Vintage Lawn mowers

I had one of those Crank Start Mowers until the spring went part way through the housing.
Took it off and used a rope. Until I figured out a belt drive using an electric mower and an old fan belt

 

Here's another windup mower... This time on a Briggs motor.....
https://youtube.com/shorts/fFS3Jtv0Mso?si=JWY36VShNg8Gfykx

 

I have a couple of old lawn mowers. The orange one is a self-propelled Jacobsen LawnQween late 1940s early50s. The green one is a 1954 Wizard bought at Western Auto. I also have the original papers. They both have Clinton engines and both run.

 

Hey, kls50;
Is the Wizard a reel-type blade-set? Driven off of the same wheel/gearing as an old reel-type? & can you vary the speed of the engine, & thus, the speed of the mower? Reason I ask, is I've never seen one of those.
&, finally, how soon does it get "blinged-out", aka: Moriarity-ized. .
TIA.
Marcus...

 

The wizard has a rotating blade like a modern push mower. The funny thing about it is it doesn't have an opening to discharge the gr*** clippings. It piles up under the side of the mower's body and leaves a nice long row of gr*** clippings. I thought about putting a mulching blade on it, but I don't think it would make a difference and I'm not cutting a hole in the body. I have been thinking about selling them both because I'm downsizing. I have another Clinton engine that has the correct muffler and gas tank for the Lawn Qween. I also have a NOS Clinton recoil ***embly I don't need. Part # 265-281-500 I can't afford to "bling out" anything right now, in the process of getting new windows and siding on my house. I've had the Wizard for 30 years and the LawnQween for 20 years.

 

Ooopps, I was asking about the other one, guess I can't read or see very well... Hosed that one up. Lawn Qween, I guess.
Thanks so far.
Marcus...

 

No problem, yes, the Lawn Qween has a reel and speeds up with the engine RPMs. I was going to put a smaller pulley on the engine from the other Clinton engine I have as it is smaller. At full throttle the mower goes so fast it will drag you around the yard!

 

Thanks. Kinda figured. Back then, doing with what you've got, making it better with what you can get, & "engineer". .
Marcus...

 

View attachment 6686829 View attachment 6686831 View attachment 6686828 Just reading through this thread I forgot I really like vintage lawn equipment...
I have more projects than I probably have days of life left and I'm only 47 but I got to say I would love to restore a 1950s atomic age push mower to mow the front yard but I really want a bagger.
I do quite a few estate sales here in Southern California and I never come across anything older than the 1970s and when I do estate sales I do the really dirty ones where the men saved everything that they might be able to use one day. My buddy bought this awesome little garden tractor a few months ago for $100 at the same estate sale I bought the Dodge truck that I have been posting about... This little tractor is really neat It uses Ford Model A parts. My buddy believes it is missing the hood and he thinks it's a production piece but I know nothing about it outside of I took a picture of it and send it to him and he told me to buy it for him so I did. View attachment 6686828

 

I wonder if it is an Economy tractor. A buddy’s father was a dealer of them in my hometown. They also had what looked like Model A parts. I don’t remember them being that small, but then again it was 50 to 60 years ago, when I was a kid…

 

I really like that '51 Indian mower, just rocks. & looks fast sitting still. Would make a perfect compliment to a '51 Stude Starlight coupe or convert. I might even enjoy cutting the weeds using that one. ;D .
That thing would take very little to Show-Up(course, then it'd be un-useable, so's it doesn't get messed-up. Hoorray! ), I think it'd end up better than Moriaritys' cool little putter. That's also saying something... .
Marcus...

 

Yeah I think it's smaller than the economy tractor if we are talking about the same tractor.
I have to admit when I came across it at the estate sale I thought it was pretty neat That's why I took the pictures to send to my friend and he was all about it.
I don't know if he will ever do anything with it but if he does I will be sure to snap a picture or two and add it to this thread. He also has a couple of real early lawn tractors that are tiny I think they are four or five horsepower vertical shaft Briggs & Stratton engines probably from the mid-60s I don't have any photos of them unfortunately If I ever make it to his storage I will also get some photos of them because they're both pretty neat.

 

My 1940 A.

 

Behold, the vintage Toro FLYMO.
Old stuff still works, but there is a reason that this style of lawn mower never really caught on!

​

 

Those were great lawnmowers. The faster you ran the engine the longer it left the gr***. And no wheel tracks in the lawn. Safety features? People were smarter back then. Don’t stick limbs under the deck! And mow sideways as good as front to back…

 

I would hate to hear of the horror stories of this mower even though it is very unique. Moving it from side-to-side like a floor buffer would save a lot of walking. You could cut a 5- or 6-foot path without moving, as long as it didn't (act- up!). Still very cool!

 

This thing likes a good way to mow and roast yourself to a perfect medium well at the same time.... Lol

 

Still using my 1996 82" with a Kohler twin 26hp. flathead

 

I have always wondered about these mowers What happens if you lug it down in deep gr*** or stall it does it end up scalping the yard.

 

Found this in the woods in my back yard. I think it's a 40's or 50' Locke?

 

Do you have any information on the mower? Make model etc. Looks like something used to manicure the greens on a golf course back in the day.

 

^^^^^
Oh-oh. Looks like the newest candidate for chrome, candy paint & detailing.
Infection by Moriarity... .
While not as space-age as his, it's much more Retro, & has serious Cool-Detailing-possibilities - like a Chrome Chain(s) - oh, & Chrome revolving blade(maybe polished & engine-turned before the last layer of Chrome?) too, maybe a hi-po exhaust n intake... Man, that thing could be a Kaleidoscope of moving whirling Chrome bits. . Don't forget the color-matched bicycle-type-grips w/the streamers... . ;D .
Marcus ...

 

Daddy likey!

 

I just posted the picture into google and did an AI search and it came up with a Locke brand.



Here is the engine tag. I can see Briggs & Stratton and the model/serial number on it. Didn't look very long for any kind of numbers on the mower ch***is.

 

I did steel a control lever off of the mower to make a idler pulley with a skate board wheel on a mini chopper I built.

 

That idler needs bloodshot eyeball paint.

 

Here's a restoration of a????... 1930s style British ALLEN brush mower.. This is very cool to watch!.. Enjoy.