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Collection, Preservation and Display of Old Lawn Mowers

Atco groundsman mk 1?

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Cameron Sun, 23/12/2018

That's my thinking wp it certainly has a kick start Sat for years and is stuck solid so needs a bit of lubricating and manipulating but quite excited when I clear shed space. Paid £5.50 and believe it or not it fitted in a ford fiesta alongside an auto certes I also picked up.drove home with the grass box as my co pilot mind! Not quite the size of the hayter senator I've got but built for the same job.

wristpin Sun, 23/12/2018

You’re obviously into the heavy metal , made the Fiesta sit down a bit, I guess. I have memories of a  30” Lawnflite ride- on being brought in for service in a Citroen  2-CV with room to spare  and on the same day two of us struggling to extract a Hayter Harrier that a customer had somehow got into a deep booted Jag. 

Back to the Atco; despite its size it is a fairly simple and straightforward forward machine to work on. One thing to avoid is over lubricating that metal to metal cone clutch. I havre memories of a machine that had been left outside all winter with the consequence of a seized up clutch which the farmer owner had tackled with a bucket of diesel. The cone and cup appeared to absorbed diesel and no amount of cleaning with solvent stopped them sweating it out and slipping. Our final solution was to “ cook”  the dismantled cone and cup with the pepper pot propane burner until they were ****** hot.

Looking forward to progress reports. 

 

 

Cameron Sun, 23/12/2018

3man to get it in- one man, two children's car seats and a small drop to get it out. Deffo a c 25 as it's the only bits off plate that's readable. Any idea of date?

gtc Sun, 23/12/2018

Some black boot polish or graphite rubbed into those numbers would make them a tad easier to read.

From what I can make out (I think): 139680   C25.17.?

 

 

wristpin Sun, 23/12/2018

I would say that your model with the exposed clutch and cylindrical fuel tank would be late 1950s / early 60s. The basic design but with more styling , rectangular tank and folding handlebars , but still with the Mk25 lump continued into the 70s before switching to Kohler engines. 

EDIT. This may be useful.https://www.dropbox.com/s/ufkhf3913b34vlg/Atco%2028%20and%2034.%20Villi…

TIP.. when it comes to start-up time, take care with that kick-starter . Have been known to kick back and smack the knee up onto the underside of the handle bars - OUCH!

 

Cameron Sun, 23/12/2018

I watched a video of the start up, looked so graceful and easy. I'll maybe let my dad have a go for nostalgia s sake. And self preservation