34 replies to this topic

[Phil Smith]

Vintage lawn mowers is something I had never thought about until I saw this photo on Facebook Marketplace today.

 

[Phil Smith]

And that's so cool it got me to Googling. Many cool ones. This is pretty wacky.

 

[mreibman]

I just remember these:

[Rotorranch]

I've got one of these.

 

 

A Fitchel-Sachs Wankel engined lawn mower. Smoothest mower ever. I even have the manual, but it's in German.    

 

Rotor

[Martin]

Not sure how vintage this is, it maybe just old, but it was left with a free sign on it and my son rescued it. It is in great condition.

 

To me Its crazy what gets thrown away.

 

Man those early "Deco streamliner" ones are really cool. I will keep my picker eye out for one of those.

Attached Images

• 

[Eddie Fleming]

When I was a kid the people two houses up had one of these.

 

It had no wheels. In front only a skid plate and in the rear a roller that went all the way across. 

 

It is a early 50s Snapper.

Attached Images

• 

[Rotorranch]

When I was a kid the people two houses up had one of these.

 

It had no wheels in front only a skid plate and in the rear was a roller that went all the way across. 

 

It is a early 50s Snapper.

 

 

Isn't that an original Snapper? Wasn't it called a Snapping Turtle?

 

Rotor

[Martin]

Phil, now look what you started.

 

Mike, that is what I still use(the push mower) that is.

 

Once a year, whether it needs it or not.

[MattD]

But, where do you find the kid to push it???

[John Luongo]

no osha safety controls/warnings on any of them. how did we survive?

[kvanpelt]

And that's so cool it got me to Googling. Many cool ones. This is pretty wacky.

 

 Hey..... if it's pre 1969, you might want to suggest it for IRRA retro. 

[John Luongo]

looks alien

[Martin]

But, where do you find the kid to push it???

I grew my own

[Bill from NH]

My dad had a scythe when I was a kid. We weren't supposed to touch it, of course we did when he wasn't home.

[Phil Smith]

Phil, now look what you started.

 

Mike, that is what I still use(the push mower) that is.

 

Once a year, whether it needs it or not.

 

 

Martin, I love this sort of stuff.  Many cool lawn mower pics posted.

 

A Wankel lawn mower? Who would have thunk it. And the origin of the Snapper name is very cool.

[Dave Crevie]

But, where do you find the kid to push it???

 

That is true today. But when I was a kid most of the boys, and a few girls, in the neighborhood battled over getting the mowing jobs. 50 cents per yard, 75 if they wanted it edged. 

 

My first job was at a hardware store which sold some lawnmowers. They had one in stock called a "Flymo". It had no wheels, and it worked like a hovercraft. I don't know who bought it but it was gone one day. I would like to have seen it run. I wonder if it is on the web. 

[Dave Crevie]

Wattayaknow! Seek and ye shall find. These goofy things are still being made in England. (where else?)

 

[Martin]

Well they did invent the hovercraft, fact check me on that

 

Christopher Cockerell

The idea of the modern hovercraft is most often associated with Christopher Cockerell, a British mechanical engineer. Cockerell's group was the first to develop the use of a ring of air for maintaining the cushion, the first to develop a successful skirt, and the first to demonstrate a practical vehicle in continued use.

[Paul Menkens]

Wattayaknow! Seek and ye shall find. These goofy things are still being made in England. (where else?)

 

flymo.JPG

a friend of mine had one something like that, I don't remember it ever working very well though

[mickey thumbs]

Wattayaknow! Seek and ye shall find. These goofy things are still being made in England. (where else?)

 

flymo.JPG

  I immediately thought of these when I saw the original post but couldn’t remember the name. Way cool!

[Brian Czeiner]

no osha safety controls/warnings on any of them. how did we survive?

 

People had more common sense then. When you didn't use common sense, you learned the hard way. But they were lessons you never forgot. 

[John Luongo]

so very true, brian. experience can be a harsh mistress. we get tested first, then the lesson. best regards

[HarV Wallbanger III]

Wattayaknow! Seek and ye shall find. These goofy things are still being made in England. (where else?)

 

flymo.JPG

My old Kansas farmer uncle collected many things and when I was back working for him when I was 14 he had a "hovercraft" type lawnmower but it was not this type some other brand. On flat smooth lawn it worked OK but his yard had lumps and bumps from tree roots so it did not work well.

[Lone Wolf]

I'm into Minibikes,motorbikes and vintage engines.

 

If you haven't seen Taryl check him out. I think he's great. Funny and informative. Lots of videos.

 

He restores a lot of cool old junk.

 

Check this out.

 

[Dave Crevie]

Go-karts and mini-bikes. Those were the days. Late '50s and early '60s. Some built, some bought. My circle of friends built ours. I got a small welding outfit for my birthday and by the time I was twelve I was a pretty good welder. Made several go-kart frames from electrical tubing. The Sears-Roebuck in town sold go-karts under their own Allstate name. Pretty sure they were Dart carts.

 

We scrounged all sorts of old lawnmowers for the engines and drive parts. Most of those fancy-dancy ones didn't mow grass worth a crap, and the people tossed them with very little mileage on them. Over the years I have seen some at swap meets that are getting pretty good prices.