too much oil may suppress proper combustion which can hinder starting and effective running. Many enthusiasts find that a bit of experimentation is required to find a suitable petrol:oil ratio using modern fuels and lubricants.
Can I Deliver My Mower To You In Milton Keynes?
No. The Museum has a strict acquisition policy that prevents it accepting mowers without prior agreement. The Club used to have close contact with the Museum and still holds its annual rally there but other than this we no direct involvment. In fact, most of our members live in different parts of the UK and some are overseas.
Can You Help Me Sell My Mower On Ebay?
We cannot give any specific help although the following guidelines may be useful. First, help collectors to find your item by including the words "mower" and "lawnmower" in your headline description because eBay's search system treats these as completely different words (in theory "mower" in a search should catch all "lawnmowers" but it doesn't). Using only one of these words alone will limit the number of hits on your listing. Including words such as "vintage" and "antique" may help but have specific meanings to collectors of old machinery and can be confusing. It is far better to provide an estimation of the year of manufacture (see below). Second, collectors will base their decision to bid/buy on the information you provide with your item listing so try to provide a clear and concise description of the mower. This should ideally include the cutting width, whether the grass box is present, the general condition and any distinguishing features. In particular, include any words that appear on name badges or which are cast into components. Third, if it's a motor mower it may be helpful to indicate serial numbers and to state whether the engine works. Fourth, include the age of the mower if you know it or are reasonably sure of an approximate year of manufacture. Bear in mind that collectors may have a better idea of a mower's age than you do. It is a common misconception, for example, to think that Suffolk motor mowers were made in the 1920s because of the wording of the manufacturer's name on the badge even though the company did not make motor mowers until the 1950s. Sixth, include at least one image showing the whole of the mower. If possible, the image should be taken from the "three quarter" position - from the front and side. Additional images are useful to back up other information such as serial numbers, presence of the grass box and overall conditions. Finally, if a machine is damaged or incomplete please say so in your description. Collectors like to know these things and it won't necessarily scupper a potential sale. Depending on what's wrong it may be possible to find spares or to make an effective repair.
When I Am Selling A Mower On Ebay Can I Use Information From The Old Lawnmower Club Website?
We are happy for you to use general information to help describe your lawn mower but please provide a link to our site with your listing or attribute/confirm where the information was found. We will be unhappy if you use images from our site without an attribution and will contact eBay's customer service if we suspect anyone listing a mower in this way. We will generally be happy to offer advice with this so if in doubt please contact us beforehand.
Would You Like To Know When I Have Listed A Mower For Sale On Ebay?
Serious collectors and potential buyers will be monitoring eBay all the time and will spot your item using their own searches. However, we will be pleased to receive your listing notifications although we cannot guarantee to pass details to our members.
Can We Link To Your Site?
We welcome links to our site.
Will You Provide A Reverse Link To My Site?
We will be happy to consider reverse links to relevant sites. In general we will link to sites about the history and development of the lawn mower, current manufacturers, vintage machinery restoration and preservation and garden history. We do not link to general sites about lawn mowing or gardening. For historic reasons one or two of these are on the current site but none have been added since our policy changed.