Skip to main content
Collection, Preservation and Display of Old Lawn Mowers

Drive Chain advice

Enter a word or two to search the forum section and click the Search Forum button.

I was wondering if anyone could point me in the right direction for a new drive chain for this mower? Unfortunately Im not sure what type of mower it is (the engine is an acme motori). Any help would be greatly appreciated!

Forums

wristpin Mon, 26/07/2021

Interesting beast. Basically an Atco Twenty Four but as far as  know they never left the factory with that engine, so some one has done a repowering job at some point, looks a bit over engined. I seem to remember that Acme engine’s were distributed in the uk by Tecumseh UK at Staines but they are long gone.

Chains. The early machines had, I think, lightish 1/2” x 3/16” standard BS chain. Later the primary and secondary chains were beefed up to a heavier duty chain  - may have been ASA40 or 41. Eventually all the chains were upgraded.

Rather than go on line, I would seek out a local bearing and transmission factor where you can take a sample for matching. The reason for saying that is that I have found that some of the online sellers seem to struggle with older BS chain sizing.

 

 

 

spanners Mon, 02/08/2021

Hi,

I was pointed by Stonethemows to RM Fowlers Ltd, where I spoke with James, they supply all kinds of Timing & Drive Chains.

e-mail is: sales@rmfowler.co.uk

Tel: 01563 651051

they are based in Knutsford Cheshire

They will ask you a few questions re link pitch (normally 0.500") link length, and inside width, roller ball diameter, how many links etc. Mine was for a Ransomes Meteor, 75 Link plus one connector link. Cost was circa £75.00, so not cheap, but really good quality.

R,

Spanners.

 

hortimech Mon, 02/08/2021

As Wristpin implies, you have been ripped off, it is standard 1/2" x 3/16" roller chain, you could probably have bought at least 10 of your chains for what you have paid for one. I least I know where not go.

 

spanners Tue, 03/08/2021

At least Belvoir will reap the benefit in locating a more economical supplier for his chain, and many members will also be aware for future reference. I just wonder if there is a central repository somewhere in the club where suppliers are listed, (at least for the more regularly requested items) that can be 'searched', rather than having to place a question on the forum for every individual requirement? 

R,

Spanners.

 

stonethemows Tue, 03/08/2021

Gentlemen, such a ' central depository ' does exist. It is to be found in the Restoration section of the website under Spare Parts. This is where I gleaned the information re. Fowlers which I passed on in good faith. If Members feel that Fowlers are unsatisfactory in one way or another perhaps they should be removed from the list of suggested suppliers. They were presumably included in the first instance for a good reason.

wristpin Wed, 04/08/2021

I believe the Fowlers May be one of the few, if not only, suppliers of the block chain used on some veteran mowers, and that is possibly the reason that they are on the list of suggested suppliers. However for “ bog standard” chain for not so old mowers , bikes and many industrial applications their gold plated prices may be unwarranted.

 

hillsider Wed, 04/08/2021

I have looked at Fowlers website I suspect that they were possibly added to the list of suppliers as a specialist chain supplier that can supply the block chain that can be used on much older mowers.
Also buying the chain by the number of links required can become expensive as the supplier is often left with a part box of chain that sits around for years and then is not long enough for the next customer. Many of the internet suppliers list boxes of chain at around 5 metres in length which is fine for those of us with the tools to break a chain down to the length required but not so helpful if you don't have an engineering background.

Roller chains are rather like bearings, the manufacturers are mostly based overseas many in the far east and are available in differing qualities ranging from the cheap and cheerful to very high quality with prices ranging accordingly.

The £75 quoted for the chain does sound very expensive but without knowing the full background of the order delivered like the make and quality of the chain supplied and was the chain size acquired  as a special order for the customer rather than an off the shelf size I would not be too critical of the company.

A good example of buyer beware I think.

DJD Wed, 04/08/2021

Being a regular visitor to many car and bike shows in the past, I often saw how some sellers such as "The Chain Man" sold nothing else, all weekend, use your computers browser and try him or try other links to chain sellers for motorbikes, bikes  etc. I'm sure you'll find someone at a much more reasonable cost than £75! 

I've got lots of ends and ends myself also, but probably not enough to make up a long length, chain is often sold in 25 foot lengths, as chainsaw chain often is.