What’s your dream machine?

[roatavator]

In another idle moment (well it is Friday and I’m only working a four day week) I was pondering what other machinery I really crave. I’m lucky enough to have acquired most of my hit list but there’s two that I would really lust after. Fortunately for my wallet and wife neither are ever likely to happen. Both SIMAR, T100 and M10. How about you, what do you dream of being able to park in your shed?
And sort of related, why do you have a passion for old horticultural machinery? Easy for me to answer, my father had a market garden and I grew up with them and used them from a very young age. In my twenties I totally ignored them and virtually forgot them until increasing age meant father couldn’t use them any more so I went back to using them in my spare time to help out. After parents died I couldn’t part with them, joined VHGMC and remembered why I loved them. With six SIMARS and a Howard 700 in the shed guess you could say I’m now pretty keen on them!

[alan]

One machine I would like to find, but probably never will, is one of the first Bolens brought to the UK in the 1920’s.

I used to teach garden history amongst other horticultural stuff so hence the machinery research and articles.

[roatavator]

Alan, I can see why you want one! Definitely hens teeth, I didn’t know it existed!

[vhgmcbuddy]

Ransomes MG crawler. When I was a child, I had a cut away drawing of one showing all the different parts. It always fascinated me and have wanted one ever since. I am pretty sure I still have the drawing somewhere!!

Like yourself, my Dad is to blame for my garden machinery collection. He had always grown his own fruit and veg (and still does even in his 8th decade!!), so once a year the Trusty was dragged out of hibernation and used to plough the garden. A Howard 400 was then used to break the soil down.
I was never really interested in the stuff until 7 years ago, when I was made redundant from my then job. Finding myself at a bit of a loose end, I dragged one of his abandoned Trusty’s from the nettle patch and started tinkering, and have never stopped!!

Sean

[roatavator]

Interesting you should say that Sean. I’m thinking when I get too old to walk behind my current collection I’ll probably have to slim down and get an MG I can sit on. Mind you, driving it up the ramps on to the high bed of the Commer might be interesting!!
Also had another thought on dream machine. Australian Howard 12, but as apparently unknown over here I don’t think the wallet or wife will be put under stress!
Peter

[hdtrust]

Yes we can all dream even Mr Wallingfield, How about a Leyland Steam Mower in any condition, Well Alan I do know of one of your dreams, it sits in a shed in Mass USA,that very Bolens!

[charlie]

With my Geo Monro interests my dream machines would have to be a Monotrac and a Doutrac. The interest in Geo Monro goes back to growing up with my father using a Monrotiller series 2, which I never used until I had an allotment and was the first machine in my collection.

[vhgmcbuddy]

Alan, I love that advert for the Bolens. Are you planning to go to the demonstration, in September? It should be a great day! LOL!!!

[roatavator]

I love the idea of a steam mower. In practice I would imagine in this country by the time you’d got steam up it would have started raining!
Charlie, I’ve tried googling them but can’t find any info. Got details or a photo?
Thanks.
I guess being into Monro was what got you on to SIMARS?
Peter

[charlie]

Monotrac and Duotrac are on page 61 of ’70 Years of Garden Machinery’ by Brian Bell.
The interest in SIMAR was accidental. I was offered a machine make unknown but thought to be orange in colour, probably a Howard. When I went to collect it I found it was green and a SIMAR 35. With the Geo Monro connection it went downhill from there!

[roatavator]

Thanks Charlie. Clearly I’ll have to buy a new edition, it’s not in my “50 years “!
Funny how SIMARS have a way of getting under your skin, isn’t it?
Peter

[bigend]

My dream machine is the ones I don’t have, e.g coleby senior (to go with my junior), Bradford nu-trac, Brian Carter’s Atco lol, and a few more besides, I’m just addicted to collecting them, but it all started from my grandad, who had a mayfield to work the small garden once, this was replaced with a Templar tiller, so the mayfield just sat in the shed for a few years, until I decided to restore it during the school summer holidays in about 83, once I finished that one I wanted another to do, which ended up being a colwood, I had a BMB hoemate and cultmate for my 16th birthday, then things really began to escalate, and now to date I have between 50-60.

[roatavator]

50/60? Oh if only I had a shed like that!

[Author]

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