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Collection, Preservation and Display of Old Lawn Mowers

How old is my suffolk colt

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Ive recently bought an old suffolk colt but is there any way to determine its age and what engine it has in (suffolk or villiers or briggs stratton).

hortimech Tue, 22/08/2017

It is actually a Suffolk super colt (or punch, cannot tell from photo, does it have a height adjuster  ?) fitted with a Suffolk 75G14 engine. Age wise, late 60s early 70s

 

Chrispick1977 Tue, 22/08/2017

I think it has a height adjuster yes. Hope the new pictures help.

wristpin Tue, 22/08/2017

The parts book  is still showing the slot and bolt height adjusters for 1978 machines so yours with the screw Microset  adjuster is later than that . However, the later Aluminium A98 engine was introduced in 79  so as yours has the cast iron lump it appears to lie  in  the 78/ 80  band or, is later with a c/i engine retrofitted.

 

 

Chrispick1977 Tue, 22/08/2017

So I might have bought a bodged lawnmower?

Oh well it was only £5.50.

And im gonna keep it anyway.

wristpin Tue, 22/08/2017

Not bodged at all , the cast iron engine is much to be preferred to the A98.  Just enjoy what you have, plenty of parts available to keep it running and plenty of advice available on this forum.

Chrispick1977 Tue, 22/08/2017

I have access to a mini shot blaster at work with really fine shot do you think it would be ok to clean parts like the clutch cover, exhaust and pull start cover with it or would it blast holes in them

wristpin Tue, 22/08/2017

Just depends on what blasting medium is available . Because I do a lot of alloy components I usually have glass beads in the cabinet. Takes a bit longer but leaves a nice smooth finish on softer materials. Have used crushed glass for cowlings and fuel tanks etc but it is quite aggressive . Metal slag or whatever is best left for big lumps of rusty iron!

hortimech Tue, 22/08/2017

I take it by 'slot and bolt height adjusters' you mean instead of the single point height shown in the picture, there are two separate knobs either side of the front roller that you need to slacken to move the front roller brackets. If this is the case, you cannot use the lack of these to date the age of the machine. All 12" Super Colts had the two separate knobs and all 14" Super Punches had the single point height adjuster, so the machine could be fitted with its original engine. 

hortimech Wed, 23/08/2017

Yes