The Old Lawnmower Club
Collection, Preservation and Display of Old Lawn Mowers
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Shanks Silver Comet

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Mowing Wurzel Sat, 04/02/2023

I was kindly given a Shanks Silver Comet this week,  I see a few other members have them.

Please see photograph; alas no deflector plate and box, nevertheless still an uncommon and "All British" machine.

made by  such a historic company, Shanks so important to the development of the Lawn Mower.

Mower as acquired

Forums

Clive1997 Sun, 05/02/2023

Yes a not often seen machine, very short window of production only around 3yrs or so 1947 to 1950, introduced to replace the Comet, the Silver being an attempt by Shanks to produce a lightweight alloy domestic mower costing £8-12-9 in 1947 compared with the Panther at £6-13-7, plus the others on the market at that time, Ajax, Greens Monitor & JP Super.

The only alloy available in post war times & apparently used for the Silver Comet was taken from the scrap produced from crashed German & British war planes.

Not widely advertised & certainly one of Shanks less successful mowers.

Silver Comet was most likely replaced by the 'Emu' in 1951.

Ad from 1947 below.......

Mowing Wurzel Sun, 05/02/2023

SILVER COMET

Thank you for the advertisement and info. It seems the body was originally green.

Messorestore Wed, 08/02/2023

.

Seb Wed, 22/02/2023

Who has seen one of these before?

A comet Mk2. The frame design is shaped like the later silver comet (no middle brace), but is cast in iron like the original comet