Shay BUX engines.

[wristpin]

What can anyone tell me ?
Were BUX an independent manufacturer and, if so , what other machines were they used in; or was BUX just the name of an in-house made engine ?
Could ask a similar question re Ransomes and Drayton!

[charlie]

Interesting question.

[andyfrost]

Angus , I’m only guessing that they were an in house made engine , based purely on the fact that I have never seen them fitted to any other form of machinery , like many others they sourced in the ignition and carbs.
Nice little engines when running , but the Miller ignitions were troublesome.

Andy

[wristpin]

I think, in- house too. My parents had a new Rotoscythe in 1952 and I was deemed old enough to use it. I well remember that turbine like sound – and also the burn on the wrist from the exhaust, acquired when reaching over the machine to the height adjuster knob rather than walking around the front.

[charlie]

Are there any patent numbers on the engine? The original Rotoscythe was made by Power Specialities of Maidenhead. Looking on the patents website might give a clue or answer.

[wristpin]

Good suggestion, but I didn’t mean to imply that I have one now but I’d been in conversation with a man from Leicester who has two and neither of us knew the answer to the BUX question. I did have one that I took as a trade in when I had the business but I was doing a bit of post retirement de- cluttering and sold it to a chap from Oxfordshire who apparently has a bit of a collection.
This may be of interest
https://www.outdoorking.com/forum/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=63824

[hdtrust]

Well,here goes,the first engine that Power Specialist used was villiers,A Bux is a villiers under license to Power Specialists, in the first couple of years,then part of the licensing fell away,so that the latter ones,had different parts attached.
A nowadays term for these engines could be classed as badge engineered
You mention Ransomes,They have a long history of badge engineering.
The first engine which was badged was the Simms way back in 1905,this became the Orwell (derived from the river that runs through Ipswich.)
I suspect the engine you are talking about is the Ransomes 4 stroke which appeared on the Mk 10 Motor Mower or on the MG Tractors.This engine was originally a Sturmy Archer,then a license was bought by Ransomes.
Ransomes also badge engineered binks carburettors.
To give another licensing exercise
Atco
Chas H Pugh made under license,Senspray carbs, and also Claudel Hobsen carbs
Hope this clears your head
Kind regards
Andrew hdtrust

[andyfrost]

I’ve waited a few days to reply , I’m rather surprised that none have been forthcoming. The original question was regards to the Bux (Shay) 120cc twostroke engine. I feel it difficult to believe that it has in any way a connection with Villiers , it doesn’t share one common component found on any Villiers engine, likewise the actual design.

Andy.

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