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Collection, Preservation and Display of Old Lawn Mowers

QUALCAST MOTOR MOWER

The Qualcast Motor Mower was introduced in the mid 1930s, possibly as early as 1935, manufactured by Qualcast. The design featured a 16 inch cut, 98cc Villiers Midget two-stroke engine, cast iron side frames, and handle-start. The cork plate clutch - at one end of the rear roller - was activated by a lever on the handles pulling a cable. Early designs had a single large sprocket on the end of the roller which meant that the cutter rotated whenever the engine was running: later models had two adjacent sprockets so that the cutter only turned when the clutch was engaged. Early designs also had the petrol tank mounted on the mid-spar of the handles whereas later (usually post World War 2) models had the tank mounted above the engine. Another difference on earlier models was the use of a single, central adjuster on the thrower plate - to enable the blade to adjust to the reel - whereas later models had two adjusters, one at either end. Although officially called the Qualcast Motor Mower by the manufacturer contemporary to production, the model is often referred to as the "Qualcast Sixteen" by collectors and enthusiasts. The design of the mower is superficially similar to the "Presto-Rollmo Motor Mower" and other slightly later machines.