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Collection, Preservation and Display of Old Lawn Mowers

Nash Boadicea

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Ok this is one for Wristpin. Picked this up as a whimsical purchase over the Bank Holiday. As you are aware I'm not a huge fan of petrol mowers and have a very small number of them. However with this one you may be converting me. The tiny Jap engine on this tiny incredulous mower has so much power. Any idea of the cc ? Is the handle on the right way round. ? The guy who sold it to me said the guy he got it from had it the convex way round. He turned it over as he thought it didn't look right. Any idea who's right ? Finally any idea where I can get the minute replacement blades as one is badly worn ?  Any help would be very useful. Many thanks.

wristpin Wed, 02/06/2021

A friend asked me to get this running for him some years ago, no telling how molested or otherwise. 

Messorestore Wed, 02/06/2021

Ah, it would seem the model plate is missing on mine. No way of telling which number it was in the series - that's very annoying. At least it runs like a demon and looking at your photo I have the handle the right way up. Just need to hunt for blades now. Many thanks for that.

Wiltshireworm Wed, 02/06/2021

That is a JAP 34cc 2 Stroke on a Nash Boadicea, (no not boodicca, this is old school) dates from about 1960 to 68, made by Nash of Ashstead Nr Epsom Surrey. A great little bank mower & all there really was, before Flymo came in in 1964-5.

One of my jobs at Andrews of Hindhead in the mid 1960s was to do all the wholesale/trade sales around Surrey & I used to drop off some new stock mowers at Nash's & collect about 6 to 10 of these lovely little mowers, Nash was an Ironmonger's Shop that sold quite a few mowers. Nice people.  Unfortunately once the Flymo became more popular the Boadicea sold less well. At  Andrews we sold a lot of these to older ladies with very small patches of lawns & banks, they were easy to start & very quiet running, the early Flymos were not so easy to start, they improved later.

  To change the height of cut you just loosen the wing nuts each side of the frame & lift the handle that is over the top, everything moves up or down, then tighten the wing nuts up. (do this when the engine is off though please). The Boadicea came with rollers or additional wheels, the wheels made it a lot easier to move about on pathways.

I have one of these with an Andrews sticker on it, signed by me when I test run it when newly assembled, i found it in Sussex with a collection of Atco's & Certes mowers about 20 years ago, never sell it though.

Peter Hampton 

Plug Wed, 02/06/2021

You might find this of interest, which I discovered while doing some research after acquiring one myself last year (still a seized non-runner, with a broken blade disc, to my shame!):

https://worldwide.espacenet.com/patent/search/family/010265325/publicat…

And a thread on a rival forum with some contemporary adverts:

https://myoldmachine.com/topic/638-nash-boadicea-mower/

Regarding the handle, i - thought - that I'd read somewhere that it was reversible for ease of use down or up slopes, though I can't remember where I might of seen that; so don't take that for definite. But why bother putting a bend in it, noting the original patent drawings have a straight handle, if not for some specific purpose?

Engine is a JAP 34cc two stroke:

https://www.heatonmodelboats.co.uk/index.php?action=jap_manual

 

Plug Wed, 02/06/2021

You might find this of interest, which I discovered while doing some research after acquiring one myself last year (still a seized non-runner, with a broken blade disc, to my shame!):

https://worldwide.espacenet.com/patent/search/family/010265325/publicat…

And a thread on a rival forum with some contemporary adverts:

https://myoldmachine.com/topic/638-nash-boadicea-mower/

Regarding the handle, i - thought - that I'd read somewhere that it was reversible for ease of use down or up slopes, though I can't remember where I might of seen that; so don't take that for definite. But why bother putting a bend in it, noting the original patent drawings have a straight handle, if not for some specific purpose?

Engine is a JAP 34cc two stroke:

https://www.heatonmodelboats.co.uk/index.php?action=jap_manual

 

Will Thu, 03/06/2021

Cool machine Sean, I have a late 50's Greens with a JAP engine, it has the same tank as yours but (I believe at least) is a model 80, slightly larger displacement at 80cc

Messorestore Thu, 03/06/2021

Thanks, I think the machine looks like an insect. You wouldn't know it's only 34cc, it behaves and seems to have the power of an engine twice that size. Your 80cc Jap engine sounds nice. Wow listen to me getting enthused over petrol mowers.