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March 27, 2024 at 3:14 pm #42002alanParticipant
That looks like a great solution! And the mower lives to see another day and many more lawns.
I always think that many mowers and machines could be saved and, as with the Marquis, be working again. I wonder how many folk have scrapped a machine when it could have been saved.
March 24, 2024 at 10:26 am #41962alanParticipantI have scanned the 1984 four-page brochure and the relevant bit of the price list which I’ve put at the top of the last page.
AL-KO had relocated from their Barnsley site to Consett in County Durham in 1984 – the new address is on the back page of the brochure. I found a trade report where they stated that the new premises were nearer to a port and thus reduced transport costs when importing their lawn mowers, trimmers, cement mixers, bench equipment etc from Germany and Austria. They seem to have imported a large and varied range of equipment.
March 23, 2024 at 10:21 pm #41958alanParticipantIt was called the ALKOTRAC. There were two engine sizes, the 8hp just for mowing and the 10hp with the grass collection.
I’ve never seen one in the tinwork but I thought that it’d be a fun machine just for the novelty of the collector!
Yes, they were 1970s/80s but it looks like they were 1970s in mainland Europe before filtering through to the UK going into the 1980s.
I have a brochure and price list and will get those scanned and uploaded for you.
March 23, 2024 at 10:28 am #41951alanParticipantMarch 23, 2024 at 10:10 am #41950alanParticipantI would say it is a Contractor GT2 model with a 2-stroke 98cc JLO engine. The GT2s had 19″ (47cm) cutting decks, and were available from the late 1970s.
March 20, 2024 at 12:29 pm #41938alanParticipantI would assume it means to place the pump horizontally onto the engine rather than in at an angle and then trying to straighten it up. I’ve rebuilt many Kohler engines for our tractors and made sure the pump is square-on when replacing.
I’ve taken two photos of a pump that I replaced. The first photo is a side view showing the lever angle, the second photo shows a shiny spot where the lever has been in contact with the cam.
March 20, 2024 at 11:01 am #41935alanParticipantMarch 20, 2024 at 10:49 am #41930alanParticipantMarch 13, 2024 at 7:40 pm #41912alanParticipantIndeed, in the second half of the 1980s the Honda polymer decks hit the market in the UK.
I’ve done more research this evening and found some March 1986 adverts and an editorial report about the new decks – but nothing advertised earlier in 1985. You are correct that it was a smaller model first, it was the 17″ HR173 and available in both four-wheel or rear-roller versions. This led me to find the Honda manual online which is dated 1985.
Amazing that it’s 39 years since they introduced those polymer decks!
January 13, 2024 at 6:08 pm #41702alanParticipantHello
Thanks for letting us know, it’s much appreciated, and I’ve had a look at this.
I’ve checked the club email and there’s been no emails sent out to members from there.
Indeed, unwanted emails are an unnecessary aggravation, but as said it’s advisable to just delete such emails.
I will add that the club never sends out global emails or messages to all members. If there’s important info regarding the website then we’d put a post on the site, or to contact everyone we use The Cultivator magazine.
Alan
December 30, 2023 at 12:10 pm #41626alanParticipantThanks for posting a picture of your Bernard tractor.
I had a look to see if I had any adverts for Bernard tractors but couldn’t see any. There is a 1983 advert for Bernard pedestrian mowers and a 1985 list of the mower models with an interesting list of engines that were used.
I haven’t seen a Bernard mower in the UK but one would be nice to go with the tractor!
December 27, 2023 at 12:45 pm #41617alanParticipantHello Oli
It’s good to see a Bernard tractor.
The USA-made Bernard machines were imported into the UK in the 1980s by Hyett Adams Ltd, Stonehouse, Gloucestershire. There were three tractor models and said to all have 6 hp Bernard 4-stroke engines, and three forward plus reverse gearboxes.
According to a 1985 pricelist, the model BM749 had a rear-discharge 32″ wide mowing deck with five cutting heights, headlights, and an electric start engine. A grass collector was optional. It was priced at £1205+vat.
The models BM809 (recoil start) and BM829 (electric start) had 36″ wide mowing decks.
The models were also available in the UK liveried as ATCO and Dynamark. The Bernard BM749 looks to have the same bodywork as the early ATCO 8/36 – although the models didn’t stick to just one design. I assume the 32″ mowing deck was the same (or similar) as found on the ATCO 7/32.
I have no idea about the paint colour code, and I’ve not seen reproduced decals. It will probably be a case of getting a company to match the paint and also someone to create new decals – take lots of photos of the decals as square-on and perfect as possible!
It will be nice to see how the project progresses as it’s good to see a different tractor.
December 24, 2023 at 7:16 pm #41599alanParticipantI hope everyone has a good Christmas and New Year.
Indeed, let’s hope for good weather at shows and events next year.
Attached are a couple of photos from Malvern Autumn show. An excellent turn-out from members with a varied range of machines, good company, and great weather on the Saturday!
December 23, 2023 at 3:28 pm #41594alanParticipantI’ve looked through my photos and cannot see anything similar from the big manufacturers (but might be wrong) such as Ransomes, Mountfield, Victa etc and the ones you have also mentioned.
I can see why you thought of and dismissed Norlett as some models had the sticking-out wheel supports at the front as shown on the attached 1976 image.
Do the handlebars have any distinguishing features? Are they one or two-piece or foldup?
December 4, 2023 at 7:38 pm #41522alanParticipantThank you Trusty220.
As you know, I aim to get a range of questions, so hand tools, mowers, etc. And I like the questions and answers to be informative and sometimes offbeat.
I come across some really weird facts that include garden tools or machines and would make great questions but I cannot include them all. These include a gardener who used a shovel to defend himself against an escaped Tiger in the 1940s; and an advert for a watering can that had a spout at the bottom edge so that the user didn’t have to tip it up to empty the contents. There’s some interesting things out there!
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